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Assumptions That Affect Our Lives
By admin on Mar 27, 2009 in Current events, Homeschool
An old story illustrates how easy it is to be conditioned into a wrong thinking pattern. A husband asked his wife why she always cut off theend of the rump roast before roasting it.
She replied, “I’m not sure why. I’ve never thought about it. My mother always cut off the end of the rump roast, so there must be a reason.” Afew weeks later Mother visited the family. The man asked his wife’s mother, “We were wondering, why do you always cut off the end of therump roast before you roast it?” She replied, “I don’t know. I have never thought about it. My mother always cut off the end of the rump roast,so there must be a reason.”
This made them all curious. They decided to call the wife’s mother’s mother—the grandmother—to ask her. Grandmother answered thephone. The husband asked her, “Your daughter, granddaughter and I were wondering, why do you always cut off the end of the rump roastbefore you roast it?” Grandmother replied, “Oh, my roasting pan was too small. I had to cut it off it for it to fit in the pan!”
Assumptions Determine Values, Influence Behavior, and Shape Culture
Our assumptions effect how we read and interpret the Bible. To really understand Scripture we must dig through layers of a mountain ofman’s influences shoveling off and discarding man’s traditions, theories, interpretations, and philosophies from Greek and Romancivilizations, Aristotle, Constantine, Marcion, etc., Then we can get a clear picture of the lives of the first century Christians.
Our actions are shaped by invisible thoughts, deep in the unseen world of the human mind and heart. What factors influence thoseinvisible ideas? For people who live in the Western world, the answers can be found by examining the two major roots of Westernthought–the ancient Greeks and the ancient Hebrews.
The worldview book Assumptions That Affect Our Lives takes the reader back to the roots of the modern conflict between Christianityand secular humanism through a comparison of ancient Greek and Hebrew culture.
Worldview Matters!
Getting a grasp of how we think the way we do is life changing. Christian Overman, the author of Assumptions That Affect Our Livespresents a “Think Again!” workshop in churches around the country. Earl Oliver, a pastor in Tacoma, WA, taught this workshop. This shortvideo is an interview about his experience.
2/15/13 Assumptions That Affect Our Lives : Robin Sampson's Blog
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Assumptions That Affect Our Lives Excerpt from the Preface
When a business or an organization shows signs of decline, an outside consultant is sometimesbrought in to help. Why? Because the people who live and work within a particular industry become so accustomed to theway things are, they lose sight of the way things really should be. A good advisor, then, looks at the problems from adifferent angle, and helps those within an organization to see things from a fresh perspective. As a result, when oldproblems are approached with new insights, creative energies are revived and positive results occur.
We currently live in a culture in decline, and moral regression is a recognized sign of our times. If we are to see a reversal inthe downward trend we have experienced over the past forty years, it would help if we could gain a fresh perspective onourselves and the problems which surround us. To stand back and see our condition from a different angle is an importantstep in reviving our health. This book attempts to do just that, to step back and look at the foundational assumptions thatcurrently guide our culture – assumptions that go all the way back to ancient Greece.
The similarities between our culture and that of ancient Greece during its later stages of decay are many and sobering.Apart from a broad-based reformation and action, I believe our society will continue its moral descent like decadent Greecedid some 2,400 years ago. But looking at what we should not do is no solution. We must examine what we should do andwhy.
This book was written with the belief that a reversal of our current moral decline is possible, and the keys to such a changeare found in an ancient Hebraic Book. By viewing our present situation through the eyes of the ancients,. Not only will we bebetter able to see the issues for what they are but also understand what must be done to effect change. And change wemust.
Since the term “Hebrew model” appears throughout this writing, a word of clarification is necessary. The Hebrew modelrefers to the model of thought, given by the inspiration of God, which we call the Bible- both Old and New Testaments–written almost entirely by Hebrews. The Word of God enables man to understand who he is, why he is, and how he is torelate to others. More importantly, it tells us who God is.
Second, the term Hebrew model refers to the model of the nation of ancient Israel itself. However, this aspect of the Hebrewmodel (that is, the way they actually lived) was not always in harmony with the model of God’s Word. Sometimes the modelof the ancient Hebrews demonstrates what we should lo, and at other times it demonstrates what we should not do. Ineither case whether positive or negative, their experience is a model, an example from it we are to learn.
2/15/13 Assumptions That Affect Our Lives : Robin Sampson's Blog
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As a people chosen to be God-honoring culture in a pagan world the Hebrew bore a great responsibility. They were chosento be a distinctive culture in which the ways of God were applied throughout all of life: in their families, their jobs, theireconomy, and their government. They were to be an example to other nations of the blessings which come when a cultureloves God, and they were to be an example of what happens when God is forgotten. Their “choseness†was not somuch a matter of special preference or privilege, but rather a special obligation. In this sense, they were to the ancient worldwhat the church is to today’s world: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s ownpossession,” for the purposes of proclaiming His excellence in the earth. (see ( 1 Peter 2:9 ; Exodus 19:5-6 ).
Yet just as in the Body of Christ today we have various actions of men which cloud the clear message of what a God-honoring people should be, some Hebrews developed their own traditions which lead them down the road of dead religion,emphasizing the letter of the law and neglecting its spirit. Such aspects of Hebrew custom are to be set aside, even as Pauladmonished Titus to pay no attention to “Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from truth ( Titus1:14 ). In this respect, the Hebrew model, as used in this writing may not always represent “Jewish thinking per say orJewish practice, whether past or present.
Even so, Christians must realize that the biblical foundation stones of Israel are also their own. It is important to dust themoff and view them a fresh from the perspective of the ancient Hebrew, so we can more effectively enter into the culturaltransformation necessary in exchanging our Western, Greek foundations of thought for different stones upon which to build.For we all have a great deal of remodeling to do.
This eye opening book provides a compelling understanding of what the biblical worldview is all about, and why it matters! By viewing ourcurrent situation in the context of the ancient Greeks and Hebrews, we can be better equipped to deal with the challenges of living in apredominately Greek-based culture today.
Overman examines society’s historic answers to five core worldview questions—regarding God, creation, humanity, moral order, andpurpose–and offers a plan for change based on the Word of God.
Assumptions That Affect Our Lives is a must read for every Christian.
Questions for You
Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you recognize the impact Greek vs Hebrew worldviews? How have your assumptionsaffected your Bible study? Your Christian walk? Please leave feedback in the comments section.
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Comments (3)
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1. Brian Gosur says:... at ...
I love your site. I could get lost in all the information and the great stuff you have on it.I will be coming back again.
God bless you.
Brian
2. Amanda says:... at ...
I haven’t read this book, but I absolutely agree with your post. I will keep a look-out for it… thank you!
2/15/13 Assumptions That Affect Our Lives : Robin Sampson's Blog
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33. Cyndi Torres says:
... at ...
This book was a great door opener. It helped me see that even a devoted Christian can have a non-Biblical worldview. Beforereading “Assumptions” I was so confident in the way I believed. Now I am confident that God is so much bigger than I can everhope to understand in this life, but I’m learning…
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