I would tell you a secret but I am afraid you would hurt my business. Ok, since only a handful of people read this I'll share. EBay is often much cheaper than Amazon. Yet, some people prefer to use Amazon because it seems far more secure. You can take advantage of this. Here is how I do it. I buy Super Nintendo games on EBay then sell them on Amazon.
When I first started doing this I saw a game on Amazon listed for 49.99. On EBay I saw that some complete idiot was selling the game for 9.99. This is not 9.99 in an auction...this is Buy It Now 9.99. With my heart beating out of my chest I committed to buy. What a sucker! I quickly received the game and listed it on Amazon. I was even generous and listed it for 39.99. Somebody would be sure to buy it.
2 months later....Nothing. Turns out some games and books on Amazon will NEVER sell. Found out the seller rank for this game is like 2 million something. And to top it off some goober just put the same game up for sale on Amazon for 15.00. Turns out the "idiot" that listed it for 9.99 got another idiot (me) to buy a worthless game.
So, here is the lesson. I've had the same experience in theology. You know when you just cannot wrap your mind around what some idiot is teaching. He is obviously wrong because your Bible teaches something different. So, you even write a few articles and talk to a few friends about this ridiculous teaching.
A few months later...you wholeheartedly agree with the previous "ridiculous teaching". Turns out he wasn't the idiot you were. Stay humble and always remember you could be wrong. God gives grace to the humble but rejects the proud.
About this blog
In 1832, after reading the life of Jonathan Edwards, Robert Murray McCheyne was deeply humbled. He related this experience in his diary: "How feeble my spark of Christianity appears beside such a sun! But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me."
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Click to Buy for $9.99
Click to Buy for only $9.99
6 comments
Comment by Curt Sweeney on February 3, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Well said, Mike! There was a time when I thought Calvinists where strange.
Comment by David Dittmer on February 3, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Mike,
What teaching are you referring to. I want to see if I am as much of an idiot as you. :D
- David
Comment by Mike Leake on February 3, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Thanks Curt and in my thanks to you is also the answer to David.
I too at one time thought Calvinism was a damnable heresy. And there was also a time when I thought Arminianism was a damnable heresy. There was a time when I watched TBN and thought many of the people I read now were Puritanical...oh, and by the way I once did not care for the Puritans. My view of Romans 7 has changed about 80 times. I've written things in the past that I look back on now and would condemn myself to heresy, LOL.
But I would almost venture to say that if a person has not grown in their theology in a similar manner that perhaps they need to start reading some different books or keep reading the Gospels and do so without making Jesus fit their comfy little mold.
Everytime I read the Gospels I think my theology changes in some way or another. You just can't put Jesus in a nice little box.
Comment by David Dittmer on February 3, 2009 at 7:08 PM
Just so that it is clear, what I said was meant to be a joke. Sorry if I went too far.
Unlike you guys, I have pretty much always thought of myself as a Calvinist. Unfortunately, at first it was only because one of my best friends in high school was. However, although I claimed to be a Calvinist, in my actual beliefs I ranged anywhere from Pelagian to hyper-Calvinist. The tendencies of this last one is where God has really been proving me to be an idiot. I am going through the gospels right now in my reading, and it is just amazing how Christ at times is hard as nails, and then He is so approachable that he allows little children to come to Him. Unfortunately I tend to have the hardness (which instead of coming from righteous anger, only comes from hardness of heart), but none of the softness.
There are other areas where God has shown me to be an idiot, but those are best left for private conversations.
- David
Comment by Mike Leake on February 4, 2009 at 9:28 AM
David,
I totally knew that you were joking about the idiot part.
With already broken people Christ is gentle, tender, and restorative.
With hard, calloused, and prideful people Christ is often like a sledgehammer.
I think we tend to do the opposite. We crush already broken people and we try to woo prideful people with trite little Christian phrases. So, I'm glad He's Jesus and I'm not :-)
PS David, are you coming tonight?
Comment by Mike Leake on February 4, 2009 at 9:29 AM
David,
Also, I forgot to say thank you for sharing your insights and for being open enough to share how God is humbling you. Thanks, bro!