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OCCUPY
They are occupying Wall Street,
But I wonder, do they have a job on Main Street?
They are against the Corporate profit,
But how many Corporate patents do they use?
When they twitter, and black berry, and whine without end?
And how unrighteous is that Starbucks 5 dollar coffee cup?
They are calling for fairness, but not ambition.
The condemn the rich, but they excuse the lazy poor.
They say we should not have bailed out the banks.
But who, OH, Who was it that signed the trillion dollar check?
Was it Democrat, and Obama, and Biden and friends?
And now they set the stage to do it again.
Its too bad they do not occupy diligence,
Diligence is never hungry or broke.
Had they occupied wisdom
The right thing would have been done.
The only place they have occupied, is the seat of the fool
The scornful, the lazy slothful, all in the name of fairness.
They really only want to suckle, as a suckling baby pig,
On the wonderful government teat.
They care not the burden they have heaped on this land.
They only want to suckle and suckle is where they stand.
The debt is now 47 grand for every woman child and man.
15 trillion, but onward the little piglets go.
Over the years that our family has lived in Iowa, we have quite naturally met many people who grew up on farms. Since my early years were spent in the suburbs of Buffalo NY, Boston MA and Cleveland OH, the stories and experiences that these friends had were far different than mine. I have found these stories to be interesting , entertaining and educational.
One structure that farms have in common is a barn. There are a lot of different barn designs and buildings. Depending upon the type of farm, the barns may have different purposes. A barn for hay storage is different than a barn for milking the cows. One feature that they seem to have in common though are cats. Barn cats can be really helpful in keeping the rodent populations down. Apparently these cats can have a tendency to reproduce and also to get underfoot and in the way when things are going on in the barn.
One friend in particular told us what their family did when they needed to have the barn cats out of their way. They would catch the cats, put butter on their paws and put them in an out-of-the-way corner of the barn. The cats would be so focused on licking their paws to get all the butter off that they would stay put and pay no attention to what else may be going on.
That is quite a picture of course and it made me think of how God’s adversary works. (Yes, there is an adversary and sadly most Christians seem to be ignorant of his devices and therefore vulnerable to him). This adversary has two desires: to be like the Most High and secondly, to hinder the purposes of the True God. One way that this adversary will hinder the purposes of the True God is to distract God’s children from God’s Will and Purpose for their lives. It seems that there is no end to the variety of the distractions! Work, sports, television, the computer, religious activities (gasp) can all be “butter on the paws”. Obviously that list is not exhaustive.
If it seems that you never have time to quietly and privately commune with God – you may have butter on your paws.
If you are always too tired to stay your mind and meditate upon God’s Word – you may have butter on your paws.
If it is never convenient to fellowship and worship with likeminded believers – you may have butter on your paws.
If you are too busy to pray with and be of service to a brother or sister in Christ – you may have butter on your paws.
If you are never able to find a way to share out of your abundance – you may have butter on your paws.
There is nothing more satisfying in life than to live in harmony with our Heavenly Father and in alignment with His purpose for our lives.
A....Is for All that he made us to be, in Christ
Also for everything(All) that he has doe for us
And for All that he will do for us
B.... is for our Being in Christ
and Bringing us the victory. Before I go on, let me add he made us the Best
Did I forget spiritual Blessings, and the right way to believe
C... is our Completley, complete, completeness
In Adam we got in-Complete, but in Christ a new Creation, what Comfort!
D... is for God's Dedication, Determining long ago to be our Dad (it's Abba Dad)
When Christ Died, we Died. sin has no more Dominion
We make a Decision to Do that which is pleasing
E.. is for the Excellent gift, with the Exceeding greatness.... in an Earthen vessel
His Ever-present power, His Ever-present help
That His love Envelopes us, that we can Edify ourselves and others too.
F... is for when he said it is Finished... I ascend to my Father, and to your Father
That we have the First-Fruits of the spirit
That we are For one another
G ... is for the God and Fahter of our Lord Jesus Christ
And He Gave some.... not to mention the unspeakable Gift
Knowing we are epistles enGraven on the hearts..........
H.... is for Holiness for without His spirit is not possible
For Helpmeets, those that are married know what I mean
For Holding fast to the gospel, for Holding on to one another, for Holding on
I... is for inspiration, those wonderful worship manifestations
To hear from God, For "I" can do
For I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
J... is for Joy and reJoicing. We count it all Joy, and reJoice in Christ Jesus
Having no confidence in the flesh.
And for our Lord Jesus Christ, who for the Joy that was set before him.....
K... is for Comfort, remember its not by works, and for caring too
The Cloven tongues like as of fire
The same spirit that burned in their heart(Kardia) burns in ours too
L... is for Love, but we must go back to A and get the L out of the human kind and walk with the AGAPE, God like kind
Don't ever be a tinkling cymbal, for we are not litigaters, not Legalistic
But Loving Ambassadors
M... is for Memory, how in the same night he was betrayed, he took Bread and wine....
Keep in Mind, the hope is coming our way,
And the Manifestations, Measured to every Man the same
N... is for Not even once let it be Named among us as becomes the saints
Nay, in all these things, we are more than Conquerors, and Knowing this first....
O... is for the battle is Over, we Won, because we are One
We are Over-all Gods, best treasured sons
Our victory Over all things in Christ
P... is for Patiently waitng the coming day Patiently knowing the Lord is at hand
patientlY Praying, Practicing the Presensce of God
Pushing towards the Prize of the High calling in Chrsit
Q... We are quiet because of patience and studyt
We are quiet and peaceful because Christ is in us
R... is the Realization of Christ in you He ReallY seated us in the heavenlies too.
Ambassadors of His Sacred will as Righteous ones, Redeeming all who will hear.
With the Word of Reconciliation, my dears
S... is for spirit insides filled to the full, Splashing all over when manifested bold
His Signs and wonders for all men to behold,
Spectacular, Awe-inSpiring like in the times of old.
T... is the Totality of the new birth, the Truth always sure
And we are part of his great Testimonies
U... our aUnity with God, always our aim, never congforming, but transfoming the brain
And never unequally yoked as we go along the way
V ... is the victory which God always casuses us to triumph in
W... The Word of God, Which makes up his Will.
We Will never Want, Where WE are ever sure
We Win, When We Work his Word.
His Word Works our Win
X... is for X marks the spot, Revelation says Armegeddon is where it will be.
Y... is for Why sit we here until we die. rise up and claim what the word says we have today
Z is for Z-end I Corinthians 15:28
AND WHEN ALL THINGS SHALL BE SUBDUED UNTO HIM, THEN SHALL THE SON ALSO HIMSELF BE SUBJECT UNTO HIM THAT PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIM, THAT GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL
My hubby's son, Mark Luebbers is in Manhattan and needs a place to stay for Sept 12, 13, & 14th - he is doing a photo shoot and will be working 7am till late, so just needs a couch or bed to get a few hours shut eye. Can anyone help us out?
Our family moved to Marion, our current hometown, in 1987. The first home that we lived in had a spacious backyard. The back border of our yard was a small creek and just beyond that were farm fields. Depending upon the year, the field was planted in either corn or soybeans which are the two major crops in our state. We always enjoyed watching these fields get worked, especially in the fall when the combine would harvest the crop. Living in Iowa has afforded us a close up view of sowing and reaping and I would like to share some observations that I have made about this. These observations are certainly not unique nor are they exhaustive.
You reap what you sow. This is kind of obvious; you sow corn and you will reap corn. You sow beans and you will reap beans. It goes all the way back to the opening chapters of Genesis with everything “after its kind”. The expanded applications are many. If you want to be loved, be loving. If you want to be understood, be understanding. If you want to be forgiven, be forgiving. Obvious I know – but sometimes I benefit greatly by reminding myself of the obvious.
You do not reap what you sow, you reap much more. One kernel of seed corn produces and ear of corn with hundreds of kernels. One soybean seed produces a plant with pods of beans. One seed will replace itself with seed for the next cycle and a crop for the sower...”seed to the sower and bread to the eater”. (Isaiah 55:10). If you need a big harvest, make sure you sow accordingly.
Timing is important. There is a “time to sow and a time to reap”. Sow the seed too early and you run the risk of a frost when the plants are young and tender. Sow the seed too late and the crop may not have time to properly mature. Try to harvest too early and the crop is not ready. Procrastinate on reaping and the winter snows may come before the crops are in. When you think of someone you love, sow that seed and tell them. Do it now when the time is right (after all you thought about them for a reason!) If you are thankful for someone let them know. Do it now, right when you are thinking about it.
It (sowing and reaping) doesn’t always work. Sometimes the farmer gets his seed in the ground, the plants start to come up but storms cause the creek to overflow and field gets flooded and the crops do not survive. Sometimes the rains do not come at all and the crops do not survive. A summer storm brings hail that shreds the half-grown plants. High winds in the late summer knock the nearly mature crops flat. I have seen all that and more. It happens because there is a “thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy”. Farmers take steps to protect themselves from all the perils I mentioned. Believers can’t go through life successfully by ignoring the thief. He must be dealt with.
Yes, living in Iowa has afforded us the chance to observe sowing and reaping in action for years. As I wrote earlier, these observations are not unique or exhaustive – but perhaps they will give you something to consider.
In all of it's E-Book glory, my very first published novel...The Calling of Mike Malone is now available through MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, the Book Strand, Banes and Noble (e-books)...and a list of other places.
I gotta admit, I REALLY like the cover....
Pray that it does very well so I can buy us an island and we can all go drink coconut juice for while! Now THAT would be a story! Lol!
TROUBLED SOUL
I sit in church all of my life
So do my kids and so does my wife
From lofty pulpits we hear them preach
But we never learn, ‘cause they never teach
There’s got to be something more to know
Seems lots of folks just go for the show
But I’m hungry for answers in my life
So are my kids and so is my wife
I cry out in anguish because of my fears
It gets so bad that I’m driven to tears
Is there really a God out there?
One who loves – does He care?
Where are the answers we so want?
We’re almost ready to embark on a hunt
We say our prayers and hope for the best
But our souls are stirred; we get little rest
We’re not willing to bounce around
Going to every church in town
Do you know someone who could help us out
Who knows what God is all about?
People have great need in their lives
So do their kids and so do their wives
When a believer speaks Christ’s redemption
Folks would come to know God’s intention
A loving believer to hold forth God’s Word
Teaching eternal life is assured
How better to help this man in this life?
How ‘bout his kids? How ‘bout his wife?
When they speak in tongues, they will know
Their believing wasn’t just a show
They will know they are born again,
Cleansed within of all sin.
Jerry W. Corrodi
I have to admit I am a little surprised at where we have arrived. When we started down this path, it was without a lot of thought about where it might lead. It seemed like a good path though and we had the time to walk for a while. There were some turns in the path, so when we started we couldn’t see too far along. But start we did and as I said, I’m a little surprised and certainly pleased with where we have gone so far.
That paragraph could probably be applied to a lot of things, but for me it describes the little endeavor that Lisa and I call the Song of the Week. It was almost a year ago that I listened to one of her songs on the computer in my office and commented online that the song blessed me. Two people asked for a copy and I said sure. That was the first step on this path. Now, almost a year later, I am sending out one of her songs to over 200 people each week.
There are people on the list that Lisa and/or I have known for 40 years. (I am not counting my sister even though I have known her longer than that. I sort of think that counting her shouldn’t count. Nothing personal Pat.) There are people on the list that we have never met. The people on the distribution list represent a wide range of Christian groups and there are some that do not affiliate with anyone at all. The people who get these songs come from the complete range of the political spectrum. Not everyone on the list is from the USA. All in all it is pretty cool and we are really blessed to send these songs to each one of you.
For some, it has been surprising to see how many songs Lisa has written and recorded. (I know it kind of surprised us. We still find old songs that had been forgotten.) The Song of the Week has been a nice opportunity to get her songs into a format that people can listen to. The first two albums she did (“Last Night in Galilee” and “Love Never Fails”) were only released on cassette, which is a format that not too many people use anymore. Plus, there are a lot of songs that have never been recorded or released and it has been fun to get started on that.
We’ll be starting the Song of the Week Year 2 pretty soon. Going forward, some of the songs will be repeats from year one. Our supply of recorded songs is not unlimited of course and some people that have only recently started would like to get some of the ones that have already been sent. There will still be some new songs too. There are only 52 weeks in a year and Lisa has a lot more songs than that. We are still getting some of them recorded and I can’t wait until we can share those with you. If you find that you have all of the songs that you want and would like to leave the the distribution list, we won’t take it personally.
Let me say up front that I enjoy living in Iowa. My family and I moved to the state in 1985 and to our present community in 1987. It has been a nice place to live, to raise a family and to have a business. Not being from here originally, I can accept the fact that it is not paradise. Biblically speaking, paradise has a very specific meaning and (as far as I can tell) it does not include large scale hog confinement facilities let alone rendering plants...but I digress. I enjoy living in Iowa.
But...you just knew there was a “but” coming. Every four years we enter “presidential primary season” and you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a politician, pollster or pundit. (Go ahead and say it...”Politicians, pollsters and pundits, oh my!”).
The mania starts in the summer approximately 15 months before the election as we get ready for the Ames Straw Poll and it ends with the Iowa Caucus (aka the “Hawkeye Caucaii”). ..oops I meant to say the “first in the nation Iowa Caucus”. We are pretty proud of being first in the nation and I want to make sure that you all know that we are first in the nation.
The straw poll, as far as I can tell, is mostly effective in telling us who we can pretty much ignore. I must admit that I haven’t taken direction from the straw poll results on this point – haven’t needed to. Over the years I have pretty much ignored them all. But I suppose that having a straw poll helps in this way.
The caucus is another matter of course. In the months leading up to the caucus, we expect to be able to meet and greet the candidates face to face. It is retail politics in full display. In one sense, you have to feel a bit sorry for the candidates. They may make an early morning stop in a small cafe to shake hands and be greeted by a guy in overalls and a seed-cap who wants to discuss farm price subsidies (and do so intelligently I might add). The candidate then turns to another table to find a nice grandmother who is totally up to speed on foreign affairs and especially on the mid-east. All before breakfast! That continues all day.
Finally the night of the caucus arrives. It’s not like voting in a primary which may take a few minutes out of your day. The caucuses are an evening event held usually when it is about 30 degrees below 0 and snowing. This keeps the less than committed (me) from showing up. You can expect to be there for hours, deciding on rules, listening to your neighbors extol the virtues of the favorite candidate, enjoying home-made baked goods, etc. Then, when your candidate has almost no support you get to be lured by the supporters of other candidates to join with them.
We’re just getting started on all of this right now. In the last 24 hours I have had phone calls from 4 candidates (thankfully I have caller ID). About every 10 minutes or so there will be a stream of ads on radio or tv. My plan is to sit it out again this year. Oh, I will vote, but the straw poll, the caucus, meeting the candidates...I am going to pass on all that. Several months from now it will all be over and I will still be enjoying living in Iowa.
Sad News. Joe 'Hansen" Purpura fell asleep on August 7, 2011
May 7, 1967 to August 7, 2011
Joe is the son of the late Ginger Hansen Polizotto who was in the Family Corps. Joe, his sister Suzanne Hansen and Philip were in the mini corps.
I am posting a note from Sue & Philip.
From Sue Belluardo & Philip Polizotto.
Hello Everyone... We are so sorry to be writing these words.... Our beautiful, brother Joe passed away, It is such a loss for our family. His kind soul, happy spirit, and gentle nature brought so much to this world. We will forever miss him and thank all of you for the kindness you have shown. We are so proud of our brother for showing the world his endurance, strength and positive attitude. He will be missed more than words can ever describe. Philip & Sue
I am adding that anyone wishing to send Sue or Philip a note or card can contact them at:
Sue Belluardo, 5 Hampshire Road, Mahwah, N.J. 07430
Philip Polizotto, 19 Dublin Drive, Lutherhill, Maryland 21093
If you know someone who would want to know this information, please let them know.
thank you,
Nancy Schempp
So the authentic advice is, live within your means, except when it's smart to borrow. "Live within your means' is a good suggestion but it has no economic foundation," says Lusardi. "Maybe this advice is what it takes for people to do the right thing. But let's not be judgmental about what people do."
Laura Lusardi is author of the book "Money & Happiness" and blog of the same name.
Wise advice. Regardless of what we were taught (OWE NO MAN ANYTHING!!!, THE BORROWER IS SLAVE TO THE LENDER!!, ETC., ETC.), I have believed for years that there is no adequate "one size fits all" policy concerning debt. Now that I am debt free I can speak from experience on both sides of the issue. I had plenty of debt when I was in a growning stage but it was manageable. For example when I owned multiple rental houses,it was a wise use of leverage to have those mortgages which turned out to be profitable later on. Rent paid the debt even if the houses never escalated in value (which they did). Renters paid off those houses for me, thank you very much. If I was forced to pay cash I would have never been able to expand.
The same could be true of a college student who might borrow so she can get an education that will benefit her down the road. And there are lifes emergencies that come up unexpectedley in which borrowing may be the best course of action at that time.
Generally I believe most consumer debt is not good or necessary. And yes, I believe most people need to live within their income level period. But to make a doctrine out of it and condemn or punish anyone who borrows is shallow thinking. I believe the better course of action is to teach financial responsibility and trust people to make their own decisions and stay out of their business.
Swept away by time
Re-arranged by man
Nations, languages, and customs lost
Until only fragments remain
Of this time before Moses, with God's written refrain.
Did the Most High leave the sons of Noah to their own device?
Or was their a witness on how they were to ascertain their way?
How did so few from the Ark, grow into so many dividing way?
Was Abraham chosen, and the rest of the nations left out?
Or was it because Abraham believed what the rest of the nations refused to receive?
In heavens height, set in constellation light is the standard for redemptions story.
Without voice, nor language spoken, their lines reached unto the ends of the earth
The mavelous thunder of His glory
Adam's fall brought death to all, then is declared the promised seed of the woman, the desire for all nations
For it was in grandest fashion that guided those men to Jerusalem in the day and time and hour
They asked; "where is he that is born king of the Jews?"
For they had seen and heard the marvelous thunder of His glory
I am working on a paper, and I would appreciate any help in the field of the "USE OF NEGATIVES"
Where it says "God killed" or the "LORD afflicted"
any documentation, or reference materials would be great.
One of the great resource centers in all the world, My Corps brothers and sisters. I thank you for your consideratin in this matter and And God bless you richly in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Since we are coming into the season of our Lord’s Passion, I began to think about the records of Jesus on His way to Jerusalem for the last time. As He headed down the Jordan River valley He passed through the town of Jericho. The Jericho highway was the main road from the valley to the city, so this is the most likely place for the entourage to head up to Jerusalem. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell of this final entrance into Jericho and each speaks of blind men in some form that are healed.
Luke is different from the other two in that it records Jesus entering INTO Jericho while the other two gospels talk of Him leaving the town. Let’s have a look at Luke;
Luke 18.35-19.1
As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God. He entered Jericho and was passing through.
Here Jesus is coming into Jericho and a blind man hears about and begs for mercy. Jericho was called the City of Palms, for its oasis-like atmosphere and semi-tropical environment. It was a main destination for the wealthy and many historians believe it was the wealthiest city in the Eastern Roman Empire. Because of this the beggars were relegated to the outskirts of the city, and could not come into the city where the “good’ people were. We see this here as the man cries out as they are entering into the town. Matthew records the record of Jesus as He has already passed through Jericho and is leaving the other side of the town to begin the arduous climb up the Jericho road to Jerusalem.
Matthew 20.29-34 NAS
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened." Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
From the record here, we can see that Jesus was on His way out of town and this time there were two blind men that cried out for mercy. The same scenario happens in that the people try to shush them but they cried out more until Jesus acknowledges them and they both receive their healing. So far in this one trip through Jericho we have seen three miraculous healings in the realm of sight. I would say that this is prophetic in that as He goes to Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus is about to open everyone’s eyes in more ways than anyone can imagine. The prophecy from the beginning of His ministry in Luke 4.18 is coming down the pike. Mark also records the exit from the City of Palms, but here we have one blind man only his name is given, or at first glance looks like his name.
Mark 10.46-52 NAS
Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they *called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
In the famous Rococo Library located at St Gallens, Switzerland, there are over 150,000 manuscripts of antiquity. The library was built by Gallus in the 7th Century and was originally an abbey. Within the library is a document, written in 1600 by a lawyer turned Jesuit from Naples named Bernardino Realino. In this discourse written in legalese, he liberally uses the writings of Cyprianii of Carthage who had written about the life of Jesus in about 248 A.D. It this document he relates the story of the record of the death of Jesus’ earthly father, the story of Zacchaeus and the one in which we are discussing here, Bar-Timaeus.
One can see from the name given here that it is not really a name or surname but a statement of lineage. Bartimaeus or bar-Timaeus means literally the son of Timaeus. Realino states that Tantautius the Arab had written that this healing of bar-Timaeus made quite a stir among the Romans, and that by the time Jesus had reached Jerusalem, the high standing that He had held had diminished greatly due to this event outside of Jericho. Realino tells us that the Tantautius writing states that the blinding of bar-Timaeus took place in 22 A.D. under the direction of the procurator Valerius Gratus. Gratus, an aristocrat, had a residence in Jericho complete with military guards and supplies. The steward of this residence was a man named Timaeus.
Timaeus had a 24 year old son named Infatius, who at the time led a raid on the compound to obtain weapons. He was attempting to become an arms dealer, making money by selling these weapons to warring factions in the Galilee area. It was strictly a business opportunity since his father worked in the compound. He was caught and was convicted of “profiting by sedition.” This was a crime not punishable by since he was Roman citizen, but his seventeen accomplices were crucified on the northern hill that overlooked the city. Only treason was punishable by death to any Roman citizen, which is why in the days of Jesus’ trial the final Pilate asked Him if He was “King of the Jews.”
Instead of crucifixion, Infatius had his eyeballs burned out with a red hot sword blade and was forced to where a red stained tunic to show that he had tried to profit from Caesar and the Roman authorities. He was not allowed to leave the Jericho area not was he allowed in the city ever again. Instead, Infatius bar Timaeus or bar-Timaeus as Mark calls him, was forced to beg for his survival outside the city of Jericho. When Infatius heard that Jesus the Messiah was passing by he called out for mercy, believing that this Galilean Roman Jew, the Messiah was destined to overthrow all Roman authority. When Jesus called him to come, what do we see bar-Timaeus does? “Throwing aside his cloak” he makes his way to Jesus. He throws off the symbol of his punishment by the Romans and declares to Jesus when asked, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Mark states that he wanted to receive his sight, but it is here that Tantautius says that Infatius declares, “I want to avenge my sight!” which is clearly a cry to the Messiah to avenge his punishment before the Romans when he comes into His kingdom. Either way he is healed.
The healing then provokes the Roman authority which until now in Jesus’ ministry were nothing but impressed and enthralled by Him. This action alone precedes Him to the capitol city of Jerusalem so that by the time He arrives there, all are against Him and He can then accomplish the final task He was sent to undertake; the redemption of all mankind. And now you know a little bit more of the rest of HisStory.
Excerpts taken from The Search. A historians Search for the Historical Jesus, by Dr. Ron Charles
Seems fitting on 56th birthday to update from three years ago. From reading through what I wrote then, I have changed some. Or my perspective has.
The Corps was a part of my life as was the Way. So it is part of the makeup of who I am. But for the life of me I have no desire to go back. They were far from the best days of my life. Usually time softens our memories and we forgot the hard parts. Not so for me and the Way. I am very thankful for many things I learned and some of the people I met and still know and love, especially my wife! And that is the good I hold to.
But the memories of the mind games, the unchecked egos, the hate hiding behind spirituality are still too vivid to lead to nostalgia.I remember too well the "God told me to tell you" confrontations. The blind faith in a person. The unwillingness to question. The narrowness of specific theology founded not in learning and research but it the opinion of one taken unacknowledged from others. The convoluted rationalizations that allowed for lives and families to be ripped apart and good people, Godly people, to be run over when they became a threat to the power grab of another.
I hold no nostalgia for those 16 years of my life. Rather, I am ashamed. Ashamed that we could only love those who thought that as we did. Remorseful over accepting that getting my thoughts in order to "right believing" was more important than living right and serving others.
God is too big, the universe too large, and our heads too small to contain Him. To think that we had God worked out into a formula to explain all of life was either extreme ignorance or unbridled hubris. I still haven't decided which.
I have no bitterness. I have no grudges or anger against anyone. But I have great sadness. I have disappointment. I am disappointed in myself that I lacked the courage to speak out against intolerance, bigotry, injustice, and blind obedience. I am sad that I hurt so many in the process of trying to justify my own beliefs.
So while I enjoy hearing the wonderful things God is doing with folks and for folks, I have no desire to go back to what was. While I miss fellowshipping with others and the joyful sharing of seeing God at work, of seeing lives changed by His love, and of sharing that joy with others, I am still working to live apart from the pain of those 16 years. The pain I inflicted on others in God's name and the deep and unhealed wounds still remaining in my own heart.
It has been rightly said that pride is the opposite of humility. As our teachers have often said; we sometimes have to recognize error before the truth can come to light. One of my teachers has rightly expressed the meaning of pride, as the lie that we can live independent of God. That's my paraphrase and not a direct quote. When one understands that they are made as a part of creation (e.g. birds, animals, plants, fishes), then a major part of the fog of the lie of pride begins to clear. Another of my teachers showed me quite vividly as we listened to a person's talking once. Afterward, he pointed out just how many times the person used the word "I" (capital i) in their discourse with us. I put that together with the gospel statement by Christ that out of the heart the mouth speaks. I began to listen to my own words when I was speaking to someone. I don't have to tell you how shocked I was! I know there is a balance. For instance, when speaking of personal experience, then the word "I" is a necessity, but where I began to draw the line as to wisdom, was by noting as to how often I put myself into the direction of my future, rather than the promises of God. Just, how was I envisioning my tomorrows?
I looked back on my failures and realized that they were the plans that I thought were the best, when in fact, they had failed to bring the desired results. Remember that, we don't just want results as the world portrays them, but as the Word portrays them. I see a result from decisions made as profitable only when the peace, love, and joy of God accompanies the results. I remember that from James on the difference between the two wisdoms.
Pride does come before a fall. But, the promise is that a just man/woman falleth seven times, but gets back up again. Thank God for His mercy! Would it follow the logic proverb of the pride saying by saying this(?); Humility comes before grace. I believe that's in first or second Peter. Of course.
Now from that foundation, we can remember that we don't pull ourselves up by our own 'bootstraps', but rather be humble enough to recognize that we need Father, just as a plant needs water. He is our fountain of living waters.
