Ice Dam Lessons

Icicles along eaves trough spell trouble.

We lived in our house for 30 years, without major problems. But this summer we installed gutter-guards to solve a drainage problem. Due to the urgency of the issue, we did not do research before implementing the “solution”. And sure enough, the lack of proper planning came back to haunt us. The extreme cold weather this winter, coupled with our new gutter guards, led to another problem: icicles forming along the eave troughs, for the first time in three decades. Lesson 1: Haste makes waste. Prov 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Don’t make snap decisions or decide under duress. It will only cause further problems.

Poor insulation + Poor ventilation = problem!

We searched online for an explanation, and here’s what we found. Warm air rises through the ceiling and insufficient insulation into the attic. The escaped heat melts the snow on the roof, and water runs down the slope to reach the unheated eave trough. The holes on the gutter guards are blocked by ice so water cannot flow down the gutter. The water refreezes and the dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above, forming icicles. Lesson 2: Rome was not built in a day. Symptoms can appear overnight, but root causes develop over time. If the attic insulation and ventilation had been good, the problem would not have developed. It’s the same in relationships. Keep your relationships warm and communication flowing, it would prevent lots of problems.

The immediate concern was that the dammed-up water would seep through cracks in the shingle into the roof and interior walls, causing damage. The quick fix was to hire a contractor to remove the ice-dam using steam guns, but this would be a one-time remedy and winter wasn’t over yet. We learned our lessons and opted for a long-term solution instead. So we hired a roofing specialist who came with an infra-red gun to do a thorough inspection, checking where heat was going out and moisture was coming in. It was like doing a complete physical, with the doctor telling you what’s wrong, and boy was it depressing! Lesson 3: Prescribe the right medicine for the illness 對症下藥。In life often we just deal with the urgent, taking the easy way out. Don’t just treat the symptom. Resolve the root cause before trouble mounts further.

The sad thing is, over the years we’ve already added insulation, redone the shingles twice, and installed ventilation fans, but none of the contractors cared enough to provide a full solution. For example, they used blown-in loose-fill mineral wool for adding insulation to areas with blanket batts and rolls of fiberglass because it was easy to install, but didn’t insulate the attic hatch itself, where heat escaped freely. The roofer only wanted to change the shingles outside, but never bothered checking the attic inside to make sure there was no moisture problem. The contractor installed ventilation fans in the bathrooms, but used under-powered fans to increase his profit margin, and we didn’t know enough to enforce quality control. Lesson 4: Attitude is important. Lk 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Many workers do only what’s necessary to get the job done, but not enough to do an excellent job that really solves all the problems. Choose your workers carefully.

We’re still waiting for the written report before we decide what to do. Like a person getting old, there are many problems due to wear and tear and lack of maintenance over the years. Your body, relationships, house, and care share something in common. Maintain them well and they’ll serve you well over the long haul. Neglect them and you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Redeeming the Firstborn

Q. In Num 3:12 the LORD took the Levites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The total number of Levites including every male a month old or more was 22,000 (Num 3:39). The total number of firstborn male Israelites a month old or more was 22,273 (Num 3:43). The 273 firstborn male Israelites who exceeded the number of Levites had to be redeemed by 5 shekels each, for a total of 1365 shekels. God’s requirements appear to be very exact. How did the Israelites ensure that number of male Levites and firstborn male Israelites always balance?

A. To deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, God sent the Egyptians 10 plagues, the last of which was the striking down of all the first-born in Egypt:

• Ex 12:29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.

However, God spared the firstborn of the Israelites, requiring the Israelites to give over their first offspring to the LORD, and redeeming them instead:

• Ex 13:12-13 you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

Now, God is making a substitution, taking the Levites in place of the first male offspring, so that they can serve Him in the tabernacle:

• Num 3:12-13 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”
• Num 3:45 Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.
• Num 8:16, 18 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.
• Num 18:6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting.
• Num 18:15-16 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

Now the Exodus, the sparing of the first male offspring of the Israelites, and the subsequent substitution by the Levites for the Israelite firstborn were one-time events. Since the number of Levites fell short of the number of Israelite firstborn by 273, the 273 had to be redeemed by paying 5 shekels of silver each. What about firstborn Israelites after this? Since the numbers are highly unlikely to match and doing a census is a massive undertaking, the procedure was simplified by requiring all firstborn sons to pay the redemption price (Num 18:15-16). There were other census in the Bible e.g. Num 26, 2 Sam 24, but you don’t see the Israelites trying to balance the books there because of this additional requirement.

This rite, called pidyon haben in Hebrew, is continued to this day by Orthodox and Conservative Jews. The ceremony involves paying 5 silver coins to a kohen (priestly descendants of Aaron) to redeem his son when the baby is 30 days old. For Christians, who are redeemed by the death of Christ once for all and for all time, there is no need to continue this ritual or any other animal sacrifices.

I want to add a word on caution on basic bible application. Some are not very careful in their observation of what the Bible said, and as a result drew wrong conclusions on what it meant and how it should apply. Some claimed conditional promises as if they were unconditional, even though they have not fulfilled the conditions themselves. Others made a sharp distinction between Israel and the Church as if the Church were a temporary phase, while still others assumed that the Church had replaced Israel and all promises to Israel are to be fulfilled in the Church. Yet sometimes Scripture is not as black and white as we would like them. Study each passage in its context, taking grammatical, historical and cultural factors into consideration before you draw hasty conclusions.

Others Better than Yourself?

Q. What does Php 2:3 “esteem others better than yourself” (NKJV) mean? Sometimes you just know you’re better than the other person, how then can you consider him better than yourself? Isn’t that false humility?

A. First, the word “esteem” translates the Greek word hegeomai, which means “to consider, deem, account, think”. This can also be seem in several other translations:

• NIV: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
• ESV: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
• NASB: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

You can see that “esteem” is a subjective value judgment, not an objective, absolute measurement. It is in your attitude.

Secondly, the reason why most people consider others inferior to themselves is selfish ambition or vain conceit. Because of our selfishness or self-centeredness, we think we are superior to others. The Lord Himself taught in:

• Mt 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We are blind to our own faults, but magnify even tiny flaws in others – that’s why we think we are better.

The reality is that no one is strong in all areas. You may excel in one subject, but perhaps just a beginner in another discipline. Each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. If I compare myself to you, I may win in some areas, but you will beat me in others. The key then is in humility look at other’s strengths and learn from them, instead of your own strengths and become proud. As well, we are mindful of our own weaknesses, not focusing on the weaknesses of others. In so doing we will regard others as more important than yourself. This is not false humility, but a realistic and humble assessment. Hope this helps.

Mixing Kinds?

Q. Most of the OT laws are moral, but there are a few which are not e.g.
Lev 19:19 ‘Keep my decrees. Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.’ Do these apply today?

A. In general there are three types of OT laws:

1. Moral laws based on God’s character – these are valid for all times and still binding today. For example, the 10 commandments except the Sabbath were all affirmed in the NT and just as binding today as in ancient times.
2. Civil laws that regulate social justice – these are valid in principle, but the application may need to be brought up-to-date. (See yesterday’s post)
3. Ceremonial laws that point to Christ – these have been fulfilled by our Lord and are no longer needed e.g. animal sacrifices.

But there are some that do not fall neatly into these three categories, of which Lev 19:19 is an example. How should we treat them? In this case there are clues. The prohibition is on mixing two different kinds, be they animal, plant, or material, as God wants the kinds to be separate and pure. When God created living things, He made vegetation, sea creatures, land animals each according to their kind:

• Gen 1:11-12 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
• Gen 1:21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
• Gen 1:24-25 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

The reasons for not allowing mixing are not given, but could include:

1. Physical – when you mix different kinds, you get harmful results. For example, if you cross-breed a horse and a donkey to produce a mule, generally the mule is sterile and cannot reproduce. If you plant wheat and oats together, the wheat would be injured and the oats ruined. That’s why farmers practice crop rotation, not mixing. If you weave wool and linen together (Deut 22:11), they shrink differently and the cloth is ruined.
2. Spiritual – to separate themselves from pagan practices. In ancient times the heathen believed that you can get magical powers by mixing kinds. This is superstitious idolatry which must be avoided, and is an object lesson to teach the Israelites to obey even when they did not fully understand why.

Do these laws still apply? On the spiritual side, mixing kinds is not a prevalent pagan practice today, so this reason for prohibiting them is no longer relevant. On the physical side, although the offspring of mating different kinds of animals is still infertile, and planting mixed seeds still result in inferior products, clothing woven of two kinds of material is common nowadays (e.g. cotton-acrylic, cotton-polyester). Some would therefore argue that these laws are no longer binding today.

There is merit in this argument, but I think the more important issue is the principle behind the application, not the specific applications which had changed with culture over time. The principle is in 2 Co 6:17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” The current confusion is over gender, the mixing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. LGBT is detestable before God, Lev 18:22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. Here we must keep God’s decrees and do not cross the boundaries. To do so is to invite God’s wrath.

Haircut?

Q. Is Leviticus 19 addressed to all Israel?
• v 2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'”
• v 27 Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
Is this law cultural and not relevant any more today? Lev 21 is addressed to priests and it clearly says in v 5 that ‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.’

A. Some people interpret Old Testament laws literally and believe all of them are relevant today e.g. Orthodox Jews still don’t cut their sideburns or trim their beards. Should we do the same?

The most basic principle in interpreting any passage is the context. You already observed in v 2 that chapter 19 addresses the entire assembly of Israel, but to understand v 27 you need to examine its immediate context to know why that prohibition was given:

• V 26-28 Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or seek omens. Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

V 26-28 are targeted at pagan practices of the heathen in Canaan – eating blood, divination, cutting themselves (e.g. Baal prophets in 1 Kings 18:28), tattoos etc. The pagan did all these things to commune with their gods. The Israelites were not to be like them. They were to be holy, or separated. This was especially so for priests, who were to lead by example and not defile themselves.

The principle is holiness or separation unto God, and is still valid today. The application at that time was cutting sideburns or trimming beards, which custom had changed over time and is no longer relevant now. Since the cultural expression changed, I do not think we need to avoid cutting facial hair today in order to follow Lev 19:27.

Let me give another example. Ex 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.” Most of us don’t live in an agricultural society anymore, does that mean this law no longer applies? While the letter of the law may not apply except to livestock owners, the spirit of the law, the principle of protection of personal property, is just as valid today as it was thousands of years ago. We just have to adapt the application to bring it up-to-date. So while I believe in interpreting the Bible literally as far as possible, subject to figures of speech, we need to take culture into account instead of applying Scripture indiscriminately.

Overseas Chinese Gospel Needs and Ministry in Central and South America

I came across this clip while searching for information on missions to the Chinese Diaspora. The first 4:50 min. is a documentary on the life of overseas Chinese (OC) in Central and South America (CSA). The remaining 4:27 min. is a call from Rev. Vincente Wang, dean of Chinese Christian Seminary of Latin America in Argentina. The narration is in Mandarin and talks about the harsh life of the OC in CSA. To make a living, many sacrificed their family, health and even personal safety. Among the 2 million OCs, there are only about 5,000 Christians (0.25%), with about 100 churches. The need for the gospel is huge and the ministry is hard, often at the ploughing and sowing stage. The workers are few and lonely. Yet without sowing there is no reaping. I’m glad that our church plays a small part in sending out one sister and a couple to serve in Panama. Support them and pray the Lord of the Harvest send more workers.

Article in Chinese: http://www.evangellite.org/2008/03/01/%E4%B8%80%E7%99%BE%E5%80%8B%E4%BA%BA%E8%A3%A1%E9%9D%A2%EF%BC%8C%E9%80%A3%E5%8D%8A%E5%80%8B%E5%9F%BA%E7%9D%A3%E5%BE%92%E9%83%BD%E6%B2%92%E6%9C%89-%E7%8E%8B%E6%87%B7%E6%81%A9/

Leather Christians

Since we would rather support missions and other Kingdom causes than spend money on ourselves, some of our furniture have been with us a long time. But eventually even sofas wear out, so we’re in the market for leather loveseats and chairs. After visiting several sofa manufacturing showrooms and talking to people who know the trade, we learned a few things about leather.

Although there are leathers of many different “feel” and color from different animals, essentially there are four basic types based on their manufacturing method. Interestingly, these types can also be used to classify Christians.

1. Full-grain – this is the highest quality, natural leather as nothing like sanding or buffing is done to it to hide the imperfections e.g. scars. There are no polymer coatings so the leather is “breathable”. The only processing is dyeing for color, and the leather does not wear out easily and is durable. This is analogous to Christians who are authentic. They do not try to hide their vulnerabilities, but are genuine. They make people comfortable by giving themselves and others “breathing” room. They endure and persevere. If you have friends like these, they last a long, long time.

2. Top-grain – despite its name, this is the second-best quality after full-grain. If the raw leather is thick, it can be split into two sheets. The imperfections are then sanded down. Sometimes coatings are applied, so they are less breathable. They are like many well-meaning Christians who try to do their best, but because they are “thinner” due to the splitting, they are less durable. These Christians try to put their best foot forward and hide their imperfections, but as a result of this “guardedness” you don’t feel as comfortable with them.

3. Split – this is the bottom half after the top top-grain layer has been separated. It is similar to the top half, except that there is no grain, so artificial grains are stamped or embossed on it. This is still real leather, but lower quality and more artificial both in its look and feel. Some Christians’ emphasis is on how they appear externally, not on their spiritual qualities internally. They truly believe Jesus is God and trust Him as their Savior, but they are more molded by the world than His word.

4. Bonded – this is not real leather, notwithstanding its name. They are made by bonding leather scraps together using polymer glue. They look like leather, but since they are not one piece naturally, they wear out within a few years and are not durable. In Christendom, they are nominal Christians. In good times superficially they look and act like Christians, but they do not stand up under stress and their true colors would show.

What type of Christian are you? Full-grain, top-grain, split, or bonded? For your sake I hope you are full or at least top-grain. Watch and pray.

Why Can’t a Woman be more like a Man? And Vice Versa

Why can’t a woman be more like a man? That’s the lament of Professor Higgins to his friend Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady. Let me quote from that song’s lyrics, in an exchange between Higgins and Pickering, a few of his pet peeves:
Would you be slighted if I didn’t speak for hours? Of course not.
Would you be wounded if I never sent you flowers? Never.
If I were hours late for dinner would you bellow? Of course not.
If I forgot your silly birthday, would you fuss? Nonsense.
Why can’t a woman be like us?

Those may not be your complaints, but everyone has his own rants. In my case it’s shopping. I guess after 40 years of marriage I should have known better, but I didn’t learn. When (most) men shop, they typically know what they need or want, go to the store, make their choice, try it on to see if it fits, pay up, and would be out within 20 minutes.

Not so with women. When they shop, it’s as if they’ve gone to heaven on earth and want to linger as long as possible. Especially when they go to clothing outlet malls, they would generally go from store to store to look at what’s on sale. They may have lots of similar items in their wardrobe, many rarely or even never worn, or have absolutely no need of until they see the sale sign, but never mind, it’s such a good bargain that they got to have it. They would try a dozen outfits just to pick one, ask for your opinion, then turn around and totally ignore it. After spending over an hour in one store, they’re still there, and there are dozens of other stores they want to visit!

If you want to learn patience, shopping would be a good exercise. The smart husband or boyfriend would bring a book, smart phone or tablet to while away the time. But if you forgot your book or your battery is draining low, then good luck to you. You are stuck and just have to put up with the boredom. After all, there are only so many cups of coffee you can drink before your bladder is full and you have to visit the restroom for the umpteenth time. You see lots of other men in the same boat as you are, sitting down on benches to wait because their feet are tired from standing, periodically glancing at their watches to see when their misery might end. It’s like solitary confinement with absolutely nothing to do, except that there are plenty of people around – happy women and miserable men.

Why can’t a woman be more like a man? But if that were the case we would miss the softer side of humanity. I suppose women can ask the same question – “Why can’t a man be more like a woman?”. I prefer the Lord’s solution. God made people male and female, people who are left or right-brain dominant, strategic versus detailed thinkers, tasks versus relationship oriented, doers versus sensitive caring types etc. That’s not to stereotype gender, as there are men and women in both camps. You just have to learn to live with the differences. Actually I should have learned a long time ago, as the gender roles are all in the Bible. I guess I was just too dense for my own good.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Not!

We’ve immigrated to Canada over 45 years ago. The first 9 years we lived in Montreal, where the daily mean temperature in Jan. is -9 deg. C., and average snowfall is 46 cm. Then we moved to Toronto, where the daily mean for the same month is -4.5 deg. C., with 35.5 cm of snowfall. So it was milder and with less snow, until this winter. Suddenly it feels like Montreal again, and nobody talks about global warming anymore.

View from our front door of our neighbor across the street:

Path cleared of snow on our driveway. About 15-20 cm. of snow fell between last night and yesterday afternoon at 3 pm.

Same view after 3 person-hours with a snow-blower and shoveling. The accumulated snow since the Dec. ice-storm is as tall as my wife!

Reminds me of an old song “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall“, which name was based on a Longfellow poem called “The Rainy Days“:

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

I like the opening verse of the third stanza. Into each life some snow must fall, but for those who trust in the Lord, behind the clouds the sun is still shining. He is still watching over us, so be still.

Disney’s Gospel

We just spent a week celebrating our 40th anniversary at Disney World in Orlando, staying at a Disney resort. Disney actually runs a multinational media conglomerate. Besides the studios (film, theatres), theme parks and resorts, merchandising (toys, clothing), media (television, publishing), interactive (internet, computer games), it also has a vast supporting network of cruise lines, shuttle buses transporting customers to and from the parks and hotels.

As a marketer, Disney does a good job to protect its brand name. The products are generally good quality, prices are mid-market to appeal to the masses, promotion is well done with their in-house facilities, and place or distribution is good with both proprietary and non-proprietary outlets. Yet from a Christian perspective Disney is not gospel-friendly, despite its reputation for family entertainment.

For one thing, there is very little reference to God, the Bible, or anything Judeo-Christian in its films and theme parks. In thousands of small towns across America, you will find one or more churches on its Main Street, but not so in Disney’s Main Street. According to the American Religious Identification Survey, 76% of the US adult population identified themselves as Christians. If companies are supposed to cater to the preferences of the majority of their clients, there is little evidence of that here, as one would be hard-pressed to find in Disney any overt appeal to Christians.

Disney’s own explanation is that it did not want to favour any particular denomination. But if that’s the case, then it’s very strange to see explicit expressions of alternative religions, such as Hinduism’s “circle of life” in Lion King, or Animism’s tree spirits in Pocahontas. While Disney “believes” in the supernatural, it isn’t the God of the Bible, but the magical power of fairies (e.g. Cinderella) and witches (e.g. Snow White)! Somehow there seems to be a sense of anything will do, except Christian!

Secondly, while Disney teaches moral lessons such as good will overcome evil, be good and you will be rewarded etc., the emphasis is on “works”, not “faith”. There is faith to be sure, though not faith in God, but faith in yourself. Dream and your wish will come true. Do your best. Try hard. All this is good in terms of work ethics and being motivational, but the focus is on self and bad theology. It places a high value on human nobility while downplaying his depravity, and a low or no value on divine grace.

In fact, I see a greater threat to Christianity in being ignored than opposed. Throughout history the church had been oppressed but flourished. But when she had been pushed aside as insignificant and ignored, and even Christians are lulled into thinking nothing is wrong, then it becomes very dangerous, because Christianity is being marginalized without Christians realizing it, all in the name of fun and entertainment. Although the Disney family claims their founder to be very religious, in the end, they believe business is business. And if they can embrace the 24% while hanging onto the 76% who are asleep, that’s very good business. Lk 16:8 For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. Think that one through.