Peanuts on the airplane...

Life is about the destination, not the journey!

I know, that goes against the tide of contemporary teaching.  We are constantly told to stop and smell the roses, enjoy life, focus on today, etc.

All of that advice has some merit.  We should not just numbly stumble through life, oblivious to the blessings that come our way.  We should seek adventure and chances for personal growth.  We should touch as many lives as we can with the love and grace of God.

All of these things are true!

However, as I was driving to work today I heard a brief snippet from a speaker who mentioned that nobody enjoys a trip so much that they choose to stay on the plane rather than go to their destination.  Even when traveling "first class,"  the plane ride is a means of getting us somewhere.

So much of the teaching today has adopted the humanist approach to life.  According to their philosophies, we should not be concerned with our eternal future, but should be focused on the beauties of the day-to-day human experience.  We focus on the blessings that come our way during this life.  We zero in on what we can get out of life--business success, popularity, companionship, financial benefits.  One pastor with whom I associated used boast about "the favor of God."

I am not demeaning the blessings of God. He grants us what we need to have in order to live the lives He's called us to live.  I am grateful for the many blessings He's chosen to give to me.  I have a beautiful family, a comfortable home, a few close friends, a car, a job, etc.  Those things are in my life because of the unmerited favor of God and I am grateful.

But those things are the peanuts on the airplane!  They are given to us to make this journey easier and more comfortable.  They are given to us to help us accomplish the tasks before us.  Those blessings are not to be our goals! 

We often cling to those blessings as though they were the goal.  Like the Children of Israel hoarding the manna that God had provided, we expend so much energy and time seeking our definition of the blessings of God.  And, like the Israelites experienced, those hoarded gifts spoil and decay.  God's love and mercy are new every morning!  He provides us with what we need for life.  He expects us to work hard and trust Him for what we need.  But, much like the mentality of the four-year-old in my living room, we confuse what we want with what we need.  We are so eager to obtain the little pleasures of life that we lose sight of the destination He has set before us.

Our goal is to be with God.  Our goal is to seek Him.  Our goal is to spend eternity in a love relationship with the One who lovingly created us.  We are the Bride of Christ!  We are traveling toward the Marriage Feast!  Why do we get so wrapped up in the peanuts on the plane?

Sarcasm

sarcasm [sahr-kaz-uhm] noun

1.  harsh or bitter derision or irony.

2.  a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms.

Origin: 

1570–80;  < Late Latin sarcasmus  < Greek sarkasmós,  derivative of sarkázein,  to rend (flesh), sneer; see sarco-


Sarcasm.  A cutting remark.  A sneering attitude. 

Comes from a term that meant to rend, or tear apart violently, as with flesh.  Like a wolf tearing the meat out of a carcass.  Sarcasm.  An emotionally violent act.

And yet, we live in an extremely sarcastic society.  Sarcasm is the first tool to which many of us turn when attempting humor, or argument.  Sarcasm is what we use to demonstrate our disdain for an idea or a person.  It is also a demonstration of our sense of self-superiority.  It's a prideful gesture.

Sarcasm is often used in place of a sound argument.  It is typically a sign of weak reasoning, or a lack of solid facts from which to argue.  Sarcasm is the first resort of a weak mind.

Yet, we all use sarcasm.  It makes us feel powerful.  It makes us feel good.  It makes others feel stupid and inferior...unless they are sure of their facts.  Then it makes us look like fools.  Attempting to take cheap shots at the intellect of another when he holds a firm grip on truth and reality, and when his belief in that truth is unwavering, is a fool's errand.  It is the mark of a fool.

We profess love for one another, yet commit verbal violence.  It's a sad contradiction.  If sarcasm is derived from the term to rend as flesh, why do we do that to those we claim to love?  Is it to feel superior to them?  If so, then we do not truly love.  Is it to dominate a disagreement?  Then we do not love.  Our sarcasm renders our claims of love fraudulent.

Can we not speak the truth in love?  Can we not simply state facts?  Can we not show our love for one another even in our disagreements?

Your sarcasm does not cause intelligent men to think you intelligent.  Just the opposite, really.  For your sarcasm is a failure of reasoning.  It is mental weakness on display.

It is not included in Jesus' description of the fruit of the spirit.

Just something God's been working on in my spirit.  Thought I'd share.

Two Roads

I have been asked to minister at a funeral.  The fortunate part of that statement is that the person is still alive.  Being able to consider the sermon one would share at a person's funeral with lots of time to spare is not a luxury often afforded to a minister.  Normally one hears that a person has passed, is contacted by the family, and must prepare quickly for the service.

Having the luxury of time, my prayers and overactive mind have given rise to some thoughts I'd like to share with my readers.

Recently, a talented major celebrity passed away.  As with many celebrities, this one's life was pockmarked with drug abuse, erratic behavior and tumultuous relationships.  The lives of many celebrities vividly demonstrate the old adage that money (or fame) can't buy happiness.

One of the things my father taught me from his many years of experience in ministry, is that people tend to try to focus upon the positives in a person's life, usually to the complete exclusion of the negatives.  He described situations in which he'd preached the funerals of violent gang members who were buried with switch-blade knives and bottles of alcohol, and people spoke of what wonderful, caring individuals they'd been. 

I suppose it's a normal emotional reaction.  We, as loved ones, long to hold onto positive memories to help us with our grief.  Deep is the agony experienced by one who has lost a loved-one whose choices and actions have led them to an eternity of damnation.

The problem is, denial doesn't change facts.

We can attempt to canonize a person, turning that person into a saint in our own minds, when in fact, the person's life has been the complete opposite of an example of dedication to Christ.

Now, before I go any farther, let me acknowledge those of my readers, faithful as they are, whose sole mission in life seems to be attempting to remind me of my unworthiness to judge others.  We will not take this opportunity to resurrect our recent discussion on that topic.  The following statement will suffice:  Throughout scripture we are given the outward signs of a life of dedication to God.  Had God not wanted us to pay attention to those signs, He would not have included them in the Holy Record.  The fact is, some people follow Christ and some do not.  Those who follow Christ live lives that are different in obvious and evidentiary ways.  If your life does not show those outer differences, that's your fault, not those around you with eyes and ears.  Is the life in question accurately described by the biblical explanation of the fruit of the Spirit?  That's what we should all be asking ourselves.

Back to the funeral I've been asked to officiate:  the person's life has not been one of a believer.  It has been one marred with self-destructive decisions, sinful activities, and ultimately, the earthly consequences of those choices and actions.  This makes it tough for a minister.  One must be honest but comforting.  One must tell the truth while still offering hope.  Granted, the person is still alive, and therefore there is a possibility of salvation.  I pray fervently for that to occur.  However, this blog is an intellectual exercise based upon the suppositions outlined above. 

When I was a youth pastor, I ran into an interesting situation.  Another leader whispered in my ear that a friend of one of our young people had just died and the kid in our youth group had asked if he could say a prayer before our group.  Well, of course!  So the boy came up and began praying for the soul of the boy who had just died in a car wreck on his way home from a drug party.

Needless to say, this was a difficult situation.  Obviously this boy's heart was broken at the loss of his friend.  Obviously, he had not been taught what the Bible says about life, choices and judgment.  ...And...this was one of those unrehearsed moments wherein a leader must rely solely upon the prompting of the Holy Spirit and gently correct some misconceptions.

When he was finished with his prayer--imploring God to give his friend one last chance, to somehow offer his dead friend one last little bit of mercy and save his soul--I returned to the front of the room and gently explained that, according to scripture, there comes a time when there are no more chances.  I opened Hebrews 9 and described to them how we all have a date with death, and after that: judgment.  I shared with them how, sadly, many do not make the right choice and go on to an eternity without God.  But by the same token, we who are alive have the opportunity to choose to dedicate our lives to Christ, thereby sealing our destiny to be with Him throughout eternity.

We all have that choice.  Some choose eternal life, some eternal damnation.  This is not a popular subject, but it's a topic of which Jesus spoke.  In Matthew 7, Jesus spoke the following truth:  "Enter the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is spacious which leads to destruction, and many are those who are going in it. How narrow is the gate and strict the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it!"

Sadly, most of the world has chosen the broad path.  This superhighway, unlike the one in the image to the left, is a one-way road.  It's broad and easy to travel.  There is a smooth surface, graceful curves, and luxurious accommodations along the way.  It's the scenic route.  It is surrounded by beautiful enticements that grab the attention of all who travel there, like billboards pointing to the next attraction.  Every kind of human enjoyment can be found on this road.  Companionship, excess, fulfillment, it's all there.  While on this road, your self-image is protected by those who will reinforce it.  Of course, they reinforce it only because they are traveling in exactly the same direction, headed to the same unknown destination.

Many who call themselves Christians are on this same road.  Life seems great!  They have great friends, a promising career, big goals and plans... Life seems to be flowing so smoothly for them.  They go to church and walk away feeling better about themselves than when they went in.  The music they listen to assures them that they are on the right path.  They've discovered that they can still walk alongside their unchurched friends and do so many of the same things they did before they began to call themselves Christians.

There's a reason things are going so well for them.  One rarely finds opposition when one is traveling en masse with multitudes of others.  They are coasting on the same flowing river as their comrades.  They are going the same direction as their worldly friends, their boss, and sadly, many of their church friends.  Their life isn't a threat to the world because they, too, are worldly.  They're traveling the wide road.  It is the path of least resistance.  They don't need to take a stand, because their beliefs are secondary to their desire to succeed in their own eyes and the eyes of their peers.

I believe that many entire churches are traveling together along this road.  They are rejoicing, singing, dancing and partying as they pass the billboards that declare upcoming attractions.  They pat each other on the back, rejoicing in their freedom as they live however they want to live, believing that the blood of Christ gives them that liberty.  They focus on a stress-free Christianity in which standards are all but nonexistent and anyone who stands by the doctrines that have been held for centuries is considered outdated and dogmatic.  They cast aside anyone who doesn't enthusiastically race down this broad avenue of reckless abandon, or who doesn't passionately pursue the enjoyment they claim while waving the banner of their type of Christianity.

This road, though easy, scenic, and apt to gain the affection of those around you, leads to destruction.  It is not a matter of if, but when, Easy Street finds its travelers plunging headlong into the abyss.

You may say I'm judgmental.  That's alright.  I've been accused of that by many on this road of which I speak.  Their accusations of judgmentalism do not dissuade me.  You see, I hold up the light of the Word of God and allow you to gauge your own compliance with it.  For, in that light, we are forced to come face to face with our own frailties.  It is not out of malice that I bring you to this light, but out of love.  For, if I didn't love you, I would let you blindly follow the broad path upon which you now travel.  I would stand idly by and smile at your enjoyment, rejoicing that you had found some temporal peace--even though that so-called peace and enjoyment will one day be your undoing.  I love you enough to warn you.  I love you enough to shout against the roar of the traffic and say stop! You're heading in the wrong direction!  This road will destroy you!

Recently, when I commented that it took more than sprinkling the name of Jesus on a life lived in debauchery, one well-meaning friend exhorted me that if I was going to err, I should always err on the side of grace.  What he seemingly meant was that my stance on that issue was too strong.  We were indirectly discussing the death of a celebrity whose drug habit and hard living had brought her life to an unfortunate end.  My stating that true Christians would be known by their fruits apparently, in this person's eyes, did not demonstrate grace.  This is a common approach to Christianity, although it is a failed one.  It is used often to chastise those who proclaim that there are still standards by which Christians must live.  It has become the churchy version of the philosophy "live and let live."


The problem is, when we follow that philosophy, we fail in the calling Christ has placed upon our lives.  We fail to tell the truth of the Gospel.  We fail to see changed lives because we aren't showing people how to change.

That's why I've chosen to walk the other path.  Its far more treacherous.  It's a difficult hike.  But it leads in the right direction.

How narrow is the gate and strict the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it!

This is often a solitary journey.  People turn away at the thought of such a long and laborious walk.  But it leads to Life!  Though the journey is long, though the gate is narrow, though the cliffs and obstacles seem limitless, Life awaits!  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life!"  When you discover that He is the way, you realize that the journey isn't treacherous at all, for He is the journey!  Then you can stand up for the Truth, for He is the Truth!  And then you'll realize that in Him we live and move and have our very being!  The narrow way leads to Life, for He is the Life!

So it's alright when people reject us as we walk in the opposite direction as they, for they rejected Him as well.  It's alright when they attempt to throw obstacles in our path, for they rose up against Him, too.  It's alright when they call us old fashioned, for He never changes.  His Truth never changes.  His standards never change.

We all have a choice... a choice of two roads.  You can be like water, following the path of least resistance.  The problem with that is, though it's easy, it always leads downhill.  Or you can take the solitary road.  You can walk apart from the group, as you've been called to.

Friends will betray you.  They will try to make you question your stand.  They will--the very ones who have publicly professed their love of you--publicly chastise you and even call into question your Christianity.  It is the only way they can make themselves feel superior, for the life of the unregenerated is all about feeling superior to others.  It started with Lucifer before the dawn of time, and will continue until judgment day.  Don't be dismayed.  Don't give in.  Don't give up.  Follow the Way.  Walk in the Truth.  Jesus came that you might have Life, and that life more abundantly.  Don't lose sleep when they mock you.  Observe the haughtiness in their attacks and the false-humility they put on display.  Observe how their attacks come both publicly and in back-handed ways.  This is the deception in their hearts that is speaking.  Pray for them, weep for them, and keep walking.  When they see their destruction coming, they'll be calling out to you.  Keep your eyes on the Way.  Continue to speak the Truth.  Let them see the Life of Christ in you.

So dust off your hiking shoes.  We've got a hill to climb.  Are you with me?


So, I guess now I know what I'll be preaching at the funeral.

GSA Party Controversy... An Unusual View

My Name is Michael Land, and I have an opinion.  It is an opinion that is rarely popular with those of you with a liberal bent.  That's OK.  I don't expect my opinions to be popular.  I do, however, hope to make you think beyond what you've been spoon-fed by the media, unions, and the politicians who purchase your loyalty with handouts taken by force from others' bank accounts.

That being said, I sometimes tick off my more conservative friends, as well.  There are those on both sides who sit idly by like baby birds with their maws open to the sky, waiting for whatever regurgitated goodies their media stars and politicians will drop in.

The latest dust-up has been over an employee party near Vegas that cost the US taxpayers more than $800,000.  Apparently, the US General Services Administration held a "regional meeting" for around 300 employees.  Some of the costs break down as follows [according to The Atlantic Wire]:

Thanks to an investigation and report from GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press, we now know how Johnson and her team spent all that money. Here's how it breaks down (keep in mind that in 2010, according to Inspector Miller's report,  the meal and incidental expenses allowance was $71 per day):

• $31,000 on a "networking reception" that featured $19-per-person "American artisanal cheese display" and $7,000 in sushi
• $3,200 on a session with a mind reader
• $5,600 for in-room parties 
• $100,405.37 in employee travel costs to scout the event--meaning, these people returned to the Las Vegas area multiple times to visit hotels before settling on the fancy M Resort and Casino.
• $3,700 for T-shirts
•  $2,800 in water bottles
•  $1,500 for "Boursin scalloped potato with Barolo wine-braised short ribs" and a $525 bartender fee for a cash bar.
• Three officials spent almost $400 for rented tuxedos
• $1,840 for vests for the 19 “regional ambassadors” and other employees
• $146,527.05  was spent on catered food during the entire conference
• $6,325 was spent on commemorative coins in velvet boxes to reward all participants for their work on stimulus projects (because a certificate and the $800,000 party they're at wouldn't do)
• $75,000 for a “team-building” exercise — the goal was to build bicycles (which would later be donated to a Boys & Girls Clubs)

More details can be found here, here, and here. 


Conservatives and liberals alike have railed against the excessive and ridiculous spending of this organization.  People have been fired.  People have resigned.  And rightfully so.  It goes strongly against conservative principles to take money from taxpayers to spend on frivolous things like mind readers, tuxedos and "location scouting" pre-parties.  

Likewise, it looks really bad for liberals, especially after President Obama's speech in the early days of his term of office in which he called corporations to task for  their lavish parties and bonuses, specifically mentioning trips to Las Vegas in the mix.

It's a bad situation all the way around.  And, as usual, the taxpayer is the chief loser.

Now, here's my take on the situation.  It will probably ruffle feathers on both sides.  


1.  It's not Obama's fault.  Let's face it.  The federal government is HUGE!  By some counts, there are more than 2.65 million federal employees in over 1300 distinct agencies.  There is no way one president can possibly even know what all of those agencies are, let alone personally manage the activities of each one.  These types of debacles occur under presidents of both parties.


2.  I don't begrudge the employees of the GSA a party.  Look, my company had a staff Christmas party.  We enjoyed it very much.  It was a good time of recognition of accomplishments and growth.  We had some games, some good food, and a speech from my boss (a very long speech from my boss).  


That probably made my conservative friends angry.  At the same time, my liberal friends are probably sitting back with a bit of a smug look on their face.


Here's the thing:  While it isn't President Obama's fault this happened, he is in the position of ultimate responsibility.  He is the Chief Executive of the US Government.  Therefore, it is his responsibility to solve it.


Not only that, it is the very policies he embraces that cause these atrocities!  The liberal approach to governing is to create more programs, more agencies, and more bureaucracy.  Each time they create another agency they reduce their ability to effectively oversee them.  It isn't just Obama.  Under the leadership of the past several presidents, the federal government has literally exploded in size.  

Article One, Section Eight of the US Constitution spells out the basic purposes of the Congress.  

• To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
• To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
• To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
• To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
• To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
• To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
• To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
• To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
• To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
• To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
• To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
• To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
• To provide and maintain a Navy;
• To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
• To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
• To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
• To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
• To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

If a president and congress were to return the federal government to its original purpose, the number of non-military federal employees would be a fraction of its current size... and so would the budget and debt.


President Obama should stand up and disband the multitudinous agencies that do little more than suck up taxpayers' dollars.  Multiple, redundant, non-productive, and expensive agencies are not only unnecessary, but unconstitutional.  If the federal government were reduced to the proper scope of its constitutional function, I dare say, one president could easily be aware of what each department was doing and lead each agency more directly.  


As to my second point.  I do not begrudge the employees of the GSA a party.  Nearly every organization for which I've worked has held holiday parties, recognition ceremonies and other "regional meeting" style events.  However, there is a huge caveat. There is a difference between private companies and government agencies.  If my boss, who owns a wireless retail company, chose to hold a party that cost him $2,700 per attendee, that's alright.  It's lavish and over the top, but it's alright.  Why?  Because nobody is forcing the population, by threat of imprisonment, to purchase wireless phones!  My boss could throw as large and extravagant a party as he wished (and I wholeheartedly encourage him to do so) because he would be spending money that his company legitimately earned.  


A government agency, on the other hand, has a greater burden of accountability.  Those who pay the bills don't do it out of choice, but by coercion.  Failing to contribute financially to the federal government carries the risk of severe punishment.  Therefore, for a government agency to squander money on extravagance is not only bad form, it is misappropriation of funds.  It's fraudulent use of taxpayer's money.  It is criminal behavior.


The sad thing is, in a society where everyone thinks everyone else owes them something, getting this point through peoples' thick skulls is like trying to push a marshmallow through a rock.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem.  The most religiously, politically, and militarily important location on earth.  For millennia this small area has been the epicenter of wars and atrocities, worship and blasphemy.  This tiny speck on the map has been the topic of more discussions, the destination of more pilgrimages, and the core of more arguments than any other geographical location. 

As a Christian, I have spent all of my life with Jerusalem as a key figure in my mind.  So much of scripture is centered in this very spot that one cannot ignore its significance.

With the renewed focus on Islamic radicalism over the past decade, I thought I'd point out a few things you might find interesting.  This blog is called The Daily Whims of an Overactive Mind for a reason.  I was struck with a serious case of insomnia last night.  Among the many topics that swirled and sworled through my brain, this one kept coming back.

Do a quick Google image search for Jerusalem, and what do you see?  In nearly every image, you'll see a skyline dominated by a large gold-colored dome.  Ask ten people what this is and eight of them will say, "That's the Temple Mount."  They are partially correct.  Let me fill you in on some important details.  For some, this will be elementary knowledge.  However, stick with me until the end of this post and you might find that your outlook has changed somewhat.

That large, arguably beautiful, gold dome is called the Dome of the Rock.  It is an Islamic shrine.  It is sometimes called the "Mosque of Omar."  However, it is neither a mosque, nor was it built by Omar.  The prayers of Muslim men are offered up at the Al Aqsa mosque about 200 meters away.  Muslims believe that this is the precise spot where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son, Ishmael.  This, you'll quickly recognize, is a distortion of the biblical account of Abraham nearly sacrificing his son, Isaac, until the Angel of the Lord told him to stay his hand.

The shrine was built by the Muslim ruler Abd el-Malik in 688-691.  It wasn't always gold in color, nor is it real gold.  Because of its situation on bedrock, the numerous earthquakes over the centuries have not caused significant damage to the structure (unlike its neighbor Al Aqsa mosque).  This shrine was covered by a lead dome from 691 until it was replaced with a gold-colored covering in the early 1960s. Because of rust, the anodized aluminum cover was again replaced in 1993 with a gold covering.

I know the details can seem dry, but there is a point to all of this information.  For over fourteen hundred years, the Dome of the Rock has been the dominant structure in the Jerusalem skyline.  Two hundred meters away is a second Muslim structure, the Al Aqsa mosque.

Let's look at the specific location for a moment before we get back to the shrine.

Mount Moriah is the actual name of the hill we call the Temple Mount.  As I mentioned earlier, the Bible declares it as the place where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.  It is the place God selected for His Holy Temple.  Israel's King David built an altar here.  Later, his son, Solomon built the first Holy Temple on this very spot.  It stood for four hundred ten years until it was destroyed by Babylonians in 586 BCE.

It was rebuilt around seventy years later by Jews returning from the Babylonian exile.  At one end was the Stoa, an elevated area upheld by pillars.  This is likely the scene where Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers.  Every structure and gate had spiritual and national significance.  It was a place of passionate worship of Jehovah.  It was a place of ceremony and a place of dedication.  The Jewel of Jerusalem.  To understand the importance of the Holy Temple to the Jew is to understand the importance of the heart to the body.  They love and long for it.  Without it, something is missing from their lives.

For Christians, the Temple Mount plays a significant role as well.  Jesus religiously visited the Temple.  From there, one can see the Mount of Olives, where Jesus delivered His famous sermon.  Just outside the walls, one can quickly travel to the spot where Jesus was crucified and buried.  Throughout scripture, we are told of the exploits of biblical characters in the streets of this great city.

We are also told of the future of this location.  We are told of the rebuilding of the temple.  We are told of the return of the Messiah to the Mount of Olives, a fact upon which both Jews and Christians agree.

With a little more understanding of the importance of the Temple Mount to the Jews of Jerusalem, perhaps you will see the Dome of the Rock in a different light.  This is the holiest place on earth to the Jews.  This is the focal point of the Jewish faith.  It is the focal point of their history and their future.  To Christians, this is the city to which God's Son was sent to create a pivot-point in history.  This is the city over which Jesus wept.  Is it possible that with the eternal eye of God, Jesus was looking upon the desecration of the Temple Mount by radical Muslims?  Read Luke 19:41-45 and tell me it's not a possibility.

Now, in the holiest place on earth, stands a flashy shrine to a false prophet.  A dome of gold that dominates the landscape.  A brazen altar to a false god who claims peace, yet bathes the land with blood.  You see, the Dome of the Rock is a defilement, a desecration, and an abomination.  It might look pretty to the uninformed eye, but it's sole purpose is to demonstrate Islam's purported superiority to both Judaism and Christianity.  It's a touchdown spike, an end-zone dance.  And as a Jew or a Christian in Jerusalem, you have to see it every time your heart causes you to look to the place God chose for His holiest site.

The mere presence of this building is a vile desecration of the Holy Place of God.  Since Islam's desire is to insult both Judaism and Christianity, inscriptions in the building declare that God has no Son, and that to believe that is to believe a falsehood.  Islam's insult slams the truth of Holy Scripture.  Once again, the "religion of peace" is on the offense. 

Yet, our media wants us to believe that the Muslim Palestinians are victims.  We're supposed to feel sorry for them.  We hear daily of how poor Palestinians are in Israel, how their schools are overcrowded and how difficult their lives are.  We hear of Israeli Defense Force tanks rolling into neighborhoods and terrorizing the poor people, while we are made to believe that Israelis live lives of ease.

The truth is quite different.  In 2011, there were 680 recorded rocket, missile, and mortar attacks on Israel from the Palestinians in Gaza.  In Israel, it isn't a question of if you'll experience Palestinian violence.  It's when.

Yet, the media portrays the Palestinians as victims of an "occupation" that has lasted since 1948.  What about the occupation of Jerusalem's holiest place for the past fourteen hundred years?  What about the multiple ransacks of Jerusalem by Islamic radicals?  What about the countless Jewish dead over the millenia, slaughtered by Islamists? 


What I used to think of as a "pretty golden dome" that seemed to be a part of Jerusalem's skyline now resembles an ugly scar.  It is a disgusting feature on an otherwise beautiful landscape.  Scripture says it will one day be destroyed, to be replaced by the Temple of the One True God.  I long for that day.

Intermission...

I apologize for the delay in posting to my blogs.  My mother recently had a stroke and I've had to prioritize my activities as I do whatever I can to care for her.  Things are slowly settling in to a new normal kind of routine.  I plan to tackle some new subjects in the very near future.  Thanks for reading! 

For I, too, am a man under authority...

On Sunday, our guest speaker mentioned this passage of scripture.  It's found in Matthew 8.  A Roman Centurion approached Jesus and asked Him to heal a trusted servant.  The servant lay dying at the home of the Centurion.  Jesus immediately agreed to go and heal him.  However, the Centurion said, "I'm not worthy that you should enter into my home. If you just say the word, my servant will be healed."  Then he made a profound observation.

He said, "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
As westerners, we often miss a subtle part of that statement.  We often rejoice in the authority we have. We sometimes boast about it.  An American might even say, "For I, too, am a man of authority."  It's the way we are raised and is the way we approach life.  In the Evangelical Movement, we've been taught to recognize our authority in Christ.  We write books about it.  We sing songs about the enemy being "under our feet."  I've even heard some people actually try to "command" angels or even "command" God to do something.  (This is not a practice I would endorse, as I'm not all that fond of electricity, fire or brimstone.)

This Centurion, however, had a different perspective.  He recognized the source of his authority.  He wasn't a man of authority.  He was a man under the authority of Rome.  When he spoke, he spoke with the voice of Caesar.  When he gave an order, his subordinates heard it as if Caesar himself had spoken to them.  He knew that Jesus spoke with the authority of the One whose power is beyond that of any man.  "...only say the word where you are, and my servant will be healed."

I read a book called The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock a few years ago.  This was not a light or easy read.  It was written sometime in the late 1600s.  In it, Mr. Charnock makes some brilliant points.  At one point, the author posits that there is a little bit of atheism within each of us.  His rationale is that if we truly believed God to be who He says He is, if we truly believed the Bible as it was written, we would be far too terrified to sin.  We would never choose to anger a God who held all power over life and death in his very words.  A God who could speak the universe into being, who could part the waters of the sea, who could open the earth to swallow faithless multitudes, who could flood the earth, is not One you would want disappointed with you.  I tend to agree.  Just sayin'.

For several years I was involved in a church in California that was teaching some aberrant doctrines.  Of course, I didn't recognize it until God opened my eyes through His word.  The church was very heavily into the Word-Faith Movement.  It was a large church that had many prominent special guests each year.  I "rubbed elbows" with some of the most well-known individuals in Christian broadcasting, music and preaching.  It was exciting and I felt like I was really in the main thrust of a mighty move of God.
However, as I began to dig further into scripture (yeah, blast that inquisitive mind God gave me!), I saw inconsistencies between the teachings of my church and that of scripture.  I saw ministers preaching on key words and talking points, while overlooking pivotal doctrines of scripture.  I saw people by the thousands who absolutely ate up the uplifting messages that made us all feel important and powerful.  And I saw the faith of many of those same people crumble as they faced trials that their positive confessions couldn't combat.

The problem is that the Word-Faith Movement has something very much in common with the new age movement and secular humanism.  It's egocentric.  It focuses on the individual.  It extols the power of an individual's faith, while subtly taking the participants eyes off of the One with the true power.

May I take a moment and explain something very essential to the Christian faith?  The "original sin" was not the consumption of the forbidden fruit in the garden.  Sin preexisted mankind.  The original sin was committed by Lucifer when he determined that he would "ascend above the heights of the clouds" and would "be like the Most High."  There is a reason Yahweh God is called the Most High.  None can exalt himself above Him.  No one can stand beside Him.  He is the ultimate being.

Given that thought, who are we to say that we have authority?  Are we not mere men and women?
Many will quote the scripture where Jesus said those who have faith in Him would do "greater works" than even those that He had done in His ministry.  They'll tout the idea that this "proves" the authority of the believer and demonstrates the "fact" that followers of Christ are powerful beings whose words of faith can change the course of history.  There are many word-faith teachers who even claim that we become "little gods" who can speak things into being.  What they fail to recognize is that it isn't their words that does it.  They, in themselves have no authority.  They are as innumerable as the sand on the seashore, and yet they are as insignificant as a single grain.  Jesus said, just a few verses earlier that it was the Father who was doing the work.

Who are we, that we should think so much of ourselves?  It is God alone who can save and heal.  It is God alone who can deliver the bound.  It is God alone who can create.  In Him we live an move and have our very being! The only authority you have is that which Christ has given you!  You are mere man, not a god.  Yes, you can do great things.  However, you must remember that it is His power, His authority, and His glory.  We are nothing without Him!  As the song says, "Who am I that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name...would care to feel my hurt?  Who am I that the bright and morning star would choose to light the way for my ever-wandering heart?"

Ladies and gentlemen, the first sin was self-exaltation.  The first sin was pride...thinking more highly of oneself than is proper.  Even the prophet Isaiah, when he stood in the presence of God was immediately reminded of his frailty and failures when compared to the brilliant glory he beheld.  Who are we that we should think more highly of ourselves?

Our God is able to save, deliver and heal.  We simply need to remember that it is God, not us, who has the power and authority.  You'll notice that this Centurion said he was a man under authority.  While he could walk in that authority, he was also governed by it.

Likewise, we, as followers of Christ, walk in the authority of Christ.  However, the authority is not our own.  It is His.  We use His authority at His bidding and for His pleasure.  It is not for our own gain, but for the glory of God.  The power in which we tend to revel is not ours, but Christ's.  Can we do greater things than raising the dead and healing the lame?  Yes!  We can demonstrate the power of God in our lives.  We can demonstrate the redemption of a lowly, sinful life into a life of dedication and worship to the God of creation!  We can lead others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!  We can be the vessels by which God transforms lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Yes, God heals!  Yes, God saves!  Yes, God delivers!  He takes joy in doing these things.  But it is not we who do these miracles.  It is God.  Best that we should remember this, for He will not share His glory with any man.