Brief Review

While I have tried to publish things of similar themes alongside of each other, the column to the right has moved with the new posts instead of staying with those thoughts they were associated with. While looking for a quote that I might use elsewhere, I have reviewed my entire blog, discovering they have deleted my first three posts. Since I wrote my thoughts elsewhere first-on word documents, I should be able to replace them. In addition, I would like to provide a brief list of the most important posts.
Why I care-in 2008, Ps. 12 Revisited-Oct. 19, 2007, Who is the Messenger and What is His Role-Nov. 24, 2007. It is an analysis based on the concordance at the end of my Koran, and a few other Suras and verses as well. In Honor of All Saints Day-Nov. 10, 2007. The Sexual Purity of Muslims. What is Faith. Is Jesus the Son of God and other issues. Blog 10-Our Intercessors. Post Seven, also Oct. 19, 2007 is one of my favorites with its joke about coke. There are some that are very positive. Ideas we can agree on-Oct. 12, 2007, and Post Five is even kinder. The Son of God, an early one has a section explaining the strutting of the unbelievers and discussion on humility vs boasting. Post 12 holds quotations and expressions out of the Bible that are not credited to it, just so you know all that flowery language isn't original to the Koran. The later post 12 revisited goes back and quotes the Bible verses or explains the context. This does not include all the Bible stories, because mostly they are butchered, with little accuracy. I believe Post Six and four deal with those. I will have to go back to view posts 1-3, as they no longer exist online.

The Destruction of the West?

I am at this point sick at heart as I watch the intentional destruction of and dismembership of my country and its economy. Yes, there will be fluctuations of those who support the actions of this administration. They do, usually, reward their associates. But segment after segment is being taken over, weakened, and prepared for elimination. I could blame this on the ignorance of a few, the naivete of the youth, blistering and perhaps legitimate rage of minorities, embittered by years of poverty. I blame the universities who years ago started indoctrinating the next generations, and then filtered it down into the schools. I have been in enough classrooms across the district to have seen some of it.

I had thought that we could forestall this. With enough political action we could protect democracy. By electing enough godly people, the folks would endure. But the truth is that nothing can hold back the judgment of God, if that is what it is. Very little can be done if it is corporate America-which segued out of that long ago into multi-cultural entities of the world. What can one person do to hold back the one world economy that is envisioned? And what do I care who makes the profits as long as it is not me?

I was long ago consigned to the bottom of the barrel. Even when I tried to get jobs, after suffering poverty for the sake of the ministry, I was told I was not even worthy to work in a parking garage because I had bad credit. Apparently even a servant of God is liable to become a thief-the concept of nobility of character is not something corporations can foresee. I lived most of my adult life without medical care, without dental care for myself or my children. They did receive medical care for simple things like colds,, and occasionally I did for that as well as pregnancy. And the Lord kept us healthy. But why should I cry for those who every year got tests and exams and dental care, who did nothing to help provide employment though they knew we were almost destitute? Is this something that calls me to action? Not really. People all over the world go without-what makes them so special they should never suffer the loss of this luxury?

Have I not spent the last few years, even decades observing the lives of the underclasses? It's been a lifelong case study, as I share in their experiences. I have seen, to varying degress up close and personal, the lives of crack addicts and the effects on their children, of street children who do whatever it takes to survive and contribute to the rent wherever they stay. It could have been a lot closer, and I am thankful it was with some distance and objectivity that I was exposed, and to so little.

But in the meanwhile I have loss my class status. I do not belong with the college educated or the professionals any more. What would I have in common with them? Politics, philosophy, literature, and other intellectual pursuits to be sure. I am of them. But the social expectations, the vacations, the whole lifestyle I have missed. Some of this was intentional. A good deal of it, I admit.

I asked the Lord to deliver me and my family from materialism back when I was young and naive enough to not understand the cost of that prayer. It was a good prayer, as I wanted my children to be pure, and to worship only the Lord. They have been delivered from a great deal of the selfishness of the middle class. Blindness to the suffering of others is not really one of their characteristics, though they have learned the importance of having sufficient money to provide for themselves and their own families. I am happy mostly with how they turned out.

But in the process of raising them, I have watched with horror how the next generations were being alienated from the society I was raised in. Taught to distrust parents and institutions which had shaped previous ones. Public standards of morality were openly tortured. I fought it as best I could, whether with lectures about which shows they could watch, or what clothes they could wear, how they could act, and with whom they should associate. I worked in my neighborhoods and in politics. I fought every agenda that was trying to discredit our heritage, whether the gay one, Islam, or drugs. But one cannot hold back the tide.

It is ironic. What could a bunch of rock throwing emaciated children do other than cause a few bruises or blow up a few people at stop signs? That alone cannot bring down America, much less the west. Surely it is funded by oil money and the prosperity of the Arabs. But we had more money than that. We could blast each economy back to the stone age, with the amount of rocket fire we have available. We choose not to. I am not sure why we send our boys if we do not want to win, but then we are not fighting a regular war. Or weren't. Obama isn't really committed to any of it. He certainly doesn't care about protecting our heritage.

I do not believe Islam will conquer the west. We will conquer ourselves. Or rather our corporations and special interests will. The Bible says God pulls down and raises up countries and leaders. I do believe that. It also says He will shake those things that are shakeable in order to prove that which is unshakeable. And though the concepts of freedom of the press, free speech, and all our other liberties are not wrong, they can be lost. Others in many countries cannot speak freely, cannot travel or move as they will. I may have to face this. But it leaves that which is not moveable to still be trusted in. The Word of God, the Bible. My Savior, my Father. The eternal inheritance of the saints. And He will conquer, though He allows winnowing now. In that security I can move forward.

my frustration

I just am about to scream. My daughter regularly posts some nonsense about how mistreated Muslims are. This is supposed to consolidate the folks who agree with her, and silence those who do not. We should of course close our mouths so that we do not offend anyone. Those who publish anything about the risks of Islam to the west, are of course misunderstanding facts and bigoted.
Your sources repeat any and all transgressions on Palestinians, or immigrants who are mistreated by others not warmly welcoming any and all changes to their country. (What right do they have to want to keep their culture?) In the meanwhile, no one mentions or publishes to them the items in other media wherein Christians are burned to death, whole villages or sections of town burnt down.(As I read last week from a newspaper in England.) Or places where jihadists come in attack, rape, kill, enslave, or whatever, all while the police stand idly by refusing to protect the unbelievers.
Okay, we may agree that bigotry is wrong. But why is it not wrong when your folks do it? And your levels are so much worse. Someone is told they have to not wear hijab in public, or a school, while you burn someone to death. I think it reasonable to suggest that the west has the right to be concerned about these accounts. But apparently not.
I am frustrated in general. When did speaking the truth become controversial? I just watched a program about the conspiracy of 911. How it was a controlled explosion, that obviously it had this and this and this sign, physical and engineered examples of what must happen under certain conditions. I was able to put my prejudices aside, and say, you know this may be true. I listened to the facts. But whether it was really planned by George Bush, and his brother and cousin who ran the security in order to cover up and destroy the evidence for the worldcom and enron scandals-what the show posited, I could at least put my right wing, flag waving zeal aside in order to evaluate or at least listen to the opposition. The only way an intelligent conversation can ever be made is for folks to actually listen to each other.
In the western world, a person can be sued for defamation of character, lible, and such. He must not only have said something that hurt the reputation of another, he must have also meant to do so. One other thing is requisite. Whatever he said must be untrue. If he spread that which was unflattering, but was true, then he cannot be punished. This is so mind boggling to have to apologize for speaking that which is obvious, that which is uncomfortable, and that which is unflattering, even when it is blatantly true. We have an expression (meant to be laughable, or at least warning) "do not confuse me with the facts" /truth. How can a stable world function if it is not allowed to discuss the very foundation the society is founded upon. The only answers that appear to me are groupthink, and fear.

What will it take?

We were discussing the Koran the other day (my son-in-law and daughter and I), and he mentioned that he does not see the same tome I see when he reads it. My daughter agreed, trying to give me instruction on how one should set oneself aside, cleanse and prepare for doing so. I fully grant that if one did that, seeking only to find that which was good and upright, and led one to look with respect towards the Almighty, he could find words that would satisfy his soul.

He would have to ignore the words that speak of what should be done to those who disagree, or to those who recant their decision to follow Islam. He would have to set aside a part of his brain in which to file the information about what was done as only historically relevant-about a war long over. Bill Clinton was known as one who could easily compartmentalize his experiences. Deal with stress by shutting it aside, to be thought of tomorrow (ala Scarlett O'Hara) in order to appropriately give consideration to what was on the plate for today.

I guess we all do this to some degree, and it can even be healthy. Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow would take care of itself. We are instead to trust ourselves to God. But putting off stress in order to function is not the same as blocking off your mind so you do not have to consider truth. Do you really not see the insults to others? Does the lack of freedom of thought, not to mention speech truly not bother you? I've already discussed the rights of women. Just recently I realized that a husband being able to take his wife however he wants, is not just limited to positions. Are you okay with a man being allowed to rape his wife? How does that lead you to worship?

I acknowledge there truly are a lot of noble verses that grandly discuss the power and might of God held within the Koran. As I read them, I could agree. But I might add, that anyone setting his mind to an attitude of worship, intending to see only good, throwing away anything that would appear illogical or unspiritual could get the same from the reading of a telephone directory!

I kid you not. Johnny Carson once hosted the actor Richard Burton, who was known for his great oratory. Having heard that this man was credited with being able to make even this seem dramatic, the comedian challenged him to read from the New York telephone directory. It was riveting, not to mention hysterical. Now, I do not put the two on an equal level (granting the Koran a much higher level.) But the point is, what you are finding should be real and consistant. You shouldn't have to ignore half of what you are reading to acquire this inspiration. Nor should you have to switch off your brain.

On reading Isaiah

We Christians have many beliefs that we believe distinguish us from Jews, especially the Jews of today. But as I have reread parts of the Old Testament, I have been astonished to see so much that I considered New Covenant theology. This should not be unusual-either discovering my ignorance, or having to reconsider teachings. Because the Scripture that Jesus and his disciples studied was the Old Testament. The apostles (spiritual leaders of the church, basically the same as the twelve, without Judas, but with Paul as replacement)referred to, based their teachings on, and even quoted it, sometimes with new understanding.

But the fatherhood of God was taught in the Old Testament, as was the presence and leading of the Spirit. Of course, this was more limited to the kings and prophets, not as the indwelling presence available in the New Testament. (Which is why Jesus told them to not go out but to wait until they received the indwelling spirit. It would equip and train them, empowering them for the work ahead.)

And in Isaiah, much is taught about the Messiah who will come. In it, as in the Psalms, the crucifixion is prophecied, as well as the suffering of the Lord, before He reigns. The concept of the Intercessor who will provide forgiveness of sins is
also discussed.

So, in as much as I've said that only Christians claimed an intercessor, I was somewhat wrong. But not completely. Our scripture tells us that the Old Testament guys who were men of faith, believed the truths-not having seen them, except by faith. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. But it explains that the substance on which the belief was based was the Lord Jesus. Not air, not empty hope, but the promise of a redeemer-the fulfillment being in Jesus.

But the thing is, when people talk about something for centuries without seeing the accomplishment of it, they can get pretty much disgusted with empty promises. So the entire society may hold the form of a belief, but not take it too seriously. Not having been around, I am not in any position to judge their faith.

I do, however, have other comments in the Koran that tell me that besides claiming to have an intercessor, the folks who opposed Mohammed added other gods to the Lord. This clearly disproves them being only Jewish. The Jews were faithful to the concept that the Lord our God is One God. The Christians were the ones with an intercessor-known with such assurance that they could say it did not matter if they were killed. Called polytheists, they clearly embraced a triune god. Three persons in one godhead, the trinity of which the Koran tells them to desist from naming.
So much can be gleaned from Isaiah, that it would require several postings to even begin.

I dare you

We have seen that knowing Jesus IS part of your heritage, whether you are from the Middle East or North Africa, India, Europe, America, or most parts of the earth. My part may have been known as Christendom because the duration of the influence lasted longer. But people have been sent to all, with testimony of His faithfulness.

Those voices have been silenced. By fear: intimidation, ridicule, threats of all sorts both in your countries and in ours. The desire has been to appear cool, to not lose the respect of intellectualism. We have been taught by our media that only the religious are hypocrites, full of bigotry and such narrowmindedness that any open hearted child would not desire to grow up to emulate them. Even if it cost him rejecting the teaching of his parents, the culture of his upbringing, and a wall that separates him from and breaks his parent's hearts.

Originally I was going to post a challenge to free your people. Let your sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, neighbors, and friends, have the freedom to speak their minds. Let their hearts explore, let them seek truth, and proclaim it wherever they might find it. Tell your friends they may seek and find without threat of losing their hands and feet or necks. Tell your neighbor he may have visitors without fear of having his home confiscated, his wife and children enslaved because they dared to read and study the Bible-something Mohammed said he allowed. Tell your brother he may name Jesus as His Savior without losing his inheritance. Inform your uncle that he may seek peace in his old age, peace that has escaped him for all his years of seeking Islam. That he might die with assurance of having his sins forgiven, and knowing where he is going.

A faith that must be forced on a people is a weak one indeed. Your countrymen cannot be trusted to embrace it if it is compared to others? If it is examined? Full scrutiny would prove it to be empty, if not worse? We in our own countries have acknowledged that belief must be embraced individually. And for generations continued with the faith being replenished. The sinners have full access to some of the less hurtful approaches. Of course, some things are still disallowed, such as murder. Adultery and many sins have their own punishments. Laws regulate what some are. But the thoughts of anger and rebellion are allowed to be voiced, if the owners of said thoughts are willing to face the opinions and reactions of others. We may have social ridicule, even ostracism, but we do not routinely murder those who reject our values-even if we believe it to be for the social good.

How do we face the disabling that such sin brings to our society? Glad you asked. You see, instead of enforcing sharia type control to regulate questions, we occasionally have revivals. Times when the degree of sin becomes so glaringly obvious, so weak to help lead our lives, so putrid the stench of decay, that our ears that have shut out the hope of the gospel finally open, even seek out those who would lead us in the way. And enough folks individually choose to open their hearts to healing. When their sins are repented of-turned from, the burden lifted from their shoulders, and the healing power of God falls upon their hearts, why more than their lives are changed. Entire communities, nations have their paths changed, their futures commuted. And in our cases, upon revival the country is reformed without bloodshed rather than with it. Such is the history of the United States and England. Not that we've never had bloodshed, but the culture has been improved peacefully many times.

In France, Russia, and most communist countries, change has been brought by revolution. The French Revolution, as well as the Nazi era for Germany, was with the rejection of Christian imput. Revival in Islamic lands has gone hand in hand with violence, repression, and horror thrust upon all who reject it. Certainly we have had times when religious fervor brought destruction, but of course I would have to distance some of that, most brought from political motivation and the greed of men, who merely used faith as the pretext for gain.

When true religion-and I dislike using that term-is revealed, it should be a beautiful savor drawing others to it. When people see others loving their enemies, humbling themselves, seeking the Lord, rejoicing in Him, when they can enter a sanctuary and sense His holiness, His presence filling the room, why then there is power. The majesty draws out hunger for knowing Him. Others do not have to be forced into it. So rather than challenge you to open your society to forces that would reveal its emptiness, crumbling the walls that keep you imprisoned, I challenge us.

Dare we repent of our self-centeredness, our lack of concern for His honor? Our unholiness fails to capture the gaze of a starving nation. We refuse to feed those gaunt from our lethargy. Dare we be the light on a hill that Jesus told us to be? Can we open ourselves to be reseasoned, or will we remain salt that has lost its flavor? Dare we face up to a society that has intimidated us not to mention Jesus? Should we keep our faith to ourselves so as not to embarrass or inconvenience another who choses to destroy his own and other lives? Or will we offer them the truth. We know we cannot force another to open their hearts to Jesus, to ask Him to forgive their sins. Well and good. But will we even tell them what is available, what they are missing so that they truly have a choice?