The Larger Point

Holmes and Watson went on a camping trip. After an excessive amount of liquid refreshment they were sound asleep, but woke up in the middle of the night.

Holmes turns to Watson and says, “Watson, look up, what do you see?”

Watson says, “I see stars and stars and more stars.”

Holmes says, “What does that tell you Watson?”

“Well Holmes, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially, billions of planets.

Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is not Leo.

Horologically, it tells me that its about a quarter to three in the morning.

Meterologically, it tells me that tomorrow will probably be a beautiful day.

Theologically, it tells me that there’s a vast universe and we are just a tiny part of the whole.

“Why Holmes, what does it tell you?”

Holmes says, “Watson, you idiot! Somebody has stolen our tent!”

THE LESSON: You can be very profound in an answer and miss the larger point.

Friday Round Up

(1) For some reason, Jehovah’s Witnesses go to great lengths to try to say that Jesus was not crucified on a cross but impailed on a stake, with one nail going through both hands that were held above His head. However, if that was the case, in speaking of the hands of Christ, Thomas, who was all too aware of the facts concerning the death of Christ, would have used the singular word “nail” and not the plural “nails” in this text in John 20:25:

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see IN HIS HANDS THE MARK OF THE NAILS, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

I believe there are two reasons why the JW’s speak so much on this. They want to try to show that Christians get it wrong on the most basic of issues (and therefore show how superior their knowledge is) as well as they see the two beamed cross as a symbol of idolatry. This article sheds much light: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/cross-or-stake.php

(2) 4 Truths about Hell

(3) The resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale are very well worth considering. Especially recommended are R. C. Sproul’s DVD series on Psalm 51, By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me book by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism book by Craig Brown, and The Promise Keeper: God of the Covenants teaching series, all found here.