RECENT STUFF D 2013
1958 AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE!
Its story time again kiddies!
Come- gather at the media carnival- they have another great fantasy for us all.
Yes- that’s the way I feel often- when seeing new narratives emerge.
The past couple of days I have been hearing ‘he might use chemical weapons- against his own people’.
Heaven forbid it- oh my- we could never have that.
Yes- that’s the way they want you to respond.
I’m talking about Syria and the ongoing tragedy of the civil war taking place in their land.
Now- I’m certainly not a supporter of Assad- the son of Hafez Assad- who ruled with an iron fist for 40 years.
Hilary Clinton called the son a reformer- a good man who was for change.
Now he’s a murdering thug with a bent on using the most horrid thing in the world- chemical weapons! Oh my!!
Yes- for those of you who don’t know- the standard method of killing- shooting lead [or other metals] into the bodies and skulls of folk- smashing their skulls as the bullet goes in.
In many cases leaving the wounded person to die- in great agony.
Well- this method is humane.
Or say dropping a nuclear bomb on hundreds of thousands of Japanese women and children.
You know- giving radiation poisoning to tens of thousands of moms- many who were pregnant.
These kids dying of radiation sickness- their limbs melting off like charred meat from a chicken bone.
Yes- this is ‘humane’.
But chemical weapons- against HIS OWN PEOPLE- o my.
I guess it would be okay if it were other people?
Did you know our great Winston Churchill used- and advocated for the continuation of them- during the war?
Bet you didn’t know that little tid bit.
My point?
I don’t want anyone to use any weapons- ever.
And yes- chemical ones are very bad.
But when you see the western media saying ‘against his own people’.
Watch out- they are trying to develop a narrative that will excuse our involvement [via NATO] to go in once again and ruin another country.
Right now- as I write- the guys who killed our ambassador in Benghazi are walking the streets- freely.
There are reports that no one has been questioned- everyone in town knows who did it [Ansar Al Shariah].
Yet till this day the U.S. has so badly dropped the ball- that these guys roam the streets with impunity.
This week I heard an ‘expert’ on Arab affairs describe the ongoing protests in Egypt as simply a healthy expression of Democracy.
That the Egyptians were suppressed for so long- that now that they have freedom- they just can’t get enough of this new expression of rising up in their streets.
Wow- what a great story.
O- but I forgot- the women have been raped openly in the famous square- by the great Muslim Brotherhood.
All of these things are examples of the media wanting to make things look/go a certain way.
It would be terrible if after all the praise about the Arab spring- the open support we gave to Morsi [Egypt’s new pharaoh].
If after all this- we now realize that we were part of a revolution- that simply became anarchy.
That’s why they tell us the story thru this lens.
That’s why they say ‘chemical weapons- against his own people!’
So you would think ‘of course we had to intervene- we had no other choice’.
When the so called rebels [Al-Qaida] attacked a hospital in Syria and killed innocent victims and doctors- was this called an attack ‘on their own people’.
No.
When the Al Qaeda group in Libya hunt down the former relatives and friends of Gadhaffi.
When they torture and kill them.
When the free roaming militias terrorize blacks and women- do we say they are ‘terrorizing their own people’.
No.
We don’t say it because we backed them.
The guys running Libya are guys we put in power.
So when the various atrocities take place- against ‘their own people’. We don’t say it.
But when it’s time for the west to intervene again- well watch out- we start saying ‘against his own people’.
All war- and weapons of war- are sad- tragic.
It’s sad that many young Arab- Persian and Muslim kids have grown up in this mess.
Its’ sad that some have embraced radical expressions of their faith because they see no other way out.
It’s sad that Morsi turned out to be no better than the guy before him [Mubarak].
It’s sad that the U.S. has put its hand to many times to try and make a certain outcome happen.
Maybe we have done this meaning well [maybe!] but the end result has not turned out well.
If we go in and depose Assad [Syria].
That country will fall to Al-Qaida- that’s a fact.
I don’t want to see chemical weapons used either.
But don’t fool yourselves.
They are all killing- both sides- using very bad things- against THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
The only innocent ones are the true protestors who have not resorted to violence.
Those in the square of Egypt today- who are not violent- they are noble.
Those in Libya- Syria- all the other hot spots in the Arab world.
Those who reject violence- they are noble.
But if you take up a weapon- be it chemical or any other- then you have chosen to live by the sword.
A great man once said ‘if you live by the sword- you will die by it’.
His name was Jesus Christ.
1959 SOME OF YOU WILL BE PUT TO DEATH
Much to say- little space.
Before I forget- the chapter for the week was [is] Luke 21.
Okay- the last few days I have seen an interesting thing- this is how you know what’s really going on.
You listen carefully to those who support the view that they are speaking about.
Example- Gloria Borger is a news reporter from CNN.
I have seen her lots of times- she’s fairly good- and she is a supporter of the president.
The other night she gave a short report about the current fiscal crisis [called the Fiscal Cliff].
She said that Obama and the Dems are feeling justified after the election- and they seem more willing to not negotiate- for real- and to let the blame fall on the Repubs.
Now- as she talked- you could tell there was a sort of concern in her voice- like those who have supported the president might be worried that he might take the country over the cliff needlessly [remember- she was giving a sort of behind the scenes view of other Democrats- that they seem to think Obama is the one that might take the country over the cliff- even though he is saying it’s the Repubs- his own supporters kind of think he’s lying about the thing- get it?]
Why needlessly?
She [as well as a bunch of others] have now come out and said that the thing that’s holding up a deal is the Repubs insistence on Medicare ‘means testing’.
Right now the 2 sides [Obama and the Repub congress] are stuck because Obama wants to raise taxes on the rich- and the Repubs want to means test entitlements [Medicare].
Okay- Obama himself was for means testing- just last year he gave a speech claiming we could raise 1.2 trillion by doing this [it’s s simple adjustment to Medicare that makes the rich pay more].
So- those news papers and media outlets who have been behind the president 100% are now saying that he needs to agree to it.
Why are they all out in force like this?
They realize that he was [might still] purposefully blow a deal- because the blame will go to the Repubs.
But isn’t that petty- isn’t that wrong- isn’t that dangerous?
Sure- but that’s the honest read of this- that’s the only reason why you would have a bunch of more liberal leaning news media all come out at this time and try to force Obama’s hand.
When Boehner came out and said the deal the president offered was a joke- most insiders agreed- he was going to go over the cliff- no doubt about it.
Okay- the clincher for me was the infamous MSNBC- yes Ed Shultz had on Emanuel Cleaver [a Dem congressman who kinda looks like Richard Pryor].
Now- out of all the supporters of Obama- you would be hard pressed to exceed Shultz [now- I’m not saying it’s wrong to support the pres- I’m showing you how his supporters in the media have tried to shape the narrative].
Shultz was asking Cleaver about means testing Medicare [remember- this is the exact thing the Repubs want- and Obama’s side does not].
Cleaver gave quite a good view of why WE SHOULD MEANS TEST Medicare.
Huh?
I thought that was the very thing the Repubs want?
That’s right- now you’re learnin’.
Yeah- Cleaver went on and explained why we should do means testing- he gave the entire Repub talking points- and he was right.
Wow- finally- you mean they might be admitting the need to compromise?
Actually no.
Shultz then said ‘but you will never be able to convince the Repubs to do this- because they will try and protect their rich friends who will pay the most out of means testing’.
And Cleaver agreed.
You see- they both purposefully lied to their watchers.
They both know that what they said was an outright lie- like all the racial accusations of those who had real objections to healthcare reform.
MSNBC spent the last year calling them all ‘under the cover’ racists- playing ‘dog whistle’ politics.
The fact is- the Repubs are the ones demanding means testing- not the Dems.
And they gave you a spin that said the opposite.
They do no service to the country when they do this.
Okay- lets hit a little from Luke 21.
This is an ‘end time’ chapter where Jesus speaks to his men about the end of the age.
Just a few points.
I only cover [read] a couple of chapters a week.
The last year- I don’t think I read a single ‘earthquake’ chapter at all.
I have found the chapters I’m covering to have significance.
Just yesterday [or the day before] Japan was hit with another huge earthquake off its Pacific coast [Luke 21 says at the time of the end- outcome- there will be earthquakes.]
It was the same size of the one that leveled the area a few years back.
Pray for Japan.
Jesus gives us some of the signs that will take place at the time of the end.
I kind of ‘spiritualized’ my reading of the chapter this week- you know- looking for some practical things that are speaking about the here and now.
So- one of the things that spoke to me was what I posted about the other day- the post on ‘the dead ones’ remember?
I talked about praying for inmates on death row.
Okay- this practice became a habit a few years ago- and I felt like the Lord was in it.
While reading Luke 21 Jesus says- at the time of the end [or outcome] of these things- some OF YOU will be put to death.
In a strange way it fit what I sensed the Lord saying- sort of like ‘John- now that you have adopted these dead ones- these on death row- they are ‘some of you’- you have embraced them- this happens at the time of ‘the end’ the time of the outcome of all things.’
Get it?
Okay- there are a few more things I got from the chapter- but I’m trying to give you a sense of how God can speak to you ‘outside’ of the text.
Now- when you do this- read with a personal idea in mind- you should never make it doctrine.
That is- what I just showed you is fine to do in a devotional kind of way- trying to hear God about personal direction- but that’s not the actual teaching itself.
The actual teaching is about the end times- and also the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in a.d. 70.
I shared this with my friend who I’m doing the halfway house with.
I told him about ‘adopting the dead’.
He told me an interesting story about this.
Now- I have told John David's story many times over the years- so I won’t do the whole thing again.
But John David killed his best friend in Dallas many years ago.
A very brutal shotgun killing that made the headlines- his brother told me one day that when they picked up the dead body- he had shotgun pellets under his feet.
David kept shooting even after his friend was down.
John David got off for this crime- his mother got the same lawyer who defended Jack Ruby [who killed Lee Harvey Oswald] - and he got David off scot free.
Okay- that’s the story.
David told me the night he was in the Dallas prison- he was with another inmate who also just killed someone.
They were both puking up beer- sick as dogs- and sitting in the same cell- as murderers.
David was walking out of the mission here a few years back- and he randomly saw a news paper article- it was the execution of the Black cellmate that David was with that night[some of you- but not all will be PUT TO DEATH].
David relayed this story to me because I told him about the Lord leading me into the ‘adoption’ of the Death Row Guys.
He felt it fit- I might have even prayed for this guy he was with.
Yeah ‘some of YOU will be put to death’.
Yeah- I got it.
1960 MY APPEAL TO ALQAEDA
I woke up early the other day- around 1 am [I have had this problem for years].
Right before I woke- I had one of those dreams that you feel are significant.
I was with a friend- Huey- and we were on top of a building.
To get down you had to climb down a rope from a tree- Huey jumped on the tree and almost killed himself- he managed to escape but hurt himself real bad.
Later that day- in ‘real life’ [no more dream] he called me- he had some ride he needed or something [Huey is one of those guys that always has something going on- but seems to never accomplish anything. A few months ago he asked if he could store some of his stuff in the room at my house- I use the room for the homeless guys. Sure enough- he’ll come by late at night- needing something- I felt I needed to learn some patience with my buddy].
The phone he was on was breaking up bad- but I told him quickly about the dream- that he needs to be careful about something [you know- I thought maybe it meant danger- not an actual fall!].
So I haven’t seen him in a couple of days- but wanted to know how he was.
His brothers- who I’m doing the halfway house with- haven’t heard from him.
So I’m walking to my van at the mission- and I see Huey for the first time since the dream.
‘Hey- how you doing’?
He was in severe pain- maybe a broken rib.
What happened?
I just fell off of a pier and hurt myself real bad.
Huh?
I told him ‘didn’t you remember the dream’.
He didn’t.
Figures.
The point?
Listen to my dreams.
Okay- not really.
The point is God uses us- all of us- in community.
That means in the bible the various gifts of the Spirit- they are intended to function this way.
We have [in modern church] more of an individual style of the gifts.
Maybe we attend a church- or go to some function- and often times we want to hear what God said – ‘thru the prophet in the house’ type of thing.
But actually these types of scenarios lean too heavily on one person.
You might have a gifted young man- a real go getter- maybe the pastor of a church.
Okay- good- but if the format is trying our best to hear God- mainly thru the speaking gift of one person- then thats limited- it really is not the way ‘church’ was done in the bible.
Okay- enough of that.
I have a couple of things I want to write on- but can’t do them both.
I want to write a post- just to Al Qaeda.
What?
Yes- not one of those ‘got ya’ type titles- but a real life post to members of Al-Qaida.
What would possess you to do such a thing?
This last year I have had a lot of web hits from countries where many Muslims live.
My blog changed a function a while back.
It shows me- not on the site- but in the private section- how many hits we get.
A while back I stuck a thing on the site to see what countries view- but I realized the hits were much more than what that Fidgit thing was showing.
We were goin up a few hundred every couple of days.
Grant it- that’s not much- but it’s more than I thought.
We just passed 37,000 hits the other day.
So- I also noticed that the posts where I mention Islam- or some type of political thing- they get the most hits.
So- being I already said this much- might as well make this the Al-Qaida post.
I’m grateful to have Muslim friends who read the site- I’m grateful if some are Al-Qaida.
My appeal- what I try to do over the years- is to simply see both sides of a thing- to try and understand the others view- and then do my best to present the Christian idea.
Now- when I was talking to a friend the other day- Islam came up.
I told him ‘did you know that Muhammad- the founder of Islam in the 7th century- had many of the same protests that other Christian groups would later voice too’.
I explained that Muhammad’s rise in defense of the poor and down cast [by the way- that’s actually a biblical characteristic of prophets- in the bible] were similar to Christian movements that would rise later on- like the Salvation Army.
I went on to show that he also felt like the growing use of statues in Christian worship was a violation of the commandment that says you should not make images/idols.
Now- to my Catholic friends- I have taught the entire history of the use of art- and yes- statues- in Christian worship.
I have also taught against the Iconoclasts- those Protestants who destroyed the statues in the Catholic churches- during the times of the Reformation [16th century].
So- I’m not ‘Catholic bashing’ at all.
The point is- Muhammad had some of the same objections- based on the bible- that later Protestants would have.
Gee John- I never knew this? That’s why I teach it- it helps to have less of a negative view of Muslims as a whole.
So- after I try to look at some of the good things that Islam has done [Hamas- in the Palestinian area. Why do they garnish so much support among the populace? Because they start hospitals- they feed the poor- they start welfare programs for the kids. Do they do this as some sort of trick- a way to gain the hearts and minds of people? No- they do this because it’s a basic tenet of their faith].
Okay- then what do I say to any Al-Qaida on the site?
I say that the historic divisions- the things that divide the East from the West- many of them are actual misunderstandings.
Yes- some of the religious objections were misunderstandings.
The classic one.
Muhammad believed that the Christians worshipped 3 Gods- what we call the Trinity.
But he thought the believers worshipped God- Jesus- and Mary-the mother of Jesus.
That’s of course not the trinity- this is simply a misunderstanding.
Christians believe that there is one God- in 3 persons.
Those persons being the Father- Son and Holy Spirit.
But the biggest thing I like to show my Muslim friends- my friends form other faiths- is that the message of the Cross- it’s one of grace.
Christians believe that Jesus kept all the commandments of God- then he died to pay the price for our sins.
As Christians- we don’t teach against the 10 commandants- but we don’t use them to gain acceptance with God- the acceptance we have with God comes because of the death of his Son on our behalf.
In actuality- this message is a great relief for all people who live ‘under the law’.
That is- if your Muslim- if your Al-Qaida- you too can take this.
Yes- Jesus died for you too.
That’s the appeal I make- I’m not asking my friends from other faiths to convert- if they want to- fine.
But that’s not my appeal.
I’m saying to all my friends- this message of the Cross- this is for all people.
Heck- if you want to stay Muslim- stay- but just accept the reality of this post.
Yes- Jesus is spoken about much in the Quran.
The prophet Muhammad respected Jesus.
Jesus can become- should become- all that he was intended to become- that is he died for you guys too.
Right now in the Muslim world there is a movement going on- it’s highly debated in Christian circles.
The movement is many Muslims are receiving Christ in this way- and staying Muslim.
Yet- they are accepting the Christian view of the death of Christ on their behalf.
As somewhat of a scholar type guy- yeah- I see where the objections arise.
But as a real world person- who is glad that I get many readers from countries where I know many Muslims live.
To you- go ahead- accept the benefit of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Many Muslims have already done this- many more will.
If you want to keep the other good points of Islam- fine.
But don’t see acceptance thru your ability to keep the law- no one can ultimately live up to that standard.
Jesus was the only one who never sinned- his death on our behalf allows us to come into the presence God.
He died for all- Muslims- Jews- Hindu’s’ the list goes on and on.
In today’s world- many of the objections against Christianity are really objections against Western Imperialism.
A thing I too reject.
That’s not the heart of the Christian faith.
You can receive Christ- and keep objecting to all the political ideas of the Western world.
Heck- Jesus railed against the money changers [the rich capitalist pigs of the day].
In some ways- Jesus was the ultimate Revolutionary who spoke truth to power.
Yeah- many radical’s- even Al-Qaida could respect him for this.
That’s my appeal to Al-Qaida today.
Glad some of you might read- keep reading- that’s the point.
NOTE- There is a famous prophecy about Jesus in the bible- it says ‘Gentiles shall come to your light- and kings to the brightness of your rising’.
This also applies to the ‘rise’ of the church- the people of God.
But in context- the gentiles are all the nations [even various religions- some are called Denominations] that are not Christian- not considered benefits of the Covenant of God.
The apostle Paul teaches us that we are all now part of the covenant of hope- we all now benefit from the promises of God [Ephesians].
The point being- the bible speaks about other groups- other nations- seeing the reality of Jesus and his kingdom- and that these too will come to the ‘brightness of his rising’.
1961 What is the main message of the bible?
I want to continue with the strain of thought from the last post.
But first- some politics.
Yesterday Susan Rice pulled herself out of the race for Secretary of state.
Obviously the president felt it would be bad to have her at the center of a huge nomination process- being she’s at the heart of the Benghazi scandal.
Okay- what’s the big deal?
Yes- once again- some on the left side of the aisle [not all] have accused the other side of not being ready for a Black woman secy of state.
Huh?
Yes- the pundits were out saying ‘when will the Repubs ever be ready for anyone but a White male holding the office’.
You know- for the money these guys get [MSNBC] you think they would maybe educate themselves on the main subject of their job.
We haven’t had a White- male secretary of state for around 20 years [last one was Larry Eagleburger].
As a matter of fact- the last one a Repub president had- just happened to be a Black woman – with the last name of Rice! [Condi].
Sad- these race baiters are destroying the fabric of the country- and they are doing it on the altar of vanity.
Sure- they think [make it sound like] they are the defenders of the minorities- but they hold an elitist attitude- one that has scorn for the rest of the country [outside the media market of NYC].
At the end of the day- they misinform their viewers- they believe that their racist charges are true- and they incite a sort of ‘reverse racism’ by creating an underlying distrust of those who are not like them.
Okay- in the last post I discussed the main message of the bible- what the main purpose is.
Over the years- as Christianity developed- the church had councils and meetings to hash out various controversies.
Over time- these meetings produced the historic creeds of the church.
Now- as a Protestant- I am not an ‘anti- traditional’ one.
I have read- taught- studied the creeds and the councils- and I’m on the side of those who hold to the creeds.
But- this has tended to cloud the main message of the New Testament.
Which is called The Good News.
What was the message the Apostles preached in the book of Acts?
The bible says they ‘preached the word’.
This was not simply a ‘bible message’ per se.
That is- they were not doing what many modern preachers do- simply going thru the bible to find various verses- about all types of subjects- and then making application.
No- they were preaching Christ- they were telling the world of their day that Christ came as the promised Messiah and died and rose again.
Then they told the people if they had faith- and they became followers of ‘This Way’- they would be justified by God- in a way that the law would not be able to do.
This is the heart of the New Testament message- that people are now saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ- as opposed to the old way of Law.
This is the basic message- what we call the good news.
But- like I said above- in the world of politics and religion- this simple message has been obscured.
Many people reject Christianity because of the hard line creeds and statements that came out of the church councils.
Many object to the way the Church has defined the doctrine of the Trinity.
Now- I’m with the creeds on this- but I do understand how Muslims- Jews- and even many Christian ‘groups’ have also had problems with the historic definition.
A friend asked me the other day about the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Now- at first I had no idea why he asked- but I told him I try and take a much more gracious position then you might hear from the average Christian teacher.
I told him they did break away from the historic position of the Trinity- but I also told him there have been many believers- all thru the history of the church- that have done the same thing.
I did a quick review of the Arian controversy [not Aryan- like the racist group].
In the early centuries of the church there was a famous Catholic bishop by the name of Arias.
He held to the same belief that the present Jehovah’s Witnesses do- that Jesus was not God- in the same sense that God the Father is God.
Okay- eventually the church overruled him- but there was a time where this belief was widely accepted- and taught- in much of the church.
Till this day there are entire groups of Christians that never rejected this initial belief- and they have been around since the days of Arius.
So- when discussing this with my friend- I tried to say I do understand how other religions have a problem with the historic way we have defined the Trinity.
He then told me his dad- who was a heathen his whole life- married a wonderful Jehovah Witness woman later in life- and he has become a devout believer.
So- in a way he was glad to see that even though the church does not believe the same way his dad believes- yet at the same time- there have been- and continue to be- many sincere believers who have had the same ideas as his dad and step mom.
Okay- said all that to say this.
Many good Muslims- who try to serve the Lord to the best of their ability- they see this doctrine as the major point of Christianity.
That is- they do not see the main message spoken about in the New Testament as the simple truth that God sent Jesus as the Messiah- more than a prophet- though a prophet he was.
But he came as the fulfillment of the promise that God made all thru out the history of Israel.
That someday a Messiah would come and he would not just die for the Jewish nation- but for all people groups.
And that all those who are struggling to please God thru their own obedience to the law- they are now free from ‘the law’ and can come to God based on the obedience of Christ.
Now- this would later become a debate- both in church history- and in the pages of the bible itself.
We read in the New Testament that some were accusing the apostle Paul of teaching that we can go out and sin- break the law- because we are now under grace.
Paul defended himself against this charge- and said we- as children of God- do God’s will.
He did not teach it was okay to break the commandments.
But- he did teach we are not justified- made acceptable in the sight of God- thru our doing of the commandments.
He taught that this system of trying to please God thru the obedience of the law was flawed from the get go.
Simply because all men are sinners- and no man could ever keep the law 100%.
Therefore God made a New Covenant with man [as opposed to the Old Covenant which was based on the law and works].
In this new ‘deal’ Jesus dies for the sins of the whole world- and all who now believe are forgiven by God and have eternal life.
This is a free gift that God gives to man based on the death of his Son.
Jesus said ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son- that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life’.
This is the Good News- this is the main message of the bible.
When I hear people of other faiths- or even people who have joined various sects of Christianity- when I hear them have sincere objections to the Trinity- or to some other doctrine- I try and bring them back to this main message of the bible.
This simple message of Christ dying for the sins of men- and freeing man from the struggle of trying to please God by keeping the law- that’s the old Testament that is no longer in force.
Paul the apostle wrote the Corinthian church and he said he was worried that satan was blinding their minds form the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ.
I have found this to be true over the years- many people have all types of objections to Christianity.
Some have to do with politics and the Western world.
Some have to do with the way the church has come to define certain doctrines.
But for the most part- many of these well meaning objectors have never really understood what I just showed you- that none of these things are the main message of the bible.
No- the main message of the bible is that because of Christ we now have a New Covenant with God.
Not one that is based on our ability [or inability] to keep the law.
No- that was doomed from the start- no man could do it.
But this New Deal we have is completed in Christ- we can come boldly to the throne of grace- because Jesus made the way.
1962 VIRGIN BIRTH
I wanted to close up the last couple of posts on the common misunderstandings of Christianity and Islam.
But also mention a few things about the halfway house.
Okay- the last misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians is the term Son of God.
This term is found in the New Testament- and around this time of year we celebrate the Virgin Birth as well.
Strict Muslims are not supposed to see- or ever read this term.
Why?
Islam teaches that to say Jesus is the Son of God- that it denotes a sort of sexual relationship between God and man [woman].
Of course the church does not teach this- when Christians say – Son of God- they are speaking about Jesus in a unique way.
He ‘came out’ from God- was ‘Generated’ from God- in a way that no other creature can lay claim to.
Now- when the church uses this statement ‘first begotten of God’ or ‘the first born among many brothers’ [both found in the bible].
The church is not saying that Jesus was the actual ‘first created being’ from God.
Okay- I know this gets a little tough- but it’s hard to clear up the misunderstanding without a little theology.
So- historically- the church interprets these terms as meaning Jesus has the first place- the Preeminence over all creation.
Grant it- those who reject the Christian teaching about the Deity of Christ- they think the church is denying the bible- in these areas- when she says these terms do not mean Jesus was created.
To be fair- I think the New Testament does tech that Jesus is not a created being [John 1:1- The Word was God- speaks about Christ].
But I also see how others can view these verses differently.
The main point today is the church does not believe that Jesus was the product of a sexual physical relationship between God and Mary.
No- Son of God means- to the contrary- that the Holy Spirit came upon Mary in a non physical way- and she became pregnant- thus ‘The VIRGIN Birth’.
But- because devout Muslims are forbidden to read this term- Son of God- some have made New Testament translations that leaves the term out.
Instead of ‘Son of God’ these bibles say ‘he that was generated from God’.
Okay- it kind of means the same thing- I’m not against making the change [though some are- because it is not an actual translation form the Greek].
But if it’s done so Muslims can read the New Testament without violating their faith- then I’m for it in that limited use way.
Okay- obviously Christians and Muslims have many other things they see differently- but in the last 3 posts I wanted to hit on some of the main things.
Often times when studying different religions- we [as humans] have a tendency to read what others have to say about a group.
But it helps- a lot- if you read what the group itself actually says.
Now- you still might find some shocking stuff- stuff that is downright in opposition to your faith- but if you read it straight from the ‘horses mouth’ at least you know you’re not opposing something that the other group might not even believe!
Okay- I guess we’ll skip the skip the few things about the halfway house.
I wrote a couple of posts the last week or so about my friend Huey who fell off of a pier and hurt himself pretty bad.
He spent the weekend at my house- he probably broke a few ribs- but does not want to go to the doctor so I put him up for a couple of days.
All is going real well with the halfway house- we already had a judge release an inmate to the house.
It’s kind of funny- the guy we sent down to represent the house- Andy- was a drunk on the streets about a month ago.
Yeah- it worked out well.
That’s it for now- figured I would not post on the terrible tragedy of the killing of the little kids.
That story has already consumed the news cycle- no need for more.
Talk to you later- John.
1963 NO BULL
Let’s talk a little about this past week- and if I have time maybe hit on today’s House [of Rep’s] vote on the millionaire tax increase [which should be an Obama dream come true!]
Okay- over the weekend I had one of the street guys stay over.
Huey fell and probably broke a few ribs- he’s been struggling in the camp and called around 4:30 pm on Friday.
I was sitting at the halfway house- which I helped start with Huey's brother- John David.
I was talking to my friend who has terminal cancer- and was getting ready to go home and take the weekend off from ministry stuff.
That’s when Huey called- so to be honest it was a sacrifice to bring him home- and give the weekend to ministry stuff.
But- earlier in the day Henry mentioned the story of the Good Samaritan- how he put the man up- paid for his bill at the hotel [Inn] and went out of his way for the man.
When I got the call- I knew I was supposed to do it.
It’s funny- every time Huey comes over- if he leaves some type of trinket- there is always a sign to the thing.
Because he’s homeless- he has his stuff all over the area- maybe some clothes at another friend’s house- he’ll leave his guitar over here [hanging on the wall].
So- when I came back from my trip to N.J. - I brought back a walking staff/stick that I found in the park where I grew up.
I stuck it here at my house- in the room I use for the street guys.
I have all types of biblical nick knacks in the room- verses on the wall- stuff like that.
So- I was looking for a couple of little angel pins a few weeks ago- was going to use it on one of these walking staffs that I made [not ‘girly’ angels- but saint Michael the Archangel- you know- tough stuff!]
So- Huey spent the night a while ago- the next day I go I to clean the room- and sure enough- he left a hat on the stick- and the hat had 2 angel pins on it [I could not find them on my own by the way].
So- after this last weekend stay- before I clean the room after the guys spend the night- I usually write and do my blogging in the morning.
That morning I read some of the Psalms and wrote down a verse about Bulls.
It’s a common theme in the bible- it actually fits in with the posts I did last week.
The Psalm says God is more pleased with the sacrifices of praise and worship than he is with the offerings of ‘Bulls and Oxen’.
Okay- the point is God did not really want animal sacrifices- he wanted our hearts.
Today- in the New Covenant church that we all belong to- we have no more animal sacrifices- Jesus died for us on the Cross and he was the final sacrifice for the sins of man.
The apostle Peter writes we now offer the sacrifices of praise to God- the same theme we read in the Psalms.
So- I write down the Psalm on a piece of paper and hang it on the wall.
I start cleaning the room- and Huey must have broke a belt buckle- he left the 2 pieces of the broken buckle in the room.
They were 2 Bulls.
After I hung up the Psalm- I stuck the bulls to the wall.
Yeah- true story- no bull.
[Actually ‘no bull[s]’ means we are now living in a new age of grace and praise- no more need for animal sacrifice- get it?]
Okay- I have not written much about the news lately- though there is always stuff going on.
I mentioned a few weeks ago it looked like the president was really not looking for a deal with the House Repubs- not like in the past.
He seemed to have abandoned the idea of serious cuts to entitlement programs- and simply wanted to win a political feud to raise taxes on- quote- ‘millionaires and billionaires’.
Now- in reality- the president and many other Dem’s have said that they just want to raise taxes on the ‘rich’ and not do any cutting.
But the Repubs have never agreed to this.
So- the last few weeks that’s what they have been haggling over.
It looked like Obama was gonna go over the ‘cliff’ and let the Repubs take the blame.
So- as a counter punch- the Repub house is going to try and pass a bill today that will raise taxes on millionaires- and that’s it.
Huh?
In essence- the bill would let the Bush tax rates expire on everyone else- except ‘Millionaires and Billionaires’.
Look- I have watched this stuff for years- if Obama really means what he says- this is looking a gift horse in the mouth- this is what has said he wants- and in the past he would never- ever get a deal like this- without entitlement cuts.
Is he going to take the deal- by making the Dems in the senate vote yeah?
No.
He said it’s a game- a ploy- and they are already saying it’s no good.
This tells me he really does not want what he told us- ‘millionaires and billionaires’.
No- at this point- he wants to win the game.
Sure- we all know just raising the tax rate on millionaires really won’t raise enough revenue- but he has not played it that way this last year.
He has the average American thinking all he wants is to raise taxes on millionaires.
Well- if that’s what you say you want.
Then Merry Christmas Mr. President- from John Boehner.
NOTE- in Revelation chapter 4 we read about a beast vision that the Apostle John saw- the image had 4 things to it- 2 of them were a Calf [bull] and an Eagle.
One of the church Fathers taught that these images are types of Christ- sort of like the 4 gospels can be seen in these images of 4 beasts.
I find it interesting that Huey has left me 2 of these 4 images already [Bull and Eagle].
Let’s see what’s next.
1964 LETS ARM OUR KIDS!!!
As we end the week- lets hit a few hot topics.
By the way- the chapter for the week was Jeremiah 33.
Okay- we are still here.
Yes- the Mayan calendar thing did not pan out.
I always had my doubts- especially after I saw a short clip about a year ago.
Some guy was interviewing an actual Mayan expert [priest?]
He was the real deal- dressed up and all.
The documentary was a serious thing- not some comedy central skit.
The priest was asked ‘and what do you think about the end of the world prediction’.
He says- I kid you not- 'that’s a bunch of crap’.
Form the priest!
So- I always had my doubts.
Did you hear what the preacher said?
He couldn’t believe people could call for stuff like this- yeah- you tell em Harold [Camping].
Okay- the news.
The other day I posted about Boehner’s Christmas present to Obama.
The Repubs were trying to pass a tax raise on millionaires only- and kick the ball down the road on the other stuff.
Now- that would have been a great deal for the Dems- they said that’s what they want [but they really don’t].
Because when the Dems saw what Boehner was doing- they hooped and hawed and swore they would never pass it in the Dem controlled senate.
And if it passed the President swore he would veto the thing.
So- some Repubs in the house bailed out- and Boehner never passed it.
O my- you would have thought the world was coming to an end- again.
The Dems were on all the shows- saying how this is one of the greatest failures of all time- the Tea party are even holding their leader hostage.
On and on.
So- last night Obama says ‘lets just pass an extension of the tax cuts for the middle class- and 0 yea- lets extend unemployment insurance’.
Huh?
Was this not the basic plan Boehner just tried to pass- and you swore it was a disaster?
Sure was [Obama’s quick fix would have raised taxes on lower incomes than Boehner’s- but still- it was the same basic thing].
He only wanted to beat the Repubs in the house- if he were serious he would not have threatened to veto their bill in the first place- that’s a fact.
Okay- last night the NRA guy came out with their delayed response to the tragic shooting in Sandy Hook.
I’m not an NRA guy- never was.
I actually listened to most of the speech- on PBS.
He advocated for- be careful now- putting cops in the schools.
Yeah- he was careful with the language- he said COPS.
Okay- do I think his plan will fly?
Not on your life.
Does he think it will fly?
Probably not.
Then why float it?
They want to turn the conversation from just gun control to a broader one.
They want to talk about kids being raised with video games that kill people.
Hip Hop songs that talk about shooting cops.
They want to extend the conversation beyond more gun laws.
Sure enough- MSNBC had short clips on the screen ‘NRA WANTS MORE GUNS IN SCHOOLS’.
Stuff like that.
I guess they equate having armed POLICE with ‘more guns’.
So- according to this line- if you call the cops after a school shooting- you are irresponsible- you are calling for more guns on the scene?
See- I don’t support the NRA view- but when a media outlet purposefully lies- misleads the people- they destroy as much as any right winger ever did.
One clip showed the words of the NRA speech.
They then went to some mayor who is the head of ‘mayors against illegal guns’.
The clip of the speech said ‘lets put cops in the schools so if another deranged person comes in to kill kids- the cop can be there as a deterrent’.
Okay- have cops stopped people from shooting people before?
Just about every day.
When a cop comes to shoot a bad guy- do we usually call that ‘bringing more guns to a spot that already has too many’?
No.
So- after the clip- the mayor for gun control said ‘how insane- he thinks the answer to having too many guns on the street is more guns’!
Actually- what the mayor did- and Msnbc and the others- they answered their own question.
The NRA guy did not say he thought this was the solution to having to many guns on the street.
He said it might prevent another shooting- which- in reality- it just might.
But the media- the mayor- they wanted you to think that the NRA- the ‘right wingers’ that they want more guns in schools.
That they want ‘security guards’ in schools.
Yeah- MSNBC did not use the actual term ‘More cops’ no- they wanted you to think ‘security guards’ and teachers- and who knows- even arm the kids!
Yeah- keep playing the game- nothing gets solved- you breed dissension in the country- and at the end of the day- you harm the country.
So John- you are for the right wingers?
No- in no way.
I’m for telling the truth- on both sides.
I am not against a ban on the 30 round clips.
I am for the ban on ‘assault weapons’ [though in reality- they are simply semi automatic guns- they just look more like a military weapon].
I’m for having fewer guns on the streets- but we live in a country whose founding document gives the right to have guns to its citizens.
Because of this- we will never be an Australia that bans all guns.
So- in the Sandy Hook shooting- the kid got the guns from his mom- who legally owned them.
She lived in a state with some of the most strict gun control laws in the land.
So- when sick people decide to get a gun- they get it.
If we totally banned all guns- would that reduce the threat?
Yes- because the deranged kid would have to use another weapon- and if he did not have a gun to steal- then yea- he would not be able to do this type of damage.
So- there are points to be made on both sides.
But when the media- when MSNBC describes the position of the right as wanting more guns- more guns in schools- more guns for teachers- and heck- the right thinks the answer is more guns for everyone!
When all the man said was ‘lets have cops in the schools’.
Then we will get nowhere.
Because the uninformed [the viewers of MSNBC] will have no idea what the real debate is about.
1965 JUST ASK
I should have covered this chapter last week- but I’m behind a little.
So let’s start the week with a famous verse.
“Call unto me and I will answer thee and SHOW THEE great and mighty things that thou knowest not”.
Jeremiah 33:3.
This chapter deals with the restoration promises that God made to his people in the Old Testament.
The other week I did a few posts about the main meaning of the bible- the message of Christianity.
One of the main themes of the bible is the promise of a coming Messiah- someone who the Jewish nation was looking for- he was a future deliverer.
In this chapter the prophet talks about the promise made to King David- that there would be a Son from his genealogy that would someday sit on the throne of David.
In the New Testament we see the promise fulfilled thru the coming of Christ.
If you carefully read the book of Acts- the main preachers [Peter and Paul] speak about this Davidic promise being fulfilled thru Jesus.
Jesus came from the lineage of David and he was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God.
Okay- Jeremiah is preaching to the Jewish people during a time of captivity- the people are in bondage- again [Remember Egypt?]
In order to encourage them he tells them God has not forgotten the promises he made to them.
He says he will restore them- he will fulfill the promise to David- and there will ‘never fail to be someone form David’s house to sit on the throne- a Branch will grow up from David’.
When the apostles Paul/Peter talk about this promise to David in the New Testament- they say it must be speaking about the resurrection of Christ- because it says a Son [Jesus] will sit on the throne forever.
How can there be a king who takes the ‘job’ forever?
Because this king has an everlasting life- seated in the position.
Get it?
So- the whole chapter is simply a reminder to a depressed people- people heading for their own ‘fiscal cliff’ and yet- there is still hope.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about getting a special ring from a friend- it has the words ‘Trust God’ on it.
So- with my history of losing rings- I made sure that this one stays on most of the time.
I only take it off when I shower- and it goes back on.
The other morning I woke up- and the first thing I realized was the ring was gone.
No!!
I mean I looked all over for it- turned the house upside down- went to the van- traced my steps- the whole 9 yards.
So- after about an hour- I knew what needed to be done.
We all know- but we get mad- and we don’t like to do it.
Yup- I prayed.
‘Lord- this week I’m reading Jeremiah 33- and it says to call unto you and you will show us stuff we don’t know- so here it goes- what happened to the ring?’
So- my daughter says ‘dad- someone will find it- it will show up’.
Yeah- I knew I had to wait- but I really did not want to.
So- I’m thinking ‘who will find it?’
Then- when I wake up the next day- I’m doing some dishes the morning- and I have a thought.
When I was at the halfway house I worked on the toilet- and I’m sure I took my ring and watch off.
Now- I had the watch- but maybe I left the ring?
I called the guys and asked around- there were a bunch of people there that day.
I waited a couple of days- and when I went to the house- sure enough little Charlie found the ring.
See- the verse doesn’t say ‘call unto me and I will bring it back’- it says ’I will show you things you don’t know’.
I didn’t know I took the ring off- I didn’t remember it- so the answer was God showing me something I forgot.
Okay- try and read the chapter this week- it’s a great chapter.
Pay attention to the promises that God is making to the people.
The promises that God will work thru their families- he will restore the things that are broken- fix stuff.
We all need those types of promises.
And if you are stuck- pray the verse- verse 3- and see if the Lord will show you something.
Maybe not an outright miracle- but just a thought- something you might have overlooked.
Often times that’s the answer to the prayer- it works.
