Did you ever wonder why God said "Let us create man in our own image?" Why does the Psalmist quote the LORD as upbraiding lesser gods and telling them that they will die like men? (Psalm 82) What is God's purpose in creating humanity in the first place? Why does Jesus call himself the son of man, when we call him the son of God? Why do angels have fixed positions and proper dwellings as described in Jude 6?
For the longest time, I had questions like those above, and never found the standard answers of my church to be satisfactory. Neither did Michael S. Heiser, whose book Supernatural:What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - and Why It Matters, goes after an all encompassing explanation of God's heavenly realm and how it is revealed in the Bible. Supernatural isn't a scholarly tome; it is only 167 pages. But make no mistake, Heiser is a first rate Biblical scholar. Supernatural is a shorter and more readable version of the ideas put forth in The Unseen Realm, which has the research and footnotes to back his assertions.
Starting with the Garden of Eden, proceeding to the Flood, the Tower of Babel, through Jesus' life, then all the way to Revelations, Heiser lays out how God's plan to make humankind rulers over an Eden on Earth has played itself out over time. He explains how the lesser gods of the heavenly council betrayed the charge God gave them and came to be in opposition to his plans. If that sounds blasphemous, I submit that you have been shielded from the difficult passages of the Bible that support this view.
Most importantly, his conclusion is not mere theology. He argues convincingly that our role as Christians is to be restoring Eden to earth, RIGHT NOW! This is done by our obedience to God and by taking our future role as rulers over angels seriously on this earth. There are powers and principalities of this dark world that will overcome to help God establish his kingdom. When we Christians think of our lives in this light, it changes everything.
Here is a lecture from the similar material, but I must say that Heiser is a much better writer than lecturer.
If you like my book reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Ballast Point Brewing - One Year after the BIG Sale
This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of the Clairemont Times on pages 10.
Ballast Point Brewing has always been one of my favorite spots for craft beer consumption. San Diego craft beer drinkers were wondering about the implications of the sale of Ballast Point to Constellation Brands about a year ago, which owns Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico. Does it presage big changes in the local industry? I paid two visits to chronicle any change, once to take a home brewing class and once to sample beer.
Ballast Point has four San Diego locations; 5401 Linda Vista Road, the Home Brew Mart, being the location closest to most Clairemont Times readers. Beer making classes are taught and home brewing supplies sold there. I took an extract brewing class, which shortcuts the beer making steps that extract the sugars from the malted barley (mashing) by using prepackaged extract directly. The availability of malt extracts allows the beginning brewer to start learning before investing in the more expensive equipment needed for mashing. It also saves time. The brewing class is also a great introduction into the science of beer making, explained in easy to understand terms. Understanding the basic vocabulary and why the brewing steps are needed is a great aid in making good beer. The emphasis on sanitation throughout the whole process was stressed for its importance in controlling the taste and quality of the end product.
The class lasted about two hours; but we were given tickets to sample some of the craft beer in the tasting room and given a break at the half-way mark. I felt confident of my ability to take my second crack at brewing, but haven’t done so yet. Overall, the beer making class was a great experience, and really reflects Ballast Points’ dedication to its roots in the home brewing culture of San Diego.
A few weeks after the beer-making class, I returned to sample some beers in the tasting room side of the Linda Vista facility. They have some great original art from their marketing on the wall, and they put up some sports on two big screens. The layout is unpretentious, with solid wood tables, benches, and chairs. There is typically a food truck out back; San Diego Poke Company served up a great spicy salmon poke for my brother Dean and my son on this trip. Its always good to have great food to go with great beer.
My sampling started with Pescadero Pilsner, a nice hoppy pils with a little extra grain in the taste. Next, I tried Alt-Hands on Deck, alt-bier is a German style that uses top-fermenting yeast, like an ale but is fermented at colder temperatures. This sample tasted better as it warmed up with the caramel malt flavor coming out. Another traditional style is the Extra Special Bitter or ESB, with BP serving up California Amber in this category. Most English ales of this style aren’t as well hopped; there was a little resinous finish here. Pumpkin Down is a pumpkin and yam version of the Piper Down Scottish Ale. That makes for a great combination, as Ballast Point keeps the pumpkin flavor subtle, allowing the sweetness of the base ale to come through. Lastly, I tried a “roots to boots” Biere De Garde. Roots to Boots is a program that allows employees to experiment with new offerings and keeps with the home brewing traditions of Ballast Point. This was my favorite beer of the afternoon, a Belgian style with lots of banana and cinnamon notes.
Ballast Point delivers as broad a range of styles of any brewery in San Diego. They never disappoint and I am glad to see that their new owners haven’t altered their formula for success.
If you like my beer reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
Ballast Point Brewing has always been one of my favorite spots for craft beer consumption. San Diego craft beer drinkers were wondering about the implications of the sale of Ballast Point to Constellation Brands about a year ago, which owns Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico. Does it presage big changes in the local industry? I paid two visits to chronicle any change, once to take a home brewing class and once to sample beer.
An impressive tap line Ballast Point in Linda Vista.
Sports on the telly and craft beer in my belly; a perfect Sunday afternoon.
Ballast Point has four San Diego locations; 5401 Linda Vista Road, the Home Brew Mart, being the location closest to most Clairemont Times readers. Beer making classes are taught and home brewing supplies sold there. I took an extract brewing class, which shortcuts the beer making steps that extract the sugars from the malted barley (mashing) by using prepackaged extract directly. The availability of malt extracts allows the beginning brewer to start learning before investing in the more expensive equipment needed for mashing. It also saves time. The brewing class is also a great introduction into the science of beer making, explained in easy to understand terms. Understanding the basic vocabulary and why the brewing steps are needed is a great aid in making good beer. The emphasis on sanitation throughout the whole process was stressed for its importance in controlling the taste and quality of the end product.
The class lasted about two hours; but we were given tickets to sample some of the craft beer in the tasting room and given a break at the half-way mark. I felt confident of my ability to take my second crack at brewing, but haven’t done so yet. Overall, the beer making class was a great experience, and really reflects Ballast Points’ dedication to its roots in the home brewing culture of San Diego.
A few weeks after the beer-making class, I returned to sample some beers in the tasting room side of the Linda Vista facility. They have some great original art from their marketing on the wall, and they put up some sports on two big screens. The layout is unpretentious, with solid wood tables, benches, and chairs. There is typically a food truck out back; San Diego Poke Company served up a great spicy salmon poke for my brother Dean and my son on this trip. Its always good to have great food to go with great beer.
My sampling started with Pescadero Pilsner, a nice hoppy pils with a little extra grain in the taste. Next, I tried Alt-Hands on Deck, alt-bier is a German style that uses top-fermenting yeast, like an ale but is fermented at colder temperatures. This sample tasted better as it warmed up with the caramel malt flavor coming out. Another traditional style is the Extra Special Bitter or ESB, with BP serving up California Amber in this category. Most English ales of this style aren’t as well hopped; there was a little resinous finish here. Pumpkin Down is a pumpkin and yam version of the Piper Down Scottish Ale. That makes for a great combination, as Ballast Point keeps the pumpkin flavor subtle, allowing the sweetness of the base ale to come through. Lastly, I tried a “roots to boots” Biere De Garde. Roots to Boots is a program that allows employees to experiment with new offerings and keeps with the home brewing traditions of Ballast Point. This was my favorite beer of the afternoon, a Belgian style with lots of banana and cinnamon notes.
Ballast Point delivers as broad a range of styles of any brewery in San Diego. They never disappoint and I am glad to see that their new owners haven’t altered their formula for success.
If you like my beer reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Mikkeller Brewing – Danish Itinerant Finds a Home in San Diego
Mikkeller Brewing San Diego, has a different legacy than the other local breweries reviewed here. The brewery, located at 9366 Cabot Dr. in Miramar, the product of a collaboration by famous Danish brewer, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, and AleSmith. Mikkeller Brewing San Diego moved into AleSmith’s former location and opened its doors just over a year ago. Bjergsø had previously achieved fame as an “itinerant” brewer, traveling breweries in Europe and America as a guest brewer. Beer Geek Breakfast, an Oatmeal Stout with coffee, garnered international attention in 2006, and put Mikkeller brewing on the map.
The tasting room is large and friendly. Wood bench seats and chairs line the long oak-colored tables. I also had plenty of room to stand and walk around. Advertised as dog and kid friendly, there was one baby in a papoose and two small pooches present. Heavy metal rock was on the sound system, but the baby didn’t seem to mind. On my second visit, mellow disco dominated the play list. The PokeCraft food truck was offering up bowls with Ahi, Salmon, in traditional, garlic and spicy varieties. On both trips, the tasting room was comfortably full; filled with customers from their twenties into their sixties. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and low lighting in the main area tasting area. There is also a brighter room to the side of the entrance that catches more sunlight.
The beer at Mikkeller is a wide ranging eclectic mix. The menu was lighter on West Coast IPAs. There were 19 beers on tap for my visit; not every variety was sampled, but I did my best. California Dream, a pilsner that was hopped up as advertised, with plenty of citrus and tropical fruit notes up front. Sensible Sweater was a new style for me, a New England style American Pale Ale, with lemon drops and brewed with Mosaic hops. It was hazy with low bitterness, and a juicy mouth feel. Flip Mode was another new style, a Belgian Amber, brewed in collaboration with Monkey Paw. It was a bit sweet, still hoppy, while retaining coriander spice notes Belgians are known for. The brewery’s flagship IPA is Waves (Bølger), a well carbonated IPA that gives off a nice grapefruit aroma that you taste up front. It finishes with a bitter piney aftertaste that lets you know you are drinking a San Diego IPA. The entry into the Double IPA category, is Spells (Filiokus). It had extra malt and alcohol, but not overwhelming bitterness from the grapefruit and lemon hop notes.
After the IPAs, I shifted gears to some sweeter beers. Shapes, a Belgian Blonde, was very refreshing. It’s mild honey flavor combined nicely with cinnamon and banana spice notes. Mikkeller collaborated with AleSmith on their porter. It poured very dark and had a nice roasted flavor, with spicy hops for great balance. My last two beers were great for dessert. Wee Sticky Icky, a Wee Heavy (Scotch Ale) with pecan and caramel syrup was like a caramel sundae with malt. The famous Beer Geek Breakfast was delicious, a great stout with lots of coffee flavor, with just a hint of chocolate. Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, Imperial Oatmeal Stout version was also very good. This was a great beer to finish up with, very smooth and rich, lots of lacing on the glass and very thick. The coffee didn’t overwhelm, but was definitely present.
Mikkeller has brought European craft brewing to San Diego, expanding the style boundary well beyond West Coast IPAs. They are worth a visit, especially if you love stouts and a relaxed atmosphere.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13 and the Mira Mesa News on page 7.
In a subsequent interview with Peter Zien of Alesmith, he said that he still advises Mikkeller on aspects of the local beer business, but his involvement has decreased as Mikkeller has established itself.
If you like my beer reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
The tasting room is large and friendly. Wood bench seats and chairs line the long oak-colored tables. I also had plenty of room to stand and walk around. Advertised as dog and kid friendly, there was one baby in a papoose and two small pooches present. Heavy metal rock was on the sound system, but the baby didn’t seem to mind. On my second visit, mellow disco dominated the play list. The PokeCraft food truck was offering up bowls with Ahi, Salmon, in traditional, garlic and spicy varieties. On both trips, the tasting room was comfortably full; filled with customers from their twenties into their sixties. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and low lighting in the main area tasting area. There is also a brighter room to the side of the entrance that catches more sunlight.
The beer at Mikkeller is a wide ranging eclectic mix. The menu was lighter on West Coast IPAs. There were 19 beers on tap for my visit; not every variety was sampled, but I did my best. California Dream, a pilsner that was hopped up as advertised, with plenty of citrus and tropical fruit notes up front. Sensible Sweater was a new style for me, a New England style American Pale Ale, with lemon drops and brewed with Mosaic hops. It was hazy with low bitterness, and a juicy mouth feel. Flip Mode was another new style, a Belgian Amber, brewed in collaboration with Monkey Paw. It was a bit sweet, still hoppy, while retaining coriander spice notes Belgians are known for. The brewery’s flagship IPA is Waves (Bølger), a well carbonated IPA that gives off a nice grapefruit aroma that you taste up front. It finishes with a bitter piney aftertaste that lets you know you are drinking a San Diego IPA. The entry into the Double IPA category, is Spells (Filiokus). It had extra malt and alcohol, but not overwhelming bitterness from the grapefruit and lemon hop notes.
After the IPAs, I shifted gears to some sweeter beers. Shapes, a Belgian Blonde, was very refreshing. It’s mild honey flavor combined nicely with cinnamon and banana spice notes. Mikkeller collaborated with AleSmith on their porter. It poured very dark and had a nice roasted flavor, with spicy hops for great balance. My last two beers were great for dessert. Wee Sticky Icky, a Wee Heavy (Scotch Ale) with pecan and caramel syrup was like a caramel sundae with malt. The famous Beer Geek Breakfast was delicious, a great stout with lots of coffee flavor, with just a hint of chocolate. Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, Imperial Oatmeal Stout version was also very good. This was a great beer to finish up with, very smooth and rich, lots of lacing on the glass and very thick. The coffee didn’t overwhelm, but was definitely present.
Mikkeller has brought European craft brewing to San Diego, expanding the style boundary well beyond West Coast IPAs. They are worth a visit, especially if you love stouts and a relaxed atmosphere.
The tasting room at Mikkeller San Diego with 18 beers on tap.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13 and the Mira Mesa News on page 7.
In a subsequent interview with Peter Zien of Alesmith, he said that he still advises Mikkeller on aspects of the local beer business, but his involvement has decreased as Mikkeller has established itself.
If you like my beer reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
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