A man's search for grace in all the unusual places. I may amuse, I may stand accused, I may anger you, but all in all I am a sinner, in a need of a righteous God, just like y'all.
Abraham ventured forward into Gerar, staying there for a whole year.
Gerar was a place where he was a stranger with a wife, a stranger who was the sole one responsible for how well his family dwelt in the land. He felt that God could not be in this place. Gods ruled the household; Abraham's household was far from this bleak barren less land. I do know this feeling at times; my home in Longmont Colorado is far from my home in Lakeland Florida.
Abraham attempts to take matters into his own hands. He like all of us should have learned by now that it is never good to take matters into your own hands. Why did he not trust God? What was his deal?
First, Abraham did not have the hindsight that many of us have. He was born into a household where Pagan Self Actualization was the Modus Operandi. The Pagan World View had warped his point of view. He was looking into the world with what he thought was clear eyes, but was actually a fun house view point. He knew that many Gods were involved with man's fate. Fate was clearly in the hand of the individual so the individual was responsible for shaping the future. One was rewarded for how well one choose to live in one's "Choose Your Own Levantian Adventure".
So Abraham continues to be between two worlds, the one distorted one, or the truth found in the LORD. As M. Henry says, "We often trouble ourselves, and even are led into temptation and sin by groundless suspicion."
It matters that the truth prevails through the dimly lit horizon.
Mulengro is seeking vengeance and purification of the Gypsies (Romany) who have gone astray in modern culture; will the Gypsies be able to stand up to this dark force?
I enjoyed the thought that everything is possible, and our eyes can't perceive everything rationally. The book's flow is one that is not easily put down.
This book examines clearly what is real and what is more real... Jeff can't believe his eyes. Modern science excuses this as him having a concussion. But the gypsies see another world... and their eyes have not been so conditioned as the non gypsies.
"A Question of seeing Gaji only saw what they wanted to see." p.191
De Lint’s master stroke in Mulengro is, 360 degree POV, and shifting perspectives. He shows character motivation for all of his characters, none of the characters are flat-cut out props.
The tension builds with the shifting of viewpoints, growing deeper and deeper into the climax of the story. But then when the tension rises to its highest point, De Lint inserts an amusing comment from the talking cat Boboko.
One even knows the motivation of Mulengro the evil one, and can't but help thinking, “hmmm maybe he is right to do what he is doing. Haven’t the gypsies gone astray in modern life, shouldn’t he want to purify the gypsies from gypsies who have gone astray."
Mulengro symbols the righteous soldier of God, who cleanses cities of the ills of man. He is what man without Christ have to look forward to. Thank you LORD for having mercy on us sinners.
Mulengro is addictive fiction, exploring the interplay between the life of the gypsy and the life of the modern man.
What does it mean to purify a race to make a stronger group? How does a community get pulled away from its clear roots? What rips the goodness out a community? God's mercy reigns. God without mercy is shown clearly in the man in black, Mulengro. God's righteousness would put us all to death for betraying God's commands. We all deserve death by the firing squad; for we are all traitors to God's kingdom. But God loves us so much that he sent his only son to die for us and take the pain for us. I am thankful for God's loving grace in my life. Thank you LORD.
Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land he interweaves human relations, large ideas and (theology),. The title to this story was inspired by the book of Exodus in the Old Testament.
The story a Stranger in a Strange Land takes place in a New America, that is one world ordered hegemony. The world has made missions to mars and has set up a space colony there. The space colony had been deserted on the planes of Mars. The man from mars is found after many years of exposure to an alien race. The climax resolves whether Michael Valentine Smith will be excepted by the people of Earth. At times this book gets bogged down in Heinlein's philosophy, so it can be a difficult read.
What I liked about the book is its deep analysis of Faith. Heinlein first looks at the cult of the Fosterites. A cult where everyone is happy, and everyone thinks as a one happy unit. (I would like to go deeper into describing the Fosterites, but I am afraid that this would lead you down a rabbit hole and would maybe bore you deeply.)
Then he looks at how Michael Valentine Smith twists the Abrahamic religions to make a cult that combines elements of Confucius, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, and Judaism. The religion is based on the wisdom of the old ones . The perfect wisdom of the elders is not to be disputed at all. The cult members become entwined by a sharing of water together. They see each other as all Gods. Thou art god and so are my Guinea pigs and Lovebird.
The religion replaces God and put man in God’s place, this allows man to worship created things.Because man is now God like, the divine things are the things that connect man in deeper communication. Sex is seen as sharing deeper with many people. The communal orgasm is sacred, a great religious experience. Cannibalism is the holiest way to die for it is taking the spirit of the other deeply into the body of the collective .
When God’s proper place, to be above all, is replaced all is left in Chaos. A chaos I imagine to be like the ending of the Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. This chaos is a place of no form. "The snake eating its owntail, makes a circle, alpha and omega, a process, a spin." (Krysia Jopek pg 4)*
* Abraham walked from land to land doing at first what God had told Abraham to do. But was Abraham perfect in his obedience? Nope! This is shown in Genesis 20 where the basic story line is: (The Beginning) Abraham a stranger in a strange land, walks into the kingdom of the Philistines and the household of Abimelech.
(The Middle) Abraham begins to doubt and creates a schema apart from God that will have him tell Sarah, pretend that you are my sister, and that way they won't kill me for having such a beaudacious wife." Abilimich* takes Sarah into his household.
(The End) God intercedes in a dream and tells Abimilich that Sarah is actually Abraham's husband. God also tells Abimilich that peace will only come if he asks Abraham to petition God in prayer, on his behalf. HE also tells Abimilich that Sarah is to be returned to Abraham immediately. The household is restored and the Good Old Philistine Times continue.
Strange story and what is God actually telling his people here? The first thing that was clear to me is that Abraham is a priest, and a prophet. The second thing that is clear to me is that Abraham even though a holy man, the father of the faithful, is not perfect in his walk with God. However, an imperfect priest should not be "condemed as a hypocrite who fall into sin, if they do not continue in it." (Matthew Henry)** As long as the priest is moved to repentance he can petition God on the behalf of others.
Abraham sin was walking in doubt of God, and taking manners into his own hands.*** God had promised in Genesis 15:15 "As for yourself, you shall live go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age." Yet, Abraham doubted. Yet, Abraham created a schema, here's the story we will play, and this is our roles. Yet, Abraham put his family in danger because he did not pray for God to tell him how to remain calm as a stranger in a troubled land.
Man has a need for spiritual restoration. This need leave us requiring a greater perfected pastor, rabbi, priest, who can truly petition God on the naturally sinful man's behalf. This perfect redeemer is Jesus Christ. Thanks be to the LORD's mighty plan to restore his kingdom into a state of shalom.
*(The name means-the (divine) king is my father).
**Henry, Matthew Commentary on the Whole Bible (Nashville Tennessee: Thomas Nelson inc, 1997).
***(I am sure there are other sins to mention, but for this discussion lets keep it simple.). Questions:
Does the goal justify the means?
What is Abraham's idea of God?
Why do we feel it necessary to self justify when we don't see the answers before us, especially in matters of faith?
I need to check my assumptions and fears. I recognized this on a recent flight back from San Francisco.
I sat next to a Woman who was veiled (western style). My fears all of a sudden streamed up. A psychologist may say that I suffer from "Xenophobia!" I would say I suffer from too much information on how others mistreat the west and how all of our lives are at jeopardy every single day.
The tension become higher when she left her back pack under her chair, and moved up to be with her manager. The tick tock tick tock of the imaginary bomb, locked inside her back pack frightened me.
"Oh my God I am going to Die!"
I told myself, "Be Brave!"
Paranoia started sending alarms to do something about the matter.
"Oh my God I am going to Die!"
But I did not want to invade her privacy, so I just sat there and prayed.
"Lord please protect me from the evil of the world."
My wife Jessica laughs at the story and thinks my fears are based on an active imagination and a saturation of alarming news coverage. It also did not help that the security at the airport was on high alert. Also flying in a tin can is never an "Awe Shucks, lets lay back in my hammock as the world goes by." An airplane defies the laws of tradition, and proclaims that a big thing, bigger than any bird, can spread iron wings and fly in the air.
There was s just too much stimuli to ignore things properly.
I may have acted differently if the passenger was reading a bible and wore Western dress. The incorporated westerner is not any more tame than a Muslim, we all have the potential to do our brothers and sisters harm. Just because it looks like a good, non poisonous thing does not necessarily mean that it is non poisonous. We however must look at our degrees of hatred that lie inside of our hearts and put them to the light of truth. Only in the light do fears go away, and we grow in Christ. By the way of course it was my imagination and nothing happened on my flight... but "Oh my God I am going to Die!" fear seemed real at least for five minutes.
I settled down and continued reading my book "Stranger in a Strange Land".
The gospel is a hard nut to crack into exact, precise words. The gospel is understood best by continually reading Romans 1:1-21 [for about seven times during a week of intense study], but by the end of that time you would probably be exhausted and not be able to come up with a precise definition of the gospel. The gospel is the pivot point of Christianity.
But to begin our picture lets paint a story;
Once upon a time, and still to this day man (lets call him Adam) was sinful. Adam worked as a mechanic in a sinful machine. Each machine part was tainted with sinful dust, which added more and more dust, and made piles of dust each and every day (365 24/7).
No matter how hard Adam tried to get rid of the dust, the dust was always there.
God had kept an eye on the machinery of man and was not pleased with the continual accumulation of dusty particles. God will call him El, knew that the only solution was to help man with the dust problem. El knew he was the only hope for man. So the lone gun man El, sent his Logos-Son-Jesus into the factory. Jesus turned over the factory and busted the machinery into tiny pieces. The machinery would no longer be able to produce the sinful dust that had so plagued man.
Man was/is stubborn and it took time for man to see the awesome power of Monkey wrenching Jesus.
Some men even went and started building more machines.
So Jesus proclaimed, if you join that crew you can not be part of my kingdom. Jesus came to adopt man into a kingdom absent of dusty machines.
{The Beginning}
I know that there are flaws in my story, so write me and discuss where you may have a problem with this explanation:
On a grey planet, of a little no named star, lost in a galaxy tucked away, in some dusty corner of a universe; lived a bushwhacker. The bushwhacker desired not to be a hermit. He dreamed of one day having people join him on his journey. But the man knew that sometimes all you have is Christ and tiny footsteps. He yelled into space in hopes of hearing an echo.
Morality According to God: A graphic representation of chapter 2 He Is There and He is Not Silent by
Francis A Schaeffer
Abstract
Particular
Impersonal
Dada: Nothingness Defines the World. Anarchy
Dictatorship: The Dictator decides what is best for the people. Hobbesian Politics: One man over the population.
Personal
Socialism: Greatest Good decides what is best for the people.
Judeo-Christian World View morality is personal and particularly prescribed by a loving God, told to man in the entire Christian Cannon (AKA the bible)
Man was created by God in his own image, in his own image God created man, but because we rebelled we became abnormally bad and become more sinful as time progressed. Till the day we awaited a cure that could only be found in Christ. If the cure is not Christ than all is lost and we might as well call ourselves mad men bent towards anarchy.
Sep 30, 2010
The light rail stopped at the Denver Auraria Higher Education Center. The students were pushed this way and that at the light rail, we were all expecting to be taken on home to a place without hurts.
Our hopes were high, but these hopes have been pushed this way and that. People have lost faith in a turning around and stand still watching the sand granules slowly slip through the hourglass. Americans are beginning to feel discouraged.
Harold Myra published the bookThe One Year Book of Encouragement, in order to provide a life line from the traumatic state in the United States today. Myra sees that Christians need “refreshment …in the deep authentic rivers of our Christian Heritage.”(v) He sees the insight of our Christian Heritage as authentic because the truth from these authors was “hammered out on the anvil of life’s realities.”(v)
The book succeeds in providing encouraging and challenging thoughts for people amidst the tension of today’s economic recession. The author includes scripture verses that encourage the reader to look deeper into the word of God. Also the author models a prayer each day that will encourage your prayer life.
This book is a keeper and a definite cluck.
Personally, I look forward to starting my day each day by reading an encouraging word from this book.
Sometimes I get so teed off, that I want to put
on a head band and be a Ninja?! I would sneak
into your bed - room and
read all of your dirty magazines!
Only an Expert a Classic Worship Song
Read the Lyrics for some insight into the world today...
Now only an expert can deal with the problem
Cause half the problem is seeing the problem.
Only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem.
So if there is no expert dealing with the problem
It's really actually twice the problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem.
In America we like solutions. We like solutions to problems.
And there are so many companies that offer solutions
Companies with names like: The Pet Solution, The Hair Solution
The Debt Solution, The World Solution, The Sushi Solution.
Companies with experts ready to solve these problems.
Cause only an expert can see there's a problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem
Let's say you're invited to be on Oprah and you don't have a problem
But you want to go on the show and so you need a problem
And so you invent a problem. But if you're not an expert in problems
You're probably not going to make up a very plausible problem
And so you're probably going to get nailed
You're going to get exposed
And you're going to have to bow down and apologize
And be for the public's forgiveness.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
And on these shows, these shows that try to solve your problems
The big question is always: How can I get control? How can I take control?
But don't forget this is a question for the regular viewer
The person who's barely getting by, the person who's watching shows
About people with problems, the person who is one of the sixty percent
Of the U.S. population 1.3 weeks away, 1.3 paychecks away, from a shelter.
In other words a person with problems.
So when experts say let's get to the root of the problem
Let's take control of the problem cause if you take control of the problem
You can solve the problem
Often this doesn't work at aII because the situation is
Completely out of control.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
Now sometimes experts lend you money
And sometimes they lend you lots of money
And sometimes when the subprime mortgages collapse
And banks close and businesses fail
And the crisis spreads around the world–
Sometimes other experts say: Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
Just because aII the markets crashed
Doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing.
And other experts say: Just because aII your friends were fired
And your family's broke and we didn't see it coming
Doesn't mean that we were wrong.
And just because you lost your job and your house
And all your savings doesn't mean you don't have to pay for the bailouts
For the traders and thd bankers and the speculators.
Clause only an expert can design a bailout
And only an expert can expect a bailout
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
Only an expert. Only an expert. Only an expert.
Only an expert. Only an expert. Only an expert.
And sometimes when it's really really really really hot and it's July in January
And there's no more snow and huge waves are wiping out cities
And hurricanes are everywhere and everyone knows it's a problem–
But if some of the experts say it's no problem
And if other experts claim it's no problem or explain why it's no problem
Then it's simply not a problem.
But when an expert says it's a problem and makes a movie about the problem
And wins an Oscar about the problem
And gets the Nobel Prize about the problem
Then all the other experts have to agree it is most likely a problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
Even though a country can invade another country
And flatten it and ruin it and create havoc and civil war in that other country
If the experts say it isn't a problem and everyone agrees they're experts
And good at seeing problems then invading those countries
Is simply not a problem.
And if a country tortures people and holds citizens without cause
Or trial and sets up military tribunals this is also not a problem
Unless there's an expert who sap: This is the beginning of a problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem.
Cause only an expert can see there's a problem
And seeing the problem is half the problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem.
Only an expert can deal with the problem.
Do the Russians love their children too? Is the United States the only country dealing with new issues of relevancy in the 21st century? 12 is a completely new, original work based on 12 Angry Men (by Sidney Lumet. The movie examines the rare truth, in an post-modern age where anything is true as long as you think it is.
The movie asks: How can we trust each other when are pasts have colored so much of our present? What biases do we look through in order to see the OTHER? We must seek to make clear the centrality of God's wisdom in our daily lives, this movie shows why!
"A Man is never more honest when he acknowledges himself a lier!" Mark Twain. We view others often in a dishonest light. The above maps illustrated by Alphadesigner, illustrate the truth of what makes us look at others with a dishonest xenophobic spin.
I pray that we look at each other; truly look at each other, by first looking at our misconceptions, and then coming to each other in honest repentance. Maybe then we can pray for reconciliation.
1.1 God's mandate was for man to be true stewards of Eden, working in it, judging it, caring for it, and doing the role of Stewards (to work it and keep it) Genesis 2:15 in the image of God.
1.2 This all changed the day Eve decided; yummy fruit, lets eat this apple. Genesis 3:1-7
1.3 We are now cursed and the land screams out like the heart in a tale by Edgar Allen Poe. Now the world is full of lusts and desires. Genesis 3:8-24
2.1 God asked Noah to fill the earth and be fruitful. He carried with him in the arc 7 sets of all animals. 7 is a heavenly perfect number.*
2.2 Noah had Ham Shem and Japheth who represent the archetypes of man in the world: Genesis 7:1-3
2.3Ham(Canaanites) represents sin in the world.
2.4Shem(Semitic People) represents the people who are chosen by God and are redeemed in his over all plan.
2.5 Japheth-represents the people who live between being saved in Gods house (bethel) and ruin (Ai). They will be enlarged and will live in the tents of Shem and make Ham their servants. (Genesis 9:27)
3.1 God's mandate is to get back to the original mandate; where man once again can rightfully steward the earth and be part of the spreading of heaven, from a centralized point outward into the world; spreading Bethel** across the globe.
3.2 In order to get back to the original plan he needs a remnant. The remnant will be the New Adams who will now be able to steward what God creates anew in Jesus Christ. And will steward his plan with righteousness for they will be in perfect communion with God. This was what God had intended the first time, with Adam. (2 Peter 2:4-10)
Was Lot Righteous? Yes, according to God's word he was:
2 Peter 2:14
5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—
9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.[c]
*(Maybe that's why John Elway was so good, his number seven made him a complete heavenly type quarterback, NAH that's blasphemy).
** Bethel means temple house of God.
Was Lot Righteous? Yes, according to God's word he was:
2 Peter 2:14
5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—
9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.[c]
There have always been social critics of American Culture. We need to remember our past in order to remind ourselves that we have been here before. Currently I am reading The Ten Cent Plague by David Hajou, where he shows that our nation cracked down on comics in the 1900-1940's because they believed them to be a danger to kids. I do not believe that mass media is the sole work of the devil. But it is neat to see what others have viewed as the devils work:
"Are we parents criminally negligent of our children, or is it that we have not put our minds on the subject of continuing to allow them to be injured by the inane and vulgar "comic" supplement of the Sunday Newspaper?" Ladies Home Journal "A Crime Against American Children" January 1909.
I was staying at the Marriott With Jesus and John Wayne I was waiting for a chariot They were waiting for a train The sky was full of carrion "I'll take the mazuma" Said Jesus to Marion "That's the 3:10 to Yuma My ride's here..." The Houston sky was changeless We galloped through bluebonnets I was wrestling with an angel You were working on a sonnet You said, "I believe the seraphim Will gather up my pinto And carry us away, Jim Across the San Jacinto My ride's here..." Shelley and Keats were out in the street And even Lord Byron was leaving for Greece While back at the Hilton, last but not least Milton was holding his sides Saying, "You bravos had better be ready to fight Or we'll never get out of East Texas tonight The trail is long and the river is wide And my ride's here" I was staying at the Westin I was playing to a draw When in walked Charlton Heston With the Tablets of the Law He said, "It's still the Greatest Story" I said, "Man, I'd like to stay But I'm bound for glory I'm on my way My ride's here..."
