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
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
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
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
Saturday, November 3, 2012
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
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
Thursday, November 1, 2012
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
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
Monday, October 29, 2012
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
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
Saturday, October 27, 2012
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
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
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