(Part 3) Gospel or Gospels

Study the Bible With Denis your own personal Bible teacher (Bring your note book!)

Gentle reader,

About the meaning of the word rendered "Gospel" there is no question or doubt; and the origin and exact meaning of the English word does not matter. The Greek word evangelion means good news, glad tidings; and these good tidings, which may be concerning various and different subjects, must be distinguished.

Note: See Phil. 1:10, which says this "That ye may approve things that are excellent *; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ" * translated to mean things that differ (We are to test the things that differ, and having found them different should not attempt to join or put them together, but to "rightly divide them" 2 Tim. 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV) or The Literal Translation "Give diligence to present yourself approved to God, a workman unashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth". Which I have studying the original have translated this way "You, yourself, be diligent to present  approved to God as a workman who needs not to be ashamed handling accurately the word of the Truth"

There is, first :

"THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" (or GOOD NEWS).

This was proclaimed from the first, i.e. after the Fall, and it was proclaimed to men as men, by God, the Creator, to His creatures. Its message was that the Creator alone to be feared and worshipped, and men were to have no other gods beside Him. He was the holy and righteous One, and He was, and is, and will be the only and final Judge of men. God proclaimed this from the first, and among its heralds were ENOCH, "the seventh from Adam", who proclaimed His coming for this judgment of the ungodly (Jude 14:15); and NOAH, a herald of righteousness and of coming righteous judgment (Heb. 11:7 and 2Pet, 2:5).

When the "calling on high" shall have been given (Phil. 3:14), and when "transgressors are come to the full" (Dan. 8:23), and before the Kingdom is set up in glory, this Gospel (or Good News) will again be proclaimed (Rev. 14:6). It is "everlasting", and men, as such, will be called upon to "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come : and worship Him that made heaven, and earth", &c (Rev. 14:7). This is the Gospel proclaimed by the Creator to His sinful creatures after the Fall; and it will be proclaimed again at the end. Hence its name "everlasting". Then followed :

 

THE GOSPEL (or GOOD NEWS) OF THE KINGDOM.

To Abraham and his seed was the good news proclaimed, and the promise given that God would make of him a nation in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). This good news was gradually expanded and developed. In Gen. 15:4 the heir was announced, and this heir was to be the Messiah (Gal. 3:16). In Gen. 15:8-21 the inheritance was secured by an unconditional promise (not by a covenant between two parties, one of whom might break it, Gal. 3:18-20). That inheritance was (and is yet to be) "the Holy Land", "Immanuel's Land" (Isa. 8:8 ) , Immanuel Himself being the Governor (Isa. 9:6, 7), and "the zeal of the LORD of hosts" its security.

In 2Sam. 7 the throne was secured to David and his seed by another unconditional promise, and in due time Messiah came unto His own (John 1:11). This "good news" was first heralded by angels sent specially from heaven; and the exact terms of the proclamation are recorded. The angel of Jehovah spoke from the glory of Jehovah, and said :

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a SAVIOUR, which is CHRIST, THE LORD."

Thus the good news concerned a Person, Who would "save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21) : the Saviour Whom God had anointed (Messiah), appointed, given, and sent. In the proclamation of this Kingdom the Lord taught in Parables; for there were "mysteries" (i.e. secrets) which concerned the rejection, and consequent postponement and abeyance of the Kingdom, which could not openly be made known, but only in private ("in the house", Matt. 13:36).

It had been foreseen, and therefore foretold, that His People would not receive Him, and would reject Him (Isa. 53, &c) and put Him to death. This would not affect the fulfilment of all the promised glories connected with the Kingdom. See Luke 24:26: "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" Cp. Acts 3:18; 17:3. True, Christ had been put to death; but God had sworn to David, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne (Acts 2:30). This was now fulfilled : therefore the proclamation of the Kingdom and the King (for there cannot be the one without the other) was at once formally made by Peter in Acts 3:18-26.

This proclamation was made by Peter and the Twelve in the capital of the Land (according to Matt. 22:1-7), and by Paul throughout the synagogues of the Dispersion, until it was all brought to a crisis in Rome (the capital of the Dispersion). Paul and those who heard the Lord thus "confirmed what at the first began to be spoken by the Lord". They did not go beyond it by altering its terms; and God bare them "witness by signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and spiritual gifts" (Heb. 2:1-4).

In Acts 28 this was brought to a conclusion by a formal rejection on the part of "the chief of the Jews" (Acts 28:17-20), and of these, not a few, but "many" (v. 23); and, after a discussion, which lasted throughout the whole day, the proclamation was finally rejected; and, after the prophecy of Israel's blindness (Isa. 6:9, 10) had been quoted for the third and last time ( The second time being in John 12:37-41).

The dispensation of the proclamation of "the Gospel (or good news) of the Kingdom" ceased, and is now, therefore, in abeyance, for "NOW, we see NOT YET all things put under Him" (Heb. 2:8 ) .

All these "mysteries" (or secrets) concerning the postponement and abeyance of the Kingdom were spoken "in parables", "because (the LORD said), it is given unto you (unto the disciples) to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (to the People) it is not given" (Matt. 13:11); going on to explain His action by quoting (for the first time) the prophecy of Israel's blindness (Isa. 6:9, 10).

There was nothing in Old Testament prophecy that told of what the Lord reveals in these Parables of the Kingdom : how it would be rejected, and to what lengths the People would go in the rejection of the King; what would happen in consequence; how a second offer would be proclaimed, and how that too would be rejected : and what new revelation would be made in consequence.

All this was hidden in the parables spoken by the Lord, yet revealed to the disciples, and written for our learning (Matt. 13:16, 36, 51, 52. Luke 24:26, 27, 44-46. Acts 1:3, 6, 7). Any interpretation which proceeds on other lines can only end in a blindness equal to that which fell on the Jewish nation. This interpretation will in no wise detract from, or lessen, the value of such application as we may make for ourselves, so long as such application does not ignore the definite revelation made subsequently in the Prison Epistles in fulfilment of the Lord's promise in John 16:12-15. Next Time we will take up the parables set forth within the proclamation in the gospel of the Kingdom.

So Gentle Reader you will find many preachers who will try to tell you they are trying to bring in the Kingdom, not knowing that they are living in another time and place. Don’t be fooled by the undereducated. And by all means check me out that I don’t teach something that does not square with Scripture.

Love,

Denis

Bible 101 the Gospel

"The greatest danger besetting American Evangelical Christianity is the danger of anti-intellectualism. . . . For the sake of greater effectiveness in witnessing to Jesus Christ Himself, as well as for their own sakes, the Evangelicals cannot afford to keep on living on the periphery of responsible intellectual existence."

Please note these studies can not in any way take place of your personal Bible study I am just pointing you a directions that I have taken in the past. If they are hard to follow let me know and I’ll try to break them down for you a wee bit. The purpose is to get you to think outside your comfort zone and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus.

Gentle Reader,

It has been assumed by many that simply calling yourself a Christian is the same as walking into a car park and calling yourself a automobile!

Christians need to understand that they (like so many others) are a faith based on a Book [which we call God’s Word]. The problem is that so many are willing to take their denominations perspective, or their pastors or deacon....they carry their Bible which sits on their lap for most of the worship service (Protestant not Catholic) {note: Catholic have a liturgical service which is built around a mass with prayers and music leading up to the communion service, but I digress).

The Protestant service for the most part revolves around music and a message and or teaching from a selected Bible verse or verses, chosen by the Pastor/Principle teacher or by a committee of their denomination. If there is any Bible study (most people hate that word "Study" because they never received a good impression from their teachers in primary school and have carried with them ever since a distaste for learning which also is unfortunate as their opportunity to learn more about their Lord and Saviour is also lost.

Do you remember that meeting in the Book of Acts?

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he

would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (Act 8:26-36).

So Gentle reader God intends for us to learn of Him for Scripture has said: "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mat 22:35-40)

We cannot worship God without the use of our mind for "God does not do His deepest work in our shallowest part!"

The Gospel: Which one did you find? Or which one do you follow?

Here are 15 different gospels for you to consider:

1. Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

2. Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

3. Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

4. Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

5. Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

6. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

7. Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

8. 2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

9. Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

10. Gal 2:7 ...as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

11. Act 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

12. Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

13. Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

14. 1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

15. Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

In addition we can add Ephesians 3:6 and 2 Timothy 1:10,11 where the gospel is defined as that which Paul has been a minister, a preacher, an Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles.

It would be as untrue as it would be absurd to say that because we have compiled a list of 15 different titles of the Gospel, that there are 15 different "Gospels", but it would be equally harmful and untrue to sweep them aside and heap them altogether in a pile and not notice all the manifest differences that are here and to think there is little or no importance.

Next time we’ll look at two different gospels and consider the sameness as well as their differences.

Love,

Denis 

 

 

What your Father didn't know and your mother wouldn't tell you

The Gospel

Gentle Readers,

As you know it is a difficult thing to go back to school even if you have not completed even primary school. For Christians they receive much in terms of "education" but many times they are sadly lacking in what we would call the basics.

What my job is in these next blogs is to bring you along a wee bit so that you may speak with a little more assurance about your Christian faith.

We hope to dig a wee bit deeper into what the Bible says and teaches. Now you need to know that I have no ax to grind, no denomination to hold up as the "only place you can receive truth"

Since I am no longer in the paid ministry as many of my brethren are. I do not answer to a board, or a deacon (with deep pockets) who decides what I can speak about and how much teaching is allowed ("He doesn’t share our values") I need not hold back because of someone’s hurt feelings. "I don’t like the way our pastor combs his hair and do you know that he was seen (fill in the blank)

Do you remember the wee song that you sang in Sunday school as a child?

"Jesus love me this I know

For the Bible tells me so"

Learning something new or at least different is rather like that. You have to open your mind to the possibility that some things may be different or the only song you will ever know is that wee song.

Now I am going to teach you some things you may have never thought of before Gentle reader, but don’t be afraid it won’t hurt and I’ll be with you every step of the way!

Let’s start with what you know. The word "Gospel" what does it mean? Everyone that I ask in the sound of my laptop would say " Gospel? It means good news" Why just the other day My pastor preached about how he was called (by God) to preach the Gospel!"

So I ask you gentle Reader, which Gospel? And what Good News was he preaching about? Hold tight we about to enter some thoughts you perhaps have never given and thought to. (I know there is a pun there somewhere) .

Now you need a proper definition of What is a Gospel? A Gospel is a meditation on the meaning of Jesus Christ in the light of Sacred History as recorded in the Sacred writings.

The Gospels are not biographies or history books, or treatises. Their shape is determined by their uses, by their place in the lives and memories and prayers of early believers. They are themselves a form of prayer. It was once said that Jesus began as a biography and ended as a creed. We know now that the reverse is true.

The meditation is a communal act, incorporating the preaching and prayers of many Christians partly born out of and partly intended for the early liturgies.

The Gospels are an application of the continuing Sacred History to the the particular situations of the gospel writers. The books represent and reflect not only the past events from the life of Christ but His experienced life in the members of the community.

And you Gentle Reader are living out the life of Christ in your life. Col 1:27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

Well, little ones, I see the coffee pot is empty and the last of the Irish cream cheeses muffins are gone so that must mean that our time is up for today. So go home dust off your bible and look up the word gospel in your concordance. Your in for a treat next time.

Love,

Denis

A Still, Small Voice

There’s a quiet spot in the depths of my being where God in silence dwells,

The holy, infinite presence of God where awareness slowly wells,

Away from the noisy outer world, enclosed where it’s calm and still,

Breathing in deep tranquility as mind and spirit fill.

It’s a silence that speaks without words, and doesn’t sound to the ear,

But listening to it with my heart can calm every doubt and fear.

The unconditional love I feel makes each anxiety cease,

As the overwhelming essence of God fills my soul with the sweetest peace.

Part 3 Humpty Dumpty

 Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Gentle readers,

You might ask why do I tell you all these things for what happened to us several years ago (and is still in some fashion going on). It’s because you need to understand that sometimes God whispers in the darkest times. Even Christians go through what has been called "the silence of God" or "the dark night of the soul" it is when the people favored by God have by their actions or altitudes have turn their back on what God wants for each of us. Remember the sermon on the mount?

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

(Matt 5 ) 

Or in a nut shell we might say "Do to others as you would have them do to you. It’s time Gentle reader, for us to turn not inward as we have in the past but outward! Reaching out to help one another! For when we do this one thing God will in turn give us that which we need. We no long can allow our political leaders to steal, rob and cheat! No longer can we allow those people who have been given much to continue to allow greed to rule their lives.

We must decide the way we want this country to go. Up and giving to all mankind or hoarding and grasping for self. You cannot do this alone Gentle Reader, but you can start. Help your neighbor, help that stranger, help the poor, yes and even help the rich!

God is giving us as individuals and as a nation  a chance to show what we are really like. Are we good? Or are we not? It’s up to each of us to put that best part of ourselves out there. Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

And what will you do Gentle Reader? What will you do?

Part 2 of Passports, President, Politics and Pastors

Well Gentle reader,

Again within a month I fell sick to the point I was taken into the Hospital The ammonia that I had breathed in caused me to develop COPD (which developed into the loss of the use of one lung). What does COPD mean? COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It encompasses two types of disease processes namely chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Quite often, people who suffer from COPD show a combination of features of both disease processes. In lay person's term, COPD means persistent lung disease with features of airway narrowing. To be more specific, bronchitis means inflammation of the bronchi or the larger airways of the lungs whereas emphysema means destruction to the smaller airways and alveoli or airsacs of the lungs. Thus COPD is commonly used to describe chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both.

What happened then was I was fired! Reason: Not coming to work! Welcome to Indiana!!! ( remember I told you that Indiana has what is called "A right to Work law" in other words The employer can fire you without any reason "I don’t like the color of your skin" extreme but has been true in this state!). Now then we found out shortly after that that Marti had a disease called CFS Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is the most common name given to a poorly understood, variably debilitating disorder or disorders of uncertain causation.

Symptoms of CFS include widespread muscle and joint pain, cognitive difficulties, chronic, often severe mental and physical exhaustion and other characteristic symptoms in a previously healthy and active person. Fatigue is a common symptom in many illnesses, but CFS is a multi-systemic disease and is relatively rare by comparison Rare! Quite an understatement, considering she is in constant pain and now has been bedfast for more than 4 (count them) 4 years. The doctors in Indiana and for that matter around the whole of America don’t know, don’t care, do want to help.

In the process we dipped into our savings again and again, only to find that the chances of returning to Ireland becoming dimmer and dimmer. The medical cost were rising and rising until we were in a word broke

Having spent our life savings in a short space of time. With no job (no church wants someone who has a sick wife, "too much trouble" and no insurance. We turned as many oif you have done in the past ( or perhaps in the future). To our "safety net" only to find that the bureaucratic system has no truck with those who have fallen on hard times "Remember "tough times never last, tough people do" What you may ask how dare we look for help, isn’t that just a socialistic attitude? No gentle reader, that is the American way to help one another when the need arises. Wouldn’t you agree.

 If not then close this blog and go out and look at the results of the greed in this country now coming out in the open (159,000 jobs lost in the past month for example 750,000 alone this year).

We turned to our (and your Government ) I wrote to Mich Daniels Republican Governor of Indiana for help His answer " and I quote we never heard a word " ! I wrote to our State Senators Evan Bayh (D) and Richard Lugar (R) Lugar responded by sending a form letter that told me How great he had been standing up for the likes of people like me! Bayh never responded rather like the Governor of this great state. I even wrote the President G. W. Bush (never heard a peep). And Dick Cheneny sent a spent shotgun shell- not really)!

We had mounting bills, utility bills over $4000. No help! We lost our only possession our home with all of our birds (FIDS) and everything we had collected in out marriage.

So Gentle reader, when I am told and I have looked at the Presidential Candidates What I want is a leader who cares about you and me.

To Be continued ...

Passports, President, Politics and Pastors! Part 1of 3

By SEANCHAÍ (Gaelic for "The Storyteller")

Gentle Readers,

As I told you in the past but just to remind some of our new readers my family comes from Mallow County Cork in (where else? Ireland). By way of Toronto Canada and then when no one was looking we came to the United States (No really we are here legally, just joking no one can understand my humor anyway they can’t tell when I am joking or not, you choose- rather like the election). I have spent more time in school and study around the world than most. I have in fact a world class education (from several world class universities.) (Not bragging just fact, teaching and preaching). Hundreds of Churches and thousands of people have heard me preach and teach with coffee cup in hand telling all sorts about the love of God and His Son. and what Grace is all about.

It’s been more than 15 years since I have been home (Ireland) and we have settled in here for the reasons that I am about to relate. A fact that you might not know Ireland is one of the countries that can carry a dual citizenship that is the U.S. Government will recognize the Irish Citizenship even though I can be a citizen of both countries.

Now for about 10 years I was pastoring in a small church just outside of Springfield Illinois when I received a call from my mother in Indiana that my step father had contracted Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Knowing that my mother would need help

We resigned our post at this little church that we loved and moved to Indiana to help my mother. My step father lingered for a long time and we bought a little home to be close. I took the first job I could to pay the necessary bills at a Blueprint shop (where Ammonia is used to develop the blueprints- more on that latter). The shop in Indiana required me to work 14-16 hour days 7 days a week just to keep up with the jobs that came in and as a consequence I suffered a massive heart attack called Myocardial infarction or MI [which is is the death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot. ] I lost a 1/3 of my heart due to the heart attack. But within a month I was back at work....

To be continued ...

The Politics of Hate (Aren't we better than this?)

Dear Gentle Reader,

One last thing before the election takes place, I have seen good people take sides on both of the candidates some for senator McCain others for Senator Obama. Frankly I have been pulled by groups from both sides.

But what bothers me the most is that I have not seen so much passion about the things that I deem important. Recently I watched a rally for Senator McCain (I watch way to much news, from CNN to Fox and everything in between, I even have been able to get Marti to become interested in the political scene). I heard these things being said about Senator Obama coming from the crowd. "Terrorist, traitor, KILL HIM, Lynch him..." I have also seen women (I wonder if they were ladies) beat up on some college students, because they didn’t agree with those around them.

And I remember an innkeeper who told a young mother to be and her husband "there’s no room in the inn" Go stay in a stable, and so they did and her child was born in the lowest of places.

Well, gentle reader, in my humble opinion, there is no room for "the politics of Hatred" whether you agree with one of the political candidates or the other. The is no room for such demonstrations of hatred in this country.

We have room for millions of immigrants (Your family and mine were immigrants once)! But hatred?

If we claim (there that pesky Greek word again åé ) if and it is true { A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.: - forasmuch as, if, that, ([al-]) though, whether. Often used in connection or composition with other particles} To be a Christian then how is it that we see around us so much hatred? And who feeds off of this hatred? I hate to even suggest it Gentle reader, but perhaps we are now living in the Post-Christian era in America.

Remember that bully who beat you up when you were in grade school or high school I do. His name was Jack Morrison (he was just mean and a bully) he beat me up every day and at the time I didn’t know how to defend myself. Well He grew up now and so did your bullys. In my case I spent almost 30 years learning Tae Kwon do with such people (Here is where I become a name dropper, sorry but you need to get the whole picture) Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris, Mike Stone (He taught Elvis Presley’s wife) Ed Parker (Father of American Karate) Jhoon Ree (Father of American Tae Kwon Do) Ans so many others. To tell you that I was one of the best (At the time I was ranked 3^rd in the all Korea Championship). So I learned bent on taking revenge.

Now back to Jack Morrison (the bully) I came to Lafayette, IN after serving during the Vietnam conflict. Jack Morrison was on my mind. I found him drinking a beer in a Pizza Hut and I walked up to him intending to do so major bodily harm, But then Gentle Reader, something happened. Jack had been told that I was looking for him , and he laughed.

But when he was told that I now was a Black belt in Korean Karate and wanted to see him again. His laugh changed to a weak whimper.

So as I walked up to Jack, and said ("Dia dhuit, Conás átá tú - Hello, how are you?, in Irish) Jack turned white expecting some sort of Bruce Lee scream and me to knock him in to the next zip code.

But Gentle Reader, what I saw was a middle aged fat man with no thought of doing good to anyone nor no hope for any future beyond sitting on a stool in a pub drinking and frying his brains with false courage. I walked away, but the point of this revelatory story is to point out no matter who ever you vote for and what ever outcome. We are still the best hope of the world and we are so much better than to spread hate around not only this country but the world. Join with me as we pray not that God will cause who ever we like to be elected but that His will be do one earth as it is in Heaven. Just remember Gentle reader, God doesn’t take sides, He takes over.

So Gentle reader,

I hope you’ll vote for your passion and I hope your passion is not to take revenge but that for this historical moment in History that we turned into better people, to people who value decency, love, compassion, and kindness. Which reminds me of something our Apostle Paul said "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-25).

As we change presidents let’s also change our direction of our attitudes. Just my hope and prayer for this country and people.

Love ,

Denis

I know James Garner and

Your no maverick!

Gentle Readers,

 Did you watch last night?

 Did you you get the impression that only one person came to debate. The other came to wink, look cute and give a 90 minute commercial!  This is what you have to look forward too? Where's my passport?

The NO spin zone?

Gentle Readers,

Bill O'Reilly find himself on the end of a Intellectual. Why are intellectuals considered liberal. When there are intellectual on both sides. Let's think outside the box.

 

 

this is the 1st part of the segment.
David Letterman knocks out Bill O'Reilly AGAIN! 27Oct06
Bill O'Reilly at one point in his face off with David Letterman attempted to stump Letterman and prove Iraq had ties to terrorism by sighting Ansar al-Islam. According to O'Reilly, Ansar al-Islam was a terrorist group tied to al-Qaeda who was in Iraq before the war working with Saddam Hussein. Of course, it's a lie. O'Reilly LIES ALL THE TIME! IT'S A SHAME PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIS "undereducated person" AT ALL.

The Senate Report of Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq has concluded that Ansar al-Islam was considered a threat to the Saddam regime. They were enemies -- not allies.

David Letterman doe a great job standing up for his own beliefs and for the average American.

O'Reilly just plays for the greedy who want more and the ignorant fools who know no better. It's a sad stae of affairs here now. But even normal middle of the road folks like Dave are just fed up, and to see this by accident just past midnight on NBC was like a breath of fresh air.

Love,

Denis

Bailout?

It's the Economy, stupor

Dear Gentle Readers,

Somehow our congress doesn't get it so here is a suggestion from a friend. The numbers are not mine but I think the principle is right.

To my fellow Americans......

*I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.*

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a *We Deserve It Dividend*.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18 . 
Our population is about 301,000,000 /- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18   into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18 as a *We Deserve It Dividend*.

Of course, it would *NOT* be tax free.

So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18 has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18 has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
*What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?*

*Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.*

*Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads*

*Put away money for college - it'll be there*

*Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.*

*Buy a new car - create jobs*

*Invest in the market - capital drives growth*

*Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves*

*Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else*

*Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18   **including the folks* who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00  economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, *let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18 !*

*As for AIG - liquidate it.*

Sell off its parts. (send the high priced CEO'S to Iraq or Afghanistan let them give until it hurts) 

Let American General go back to being  UN American General.
Sell off the real estate.

Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

*Here's my rationale.* *We deserve it and AIG doesn't.*

*Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."*

But can you imagine the *Coast-To-Coast Block Party*!

How do you spell* Economic Boom?*

*I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion* *We Deserve It Dividend* more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

And remember, this plan only *really *costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

*PS:  *Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it's either good for a laugh *or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use *$85 Billion!!

 I am just saying....

 P.P.S. Put our dollar back on the Gold Standard (everybody gains when we do that!

 Denis

Stealing your money

Dear  Gentle Reader,

Election 2008 remains the most important election I have ever witnessed. For example You money, your investments are not only at risk but will be the last you see of it, if some get their way!  This just in!

Buried deep in Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson's  hastily crafted plan is,  Section 8.

What does Section 8 do?

It grants Paulson unlimited authority to do whatever he wants with the trillion bucks. ALSO, it insulates him from ever having to answer -- in court or elsewhere --  for his handouts to the Wall Street mob that got us into this bind.

It's just like Cheney's trickery that snookered Congress into attacking Iraq -- don't worry about the details; we'll handle that. Anyone who dared ask questions was branded as an enemy of the people.

Paulson's crafty Section 8 probably also reminds Congress of how they were stampeded into approving -- without question -- the USA PATRIOT Act, which, it turns out, evaporated the American people's protections from the predatory Present Administration (Bush in case you forgot who stole your young men and lives to make a name for himself) regime. Remember: anyone who bothered to ask a single question about THAT one also was branded a traitorous terrorist sympathizer.

Now, the Bushies are branding anyone who asks a single question about Paulson's plan a threat to the nation's existence.

Maybe, just maybe, Congress learned a tiny lesson from getting burned so badly on the WMDs and the PATRIOT Act.

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.  ~Alexis de Tocqueville

So Gentle when you think of your money being used to bail the Billionaires who couldn't stop their greed long enough to help their fellow Americans. Just Remember the Boston tea party!

I am just saying, when you vote make it count!

 Love,

Denis

The American Dream (Part 2)

Remember Gentle Reader, one  true voice rings louder than a crowd!

Gentle reader,

 In Michigan there are those who would stop people who have lost their homes from voting Hmmm who could that be? Try the initials GOP.

And here in Indiana the Governor (running for reelection) who has cut spending to those homeless people and cut health care for 1000's says that he intends to privatize the whole system. More graft?

Since I lost my job through Indiana's "right to work law" which states that an employer can fire anyone without cause, It's quite popular if you can't afford to send jobs overseas to send them to Indiana (a red state)! I suffered a massive heart attack and lost 1/3 of my heart and a lung! 

Why don't we demand that these "public servants" work for the same wages that we do?

 Am I mad? No Gentle Reader, for I know the expression that my father told me. When good people stand up for transparency in Government then the vermin will scurry for the darkness.  

 It's time to send a message heard round the world. That is, all Americans  Red, Blue, or neutral want Government to be fair and balanced. If they can't they don't get to go to Washington anymore.

Those in Washington are neither dedicated rightist or dedicated leftist  they are just dedicated to staying there!

The Fault is not only with Wall Street as some  politicians would like you to believe, for it was congress who deregulated the system to begin with and when you lost your home you could see the "fat cats" getting rich (which is OK as long as they don't steal from someone to do it). The Prime mover and shaker of de regulation who wrote the laws was a Republican and adviser to Senator John McCain, Phil Graham a ex senator and lobbyist for the  Big Banking System! 

 I am just saying, get to know your Government!

 Love, 

Denis   

P.S. Next  Time I'll share with you details of how at least in this State Politicians play fast and loose with the people that are sworn to protect and serve. How I lost my job, home and all health benefits among other things. I know that many of you have similar stories. Am I a patriot ask those soldiers who I trained in the VietNam conflict (heroes all)!

 

 

The American Dream

Is not dead ....It just has been hijacked!

Gentle Reader,

For the next few weeks, I have decided to wade in on our Political scene, So for the time being we will suspend the study on the ‘Gospel of Judas" The first thing you need to know is where I am coming from. So here is a brief background I am a conservative Evangelical. I majored in Government/Political and Economics and History in College. My undergraduate degree was with a Bachelors of Science in what was then called a Social Area major with more than 100 semester credit hours  or 90% of my studies in those subjects with the intent of finishing law school and intending to go on to become a Constitutional Lawyer. (I never made it,  God had other ideals).

I have tried to keep quiet about the recent events however I believe that this election will be a defining moment in this Nations History. So what you can expect from me is as much as lies within me a honest appraisal of this that I observe. I do not plan to take cheap shots at either major Party. For in truth this is more than just an Political Election and if you wish to vote for a Party that certainly is your right. So if I offend your donkey or elephant I do so with love of this Great Country.

Here the rules I will go by. I am neither a wild eyed liberal nut case nor a Radical rightist I am an American Citizen with the same rights that you have (more or less). I am not partisan I will tell you as much truth as you can handle,  if you believe me then pass these facts on if you don’t then show me where I am wrong and if you are factual enough and convincing enough then I will change my position and thank you for it.

First of all let me say it not a matter of Right or Left it is a matter of Right and Wrong. So let’s start with some of my considered suggestions as to how to turn our Economy around.

Our Elected officials are called "public servants" that is they are to serve the public trust. If we can’t trust a public leader then they should not be in Public Office.  If we need to sacrifice, then they should also, (and are subject to the same laws [rule of Law] as you and me. So since our constitution has be abrogated by the present administration (The George W. Bush Administration) We the people need to take back our "rights" that have been "stolen" from us. We need transparency in our Government.

Why is it that the Vice President and administration officials(e.g. Karl Rove et al) get to ignore the "Rule of Law" To ignore legal Congressional Subpoena and ignore our official law making body? Can you do this? We need someone (not to blame) but to be accountable!

Who else has decided that Subpoenas are like Trix (for kids) Why Gentle reader the potential Vice Presidential Candidate for the Republican Party (and her husband) Is this the transparency that you want?

Why doesn’t Congress vote to suspend all their salaries for one fiscal year? So they may get in touch with what your going through?

How about the gas, or milk or bread that you are paying more for than you ever have?

Let’s put our devalued American dollar back on the Gold Standard (each dollar has an equal value in Gold) Everyone gains in this way. And our trade deficit becomes less and we own more  not less.

Let’s hold these high priced C.E.O.’s to return they "Golden parachute" the millions of dollars in bonuses they took from the stockholders while the stockholders lost millions in their savings.

It’s time Gentle Reader to take our country back would you not agree?

More later,

Love,

 The jury is still out!

Denis

 

Are you Anti-intellectual?

Beloved of my Father,

The central motivating factor in my ministry over the last twenty years has been the need for Christians to engage the intellectual side of the faith with more confidence, hope, and joy. I began Scripture Institute in 2001 which now is in read in hundreds of churches and has effected tens of thousands of people. I can barely keep up with the demands of this ministry as its need and potential becomes more evident each and every day.

The intellectual side of Christianity.

With all of these success, one inevitably finds those who continue to place much needed anchors in my mission. While I believe what I am doing has been given to me by God, I also understand that the intellect is not all there is. In fact, while I want to produce more confidence, hope, and joy in the lives of believers, I also want to instill a deep sense of humility. Theology done right should always produce a confident humility. Theology done wrong produces an ironically insecure emotional confidence that is made up of what I call “cut-and-paste” theology and apologetics (”just give me the answers, I don’t care how we get them”).

Anchored as I am in the reality that the intellectual side of our faith is not necessarily the end, but a foundation to all that is being built, I am more confident than ever that the church today continues to face a major crisis in its philosophy of faith and education. The majority of churches simply do not stimulate serious discussion concerning matters of theology. Most people do not find the church as a safe place to ask serious questions. In fact, most people are trained to fear any doubt, reserve questions, or to put away any sinful antagonistic feeling concerning any challenge that comes to the table.The church, unfortunately, more often than not, is in the obscuring business. No, not intentionally, but it is true. We protect ourselves and those we love from any “false doctrine” that leads away from Christ by hiding the issue or give a quick sound-bite apologetic which obscures and belittles the arguments of any opposition.But here is the problem (and don’t miss this): one day the opponent will find an audience. Someway, somehow, whether it be in college or through a New York Times best seller, the opposition that we have dedicated ourselves so much to hide will be found. When this happens, a different tale is told, and this tale is much more convincing coming from an educated adherent than it was coming from us.

Those who trusted us then feel betrayed. They begin to feel that their intellect was being molested for many years without their realization. Then they move into recovery without us. This recovery often finds a line of many other people on a trail called “apostasy.” It is not a happy trail, but more of a trail of tears, evidencing the emotions of those who feel they have been betrayed by those who were supposed to love them most.

This describes the intellectual epidemic that Christianity is facing today. Of course, it does not have to be such. The future of theological education need not repeat the sins of the fathers. But we need to change.

This change involves risk. We don’t like risk. That is why we lock our doors every night and set the alarm. That is why we purchase cars with anti-lock brakes and airbags. We are trained to prevent any problems. But in this case, we cannot take the chance that intellectual isolation will birth true commitment. Its track record is simply not very good.

We need to turn the air-bag off for a while. This risk has to do with opening the curtain that hides the wizard. People need to be educated, not indoctrinated. Most certainly there is a time when indoctrination is necessary since early in our lives we don’t have the capability to think critically. But some time between the ages of 5-10 we need to transition to a point of critical engagement. This includes critical engagement of what we already believe. The church should be facilitating this. This is simply discipleship 101. But the problem is, most of us don’t know how to critically engage issues ourselves. We have been trained to be scared.

The church needs to begin to expose those in the church to alternative explanations, showing that we don’t live in fear of “those of whom we do not speak.” We need to welcome doubt and questions even at the deepest level. The church should be a safe place that people feel welcome when they are going through intellectual trials, not a place they run from. Recently, a lady wrote this about de-conversion on Scot McKnight’s excellent blog:
“A common feature of deconversion for many is the overarching role played by a search for intellectual coherence. Reason alone brings few if any into the faith - but reason alone drives many away despite significant social and personal cost. Those who walk away find not faith and fellowship but freedom and intellectual coherence. I cannot overemphasize this point. The intellectual questions and struggles are painfully real. In many of the cases - especially for those with clearly developed commitment to the faith before being swamped by doubt - the issue is not sin, rebellion and self. . . .

The shame is that the church - rather than dealing with the problem at its core, rather than providing a forum for Christians to question and grow - has often responded in a reactionary and destructive fashion. It is easy (incredibly easy in fact) to find an advocate to lead one to reject the church and join the freedom of the secular world; it is hard, often well nigh impossible, to find an advocate to help one explore the hard questions of the faith.”
We would do well to listen to this women. Sadly, I believe her statements are to the point and insightful.

Folks, this is not an advertisement for The Theology Program, but it does communicate the need for discipleship in the church that moves beyond a simple teaching of right doctrine, rather it walks people through the issues, teaching them how to think without an absolute predetermined end. God ultimately provides true and lasting faith. But from the human perspective, we must be responsible not only in the discharge of the Gospel, but how we discharge it.

In the end, wouldn’t it be better to have someone reject the faith under your informed and intellectually honest education process, than to accept an obscured version of the faith that is predisposed to collapse?

I believe that Christianity is ultimately persuasive. Christ has risen indeed! In fact, the more I am challenged, the more convinced I become.

Folks, it is worth the risk. The future of the church, from a human perspective, is not in how many converts we make, but in how many true disciples we lead. Things have to change now. Join with me.

When someone has issues it no longer becomes a "pig wearing lipstick" or a hockey mom self styled "Pit bull" God speaks not only to my heart but with my voice! As the expression goes “truth to power.”
Love,
Denis

My take on Gevernment!

"Washington, D.C. is a city lying in the gutter, wallowing in hypocrisy. It has become a bizarre sinkhole of character assassination and smirking self-righteousness. It will eagerly cast not only the first stone but any other rocks that it can lay it hands on." Wall street Journal Editorial

Can't we do better in this country?

apophenia2

apophenia2
Originally uploaded by gwennie2006

Just a thought, Gentle Reader!

Epilogue

Gentle Readers,

It seems almost anti-climatic to leave our wee study of Paul without so much as "by your leave"!

I hope that you realize (those of you that have read all 15 parts, small does of truth/sugar makes it go down a wee easier) that I barely scratched the surface of the theology of your Apostle and mine. Such a brilliant mind, and most of his deeper thought came as a ‘prisoner of the Lord" for us Gentiles! I thought and look through my extensive library and ran across this sermon which rather sums up so much of what I have tried to say in my own bumbling way. I do hope you’ll take the time to read it in it’s entirety.

The Bible and The Cross

"Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His Cross; through Him, I say, whether things upon earth or things in the heavens." (Col.1:20).

The sphere of reconciliation is declared-- "all things...upon earth or things in the heavens." Describing the glory of Christ in creation the apostle declares-- "In Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth." But when he tells of reconciliation, it is in the opposite order: "things on earth and things in the heavens." The creative order was that of heavens first-- the reconciling order, of earth first. It is not for us to discuss now as to whether this planet of ours is indeed the center of the universe. It is certain there are far reaching stretches of creation of which we know nothing. It is enough at the moment to recognize the fact that, for the purpose of our apprehension of the meaning of life we are compelled to deal with the universe as circling about the earth on which we live. Recognizing necessity, the apostle shows that reconciliation begins here and later affects the heavens. That which demands reconciliation is here, but that which is here exerts its influence to the utmost bound of the creation of God. Heb. 9:23 and context.

This conception of the world at once lifts it and our theme into highest dignity and vastest importance. If we can grasp it, it will deliver us from all mean thinking about our own lives, our own sin, our own redemption.

The sphere of reconciliation is first that of "things on earth." That is not, however, the phrase which startles us most, but "things in the heavens." This all-inclusive term has reference first to angels-- intelligences described elsewhere as "thrones, dominions, principalities, powers." These are included in the reconciliation Christ wrought on His cross.

The conception is a remarkable recognition of the cosmic unity of the universe. Man is seen at the center. Beyond are the far-reaching realms which he is incapable of understanding during his earth-life. At the center of all things Paul sees the CROSS. He declares that by that cross God reconciles all things (lit. "The all") unto Himself. Yet the phrase "things in the heavens" takes us one startling step further. The sphere of reconciliation is not only man,-- not only the created beings in the heavens above him,-- it is that of the very Being of God. Remember the words of the Psalmist-- "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Omitting for a moment the fact that they have met and kissed, let us consider them separately. They all exist in the nature of God. If we reverently think of God as apart from the mystery of evil, we recognize the perfect harmony of these: mercy, the tenderness bending over in love: truth; which is uprightness, stable, and builds: righteousness, which is a straight line without deviation; peace, which is absolute safety. All these coexist in the nature of God.

The introduction into the universe of the principle of sin breaks up the harmony of these and there is the necessity of reconciling within the very being of God. He is a God of truth. In His universe a being violates truth. How is it possible for Him to bend in tenderness and love over such a one whose action threatens the stability of the universe? God is the God of righteousness of that which cannot deviate from absolute rectitude. The introduction into the presence of essential righteousness of that which contradicts it must make peace impossible. It is not by the caprice of a God who is a despot, but because of the necessity of the essential facts of His Being, that, the moment sin existed in the universe there was need for reconciliation, if mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, were to meet and kiss each other.

The consideration of the suggested sphere of reconciliation leads immediately to our second line of thought,-- that of the nature of reconciliation. This is expressed in the words "unto Himself," or more literally, with reference to Himself. Here again we begin on the lowest level-- "things on earth." What is the nature of the reconciliation necessary to the restoration of order? Fallen man misrepresents God, and "science governs nature." The results? Chaos, instead of cosmos. In the words of the prayer Jesus gave to His disciples, the supreme thing is that His name be hallowed, His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as in heaven. The reconciliation here is restoration to the government of God. The healing of the wound, the closing of the breach, the gathering into one of all that has been scattered. (Eph. 1:10).

What, then, is the reconciliation necessary for the heavens? Peter says "the angels desire to peer into the sufferings of Christ and the glory to follow." Bending over the world, they saw sin and suffering culminating in the experience of Christ. We must ever think of angels as finite; of all the principalities and powers, as limited. While loyal to the government of God, serving with perfect satisfaction, they watch the processes among men without foreknowledge of the issue. Their peering into these things was in the nature of inquiry. I am not suggesting there was even incipient rebellion in these high places. There was surely an expectation that there would be some explanation of the mystery of that which they recognize as a rupture in the nature of God, resulting from the presence of sin in the universe. Angels need an answer to their inquiry.

Again, reverently, we take a further step. Reconciliation, in order to completeness, must be such that, in the BEING of God there shall be possible the continued activity of Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace, so that violence be done to none.

All this leads us finally to the consideration of the supply of the reconciliation which is revealed in His words, "Peace through the blood of His Cross." The Gnostic teachers were suggesting the necessity for the inter-mediation of angels. They were declaring the need for ascetic practices, urging voluntary humility, and even the worship of angels. Paul, recognizing the necessity for reconciliation, not merely as between man and God, but throughout the universe, in the heavens as well as the earth, declares that it is provided in "the blood of His Cross."

In this connection it is necessary to repeat a warning and utter a solemn protest against the idea that when we speak of the Cross, we refer only to a Roman gibbet, and to the death of a Man thereon. If He of the Cross were Man only, then all this writing of the Apostle is not only foolish, but vile dreaming, mirage, and nightmare; a delusion and a snare. On the other hand, if He of the Cross be the Image of the Invisible God, the original Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Firstborn out of the mystery of death into life, then in the presence of His Cross I begin to tremble, and yet to believe the declaration that through that Cross He reconciles all things (ta panta-- the universe) unto Himself upon the earth and in the heavens.

Through that Cross there is first the reconciliation of things upon the earth. This is established first by the creation of peace with God in the case of man, and then in the peace of God throughout the order over which redeemed man reigns. The process is a slow one as mortals count time. The travail is an agony, the conflict is unto death, but the victory is assured; and that victory is the reconciliation of all things upon the earth, first of man to God, and then of the whole creation to man in that peace of God which issues from the establishment of His throne, and the right relation thereto of all the kingdom.

Through that Cross also, there is the reconciliation of things in the heaven. We call to mind again the picture of angels desiring to look into these things. As they did so they became conscious of the profoundest depth of the mystery in the hour when Jesus died. It was the mystery of which we spoke before, that of the death of a pure and sinless and therefore deathless Being. Personally, I can have no doubt about the literal accuracy of the Bible story that in the hour of that death the sun darkened. My wonder sometimes is that it ever shone again. The angels saw in the mystery a revelation. They knew the person whom they saw die, and recognized that the death of the Christ must have some profound significance in the economy of God. Through the death of the Lord they beheld man reconciled to God. They saw salvation provided for the sinner in his losing from his sins. They saw the resultant cooperation of the saints as, conformed to His dying, they came to living knowledge of Himself, shared the power of His Resurrection, and entered into the fellowship of His sufferings. They saw these saints bearing through to lower reaches of God’s creation the renewing forces which had remade their own lives.

What effect, think you, had that working out into visibility of the passion and power of the love of God upon the watching angels? It was for them a new unveiling of God. In that Cross they saw Him as they had never seen Him. The essential Light of Deity shone whiter, for holiness was vindicated as never before. The essential Love of Deity shone redder, for compassion was manifested more perfectly. The essential Life of Deity was realized more fully, for all its values were revealed more absolutely. I can imagine that, as the Lord Jesus Christ died, and all the issues of His dying were revealed to them, angels borrowed the song of the Psalmist, and chanted to the measure of their own perfect music:

"Mercy and truth are met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

Reverently we come to the last fact in our consideration of this supply of reconciliation. Over two hundred years ago John Leland, a Baptist minister of Massachusetts, preached a sermon which he entitled "The Jarrings of Heaven Reconciled by the Blood of the Cross," in which he attempted to set forth a picture of the high courts of heaven and of the conflict within the very nature of God as the result of the presence of sin in the universe. The sermon may accurately be described as highly imaginative, but that is not a condemnation. There are matters so high that we can never hope to reach them save by the exercise of imagination.

We speak of law and love, of truth and grace, of justice and mercy, and so long as sin does not exist there is no controversy between any of these. If there be no sin, law and love are never out of harmony with grace or each other; truth and grace go ever hand in hand; justice and mercy sing a common anthem. If the law be broken, what is love to do? If truth be violated, how can grace operate? In the presence of crime, how can justice and mercy meet? This is the problem of problems. It is not a problem as between God and man. It is not a problem as between God and the angels. It is a problem between God and Himself. It is answered in the Cross. "God was in Christ," from eternity, in the days of human manifestation, and surely also in the hour of the Cross. Thus, by the way of all the suffering consequent upon the conflict within His own nature, He found the way of reconciliation. By suffering wrought out into human history and in the sight of all the ages, through the Cross, He demonstrated that love meets law as it suffers and fulfills it; grace satisfies the demand of truth of meeting all the issues of its violating; and mercy can operate on the basis of justice, not because God has smitten and afflicted other than Himself, but because, in a mystery which baffles and bruises the intellect as it attempts to encompass it, God has gathered the whole into His own heart, and suffered to reconcile all things (the universe) unto Himself.

Thus, as Christ is the Centre, Source and Goal of the universe, His Cross is the centre, source and goal of reconciliation. The Ephesians letter is the complement of the Colossians. In that the Apostle teaches that through the Church the wisdom of God is manifested to principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Christ and His ransomed people are to exercise a ministry beyond that of today which is initial and preparatory, through all the coming ages. That ministry is to be that of an unveiling of the profoundest thing in the heart of God; the love which, operating through self-abandonment and sacrifice, ransomed, redeemed, and remade lost humanity. The angels will hear the music of love as they have never heard it, as the ransomed sing, "the old, old story of Jesus and His love." Sons of the morning are they, unfallen intelligences who have never known the misery of sin or its pollution; but they will hush their high anthems while the ransomed sing----

"He loved us, and gave Himself for us."

Thus for all the universe and for the ultimate ages, every proceeding in beauty from the Being of God, the Cross will abide the supreme revelation of God, through which all creation will come to an understanding of His holiness and His love, the deepest and truest thing of His being.

What a theme for imagination, which, nevertheless, is utterly incapable of encompassing all the glorious truth! We dream of the birth of ceaseless ages, of new creations, springing like fresh mornings from His wisdom and His might (ability); and as in unfailing procession they appear, Christ and His ransomed Church will sing to them the song of redemption, and while they know the might and majesty of God in the wonder of their life, they will only come to a true apprehension of His heart as we tell them that He loved us, and "loosed us from our sins by His blood."

"In the Cross of Christ I glory,

Towering o’er the wrecks of time.

All the light of sacred story

Gathers around it head sublime."

If by that Cross all things in the heavens are to be reconciled, and infinite peace is to follow, I dare trust it, notwithstanding all my sin and all my weakness. By the way of that Cross I am reconciled to God, and through it I find rest, infinite, eternal, undying. At last my rest shall be rest with the WHOLE CREATION, for the cosmic order will be restored through the mystery of God’s suffering as revealed in the Cross.

_____________________________________________________________

Rev. G. Campbell Morgan, D.D. The Cross and the Ages to Come, From "The Presbyterian"

June 1932, By Permission Scripture Studies Concern, 1050 East Grand Boulevard, Corona, California

Our Man, Paul

Part 15 conclusion

 Our man in the Middle East

Gentle readers,

While volumes have been written about Paul the Apostle and I would like to go on for more days than you have on this earth expounding on how much we owe that man I feel that you have at least an idea of what the apostle is all about. 14 Books no mean feat even by today’s standards . I mean it’s been like pulling teeth to get my little effort out. But Paul not only reaches down to where we live (have you taken the time to read any of his work yet)? The last word that we want to consider is the best as far as I am concerned and that is

Reconciliation Greek

ajpokatallavssw Apokatallasso (ap-ok-at-al-las'-so) in the Greek

It seems to me that words must be very important for several reasons men can not live together in harmony unless they can depend on others to provide the things we need to survive. And for men to live together they must be able to communicate with each other. Before the advent of telephones, computers, email mail and others means of talking to one another, the only means available was writing. And it seemed good that the Lord God would provide a means to communicate with His Creation! Thus writing became most important and following on the heels of writing was the understanding of the written word.

Now all of this seems obvious were it not for the fact that more wars, disputes, arguments have started over one man misunderstanding another. Even in the 21st century we still find that men don’t truly understand one another . And even more so when it comes to Religion.

But unfortunately Even among the most well meaning people there seems to be a problem in understanding what God has said much less what He means when He writes to us for our understanding. God’s word can be compared to an onion once you peel off the first layer there is another and then another and another until you get down to the center. Now each layer is complete in itself but it does not become the center until one strips away each layer to reach the very center.

What does it mean to be reconciled?

To ask what reconciliation means strikes fear into any theologian or Bible

scholar who would dare to bring up the subject of reconciliation and even more so, since the doctrine of so many denominations, groups and creeds are based on teaching of some head, who while not holding the Scriptures as unable to speak for themselves and only if we were to listen to the man rather than to be a Berean and to "search the scriptures" to see if these things are so.

Our desire is to study the scripture and to let God’s word speak! Like Ezra of old we wish "to open the Book" and learn from it. Let us begin to see what God has said.

ROMANS 5: 10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were RECONCILEd to God by the death of his Son, much more, being RECONCILEd, we shall be saved by his life."

1co 7:11 "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be RECONCILEd to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.’

2co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath RECONCILED us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye RECONCILED to God.

Eph 2:16 And that he might RECONCILE both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to RECONCILE all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in

your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED

For if, when we were enemies, we were RECONCILEd to God by the death of his Son, much more, being RECONCILEd, we shall be saved by his life.

Reconciliation is a change from enmity to friendship. It is mutual, i.e., it is a change wrought in both parties who have been at enmity. God rather than punnish one who has offended Him rather brings the person who has been an enemy to the place where with "no strings attached" can now become a friend- a best friend!

In Colossians 1:21,22, the word there used refers to a change wrought in the personal character of the sinner who ceases to be an enemy to God by wicked works, and yields up to him his full confidence and love.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 the apostle beseeches the Corinthians to be "reconciled to God", i.e., to lay aside their enmity.

Romans 5:10 refers not to any change in our disposition toward God, but to God himself, as the party reconciled. Romans 5:11 teaches the same truth. From God we have received "the reconciliation" (RSV), i.e., he has conferred on us the token of his friendship. So also 2Cor. 5:18,19 speaks of a reconciliation originating with God, and consisting in the removal of his merited wrath. In Ephesians 2:16 it is clear that the apostle does not refer to the winning back of the sinner in love and loyalty to God, but to the restoration of God's forfeited favor. This is effected by his justice being satisfied, so that he can, in consistency with his own nature, be favorable toward sinners. Justice demands the punishment of sinners. The death of Christ satisfies justice, and so reconciles God to us. This reconciliation makes God our friend, and enables him to pardon and save us.

So it was given to the Apostle Paul, the theologian to bring to light the fact that it was God bringing us to Himself, for in fact Gentle Reader we would not, you would not come to God on your own. Let’s face it Gentle Readers, if left to ourselves we would never come to the Father on our own!

The picture that Paul wants us to understand is that in the Greek apokatallasso is to exchange hostility for friendship. In other words God wanted you to come back to the point where we could walk together as friends just as Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden in "the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8 ). No longer do we have to fight, or war, or kill. Nor do we have to do anything to please God. You should also pay attention to the fact that it is only Paul and in his epistles that we learn about the fact that we have been Reconciled!

What do we have to do to get this great gift? It’s so easy that it becomes hard for many- accept! Just accept God at His word! God accepts us.

How that for a finish Gentle Reader?

That’s why I constantly tell you over and over that "You are accepted, you are valued, you are loved,

By God and Gentle Reader by me also!

Love,

Denis

 

 

 

 

 

 

Misunderstanding the directions

Part 14 The Words we use sometimes of time are confusing

Gentle Readers,

We have been looking at some words and expressions that out Apostle, Paul has used we come to one now that has been corrupted that to even try to explain what it means will force some to have their eyes ripped out for the heresy, that I now will share. (However heresy is only heresy if it’s not true, and there is a truth that is truer than truth- Get that?)

Eph 1:22 (21) And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the (b) head over all [things] to the church, Our word is Church which is the Greek ekklesia which simply means " a gathering". The meeting place of the brothers was almost always in Paul’s time the house of a Brother or Sister or both- as in 1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

But! Hang on Gentle reader, Ekklesia is comprised of ek ‘out’ and kaleo "to call" and truly means a "called out asembly" in Classical Greek from the 5^th century BC onward and was used for the assembling of "citizens" of the city (polis) for legislation and other public business. We find the word used in the Septuagint for the gathering of Israel for some definite purpose, the usual word is Sunagoge Heb. (Synagogue) When Christ used the word that you read as church He was transforming the word to mean His assembly (of believers) making it distinct from Judaism. He was not starting a new work, or a new Religion, or a new church! He was as God calling back people to himself. In Jesus time He was calling the Jewish people out of their prescribed rituals and formalities - back into the relationship that God had wanted when He walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve.

It was Paul that saw beyond the Jewish scope of Christ Ministry (of course Paul had to be blinded first to see that God wanted all of mankind to come to Him). It is extremely significant that Paul states that there is only ONE body Eph. 4:4 which is the "real" universal church". Some teach that unless you belong to this denomination or that one, you just haven’t arrived yet! Other teach that their local assembly, along with other local assemblies who agree with them are "The Church" and that no one else is part of the church no matter what they believe. Biblically however, no earthly denomination or group can be called "The Church." Christ called His family {a gathering together} not "churches"! Many groups that hold a Sunday meeting are (I am sad to say) not taught in Scripture and many more in fact are inherently weak in either theology and method (choosing rather methods from this man or that person rather than the Word and the Words that God has given. God called Paul to begin bringing others Jew and Gentile alike into the Family of God which makes up the "Body of Christ"

for those who want a wee bit more here is some food for thought.

Love,

Denis

 

Mat 16:18 (5) And I say also unto thee, That thou art (l) Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the (m) gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(5) That is true faith, which confesses Christ, the virtue of which is invincible.

(l) Christ spoke in the Syrian tongue, and therefore did not use this discourse to distinguish between Petros, which signifies Peter, and Petra, which signifies a rock, but in both places used the word Cephas: but his meaning is what is written in Greek, in which the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation: or else he named him Peter because of the confession of his faith, which is the Church's as well as his, as the old fathers witness, for so says Theophylact. That confession which you have made, shall be the foundation of the believers.