911 Oh Yeah, I Remember

Mort Walker acknowledged our sorrow in his Beetle Bailey cartoon today but our reaction was not purely sorrow. Some of it was rage.. Some of it was mine. I had no way to wreak the savage devastation that was in my heart on the object of my hatred so they were spared and so was I. It was an act of hatred and it evokes hatred. 


They struck a target that was NOT their enemy though he dwells among us...and them. Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 


The same multinational corporations that exasperate foreign cultures are destroying our own. Open you eyes and you will find the enemy but I warn you, you will not like what you see.  Read "What Men Know That Women Don't" by Rich Zubaty.

The Arabs Are Not Happy.

In an email this morning ----   Kinda chuckled a little when I first read this...then, I began to think, ' hey, whoever wrote this has a good point. These guys don ' t like what they have, covet what others have, then ruin it for everyone once they get what they want ' ...sound familiar??? ONCE THE WORLD POPULATION READS AND UNDERSTANDS INFO BELOW-CHANGES CAN BE MADE. ------VERY IMPORTANT TO READ/UNDERSTAND AND FORWARD TO OTHERS             Conclusion: The Arabs are not happy!!! · They are not happy in Gaza .. · They are not happy in the West. · They are not happy in Jerusalem .. · They are not happy in Israel . · They are not happy in Egypt .. · They are not happy in Libya .. · They are not happy in Algeria .. · They are not happy in Tunis .. · They are not happy in Morocco .. · They are not happy in Yemen .. · They are not happy in Iraq .. · They are not happy in Afghanistan .. · They are not happy in Syria .. · They are not happy in Lebanon .. · They are not happy in Sudan .. · They are not happy in Jordan .. · They are not happy in Iran .. So, where are the Arabs happy? · They are happy in England .. · They are happy in France .. · They are happy in Italy .. · They are happy in Germany .. · They are happy in Sweden .. · They are happy in Holland .. · They are happy in Belgium .. · They are happy in Norway .. · They are happy in the U.S. · They are happy in Romania .. · They are happy in Hungary . They are happy in any other country in the world that is not under a Muslim rule. And whom do they blame? · Not Islam. · Not their leadership. · Not themselves.      They blame the same countries in which they are happy to live. Democracy is really good for them :         In a democracy they can live comfortably, enjoy the high quality of life which they did not build and work for.  They don ' t have to be productive and earn a living.  They can be wild, pray in the street and break the law, exploit the social services, and bite the hand that feeds them.

God's Standards

Rom 12:2) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and (Philippians 2:5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

If you need some facts to rely on as you nail these axioms into your spiritual temple consider that half the people you know are below average.  It amuses us … makes us laugh but we know it is shockingly true.  If you’ve seen videos of adults walking the streets that couldn’t tell you something that a fifth grader should know, you know what I mean … but without thinking we often pattern ourselves on their values.

Maybe I’m being too hard on us.  Everybody knows that lawyers are very bright and there are a lot of them.  They make our laws and we rely on them to settle our disputes but our experience of dealing with them leads us to joke that 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.  Again, another group we don’t want to pattern ourselves on.

The world’s standard is not consistent.  It is lenient as the world applies the standards to itself and harshly judgemental as it applies them to others (just the reverse of what God wants).  The world does not realize that its attitudes and institutionalized actions dig a pit for every human soul because all have sinned egregiously, shamefully, and repeatedly.  Yeah, we all know that but what can we do?

It’s not easy to find a reliable pattern (because it does not exist in this world) … well yeah, there is that old book on the coffee table covered with dust … and it does talk about a person that lived by that other standard … but I think they crucified him a long time ago.  Oh, yeah I’ve heard of some people who live like Haggai advised in 6:8 doing what is right, being merciful to those who err and humbling themselves before God but they’re not very popular with my friends. (James 4:4 Friendship with the world is enmity with God.)

I hope you don’t find yourself in agreement with the guy in the last paragraph because he is missing out on a joyous way of living.  In Galatians 5 we are told to walk in the spirit so we won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh and that when we do walk in the spirit we will find our lives full of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  As you know there is no law against such things so we do not need to fear condemnation … especially from God.

If such a life sounds tepid and unappealing, the experience of your brothers and sisters (who may not be among the pews you are familiar with) has been anything but boring.  Remember Jesus said to take his yoke upon you because His yoke is easy and his burden is light (Math 11:30).  It is likely that you will find such a life full to the brim with way more “excitement” than you could handle on your own.  Good thing Jesus, your yoke partner, will do more of the work than you.

News Release: Heaven Being GIven Away! - (A dramatization)

Heaven, BC 2100: News Release
God Plans to “Give the Kingdom Away”

Hanging around in the hallway outside the main meeting room, one noticed an unusual hum as the angels exited.  Coming closer I overheard one angel ask another for confirmation of what he had heard. 

At that point the Herald Angel exited the Audience Hall and proceeded to the Pulpit of Heaven.  Speaking with the very voice of God he had everyone’s attention as he announced that, on a certain Sunday, AD 33, “Elohim, who holds unfettered title to all of heaven will convey all his right, title and interest in and to Heaven and all its appurtenances to his Son, Jesus,  and to his co-heirs from that day forth ... free and clear of all encumbrances [there have never been any anyway], to enjoy without let or hindrance of any kind… etc, ad infinitum “… (literally-almost)!  I didn’t get it all and I needed some background for this story.

As the Angels explained the conference that preceded this announcement they had heard reports from Enoch and leading angels.  The picture that emerged showed clearly that for blessed ages God had been fine tuning his masterwork and had selected one to receive the covenant.  The angels had been disappointed with Adam but God had anticipated that result and had plans that would prepare mankind for the offer that had all heaven talking.  It would involve careful and diligent oversight of a chosen people and a personal visit by God himself among the insignificant (if not for His care) inhabitants of this world that would culminate in his death…yes it would be a real death… and his resurrection. 

The plan was for Abraham to receive the covenant (promise) of God to bless Abraham and make Abraham a blessing to all the nations simply for believing and trusting God and for Abraham’s children to multiply and learn the hardest lesson of all “that it would be impossible to satisfy God by meticulous observation of all his righteous decrees.”  While they were learning this, God would be telling them through his prophets, that he was coming for a visit and how the people were to recognize him, being born of a virgin, etc.  When God did come in the guise of his Son, Satan (who was the instrument by which Adam had been diverted from his original destiny) would oppose him and unwittingly overplay his hand so that God could have it his way (as he - happily - always does in the end).  You see Jesus would accept his death, offering a sinless sacrifice of infinite worth that could cleanse all mankind throughout the ages and present them to His Father… holy, without spot or wrinkle or loss of even one, to share Heaven with them forever.  In spite of his generosity some would not accept this gift because they would have to admit that what they called righteousness was like filthy rags and while they could get real righteousness they could do so only by letting Jesus live out his life in them.

Oh, normal eardrums would have burst to hear the explosion of joyous celebration when God finished telling about his plans, which took much longer to describe with all the details (that I left out).  As he was going through His plan, He would stop occasionally to answer a question, like the one about  how unqualified mankind is to be made priests ('middle managers'-if you will) in charge of dispensing God’s grace.  God said, “Yes they will be overly concerned with portraying My majesty and righteousness, hoping to clothe themselves in the righteousness of which they speak even though I prefer to be known by My mercy.  At the same time they will demand much of others but will hide their secret need of me and their regular reliance on My forgiveness.  They’ll be dipping in the cookie jar of forgiveness and refusing to share with others but I’ll take care of that.”

Well, I filed my story and began watching events unfold.  Over the ages as I waited and watched, I observed that God knows every thought and motive of the heart even as it forms and He knows when “enough is enough”.  Man knows nothing except the evidence of his senses.  God knows the purpose of each life and how that life may best bring him glory.  God’s judgment has at times astounded us with its severity as when the earth swallowed up the whole families of Korah, Dathan, Abiram and his followers. We are shocked but then we presume to exercise his vengeance without the benefit of his wisdom and compassion … without the all-encompassing knowledge that takes in the full breadth of our personalities, … our most elevating dreams/aspirations and our most depraved appetites.  Men don’t realize how blind they are nor do they know how willing God is to supply what they lack (as Jesus brother James put it) “without chiding them for what they don’t know.”

Correcting human frailties, God has used other nations and among his own people, the judges appointed for the administration of justice, but he, knowing our penchant for excessive punishment, made it clear that punishment was to be limited and when he said forty lashes… he meant 40 lashes and not one lash more lest their fellow Israelite be “degraded” in their sight, Deu 25:3.  At least citizens had the protection of the law but when one nation is used to discipline another nation, it seems that all bets are off and God often has to rein-in the enthusiasm with which other nations inflict pain on Israel.  In Zech 1:15 God said he was only a “little” angry and the nations he chose to discipline Israel went “too far” with the punishment.  Jer 51 records another instance in which Babylon (this time) incurred God’s judgement “for all the wrong they did in Zion”.

The prophesies were given and fulfilled and true to his word he showed up. 

How lucky we are that our judge is the same as our lawyer.  If this were a human judge we would have to disclose a conflict of interest and recuse himself but no intelligent person would try to call God’s hand on this and demand to know “What he thinks he’s doing - acting as the accused’s attorney?”  It is clearly to our advantage that he performs this dual role as High Priest and King in the order of Melchizedek.  Heb 4:15 tells us that Jesus is able to put himself in our shoes (indeed has already DID so but without sin),  and has already taken the punishment (death) for our offences.  The court of heaven knows that is as far as you can take vengeance.  Man’s darkened spirit would still like to find a way to enforce consecutive life sentences or multiple death sentences.

When God in the form of Jesus forgave the paralytic his sins the Pharisees thought he was committing sacrilege by arrogating to himself the right to forgive sins but that is precisely what God wants man to do…forgive one another…and forgiving sins is what Peter (and all of us) are empowered (and encouraged) to do.  Whatever we...loose on earth is loosed in Heaven.  Our Master wants us to give the kingdom away to those who know they can not afford it (but GOD CAN AFFORD IT: There would be a song written several thousand years later that beautifully expresses it like this For out of his infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.]).

Sin surely deserves punishment but when persons, or states or nations take on the responsibility for administering that punishment they invite the supervision by the Supreme Judge Himself who will determine whether the punishment truly “fit the crime” and if the punishment strays into excessive damage or degradation God will bring the under-judge to account for his actions.

I don't know how Moses missed it (if he did) but Christ cleared up the confusion, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged.   Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  Sounds simple and it is obviously very important if WE want a favorable reception in the court of Heaven in spite of all the stuff WE'VE done.  Still this may be the most frequently violated spiritual "law".