06 August 2008

Overheard at Lunch Yesterday


by Frank Turk

Some people are discouraged by the fact that their name is not personally in the Bible, and that God has never asked them to build an Ark® complete with blueprints or came to them as a pillar of fire or whatever.

Me personally? I'm glad that the God who made those promises back then is still keeping those promises right now. Because that is where true hope lies -- in God's faithfulness and sovereign control of all things.







37 comments:

Dan Rolfe said...

Amen.

Quick question: Is "He personally" a typo for "Me personally"? Just trying to make sense of that phrase.

I appreciate your insights!

Dan Rolfe said...

Wow... never mind. "He" changed to "Me" while I was posting that last response!!

Nash Equilibrium said...

Thank you. Now, I can scrap my plans to change my name to a name that already appears in the Bible. You just saved me a thousand bucks in legal fees!

Anonymous said...

Maybe not me personally, but America, right...right??? They said it was there at the prophecy symposium...just can't remember the reference.

Mike Westfall said...

Just as long as my name is personally in the Book of Life on Judgment Day, I'm cool with it not being in the Bible.

Udarnik said...

Yes, it's all of grace!

He led them with a cloud and fire by night, yet they found it difficult to follow Him, because they were a stubborn, backwards people.

We have free access to God's presence by the blood of Christ, yet rarely go to Him because we are a stubborn, backwards people (well, maybe the rest of you aren't but I am).

When I reflect upon how faithless and out of control I can be, it's good to know that He remains faithful and focused on the task at hand.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

FX Turk said...

mesa mike:

That's one of those things which I feel creepy saying "amen" to. It's a perfectly orthodox statement, don't get me wrong -- but on that last day, you can have all the books and all the lists.

I want to see Jesus on the last day. I don't want to see my name in the book of life: I want to see Jesus, and have Him say my name, and welcome me into His Father's house.

I want to see Him. You're not wrong -- I just have no stake in reading a book once I can have Jesus right there.

David A. Carlson said...

Discouraged for not being personally in the bible? I am glad to not be in it - Who wants to be a poster child like Jonah? Or Saul? Or Samuel's sons? Or for that matter David?

It sure seems to me that a lot of those who are in the bible got in for a lot of reasons they would of liked to have hidden under the rug.

Just like me.

JackW said...

You mean I didn't need to name my daughter Gomer?!?





Thanks for the post, I feel so graced.

DJP said...

Gomer, no.

Hoglah, yes.

Chris Roberts said...

Stratagem:

I just want to change my name to John. Other than its biblical associations, it seems the name John is a requirement to be a great preacher.

At the seminary I attended the chapel pulpit has four great preachers carved into it. Three are John: John Chrysostom, Jan (John) Huss, and John Knox. The fourth? George Whitfield. But who has ever heard of the great preacher Chris? I'm just out of luck.

Stefan Ewing said...

Every day that we don't meet the fate of Nadab, Abihu (Lev 10), Korah, Dathan, Abiram (Num 16), Zimri (Num 25), or Uzzah (2 Sam 6) is a good day.

And why don't we met their fate? Solely because of God's grace, mediated through the blood of Christ. Because He keeps His promises (as Frank stated), and is in the work of fulfilling His promises: promises to patriarchs, prophets, kings, and apostles. He is calling a people unto Himself.

J♥Yce Burrows said...

Why get wrapped up in Frank or Joyce...or Hoglah...when we should be looking forward to "what" is yet to come? Rev. 2:17 And paramountly..."Who" that did, does, and will do the impossible to man.

Short post ~ long on truth. Amen.

doug4 said...

My former pastor used to imagine dinner time at Isaiah’s house. “Mahershalalhashbaz, Mahershalalhashbaz, time for supper!”

Mike Westfall said...

> I just have no stake
> in reading a
> book once I can have
> Jesus right there.

Point well taken, and of course, that's the way I think too.

But since we we concerning ourselves with some people's discouragement about whether their names were written in a certain Book...

Matt said...

Hey all,

Matthew here (snickers at all the people with unbiblical names).

Good thoughts, Cent.

Oh, and Daryl, do you have to put shtank on everything?

Ben N said...

Good news Frank,
I did a search and here is a reference to your name in the Bible:
Exodus:30:34,35
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.

So, maybe not your name directly, but it does speak about the smell of Frank :)

Stefan Ewing said...

And Leviticus 19:17:

"You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him." (It doesn't have a long lineage, though. Wycliffe rendered the clause in question as "but repreue hym opynly.")

My parents—one an atheist Jew, the other an agnostic Anglican—gave me the German/Polish form of Steven (go figure). I'm quite sure it wasn't a conscious association.

Jim Crigler said...

Benjamin Nitu — Actually those of us who've seen the movie (at least) of Seven Wives for Seven Brothers (the old musical), knew about Frankincense -> Frank. The brothers names were alphabetical, all Biblical, and the sixth was Frank.

candy said...

It probably should be...

Frank incensed. :P

Actually the key emphasis in this post is sovereignty.

I remember years ago in charismatic churches wondering why no one ever prophesized good things over me, or prophesized at all over me for that matter. I wanted an idea of my future and God's will in my life.

I am grateful to come to an understanding of God's sovereignty .

Frank...if I read between the lines, I am assuming that you are especially holding onto that truth as the economy affects your area. My husband and I will keep you and your family in prayer.

Tom Chantry said...

Maybe I'm entirely obtuse (I do list my occupation as "minister," after all), but I didn't think this was a post about biblical names, per se, so much as not having the Bible address me, directly, telling me, specifically, to go build something or go do something.

So the point of the post applies to me, even though my name is taken from the Apostle mainly known for doubt. The commands of God to me are made generally. They are binding, but non-specific. The Bible tells me to trust God and serve Him, but not to embark on a specific project. Similarly, the promises of Scripture are true to me, but non-specific. I know that God will be with me, but I don't know whether I'll still hold my job in a year.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Matt, I wasn't aware that I did that so much.
But is it true that people read themselves AND their country into places where it doesn't belong.

More to the point of the post...I can totally relate to Candy, spending lots of time in Charismatic circles wondering, not so much where my name was in Scripture as why God never spoke directly to ME.
A better understanding of sovereignty has certainly helped. Knowing that, although he wrote the Bible to someone else, he is still watching me and leading me exactly where he intends me to go, now that's comfort...and hope.

My life verse of late? "Shall not the judge of the earth do right?"

He will, and I don't need my name in red letters to trust in that.

Daniel said...

My name being in the bible, I have often been brought to tears by Daniel 10:12 - even though I know it is not about me personally, ("Then he said to me,'Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you) set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.' " - ESV).

Though if my name were say, Balaam, I suspect I would weep for other reasons...

Stefan Ewing said...

If we're going to talk about life verses, the verses that gave me life are all about the sovereingty of God: Ezekiel 37:5-6, ending with "And you shall know that I am the Lord." Amen!

Shaun Groves said...

How does one go about getting in touch with a member of the TeamPyro...um, team? I've tried a few ways and so far - crickets.

Anybody?

Thanks muchly.

-Shaun
shaun AT compassionbloggers.com

Susan said...

1. Oh, come one people. Who says only some of our names are in the Bible? Doesn't anybody remember The Bible Code? :P

2. Bo said: "We have free access to God's presence by the blood of Christ, yet rarely go to Him because we are a stubborn, backwards people (well, maybe the rest of you aren't but I am)."

Count me in!!

3. Daryl said: "A better understanding of sovereignty has certainly helped. Knowing that, although he wrote the Bible to someone else, he is still watching me and leading me exactly where he intends me to go, now that's comfort...and hope."

Yes, it is very comforting, especially in light of the fact that I can be so blind sometimes. Wouldn't you say, though, that the Bible sometimes speaks straight to our hearts, despite the fact that we aren't its initially intended audience? (Then again, in God's sovereign plan, He intended us to read it and be blessed by it--amazing.)

Susan said...

That's "come ON people". Sorry.

FX Turk said...

Shaun:

It'll cost ya.

FX Turk said...

BTW, Candy, let me tell you that the prayers of the righteous availeth much.

Tim Brown said...

Take it from a guy who was given *Two* Biblical names; it's no biggie!

I haven't lived up to either one!

Timothy
Mark
Brown

Tom Chantry said...

Shaun,

From my observation (not experience), if you start regularly breaking the rules of commenting you'll "get in touch" with them pretty quickly.

FX Turk said...

The truth is that we just can't get enough of you, Chantry.

Stefan Ewing said...

Manhugs all round.

Susan said...

"Manhugs all round."

Yikes.

Double yikes because of that hilarious "manhugs" play-by-play video that Dan posted some moons ago. Left me in stitches.

Udarnik said...

Manhugs?

Will that be followed by the salutation "good game," with appropriate physical contact?

If so, we'll probably lose a few.

Rick Frueh said...

Rick Mahershalalhashbaz Frueh.

I'm in.

Matt said...

Sorry Matt, I wasn't aware that I did that so much.
But is it true that people read themselves AND their country into places where it doesn't belong.


I was only kidding Daryl. What I love about this blog is that it's such a great fit for me.

TeamPyro: Come for the theology, stay for the sarcasm.