Board Games

When was the last time you played a board game? If you go to buy one these days (if Hasbro makes the game), you will see a fake yellow post-it note on the box that reads: "Plan a Family Game Night". I'm sure everyone has seen this new addition to the boxes by now. While it may be rooted in clever marketing, it's not a bad idea. If you're a parent, taking one night a week and playing a board game with your child(ren) is very beneficial to them, and it's FUN! If you're not a parent, why not begin to play board games more often? One of my personal favorites is Battleship.

In this day and age, turning to board games for entertainment seems harder and harder to do. Why? They require more than just the participation of yourself, unlike video games. However, the bonding that can develop from playing board games is worth it. The benefits of board games over video games, especially for young children, have been told time and time again, and sadly most people only play them when the power goes out.

I challenge you: The next time you and your friends are going to get together for another Halo Tournament, dig out a board game instead.

For more information on planning a Family Game Night, click here.

Isaiah 6

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that hehad taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this hastouched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keepon seeing, but do not perceive.’10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy,and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

As I read these verses, several things stuck out to me. The seraphim, even without sin, covered their faces and feet from the Lord. They feared and revered God. After seeing this, Isaiah says, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" He recognizes that he is not worthy to look upon or be seen by the Lord. Then, a seraphim flew to him and put fire to his lips ,and his sin was atoned for. I think this foreshadows the role of Jesus. Now, God tells Isaiah what He wants him to do. When I read what God told Isaiah to say to the people, I asked myself, "Why does God want the people to hear and not understand, etc. and turn and be healed?" Then, while flipping through my Bible, Matthew 13:10-15 caught my eye.

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand,and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown dull,and with their ears they can barely hear,and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

Indeed, God was setting up Jesus to speak in parables and be the healer. The only change from Isaiah to Matthew is "turn and be healed" becomes "turn and I would heal them." Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One foretold of in Isaiah.

To hear Todd Agnew sing Isaiah 6, click here.

It's Your Bible Calling...

Released yesterday was the newest "version" of the Bible. Called the SMSBible, the Bible can now be sent as text messages. Read an article about the SMSBible here. Or check out their website here.

I would say that few love gadgets and technology more than I; however, I fear that this new technology, while designed to draw youth to the Bible, will become nothing more than a fad.
Remember these?
I think that all this technology does in the end is promote poor grammar. The last thing we need is illiterate youth, especially with the Bible.

John 3:16 (ESV) goes from this:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

To this:

"God luvd da ppl of dis wrld so much dat he gave his only Son, so dat evry1 who has faith in him will have eternal life & neva really die." Jhn 3:16 CEV

While I do not know anything about the CEV translation of the Bible, turning that translation into the language of text-messagers just seems problematic. Maybe it is only me, but I could not take the SMSBible version of John 3:16 seriously. It just didn't show me the splendor that is God's grace and love for us by giving His Son. I can't imagine having to reflect and meditate on "dis's and dat's." Are we so busy that we can only read from our cell phones? Is our society shifting away from what has worked for 1000s of years, sitting down and pouring over good ol' books? I think carrying my Bible is just as easy as carrying my cell phone.

Work In Progress

I am sorry to say that the music for my blog will be temporarily unavailable. Do not fret, the music will return. Also, a new post is just around the corner!