A Flair for the Dramatic?

In the beginning there was the Word.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
In the beginning there was the Word.

In the end of all things God tells us in The Revelation that Christ meets the armies of Armageddon with a sword protruding from His mouth. His sword is invincible, and the vast armies of the world are instantly and completely defeated, apparently without one more casualty on the part of the saints who are standing behind him.

What is this sword that protrudes from the mouth? It is the awesome power of the Creator, fully exhibited in His Son; the power of God Himself in the spoken word. One word from Jesus and it all ends- all the thousands of years of man striving against his Creator, all the sin and willfulness meeting against a single word.

Consider for a moment the setting. All the armies of Europe, and all the armies of the east mass together in one valley. The eyes of the world are upon them. They threaten the continued existence of Israel. Then steps in the Creator, in all of His awesome power, at the last moment, at the very last possibility. With one word it all stops and amounts to exactly nothing.

Does God indeed have a flair for the dramatic?

These Truths are Self Evident

What truths are self-evident? Today I read a sad story about a nine year old girl killed after she annulled her marriage to a forty-five year old man. She was killed as a matter of honor by her family.

I know not all the self-evident truths, but this I do know. Man is responsible to his Creator, who will hold us in judgment for all our deeds. Solomon told us to eat, drink, and be merry, but know that we will account to God for our lives. This country where the vile deed was done has politicians defending the practice, saying that it includes hundreds of years of tradition.

Of course, on its own, that is a fallacious argument, for tradition itself has no merit other than force of habit. Habits may be good or bad, but it is my own observation that most habits are bad and the ones which we would keep and abide by are so much harder to develop and maintain. Following tradition for tradition’s sake would mean that if we had opportunity we would crucify Christ yet again. Thinking about this analogy, I do not doubt that we would do exactly that if He offered us the chance. This time around, however, he is coming as the Lion of Judah, not the Lamb of God.

The Lion of Judah will severely judge misdeeds that happened to this nine year old girl. I think of the apostle Paul, belittled so often by our American culture. He said in perhaps the greatest equality statement of all time, that we are all part of one body, Jews or Gentiles, slave or free, male or female. Those cultures treating women as property shall not escape a harsher look. The Lord comes and with Him, so does judgment.

Socialism in Action

Years ago I worked among the homeless in Skid Row. I recall that we served two different meals: one to the staff men who worked and lived with us, and one for the men who came to us directly from the street. The staff would get a better fare- a balanced meal (though I remember it very heavy on carbs!). The homeless would get a stew or beans with bread.



We got a new director who saw this discrepency and decided to do something about it. Standing before all the staff men, he announced that these differences would no longer be tolerated. Henceforth all men would be treated equally with regard to meals. It was a rousing speech and one of the few times I actually saw the staff men stand and cheer. Someone was here to put things right at last!



Imagine their disappointment the next day when they found their meals now consisted of the plainer fare- beans and bread or stew and bread. Yes, things were now the same, just as promised. How awful was the result!



So it is with me when politicians promise national health care for all. I always think of those poor gullible souls believing in their director. Government will apportion and deny health care in the most bizarre fashion. We will all become casualties of care!

History is yet to be told

There is a famous aphorism that history is always written by the victor. Imagine what history might read like had Hitler won his global conquest. Just maybe it would be a tad different than what we read today. Imagine reading a biography of Hitler’s archenemy, Churchill. Undoubtedly we would read of many vile and contemptible deeds done by this dastardly character.

It occurs to me that history, even as close as it is to culmination, has not yet been written. One of my private passions is the reading and understanding of history, but if my musing is correct, the real view of history, as told through the ultimate Victor, has yet to be written. I wonder how the stories of history will change when we see them through the hand of the Pattern-Maker.

Random Recent Thoughts

He who carries the biggest baseball bat inevitably wants to swing at your head; if you really want to give government a bigger bat you should probably invest in a good helmet (government-approved, of course).

Overheard from church:
I work for DMV and am looking to the Lord’s return because I really want to see what he is going to do with the DMV.

There has never been a time in history where it has not been later than it ever has been before; nevertheless all the rehearsals of the Last Supper are culminating in the real event.

What is Truth?

Reflections on Truth

Doesn’t the very word “truth” imply one-sidedness and bigotry? If there is a truth to be found, would it not necessarily divide people? That division would of necessity be in two camps: 1) those who believe and embrace the truth, and 2) the larger group of those who reject the truth.

Thinking over this, a probable outcome would be that the larger group would be divided into many further subsets.

Now suppose that there is one truth for knowing and coming to the Divine. Part of those rejecting the truth would inevitably twist portions of the truth for themselves, proclaiming that their new version is genuine. Inevitably there would be a falling out and new versions would result. Part of those rejecting would reject in total, asking what is truth?

That which I find amazing is the world about me seems to pretty much reflect this argument. In the United States it is not even considered polite anymore for someone to stand and say he has the truth. Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said I am not come to unite, I am come to divide, to set father against son, etc.

Oh, the sharp point of truth! Take care for upon it all of history has already divided, cleaving us neatly into our two groups. “I am come that ye may know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”