Lately, there has been a lot of 'what if' going on in my head. It used to be that evangelical, Bible thumping Christians got a bad wrap for being doomsdayers because the Bible says bad times are on the way. The problem is now that the Christians seem to be the quiet ones. Maybe they are in the dark? Maybe denial? Do Christians know that things are not going to get better before they get worse? Instead, we are getting a lot of doom from the press - liberal or otherwise. I read a WorldNetDaily article about a guy who lost an eye during one of Bin Laden's nuclear tests in Pakistan. The word is, they are waiting for the American Hiroshima after we take some type of action against Iran. Disturbing.
Should it be? God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us the scoop on what He is doing. Is that so we'll know we're about to burn, or because 'our redemption draweth nigh'?
A random thought that hit me the other day while watching the previews for the 911 flight movie... I dont recall the name. The odds of 'that' ever happening again arent good. For one thing, the terrorists would have to sneak an aweful lot of people on board a flight to make it work. We, as Americans, as so on edge now that if 5 guys stand up on a plane and say 'this is a hijacking' - kidding or not - the other 200 people on the plane will club them to death with luggage. Wont happen. Could they crash a plane? Yes. Could they crash one into a national emblem/monument? No.. the victims on board would never let it happen again.
Revelation 16:15
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
Matthew 24:43
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
Luke 12:38
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.
Luke 21:36
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Hebrews 9:28
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Da Vinci Crud
The long awaited movie based on Dan Brown's controversial novel, "The Da Vinci Code", will be hitting theaters on May 19th. As you have heard from published reports, the book denies the diety of Christ, fallaciously links Christ and Mary Magdelene through marriage and attributes offspring to them, as well as making other outrageous claims; many of which are not new.
The question is: when the book came out, were we as Christians ready to refute the lies and answer the questions posed by the curious and confused? As a whole, I don't think so. Personally, I know I wasn't. I was asked point blank about some of the claims made in the novel, and had no definitive answer to give.
The follow-up question is: when the movie comes out, are we as Christians going to be ready to refute the lies and answer the questions posed by the curious and confused? There are plenty of books, videos, pamplets, websites, etc popping up all over the place in preparation of the theatrical release. There are answers we can give. Are we ready? Let's get ready!
The question is: when the book came out, were we as Christians ready to refute the lies and answer the questions posed by the curious and confused? As a whole, I don't think so. Personally, I know I wasn't. I was asked point blank about some of the claims made in the novel, and had no definitive answer to give.
The follow-up question is: when the movie comes out, are we as Christians going to be ready to refute the lies and answer the questions posed by the curious and confused? There are plenty of books, videos, pamplets, websites, etc popping up all over the place in preparation of the theatrical release. There are answers we can give. Are we ready? Let's get ready!
Today's Headlines
Iran Threatens to Hide Its Nuclear Program
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Doesn't this defeat the purpose, somewhat? I think i've put my finger on something that has purplexed me to this point, and now it's just growing into a dull fascination. When we read the accounts of the last days in the Bible and cipher the details of the final world empire, apostate church, and evil world leaders, we expect to face a certain amount of cunning. In the least, a good dastardly plan. I'm now seeing the picture take form without any intellect behind it whatsoever. It's blatant evil. It's stupidity enmasse against God. Truthfully, there is intellect and cunning behind it, but it is strictly demonic. Everyone else on the 'dark side' are fitting the stereotypical 'pawn' mold.
Indicted Duke Lacrosse Player in D.C. Court for Separate Assault Charge
There isnt a lot to be said about this, other than we Americans are also willing to be stupid, and stupid in public. How hard is it to lay low?
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Doesn't this defeat the purpose, somewhat? I think i've put my finger on something that has purplexed me to this point, and now it's just growing into a dull fascination. When we read the accounts of the last days in the Bible and cipher the details of the final world empire, apostate church, and evil world leaders, we expect to face a certain amount of cunning. In the least, a good dastardly plan. I'm now seeing the picture take form without any intellect behind it whatsoever. It's blatant evil. It's stupidity enmasse against God. Truthfully, there is intellect and cunning behind it, but it is strictly demonic. Everyone else on the 'dark side' are fitting the stereotypical 'pawn' mold.
Indicted Duke Lacrosse Player in D.C. Court for Separate Assault Charge
There isnt a lot to be said about this, other than we Americans are also willing to be stupid, and stupid in public. How hard is it to lay low?
Minibus Bomb Kills Two, Wounds Three in Baghdad
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Eight Dead in Homicide Attacks on Sri Lanka's Top Commander
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
3 Arrested in Egyptian Resort Bombings
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Far out!
Huge Ice Chunks Fall from Sky, Mystify Scientists
Twice in one week large chunks of ice have inexplicably fallen from the sky in California, leaving experts mystified.
In Loma Linda, Calif., Thursday a chunk of ice the size of a microwave oven came crashing through the roof of a recreation center, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The ice then fragmented into several opaque, white chunks. No one was injured in the incident. ...world net daily
Twice in one week large chunks of ice have inexplicably fallen from the sky in California, leaving experts mystified.
In Loma Linda, Calif., Thursday a chunk of ice the size of a microwave oven came crashing through the roof of a recreation center, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The ice then fragmented into several opaque, white chunks. No one was injured in the incident. ...world net daily
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Simon the leper
For the last few days, I have been doing a comparitive study of the 4 Gospels to see if it could be determined what day Christ was crucified (as study is still in progress, look for that posting in the near future).
During the study however, the story of a woman annointing Jesus at a supper in Bethany brought a question to mind. It is just speculation and I can't see absolute proof, but it got me wondering: was Simon the Leper the father of Judas Iscariot?
Mark 14:1-8
After two days was [the feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put [him] to death. But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
John 12:1-7
Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
(The passage in Matthew 26 echoes Mark's telling very closely)
Notice in Mark, Jesus is in Bethany 2 days before Passover. In John, He is in Bethany 6 days before Passover. Then both tell of the same story. When I first read it, I assumed that these were two different nights, one spent at Lazarus' house, and one spent at Simon the leper's house. But with the exact same story, with the same questions and answers given, and it only being within a 4 day window - I realized it had to be the same setting.
Mark identifies the location as Simon the leper's house. John states that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are with Jesus and that Martha serves. Jesus is annointed (head in Mark, feet in John) with an ointment of spikenard by a woman who is unidentified by Mark but is identified as Mary by John. Then the same question is asked "Why wasn't it sold for 300 pence?", and the same answer is given "Let her alone; she annoints me against the day of my burial."
While Simon is identified in Mark, John identifies Judas as Simon's son. Now, it is quite possible that Judas' father is a different Simon, since it was a common name, but John's text oddly identifies him as "Simon's son" in the retelling of this story. Just curious about that identification at that moment.
During the study however, the story of a woman annointing Jesus at a supper in Bethany brought a question to mind. It is just speculation and I can't see absolute proof, but it got me wondering: was Simon the Leper the father of Judas Iscariot?
Mark 14:1-8
After two days was [the feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put [him] to death. But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
John 12:1-7
Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
(The passage in Matthew 26 echoes Mark's telling very closely)
Notice in Mark, Jesus is in Bethany 2 days before Passover. In John, He is in Bethany 6 days before Passover. Then both tell of the same story. When I first read it, I assumed that these were two different nights, one spent at Lazarus' house, and one spent at Simon the leper's house. But with the exact same story, with the same questions and answers given, and it only being within a 4 day window - I realized it had to be the same setting.
Mark identifies the location as Simon the leper's house. John states that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are with Jesus and that Martha serves. Jesus is annointed (head in Mark, feet in John) with an ointment of spikenard by a woman who is unidentified by Mark but is identified as Mary by John. Then the same question is asked "Why wasn't it sold for 300 pence?", and the same answer is given "Let her alone; she annoints me against the day of my burial."
While Simon is identified in Mark, John identifies Judas as Simon's son. Now, it is quite possible that Judas' father is a different Simon, since it was a common name, but John's text oddly identifies him as "Simon's son" in the retelling of this story. Just curious about that identification at that moment.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The Great Initiation
Isn't it interesting that for the past few years, Americans in particular are being primed for disaster? For instance, the new Discover/Weather.com series It Could Happen Tomorrow: a show about biblically proportioned disasters striking modern cities. I watch the weather channel quite a lot - it's not 'as' depressing as the syndicated news channels. In a half-hour period, i'll hear 'It Could Happen Tomorrow' two or three times. Satan is numbing us to the coming judgements that ARE coming - maybe even tomorrow. But when they happen, people are going to think of the Discover channel and the warnings they've heard out of the newspapers, trumpeting the dangers of big industry and global warming. NO WONDER, when the seals are being opened and meteors are crashing into the seas the Revelation says people will curse God and not repent. NO WONDER, because they arent even associating natural disaster with the consequence of sin. They will never realize, God warned them this would happen long before the Discover channel. Mix this, too, with a downplaying of all of it. It 'wont be that bad'. We all 'underestimate the will and ability of man to survive'. Here is a headline that has been running on FoxNews (the most conservative of News services) for a while now: Twenty Years After Chernobyl. This article unveils the Chernobyl incident as a greatly overdramatized event - one in which the world went way over the deep end. After all, "As of mid-2005, fewer than 50 deaths were attributed to radiation from the accident". But for some unexplicable reason "Ukraine's government appears to be on board with the casualty inflation game". Could it be that the little report is such a hoax that nobody with a hint of sanity or a smidge of insight about the severity of the disaster would ever believe such stupid science? Apocalyptic times are on the way. Americans are currently in school learning to downplay events, or at the very least blame them on the president.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Deeply Buried Excitement
Reading the news day after day, the year 2006 to me is markedly more violent and hateful than any previous year, including 2001. Now it seems the enemy is not only a few select foreigners bent on taking down Jews and Christians. Demonic activity has taken a leap in recent days on our own soil. Why would this be so? We know in scripture that the further from God we get, the closer to the habitation of demons we will be.
So what is the mission for Christians? Daniel would have hit his knees and started intercession for the evil in his country. Somehow I dont believe Christians are primed for this. Instead, we are NUMBED to the point of disinterest. For a split second, we are appalled, and then the sports headlines catch our eye. The truth of the matter is, if Christians cannot stand in the gap on issues just like this, then this nation is heading for an incredibly quick demise. Strange that it should boil down to us, isn't it?
The news today spoke of a young man who lured a young girl into his appartment (perhaps forcably brought her) where he proceeded to rape, torture, then kill her. He then began to dismember her with the intension of further sexual activity with the corpse, and then finally plans to eat the body. Demonic? In other news... a man who has a grudge against his neighbor traps her cat, takes it to the animal shelter and has it euthanized. What is the difference between these two people? Personally, I think one was not afraid of getting caught, the other was. When a man has that much hatred towards their neighbor, it seems as though we have left the bounds of human-generated animosity. I do hate to underestimate the human capacity for evil. God knows we are not a nice lot.
The Bible says in Luke 17: 26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
So what is the mission for Christians? Daniel would have hit his knees and started intercession for the evil in his country. Somehow I dont believe Christians are primed for this. Instead, we are NUMBED to the point of disinterest. For a split second, we are appalled, and then the sports headlines catch our eye. The truth of the matter is, if Christians cannot stand in the gap on issues just like this, then this nation is heading for an incredibly quick demise. Strange that it should boil down to us, isn't it?
Friday, April 14, 2006
Dying Tree of Israel?
Iran President: Israel Will Be Annihilated
Friday, April 14, 2006
TEHRAN, Iran — The president of Iran again lashed out at Israel on Friday and said it was "heading toward annihilation," just days after Tehran raised fears about its nuclear activities by saying it successfully enriched uranium for the first time.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a "permanent threat" to the Middle East that will "soon" be liberated. He also appeared to again question whether the Holocaust really happened.
"Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation," Ahmadinejad said at the opening of a conference in support of the Palestinians. "The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm."
Ahmadinejad provoked a world outcry in October when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map."
On Friday, he repeated his previous line on the Holocaust, saying: "If such a disaster is true, why should the people of this region pay the price? Why does the Palestinian nation have to be suppressed and have its land occupied?"
The land of Palestine, he said, referring to the British mandated territory that includes all of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, "will be freed soon."
He did not say how this would be achieved, but insisted to the audience of at least 900 people: "Believe that Palestine will be freed soon."
"The existence of this (Israeli) regime is a permanent threat" to the Middle East, he added. "Its existence has harmed the dignity of Islamic nations."
The three-day conference on Palestine is being attended by officials of Hamas, the ruling party in the Palestinian territories.
Iran has previously said it will give money to the Palestinian Authority to make up for the withdrawal of donations by Western nations who object to Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence. But no figure has been published.
On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully enriched uranium using a battery of 164 centrifuges, a significant step toward the large-scale production of enriched uranium required for either fueling nuclear reactors or making nuclear weapons.
The United States, France and Israel accuse Iran of using a civilian nuclear program to secretly build a weapon. Iran denies this, saying its program is confined to generating electricity.
The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until April 28 to cease enrichment. But Iran has rejected the demand.
The chief of Israeli military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, was quoted Wednesday as saying Iran could develop a nuclear bomb "within three years, by the end of the decade."
Friday, April 14, 2006
TEHRAN, Iran — The president of Iran again lashed out at Israel on Friday and said it was "heading toward annihilation," just days after Tehran raised fears about its nuclear activities by saying it successfully enriched uranium for the first time.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a "permanent threat" to the Middle East that will "soon" be liberated. He also appeared to again question whether the Holocaust really happened.
"Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation," Ahmadinejad said at the opening of a conference in support of the Palestinians. "The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm."
Ahmadinejad provoked a world outcry in October when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map."
On Friday, he repeated his previous line on the Holocaust, saying: "If such a disaster is true, why should the people of this region pay the price? Why does the Palestinian nation have to be suppressed and have its land occupied?"
The land of Palestine, he said, referring to the British mandated territory that includes all of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, "will be freed soon."
He did not say how this would be achieved, but insisted to the audience of at least 900 people: "Believe that Palestine will be freed soon."
"The existence of this (Israeli) regime is a permanent threat" to the Middle East, he added. "Its existence has harmed the dignity of Islamic nations."
The three-day conference on Palestine is being attended by officials of Hamas, the ruling party in the Palestinian territories.
Iran has previously said it will give money to the Palestinian Authority to make up for the withdrawal of donations by Western nations who object to Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence. But no figure has been published.
On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully enriched uranium using a battery of 164 centrifuges, a significant step toward the large-scale production of enriched uranium required for either fueling nuclear reactors or making nuclear weapons.
The United States, France and Israel accuse Iran of using a civilian nuclear program to secretly build a weapon. Iran denies this, saying its program is confined to generating electricity.
The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until April 28 to cease enrichment. But Iran has rejected the demand.
The chief of Israeli military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, was quoted Wednesday as saying Iran could develop a nuclear bomb "within three years, by the end of the decade."
First of all, IF I were going to try to eliminate Israel, I would at least exercise a penny's worth of human wisdom and keep my mouth shut about it. But, lacking the penny, this idiot is advertising to the entire world his plan of annihilation of arguably the most powerful nation in the world. Keep in mind, Israel isn't just powerful, they have a prince set guard over them by God. From a purely human perspective - which is the least of all perspectives - they are a massive grizzley mamma backed into a corner protecting her cubs against an aspiring poodle, Iran. That is not to say that Iran is not growing in power, but at the moment, they are wingless ducks in the birdbath.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Zechariah 14:12
Zechariah 14:12 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
April 13, 2006
New International Version (NIV)
12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
April 13, 2006
Iran Could Produce Nuclear Bomb in 16 Days
Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said.
Iran will move to ``industrial scale'' uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi as telling state-run television today.
"Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days,'' Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters today in Moscow. ...bloomberg
Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said.
Iran will move to ``industrial scale'' uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi as telling state-run television today.
"Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days,'' Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters today in Moscow. ...bloomberg
World Condemns Iran for Enriching Uranium
The world’s leading powers today joined in a chorus of condemnation of Iran for advancing its atomic programme in defiance of the United Nations.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, declared yesterday that Iran had produced its first batch of enriched uranium and would now press ahead with industrial-scale enrichment.
His announcement kept Tehran on a collision course with the United Nations Security Council, which last month ordered it to halt all work on nuclear enrichment. Many Western countries fear that Iran is pursuing atomic weapons, not just fuel for power stations as it insists. ...the times, uk
The world’s leading powers today joined in a chorus of condemnation of Iran for advancing its atomic programme in defiance of the United Nations.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, declared yesterday that Iran had produced its first batch of enriched uranium and would now press ahead with industrial-scale enrichment.
His announcement kept Tehran on a collision course with the United Nations Security Council, which last month ordered it to halt all work on nuclear enrichment. Many Western countries fear that Iran is pursuing atomic weapons, not just fuel for power stations as it insists. ...the times, uk
Rice Calls for 'Strong Steps' Against Iran
Denouncing Iran's successful enrichment of uranium as unacceptable to the international community, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.N. Security Council must consider "strong steps" to induce Tehran to change course.
Rice also telephoned Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ask him to reinforce demands that Iran comply with its nonproliferation requirements when he holds talks in Tehran on Friday.
While Rice took a strong line, she did not call for an emergency meeting of the Council, saying it should consider action after receiving an IAEA report by April 28. She did not elaborate on what measures the United States would support, but economic and political sanctions are under consideration.
The European Union is considering travel restrictions on Iranian officials, but White House and State Department spokesmen said what the Security Council might be asked to do was under discussion. ...ap
Denouncing Iran's successful enrichment of uranium as unacceptable to the international community, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.N. Security Council must consider "strong steps" to induce Tehran to change course.
Rice also telephoned Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ask him to reinforce demands that Iran comply with its nonproliferation requirements when he holds talks in Tehran on Friday.
While Rice took a strong line, she did not call for an emergency meeting of the Council, saying it should consider action after receiving an IAEA report by April 28. She did not elaborate on what measures the United States would support, but economic and political sanctions are under consideration.
The European Union is considering travel restrictions on Iranian officials, but White House and State Department spokesmen said what the Security Council might be asked to do was under discussion. ...ap
My mind is a whirlwind about the times. I have the feeling that what we're seeing 'really is' how it looks. We're building up to the inevitable nuclear confrontation. I've taken to trying my best to intercede for this country, that last known bastion of Christianity. Laughable. We're now seeing groups attacking Easter, Christmas, anything having to do with Christ. It's no longer subversive. Now it's blatant hostility. These groups may still be a minority, but lets face it. The minority will rule until the end. I'm excited and disgusted all at once. Praying for Jesus to come back... praying for Him to stay just a while longer... praying for God to withhold the judgement that we DO have coming, and at the same time wishing I could see a little justice. It's all oxymoronic, ironic, and twisted. The only thing I know to do is keep studying, praying, serving the best I can, and looking up.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
The Scapegoat
Leviticus 16:7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. [a] 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.
It was Jewish custom for the priests to run the scapegoat out of town, sometimes pushing it off of a cliff so that it could not return. For the goat carrying the sins to return to camp was a VERY bad omen, for it meant that the sin was not removed from the people. The other goat was slaughtered before the people as a sin offering before God. A piece of scarlet cloth was tied to one of the horns of the altar. This, supposedly, would turn snow white once the sins of the people were far-removed and the sacrifice was accepted by God.
Matthew 27:17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Here again we have our two goats. Bar (son of) abbas (the high father) was released to live in his sin. Jesus, the Son of the High Father, was sacrificed for our sin. The Messianic jews teach that the flow of the fluid out of Christ's side was red first, as the blood drained away, then became clear (or white) as the water came forth, signifying that God accepted this Greatest of Sacrifices. All things point to Christ.
It was Jewish custom for the priests to run the scapegoat out of town, sometimes pushing it off of a cliff so that it could not return. For the goat carrying the sins to return to camp was a VERY bad omen, for it meant that the sin was not removed from the people. The other goat was slaughtered before the people as a sin offering before God. A piece of scarlet cloth was tied to one of the horns of the altar. This, supposedly, would turn snow white once the sins of the people were far-removed and the sacrifice was accepted by God.
Matthew 27:17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Here again we have our two goats. Bar (son of) abbas (the high father) was released to live in his sin. Jesus, the Son of the High Father, was sacrificed for our sin. The Messianic jews teach that the flow of the fluid out of Christ's side was red first, as the blood drained away, then became clear (or white) as the water came forth, signifying that God accepted this Greatest of Sacrifices. All things point to Christ.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Welcome
This is the first post. May it be the first of many between friends and spiritual family! Let the discussions begin!
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