Flight

Politics in our time is tiring.  After two years of presidential campaigning the voters of Americas have reelected Barack Obama, a far left ideologue.  His political opinion is that the government has the duty and the authority to determine all things for the people.   The government knows what is best and any opposition is considered evil to be oppressed.  The Tea party ideals of smaller government, less spending with accompanying money honesty are the current target.  Both the establishment Republican and all the Democrats want us who so believe to retire into oblivion.

America, let’s just go cliff diving off the physical cliff!  Our politicians do little else than play political games for political advantage while they ignore the devastation that is burdening regular America.  Our politicians are boobs in the pay of special interests.  Only one thing will convince the voters of the lunacy of higher taxes and slower economic growth.  That thing is a total meltdown of the economy,  so as the Beetles sang, “let it be”.  Tea Party believers, make no deals with the devil, do not abandon your just cause, take the blame and let the sure economic failure of far left politics be experienced by all the people, the pain is regrettable but necessary.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

A Theology of Healing

St. Luke  6: 19  …. and the people all tried to touch him, because the power was coming from him and
                                 healing them all.

Never, no way can the 21st century man believe that such a demonstration of healing power was possible.  The Scripture says that “all” the people tried to touch him and “all” of those who did were healed.  The modern man would say, this story must be at least an over exaggeration intended to support the assertion that this man, Jesus, was some kind of other worldly visitor.  A visitor who was not restrained by earthly norms or earthly expectations of what healing is possible.  They would go on to say, as some biblical scholars have maintained, these stories are myths, intended to convey a theological meaning but not a circumstance of fact.

While there is nothing evil about this scenario one would wonder if there may be just a bit more going on in this particular myth.  This particular verse is such a direct and inclusive summary of the healing ministry of Jesus that to pass it off so lightly is to give no credence to the divine connection only he has claimed in his short healing episode.  Could it not be that because of this unique connection Jesus was able to demonstrate unique healing power, boundless healing power that is for all and successful for all who touch him in that time and place?   No such stories emanate from his first 30 years on the planet.

Divine healing in this modern age is preached with many qualifiers, preached with more reasons why God would not heal than the very few actual healings.  The modern age has given rise to many so called prophets of God who make divine healing a central belief so as to facilitate a crowd.  Time and again these ministries are proven to be fraud operations making it more difficult to believe in what God was saying to us in the special person of Jesus.  So special that to limit his power is wrong and to assume similar power for our time is wrong.  

If the Jesus who healed all was also God, if he was showing us a glimpse of the perfection on the other side, how can this verse be modernized?

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA      

Leadership in 2013

Politicians and preachers promote themselves to be leaders but they first parrot the priorities of their own choirs.  The choirs are a depository of a particular group think.  In both the political realm and the church realm, each depository will raise up their own champions to challenge the supposed misguided adventures of the other group think depositories.  These champions have certain charismatic qualities that make this internal warfare seem more winnable.  Leadership, then, is reduced to the smaller battles instead of the corporate needs of all the people.  There is no Christian leadership as there is no national leadership.  This stagnation of leadership has never been this debilitating, never have the internal battle lines been so clearly drawn.  So where is the hope for all of us in 2013?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

We

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Good Morning, it is December 25, 2013 and it is Christmas.  Are there certain movies you never tire to watch?  My all time favorite is the diddy, “the Last Starfighter”.  Christmas is like such movies, over and over again, regardless of the changing number of family members around the Christmas tree, regardless of the number of presents under the tree, Christmas will always be celebrated by you and I!  As we celebrate, we may become so involved that we lose sight of the fact that we are celebrating the existence of the Supreme Being.  We are celebrating the God of the galaxies who has a long term plan for the union of all life into his world.

This Christmas, please allow me to make a statement that I hope is worth chewing on throughout the coming year.  The Supreme Being, the God of the galaxies, cares with loving concern equally for each and every life form that has ever existed or ever will exist….. or there is no Supreme Being.  There can be no half way God, he or she is or they are not!  If they are not, Christmas becomes a collection of convenient wives tales that really matter to no one in the long term.

The Christian church has a grand affection for this half way God.  A theology that divides people into good and bad, chosen or unworthy, saved or the unsaved, the heaven bound or the hell bound, practicing churchmen or the uninterested, tends to make the God of the galaxies into a self involved exclusive possession of the few.  Again, this God is no God at all.  The God of the galaxies is a God who is for all or he is another deity on a totem pole.  Despite the church’s juvenile understanding of God, the God of the galaxies still chooses to set his plan in motion through the church, go figure!

The Church’s quest toward division is intended to rally the troops.  In that effort there is a, perhaps unconscious, effort to dumb down the scriptures to support a limited redemption plan.  One of this Sunday’s passages is from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  Let me illustrate the differences by using three more modern versions, the New International Version, the Living Bible and my own, amateurish and possibly at times overstated attempt to communicate the heart of the God of the galaxies.
     
St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3: 1-12
(1.)  For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--- (NIV)

I, Paul, the servant of Christ, am here in jail because of you-- for preaching that you Gentiles are a part of God’s house.  (Living Bible)

God through faith in Jesus Christ is constructing a bigger and bigger community of souls within which the Spirit of God can live and bring into actuality the forever normal of love, peace, gentleness and concern for one another.  I, Paul, as you know, have been imprisoned because I have carried that message to you, all of you beyond the Jewish world.  (gg)

(2.)  Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, (NIV)

No doubt you already know that God has given me this special work of showing God’s favor to you Gentiles, as I briefly mentioned in one of my letters.  (Living Bible)

You have heard from me that the message I bring is an invitation for all to join together with God to form this new community, one searching heart after another.  God wants me to tell all the peoples of the world that now is your time.  (gg)

(3.) that is, the mystery made know to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. (NIV)

God himself has shown me this secret plan that the Gentiles, too, are included in his kindness. (Living Bible)

God revealed to me his heart of concern for all.  I do not know why God has waited until this moment to share this inclusive appeal for all to join the community of souls for it is a bit of a mystery.  (gg)

 (4.) In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, (NIV)

I say this to explain to you how I know about these things.  (Living Bible)

My hope is that God will light up your understanding so that you will want to share in this new and better community of souls.  The invitation is addressed to all humankind, illustrated and empowered by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   (gg)

(5.) which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. (NIV)

In olden times God did not share this plan with his people, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his apostles and prophets.  (Living Bible)

In past generations, this invitation was not given to the peoples who worshiped other Gods.  It was addressed only to the Jew, to be acted upon or ignored.  Now, the leaders of the community of believing souls agree that the invitation is addressed to all peoples.  (gg)

(6.) This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.  (NIV)

And this is the secret: that the Gentiles will have their full share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s sons; and all God’s promises of mighty blessings through Christ apply to them both when they accept the Good News about Christ and what he has done for them. (Living Bible)
             
The greater mystery is the seemingly senseless desire of God to mix together into one community of souls the morally and ethically inferior, who have worshiped idols, with the historically blessed people of the true God of Israel.  Even more confusing is that together they all, saint and heathen, are mutual heirs to the corporate destiny God has planned for all his children.   (gg)


(7.)  I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. (NIV)

God has given me the wonderful privilege of telling everyone about this plan of his; and he has given his power and special ability to do it well. (Living Bible)

My life is a living testimony to the love and concern of the one true God, who is empowering me to speak out about the new community of all peoples whom God has made alive into eternity.   The message and invitation is because God cares.  (gg)
   
(8.)  Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, (NIV)

Just think!  Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the most useless Christian there is, yet I was the one chosen for the special joy of telling the Gentiles the Glad News of the endless treasures available to them in Christ;  (Living Bible)

The mystery is even more confusing that I was chosen by God to be his spokesman.  I am nothing special to be given such a grand calling, to tell the world of this great confluence of all peoples into the plans of God. The limitless gathering together of all peoples, regardless of religious, national or ethical backgrounds.  (gg)

(9.) and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.  (NIV)

And to explain to everyone that God is the Savior of the Gentiles too, just as he who made all things had secretly planned from the beginning.  (Living Bible)

Please let me shout, let me yell out the news that much of God’s confusing ways may only appear to be so for the short time they are hidden from us.  It took Jesus to pull back the curtain of confusion to show us the heart of God for all men, the heart of God that is at the center of his created order.  Why it should have to be so, I am without an answer?  (gg)

(10.)  His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,  (NIV)

And his reason!  To show to all the rulers in heaven how perfectly wise he is when all of his family, Jews and Gentiles alike--- are seen to be joined together in his church.  (Living Bible)

God has orchestrated the great confluence of peoples into one faith community of souls so that all persons in the heavens and on earth will have the opportunity to experience true divine wisdom.  Wisdom not of this world’s learning but gifted of God, a shared concern for all of life that is beyond all other authority.  (gg)

(11.) according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (NIV)

in just the way he had always planned it through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Living Bible)

The tipping point of the planned community of believer in God is the person and work of Christ Jesus our Lord, who is the beginning and the end.  The beginning of the new order of his newly dispensed concern for all men and the end of the time of apparent concern for just the few.  Jesus made it happen and we must trust his judgment.  (gg)

(12.)  In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  (NIV)

Now we can come fearlessly right into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome when we come with Christ and trust in him.  (Living Bible)

Jesus illuminated the limitless love of God so that by faith we all can now inch closer to Him without the fear of death and with confidence in the gift of His eternal security.   We all, peoples from the past, present and future, need only to ask of Him.  No one will eventually be left out of this community!  We may have a choice in man’s timing but we all shall surrender in God’s timing.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

No Clue

Sunday, December 30, 2012

The letter of Paul to the Colossians, chapter  3:12-17
12.  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.
16.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
17.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The Gospel of St. Luke, chapter  2: 41-52
41.  Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.
42.  When he was twelve years old, they went to the festival, according to the custom.
43.  After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
44.  Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.  Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45.  When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
46.  After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47.  Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48.  When his parents saw him, they were astonished.  His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this?  Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49.  “Why were you searching for me? He asked. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”
50.  But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51.  Then he went down to Nazareth with then and was obedient to them.  But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52.  And as Jesus grew up, he increased in wisdom and in favor with God and people.  
       
Three days, Mary and Joseph searched Jerusalem for three days before they found the twelve year old Jesus. The three days may not have included the one day they traveled away from the city, so there may have been as many as five days in which Jesus was missing.  If this search were in our time, the police would be involved, the freeway signs would light up issuing an alert, and the radio and TV news broadcasts would raise public awareness of the missing child.  The Scripture for this Sunday mildly understates the situation by describing Mary and Joseph’s efforts as an anxious search.  If it were my son, panic would be a more appropriate word.  How would you feel if your twelve year old were missing for five days?

It is dangerous to compare times and places but this situation is strange, so strange that charges of parental neglect seem appropriate.  Jerusalem was the center of the population of the land but three days walking around the city, asking everyone if they had seen Jesus, seems like a highly questionable search.  Where were they looking for the search to have taken three days?  Did they look in the city park?  Did they check out the teen hangouts?  Did they check out the backwaters of the city?  Were they searching the red light district?  One would have to ask, did they know their son?  The three day fruitless search says no.

Every one of us, everyone who has ever lived is unique, our individual person hood is a good predictor of behavior.  Are we followers or leaders?  Are we easily influenced by others or do we act upon our own beliefs?  At our core are we a sensual person, money motivated, fun motivated or do we value our person hood as others may judge us?  Any one who has been a parent recognizes these personal characters in their children and if we are honest, recognize their influence in our own lives.  This being the case, why is the Temple, the center of the religious and spiritual life of the nation, the last place that Mary looks for her son?

Mary who sang the praises of the God who would do great things through her son.  Mary who was visited by an angel to convince her of the divine intentions relating to the birth of Jesus.  Twelve years after the fact, her actions seems to say that she was convinced to a greater extent with his normality, convinced that her son was just another Jewish boy about to reach spiritual maturity.  It is all so confusing.  Yet, there is only one place to go to try to untangle these events.   The story fails to directly account for the spiritually deflating power of the every day.

Life’s demands are a consumer of personal energy.  Regardless of the era in which we live, so much of our energy is required to satisfy the routine of life. We all know the truth of this energy equation.  One day upon another requires so much time, money and personal space that we get numb and loose sight of the truly important life experiences or priorities like family and spiritual things.  Mary and Joseph suffered under this routine of life deflator just as we do today.  This does not excuse their lack of spiritual perception about their son but it is a real life mitigating circumstance.

Where does this unavoidable deflation factor leave you and I?   Will the routine of life leave us with no clue as to the identity of those we love or even the identity of ourselves?  Will the day to day routine of life lead us to settle for a religious identification instead of an alive personal spiritual faith?   When and if we read the Bible, do we read out of some sense of obligation, or goal or search for knowledge or do we read to search for some increased level of spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Jesus at twelve was about gaining wisdom, by listening and questioning his spiritual leaders.  These two characters are missing from the program of the modern church that assumes it knows best, except there are thousands of “bests”, differing “bests”, promoted every Sunday.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians what the alive fellowship of believers should be about.  This lofty look at the church at work is probably practical but it is a least a goal going forward.  If and when it does exist, it is what we all really need but it seems to be so rare.  A community of believers so unaffected by the routine of life that the forever normal is alive and taking action in their midst.  Such a spiritual experience in this world would, indeed, be a miracle to behold.

What can we do in the meantime?  Follow the clues, they are there!    

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Done Deed

Sunday,  December 23, 2012

This Sunday’s scriptures document a visit by Mary to the house of Elizabeth.  Both women were expecting a son to be born in the next few months, sons that were introduced to their mother’s before birth.  They were informed from above that these men would have a unique significance in the plans of God for his people.  Jesus was to be born to Mary and Elizabeth carried the revivalist John the Baptist.  Their story is the Christmas story.

St. Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 1, verses 39 through 45 (Mary visit’s Elizabeth)
39.  At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40.  where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the
       Holy Spirit.
42.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43.  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44.  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

God’s timing is hard to figure.  Why would God choose this time and these people to work a fundamental change in God’s redemptive plans?  Why are we asked to believe these happenings and these people who convey what cannot be proven?  The cynic prefers to swim in the sea of self made doubt.  Let us try to believe what cannot be proven, try to put our lives in the midst of these two unpretentious ladies who posses the arrogance to believe that their anonymity had been noticed and that God was about to do something grand.

This is how Mary, the soon to be mother of Jesus, rejoiced at her winning number.

St. Luke’s Gospel, chapter 1, verses 46 through 55 (Mary’s Song)
46.  And Mary said:
       My soul glorifies the Lord
47.  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48.  for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
       From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49.  for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
       holy is his name.
50.  His mercy extends to those who fear him,
       from generation to generation.
51.  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
       he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones
       but has lifted up the humble.
53.  He has filled the hungry with good things
       but sent the rich away empty.
54.  He has helped his servant Israel,
       remembering to be merciful
55.  to Abraham and his descendents forever,
       just as he promised our ancestors.”


Mary and Elizebeth were celebrating and rejoicing with the certainty that the hand of God touching their lives through their babies.  Their joy was expressed as a additive to their Jewish religion.  They expected the baby Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, would raise the Jewish religion far above all others and somehow make it’s performance creditable within their community and to all the world. Rather than the birth of a localized Jewish messiah or savior, God sent Jesus to be the focal point for the salvation of all men, everywhere.    Jesus was given to earth to end all religion.

Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 10: 5-10
5.   Therefore when Christ came into the world, he said:
      “Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire,
      but a body you prepared for me:
6.   with burnt offerings and sin offerings
      you were not pleased.
7.   Then I said, ‘Here I am---it is written about me in the scroll--
      I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”
8.   First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were
      you pleased with them”--though they were offered in accordance with the law.
9.   Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will”.  He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Done Deed

The world is celebrating “when Christ came into the world” at this Christmas season.  Again the question should be asked, what are we celebrating?  Is the celebration about a new born baby, a nativity scene or the warmth of a shared moment among family and friends.  In the affairs of mankind, what actually happened so long ago in a remote corner of the world that warrants a celebration?  A happening that has resulted in 33% of the worlds population declaring that they adhere to the Christian understanding of God.  Is the incarnation about the religion of Israel, is it about the Christian religion?

According to the writer of Hebrews, who was writing to those who had a Jewish religious mindset,  the answer is no, the Christmas story is about the end of religion.  Quoting the words of Jesus, God was not pleased with the Jewish religion that could not touch our sin.  We should ask, can any religion of man actually touch our sin even when we perform certain ritual or adhere to certain intellectual precepts or use a sacred writing as a rule book?  No, these efforts on our part to find religious salvation must seem so juvenile to God.  Only God has authority to forgive sin so that the religious mindset is always a life failure.

The newness of the Christmas story is that all men, regardless and in spite of their religion, have been rescued from the emptiness of human existence by the action of God in Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen baby of Bethlehem.  That newness should be celebrated at Christmas because a new holiness for mankind was given at Christmas and on the cross of Calvary.  An undeserved holiness given only because God through Jesus Christ so willed it.  The last three words of verse 10 are most instructive, “once for all”.  God has rescued his creation and it is complete and a done deed.

Did the writer of Hebrews understand the universal scope of God’s Christmas gift?  Probably not, the “we” of verse 10 may indicate a limited mindset that is beneath the grandness of Christmas.  Of course the holy “we” could be interpreted as the entire community of mankind.  Which interpretation do you prefer?  Which is the bigger Christmas Gift?

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Life

There exists a moral equivalency that permeates all things and all persons.  If there is a God, this moral equivalency must exist.  All of us are arrogant hypocrites to believe that we can entangle our lives outside of this reality and still function unaffected.  We can even choose not to believe in God and find ourselves entangles in a moral universe with moral equivalency.  To avoid the moral equivalency is impossible, we will reap the rewards of our lawbreaking.  What is true of persons is also true of cultures or societies.  A case in point is the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

In the last few days the media has paraded a chorus of spokespersons, religious leaders, politicians, sports figures, media analysts, the president, psychiatrists, those immediately affected and a nation in fear of being affected by such events.  The sympathies expressed are real and the Sandy Hook circumstances have made them all well deserved.  Everyone is asking, why?  How are we to rationally compartmentalize such a shocking and irrational event?  The why is in each of our hearts.  Yet, in spite of all the expert comments, all the soul searching, all the good advice, we again remain in a quandary without an answer.

Could the answer be that the children are paying the price for our duplicity, our own lawbreaking?  Could it be that we as a society have taken actions that are breaking God’s moral equivalency in regard to the value of life?  If we as a society do not value life in our personal, legal and political lives, then there will be hell to pay.  Those of us who would like to avoid responsibility are quick to assign blame to God for the horror.  It is God’s fault because he devised this morally equivalent world!  Stupid is as stupid does.

Such a historically overly utilized human cop out will only lead us to more Sandy Hook tragedies, we must muster the courage to face our demons.  The moral equivalency in question is that violence returns to us as violence.  It is written into the stars and history has repeatedly confirmed this truth.  When our society condones and makes violence in the womb legal, accessible and acceptable, all of our children become vulnerable to the certainty of returned violence that we are owed.  This is a morally equivalent world, how long will we faint blindness and deny that fact?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

The Forever Normal

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Philippians  4: 4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  


In this passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the mindset of Paul is clear, he expected the soon (near) return of the Christ, who will take charge of all the world and set up his Kingdom, so …why worry? …be happy!  St. Paul was probably 2000 yrs off on his expectation of Christ’s return so can we be expected to live this way in the 21st century, considerate of others, at peace with our circumstances, without fear, in prayer and with a grateful attitude?  Can “gentleness” be the post resurrection new normal for the believer regardless of when the Christ returns?

Some may say no!  There is no way that such a life can manage to flourish in our winner take all culture. We cannot succeed with a gentle spirit in this slash and grab America.  Besides, someone may call us a pansy doormat!  Mistakenly, St. Paul is slammed for not living in the real world!  They say, today we must fight for our place in the world and our own worldly expectations, be they money or respect.

If life is merely our own personal circumstances, is not the  description used by John the Baptist, “you brood of vipers”, appropriate?

Luke  3: 7-18
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not begin to say to yourselves ‘We have Abraham as our father’.  For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Even tax collectors come to be baptized.  “Teacher”, they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to.” he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extract money and don’t accuse people falsely-- be content with your pay.”

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.  John answered them all, “I baptize you with water.  But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.  And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Remember John the Baptist was an old school believer in the divine reality.  The folks were coming to his baptism because they were not living the faith of there fathers.  They may have been religiously correct but their selfish lifestyle had proven to be personally destructive.  The baptism with water was a new beginning, a new start at life with a gentle spirit and considerate of others.  A life that reflects the Ten Commandments of old.  Could it be that the old normal may be the new normal with God?

Could we not assume that there is only one forever normal in the heart and plans of God?  The forever normal that was intended for we humans from the beginning.  A destiny that every generation, every rebellious generation has walked away from but the inward desire to live life God’s way ever beckons.  Sin is selfishness, a self centered life that tangles the intentions of God in each of us.  Most people, at one time or another, would like to be free but we are our own trap.

John the Baptist knew that his water baptism was not a long term fix for the people.  When asked if he was the Messiah he deferred to one amongst them that is more powerful than he, one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  This other personage was to bring a separation, a winnowing of the sin that tangles and the spirit of mankind that longs to be free to live the forever normal.  A purification of sorts that may be signaled by the fire that appeared above the disciples heads at Pentecost.  A similar context would be the lake of fire in the book of Revelations.

If you or I were God, we certainly would send to earth a Messiah or Christ with the sledge hammer of judgment, a hammer that even the best of us deserve.  But not so the God of mercy who is about a grand abiding concern for all his folk.  The Messiah would bring the purification fires to give us greater opportunity to live released from our selfishness.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is about purification which will establish a community of persons sharing the concern of God and that concern with each other.  That community is the forever normal in action.  Every religion, every believer, every church should ask if that kind of action is happening in their context?  Despite all the spiritual freedom we have been blessed to possess, do we ask God to light the fires in our lives?  Fires that will give us the opportunity to live the forever normal.

On the other side we will experience the fire of purification.  Why not begin in this life to experience just a taste of the joy?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Control

Sunday,  December 9, 2012

Luke 1: 68-79
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
(as he has said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all those who hate us--
to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
    the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
    in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
  for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
  through the forgiveness of sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
  by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
  and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Luke  3: 1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-- when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zachariah in the wilderness.  He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:
              “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
              Prepare the way of the Lord,
                make straight paths for him.
              Every valley shall be filled in,
                every mountain and hill made low.
              The crooked roads shall become straight,
                The rough ways smooth,
              And all people will see God’s salvation.”

The Scriptures this week are an interesting mix of prophesy and facts.   St. Luke was a doctor who made a diagnosis based on observable facts that his patients present to him.  He was not a spiritual theorist and philosopher who found a new way of explaining the divine, he was a reporter of the facts.  Luke probably wrote this book about 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, which meant he was able to draw from first hand testimony if he, himself, was not a witness.  A sidekick of the Apostle Paul, these friends spread the word of the importance of Jesus to all peoples beyond the local Jewish experience.

The facts of the good news happened in the historical setting documented by Luke in Chapter 3.  At this moment in time, through the life, death and resurrection of the man Jesus, God took further action to prove to all of us his heart of concern.  Zachariah’s song of praise recounts the past actions of God on behalf of the Jewish people but also anticipates the coming new divine happening.  Holding his promised new born son, he rejoices with the inspired knowledge that this man, soon to be called John the Baptist, would introduce God’s new action plan in the person of Jesus.

Christian theologians through the centuries have muddied the waters of this divine action plan.  Some would say that the Jesus happening is the ground of our salvation but it is up to the individual to do the right things or say the right words or hang with the right crowd to gain the concern of God.  They reason, if you choose not to be in the right then God is not responsible for your eternal damnation.  Could not this limited atonement yet majority opinion among Christian theologians make the God of the universe out to be a mere family pet?  This understanding of divine grace is nieve and simplistic, as well as just plain bad reading of the Word.  There is no all powerful God if salvation is only for the few for any reason.

All of humanity has been gifted with relief from the empty nothingness that so clouds and distorts our human existence. In sharp contrast is a loving God who is for us. As Jesus moaned from the cross with his dying breath, “it is done”.  A done salvation blesses everyone who has ever lived and possibly even their pets.  Those who died and never heard or believed in a loving God have been blessed.  The atheist, the hypocrite, the homeless, the criminal, the respected, the thief, the politician, the royalty, the workaholic, the killers in the name of God, the responsible, the diseased, the vile, the perverts and those who have disrespected others are blessed.  Those of us who have turned our backs to God, as we all have done, have assuredly been blessed from above.

We just may not know it yet!

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Looking Up

Sunday,  December 2, 2012

1 Thessalonians  3: 9-13
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?  Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.  May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Luke  21: 25-36  (Jesus is teaching)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.  On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.  People will faint with terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.  When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.  Even so when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.  Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the earth.  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.”

Some of us who explore the Bible for answers get off on Biblical prophecy.  It is easy to get caught up in a “Star Trek” like understanding of predicted future events.  Jesus himself instructs his disciples to look up to the sun, moon and stars in order to read the divine plan and times.  Every human culture has recorded these end time stories which predict an impending catastrophe that would mark the end of history.  In a few short days, the calendar for the Mayan culture will end, will we wake to another reality on December 23, if we wake at all?

In the words of St. Paul and Jesus, the end of human history as we know it, is all about the second coming of the risen Christ to this earth.  Paul says that the Lord Jesus will return with all his holy ones.  Jesus links disturbing earthly signs with the return of the Son of Man coming in a cloud.  The Son of Man is a self descriptive term for his second ministry to earth, not in his Christmas appearance, but in his second, yet to happen, appearance as the risen Christ.  The change foretold is the coming kingdom of God to earth when this Son of Man will bring full redemption and judgment upon the earth.

The time and place of this second coming will always be open to conjecture for every generation has experienced terrible times that may be likened to the prophesy of Jesus.  The word used by Jesus for generation means both the generation that heard his words and every succeeding generation throughout history.  The prophesy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed but is yet to be fulfilled as humanity awaits surrounded by recurring ominous circumstances.  Look around you in our time, would not the words of Jesus apply to our circumstances?  Are there not wars, anguish, perplexity and fear of terrorists?  Does our world not appear to be turned upside down?  Could the Son of Man return in 2012?

The answer is that God may schedule earth for the terminal event at any moment into the future, possibly in the next hour.  These biblical speakers, however, are equally concerned with the faith circumstances of believers as they wait for God’s timing.  The Thessalonians had been gifted with a slight taste of the other side and were awaiting the full Monty of God’s grace and loving acceptance.  Paul, despite multiple negative circumstances in his life, was encouraging the Thessalonians because of their shared joy of this present salvation and the salvation to come for which their wait anticipates.

St. Luke shares a warning about a negative wait for eternity.  Speaking to believers he warns, “Be careful” as you live life, not to become weighed down or  robbed of the only real joy in life by dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life.  Dissipation is a fancy word for self indulgent behavior and has been translated careless ease.  Drunkenness is self medication with alcohol but today we have many other more sophisticated selfish life and joy avoidance techniques.  All of us are influenced by the anxieties of life regarding food, shelter, a career, marriage, family, social acceptance or spare time.  The list can include anything and everything when legitimate concerns turn inward and downward.

Instead, with the love and assistance of the risen Christ, let us stand up, lift up our heads and rejoice with the soon coming Kingdom of God's full redemption.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

War

The Israeli nation is at war.  Rockets raining down from it’s neighbors can only mean war.  If America was besieged under the same circumstances, would we remain passively defensive?  It is time for the little strip of land, a democratic oasis surrounded by homicidal adversaries, to conquer Hamas in the Gaza.  These terrorists have no regard for the value of life, either that of the Jew or that of the people of Gaza.  What would be an appropriate response under these circumstances?

Why not try my way?  Give the people of the Gaza notice that 20% of their territory will be leveled on such and such a date, at such and such an hour.  There will be no invasion, risking the lives of Israeli troops, but  not one stone will be left upon another within that death zone.  If that fails to change the Hamas agenda, then the next round of bombings should be upon 50% of the territory, then the entire Gaza should be saturated.  At this point, it would be time for Israel to invade and make the Gaza their own once more.  

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Fences

The failure of the Hispanic vote in 2012 to choose their own best economic self interest was a major factor in the Democratic victory.  This sensitive constituency, again, has proved itself gullible to the max when it swallowed the O’bama rhetoric and illegal actions about immigration policy.  As the Democrats have always done, Hispanics will continue to be played for political purposes.  In 2008 when O’bama had political control in Washington and could have accomplished immigration reform, he chose Healthcare and neglected the doable and needed reform legislation.  The obvious question was, why?  It was and is because political gamesmanship, for Democrats,  is more important than a real solution that is fair to all Americans.

Fairness begins with border enforcement.  This has been the failure of both political parties for the last thirty years.  President Reagan did immigration reform but did nothing to enforce the border, resulting in still more illegal immigration.  The Democrats have avoided fairness for political games and capital, enabling even greater illegal immigration.  The Bush’s and their moderate Republican allies want reform for political expediency but enforcement is politically incorrect.  Any possible solution from this quarter will also result in still more illegal immigration.  Anyone who calls for real enforcement is demonized by both political parties.

In the present political climate, post election, any talk of a border fence and employer sanctions for illegal hires have become foul language.  The fence have become a dirty word not to be spoken.  This may be the political reality but the reality on the border is that the fence is the only way to secure the border short of militarizing the border patrol.  Either option would be preferable to the inevitable result of an eternally porous border.  Someone, anyone, needs to have the gumption to look beyond the next election, the courage to tell the truth, what is our American future if we continue the political stalemate on immigration reform?

The continued dangling of free benefits and goodies will sooner or later make the dollar worth less than the Mexican peso, is that the economic future that we all want?  Do we want to be just like Mexico with a few elitist rich folk and the rest of us in abject poverty?  That is the America around the next corner.  Are we so arrogant to believe that couldn’t happen here?   Does the American Hispanic community want that reality for their children and their grandchildren?  We may argue with this outcome by assuming that the government will always be there to bail us out of such dire circumstances, but will it?  Could it be that the government, that means politicians, may want to control us by controlling our economic circumstances?

That conclusion may sound unduly harsh but judging from past performances by our politicians, it is difficult to make any other assumption.  The truth is that everything negative could happen here, as a country we are not so special that we are immune from tragedy.  It should be the hope of America that all vested interests in a fair immigration policy would someday vote in favor of fairness.  The promise of hope, a trite entity, will regrettably avoid a practical and fair outcome by remaining just a promise.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Answers

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Revelations  1 : 4b-8
John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia.  Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--- to him be glory and power forever and ever!  Amen.

“Look , he is coming in the clouds”,
      and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
     And all people on earth will mourn because of him.”
                                                                        So shall it be!  Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega”, says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty”.

St. John  18 : 33-37
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Is that your idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?”  Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me.  What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.  But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king , then!”  said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.  In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

How does anyone communicate the unknowable?  This is the quandary of the biblical writers, they write to communicate their limited understanding of the divine as they record and respond to the events of history.  They write in the moment of the events and whatever or whomever God may or may not be, is largely hidden from them and from us, behind the veil of death.  Is God an idea, a convenient myth, is he or she a person or some kind of paranormal entity?  We are deluged with questions that only seem to lead to other questions.   What we all would like are some answers.

One may open the Bible because the biblical documents record the interaction of men and a very hesitant self revealing God through two millennia.  If anything is relevant to our quest for answers it is the Bible.  The writings are opinions, hopefully blessed opinions, that require an investigation of the writers and their motives.  We should question how one writer’s opinion compares to other biblical and extra biblical sources.  The reader that is only casually interested in answers or wishes to know little more than the obvious, need not explore the Bible for answers.  The Bible is, however, by far the best context to start asking the big questions.

As a disciple, friend and eyewitness to Jesus, John gave us the fourth gospel of St. John.  In his old age he shares his love for the church and a number of visions he received from the other side in the book of Revelations.  Considering his proximity to the events in question, one may want to ask of him, who was this Jesus, according to John?  In both of these passages for this Sunday, John answers.

The man before Pilate was subject to the same human vicissitudes of life as any other man but this man was also totally unique to this world.  He confesses to being a king but a king from another place.  He somehow controls all earthly things which appear to us as uncontrollable, both from the past, to the present and into the future, he is the Alpha and the Omega.  Through the lens of the post resurrection Jesus, we can best understand ourselves, all of history and the future of men on earth and into eternity.

The question is, do we really want the answers?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

   

Normal Is?

The election hangover of 2012 is particularly severe.  All hope is gone for the preservation of the America of our generation and our parents generations, the America we have lived and loved.  Our time has passed, Barack Obama’s America is the new normal.  As of this moment, the new normal will dictate our futures.   The train has pulled into the station to turn the children loose to suffer or not to suffer the consequences of their decisions.  Like so many of us, learning about life or the economy is about having your face stuck in the mud.  Republicans, you have failed to govern for the people and you have failed to communicate the awaiting danger by effective opposition to the new normal.  It is time to let go.

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA  

The Wait

Sunday, November  18, 2012

Hebrews  10: 11-14 (15-18), 19-25
Day after day every priest stands and performs his duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But when this priest (Jesus the Christ) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.  For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Mark  13: 1-8
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher!  What massive stones!  What magnificent buildings!”  “Do you see all these great buildings?”  replied Jesus.  “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”  As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen?  And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he’ and will deceive many.  When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.  These are the beginnings of birth pains.                                                                                                                                                              



The pivotal wait of 2012 has finally arrived on this day, November 6th.  The consequences of this election will resound well into the future centuries of American political life.  A decision will have been made that cannot and will not be expunged by any other future election.  The disciples that followed Jesus sensed that they were living in just such a time of consequence over two thousand years ago.  They did not understand the cosmic gyrations of their happening but they knew that their lives and the lives of future generations of their countrymen would somehow be different.

The religion of Israel had become exclusive and distant from the spiritual needs of most of the everyday folk.  These people, including Peter, James, John and Andrew followed Jesus throughout the countryside.  This Jesus spoke to them of spiritual things, things about the God of the universe who was about to bring big changes on their behalf because he noticed them and cared for them. These kingdom tidings were conveyed with an intensity that captured the spiritual longings of their hearts and they, the first disciples of the new kingdom, began to ask questions.

In Mark 13 the disciples praised the great stone buildings of their religion.  Jesus countered with an alarming prophesy of the coming demise of these great buildings and the religion that placed these stones one upon the other.  We can imagine that these men were fearful of such cataclysmic language but they managed to ask of Jesus, when will this happen?  The answer of the teacher was confusing, he, Jesus is somehow the focus of the coming change?  This man has the wisdom of the ages, spiritual integrity and can do miracles, but how can he tear down these stone buildings?  Something more must be going on here.

The more is explained by the writer of Hebrews in this passage from chapter 10.  Jesus is more than a man, a prophet, a teacher or a political leader, he is the Christ, the Great High Priest, the promised Messiah, the "I am he” of all Scripture, the risen from the grave extension of God himself who has come into the world to make a forever change in the spiritual fortunes of human kind.  Following the final forever sacrifice of God himself upon the cross, on a hill outside Jerusalem, the reunified Godhead waits forever until each of us surrender to the will of God.  In this world or the next, he is the waiting Father.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

The Stones

Sunday,  November 11, 2012

Hebrews  9:24-28
For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.  Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.  But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Mark  12: 38-44
As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law.  They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at the banquets.  They devour widows houses and for a show make lengthy prayers.  These men will be punished most severely”

In our struggle for spiritual truth there has always been a gross disconnect.  The Scriptures everywhere declare that salvation is God’s action on behalf of his creation but we humans would rather the saving be humanly controlled and authenticated.  In this passage from Hebrews, the faith of Israel had evolved into magnificent stone buildings with repeated blood ritual presided over by a priesthood that paraded it’s supposed credibility with God.  The stone buildings became a substitute for spiritual authority and authenticity.  Jesus did not speak well of these stones.    

The faith of Israel was to point to the coming Messiah and his pivotal first redemptive visit amongst us.  The religion of Israel, rather than the faith of Israel, made the horror of the cross inevitable as the religion high jacked the Messianic hope in favor of a human scheme.  One would suppose that believers in the Christ would not make the same error.  Sadly, the atonement rendered by the Christ, the full and final salvation of all mankind, again and again becomes a spiritual club for the few.

Generation after generation has piled up stones declaring salvation for the few.  To some of the few it is flowing robes, to some it is lengthy public prayers, to some it is list of rules, to some it is respect in the marketplace or at a banquet.  At times it has been magnificent cathedrals or mega churches, a few recluse spiritualist making sacrifice to gain God’s attention and blessing.  To some it has been self mutilation or the speaking of required words or a narrow form of worship.  To some it has been a supposed distinctive doctrine and to others it is speaking in tongues as a proof of the blessing of God upon the few true believers.

What would the message of a fully incarnated Christ centered revival meeting sound like?  The preacher might charge his audience, “whomever you are, no matter your sin and failures, if you are a member of the human race, the Christ has made eternal provision for you, now or on the other side of death.  Lessen the post death pain of judgment, ask for His leadership in your life and walk blessed of God into eternity.  Ask and choose now the path of the saints!”

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

The Stupid

Is the American voter stupidly selfish?  In three days we shall know the answer to that question as we vote for our preferred national leadership.  Two years ago California faced just such an election with the selfish interests of big government, governmental unions, those on the governmental dole and the ethnically sensitive warring with the politics of personal responsibility.  We know who won in California and it is a hope that America will not be like minded.  To do so would ensure a stagnant economy, no jobs, declining incomes and national insolvency.  How has this coalition worked out for you, California?

President Obama is banking on the stupid folk for he has accomplished nothing except pandering to these interests for the last two years.  He has gone to court, made bureaucratic decisions, changed the social order, selectively enforced the law and constantly campaigned with these interests in mind, blaming all national negatives on someone or something else.

Surely there is a majority of American voters intelligent enough to see through the sham?  We can only hope!

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Polls

We are five days away from the election of 2012.  The polls are telling us that the winner will be decide by the thinnest of margins, possibly as little as one per cent in some battleground states.  The Republicans are maintaining that most of the pollsters have skewed their results in favor of the Democrats.  This may be true but something else may be at play in this election.

Voters may not be totally honest when the pollsters ask about their intentions.  The Obama administration has played the race card at the drop of a hat.  It may be preferable for some voters to hide their negativity until election day for fear of the racist label.  Disappointed Democrats, that is economically challenged and disappointed Democrats, may abandon their party in the privacy of the voting booth.  There they can be honest without the fear of a racial slur.

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA  

The Lake of Fire

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Revelations 21: 1-6a

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth”, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done.   I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-- they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.


 
Revelations is a grand vision given to the elderly Apostle John, exiled on the island of Patmos.  It is a vision of the future for believers as they stood against the threats of death from the politics of the day.  The choice was real for one must ask, is my belief and dependence upon the Christ more important than the approval of men?  Is it more important than life itself?  In John’s day the choice to stand up against the persecution by the Roman supposed divinity was practical and in your face.  This same choice remains for believers to this day, the politics may be different but the same life choice is required of all believers.  In this world, on this earth, in this order of things, there will be recurring and misdirected attempts to cleanse the hope of God from all human consciousness.  

Today it may be a cross on a hilltop or a terrorist scourge.  Generally it is the secular Godless philosophy of humanism and social order that is actively replacing the hope of God.  The Church has been winning and losing a very long string of battles but the war goes on.  All of us will die fighting or ignoring this war but the hope for John was that his people die well, believing in the Christ and heirs to the New Jerusalem.  In this new reality of the new Jerusalem God will be immediately accessible 24/7.  Believers shall experience the knowledge of God without the earthly distortions of death, regret, or constant pain to be endured.  What a tent meeting that will be!

To this point there is no dispute amongst the community of believers but some of us would like to ask Saint John, is this glorious future of a new Jerusalem only for the few?  Is there no consideration beyond death for the majority who are not victorious, the non believers, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars?   Will God assign these close relatives of ours to eternal damnation and in so doing cry uncle!  Some of us believe that it is not within the character of the God of the universes to ever give up on anyone as a promised inhabitant of the new reality. In the few scriptural references to the concept of hell, some of us believe that this term must be understood in time sensitive context.  The word hell is a temporary description of the great gulf between what God expects of men and the fact of man’s spiritual condition.

What is not time sensitive is the redemptive, saving, loving heart and motivation of the eternal true Divine Presence.  You may ask, what about the fiery lake of burning sulfur and the second death in John’s vision?  Is not such a destination final judgment?  Maybe or maybe not.  Revelations  2: 11 tells us that the Spirit of God broadcasts, “Whoever has ears, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.  Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.”  The obvious assumption is that all who experience death will wind up in the lake of fire, a very unpleasant place, and experience the second death.  However, the truly victorious, the spiritually ready to inhabit the new reality will not be hurt by the fire.  What does hurt mean?  Can we not think of the fire as a purifier for all instead of a final judgment for the majority?

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Cover Up

Why all the lies and cover up from multiple sources within the Obama administration concerning the Libya terrorist attack?  Why all the propaganda about the anti-Muslim video?  Why was everyone, to include CIA Director General Petraeus, U.N. Ambassador Rice, Press Secretary Jay Carney, Secretary of State Clinton, Defense Secretary Panetta and the President himself, so anxious to deceive the American public about Libya?   If a bad call was made, even a series of bad calls, would it not have been better to clear the air and move on?

One may assume that there is a greater danger for the President yet to be exposed and lurking behind the lies.  Where was the President during the seven or eight hour crisis in Libya, a crisis broadcast to the White House in real time?  Was he sleeping?  Was he observing the mayhem in the White House situation room?  Was he calling the shots about Libya or the lack of shots?  No one at any level of the administration is willing to say what was the president's role during the crisis or whether he was making the decisions.

The only conclusion that is plausible is that he was somewhere else and unavailable.  The president has given us no other choice but to guess at his role, so let us guess.  Could it be that he was chemically indisposed?  Such a high or low would have been more than enough reason for any amount of cover up to protect the president!

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

The Forever Priest

Sunday October 28, 2012
 
Hebrews  7: 28
For the law appoints as high priest men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

The anonymous writer of Hebrews wants to bridge the seeming theological divide between the old and the new.  The old is summarized by the term “law”, which to the writer included all of historical Jewish experience and worship lead by very human priests.  The author claims that in the person of Jesus the new and singularly efficacious priest has come amongst us, he is the forever priest.  He was sent to us to remedy our disobedience problem, forever!      

The question may be asked, was Jesus, the great high priest, a time sensitive and limited savior redeemer for just the few?   Was he sent to be the disobedience remedy for the few?  From the record of Christian history the Church built fences or theological boundaries around the incarnation almost relegated Jesus to mere folk hero status.  Does the great high priest have authority over the sin of all mankind, over the living and the dead as well as all generations yet to happen?  It would seem that to this reader that the writer of Hebrews so believed.

How big is the incarnation to the apostle Paul?  He was the biggest risk taking missionary in the early Church, telling of the power of the Savior to cure the sin problem for the living.  Was the thrust of his redemptive message only for the living?  In Romans 11 he had no limits on the power of God to save those who lived by the old way.

Romans 11:  28, 32
A far as the gospel is concerned, they (his Jewish ancestors) are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

The little word “all” is the biggest word in Scripture. If Paul so believed about those of his own family who were trying to kill him, why do we believers send every Tom, Dick and Harry to hell?  There is no such hellish eternal, forever future awaiting anyone, God is big enough to work his will in everyone, preferably before death but his “election” or will is not limited by death.

Some years ago I was impressed to so believe despite being raised in the Church with a spirit of fear that assumed the heaven and hell scenario.  I was relieved and surprised to discover from the writings of others, including the Bible, that the universalistic Grace of God has always been a minority but neglected dogma in the Church.  It has been neglected by the Church for selfish reasons, believing that such an understanding of God's Grace would discourage evangelism and the giving of money to the immediate Church .

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca  

The Rock

Where are you General David Petraeus?  Thank you for your statement yesterday, October 26, 2012, but it is not enough.  As director of the CIA you can no longer can hide under the rock of the chain of command.  You are now a political servant of the president and have the option to serve, or not to serve, as your conscious may dictate.  The deliberate decision to leave your people exposed to the murderous intention of the terrorists in Benghazi came from someone, if not you, who?

You claimed, “No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply not accurate.” (Weekly Standard, October 26, 18:05)

All of this is well and good, but are you going to allow whomever ordered  your people “to stand down”, a rock to hide under by insinuating that you and the intelligence community are responsible?  If no one else in the administration will speak up and answer all questions about the Benghazi events, you must clear your agency and your people of responsibility.

Need I remind you, you are the Director of the CIA, you owe our heroes Tyrone Woods and Glen Dougherty more than a simple statement, resign and speak up on their and our behalf.  After all, they lost their lives not just their jobs!

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Personal in 2012

America could care less how this obscure nobody is thinking about this 2012 national election.  Understanding this to be the case, I find it necessary to make this simple and hopefully clear statement about the current state of politics in America and the upcoming election.  This statement is not intended for all Americans,  these words are first for my children and grandchildren as they deal with the America of tomorrow.  The truth is that tomorrow’s America will be greatly and perhaps irrevocably influenced by this election, more so than any election in my lifetime.

My family is justifiably busy, growing up, finding a sense of self, getting an education and establishing an income pathway in these very difficult times.  I am very proud of each of you regardless of the choices you make but for your own good, please get involved in the political process.  Elections have consequences and if you choose not to participate, you will have no say in the America of the future.  Your vote may not control the outcome of the election or the direction of the country but it just might.  In any event, the vote makes the individual a participant in the national destiny regardless of who seems to win in the moment.  Your own self esteem should be enough to encourage you to be a political participant rather than a spectator and a political victim.

The choice in this election has been obvious to all for many months.  Who do you trust with your national and personal futures?  Should we stick with the status quo, ever larger government, no financial accountability, a stagnant economy, the Democrats and President Obama?  Or, should we give the Republicans and Mitt Romney at chance to return the country to it’s historical free enterprise American economy that utilizes to a greater degree the energy of the individual?  This is the decision we as a country will be making in a few days.

If you and yours have had to shoulder less pain than most of us over the last four or five years, then vote for Obama.  If the stimulus spending temporarily cushioned the pain and you want to be taken care of again in the next four years, vote for Obama.  If big government with it’s many layers of government jobs, governmental unions, bail-outs and entitlements provides for you and yours, then vote for Obama.  If you are comfortable with this dependent lifestyle then voting for Obama is a no-brainer.  Sadly, approximately half of America is so inclined.

Family, I shall not rehash why I believe Romney’s direction for the country is the best choice.  I have made my own way in life treasuring the opportunity to control my own destiny irrespective of the meddlers.  Individual freedom is the only good reason to be an American.  I have gone down a number of paths, worked very hard most of the time and struck out most of the time.  My days have not been that rags to riches success story that is so often glorified in the media and hinted to be the American norm.  However, I shall always treasure having had the freedom to choose my own destiny.  At this time in my life my days are quite simple and enjoyable.  Social security has made my retirement possible and I am thankful for this program that I paid into all of my life.  Social security is not governmental charity.

Freedom’s choice is not the principle reason to now make a political change.  To this voter, the election campaign and recent eventful circumstances have exposed a lack of moral integrity in the man, Barack Obama, our President.  It has become increasingly obvious that he and his Democratic cohorts will disparage, deceive, distort and lie about anything, everything and everyone, if it is politically expedient.  I cannot vote for, proudly support or follow the habitual liar that he has proved himself to be.  This realization about his character is indeed heartbreaking.  Four years ago I was suckered by the hope and change rhetoric and really wanted him to succeed, only to be increasingly disappointed over the last four years.  The Libya events, like unto an abortion, are the final proof of the moral bankruptcy of this current administration.

Knowing that America may not agree with this evaluation is the most disappointing fact of this election season.  We could cease  to be America!

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Chicken President

The most unpleasant moniker to hang on any person is chicken.  It is not a word used to describe one who holds your respect and may even be more inflammatory than cussing, swearing or ethnic epithets.  The On Line Slang dictionary says that it means to be afraid or scared.  These emotions are universally human but the slang word is particularly used of those who make life decisions from their fear center.  Such a person is a chicken.

President Wilson was a chicken when he refused to stand up to the aggression of Germany at the beginning of the last century.  The American people were chicken when they stood by allowing six million Jews to be murdered by the second Germany, claiming willful ignorance.  There are even more instances when  American presidents took ill-advised action with macho chest bumping thereby hoping to cover their chicken center.  Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, started a useless and loosing war in Vietnam that degraded American authority and respect in the world.  The second Bush, a Republican, lead our people into a useless ground war in Iraq and Afghanistan with a naivete about nation building that was and is insane.  In the long run these experiments proved and are proving to further degrade our national interest.  These debilitating decisions with great loss of life emanated from our national chicken center.  Terror is a real threat and must be confronted but confronted wisely.  We have pulled all the wrong punches, almost assisting the long term plans of radical Islam.

Here we go again, this time it is President Obama and his Middle East foreign policy.  Let us consider September 11, 2012.  President Obama, like some of his predecessors, has made and is making national decisions in regards to our Middle east foreign policy from his chicken center.  As a result, we Americans or Hillary, or Patrick Kennedy, or the CIA, or the intelligence community or a video are to blame for the violence and murders in Benghazi and we the people are being made the fools in the national area.  Despite all the lies about Benghazi, our State Department watched the eight hour attack on our embassy and the murder of four Americans on a live video feed.  For the president to claim he was not privy to the Benghazi happening is a lie without precedent in American history.  Our chicken president did nothing to stop it and has done nothing to explain it to the American people, nothing except to assign blame to others.

According to President Obama, whatever the cost, we must not offend Islam, the lives of our people were therefore expendable.  Who are you Mr. President?

 G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Optimal

Not optimal, Mr. President, not optimal you say.  We say they did not have to die!

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Hate

I hate flies!  I have no wish to disparage any of the other great issues of mankind but the only way to deal with the fly scourge is to smash them one at a time.  This is tedious but somehow rewarding work.  When written on the printed page this truth sounds so petty, so juvenile and so emotionally unbalanced.  Yet, I must confess to wanting the fly species to be annihilated from this earthly gene pool.  They gather around Hammer’s food dish and then somehow find there way into the house.  Should I feel this way about the little devils?

Hate is an appropriate word in the instance of the fly, at least for me. We are instructed not to hate other races, other religions, our neighbors, dogs and cats, our jobs or lack thereof, the Giants or the bullies in life. Most of the time it is not difficult to keep these issues on a dislike list but to hate a fly?  Wow, there must be something wrong with me, do you suppose?  After all, is not the fly a part of God’s created order, is there not a form and a function for the fly in this world?  How can I hate what God has placed before us?  It is a good guess that the fly was into all kinds of good stuff, including dinosaur dung, long before we humans walked on this earth.  How can I hate what God wills?

But I do.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

The Mess

Getting a politician to take real responsibility is like pulling teeth.  Let me be a chauvinist for just a moment, getting a female politician to take real responsibility is even more difficult.  Wait, to ask a female politician named Clinton to come clean will result in an ever increasing mess.  Hillary, was it your decision to reduce security for our Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans on multiple occasions?  Hillary, was it your directive to Patrick Kennedy that he reject and discourage all requests for security upgrades at the consulate?   Hillary, was it your decision to trust a few Libyan paid guards, poorly trained and vetted, with the lives of our people?  Is it yes or no?

Hiding behind your security professionals, when you were giving the orders, will not work.  Hiding behind supposed Muslim outrage about a video will not work.  Hiding behind a seemingly dumb and blind media will not work. Hiding behind the "the outnumbered and hopeless scenario" will not work.  Hiding behind your politically sensitive gender will not work.  Hiding behind President Obama, who has thrown you under the bus, will not work.  The people want your answer Mrs. Clinton.  Are you hiding or is the president hiding behind your petticot? Your hiding means that we will not get the truth until you appear before the congressional committee and answer under oath.  You will not, so the mess of your making will go on.  As we watch the presidential debate tonight, we will be thinking of you.

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA
Tuesday, October 16

Liar, Liar

“Liar, liar, pants on fire”, can you remember that schoolyard taunt, what did it mean?  A vivid illustration is the election politics of the last few days.  As the president desperately forages for ammunition going into tomorrow nights debate, he is sure to come out swinging with an attempt to paint Mitt Romney as the biggest liar of all time.  Go ahead with this liar barrage Mr. President, your pants are on fire!

In the schoolyard, the accusing party is the one who has the least integrity when it comes to telling the truth.  So it is with Barack Obama, he will accuse in an attempt to hide all his lies, from his promises in the 2008 campaign, to his governing methodology, to sending Ambassador Rice out on the Sunday talk shows to lie to the American people about the Libya killings.  The last four years have been one big lie. “Liar, liar, pants on fire”

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca  

Chain of Command

The house committee on Oversight and Governmental Reform, lead by Representative Daryl Issa, helped to flushed out the Obama administration and the State Department as to the security failure during the terrorist attack on our Benghazi consulate and the murder of four Americans, including our Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.  The hearing on Wednesday October 10, exposed the dysfunction between our politicians and the salaried employees of the State Department who are charged with the day to day security of our diplomats.  The members of the committee rightly voiced outrage at the faulty judgment of both high ranking politicians and employees who scrambled for cover using lies and political spin to hide the responsible parties, President Obama and our illustrious Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  The obvious motive of the administration was and is to deflect responsibility away from the Democrats during this presidential election season.

While acknowledging the extreme value of this hearing, one more question needed to be asked of Ms. Lamb, deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. In regards to her directives to give our diplomatic mission ever decreasing security manpower, she claimed that those were her instructions from above.  A very simple follow-up question needed to be asked, Ms. Lamb, to whom do you report?  We all have used this question in our daily lives as we deal with a variety of bureaucracies.  She avoided the question and attempted to blame an imaginary shadowy authority figure when her boss sat in the next chair, Patrick Kennedy, the under secretary for management in the State Department.  Patrick Kennedy reports directly to the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  This chain of command relationship was not clearly identified by the committee or the resulting questioning.  If it had, a reasonably inquisitive committee member should have asked Mr. Kennedy, “did you make this decision for less security from your own experience data bank or were you instructed from above to put American lives and the mission in extreme peril, almost naked of  protection?  We still would like to know your answer, Mr. Kennedy.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

an email

My late wife had a favorite saying ..."life isn't fair and then you die". This sounds rather morose but to her it wasn't.  By accepting the life contract, one can be free to live life as you correctly espouse, by enjoying the good times and laughing at the bad.  Only the wisdom of the years and difficult circumstances can give us that kind of life perspective.  Karen, somehow, found her place and this gift of wisdom much sooner than this dunce.  The only reality more difficult than the life contract would be to have passed and no longer have the opportunity to struggle against the inevitable.  Thankfully,we struggle on, you and I, for we are not there yet, knock on wood! 

It is great hearing from you again, hang in there Red, I wish you and yours the best!  Say hello to the guys. gg.  

Apologies

Death has come to another American, this time on the Mexican border. Four diplomatic personnel including our ambassador are murdered in Libya, all in a matter of weeks.  Three of the deaths were to U.S. personnel not directly charged with security for the ambassador.  Fifty one American soldiers have been murdered by our so-called friends in Afghanistan within the last eight months.  Who are we if we fail to protect our own?  Our president goes around the world apologizing for American pride and then allows American blood to be spilt whenever it is convenient for our enemies to make a statement.  Apologies be dammed!

In the 1949 movie, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, John Wayne’s character had the correct posture.  He advised, “never apologize and never explain … it’s a sign of weakness”.  Apologies never work in diplomatic circles, they further embolden our enemies. This reader is not sorry for the burning of the Koran, although it would be better if it had not happened. This reader is not sorry for the anti-Muslim video but it would have been better if it had not been produced.  This is America and we all have rights, the majority and  the minorities.

Abroad, fear is the only reality that will keep the peace.  Would that Barrack and Hillary had the moral fortitude to stand up instead of lying down, almost prostrating America before our enemies of this world.  It is no wonder that the world believes they have a license to kill us.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca  

How?

Iran’s Mullah’s have pushed the civilized world into corners for the last thirty years.  Can this world exist with a nuclear Iran?  If not, then how should the American and Western governments proceed in the face of such obvious belligerence?  The talk from our government and it’s spineless politicians is that there will be no nuclear Iran.  Can we believe them?

The answer to all these questions is a profound no, a nuclear Iran is almost here, and no, our politicians cannot be trusted to prevent it. They constantly maintain that we are caught in a almost impossible dilemma and, therefore, we must tread lightly.  Is this not what our politicians have doing for the last thirty years, treading lightly with verbal threat after verbal threat?  Rightly, we should not be  believed, our governmental leaders can only talk. We need a leader who is not afraid to act to protect our national interest.

What should our plan of action be?  Let me be blunt.

1. No more pointless, expensive land wars that deflate our economy and put Americans in harms way. Instead, we must only utilize rapid deployment forces such as the Navy Seals.
2. Fund our Navy to the max so that we are able to utilize gunboat diplomacy and stand up to the fear merchants.
3. Issue an ultimatum to Iran to stand down their nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences.
4. Go to war with Iran if they fail to respond positively.
5. Target first the Mullah’s and their political leadership, blow them up into whatever they consider their blessedness.
6. Protect our national interest around the world with our naval carriers and gunboats. There is no respect without fear.

This should be the new diplomatic doctrine in the face of this new world.  Is this policy without risk?  Of course not, but a continued political passivity will unquestionably result in disaster for civilized mankind as well as America.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca