Men Beating Drums

This May Anger Y'all!!!! .... But I don't care as long as you think
on God's words Mt 5:21-26

I think it is time that we bury the hatchet on our phobias.   We need to know what is right and what is wrong! But when people turn to Christ they must feel the warmth of home from its believers.  I felt this hatred when I was crossing the street one day, I was age ten, and I waved at a girl, the girl said; "I can't talk to you for you and your kind are Christ Killers."   Now, looking back, I want to hug that little girl and tell her sorry that you feel that way; then I would tell her:  "I can assure you that it was God's plan to kill his only son, and that this plan was done because of all of our sins, and the fact that all of our sins were so grievous that we could not correct our own actions.  He loved us so much that he sent his only son to us as a gift of redemption."  

I ask that you watch this clip with open eyes, and child like minds. I know it is hard for me a heterosexual to look at two men kissing. I know it is hard to look at Jesus portrayed as a homosexual! I know it is hard to face your fearful pride! I know we must hold onto our principles, but don't let the principles harden the heart and we fail to love our brothers (homosexual or heterosexual). We must point like men on a hill to the love and righteousness found in Christs forgiveness for all sins.

We can not point when we are yelling at our brother for their behavior.   The child will ask, "Momy and Dad why are these people hated?" Don't bar the child from the love of Christ!


John Fuller vice president of Focus on the Family's Audio and New Media devision said.

All of us – including those with special needs, the elderly, the orphan, the preborn – have inherent worth because we are uniquely created by God for a purpose. Once we recognize this simple truth, we are inspired to offer a kind word and an understanding heart to those society considers outcasts. Once we see the dignity in each and every individual, we become willing to disrupt our “model” lives and embrace the beautiful mess of investing in others.

Listen to a sermon on 5:21-26 from Christ Church Berkley.

The God Who Is There: On Biblical Truth

Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet should read The God That Is There again, especially pages 177 and page 179.  To save them a trip to their book shelf, or library, or bookstore,  let me quote the book for them.   I hope they will rewrite the Jesus Manifesto, to reflect the true inspiration of God.  The truth is more important than a false unity.
"The scriptures are important, not because they are printed in a certain way nor bound in a certain kind of leather, nor because they have helped many people.   This is not the basic reason for the Scriptures being overwhelming important.  The bible, the historic Creeds and orthodoxy are important because God is there, and finally, that is the only reason they have their importance."177

Biblical truth and spirituality is not a relationship to the word god, or to the idea God.  It is a relationship to the One who is there.179

Schaffer, Francis A The God That is There (Chicago: Inter Varsity Press, 1968), 177 and 179.

 I recommend the following book to guard yourself against the rise of heretics in the postmodern age:"The Three Essential Books In One Volume:  Francis A Schaffer Trilogy."  

1079 – 1142 Abelard and Heloise

Amongst the Gold tinted columns and dew stained yellow wallpaper, Abelard was kindled by the tickling sensation of lusty sentiments. Cherubs sat naked on top of a fountain, and a young lady sat properly as she continually played with her hair. She attempted to show no interest to Abelard. But there was more kissing than teaching. Abelard was distracted by Heloise's beautiful breasts. He found his hands betraying him. The servants talked. The rich uncle found out. Heloise was sent to a nunnery. The furious uncle hired thugs to castrate Abelard. The flames of romance inspired to make these lovers classic.


Eloisa to Abelard a poem written by Alexander Pope captured Heloise Romantic thoughts:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd ... ^[3]

He thought on God's role of spiritual healing as he gazed at the light blue sky; Aquinas thought he had set the celestial bodies into a grand alignment. Would the Orchestration become a tune worth dancing to? Or would the notes get in the way?

1265-1274 Summa Thologica, Thomas Aquinas

Aquinas walked in the garden amongst the seven Sacramental Oaks: Baptism, Confirmation, the LORD's Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, Marriage and Ordination.

The tallest tree was the LORD's supper. The tree once a week changed miraculously into the actual body and blood Christ (transubstantiation). Neighbors often thought they had been slipped a pill when they saw Jesus walking in the garden.

1198-1216 Cooking Up Legalism (Pope Innocent III)

See, I have set you this day k over nations and over kingdoms,
t to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.

Jeremiah 1:10

The aliens watched.

The students sat on dry straw, drooling. They drooled, and drooled. Teachers lead them to think that Christ was 1+1+1=3. They had their Harmony of Discordant Canon and Cannon Law memorized. They held onto the legal understanding firmly. Their hearts were quickly deadened, because God is not a number on a box score.

And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that.
Lord Acton

Within the temporary tent the teachers solidified the Christian system by reading :

"God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
"Look! I've just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I've done? I've given you a job to do
among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
building and planting." Jeremiah 1:10 (The Message)

Interlude: Rob Bell Interviews Shane Hipps

Interlude: It's About Him!

Our LORD is a Mighty LORD he REIGNS....from Heaven Above he reigns... he is what it is all about! In him we are assured. In him we find living water; outside of him is the blood in the Nile. In him Joy! In him pain but a pain that rewards in the end because in humility we will be shaped into men ready to drink from the living fountain. I am ready to march around the temple with my trumpet in hand. Knock and he will answer! Be ever ready for the new earth to be revealed in time... he sees and he knows... Amen!

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!!!

Enjoy the Video

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Interlude: Christianity Today?

Found these funny videos on IMONK (Michael Spencer's Blog) and thought y'all would like them... very funny stuff and very ummm so thought provoking:

POV: Quran on Christians

Quran on Christians: 4:167 Lo! those who disbelieve and hinder (others) from the way of Allah, they verily have wandered far astray.
4:168 Lo! those who disbelieve and deal in wrong, Allah will never forgive them, neither will He guide them unto a road,
4:169 Except the road of hell, wherein they will abide for ever. And that is ever easy for Allah. 4:171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender. 4:172 The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favoured angels. Whoso scorneth His service and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him; 4:173 Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He pay their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud, them will He punish with a painful doom. And they will not find for them, against Allah, any protecting friend or helper.

Dayyenu

How many acts of kindness God has performed for us!

Had he taken us out of Mitzrayim without carrying
out judgment against the Egyptians- Dayyenu.

Had he carried out judgments against the Egyptians
without vanquishing their gods-Dayyenu.

Had He vanquished their gods
without dividing the sea for us - Dayyenu.

Had he divided the sea for us,
without leading us across on Dry land- Dayyenu.

Had He led us across on dry land without taking care
of for forty years in the desert - Dayyenu.

Had He taken care of us for forty years in the desert
without feeding us manna- Dayyenu.

Had He fed us manna without giving us
Shabbat- Dayyenu.

Had He brought us to Mount Sinai without giving us the
Torah-Dayyenu.

Had he given us the Torah without leading us
to the Land of Israel- Dayyenu.

Had He led us to the Land of Israel without
building the temple for us- Dayyenu.

How manifold and miraculous are the great deeds that our God has performed us, from taking us of Mitzrayim to building the temple.




עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְריִם. וַיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשָּׁם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה,
וְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת–אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, הֲרֵי אָנוּ וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנֵי
בָנֵינוּ, מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם. וַאֲפִילוּ כֻּלָּנוּ חֲכָמִים, כֻּלָּנוּ נְבוֹנִים, כֻּלָּנוּ
זְקֵנִים, כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים אֶת–הַתּוֹרָה, מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה
לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח:
Avadim hayyinu l’far’oh b’mitzrayim, v’yotzi-ehnu Adonai Eloheynu mi-sham b’yad khazakah
u’vizro’a n’tuyah, v'ilu lo hotzi ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu et-avoteinu mi-Mitzrayim, harei anu uvaneinu
u'vnei vaneinu, m'shuabadim hayyinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim. V'afilu kulanu
chachamim, kulanu k'vonim, kulanu z'keinim, kulanu yod'im et-ha-Torah, mitzvah aleinu
l'saper b'y'tziat Mitzrayim. V'chol hamarbeh l'saper bitziyat Mitzrayim, harei zeh m'shubach.

(Sad Truths)...

I am sure others want to play the part of God, starring themselves. Once up then down, up and down.
The Pope felt he needed to guard the church. His focus was on outward forms, but gave no consideration to a god that is greater than boundaries.(Three O's)

Repenting: My Need to be God.

Whom is the Greatest?

Matthew 18

Whoever Becomes Simple Again

¹ At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

^2-5For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.(The Message)

Galations 4:20-31

"Hey I did this so I am the Good A+ Student." The Law Creates "Good Students" who can regurgitate and make an A, but once the final is over they have not stored the learning to their undeveloped heart. There is a Problem: Exam Time is not at one place, or one time, it is 365/24/7.

Interlude: Repentence!

"With what troops of diseases are we beset on every side." Matthew Henry on Leviticus 13

As a kid I was convinced that if I dug long enough I could get to Shanghai China.
I would get there and then pop up on a busy street in an audible orient.

As I scratched at the ground bugs would run away. The bug universe is similar to the sins that abound in my heart. The more I repent, the more I find things that lay hidden in my human knowledge learned over time. Knowledge created ate at my heart; eventually killing my child like wonder, rotting my mind as if it was a worm inside an apple. Sin would lead me to a life like a rotten core to be thrown into the garbage can.

Repentance kills this process of degradation, and all I am left with is a harmony with Christ Jesus.

The Message: Psalm 24:7-11

⁷ Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
King-Glory is ready to enter.

⁸ Who is this King-Glory?
God, armed
and battle-ready.

⁹ Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
King-Glory is ready to enter.

¹⁰ Who is this King-Glory?
God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
he is King-Glory.

717-741 East v. West: Icons

The Master told me, "Go, post a lookout.
Have him report whatever he spots.
When he sees horses and wagons in battle formation,
lines of donkeys and columns of camels,
Tell him to keep his ear to the ground,
note every whisper, every rumor."
Just then, the lookout shouted,
"I'm at my post, Master,
Sticking to my post day after day
and all through the night!
I watched them come,
the horses and wagons in battle formation.
I heard them call out the war news in headlines:
'Babylon fallen! Fallen!
And all its precious god-idols
smashed to pieces on the ground.'"

(The Message Isaiah 21:9)

The Iconoclasts headed by Emperor Leo III (717-741) hard lined against Icons(Icons are artistic representation of Christ). Christ could only be represented in the Cross, and the Lord's Supper. He whitewashed common elements from representing Christianity. He did not agree with Plato's Allegory of the Cave: "a copy is a reminder of the original."

Genesis 1:26-28 Matthew Henry

"Let us make men." Man when he was made was to glory the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Into that great name were are baptized, for to that great name we ow our being. It is the soul of man that especially bears God's image... His understanding (before the fall) saw Divine things clearly and truly; there was no errors or mistakes in his knowledge; his will consented at once, and in all things, to the will of God. His affections were all regular, and he had no bad appetite or passions. His thoughts were easily brought and fixed to the best subjects. Thus holy, thus happy, were our first parents in having the image of God upon them. But how is this image of God upon man defaced! May the LORD renew it upon our souls by grace! (Henry 2)

Questions for Discussion: (Answer all or the ones that strike you most).

1. Can Art represent the Gospel? (Why or why not?)

2. What type of Art represents the Gospel best?

3. Should movies be used to tell of the Gospel?

4. If we want to reach unbelievers should we show movies with moral points and not say the name Christ?

Augustine and the City of God I.1

Augustine and the City of God (II)

Chapter One of Augustine's City of God

"To their very threshold the blood-thirsty enemy raged; there his murderous fury owned a limit." (Augustine I:5) The limit to the murkiness and the deep darkness is the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. But once we are saved we go back again, "Yet now, in ungrateful pride and most impious madness, and at the risk of being punished in everlasting darkness, they perversely oppose that name under which they fraudulently protected themselves for the sake of enjoying the light of this brief life." (I:13)