"Dad is it done yet?
"No, not yet."
"It looks done."
"Oh, no, there's so much more to do."
"When will they come?"
" Soon."
" How will you know, and how many?"
"Oh, you will know all right and all of these you see and so many more you cannot, will come when the time is right. Just wait." "
"But, what about all our friends and all those out there who everyday make fun of you and us for doing this?" "
"I warned them over and over for a hundred years, they are responsible for their own decisions."
"But I don't want to be alone."
"Don't worry son, all things will be new, he said so."
"And you believe him? Everyone laughs at us and has done so for so long and even I am doubtful now."
"I know, it's hard but you must take this stand with me. You and your brothers and sisters must believe. It's going to come soon and fast. Just know I love you and he loves us even more, to do this terrible thing, and yet save us. Look around, see all the things they do, what has become of men? They are vile, liars, greedy, killers, they slander and are incestuous. Are these the friends you want to be with?"
"No, I just don't know what will happen."
"When everything is swept away like the LOrd said. All things will be new. When all this is gone, then comes the newness, again. And we will have our peace."
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
The Trouble With Man; Pride of Life
" That men loved darkness more than the light.........
We have been fed a great lie, that we are independent, able to reach our destiny, can do anything we set our minds to and achieve a greatness in our society that many say is our rightful inheritance. Wrong. Why then are so many unhappy when the sights set on have finally been achieved? The pride of life gets in the way blocks our vision and leads back to death. It is inevitable, there is no other way for life but one way, and that greatest of achievements was accomplished many years ago.
The greatest display of power ever and I mean ever was done in a simple man,(he was anything but simple) the Son of God who gave his life for ours. The problem we face is the acceptance of that fact and how to gain our rightful inheritance and not a material one.
From our earliest days we begin to believe a lie embedded in our society, families, and our own nature that we alone are responsible for our future and what we do with it. So in essence we begin to "build of a wall of great defense" a bulwark against anything and any one who opposes that goal. "We can do anything....."
We go it alone, abandon God, ( even if we believe there is one) or that he is just...how could he be? Letting wars, ravish this world, killings done with abandon, Political shenanigans and the list goes on and on.
The great key that unlocks everything for freedom has been given us. Only it's not what many want to take to unlock their personal prison.
I was one of those. My pride was , "I'm not a sinner!" I don't do what I consider bad or evil or and of such things that I need a redeemer. Who is that anyway?
At 24 I found out. He got ahold of me and hasn't let me go. And the very thing I had sought for was revealed by the simplest of methods we know and sometimes disdain...preaching. But preaching has to be backed up by truth and a witness that someone or something is behind it all giving witness to that truth and that was that someone else took my place in death to free me from all and I mean all that was wrong and twisted and all that was going to be wrong for the rest of my life. This pride was suddenly and very quickly squashed and a new humility replaced it. But it was squashed lovingly. At that moment we call conversion the light was on in a dark place, and the walking began with the one who had the keys of hades and death, the one who led captivity, captive, and the one who still today is alive wooing all those who are confused, unhappy, unfulfilled, miserable or just plain empty inside for what ever the reason. I does not matter we, were made for eternity, not 70 years and then Pffttttt! no more!
So resurrection of this body is coming and so is the Lord.....Consider the Transfiguration, witnessed by the few who stood by and Jesus was revealed in all of his glory as who he truly was. "If today you hear is voice, harden not your hearts." Yes we are saturated with the Gospel and deceived by many who preach it out of personal gain, status, or fakery but as Paul said at least Christ is preached. Just get to the place where it rings true and those who live it are the true believers. "By the fruit..........and nothing else. Pride is always a threat that leads to a fall. Who right now do you know that has the greatest of pride, where is it on display? I can name one........can you?
We have been fed a great lie, that we are independent, able to reach our destiny, can do anything we set our minds to and achieve a greatness in our society that many say is our rightful inheritance. Wrong. Why then are so many unhappy when the sights set on have finally been achieved? The pride of life gets in the way blocks our vision and leads back to death. It is inevitable, there is no other way for life but one way, and that greatest of achievements was accomplished many years ago.
The greatest display of power ever and I mean ever was done in a simple man,(he was anything but simple) the Son of God who gave his life for ours. The problem we face is the acceptance of that fact and how to gain our rightful inheritance and not a material one.
From our earliest days we begin to believe a lie embedded in our society, families, and our own nature that we alone are responsible for our future and what we do with it. So in essence we begin to "build of a wall of great defense" a bulwark against anything and any one who opposes that goal. "We can do anything....."
We go it alone, abandon God, ( even if we believe there is one) or that he is just...how could he be? Letting wars, ravish this world, killings done with abandon, Political shenanigans and the list goes on and on.
The great key that unlocks everything for freedom has been given us. Only it's not what many want to take to unlock their personal prison.
I was one of those. My pride was , "I'm not a sinner!" I don't do what I consider bad or evil or and of such things that I need a redeemer. Who is that anyway?
At 24 I found out. He got ahold of me and hasn't let me go. And the very thing I had sought for was revealed by the simplest of methods we know and sometimes disdain...preaching. But preaching has to be backed up by truth and a witness that someone or something is behind it all giving witness to that truth and that was that someone else took my place in death to free me from all and I mean all that was wrong and twisted and all that was going to be wrong for the rest of my life. This pride was suddenly and very quickly squashed and a new humility replaced it. But it was squashed lovingly. At that moment we call conversion the light was on in a dark place, and the walking began with the one who had the keys of hades and death, the one who led captivity, captive, and the one who still today is alive wooing all those who are confused, unhappy, unfulfilled, miserable or just plain empty inside for what ever the reason. I does not matter we, were made for eternity, not 70 years and then Pffttttt! no more!
So resurrection of this body is coming and so is the Lord.....Consider the Transfiguration, witnessed by the few who stood by and Jesus was revealed in all of his glory as who he truly was. "If today you hear is voice, harden not your hearts." Yes we are saturated with the Gospel and deceived by many who preach it out of personal gain, status, or fakery but as Paul said at least Christ is preached. Just get to the place where it rings true and those who live it are the true believers. "By the fruit..........and nothing else. Pride is always a threat that leads to a fall. Who right now do you know that has the greatest of pride, where is it on display? I can name one........can you?
Sunday, March 5, 2017
To What End Were We Born?
In the scriptures our life span is likened to that of a blade of grass. It quickly withers dies and goes away. Not to say our lives are meaningless or of little value. But we are endowed with a spirit within that seeks the eternal, even though is seems as if it slips through our hands quickly.
Those who take the stand that there is more to our life than a mere 70-80 years we are here are correct. Christians are among those who believe that a resurrection will occur at the end of this life and when we obey faithfully the commands set forth by our Lord, Jesus, we will be like him. For he is the "firstborn from the dead." And we too must come to the end and then rise, like he did.
This puts us in a frame of mind to faithfully live out our lives as people who are filled with love, serve others, humble ourselves and re-think our way of living to best fulfill that command.
After the Israelites, crossed over the Jordan, after forty years of wandering, laws were set forth for just this kind of living. A blessing for those who lived accordingly and a curse for those who did not.
Christ did not do away with the law, just legalism, that was highly developed and embraced by certain high sects within Jewish life. The letter killed while the Spirit gave life. This life we have so shorten by God's decree because of disobedience beckons us to find out how to live it to the fullest while here, and it is a battle. Satan stands at times before God and accuses us before him like Job, and we can and do overcome that by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb. (Slain before the foundation of our world ) we will live again....what wonders await us? One can only dream. We look at the abundant beauty of what's left around us in our natural surroundings and see only dimly what must have been before. For those who do not think climate change is important only need look at what has been lost in the last 50 years of our life span. Species lost and melt off from Antarctica and pollution in cities of Shanghai, and Beijing so thick it sometimes resembles a thick fog.
Yet we still must find ourselves and our lives liveable and find out "To what end were we born?" In that sense it is urgent to seek the one who has the answers. Peace.
Those who take the stand that there is more to our life than a mere 70-80 years we are here are correct. Christians are among those who believe that a resurrection will occur at the end of this life and when we obey faithfully the commands set forth by our Lord, Jesus, we will be like him. For he is the "firstborn from the dead." And we too must come to the end and then rise, like he did.
This puts us in a frame of mind to faithfully live out our lives as people who are filled with love, serve others, humble ourselves and re-think our way of living to best fulfill that command.
After the Israelites, crossed over the Jordan, after forty years of wandering, laws were set forth for just this kind of living. A blessing for those who lived accordingly and a curse for those who did not.
Christ did not do away with the law, just legalism, that was highly developed and embraced by certain high sects within Jewish life. The letter killed while the Spirit gave life. This life we have so shorten by God's decree because of disobedience beckons us to find out how to live it to the fullest while here, and it is a battle. Satan stands at times before God and accuses us before him like Job, and we can and do overcome that by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb. (Slain before the foundation of our world ) we will live again....what wonders await us? One can only dream. We look at the abundant beauty of what's left around us in our natural surroundings and see only dimly what must have been before. For those who do not think climate change is important only need look at what has been lost in the last 50 years of our life span. Species lost and melt off from Antarctica and pollution in cities of Shanghai, and Beijing so thick it sometimes resembles a thick fog.
Yet we still must find ourselves and our lives liveable and find out "To what end were we born?" In that sense it is urgent to seek the one who has the answers. Peace.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Hearing in The Dark
We were all around the Master. The fire was glowing, the wood crackling softly, throwing a glow out into the woods. It was quiet. No one else was around. He began to speak. "What you are about to hear, now in this place, just us and in the dark, proclaim tomorrow in the daylight." "The words I speak, are washing words, you are now my friends, no longer servants." So go and carry with you no scrip, no bags, no extra cloaks or food, for sufficient for the day are the problems of that day."
So we listened, enraptured, captured by his word. We put them away in our hearts for we knew the power of his word. Just the day before we watched him still the waters, as we were all afraid of being overturned in our boat. "What kind of man was this.? People said. We knew... he is Lord.
Private places and private words he spoke in the darkness. Parables one after another came at us confusing us, making us marvel at his word and who he was. Just 12 of us, and we were to "go into all the world." Well the world to us was local. Family, friends, villages, and they did not listen to us at all.
"Who then would? Will you? Will they?
Listen carefully, in the secret place...................in the quiet you will hear him.
So we listened, enraptured, captured by his word. We put them away in our hearts for we knew the power of his word. Just the day before we watched him still the waters, as we were all afraid of being overturned in our boat. "What kind of man was this.? People said. We knew... he is Lord.
Private places and private words he spoke in the darkness. Parables one after another came at us confusing us, making us marvel at his word and who he was. Just 12 of us, and we were to "go into all the world." Well the world to us was local. Family, friends, villages, and they did not listen to us at all.
"Who then would? Will you? Will they?
Listen carefully, in the secret place...................in the quiet you will hear him.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Master's Hand;
Do not worry, do not be afraid, do not let your hearts be sorrowful, and do not worry about tomorrow. These are the words that are comforting in a climate where change is rapid, and mirrors the same climate as in the days of Jesus, and the Roman Empire. The "Master", as he was called, spoke these words to his friends now called because, they listened to him, took in his words and applied them out of love and respect to the one who showed himself to be master and Lord over all. So these words had power and meaning and were to be obeyed. lt's hard to do considering that change is thrust upon us sometimes unwillingly, and makes us uncomfortable. We like status quo, that is events that are easily managed and within our grasp. At least I do. The Master or Rabbi, was more than teacher or a good man as some intimated. "Why do you call me good?" He asked. " No one is good, except God." Was the answer. If you missed that then you missed the humble and contrite Spirit exemplified in Christ. He would not equate his human qualities as equal with God's or his Father's. Although he often spoke of his being "before Abraham and , I Am." as being qualitatively God.
The Jews were enraged over this because they could not wrap their legal minds around and incarnate God, who was weak, suffered in the flesh, and died. Impossible? God cannot die!
So if Jesus resurrected as he said he would, ? "Destroy this temple, and in three day I will raise it up again. 'Preposterous said the Jews', 70 years it took to build it. " An you can raise it up in three days?"
Find out for yourself.........The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, will raise you also.....when you are filled with it. This is not a simple believers prayer but comes with a repentant heart to obey.....as a friend and disciple of the MASTER.
SO TODAY, DO NOT WORRY....ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE BIG .......trump.(note how small the letter are.)
The Jews were enraged over this because they could not wrap their legal minds around and incarnate God, who was weak, suffered in the flesh, and died. Impossible? God cannot die!
So if Jesus resurrected as he said he would, ? "Destroy this temple, and in three day I will raise it up again. 'Preposterous said the Jews', 70 years it took to build it. " An you can raise it up in three days?"
Find out for yourself.........The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, will raise you also.....when you are filled with it. This is not a simple believers prayer but comes with a repentant heart to obey.....as a friend and disciple of the MASTER.
SO TODAY, DO NOT WORRY....ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE BIG .......trump.(note how small the letter are.)
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Thunder and Clouds on the Horizon
Anything goes it seems that comes out of this man's mouth. What I see happening is a darkening of our political realm and the levers of power he is about to pull is somewhat frightening. There are thunder and clouds around us. and not only us , but what about all the other parts of the world he is about to affect? We should be very aware of this type of man and what he can do. Already he disparges free speech and contends that they are the worst people of all those who write what may be the truth about him. Denial, twisiting, mockery, confusion of thought, these are apparenty the hallmarks shown in plain sight in the first week of his Presidency. The blocking of countries that may house terrorists is one thing but I fear that a distinction is coming that will call out Christians as well. Marking those who are "acceptable", how are we to draw lines of distinction clearly? What will be the guidlines alone? Religion or tests of Religiousity?
Remember only 70 years has past since a regime of Nazizism did that very thing. Eradication of Jews,and all those the regime branded "unpure."
Our Constitution grants certain freedoms other countries only dream about. Our inalienable rights our equality and our freedoms will have to be watched more closely say than in generations. I still remember the resignation of Richard nixon and the anti government feelings of that era. The Pentagon Papers, the lies of Vietnam and the un pronounced war still are deeply embeded within me. Watergate will look like kindergarten compared to the cyber warfare we are headed into. The very thought that our election was influence by Russia and that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of the FBI's untimely disclosure of emails unthinkable even 8 years ago.
So why do I do what I do every day? I Pray, and live according to a different set of guidelines. Guidelines established millenia ago, by a very humble servant, Jesus Christ. Words he spoke I have learned to cherish, take in my heart, and live by. Words the he himself said were "full of the Spirit." Lifegiving and trustworthy. If you have not had such an encounter, "make it so in the words" of Jean-Luc! Peace.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Faith and Suicidal Pigs!
In the land of Gad of biblical times there were shepards that made their living herding and selling pigs. These were decendants of Gad. Whether or not they were "true Jews" we may not really know. All we know is that this tribe originally stemmed from those of the Exodus and settled on the East side of the Jordan. Jesus, in his time took a boat crossed over and was met by a demon possesed man whom he healed. Jesus delivered the Demons into the pigs and they promptly however went mad and rushed over a cliff to their untimely death! Suicidal pigs I have never seen! But these were. Which begs the question.......was this normal behavior for animals? I do not think so. So we have here a double story. One of faith and suicidal pigs. The man or the demoniac as he was called was returned to health and returned to tell his story to his hometown brethren. To which they were amazed. However those who made their living with pigs just witnessed their money so to speak disappear over a cliff! Did they praise God for the man and his health? Did they worship the Lord they had just seen do this marvelous thing? No, they begged Jesus to depart from their land! They were both afraid of him, and probably distressed that the pigs and their livelyhood had just been eliminated. Their eyes were not open. And they also were earning a living with and animal that was "unclean" according ot OT law. So Judgement occurred, Faith was released and hearts were uncovered for what was in their hearts was revealed. Remarkable all that at the meeting of Jesus.
Happy New Year! May your eyes be open in our days that we live in and see God for who he really is! P.s. I have been absent in writing this blog, for too long, probablly because of a mental block due to recent events in our country and around the world as well. Just too much to contemplate sometimes but happy to be writing again!
Happy New Year! May your eyes be open in our days that we live in and see God for who he really is! P.s. I have been absent in writing this blog, for too long, probablly because of a mental block due to recent events in our country and around the world as well. Just too much to contemplate sometimes but happy to be writing again!
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