The Gory Detail

One thing whereby I see that we are not so far removed from the Catholics whom we still affect to despise is our preoccupation with the gory detail of the cross.

Indeed we may even have surpassed the Catholics in this, what with the endless parade of movies about Christ which show, in varying degrees of gruesomeness, the crucifixion.

So we shed a tear, or a million, and wax lyrical about the love which did this for us.

But do we really grasp the significance of the thing?

Let me say that if meditating on that Old Rugged Cross actually achieved anything other than morbid fascination to the carnal minds that attempt it, then Spanish Catholicism of the Late Middle Ages should be the archetype of Christianity as it should be.

But I hear a chorus   of "No" from my readers? Indeed I should hope so.

For all such morbidity produced was religious fanaticism that gave us the Inquisition, and in this day and age such religious fanaticism still makes us barren and unloving and indeed even may lead to the modern fanaticism  of Dominionism. For I ask you - with the world soaked in sermons, videos, religious movies even of relatively sound content, and the like, were the contrary true we should see the visible fruit of it, should we not?.

But still the name of God is blasphemed among the nations because we  are hypocrites. Where are the changed lives? Indeed this  indulgence in what amounts to mere empty religiose emotion produces nothing that lasts and will only encourage hard legalists to reject emotion outright, as I will explore in  my piece "The Hypocrites Charter" in due course

If we are indeed carnal minded, and I submit that our fruit show this, then no amount of spiritual exercises (a term coined by Ignatius Loyola) will be of any value, for I submit that severe treatment of the mind by forced gazing on what we view as traumatic, is  as worthless as severe treatment of the body, which scripture plainly and clearly denounces.

That something is spiritually discerned does not mean it is discerned by the human spirit as opposed to the human mind (an absurd application of that absurd doctrine that Man is made in the image of God by virtue of being a trinity, just as God is). But it does mean such is discerned under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit revealing to us and reasoning with us ("Come Let us reason together," says the Lord)  in the on going personal relationship, One on one, with the Spirit of Christ, who is our Wonderful Counsellor, which is the very core  and essence of discipleship.

But without this partnership with the Holy Spirit under his Lordship and benevolent leading we will get nowhere for we who cannot submit and cannot understand (for so scripture declares) will remain in that state unless the Spirit teach us the significance of the words that we are given to parroting - and indeed, given our carnality, we can do no other with these holy words;

I am not going to go into detail about the hideous cruelty of crucifixion. That is contrary to my point entirely. But suffice to say that after such a study I can  no longer look on the image of the cross at all.  I am not transfixed by a love that did this, I am traumatized by the horror.

The Lord the Spirit tells me that there is no cross in my thinking.

But let me explain this term. By "thinking" I mean emotional thinking. As regards doctrine and intellect I can purvey the Cross with the best of them. But no one, not even intellectuals. live in their heads. Intellectual thought is of no honest conviction if it has not become heart conviction as shown by our way of life, by the Fruit of the Spirit. On this basis it must be said that  I have never grasped the significance of the Cross, and my legalism, which continues over decades of stubborn, fearful and prideful defiance, is the evidence of this as I attempt to save myself,  for to my thinking there is no other way.

And all the effort in the world I have made has not changed this one iota.

I am carnal minded as my fruit is carnal and to me the things of God are still foolishness. I cannot submit.

That some might retort that if I am born again I am in the Spirit (the immediate context of this verse I quote here) I will reply that yes indeed. I am somehow in the Spirit, for all my carnality. I can be brought to submit. But this is quite  a different thing from saying I can simply submit, cold as it were, by simple act of will. Likewise I can be brought to  understand, but not of myself nor of  my attempts at what amount to mere Spiritual Exercises

So I suggest not a forced meditation on visible and external detail, which is valid would have made Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" a spiritual masterpiece as well as a Hollywood blockbuster; and would have made medieval Catholicism the true religion; but  rather a confession of our incomprehension and unbelief as shown by our lives and our efforts to believe

But if we are to become wise we must  first become fools, (I Corinthians  3:18). That is so say we are to admit that we do not understand what we try to understand, so indeed really are fools.

It is more honest and as always it is much, much easier when done under the personal tutelage of the Holy Spirit. And it makes us teachable

 

A prophecy

I believe the Lord has given me a prophecy. Such has not happened in literally decades; and I would rather it did not happen now, but it has come and it behoves me to deliver it

Thus sayeth the Lord

"My children, some are spreading fear and confusion in My church by daring to defy scripture through setting dates for the Second Coming of My Son, The Rapture of the Church, The Great Tribulation, and other such events.

"They speak without wisdom, without warrant and without anointing. I commanded them not.

"Therefore, My children, know and believe that when Sept 23rd this year comes and goes without event, for this is one of the dates they dare set, know that this is as I determined and this I declare before hand that you shall know that I am the Lord, Great YHWH, Holy And Terrible.

"No date pertaining to the End of the Age has proceeded from my Mouth, nor shall it ever, lest my Scriptures be voided.

"Do not fear those who  speak from presumptuous imagination, neither fear to question them and disbelieve them, and moreover do not fear when the date passes  without event, neither think  by such failure  that my Word is invalidated . The only thing invalidated is the presumption of men, as it should be.

"To those who peddle these dates, who sow confusion in My church and disturb such small peace as the Church has I say this:

"Who is it that darkens counsel? Who is it who dares speak when I have forbidden the setting of dates?

"Come before Me in prayer and see whether I am Holy and Terrible or no.

"Come before Me in prayer and assay your case and see whether it will stand in My Holy Presence, as did My servant Job, who repented in dust and ashes.

"And know that if you will repudiate this folly I am rich in mercy and My heart burns to forgive, if you will confess and repent.

"But if you will not repent  then hear that the blood of those who despair and deny the faith when your date setting fails, will be on your shoulders."

Flee to the Throne of Grace, and do it  now.

It is my heart to cry "Adorate Purpurum" and "Proskuneite" which are ancient ritual obseisances before the Emperor.

Amen and Amen

Given in Christchurch New Zealand  this 8:00 pm  the 13 July 2015

Reflections on Dog Care

Now I am no expert on the care of pets, in this instance, a dog.

I have never owned a pet in my life. We had caged birds in an outdoor aviary when I was a boy but they IMO do not really count, certainly not for the points I would make here.

But a good friend of mine has asked me to baby sit her pet dog for the weekend. The dog is a little female Jack Russell Maltese cross (not that I have any real idea what that means).

Her name is Poppy and she is sweet natured and well behaved.

She of course enjoys walking, but as I lack the experience (all of two days now) to let her off the leash in outdoor environments, she is on the leash, which is a long leash which retracts or extends depending on the pressure put on it.

As I was walking with Poppy over the last two days I have felt  the Lord say to me,  (this is a summary not a verbatim transcript of a conversation though I could in principle produce such if I chose) "would you treat Poppy with violence? would you yank hard on her leash?"  To me the answer is obvious, "Of course I would not!! She is a sweet and sensitive little child."

So the clear implication is that  as I would treat a dog  so God would treat me.

However  this morning  I cried out in anguish, and this is a literal transcript not a summary,  "BUT I AM A SINNER"  whereby I mean that I should be beaten, deprived and made to suffer.  Indeed this is how medieval religion worked, and I picked up a fair amount of this in my travels.

For as some may know I have never believed that God loved. I have certainly never believed that God loved a sinner like me

Yet dogs so mistreated become  vicious and even dangerous; and this, when speaking of Christians,  by mistreatment  from other Christians and  by, as in my case, a belief that their Master and Owner needs to take  only a violent hand with his charges.

And God my Master  tells me this is not so. If we treat dogs with kindness how much more would He treat us if we let Him do so.

But some train their dogs to be watch dogs, attack beasts, violent, aggressive and not socialized to other people or other dogs at all. So some evangelists think that savaging their hearers is their function, barking and growling. But they are wild dogs who have forsaken their Master

This gentleness I spoke us above goes to the commands  one would use to a dog. The dog I have temporary charge of has already been trained, well trained, IMO. My leading is gentle but I think firm, and little Poppy is a joy to walk with

To use the lexicon of command given to a dog, Dog our Father is telling me that there are three commandments he would teach me:

SIT, STAY and BEG

Sit means to cease running around in anxiety, something I am prone to do, Stay means in this context, to be still over periods of time, to rest in the care of the Father; and beg means to not fear to ask Him for what I want. This last is something I have always feared to do lest I be punished for presumption or asking foolishly. But I come to know, and may write on this in another post where this is more prominent an issue and about entirely another mater altogether, that He required honesty in the request. I am being told to ask even if I think it wrong, that I might pour my heart out to Him. After all He knows what I long for, and it does me good to acknowledge this even if it be sin; and His kindness continues.

A forth dog commandment I already know - HEEL. I cry out to Him constantly, but the command is not HEAL as if he were the dog and I the master demanding that He heal at my behest. He is still the Master though as I come to see, a kind and benevolent one.

Another point that struck me is this: as the onus on training a dog is on the owner so the onus on training us as Christians is on our Owner, the Lord Himself. I am aware that the Church should have a part to play in this  but all too often they usurp the whole  thing to themselves. And as a human is more than a dog, even though as living beings and created lives men and dogs have some things in common, so men must study and pray. But at all points the scripture applies: it does not depend on him who wills or runs but o God who has the mercy

So, to end this, He is a dog whisperer par excellence.

Will we stay wild and call our violence godly zeal or will he come to Him when He calls  and be trained b the only  capable dog whisperer in the business

September 23rd this year

The latest End Time prediction craze, and it is nothing but a craze, centres around September 23 this year, which is the Jewish Day of Atonement.

Now I hold that the Hebrew Feasts are indeed types (google typology is you must)  of various events in salvific history, but to set the dates of things for which we are told were are not to know the dates (Acts 1:6-8) is in open defiance of scripture. That is to say although the feast is or may be a symbol of a future event (that is in part what a type is) therefore the future event will or must happen on the date of a forthcoming Hebrew Feast is irresponsible.

Some proponents of this scheme, which when it fails will only bring about further blasphemy against the name of God, hold that an unusual concurrence of Blood Moons will fulfil the prophecy about the moon turning to blood (it does not for it is a regularly occurring natural event), while some do not.

Some say the rapture will happen on that day with the tribulation following, another says that the tribulation started in 2009 and that this day is the Second Coming of Christ.

Others claim that the asteroid wormwood, mentioned in Revelation will strike that day.

But they all have in common is a setting of dates where this is forbidden.

Indeed some have been so bold as to argue why the passage Acts 1:6-8 "It is not for you to know the times the Father has set by His authority" does not apply to us, the 21st century church.

Quite literally, they dice with death. The passage is crystal clear, the broader context, as I argued in a previous post, confirms that this  applies to all persons at all times, and so it is a special contumacity whereby they dare defy scripture on this.  Error in end time doctrine is not grave heresy  per se, I would argue. But error does lead to the Name being blasphemed and, more deadly, can destroy the faith of those who believed in the error before time revealed it to be error. And for this God holds them responsible, hence my severe claim that they dice with death

My point in posting this, as well as to vent my frustration at the dishonesty, sloppiness  as well as  the plainly observable  arrogant manner of those who defend such nonsensical scenarios as I have just wasted time on, is this:

I publicly disavow all date setting as to the Rapture, Second Coming, the Start of the Great Tribulation or indeed any event in the immediate run up to the Second Coming of Christ. The point of watching and praying, and of being not ignorant of the times and seasons, as I have said, is to recognize as they happen these things so not be caught off guard when they do. It is not, absolutely not, to be able to set a date before it happens.

I would make this heard before this latest scheme fails as every other has  failed in history,  namely that the failure of this, as it will and must fail, cannot and does not impact the truth of the gospel of Christ, and that to claim it does is the fallacy of the straw man.

Moreover I will say, in the confidence of the Holy Spirit of Christ, that nothing  of prophetic significance will happen  on this date. If they defy the scriptures to set a date the Lord the Spirit will cock a snook at them by failing to perform on the date so set.

But alas the madness will not stop. It has not stopped in 2000 years and nothing, not scripture, the remonstrances of the Holy Spirit, nor reason, will stop them.

And so the name of God will continue to be blasphemed among the nations because of them.

They do not care, so on their own head shall be it.

We are not to cease to watch and pray, but we were never enjoined to go beyond that remit as these fanatics  have done.

They claim to have warned those who refuse their exegetically irresponsible schemes, as if salvation were by eschatology not grace through faith.

But in fact a good number of people, of which my voice is only one, have warned them, and as time is always the enemy of false prophetic prediction  it is only a matter of weeks before they are exposed to ridicule or worse.

At your front door

 

This was posted by me in reply to a youtube video the title of which was the question below, namely:

 

What to say to a JW (or Mormon or any other missionary for that matter) at my door?

My reply, learned the hard way, is this:

"Not interested"

I could argue with them on doctrinal and logical grounds.

But why bother? They will not be persuaded  by me and  I will not be persuaded by them.

We would both have exhausted each other for nothing.

People do not believe anything on  logical grounds, but for reasons of personal need.  So rational refutation might attack the validity of the belief but not the motivation for it, thus the whole rational debate skirts around the issue. This also applies to intellectual types as well, though we who are so given to this mode of thought are in our vanity the last to see that we are as emotionally need driven as the common run of humanity

Besides this whole stereotyped approach -the how to reach a JW or Mormon or anyone else- is both arrogant and foolish, as if every person thought the same way!

Tears of Gratitude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sPh65k0No


I burst into tears of gratitude after watching this.

Not because I learned anything, because I did not.

But because there was ONE other person out there who learned this same lesson it took me years of agony to learn and this from the direct one on one counsel of the Holy Spirit for there was no Christian anywhere in my orbit who would even consider the notion of being honest to God and pouring out one's complaint to Him.

And even now I get cries of "Self Pity!!" when I advocate the honesty they have totally forgotten about it

This video was confirmation from a very unexpected source, for the title of the thing almost had me think that Zacharias would take the opposite view, the standard one

Moreover video reduces just about every other sermon and video  I have seen about Christian living to heretical trash.

The trouble is the Pharisees  who live like Puritans did, believing in the primacy of the intellect, will ignore this.

And I submit,  they ignore this to their own peril  for to harden one's heart to one's own heart will also harden the heart to the Holy Spirit, and damnation can and will result eventually

That is how important this issue is

 

The Most Offensive Verse in Scripture

I found an old facebook post of mine  on the most offensive verse in scripture. It was put out by a creationist web site and says that the verse with this honour is Genesis 1:1 and everything it entails.

I beg to differ.

I know of many creationists, including myself.

But if belief  in a passage equals obedience to it then clearly the verse that so sickens men that I have never seen it obeyed is this:

God is love.

We will believe creationism passionately, to the extent of vicious name calling, and I have seen creationists do this. Indeed such arrogance is why I do not support creationist ministries

But the very moment they/we do this we show how disgusted we are by the fact God is love for we ignore it and certainly do not believe this