Heidegger and Dasein

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) uses the expression Dasein--a term which refers to a particularize experience that is peculiar to human beings. It is a singular particular atomized existential event. Thus, it is a form of being that has an nano by nano second ongoing awareness that must confront such issues as person-hood, mortality and the dilemma or paradox of living in relationship with other humans while being ultimately alone with oneself.

To me Dasein means "being there" in the moment as we project one moment into the next. Dasein is purposeless yet contingent and responsive within the context of “being there.” The moment, therefore, carries its own purpose. The clock of purposes, however, is disturbed by multitudinous wills, the primary will being God in whom we live and move and have our being. Time is as if we live in a cage, free to move about to the extent in which we have opportunity. Objectivity is only made possible by the creative will—that being, of course, God. This is an implied conclusion, however, not necessarily an ontological one. All creaturely events point to a contingent predecessor. God is not a creature, as the very concept negates that possibility. Nothing can create itself. At best it can procreate, but never create. Creatures can imagine, design, and shape creation, but never create such as such. This I base on the logical of experience, both personal and communal.

For we Christians to insist that we can know God is never predicated on the ability to seize God as an object of possession. It is, however, to experience God in His personhood. That is in His expressions as God.  

Think of it this way. A man walks into the room but says nothing. All you may know about him is that he appears to be like man as we define man, a homosapien in comparison to other objects we perceive. Do we therefore know “this man?”  Or do we know about “this man?” At best we know about this man. His height, weight, color, clothes he wears, and so forth. There is indeed very little that we know. For all we know, we may also be hallucinating. We do however begin to understand the what as a who when the what speaks and begins to act. In these cases, however, we only still know about him until he evokes a certain trust in who he is—once he deviates from that however we are back to square one for all practical purposes. 

When Bultmann speaks of knowing God only through the Word, this is precisely what he means. That is we know God in His personhood, but not Him as an object. To formulate an analogy and then call that form is to make an idol out of the concept of God. God is not a concept. He is a person, the I Am, the only I Am there is, as all other I am-s are contingent I am-s; not so with God, He is the I Am that I Am, unique in His personhood. Man can not say, “I am that I am” since he is self-existent within himself, there is no aseity with man. Man is fully contingent except in relationship with God, who them becomes man’s self-sufficiency by Grace and Grace alone. This is no doubt what is meant by “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.” Likeness is always contingent, never unique as such. The pattern is not the original, nor is a painting the actual image of what it represents. When Christ became man, He took on the likeness of Man, made in the image of God, not God made in the image of man since He was already God (2 Corinthians 4:4). There is a subtle but necessary difference here.

Both Heidegger’s and Bultmann’s theology has a tendency to pull you down a stream of logic then abandon you on the shoals of nonsense. This, I mean in the strictest sense of the word, sensuality—that is as in the 5 senses are abandoned in favor of the ethereal world of imagination and the aggrandizement of analogical love, steering us, of course, along the path of dialectical discourse, that is between the subject and the object of concern. The results are really nothing more than an imaginary debate between an elusive but stimulating idea of God possibility—some would say of Anslemic proportions, as if the very thought of God is a sufficient ontology.   

There are, however, some salvageable characteristics, one being a framework for discussion. That I say because on discussion, including debate, can function without a common language, in this case being analogy. The end results of such discourse are not without disappointment, since in essence there is no sensible "there" "there"—that process, understandable, is not in the acceptable sense of the word, since a there must be a "there" "there" in the real sense or all else is nonsense.

A framework for discussion is not enough, however. It is as if a blind man puts together a puzzle using his tactile skills and innate knowledge of space and so-forth only to be told that indeed he has arranged all the pieces perfectly, but the puzzle so arranged is on the table right side down thus obscuring the picture beneath. 

Got it? If not, don't sweat it. Your eternal salvation is much more secure than that.

JimR_/

A flozzie as a poster child . . .? Enough is enough!

Often in the course of history God pulls back the curtain and shows all who dare look just how rotten a nation is. Certainly, this was the case for Israel, time and time again. I believe America is at that juncture right now.

The “me-too-ism movement” is caught between a rock and a hard place, morally. Stormy Daniels is no victim, except in the broadest sense of the word, and yet she is made out to be some kind of heroine since she is willing to expose her alleged, and filthy shenanigans of a 60-year-old married man who happened to be later elected President of the United States. How one ounce of good can come out of any of this is beyond me.

So, let’s call it what it is: debauchery at the lowest, and one might say, highest level of our country.

For some floozie to expose her freakish silicone injected breast and blow kisses to a crowd of clambering photo frenzied reporters to be elevated to a First Amendment poster child is flabbergasting, to say the least. Yet, it is taking place right before our eyes—thanks to modern technology and an eager media to make it so.

The webs of sin and lies like a finely woven spider’s web have ensnared our country as never before, since Water Gate; and there seems to be no end to the entanglements that lay before us.

All is not well in Zion, and the sooner we wake up to the fact, as a nation, the better. If not, the consequences are unbearable to imagine.

The answer? Personally, I have none, except to say, in words of Scripture that,

“If God’s people, who are called by His name, will humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, then will they hear from heaven, and He will forgive their sin and will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).”

Otherwise, there is no hope this side of Heaven. So, my hope is that the pulpits of our land will echo a challenging call to repent and abandon that “other Gospel (Gal 1:6-9)” of which Paul speaks. Shall I name some of them? Let’s start with “feel-good-ism,” then move on to the pseudo spiritual magic of “get-rich-ism,” followed by “once-saved-always-saved-ism,” and last but not least, I would call “hallelujah-praise-the-Lord-spizzerinctum-ism.”

The “feel-good-ism” doctrine is based on how well one feels once they exit the church service following a pep talk on how great they are; “get-rich-ism” is something that has long since been debunked, yet it lingers—this is commonly known as the prosperity gospel; and lastly, the “hallelujah-praise-the-Lord-spizzerinctum-ism” gospel is based on how high you jump, and excited you can get in a good old rip roaring Pentecostal service. None of these is the Gospel. All are false, other gospels, which must be shunned.

 I am yours for a better tomorrow,

 JimR_/

Fake news a sign of the times?

Data communication will eventually destroy America, if we do not repent as a nation. This I say because data is only as good as its source. So, when data is received without first filtering it through a truth grid, then we are in big trouble. And, friends, this is precisely what fake news is all about. Lying is accepted as the gospel truth by-in-large, it seems, by a substantial segment of our society, then acted upon—that is, either regurgitated by the liberal press, or by godless activists out to deceitfully destroy what little moral structure we have left.

One of the great challenges that we as a nation face is sifting through all the digital information that is communicated over the internet, and figuring what picture has been cropped, or data distorted, or purposeful lies spread just for the sake of misinforming the public—either for fun, or because some hacker is bored, or for a more sinister unpatriotic and treasonous reason, or for some partisan advantage.

The Bible speaks not only against telling a lie, but also against “he that maketh a lie (Rev. 21:27 KJV).” And, boy is the Devil at work twisting the news with made up stories to spew out his distortions! Problem is, about the only way to check it out is through more internet, or fishing around to find some network that will stay honest long enough for you to trust it. Biased reporting, liberal, conservative, or otherwise, is not reporting at all—it is simply some reporter pushing their agenda. So, running down truth over internet or through media outlets is an endless conundrum, and frustrating to say the least. So, unless and until we get enough honest people controlling the media we are in deep trouble.

Scriptures speak against those who choose to believe a lie, and delight in doing so (2 Thess. 2:12; Rom. 1:18-32). God forbid that we who have been sanctified by the Spirit ever indulge is such nefarious practices (Thess. 2:13).

Now, once again, may God give us the wisdom and strength to resist evil, and cling to that which is good.

 Take care, and walk softly before the Lord,

 JimR_/

Shifting sands of time . . .

There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous. Blaise Pascal

One may resolve to live righteously; yet, foolishly twist the words of Christ and scriptures to suit themselves. Such self-righteousness is not righteousness at all—it’s a spiritual oxymoron, if there can be any such thing. Yet, some try to go it on their own. They make up the rules along the way, and think that they can get by with it. It’s the modern answer to an old outdated morality, they proclaim.

Somehow, according to their way of thinking, love—erotic or otherwise, trumps all. God has shifted His eternal will to meet today’s cultural norms, and self-defined love is the standard. The quicker the old morality is replaced, the better, as far as they are concerned, particularly when the politically correct wind of the future is blowing in a different direction.

Gender identity is scoffed at, by these absent-minded purveyors of political and religious liberalism. After all, as the reasoning goes, why cannot one become what one wishes to become? Born a man, want to be a woman? No problem. A good surgeon and some hormonal shots and enough money, and that can be resolved. Thus, despite all available scientific and psychological research, these decadent purveyors of licentiousness plod on trampling decency underneath them wherever their warped theology takes them.

Strange isn’t it, that in regard to gender and marriage, Jesus responded to the Pharisees,

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:8)

No question of gender there, or whom should marry whom. Why then do our politically correct churches agitate for change? Same sex marriage? Not in God’s eye, they’re not.

What about the foolish regulation that wool could not be mixed with linen when making a garment (Deuteronomy 22:11)? Surely that was a stupid law, right alongside the other regulations found in the law—as for example, proscribing same sex relations, and a host of other archaic regulations.

Well, the answer is simple. Only the priest had that privilege (Deuteronomy 22:11)—that is, to wear a garment made in such a way. So, laypersons were prohibited to dress that way. Today there are similar laws. It’s illegal to dress up in a badge and a uniform to impersonate a police officer, isn’t it? Police have the authority to stop a speeding car, or handcuff a person, or breakup a domestic dispute and arrest the culprit — things no one else may do. In a similar manner, God gave priests special authority to lead worship in his Holy Presence, administer Temple rituals so that they were, therefore, identified by the clothes they wore. So, it was and is unethical and misleading for a lay person to dress up like a priest, particularly when this can confuse the public or provide unwarranted privileges to the imposter.

I bring the issue up once again because I see so many Christians, pastor’s and laymen alike retreat to a politically correct corner and cave in to the most egregious immorality imaginable. Murder is alright—their warped reasoning goes, after all an abortion is a woman’s right. Furthermore, love is the bond that unites a couple, regardless of sex; and, therefore, God must be pleased to sanction such practices.

Not according to Scripture, particularly Romans 1:18-32, or as implied by the words of Christ, as found in Matthew 19:8, which was quoted above. The natural minded confuse the order of creation, including human sexuality, among other things, when our theology strays from God’s Word. Friendships aside, we are obligated to take a stance solidly on Scripture; speaking in love (Ephesians 4:15), of course.

We are only complete in Him. There is no perfection outside that. Anything less is like spinning our wheels. We get nowhere. Frustration sets in. Like the proverbial gerbil, round and round we go, and where we stop no one knows.

The writer to the Hebrews declared,

For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)

Which brings about an interesting conundrum, and that is, who sanctifies us? Christ, of course. He is the One who sanctifies us, the Scripture tells us, doesn’t it?

So, it’s best to stick with Jesus and His Word under all circumstances, past and present, whether or not it is the politically correct thing to do.

Let us therefore, put on the whole armor of God, including the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:11-20). For It is because of God that we are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Therefore, to dismiss the words of Christ and his duly appointed Apostles and prophets, upon whom the Church is built, with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) as outdated is perhaps religion, but not much more—certainly not the faith that was delievered once and for all to the saints, of which Jude speaks. 

Now, may God keep you safely in the arms of Jesus, for in Him dwells all the fulness of God bodily, and we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10).

JimR/-

Snake oil salesmen in the ministry? You bet'cha . . .

In appearance there is a fine degree between genuineness and hypocrisy, but a world of difference in fact. A hypocrite can fool you, but never a righteous man. There are those little clues if you look for them. A hypocrite will try to impress you with the money they give, plaques on the wall, degrees flaunted, anything to impress others. Of course, God sees right through all of that, and so do men and women of God. Why shouldn’t they? That’s what the gift of discernment is all about: Something to remember though, is that:

" [The] natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:1).”

So, don’t try and discern it on your own. That’s impossible. Spiritual con-men are a dime a dozen. They come in all shapes and sizes. And, they are tricky, too. Some live piously in multimillion dollar mansions. Others, fly around in private jets like some modern snake oil salesmen hawking their spiritual wow-power. The dumb, deaf, and blind thrill seeker jump around from one charade to the next and when things do not go as expect, they blame Jesus or at the very least a lack of faith. Either allegation is, however, in the final analysis, just a bunch of hooey, though.

Jesus has already warned us that these purveyors of self-interest would be around peddling their wares, and to be on the lookout for them (Matthew 7:22, 23). Now, I realize that that is a broad brush to paint with; however, not all that say, “Lord, Lord" are genuine (Matthew 7:21-23). The sooner we learn it, the better, too.

Gullibility is not what God had in mind when He said,

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. (James 5:14-15).”

Bogus healings aside, none-the-less, God does still heal, but He doesn’t need some phony dressed in a $5,000.00 dollar made suit to do it, though. One from J. C. Penny’s will work just fine. Laying all sarcasm aside, however, we need to teach those in our care as under shepherds to be on the lookout for these ravenous wolfs in sheep’s clothing. They are a dime a dozen, but in the long run the cost is much higher.

Jesus didn’t mince words, when he felt that bigger issues were at stake (Luke 11:37-54; Matthew 23:1-39; Mark 12:35-40; Luke 20:45-47); neither did Paul (Romans 8:28; Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6–11; Galatians 2:7; Galatians 3:1-5), and, of course much more throughout the Bible. The bottom-line? We, too, must be diligent to defend our people against these outsiders who raise havoc among believers at large, and embarrass all of us.

I know that this is old hat for some of you; however, I grieve each time I see lives ruined by these spiritual charlatans. Believe me. Some of this grief hits pretty close to home, too.

Let us, therefore, content for the doctrine which was 

delivered to the saints, once and for all,

JimR_/-

Does God have a "B-Plan"? I don't think so . .

God's "B-Plan"

Dear Friends,

Nothing like having a good "B-Plan" if things don't go as expected. However, if you, I or anyone else is looking for God's "B-Plan" forget it! He doesn't have one. Never did; never will. He has always had one central purpose for each one of us: That is, to form us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Try to substitute another plan from your own ingenuity, and at best we are going to mess up what God has planned for us all along. This is to say that even if God does not always get His own way with us, He never gives up. He simply doesn’t. This is where free will comes in. We will get sidetracked from time to time. He knows that, and will put up with it, but He remains focused and determined. He wants us to be the person for which we were created. Always has; always will.

What a disappointment it is to watch some of us blunder through life with no purpose in mind, not realizing that God has had one for each of us all along. How sad it is to hear someone sigh: “I am so bored. Wish I had something exciting to do.” Truth is, we have plenty to do. God’s work is never finished—that is, at least down here. So, instead of trying to work ourselves out of the doldrums by constantly taking up our time with some frivolous hobby, or incessant stream of music blasting our eardrums into shreds, why not concentrate on turning ourselves into the man or woman that God wants us to be?

What’s that? you say. Need you or I, or anyone else ask? The answer was settled long ago at a place we call Calvary. But then, we only get there by offering ourselves as living sacrifices—like He did, so many years ago. Yes, Calvary, too, is meant for us. Not just the sacrifices He made, but those that we must make also. We, too, must take up our crosses daily, and follow Him ((Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23), even if it means the greatest of all sacrifices—that is to lay down our lives for Him, as He did for us.

So, we must stop looking for a “B-Plan,” there is none! God is never satisfied with any less than the best. Why should we be? The truth is, we can’t.

Nothing like having a good "B-Plan" if things don't go as expected. However, if you, I or anyone else is looking for God's "B-Plan" forget it! He doesn't have one. Never did; never will. He has always had one central purpose for each one of us: That is, to form us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Try to substitute another plan from your own ingenuity, and at best we are going to mess up what God has planned for us all along. This is to say that even if God does not always get His own way with us, He never gives up. He simply doesn’t. This is where free will comes in. We will get sidetracked from time to time. He knows that, and will put up with it, but He remains focused and determined. He wants us to be the person for which we were created. Always has; always will.

What a disappointment it is to watch some of us blunder through life with no purpose in mind, not realizing that God has had one for each of us all along. How sad it is to hear someone sigh: “I am so bored. Wish I had something exciting to do.” Truth is, we have plenty to do. God’s work is never finished—that is, at least down here. So, instead of trying to work ourselves out of the doldrums by constantly taking up our time with some frivolous hobby, or incessant stream of music blasting our eardrums into shreds, why not concentrate on turning ourselves into the man or woman that God wants us to be?

What’s that? you say. Need you or I, or anyone else ask? The answer was settled long ago at a place we call Calvary. But then, we only get there by offering ourselves as living sacrifices—like He did, so many years ago. Yes, Calvary, too, is meant for us. Not just the sacrifices He made, but those that we must make also. We, too, must take up our crosses daily, and follow Him ((Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23), even if it means the greatest of all sacrifices—that is to lay down our lives for Him, as He did for us.

So, we must stop looking for a “B-Plan,” there is none! God is never satisfied with any less than the best. Why should we be? The truth is, we can’t.

Still on Kingdom Business in Southern Asia, 

JimR /-

⇒ P.S. We are still short at least $2,000.00 dollars. Please pray! Donation button, top left. Thanks. -- Jim

Navigating through the next 4 years

One of the first Scripture verse that I memorized as a young aspiring teenage preacher was:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

It makes sense, doesn’t it? that if Jesus is God, then as God He does not change. It certainly does not take any stretch of logic to arrive at that conclusion. That’s for sure.

Yet, like the fellow who insist that each succeeding generation must reinvent the wheel, this generation of “progressives” feel the old rules don’t apply. God develops right alongside society, warts and all, according to them. The nice thing, they say, about these new rules, is that you can be what you want to be. If you were born male, never mind that’s easy, with just the right amount of money and a good surgeon’s knife “bingo” you are now female. And, if you don’t want to go through all that trouble, then you can just as easily change things with a little makeup and a dress with a new swagger to your walk. That’ll work just fine. The good news—according to them, of course, is that you now have your choice of bathrooms, and if that doesn’t fit your fancy, the government will see to it that you get a new unisex one built just for you.

Hopefully, this will change with the new administration, but I am not holding my breath, simply because this foolishness is too ingrained in our snobbish culture to reverse the trend. Yes, we have a new administration in the White House, but the majority are hitting the streets coalescing around a common agenda of licentiousness and change—not for the better, but for the worst.

Now, I am all for personal choice as long as it doesn’t force itself on me or my pocket book. The point is, to legislate morality is a nebulous thing, and is best left alone unless it adversely affects me or someone else that thinks differently then they do. So, needless to say I find it personally unsettling for the thought control Nazis to do my thinking for me, and in the process, invade my God given rights, as well as others.

Now, if by chance, there is someone out there that does not understand this cultural war—really, a spiritual war; then brace yourself because the worst is yet to come. Just wait until the new millenniums take over. I will be thankful if we can reverse the trend but I am not holding my breath on that.

Our only hope is an old fashioned God ordained revival, but I am not holding my breath on that one, either. It’s not that God can’t change things; it is simply that man won’t, and I simply do not see Him violating the free will of man to bring it about. The Bible talks about Noah’s generation revisiting us, and there is very little to convince me that these unwelcomed guests are not already knocking at our doors—kicking them down in some instances, I must say.

Now, I realize that the temptation for some is to write this all off as the ramblings of an old worn out preacher—but with age, I must tell you, comes wisdom that only experience can bring. So, my strong advice is for us to brace ourselves for the onslaught that I sense looming over the not so distant horizon.

For as Peter reminds us, we must:

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

An angel of light? Yes, that, too. But most often he is found hiding under the guise of sheep’s clothing waving a banner of freedom, liberty and justice for all. Problem is, they have written the dictionary instead of God.

Once again, be blessed—better yet bless others.



Jim/ 

All That Theological Gobbledygook-

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things so that, if I am delayed, you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:14-15 (St. Paul to Timothy, his disciple)

Elton Trueblood once wrote:

Very early in my academic life I realized that shallow waters are often muddied to make them look deep, and I vowed to avoid this affectation if I could. (Philosophy of Religion)

Nothing in my opinion could be closer to the truth or of a more sound judgement. After just wading through a volume on Thomas Aquinas by a so-called expert, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I would have been much better off reading St. Thomas' Summa Theologia itself without trying to filter out all the muddy water this author had stirred up. Why is it, may I ask, that some "Biblical scholars" feel it is necessary to go around old Dobbin's barn when they could just as easily go through the door?

Paul, who we all agree, was one of the greatest theologians of all time was able to succinctly summarize the essence of the Gospel with these words:

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1–4)

Nothing muddy about those waters. Why then do some find it necessary to filter this truth through a maze of convoluted theological puzzles and word games? What is wrong with simply saying, "I don't know. It's a mystery, but I know it is true because God says so?" What is wrong with the simple faith of a little child, especially when Christ declared that we must become like one to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

The Catholic monk Thomas a' Kempis put it this way,

What doth it profit thee to dispute deeply about the Trinity, if thou be wanting in humility, and so be displeasing to the Trinity? In truth, sublime words make not a Saint and a just man; but it is a virtuous life that maketh one dear to God. I would rather feel compunction [that is a sense of guilt], than know how to define it.

Who can argue with that approach? Certainly not I.


Through it all, however, be blessed–and as usual, bless others.

Jim R/

Election Year Hallabaloo . . .

Always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim. 3:7)

I don’t know about you, perhaps it is just me, but I find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the current political campaigns and the Ringling Brother’s Circus. Surely, we should not be asked to take the process seriously. And, in my opinion, herein comes the rub. These are serious times. No room for politically correct shenanigans or name calling here, as far as I am concerned.

The whole scene reminds me of the words of Christ, when he said in Matthew 11:16-19):

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”

Could it be that sensible people are simply turned off by the whole scene and see it as just another game that Americans play every 4 years, or whenever there is another election? I think so. There certainly seems to be a majority that fit the category.

Further, in this same parable, Jesus reminds them that even when unadulterated truth faces them---in this case, John the Baptist—they sluff it off by discrediting the messenger, with these words:

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

Then He ends the parable with this cryptic statement: “wisdom is only proved right by her deeds.” For years, I wrestled with what that meant, now I understand that all Jesus was saying is that “the proof is in the pudding.” In other words, where had all their shenanigans lead them? Most assuredly nowhere. Nothing wise about that. That’s for sure.

Now, may I ask in all sincerity, “Where will all this election hullaballoo lead us?”

Unfortunately, without God, I must say, we will only have more of the same in the foreseeable, and beyond according to the Bible I read.

At this point, I ask myself if I am a pessimist by nature or are these the facts. Well, to answer that: neither; I’m a realist. Be that as it may, however, this is no excuse for me or for any of us to stand idly by.  For we must work, until we can no longer work. (John 9:4).  

As ever, be blessed—better yet, bless others!

JimR/

Dallas and beyond . . .

By now most of the world has heard about Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old Army veteran who shot and killed 5 Dallas policemen and wounded several others. While reflecting on the incident and watching the press emote over the event, I turned to Scripture for an answer. But not just any answer … I wanted the answer. Of course, I knew and have always taught that Christ is the answer; however, I questioned whether he alone was sufficient. Well, of course, the truth is yes and no. He is the answer in so far as we allow him to be; but herein lies the crux of the matter: in all honesty we seldom do. We would rather fix the problem ourselves.

Our solution is generally a call for more highly trained police, and/or more economic and social equality and less inflammatory rhetoric or something along those lines. Seldom do we see ourselves as the culprit.

Now, keep in mind I am a white man and I know what white people say by-in-large in private.

Far too often the illegal alien Latino is labeled as just another wetback, and budding criminal if not one already.  The same brush is used to paint the welfare mom, or an unemployed black man as just another example of a drag on our society. Ignoring the truth that not all welfare moms are out to scam the system, or that all unemployed are blacks lazy. Sadly, when we choose such labels, the love meter slowly begins to tilt towards either indifference or a seething prejudice which in turns leads to bitterness or in some cases violence.

The truth of the matter is that on some level we have all been guilty of generically labeling some a misfits and drags on society simply because they do not fit into our perfect picture of how things should be. Make no doubt about it, there are criminals and lazy bums, as well as the garden variety of misfits, but to treat them differently than God treats them is grossly sinful.

Micah Johnson and Dallas Police Chief David Brown are a case in point. Ironically both men are black. Obviously, both have seen the world though different lenses. Johnson’s view was filtered through hatred; whereas, Chief Brown chose to filter his through love and service. Now keep these two in focus and let us man up and admit that far too often we have been guilty of throwing all blacks into the same basket along with ‘wetbacks’ the gays and lesbians or the transgender, or the bourka dressed  Muslim next door, and perhaps for good measure those annoying Jehovah Witnesses that just rang our door bell, or what have you. This is true, whether we admit it or not.

We as Christians must never allow ourselves to be tainted with the rhetoric of hate or embrace an attitude of disgust simply because we cannot see past the color of one’s skin or their country of origin or, for that matter, their religion. Ours’s is not to judge but to love. Only God is capable of both. We are restrained from judgement: that is His job. For even "… God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17)."

A lassie fare attitude will not work either. We must become involved. If an open forum is not a comfortable style for us, then privately in our work-a-day activities or in our private moments with those around us. Keep in mind, however, that we are not God’s moral squad commissioned to fix this broken world. Our job is not to fix, but to offer a viable solution. Any less of a stance will eventually lead to irreconcilable differences, division, prejudice and hate. The bottom line is that none of us can cram love down anyone’s throat. So, that is not even an option.

On the other hand, though, we must embrace one another as brothers and sisters in love, or die as fools. This I say because America is not invincible, particularly so when and if we continue to allow ourselves to be divided one against the other in an atmosphere of hate and distrust. Black, white, the brown and all hues in-between are God’s children, as well as the 'haves' and the 'have-nots. '

As ever, be blessed and — 

 “Let those (among us) without sin cast the first stone … (John 8:7.”

JimR_/-

Dallas and beyond . . .

By now most of the world has heard about Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old Army veteran who shot and killed 5 Dallas policemen and wounded several others. While reflecting on the incident and watching the press emote over the event, I turned to Scripture for an answer. But not just any answer … I wanted the answer. Of course, I knew and have always taught that Christ is the answer; however, I questioned whether he alone was sufficient. Well, of course, the truth is yes and no. He is the answer in so far as we allow him to be; but herein lies the crux of the matter: in all honesty we seldom do. We would rather fix the problem ourselves.

Our solution is generally a call for more highly trained police, and/or more economic and social equality and less inflammatory rhetoric or something along those lines. Seldom do we see ourselves as the culprit.

Now, keep in mind I am a white man and I know what white people say by-in-large in private.

Far too often the illegal alien Latino is labeled as just another wetback, and budding criminal if not one already.  The same brush is used to paint the welfare mom, or an unemployed black man as just another example of a drag on our society. Ignoring the truth that not all welfare moms are out to scam the system, or that all unemployed are blacks lazy. Sadly, when we choose such labels, the love meter slowly begins to tilt towards either indifference or a seething prejudice which in turns leads to bitterness or in some cases violence.

The truth of the matter is that on some level we have all been guilty of generically labeling some a misfits and drags on society simply because they do not fit into our perfect picture of how things should be. Make no doubt about it, there are criminals and lazy bums, as well as the garden variety of misfits, but to treat them differently than God treats them is grossly sinful.

Micah Johnson and Dallas Police Chief David Brown are a case in point. Ironically both men are black. Obviously, both have seen the world though different lenses. Johnson’s view was filtered through hatred; whereas, Chief Brown chose to filter his through love and service. Now keep these two in focus and let us man up and admit that far too often we have been guilty of throwing all blacks into the same basket along with ‘wetbacks’ the gays and lesbians or the transgender, or the bourka dressed  Muslim next door, and perhaps for good measure those annoying Jehovah Witnesses that just rang our door bell, or what have you. This is true, whether we admit it or not.

We as Christians must never allow ourselves to be tainted with the rhetoric of hate or embrace an attitude of disgust simply because we cannot see past the color of one’s skin or their country of origin or, for that matter, their religion. Ours’s is not to judge but to love. Only God is capable of both. We are restrained from judgement: that is His job. For even "… God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17)."

A lassie fare attitude will not work either. We must become involved. If an open forum is not a comfortable style for us, then privately in our work-a-day activities or in our private moments with those around us. Keep in mind, however, that we are not God’s moral squad commissioned to fix this broken world. Our job is not to fix, but to offer a viable solution. Any less of a stance will eventually lead to irreconcilable differences, division, prejudice and hate. The bottom line is that none of us can cram love down anyone’s throat. So, that is not even an option.

On the other hand, though, we must embrace one another as brothers and sisters in love, or die as fools. This I say because America is not invincible, particularly so when and if we continue to allow ourselves to be divided one against the other in an atmosphere of hate and distrust. Black, white, the brown and all hues in-between are God’s children, as well as the 'haves' and the 'have-nots. '

As ever, be blessed and — 

 “Let those (among us) without sin cast the first stone … (John 8:7.”

JimR/

"The Hell," you say?

Evangelical theologians are notoriously politically correct within the system. Question an archaic doctrine that at the very least needs clarification is ministerial suicide for some. Take, for example, the doctrine of Hell. Question that in light of “only God has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16)” and see how far you get in average Evangelical circles. Need I go any further?

Some of the greatest minds in theology have expressed contradictory views vis-à-vis Evangelical “orthodoxy” such as: Hans Urs von Balthazar, C. S. Lewis, John R. W. Stott, William Barclay, Clark Pinnock—needless to say, also, that the Church Fathers both early and late did not agree on this, nor did the Reformers; they did, however, discuss the issue. May I quote just one of the greatest theologians of all time, who wrote: “In Hell there is no true eternity but rather time (St. Thomas Aquinas)?” Most assuredly St. Thomas Aquinas must have had the same thought in mind as did Isaiah who wrote much earlier: “Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:20)?”

In Scripture, Hell (or the fires of geennan/γέενναν) is confined to a cycle of days and nights; whereas, Heaven has no night, only day, for “He is the light thereof (Revelation 21:23).” Not so with Hell which is confined to a determine cycle of day and night until it is thrown into the Lake of Fire; after which, it can be argued only the “smoke of their torment (from the fires of geennan) (Revelation 14:11)” can be seen as a proof of the effectiveness of this consuming fire.

Now, consider with me for a moment what the implications of these verses of Scripture are—keeping in mind, of course, that sola scriptura does not take place in a vacuum. Reason has its proper place in theology as well, as does moral justice and fairness. Well, for one there is a judgment day and that there is punishment is a given, as Immanuel Kant pointed out so many years ago. However, we Protestants have thrown the baby out with the bath water and restricted that punishment to punitive punishment only. Remedial punishment a more sensible recourse is completely off limits.

Do I buy into the whole “liberal” approach, lock stock and barrel? Certainly not. However, perhaps it would serve us well to take into consideration that it took at least three-and-one-quarter centuries for the doctrine of the Trinity to essentially take its final form. Some would argue, however, that the controversy would only be settled in the west under the tutelage of the Cappadocian Fathers (roughly 330-395 A.D.) when it really blossomed into its final form.

Now in this instance we are only talking about the Trinity, but we could also open up discussion as to why it took until the Reformation to come up with the so-called 5 solas: Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"); Sola fide ("by faith alone"); Sola gratia ("by grace alone"); Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone"); and Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone"). The point being, that on such an important and controversial subject as Hell, we have shut the door without having defined its parameters. It is one thing to say that, ‘Yes, there is a Hell and bad people go there,” but quite another to identify all of these bad people as those who do not agree with our little small brand of Christianity. Perhaps, we are right, but there are millions of Hindus, Buddhists, and yes, even Muslims that deserve to be told why. That we have not effectively answered yet.

JimR__/

Personally, I don’t recall any other time that American politics has disturbed me anymore than these days. Defamation of character seems to be the order of the day. Call your opponent a big fat slob, or a liar, or any other childish name you wish and your ratings go up.


No, I am not just talking about the Donald, either. There are exceptions, but their rating are in the single digits. Listen carefully and you will find as many Democrats squealing as you do Republicans using the same ad hominem attacks. Yes, I know Jesus called Creaser an old fox, but can you think of a better description? Nonetheless, when perfectly decent men and women are vilified it is to me a different proposition altogether.

That aside, however, the news media goads and baits politicians for the sole purpose of ratings or advertising revenue which only accentuates the frenzy. It’s all about the money. Further, it seems that a politician’s moral character is secondary for some of our larger churches and universities. Everybody wants to be on the winner’s side, it seems. Compromise, particularly when money is involved, seems to be the name of the game.

What a crazy topsy-turvy world!

Our degenerate political correctness has conveniently hidden the awfulness of the morning after pill under the euphemism of “emergency postcoital contraception” and the killing of the innocents as “prochoice”—it’s a woman’s right, you know. What rubbish. Moreover, for the P. C. crowd Islamic jihadist must not be referred to as Muslim extremists, or in any constructive way be linked to the source of its putrid origins. Again, what rubbish.

Yet, even now we are faced with another jihadist attack from terrorists born, raised in and protected by the ostensibly peace loving Muslims in the Molenbeek section of Brussels. After all, grandma’s home or the neighbor next door has proven to be a safer haven than the streets of Europe, so why not stick close to home and enjoy a fine home cooked meal and the camaraderie of old pals? By the way, when is the last time you have heard of peace loving Muslims turning one jihadist in? I can’ think of one. Perhaps, it’s high time for us to distinguish between complacency and peace loving. I’m just saying.

Once more, what a crazy topsy-turvy world!

As you know, currently I am in Beijing which surprisingly has a thriving and open Christian community as well as a large ethnic Muslim population throughout the rest of the country. Speaking of Chinese Muslims, I’m no expert but I can’t imagine China’s leadership losing any sleep over Guantanamo if the shoe were on the other foot. Surely there must be a lesson in all of this. Could it be that murder and mayhem parading under the banner of Islam requires swift and severe punishment?

Granted the Scriptures declares: 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

But what justice, however, is there for an unrepentant heart? Release the jihadist from Guantanamo and what do you get? Just another jihadist on the loose, as far as I can see. So, perhaps, just perhaps, it is best to stick with Scripture on this one:

“For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy (James 2:13).”

Sound harsh? I hope not. But we must be realistic, and we must be practical.

On the practical side and on another matter, I would suggest that vetting extremism is an ongoing task; and if you or your religious persuasion is detrimental to the state, potentially or otherwise, you lose your right to practice your particular brand of fanaticism. Naturally there must be a balance in all of this, but I am not sure we in the west have come up with a solution. Now, don’t misread me on this, the real test is in determining who the real extremist are. Cherry picking for individual jihadist in the process at this point is for all practical purposes impossible. Therefore, in my opinion, vetting individuals is secondary to vetting the sectarian system in which these fanatics thrive. Until we are able to successfully do that, we are in for a heap of trouble.

Need I say more?

As a voter most Christians are increasingly caught in a Catch-22 between the lesser of 2 evils. On the one hand the choice is an abortion advocate and proven incompetent, and on the other someone who quite well may just as well take us to the brink of Armageddon and beyond. Truth is there is no moral majority to fall back on either—that is, if there ever was one.

There is, however, one comforting fact, that I find in Acts 17:26 which reads:

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”

To me, this undeniably declares that God is in ultimate control and He sets the course of history and will keep it on track until the very end. We have the privilege and opportunity to play the roles as we see fit, but He has written the play. And, in the end, God wins.

Well, I’ve gone out on a limb on this one, but it is not the first time. And, quite frankly, on this one, I had just as soon be proven wrong.

Yours in the Bonds of Calvary,

JimR_/-