Danny ChaiToday’s random fact (via the Sports Guy) is in honor of the Chois, to bring together two of their passions: The numbers in Lost (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) are all numbers that have been retired by the New York Yankees. In order: Gehrig, Berra/Dickey, Munson, Whitey Ford, Mattingly and Jackie Robinson.
Couple days ago I experienced one of the most thrilling events of my life. Korea’s Pride-esque.
So I’ve ditched My Utmost. Sorry, Oswald, nothing personal. I just needed a bit more Scripture than the daily verse snippets there in this season of my life. Ted let me borrow For The Love Of God, and it’s been pretty good so I’ve been using that. Although Carson’s picture on the inside cover includes one of the worst moustaches in the history of civilization. I’m not even joking. Apparently his wisdom and discernment doesn’t extend to his facial hair.
Anyway, he had a really fascinating commentary a few weeks back on Samson. The Scripture describes Samson as being “filled with the Spirit of God”, I think is how it’s put, when he does a lot of the amazing things he does. At the same time, he has glaring moral failings: pursuing prostitutes, selling out for a woman, general rage issues. Carson’s claim is that this shows us that being filled with the Spirit in your ministry does not automatically make you immune to moral temptations.
I’ve been thinking about that a ton. Because upon reflection, I’ve believed otherwise. That if you’re filled with the Spirit in any area, you’re necessarily morally pure. So when public figures are revealed to have moral failings, I immediately doubt the sincerity of their ministry, even their faith. Like Jimmy Swaggart, Bill Clinton, whoever. It’s just how I think.
But maybe, like Samson, it is possible to have a legitimate Spirit filled ministry but still mess up morally. I dunno, that’s kind of both encouraging and sobering. Encouraging that all these peoples’ ministries weren’t necessarily false or not of God. Sobering that I guess we can never stop having to worry about stuff like that.