The 5th Dimension

The 5th Dimension

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Dimension

Many folks probably never heard of The Fifth
Dimension. I grew up listening to their music.
They had a pop hit -- The Age of Aquarius or
just 'Aquarius'. I grew up listening to alot of
60's R&B and jazz, as well as other pop rock.
Later on, I discovered classical, bluegrass and
country gospel. With the exception of classical
it's all very American music. I know, it's just
me. I don't enjoy modern 'music' for the most
part.


To get an image of what was happening in those
days, you really have to go out and get a copy
of the 'Woodstock' film/video. In that video
you will get a glimpse of what the Age of
Aquarius is, that The 5th Dimension refers to.
You see, we were thinking that we discovered
something new. See the video. Listen to the
dialog and the song lyrics. It's entertaining.


I was just thinking about some things yesterday
and got onto this train of thought. You see,
the ideas that took hold during the events of
the 60's are nothing but a remix of pantheism.
If you scratch the surface and begin to examine
the theology of the average american today, I
believe what you will find beneath the surface
is a neo-pantheist. It's a 'new and improved'
version of some of the old stuff, but pantheism
all the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism


If you have an interest to go a little further
into the subject, from a Christian perspective,
I'd recommend that you pay a visit to Ravi
Zacharias' website, and find his message on
'The Spurious Glitter of Pantheism'.

http://www.rzim.org/radio/archives.php?p=LMPT&o=0&i=100


Let's allow another heavyweight to comment:

'This seems to prove that the insight of

individuals cannot make itself felt so long as

the spirit of the age is not ripe to receive it.

On the other hand, in our day (1851) pantheism,

although presented only in Schelling's eclectic

and confused revival thereof, has become the

dominant mode of thought of scholars and even of

educated people. This is because Kant had

preceded it with his overthrow of theistic

dogmatism and had cleared the way for it,

whereby the spirit of the age was ready for it,

just as a ploughed field is ready for the seed.'

– Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol.

I, "Sketch of a History of the Doctrine of the
Ideal and the Real"

(Does it strike anyone else as coincidental that
the date given by Schopenhauer is roughly the
same time as Darwin introduced his contribution
to the neo-pantheistic doctrine of the day?)


Quote above from the wikipedia page. What's he
writing about? What The 5th Dimension sings
about -- the rediscovery of pantheism, once the
popular mindset is in a frame of reference to
find it appealing. Man, that's the 60's. The
drugs helped alot. As The Door's and many
others discovered, one of the essential elements
of religious rediscovery is the use of drugs.
But that's really another story altogether.
It's all well documented in the Woodstock video.


First, I have to say that I disagree with this
view held by Schopenhauer that 'Kant had
preceded it with his overthrow of theistic
dogmatism', in the sense that you can only hide
from the truth, you can't overthrow it. If I
had time to dig into it, I suspect that in what
he calls 'theistic dogmatism' there are some
bad caricatures to be identified. To say that
you can overthrow G-d, is to my ears saying that
you can reverse the rotation of the universe.
OK, I'm waiting. It's a covenant thing.


You see, what he's saying is that Kant made his
best effort to kill and bury G-d. But there is
the minor problem of the empty tomb -- the
resurrection of Christ. G-d keeps popping up
in different places. It's a serious issue. It
has to do with the fact that man, created in the
image of G-d, has a deeply rooted urge to
worship. You can't kill it, because it's
standard equipment. At best you can only
supress it and redirect it.


Mt 22:29 But Jesus answered them, "You are

mistaken, not knowing the scriptures, nor the

power of G-d.

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry,

nor are given in marriage, but are like G-d`s

angels in heaven.

31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead,

haven`t you read that which was spoken to you by

G-d, saying,

32 `I am the G-d of Abraham, and the G-d of

Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob?` G-d is not the G-d

of the dead, but of the living."

33 When the multitudes heard it, they were

astonished at his teaching.

--->

Ac 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at

Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he

saw the city full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and

the devout persons, and in the marketplace every

day with those who met him.

18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers

also encountered him. Some said, "What does this

babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to

be advocating foreign demons," because he

preached Jesus and the resurrection.

19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the

Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new

teaching is, which is spoken by you?

20 For you bring certain strange things to our

ears. We want to know therefore what these

things mean."

21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers

living there spent their time in nothing else,

but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

22 Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and

said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you

are very religious in all things.

23 For as I passed along, and observed the

objects of your worship, I found also an altar

with this inscription: `TO AN UNKNOWN G-D.` What

therefore you worship in ignorance, this I

announce to you.

24 The G-d who made the world and all things in

it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells

not in temples made with hands,

25 neither is he served by men`s hands, as

though he needed anything, seeing he himself

gives to all life and breath, and all things.

26 He made from one blood every nation of men to

dwell on all the surface of the earth, having

determined appointed seasons, and the bounds of

their habitation,

27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps

they might reach out for him and find him,

though he is not far from each one of us.

28 `For in him we live, and move, and have our

being.` As some of your own poets have said,

`For we are also his offspring.`

29 Being then the offspring of G-d, we ought not

to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or

silver, or stone, engraved by art and device of

man.

30 The times of ignorance therefore G-d

overlooked. But now he commands that all men

everywhere should repent,

31 because he has appointed a day in which he

will judge the world in righteousness by the man

whom he has ordained; whereof he has given

assurance to all men, in that he has raised him

from the dead."

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of

the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want

to hear you yet again concerning this."


So, there is this nagging human desire to enter
the 5th dimension.


If there ever was a real Christian, other than
Jesus, it would have to be the Apostle Paul.
Paul preached the resurrection. He was nobody's
fool, and he preached during the same period of
time as the resurrection of Christ. He was
convinced, and he had all the evidence at hand
to refute the events had there been any
question. His testimony is hard to ignore. The
door to the 5th dimension is Jesus. Proof is
seen in the resurrection.

The Rule of Law

Jer 33:20 Thus says Yhwh: If you can break my

covenant of the day, and my covenant of the

night, so that there shall not be day and night

in their season;

21 then may also my covenant be broken with

David my servant, that he shall not have a son

to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the

priests, my ministers.

--->

25 Thus says Yhwh: If my covenant of day and

night fails, if I have not appointed the

ordinances of heaven and earth;

26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob,

and of David my servant, so that I will not take

of his seed to be rulers over the seed of

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause

their captivity to return, and will have mercy

on them.


Here's a quote from the earlier 'Temple' post:

'The center of worship is the law of the Lord, as
he chose to reveal himself to man. It's not an
image centered religion, it's a law/covenant
centered religion. In order to have the favor
and presence of the Lord, it is explicit that we
have to live in the way that he intends for us
to live.'

(Remember, at the center of the temple was
the Ark of the Covenant -- the law.)


To a certain extent, there is nothing anyone can
do to change the existing order. The universe
is structured by the law of G-d. In the verses
above, Jeremiah says that just as the laws that
govern the physical universe cannot be altered
by men, so the past, present and future of the
nation of Israel is structured by G-d.


Since Jeremiah wrote these passages during the
Babylonian seige of Jerusalem, we know that they
are dated about 586 BC. That is long before a
mathematical description of the physical
universe was developed by Isaac Newton. Prior
to Newton and his contemporaries, there is no
doctrine in science that I know of that
described the physical world as a system of
'laws'. In other words, the doctrine of
scripture has always held to the truth that
there is an order to the physical universe, that
was designed by its Creator.


The implication of the passage above is that
with the same confidence that we can rely on the
certainty of the 'laws' of nature, we can also
rely on the certainty of the moral law of G-d.
Some of the relationships of the laws of nature
have been worked out. But the law of the Lord
is not accessible by those means. It can only
be received by revelation. That's where we
begin to have a problem with it. We want to
write our own rules, even though we don't have a
clue as to the unintended consequences that our
'rules' might impose. It's better to trust that
the Creator who designed the laws of nature
also knows what he's doing when he designed the
moral law. Our job is just to figure out how to
implement his law. That's a more productive
course of action than a trial and error effort
to produce a set of rules that better appease
our preferences. But, nobody really wants to
hear about that. We're smarter than the last
bunch.


Taking another look at the passage above, it is
now apparent that Jeremiah was proven correct.
Jerusalem did fall to the Babylonians in 586BC.
Then later, the city was rebuilt and even to the
present day, there is a Jerusalem in the nation
of Israel. There is no Babylonian Empire. Say
whatever you want. Jeremiah got it right. And
it is a most unlikely prophecy. It's not really
Jeremiah, though. It's the Almighty that has it
right. The doctrines of scripture are proven
true. You can't make that stuff up.

Jesus Among Others

"Have you ever been accused of getting so wrapped
up in the holiday season that you’ve forgotten
the “true” meaning of Christmas? Or maybe you
weren’t directly accused but unwittingly joined
the captive audience of a Christian delivering a
soapbox speech about “keeping the Christ in
Christmas”. Well, next time this happens, if
you’re feeling called to be equally obnoxious,
you can assure the concerned party that you’re
well aware of the true meaning of the Christmas
season, and that Christ is just one in a long
line of gods that have been celebrated on or
around the winter solstice."

http://skepchick.org/blog/
'Critical Thinking for the Masses'


On a random blog view, I found this gem. My
take is that the writer finds the 'truth' to be
obnoxious. But I like the notion of critical
thinking for the masses.


So, here's her 'truth' -- Christ is just one in
a long line of gods that have been celebrated on
or around the winter solstice.


Huh. In other words, there is no such thing as
relativism. She says that your 'truth' is false
but her 'truth' is true. How well does that
hold up? It's not that there are no other
festivals on or around the solstice. No problem
there. It's not that there's a long line of
deities. No argument there. It's the failure
to recognize, with all the evidence, that Jesus
is unique. Thank you for drawing my attention
to this minor technicality.


I just spent the whole of the week prior to
Christmas to underscore the uniqueness of the
place that Jesus has in history. He's unique in
almost every way. He is not one among many.
There is no way that a sane person can come to
that conclusion from reading the Gospel
accounts. But I am not single, so I am well
aware that reason is not a necessary criteria.
Pull a page from the play book, develop a
caricature and don't be inconvenienced by
reason. See, the Gospel accounts prove their
case well. The burden of proof now lies upon
the 'skeptic' to show that there is another
deity like Jesus. I won't hold my breath. It
hasn't been done yet. We've waited over 2000
years, now.


Don't misunderstand. I'm not picking on this
poor woman. She is only repeating what she's
been told. I've probably heard most or all of
it myself. But, I also have spent time studying
scripture. So, I recognize the caricature. And
I realize that 'truth' is not relative no matter
how often you repeat the phrase that 'truth is
relative'.


Just so you know, here's another obnoxious truth
-- hell is an uncomfortable place. I've never
been there, but I've seen enough 'hell' here on
earth to know that it won't be any fun at all.
And I'm old enough to know that I haven't seen
the half of it. You don't want to go there.


Another obnoxious truth is that Jesus is
the way out of the literal hell. Sinners need a
saviour who has the ability to atone for sin and
has power over death (the resurrection). That's
the real Jesus. Totally unique. The ONLY way.
That's the way truth is.


Here's a first hand account:

II Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cunningly

devised fables, when we made known to you the

power and coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but

we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from G-d the Father honor and

glory, when the voice came to him from the

Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom

I am well pleased."

18 This voice we heard come out of heaven, when

we were with him in the holy mountain.

19 We have the more sure word of prophecy;

whereunto you do well that you take heed, as to

a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day

dawns, and the day star arises in your hearts:

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of

scripture is of private interpretation.

21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man:

but holy men of G-d spoke, being moved by the

Holy Spirit.


Notice that Peter points out here that he is an
eyewitness to uniqueness of Christ. But he does
not ask us to believe his testimony by itself.
He points to the 'sure word of prophecy'. This
is a faith, based not on the imagination of a
single man, but on the covenants established by
G-d from the earliest days of history. There
is only one King of kings and Lord of lords.
We call him Jesus.

Skeptics

This is what the skeptic does. He makes a
caricature of Jesus, then he makes fun of the
caricature, all the time pretending that the
caricature that he has made is the genuine
article. That game plan finds utility
beyond the realm of religion. I would think
that it's a harmless game, except that I've
seen, up close and personalm, the consequences.
It's not harmless, because many folks can't tell
the difference. The end for them is a greased
chute to hell.


Jesus spoke to the religious skeptics of his
day. He saw clearly what they were doing. And
he warned them what was at the end of the road.
'Gehenna' means hell.


Mt 23:13 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you devour widows` houses, and

as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore

you will receive greater condemnation.

14 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of

Heaven against men; for you don`t enter in

yourselves, neither do you allow those who are

entering in to enter.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and

land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes

one, you make him twice as much of a son of

Gehenna as yourselves.

16 Woe to you, you blind guides, who say,

`Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing;

but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he

is a debtor.`

17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the

gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

18 `Whoever will swear by the altar, it is

nothing; but whoever will swear by the gift that

is on it, he is a debtor.`

19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the

gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears

by it, and by everything on it.

21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it,

and by him who is living in it.

22 He who swears by the heaven, swears by the

throne of G-d, and by him who sits on it.

23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin,

and have left undone the weightier matters of

the law - justice, mercy, and faith. But you

ought to have done these, and not to have left

the other undone.

24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and

swallow a camel!

25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup

and of the platter, but within they are full of

extortion and unrighteousness.

26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of

the cup and of the platter, that the outside of

it may become clean also.

27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs,

which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly

are full of dead men`s bones, and of all

uncleanness.

28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous

to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy

and iniquity.

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the

prophets, and decorate the tombs of the

righteous,

30 and say, `If we had been in the days of our

fathers, we should not have been partakers with

them in the blood of the prophets.`

31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you

are sons of those who killed the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how

will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?


These days, people don't like to hear about
hell. The word 'Gehenna' that is translated
'hell' is only found 15 times in the Gospels.
And the word translated 'fire' is used 32 times.
Usually, 'fire' is used to describe the eternal
destination of the unbeliever.


Jesus did not spend a huge amount of time
talking about hell in the Gospels. The word
translated 'heaven' is used 141 times in the
Gospels. Jesus mostly had a message for
believers, that focused on the reality of an
eternal city of G-d. He preached to his
followers mostly, and not to the skeptics of
his day. He made it clear that they did not
want to miss the bus, because there was a
penalty. Not just the penalty of being excluded
from an eternity in the presence of Jesus, but
being confined for all eternity in a lake of
fire. That choice is a no-brainer.


Mt 25:41 Then will he say also to them on the

left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the

eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and

his angels;


Just as there were those who mislead the people
in Jesus' day, there are those who do the same
in modern times. Jesus spent most of his time
preaching to those who wanted to know the way.
He saw that they did not have good shepherds.
The situtation hasn't changed much since.
That's why I spend time here, not just looking
at what Jesus preached, but also to take a look
at what is preached by the unbeliever today.
Be warned that there is a war going on for the
souls of men. There are those who wish to trick
you into rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and they wear all sorts of disguises. The
apostle Paul put it this way:


II Cor 11:13 For such men are false apostles,

deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ`s

apostles.

14 No wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an

angel of light.

15 It is no great thing therefore if his

ministers also masquerade as servants of

righteousness, whose end will be according to

their works.

--->

Eph 6:12 For our wrestling is not against flesh

and blood, but against the principalities,

against the powers, against the world`s rulers

of the darkness of this age, and against the

spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly

places.


'The secular doctrine of Everything is Equal is
a lame doctrine, useful only for speculation...'
is something I wrote yesterday. You're subject to
indoctrination. And it makes an appearance in
every modern media form. If you are not seeing
it, it's because you are being indoctrinated
without being aware. Do what Jesus says, He
who has ears to hear, let him hear.


In fact, the truth is that Everything is
Theological. Everything. Secularism is an
alternate religious doctrine. When you say that
religion has no place in public life, what you
really mean is we want to make sure christianity
has no place in public life. Secularism can't
exclude doctrine. It can only provide an
alternative doctrine. Every system of belief
has a basis in theology. Who's to say that
christianity or generic religion has no place in
public life. Whose authority? Who's G-d? When you
say, this is a fair policy, what do you mean?
Who decides what 'fair' is? Once you reject the
basis for law, which is the existence of a
higher authority, then there is no more order.
Everything is up for grabs. That's where we
are today, and that's why we are doomed, given
the present condition. When everything is up
for grabs, social order will collapse. It
always has in the past. It just takes time for
anarchy to work. Some might say, it's the
judgement of G-d. I might say, it's the normal
consequence of sin. At this stage in history,
you would think that it is obvious that there
are certain social orders that work and there
are certain social orders that don't work, just
from a pragmatic point of view. Yet, every
generation thinks that they're smarter than the
last bunch. They have a new and improved
version. I know my kids do.


At the end of the day, or the end of the year,
you may not be able to recognize the latest fad
in social doctrine. You may have no interest in
things like science. And not be able to see the
errors in the doctrine of 'evolution'. You
may not see pitfalls in all the social
changes that swirl around you. You don't have
to. All you have to do is listen to Jesus and
do exactly what he said to do. The message
hasn't changed in over 2000 years, because sin
hasn't changed in over 2000 years. Jesus came
to save sinners.


Mt 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16 "But what will I compare this generation to?

It is like children sitting in the marketplaces,

who call to their companions

17 and say, `We played the flute for you, and

you didn`t dance. We mourned for you, and you

didn`t lament.`

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking,

and they say, `He has a demon.`

19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and

they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a

drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and

sinners!` But wisdom is justified by her

children."

King Solomon

I Kings 6:1 And it came to pass in the four

hundred and eightieth year after the children of

Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in

the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel,

in the month Zif, which is the second month,

that he began to build the house of the LORD.

2 And the house which king Solomon built for the

LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits,

and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the

height thereof thirty cubits.

3 And the porch before the temple of the house,

twenty cubits was the length thereof, according

to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was

the breadth thereof before the house.

4 And for the house he made windows of narrow

lights.

5 And against the wall of the house he built

chambers round about, against the walls of the

house round about, both of the temple and of the

oracle: and he made chambers round about:

6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad,

and the middle was six cubits broad, and the

third was seven cubits broad: for without in the

wall of the house he made narrowed rests round

about, that the beams should not be fastened in

the walls of the house.

7 And the house, when it was in building, was

built of stone made ready before it was brought

thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax

nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while

it was in building.

8 The door for the middle chamber was in the

right side of the house: and they went up with

winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out

of the middle into the third.

9 So he built the house, and finished it; and

covered the house with beams and boards of

cedar.

10 And then he built chambers against all the

house, five cubits high: and they rested on the

house with timber of cedar.

11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon,

saying,

12 Concerning this house which thou art in

building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and

execute my judgments, and keep all my

commandments to walk in them; then will I

perform my word with thee, which I spake unto

David thy father:

13 And I will dwell among the children of

Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.


All that remains to this day of the temple that
is mentioned in this passage that was built by
King Solomon is the retaining wall of the Temple
Mount. That's it.


Given the time line of verse one, that would
place the date at about 800 BC, give or take.
This magnificent temple only last about 200
years before it was destroyed by the
Babylonians. Then after another 200 years,
reconstruction began. Finally, only 90 years
before the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem the
work that began on Herod's Temple was completed.


http://www.templesanjose.org/JudaismInfo/faq/templewall.htm


There are discrepancies in the timeline that I
use above. I've never done a careful study of
the dates and times of these events. Others
have. Feel free to disagree. The date of the
Babylonian destruction in 586 BC seems to have
wide acceptance.


One reason that I use the timeline above is
because there seems to be a limit to the time
that any empire has ever been able to maintain
a dominant position. Israel reached it's
zenith at the time that this passage from
I Kings 6 was recorded, when Solomon was king.
After his death, the decline of the nation
began. It's recorded in I Kings.


There is also an article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon's_Temple

I am disappointed when I read of all the
speculation that appears as to the origin of the
design of the temple. Secular writers attempt
to describe all the similarities between pagan
temples and Solomon's Temple, as if it is the
temple of just one more of many deities, all
of a common origin. Instead, look at the
differences. All religions are not alike. Look
at the Dome of the Rock. The differences in
architecture are no less significant than the
differences in theology. The deities are very
different. The secular doctrine of Everything
is Equal is a lame doctrine, useful only for
speculation in an effort to create confusion.
It's been effective.





So, back to Solomon's Temple. It is symbolic
of the fact that the Lord wants to have a
presence among men, on his earth. Contained in
the inner chamber is the Ark with the Ten
Commandments engraved in stone, as they were
received by Moses. The center of worship is the
law of the Lord, as he chose to reveal himself
to man. It's not an image centered religion, it's a law/covenant centered religion. In order to have the
favor and presence of the Lord, it is explicit
that we have to live in the way that he intends
for us to live. The point is that it's not to
his benefit that we recognize and follow his
plan. It's to our benefit. The covenant was
made to benefit us, not him. Under the rule of
King David and then King Solomon, the nation
enjoyed a time of prominence. For the time that
they chose to live in agreement with the
covenant, they were able to benefit. The
position of prominence was not a result of the
skill of the men in leadership. Both David
and Solomon made it clear that they were only
'earthly representatives of the King of Heaven.
That's the motivation for building a temple.
They did not see themselves as special men, they
saw their G-d as a glorious G-d. They wanted
all people to know that they were earthly kings,
but that there is in heaven a higher King to
whom they wish to give glory.

Baby Jesus VII

As a Christmas gift, someone gave me a new DVD
set of Planet Earth, the
BBC series with David Attenborough. I've seen
some of his videos before. Except I don't buy
the evolutionary doctrine. When I look at the
planet, I see a unique creation. I see the work
of a Creator. That doesn't prevent me from
enjoying the videos. I just notice when the
presentation veers into the path of doctrine as
it swerves off the path of science. It is a
little irritating to me that they don't go into
the evidence for their doctrines, they just
state them as they are to be accepted on faith.
OK. I'm a skeptic.


Today is the traditional day of Jesus' birth.
We know that it's probably not the correct date
of his birth. But, if you stop a second and
think about it, What is correct?


When at first I realized that there was a huge
discrepancy between tradition and accuracy, it
sorta' bothered me. Nobody seems to be overly
concerned about it, though. And as time passes,
I try to ignore what goes on around me. People
believe whatever they want to believe, for
absolutely no reason at all. It's the lemming
instinct. But I'm still interested in knowing
at least a little bit about what's really gone
on, and where traditions originate. And as time
passes, I am more willing to accept that other's
are more inclined to ignorance is bliss. It's
always been that way. And in modern times, it's
even more so.


People want their religion to be entertaining.
But when I sit in a pew Sunday morning, I'm
asking myself, How can they expect to compete
with 200 channels of cable TV? If you are
looking for entertainment, cable TV has alot
more to offer than church. And Santa has a much
better commercial interest than Jesus ever did.
There is no competition.


So on the day that we traditionally celebrate
the birth of the baby Jesus, I just want to try
and point out the difference between the
authentic Jesus and the Jesus of modernity.
That's what the past few days have been about.
The authentic Jesus is the savior of the world.
Of course, that's the issue, now isn't it. If
you don't need a savior, you don't need an
authentic Jesus.


Jesus only appeals to the sinner. If you are
not a sinner, there's no need for a savior.
For us sinners, we need an authentic Jesus. We
need a savior. Santa is OK, but he can't deal
with the problem of sin. And that's the whole
reason that the baby Jesus was born, in a barn
in Bethlehem in Judea about 2000 years ago.


John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees

named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 The same came to him by night, and said to

him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come

from G-d, for no one can do these signs that you

do, unless G-d is with him."

3 Jesus answered him, "Most assuredly, I tell

you, unless one is born anew, he can`t see the

kingdom of G-d."

4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born

when he is old? Can he enter a second time into

his mother`s womb, and be born?"

5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I tell you,

unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he

can`t enter into the kingdom of G-d!

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That

which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Don`t marvel that I said to you, `You must be

born anew.`

8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear

its sound, but don`t know where it comes from

and where it is going. So is everyone who is

born of the Spirit."

9 Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things

be?"

10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of

Israel, and don`t understand these things?

11 Most assuredly I tell you, we speak that

which we know, and testify of that which we have

seen, and you don`t receive our witness.

12 If I told you earthly things and you don`t

believe, how will you believe if I tell you

heavenly things?

13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who

descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is

in heaven.

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the

wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be

lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him should not

perish, but have eternal life.

16 For G-d so loved the world, that he gave his

one and only Son, that whoever believes in him

should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For G-d didn`t send his Son into the world to

judge the world, but that the world should be

saved through him.

18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who

doesn`t believe has been judged already, because

he has not believed in the name of the only born

Son of G-d.

19 This is the judgment, that the light has come

into the world, and men loved the darkness

rather than the light; for their works were

evil.

20 For everyone who does evil hates the light,

and doesn`t come to the light, for fear that his

works would be reproved.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light,

that his works may be revealed, that they have

been done with G-d."

Baby Jesus VI

From an earlier post, I think that I'll stay
right here on the Jesus Bus. It's Pacal's
Wager. Not only do I have the benefit of
faith, but I can do anything you can do as well.
The benefit of faith is that I enjoy a wider
range of options. By choice, I am able to
reject the greater evils in that range of
options, and I can enjoy the pleasures of
choosing goodness and grace and truth. It's the
obvious advantage. If I understand it
correctly.


What the non-christian does not seem to be able
to accept is the fact that I don't WANT to do
alot of the things that other people do.
Sometimes, believe it or not, I wonder if people
want to do the things they do, or if they have
no choice. We like to believe we have choices,
but really, do we always have the creative
energy to imagine a greater range of choices?
From what I see around me, the answer would
be, no way. From a book I read recently, war
is the result of a lack of imagination. Not so
sure about war as a result, but there seems no
end to lack of imagination. It's a rare
commodity.


From Baby Jesus V:

It was
never recorded in scripture that Jesus gave an
explanation for the works that he did. He only
said that the 'power' came from G-d, if I
remember right.

So, I have to ask, What did Jesus mean when he
said 'power'? Did he mean he had
*knowledge* of how miracles worked? Did he mean
he had what we would call 'supernatural'
abilities beyond a superior knowledge? In other
words, he was able to bridge the barrier between
this physical existence and the larger dimension
of the infinite and the eternal. Is it because
of an infinite nature or is it because of an
infinite knowledge that he was able to do what
he did? I think, that scripture shows us that
it was, at the very least, both of these
qualities that Jesus possessed.


Mt 21:23 When he had come into the temple, the

chief priests and the elders of the people came

to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what

authority do you do these things? Who gave you

this authority?"


The word translated here as 'authority' is:

"Exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah);
Word Origin: Greek, Noun Feminine, Strong #:

1849


power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases

leave or permission

physical and mental power

the ability or strength with which one is

endued, which he either possesses or exercises
the power of authority (influence) and of right

(privilege)

the power of rule or government (the power of

him whose will and commands must be submitted to

by others and obeyed)
universally

authority over mankind specifically
the power of judicial decisions

of authority to manage domestic affairs
metonymically

a thing subject to authority or rule 4c

jurisdiction

one who possesses authority 4c
a ruler, a human magistrate 4c

the leading and more powerful among created

beings superior to man, spiritual potentates

a sign of the husband's authority over his wife

the veil with which propriety required a women

to cover herself

the sign of regal authority, a crown

KJV Word Usage and Count

power 69
authority 29
right 2
liberty 1
jurisdiction 1
strength 1 " (Strong's)

(Who's to know exactly? Looks like a
hermenuetical challenge. There's alot here to
split hairs about.)


Mt 21:24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask

you one question, which if you tell me, I

likewise will tell you by what authority I do

these things.

25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From

heaven or from men?" They reasoned with

themselves, saying, "If we will say, `From

heaven,` he will tell us, `Why then did you not

believe him?`

26 But if we will say, `From men,` we fear the

multitude, for all hold John as a prophet."

27 They answered Jesus, and said, "We don`t

know." He also said to them, "Neither will I

tell you by what authority I do these things.


It wasn't just the religious authorities that
questioned Jesus divinity.


Mark 1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch

that they questioned among themselves, saying,

What thing is this? what new doctrine is this?

for with AUTHORITY commandeth he even the

unclean spirits, and they do obey him.


There is no question that Jesus had special
ability. It was recognized by others. It's
not known how it worked.


Here's another attempt by the religious
authorities to accuse Jesus of mischief:


Mt 12:22 Then there was brought to him one

possessed by a demon, blind and mute, and he

healed him, so that the blind and mute man both

spoke and saw.

23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said,

"Can this be the son of David?"

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,

"This man does not cast out demons, except by

Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them,

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought

to desolation, and every city or house divided

against itself will not stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided

against himself. How then will his kingdom

stand?

27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do

your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be

your judges.

28 But if I by the Spirit of G-d cast out

demons, then the kingdom of G-d has come on you.


Jesus doesn't say it directly, but the Pharisees
project a supernatural bias to explain healing
effects that they don't know the cause of. It
looks to me like Jesus almost enjoyed baffling
his opposition. It's like he's saying, It's not
what you know boyz, it's who you know.


What we see around us every day is not what we
perceive to be miraculous, because it's common
experience. What is not common experience is
what we perceive to be miraculous. That's the
aura that surrounded Jesus -- the uncommon.
From birth to resurrection, Jesus had a unique
life.


It's discouraging to see that people are drawn
to the sensational, and yet are not able to see
what's around them. I can't count how often
I've been to religious gatherings where people
get all excited about the prospect of seeing or
experiencing something sensational. Wiki
Toronto revival, kansas city prophets, etc.
Rodney howard Brown...


This is the religion of today. But where is the
substance? And where is the excitiement about
scripture? That's where the sensation ought
to be.



People want their religion to be entertaining.
I get tired of it. But I get even more tired
of those who ask me to accept on faith their
sensational discoveries of 'science' -- the
evolutionist bone peddlers.


Looking out the window of the Jesus Bus, I see
that I am surrounded by the miraculous, but
it's not perceived as such. By faith, there are
even greater things to behold. But you gotta'
get on the bus. Merry Christmas!

Baby Jesus V

First, just a couple comments about yesterday's
post. Just because we can't explain something,
does not mean that it's miraculous. If you ever
looked at ancient Greek mythology, you find an
attempt on the part of ancient greeks to
explain the cause of physical phenomena. They
did not know the physical world the way we do.
They didn't know that lightning was the result
of electrical discharge. So, they said it was
the activity of deities. What would they say
if they saw a Cessna 150?


When I see a discussion of the miraculous events
in scripture, for instance the signs and wonders
performed by Jesus, it seems that it boils down
to an argument about doctrine. There is an
effort on the part of secular interests to
rationalize the miraculous by offering another
explanation of causality. By way of any cause
that excludes G-d. But it flies in the face of
the historical account.


In commenting about miracles, it would be good
to be able to take into account doctrine on
causality, knowledge and psychology (perception)
at the very least. Here I am going to try to
say something in 250 words or less. A hopeless
task. Maybe I can return to the topic later on
down the road.


How can a blind man be given sight by a spoken

word? We can't explain it, so
we defer to our pet doctrine, whatever it may
be. In spite of the fact that it can't be
proven one way or the other, we want to find
causality, because that's the most rational way
to view the world. And then, the real
argument comes down to how to explain the cause
of the events recorded in scripture. It was
never recorded in scripture that Jesus gave an
explanation for the works that he did. He only
said that the power came from G-d. Just because
you can't explain the mechanism of causality
does not mean that there is another cause. It
only means that you don't understand the way it
works. To say that the prime cause is G-d, is
just to say that in spite of the fact that we
don't know the mechanism, we know that the cause
is G-d. And there is a difference between
saying we don't know the mechanism and saying
that the cause is G-d. There may very well be
an explanation of the mechanism of the miracles

recorded in scripture, we just don't know it.
That's hard for some to admit, since their
sincere effort is to discredit the *doctrine* of
scripture. Get it?


In the doctrine of scripture, is the teaching
that G-d rules the universe with soveriegn
authority. He makes the rules. He's the one
who decided how 'miracles' would work. He did
not provide an explanation of the mechanism of
how they work. He did not provide a recipe for
spaghetti and meatballs either, but we figured
that out on our own. Just because we don't know
how to explain it, does not mean that there is
no explanation. It means, we don't know it.
There's a difference.


Is that about as clear as mud? I don't explain
to good either. I try to knock one of these
posts out in an hour or so, so they're not
always as precise and polished as I'd like.
Besides, on Saturday, the wife and kids are home
in the morning and you know they have pressing
issues -- When can we have breakfast? So, I'm
trying to write and listen to my idea of
Christmas music, that everyone else seems to
dislike around here. Handel's Messiah. What
else?


Let's move a little bit down the road with the
Jesus Bus today. More on the baby Jesus.


Today's another look at events surrounding the
birth of Jesus from the record of scripture.
After writing yesterday's post, I had to reflect
a couple times over the course of the day, on
the predicament that Joseph was in. When I was
a single guy (most of my years) I simply had no
way to know what to make of his situation. Can
you imagine the conversation after Joseph saw

the angel saying, go to Egypt:


J: Mary, we need to talk.

M: What is it honey?

J: How would you like to go to Egypt?

M: We don't know anyone in Egypt. Do you?

J: Well, we can go see the pyramids. I've
always wanted to see the pyramids.

M: That's a long walk Joseph, I won't be able to
see my family for months. Besides, we
have a new baby. You need to find a
better job anyway...

J: I can look for work in Egypt.

And on and on, until it gains momentum into a
huge conflagration, and shouting and hysterics
and tears. Because you know Mary didn't want to
go (walk) all the way to Egypt. Joseph may not

have been too keen on the idea, either. But he
went. You have to wonder. Looking at the
written account, it seems that the characters
involved really didn't know what to think of
the stuff that was going on around them,
and had to be prodded along by external forces.


Lu 2:8 And there were in the same country

shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch

over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,

and the glory of the Lord shone round about

them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,

behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of

David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall

find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a

multitude of the heavenly host praising G-d, and

saying,

14 Glory to G-d in the highest, and on earth

peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone

away from them into heaven, the shepherds said

one to another, Let us now go even unto

Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to

pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and

Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known

abroad the saying which was told them concerning

this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those

things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered

them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and

praising G-d for all the things that they had

heard and seen, as it was told unto them.


In this passage, another visit from angels is
recorded. This time to shepherds. Luke
provides a detailed account of these events. He
wants his friend to know that this is not a
story he or someone else made up. He provides
dates, times, places and people -- he's
specific. This is an account, that in it's
time, could have easily been refuted if it was
not accurate.


What this passage provides is another example,
for the benefit of all involved that the birth
of baby Jesus is an unusual event. In fact,
verses 17 and 18 record that the shepherds
made their best effort to tell everyone they saw
about the events that had taken place. They
perceived it as good news. The people were
amazed -- oh, scripture IS right!?! -- and
Mary pondered -- looks like a regular baby to
me. Joseph is present, but he's not saying a

word. I'd think he's glad it was someone
else seeing angels this time. When
I read this passage, I get the general

impression that folks are kinda' clueless.


Then there is this passage from the book of
Genesis. Remember the time line. Luke writes
about 70 AD. Jacob spoke this blessing about
1300 years, give or take before the time of
Christ. And about 600 years before the

prophecies given in the days of Isaiah. Reread
verse 11 above and then look at this passage:


Gen 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren

shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of

thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow

down before thee.

9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my

son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he

couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall

rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor

a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh

come; and unto him shall the gathering of the

people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's

colt unto the choice vine; he washed his

garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood

of grapes:

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his

teeth white with milk.


It's verse 10 that catches my attention, 'until
Shiloh come'. See Walvoord's comments. This is
one of the earliest messianic prophecies of
scripture. There is no question that it was
written well before Isaiah. And the baby in
Bethlehem, is surrounded by eyewitness accounts
as to his divine nature. It's all about Jesus.
Get on the bus.

Baby Jesus IV

Reading over yesterday's post, I am wondering if
maybe I am not giving Joseph enough credit.
It's hard to say, except by extrapolation. Look
at this passage:


Mark 6:1 And he went forth thence, and came to

his own country, and his disciples do follow

him,

2 and sabbath having come, he began in the

synagogue to teach, and many hearing were

astonished, saying, `Whence hath this one these

things? and what the wisdom that was given to

him, that also such mighty works through his

hands are done?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary,

and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and

Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?` --

and they were being stumbled at him.

4 And Jesus said to them -- `A prophet is not

without honor, except in his own country, and

among his kindred, and in his own house;`

5 and he was not able there any mighty work to

do, except on a few infirm people having put

hands he did heal [them];

6 and he wondered because of their unbelief...


Two things that I notice are that Joseph is not
specifically mentioned, and nobody in his family
was eager to believe, even at the time that
Jesus was preaching, that he was anyone special.
Clearly, even in those days, miraculous events
were regarded as unlikely by most. It was only
believers who were able to experience the
benefit of Jesus' ministry. Not much has
changed in the heart's of men in over 2000
years. People still are reluctant to believe
that G-d has a desire to intervene in their
lives.


Here's how I see it. The miraculous is only
miraculous because we do not understand it
in a way that we can describe it in
materialistic terms. In other words, if we
can't see ourselves with the ability to do
something, then it appears to be miraculous.
My hunch is that there is an explanation for
events that we perceive as miracles, but it is
hidden. The scripture simply calls it 'faith'.


Years ago, I was able to read some of the books
written by Norman Vincent Peale. Peale made an
effort to describe in his own terms, how to make
faith work for you. He called it 'positive
thinking'. Because he was a pastor, he was able
to encounter people from all walks of life who
had problems that they couldn't solve. He was
able to recognize that much of the trouble was
a pattern of negative thinking. And as soon as
a person was able to give up their negative
thinking, that they were able to discover that
there are ways to work out problems. It's a
little bit like Rogerian therapy, if I'm not
mistaken.


My point is that there are people who attempt
to explain the realm of 'faith' in psychological
terms, as an activity of the brain, a purely
physical phenomenon. My observation is that
there is a direct relationship between a
person's habit of thought and their actions.
And actions produce results, either beneficial
or otherwise. But to take it to the extreme
that we are in complete control of our brain?
If you accept the materialistic view, then
brain capacity is determined by DNA. We have
no control over DNA - yet. So, Peale. it seems,
was able to believe that a person could harness
the power of their mind to achieve 'miracles'.
But that still does not explain the origin of
brain activity. And the only way you can
believe that your brain evolved is because you
don't know much about your brain or
probabilities and biochemistry. Molecules don't
spotaneously organize into macromolecules and
macromolecules don't spotaneously organize into
differentiated cells. Entropy guarantees it.

Ain't no way.


My point is that people find it possible to
believe in 'miracles' if they can find a
satisfactory explanation. But, forget about the
G-d thing. That's too hard to believe? Look
at the biosphere. It's miraculous. We are
surrounded by the miraculous and we just don't
see it. But when Jesus did something unusual,
to demonstrate that G-d rules the physical as
well as the non-physical universe, well, that's
believing in miracles. So, again I suggest that
it's really not that anything unusual is really
taking place, we just see it that way. To G-d,
nothing is unusual. And Peale had a good point
about the impact of individual perception.


There are passages in the scripture surrounding
the birth of Jesus and what the perception was
of him.


Herod saw a threat. Shepherds saw an angel.
Wise men saw a king. Mary saw her firstborn.
The innkeeper saw a paying customer. Matthew
saw the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. Joseph
kept seeing angels and doing what they told him
to do. There were a wide range of perceptions.


Mt 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these

things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with

him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests

and scribes of the people together, he demanded

of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of

Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art

not the least among the princes of Juda: for out

of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule

my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the

wise men, inquired of them diligently what time

the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go

and search diligently for the young child; and

when ye have found him, bring me word again,

that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed;

and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east,

went before them, till it came and stood over

where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with

exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they

saw the young child with Mary his mother, and

fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had

opened their treasures, they presented unto him

gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of G-d in a dream that they

should not return to Herod, they departed into

their own country another way.

13 And when they were departed, behold, the

angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a

dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child

and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou

there until I bring thee word: for Herod will

seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and

his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that

it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the

Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I

called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of

the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent

forth, and slew all the children that were in

Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from

two years old and under, according to the time

which he had diligently inquired of the wise

men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by

Jeremy the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation,

and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping

for her children, and would not be comforted,

because they are not.



So looking out the window of the Jesus Bus, at
the baby in the manger, what do we see? Do we
see something like myth? No, not at all. If
you see it that way, Jesus has an answer for
you.


Mt 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye

do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the

power of G-d.


What we see in the manger is determined by our
perception of events. If our perception has
been informed by the clear teaching of scripture
then we will see the baby as the saviour and
only hope of the world. It really is joy to the
world. If, on the other hand, our perception is
informed by some other doctrine, then we miss
the bus. Forever is a long time.

Baby Jesus III

In Luke's gospel, there is this record of the
birth of Jesus.


Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that

there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus,

that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius

was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his

own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of

the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city

of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he

was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged

to be married to him as wife, being great with

child.

6 It happened, while they were there, that the

day had come that she should give birth.

7 She brought forth her firstborn son, and she

wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a

feeding trough, because there was no room for

them in the inn.


There are some things that stand out in this
passage above. Luke provides enough detail so
that the time period of the birth of Jesus can
be well established. In other words, it's not a
vague account of some place at some time. It's
specific. The Roman government is collecting a
tax, so it is required that everyone return to
the town of their ancestors. In other words,
they wanted to make sure that nobody was going
to feel left out. They didn't want to miss
anyone while collecting the tax. By comparison,
our present income tax system isn't so bad. So,
Mary and Joseph had to pack up and go from
Nazareth to Bethlehem, while Mary was expecting.
You have to wonder if they couldn't file an
extention, until after the baby was born.


It's not what the passage contains, but what is
left out that draws me. You would have to think
that there was an urgency to the situation that
did not allow an excuse for delay. Maybe it was
like a holiday season, and everyone had to show
up at the specific time, everyone including
pregnant women. We don't have the details.


You see that governments have always liked to
tax.


But the most interesting aspect to me, is the
relevance to prophecy. Notice that in the
account Mary and Joseph didn't travel of their
own spontaneous desire to go visit Bethlehem.
They were required, by Roman law, to return to
Bethlehem. We don't know how long they were
there. Maybe they delayed the travel for as
long as they could, hoping that Mary would
deliver the baby before having to travel. Given
that there was no room available for them, you
would think that they paid their tax as soon as
possible and got back to Nazareth.


You have to wonder what was going through
Joseph's mind at the time. You would expect
that he was feeling a little inconvenienced.
But you can bet that Joseph probably wasn't
saying much about the whole thing. I mean, all
of the strange goings on. He probably didn't
feel much like talking about all this. In fact,
his first response was to quietly leave Mary to
her own devices. And Mary, being a woman, had
to talk about it, so she went to see her cousin
Elizabeth so they could chatter about it all, as
women are compelled to do. I mean, what was
Joseph going to say. Was he going to tell
anyone about seeing an angel and stuff? Folks
who knew him probably thought he was crazy
already for wanting to have anything to do with
Mary. Think about it.


So, the story seems to be like one huge mistake,
Murphy's Law with a vengence. Until you
consider the prophecy of Micah. Which was
likely, the last thing on Joseph's mind. We
can't know.


Micah 5:2 But you, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which

are little to be among the thousands of Judah,

out of you shall one come forth to me that is to

be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from

of old, from everlasting.


The timing, of all these seemingly unrelated
events worked out perfectly for the fulfillment
of this messianic prophecy. There was no
stopping it. Even though, you would have to
imagine, that Joseph was not thrilled about it
all.


Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah. They both
lived through the period that's known as the
Assyrian captivity of about 722 B.C. And Micah
was one who had predicted the fall of Israel,
the Northern Kingdom, at that time. But in the
middle of all the doom and gloom of his warning
of judgement on the nation for it's rejection of
G-d, there is this little messianic prophecy,
written about 700 years before it took place in
a most unlikely way. The prophecy is specific
enough to provide an exact location and
identity.


Here's one commentary:


'For so the Jews divided their country that for

every thousand there was a chief captain: and

because Bethlehem was not able to make a

thousand, he calls it little. But yet God will

raise up his captain and governor in it: and

thus it is not the least by reason of this

benefit. See Matthew 2:6
(c) He shows that the coming of Christ and all

his ways were appointed by God from all

eternity. ' Geneva


If you stop and think about it, the events
surrounding the birth of Jesus are unusual.
Even if you have a hard time accepting the idea
of a virgin birth (I don't. It's a one time
event. It's not miraculous if it happens all
the time. And the resurrection proved it.) the
circumstances of the fulfillment of this single
messianic prophecy are improbable. That, in
itself, makes this a unique episode in history.
The baby Jesus in the manger, has a unique life
from the moment of conception and events
surrounding his birth confirm that. It's the
prophetic aspect of it all that is most
stunning. That it was predicted with accuracy
700 years beforehand show that it was not a
surprise to G-d, and again demonstrate his
authority over the affairs of men (Mary and
Joseph) and nations (Roman Empire). If you're
on the Jesus Bus, this is good news.

A Scapegoat

Many years ago, I spent a Christmas in western
Europe. Overall, I enjoyed my time there. I
was able to travel and see alot of different
places. Even as a teenager, it was an
experience that I remember as a contrast to
what I was familiar with in the U.S. By that
time, the seventies, Europe was an almost
completely secular society. Coming from a small
midwestern town, it was a sharp contrast in
many ways. Of course, being a teenager, I
didn't think much about it, just thought that
they do things differently over here.


That's been a few years ago. Now, I see that
the same social process is in progress here. I
see it as a downward slide. We are seeing all
the negative aspects of secularization and not
gaining any benefits. The most striking
contrast then was the low crime rates that were
the norm in the area of Europe that I lived.
I'm not sure what the statistics are today. I
know that Europe has strict firearms
regulations. But that does not explain the
reason that there was a generally less
aggressive and more self controlled populace.
When I consider the situation that the U.S. is
in today, I believe that one of the most
significant factors is that there is a loss of
self control. You see evidence of that in the
excessive amounts of debt and crime. Both as a
result, at least in part, of a lack of self
control. So, it makes me want to know what the
primary influence is that controls our
population.


In the past, the influence of christian religion
in the U.S. was pervasive. For all its flaws,
it was proven to be effective as a force of
internal control. The danger is that, once the
sense of internal control is lost, then the need
arises for external (government) regulation. I
don't know what you might think about government
institutions in this country, but I am left with
an overall sense of comedy. Sure, things get
done, eventually. Too often it turns out that
anything done by government regulation, is too
little, too late and leaning in the wrong
direction. To learn to rely on
guidance of government institutions is a big
mistake. But just as the church was once the
leading influence, it is now becoming the
institutions of government and maybe that is
why our leaders act more and more like a
preistly class. They feel they are above the
law. Because the population has gone the way
of substitution of internal religious self
regulation for the way of external government
regulation. I think some like it that way.
But notice that there is coming the direct
confrontation of the church and the state, over
the influence of power. It's not about a
benevolent influence, it's about power.


I think, if you look at the Gospels, you will
find that Jesus had no argument with the Roman
government. And they were not the nicest
people. But his argument was with the religious
authorities that oppressed the people and were
more of a hindrance than a help to those who
had a desire to worship the G-d of Abraham.
Here's one passage:


Mt 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and had a
meeting to see how they might make use of his
words to take him.


16 And they sent to him their disciples, with
the Herodians, saying, Master, we see that you
are true, and that you are teaching the true way
of G-d, and have no fear of anyone, because you
have no respect for a man's position.


17 Give us, then, your opinion of this: Is it
right to give tax to Caesar, or not?


18 But Jesus saw their trick and said, Oh false
ones, why are you attempting to put me in the
wrong?


19 Let me see the tax money. And they gave him a
penny.


20 And he said to them, Whose is this image and
name on it?


21 They say to him, Caesar's. Then he said to
them, Give to Caesar the things which are
Caesar's, and to G-d the things which are G-d's.


22 And hearing it, they were full of wonder, and
went away from him.


It's curious how, the more things change, the
more they remain the same.


As far as the power and authority thing, Jesus
had many confrontations with the religious
leaders of his day.

==========================================
Mt 7:29 for he was teaching as one having
authority, and not as their scribes.
==========================================

Mt 21:23 And when he had come into the Temple,
the chief priests and those in authority over
the people came to him while he was teaching,
and said, By what authority do you do these
things? and who gave you this authority?


24 And Jesus said to them in answer, I will put
one question to you, and if you give me the
answer, I will say by what authority I do these
things.


25 The baptism of John, where did it come from?
from heaven or from men? And they were reasoning
among themselves, saying, If we say, From
heaven; he will say to us, Why then did you not
have faith in him?


26 But if we say, From men; we are in fear of
the people, because all take John to be a
prophet.


27 And they made answer and said, We have no
idea. Then he said to them, And I will not say
to you by what authority I do these things.


Here's another passage that illustrates the
interplay of power surrounding the crucifixtion
of Christ. It's interesting to me that all the
powers that be are playing their hand so as to
corner the other. In other words, they want to
have their dirty deed done, but at the hand of
the other party. Ah! The need to appear
innocent. Yet, the lust for power is writ large
between the lines.


As a disclaimer, I am no scholar, but in reading
about the history, I see that in Jerusalem at
the time there was a fairly unstable political
situation. The authentic preisthood was in
exile, and replaced by the insecure, powerhungry
imposters that Jesus was so totally unimpressed
with. The Roman government was in the middle
of the storm, trying to administer the further
reached of their empire. The Roman governor was
always in a position of political peril. There
were no elections. Anyone could be replaced at
any time at the disgression of their superior.
The insecurities of the situation loom large in
the passage.


You have to recognize here, that Jesus is THE
original scapegoat.


John 19:6 So when the chief priests and the
police saw him they gave a loud cry, To the
cross! to the cross! Pilate said to them, Take
him yourselves and put him on the cross: I see
no crime in him.


7 And the Jews made answer, We have a law, and
by that law it is right for him to be put to
death because he said he was the Son of G-d.


8 When this saying came to Pilate's ears his
fear became greater;


9 And he went again into the Praetorium and said
to Jesus, Where do you come from? But Jesus gave
him no answer.


10 Then Pilate said to him, You say nothing to
me? is it not clear to you that I have power to
let you go free and power to put you to death on
the cross?


11 Jesus gave this answer: You would have no
power at all over me if it was not given to you
by G-d; so that he who gave me up to you has the
greater sin.


12 Hearing this, Pilate had a desire to let him
go free, but the Jews said in a loud voice, If
you let this man go, you are not Caesar's
friend: everyone who makes himself a king goes
against Caesar.


13 So when these words came to Pilate's ear, he
took Jesus out, seating himself in the judge's
seat in a place named in Hebrew, Gabbatha, or
the Stone Floor.


14 (It was the day when they made ready for the
Passover; and it was about the sixth hour.) And
he said to the Jews, There is your King!


So, what is the scapegoat? Let's look at the
passage from Leviticus.


Lev 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation
of the children of Israel two kids of the goats
for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt
offering.


6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin
offering, which is for himself, and make an
atonement for himself, and for his house.


7 And he shall take the two goats, and present
them before the LORD at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation.


8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats;
one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the
scapegoat.


9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the
LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin
offering.


10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the
scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the
LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let
him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.


These days, I believe, the one known as the
'scapegoat' is the one who catches blame for
other's. In the passage above, you see that the
scapegoat is refered to as the one released.
In any case, this is what we see played out as
Jesus and Barabbus stand before the crowd.


The Jesus Bus halts here for today. More
tomorrow. Oh, yeah. The idea I'm looking at
today is just to notice that there is a power
struggle going on over the whole direction
of our society. It's lots of smoke and mirrors
to make it look like sombody else is to blame.
You have to blame somebody!


Some things never change. Jesus is the same,
yesterday, today and forever. I'll stay on the
Jesus Bus, thank you.

Baby Jesus III

What's the big deal about yesterday's post?
What does the baby Jesus have to do with things
like art and food and marriage and telling the
truth and political cynicism? It's just an
event that took place about two thousand years
ago. It's ancient history. Just like the photo
above. Right?


Well, if that's so, if the baby Jesus is just
an episode from ancient history, then you have
to ask yourself, Why all the present hostility
toward Jesus? What is different about Jesus
from any other figure in ancient history? What
makes Jesus different than say, Buddha? Mention
Buddha and nobody gets all worked up, except
in some places like Burma/Myanmar where
monks are killed by their government. But they
are killed by their government not because they
believe in Buddha, but because they oppose
political tyranny. And that observation
provides a clue for all the huff about baby
Jesus.


If christianity is doing it's job, it informs
the conscience.


The monks in Burma are acting on conscience. I
haven't a clue about what's shaping up in Burma,
I just see some stories on the WWW. And I think
it's good to know that, at least for the time
being, in this country you can march in a
protest without being shot down, literally.


And the baby Jesus was not just a friendly
teacher and preacher. He didn't just speak
about things, in his time. He did things that
offended people, all the time. If you think
about it, that's one of the aspects of the
gospel accounts that make them timeless. Jesus
stood up to resist corruption and oppression in
his day and that causes a resonance in the
hearts of people to this day. That's why he
will never go away. His message resonates.
That's why some would like to silence the word.
You see, it's not just the empty words that
bother people, it's the action that those words
inspire.


There is a passage that comes to mind:


Mt 15:1 Then there came to Jesus from Jerusalem
Pharisees and scribes, saying,


2 Why do your disciples go against the teaching
of the fathers? for they take food with unwashed
hands.


3 And in answer he said to them, Why do you,
yourselves, go against the word of G-d on
account of the teaching which has been handed
down to you?


4 For G-d said, Give honour to your father and
mother: and, He who says evil of father or
mother will be put to death.

5 But you say, If a man says to his father or
his mother, That by which you might have had
profit from me is given to G-d;


6 There is no need for him to give honour to his
father. And you have made the word of G-d
without effect because of your teaching.


7 You false ones, well did Isaiah say of you,


8 These people give me honour with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.


9 But their worship is to no purpose, while they
give as their teaching the rules of men.


10 And he got the people together and said to
them, Give ear, and let my words be clear to
you:


11 Not that which goes into the mouth makes a
man unclean, but that which comes out of the
mouth.


12 Then the disciples came and said to him, Did
you see that the Pharisees were troubled when
these words came to their ears?


Verse nine stands out. 'Worship is to no
purpose' when words and actions are in conflict.
Jesus was not happy that the religious
authorities were teaching people to act in a way
that was in disobedience to the ten
commandments. He is saying that you can't say
you worship G-d and then not obey his clear
instructions. If you take it a little further,
you see that all of the activities of life, are
guided by an element of worship. That would
include art, cooking, marriage, telling the
truth, and politics.


When we see the baby in the manger, we will
resonate with an impulse to worship or with an
impulse to reject, depending on the position
that you see yourself in. If you see yourself
in need of a saviour, you will worship. If you
see yourself having no such need, you will
likely despise the suggestion. Something takes
place internally in worship. And that something
carries over into ALL the activities of life.


Look upon the baby Jesus and you see yourself.
I'm thinking that some people don't like what
they see, so they brake the mirror.


Time's up today. The Jesus Bus has to go a bit
further down this trail tomorrow, Lord willing.


===============================================
===== Remarks ================================
===============================================

Just so there's no misunderstanding about
the crack pipe comment yesterday - I don't
smoke crack. But as I look around I'm
convinced that alot of people do. It's the
only way to explain some of what's going
on around me today -- they're smokin' crack.

Baby Jesus II

There is some awesome art depicting the life of Jesus.

A quote from Saturday:


"Even if you don't care to believe the gospel accounts of the birth and life of Jesus, just the fact alone that there is such an incredibly unique episode in world history make it a reason to celebrate.

In my mind, the most unusual aspect of the birth of Jesus has to do with the prophetic foretelling of his birth. In all of history there is no other person who has a record like his."


It's another Monday morning, kids are off to school and the wife is off to work. I'm working here, or at least trying to get started. Funny, this morning, on the way to school and work, I was telling my wife that I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamed that I was going to Hawaii. It was wierd. I've never been to
Hawaii and never wanted to go, except for the time, years ago, when I was in the military. I have no desire to see Hawaii. As a soldier, I thought it might be interesting to spend a tour, you know, maybe three years in Hawaii, just to see what it's like -- try surfing and see if the fishing's any good. Really, I don't ask much out of life. Having a decent place to surf and fish would have been a great time for me. All the stuff that seems to consume other people's lives doesn't have much appeal to me. I know, it's just me. For instance, yesterday, I made my first attempt at Tuscona soup. It's an Italian seasoned potato soup, with a sausage base, I guess you could call it. It was decent. To me, it's alot more fun to try and cook my own good tasting meals, than to have something made at a restaurant. I enjoy the cooking and the eating. I really don't care for most restaurants, even the better ones. I haven't had a really good pizza since I made one. My wife, however, leans toward the other extreme. So we disagree about most things, making marriage an ordeal. Yes, that too.


At this point in life, I have not been and have no desire whatever to see Hawaii. OK, maybe you can't see the humor. It's that since I've been married, I've had to live places I never really wanted to be, and do things that I never really wanted to do, and the whole experience has had a cloud over it. There has been little enjoyment over the years. Wouldn't it be ironic that I had to, for some reason, go to Hawaii, of all places, and find myself in the middle of the greatest funk I've known since the day I got married. It's the irony of being in perhaps the most pleasant climate on the globe and not being able to enjoy it -- that's my marriage.


Wish I could say it wasn't so, but that would be lying. I know. Sometimes it's better to lie. Everyone else does. Nah. That would only make me feel worse. So it
appears the best way to handle the marriage thing is to simply accept that it is
what it is, knowing G-d has a purpose in suffering and I'm in this mess for a reason.
There is some small comfort in knowing I'm not alone.


Yes. This is my life. I don't have it together in any way, shape or form. And honestly, I find it hard to imagine that anyone does. So, what does all that have to do with Jesus? The way I see it, the dissatisfaction that we experience in life is because we long for the perfection that we were originally created to know. In other words, if we were not created in the image of G-d, we would have no sense of the imperfection of the world around us. For instance, we would not be concerned at all about things like war. It would seem the normal and happy state of man. But it doesn't seem that way. Even atheists say that they are against
war. Talk about irony. And looking around, it's easy to see all the other things that folks are unhappy about. The list is long.


Here's an example from about two thousand years ago:


Act 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of
the disciples was increasing, protests were made
by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because
their widows were not taken care of in the
distribution of food every day.


I suggest it's because we are created in the image of G-d and we sense that there is something better. Here's the big problem - Where to find that 'something better'?
Just keep looking.


There's the baby Jesus, who became the Jesus on the cross, who became the resurrected Jesus meeting Saul on the road to Damascus:


Act 9:1 But Saul, still burning with desire to
put to death the disciples of the Lord, went to
the high priest,


2 And made a request for letters from him to the
Synagogues of Damascus, so that if there were
any of the Way there, men or women, he might
take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.


3 And while he was journeying, he came near
Damascus; and suddenly he saw a light from
heaven shining round him;


4 And he went down on the earth, and a voice
said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking
me so cruelly?


5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I
am Jesus, whom you are attacking:


I suggest that the 'something better' is right before your eyes, just as the Lord intended it to be each year at this season. No matter how much the cynics in our society try to erase the image of G-d from public view, they will fail, because it is planted deeply in the conscience. It appears as that urge for something better.
Oh, it can be distorted by defilement, like the treatment that's given by the
entertainment industry to consumerism and violence and sex and marriage these days. And the urge can be numbed by the use of drugs, both prescription and recreational (pass the crack pipe). But, when you feel that urge to do something to improve the conditions that surround you, remember the image of the baby Jesus in the manger. Remember what G-d has done for us by creating us in his image, with a deeply programmed sense of significance and then offering us a plan of redemption so that we
are able to discover a sense of peace rather than hostility toward that image. The
baby in the manger represents all that and more.


The Jesus Bus will continue down this trail tomorrow, Lord willing.