Fortune Tellers, Lie Detectors Lie

As good as science can be, we still have no mechanism in place that can denote a liar.  Surely, we have the polygraph, voice-stress analysis and theories imbued with psycho-linguistics, but even these powerful tools are flawed, filled with impure blemishes.  Too often they’ll reveal a false positive and thus, the certainty is absent in the results.

The same is true with the vagueness of fortune tellers which are strictly forbidden in the bible. Fortune telling is nothing more than ascertaining a falsehood with a pretense of knowledge.  There is nothing to it no matter how much we’d like to believe.

This is somewhat along the lines of faith healers.  There is no such mention of faith healers in the bible, but they abound all around us today in our churches.

What we are left with then is what the Bible does refer to as discernment.  And in this case, whereas we are more or less flawed when it comes to discerning the manner of men, we are to focus our discernment, our attention to the matters and manner of God.

In this way, our energy and attentions are NOT placed on men, but on the Almighty.  He should always be at the center of our attention through the Lordship of His son, Jesus the Christ.

And so with our belief system rooted in Jesus, we are not subject to the fallacies of either Fortune Tellers or Lie Detectors.  As Christians we have but one nexus and that juncture centers at the apex on the cross:  the theme is Jesus with His complete gift of GRACE.  And with His gift of salvation through Grace, we have no need to discern truth except that proclaimed by God Himself and without that of man.

Advertisement

What Would Jesus do? (Heck, we don’t know)

Asking the question WWJD might be a nice question, but it really doesn’t tell us much of anything.  No, in most cases, we don’t really know what Jesus would do.  We only really know what he did.

Think about it for a moment if you will:  Jesus didn’t really say JACK when it comes to government.  He didn’t speak of wars or on cancer or diet or medicine or many, many topics before us for years.

Jesus spoke on many spiritual issues, but left out many of those we are faced with day to day.

Clearly, Jesus was NOT anti-science, but then again, he didn’t speak about it.  He could have spoken about the new world, the Americas, but he didn’t.  Easily, he could have introduced the Periodic Table, but again, he didn’t.

Jesus could have forecasted the radio, television, computers, smart phones, machine guns, a-bombs, submarines or many, many other subjects, but once again, he didn’t.

I will make this clear:  He could have done so.  Jesus could have spoken on many important issues, but didn’t.

So then, we MUST conclude he didn’t as it wasn’t as important as what he did speak on.

Otherwise, on many occasions, when the disciples of Jesus attempt to guess what he would do, they were wrong and Jesus corrected them.  So then, if they were wrong, how do you think we could be right in terms of thinking we could or can outguess what he’d do?

Restating my theme.  We don’t really know what Jesus would do, but we do know what he did.  And we also know the topics he avoided altogether and left us completely without instruction.

And in the absence of a blueprint, we have his actual deeds to emulate.  Perhaps this is so because we can’t even fully perform those correctly and thus, wasn’t provided more.  And for that reason, perhaps that is why He was silent in what we should do when we ask for more

The Sermon Not In The Bible

Pick a card. Any card will do.

Fat Beggars School of Prophets

You know what sermon Jesus NEVER preached?

(Well… there are actually quite a lot of them, I reckon.  But one in particular stands out for this blog.)

Jesus NEVER teaches about When Helping Hurts.  Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert want you to think God would caution you against carelessly helping needy people.  But look closely at everything Jesus has to say in Scriptures.  It’s just not his concern.  Neither is it that of St. Paul, St. Peter, Isaiah, Moses, or any other Bible character.

Don’t believe me?

Look it up.  Find the sermon, the epistle, the poem, oracle, or prayer that outlines the dangers of giving assistance to needy people anywhere in the Bible, and send me the citation.

Meanwhile, if you find Jesus (or any other) directing us to give to, or care for, the poor while showing no regard for the dangers inherent in doing harm to…

View original post 22 more words

You’re Only as Ugly as you Look (Not so fast)

I remember a study a number of years ago that had college students guess who were the criminals when given a sheet with hundreds of thumb-size photos.  Not really surprisingly, it appears the ‘cuter’ the person, the less likely they were predicted to be a criminal.

In other words, people tend to think that ‘bad’ people look bad, much like they are portrayed in the movies.  Of course, everybody knows the bad guy wears black and the good guy wears white.  It is just as clear as that.

However, in reality, that is not the situation at all.  There is no difference in people based on appearance.  In fact, it brings to mind one distinct person: Jezebel. I can’t think of anyone described more beautiful nor as wicked as Jezebel.

Thus, our warm feelings towards those who possess cherubic looks serve only to deceive us. Yet, God judges the heart.

Yes, yes.  I know we think we can ‘see’ evil in others, but the only truth of the spirit is in actions.  And as we all know, much of our actions can be hidden and performed in the light of darkness.

So then, those kind eyes might be deceptive.  Our hearts may be impure and our judgments about who is what tends also to be wrong. In short, we too should be as God and focus on matters of the heart.  However, being as shallow as we are:  we will probably continue to judge the same as aways and which is why we always get it wrong.  Our motto forever is:  Beauty is skin deep.  Ugly is deep to the bone

A Picnic With Jesus (Secret Agent Kid Sister Throws A Luke-14 Party In The Park) — Fat Beggars School of Prophets

I had the pleasure of joining Agent Z’s kid sister (my teenaged step daughter) in the park over the weekend when she threw a party for Jesus and specifically invited Lubbock’s street homeless to join her. I am so impressed with the kids from this house; Secret Agent Kid Sis hosted about forty people in […]

via A Picnic With Jesus (Secret Agent Kid Sister Throws A Luke-14 Party In The Park) — Fat Beggars School of Prophets

All the People who Didn’t Know Me

For various reasons about thirteen years ago I was homeless and for a time wandered around the streets sleeping where I could.

For six months I slept on a sofa at a church.  For another six months I slept on an abandoned mini school bus where I almost froze.

Still, for another three months I slept at a homeless shelter here in Jacksonville.

In some ways, some people were very good to me.  The homeless by far were the best.  No, they won’t let someone go hungry.  Not them.

And for others; well, they didn’t understand and thus some kept their distance.  Even others couldn’t understand how their former teacher could end up homeless.

The point is this: in being homeless some treated me as if I had the plague.  When I did day work they assumed I would steal them blind or that I was on drugs or alcohol.

And while most of my street friends did drink, they never caused any problems. Some with severe mental issues were always a handful and at times, dangerous, especially around weapons of any kind.

A good friend of mine and his wife knew me then and knows me now.  His wife so tactfully said:  “Come to church.”  I told her I was homeless.  She said, “Well you won’t always be and you still can always come to church.”

She was right.  But her, George and Cathy Barnwell are exceptional friends and thus we have been close for over 40 years because of church.

Truthfully speaking, the only real difference between me today is that I take care of more people and have a place to live.  That is the only separation I had when I was homeless.

Yet, the treatment I received then as opposed to now is like night and day. The only real difference is how people treated me than now.

Turning away the immigrant (none of this is new to America)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/us-government-turned-away-thousands-jewish-refugees-fearing-they-were-nazi-spies-180957324/

 

We enjoy a long history be being afraid of those of whom we feel might harm us.  Some have, of course and so it’s not an idle threat as one might think.  Before internment, some Japanese were in facts unleasing info form Pearl Harbor and harming U.S. Troops.  Yes, it’s easy to see us as the bad guy and at times, we were.  But for other times there was a valid reason and other times, a valid reason was unreasonable.  Examine the link above and see the damage with just this one ship.  There were far more beginning in 1939 and so our hands have blood on them out of fear.

QUICK FYI: 4 REASONS NEW MEMBERS QUIT COMING TO CHURCH… — BE BLESSTIFIED!

Too many those of us who attend church regularly criticize or judge new members who joined but drifted away. Nothing deep here, just four things I think we should consider before we open our mouths… 1. They come to church looking for something and it doesn’t happen fast enough, so they leave. 2. They come […]

via QUICK FYI: 4 REASONS NEW MEMBERS QUIT COMING TO CHURCH… — BE BLESSTIFIED!

Catholics are full of ….

As a protestant, isn’t that so easy to say? Isn’t it so easy to discount a total and full body of believers simply because we don’t agree with their church structure or organization?

All of this would be fine if we could so easily wipe off a broad group of people.  It would be easy except you and I both know that many from all Christian faith possess people who are true disciples and those who love God and His son, Jesus.

This is not to endorse teachings of which you and I believe to be incorrect and wrong, but it does grant full backing to the people: those who are believers and for those who love God and His kingdom.

Unfortunately, too often, we hear cruel criticisms about people of diverse faiths. Some might be warranted, but then again, some judges the whole based on simple suppositions of ‘truth’.

It goes something like this:

Catholics believe such and such

You are Catholic, thus

You believe such and such.

Sorry, but it simply doesn’t work that way for any group of Christians.  It doesn’t work for Pentecostals or Baptists or Methodists, Assembly of God, or Presbyterians, or et al.

As with anything else, we must examine everything and everyone on a case by case basis and see the essence: the individual.

And with that:  God judges the heart and finally, he is the judge and sole judge: not us.

And thus, we might abide in faith with our brothers and sisters with comment, but we abide with them as it our duty to love one another.

So then, what is far more important to a Christian is not his sect: but the tenets of His or Her faith.  This should have but one and only one fabric which ties it together and that fiber is LOVE.  Ultimately, this should be the only element that separates one from another and even with that:  it is God’s job to do so and not ours.

The ‘Job’ of America

Look at the good and righteous America who loves so much the Lord.  And of course, just like with Job it can be said that America loves the Lord for He has produced a protective wall or fence around it.

At least for the past 200 years, America was protected by the vast expanse of sea that kept huge armies away from it.  Too, it could be said that America prospered because of democracy, freedom—the fact that America contained the higher moral ground.

For all intensive purposes this was the ‘righteousness’ Woodrow Wilson proclaimed with his 14 points and League of Nations.

Yet, after another great war, the war of WWII, we see where thereafter, Satan struck His hand on that once great God Fearing Nation of America.

The long and the short of it:  did we make out as good as Job?

Personally, I think some American’s did and are still holding out.

For others, I believe they have cursed God and now are waiting to die.

For all practical purposes, the Jobs of America have had it so good that even without being struck by the pestilent hand of Satan, nonetheless, they deserted God.

For many of them:  they proclaim:  THERE IS NO GOD

They don’t acknowledge Job or Satan or God.  None of them for they are in it for themselves and themselves only.  Nothing else exists to them.

Those who are left are here and as instructors of people and of God.  They say or at least think they know more than God and thus, part with His ways.

And this is the mainstay of American’s Job.  We are away and distant and adamant and absence from a God who at least once saw us as good.  And in the timeliness of correction, we faltered and escaped away from the hedge, from the fence and into the open that lies underground in the ignorance away from God.

This is the Westerner Job of America.  This is a Job who is ungrateful, one who has forgotten all that once was held great.  And the greatness of Job is that He relied on His relationship with God in all His humility.  None of that today exists among the majority of America’s Job today.