Wake Up!....Think About Life!...Gleaning from Revelation 3:2

Ok, I am getting into this church at Sardis. They appear to be a group of believers who have "chalked up" Christianity to just "going through the motions"...you know...be nice, give to a certain charity, shake someone's hand once in a while....maybe go visit someone in the hospital...stuff like that. Life may be boring....and you may be unaware or perhaps even hiding those innermost thoughts, so your conclusion to life is...we live..we die...and make the best of it.
 In verse 2 of Revelation 3, I read it like this:
"Get up on your feet! Wake up! Slap yourself in the face if you have to! You got to come out of this. People around you think you are doin' good...but remember...I see everything! I know your heart and I know your thoughts. You don't think I am  very exciting to follow. You think the whole plan of salvation...is rather boring.
 Listen, you are missing the whole thing on this.... the reason why life is nothing more than "going through the motions"  because...you have made your life boring! Why blame all this on Me?
  Think about other things in life you pursued...you do it with passion... a particular hobby...a particular interest..rooting for your favorite sports team...maybe a career move... you give your time and effort to see it through.
 But Me?...you just think Christianity is playing the role of some "goody 2 shoes"...being cordial...being agreeable...while your thoughts are far from Me. And then, you think  you can control your own thoughts and keep them out of the "gutter"...life to you has become nothing more than one big "drawn out" game.
 Life starts with our...friendship...not all the things you do...get to know Me...and it will all change. It may involve saying "No" to other things you see in life...even the so-called "good things" sometimes. I want the real Me to come out...through the real You!"

 Often times I have read where people and even ministries will use this portion of Scripture in Revelation to "fire people up" to spread the Gospel...to get others to Jesus. There is certainly some value to doing that, yet some of the very same people participating in these type of outreaches are found later in their life with an inner emptiness or falling to some devastating sin that leaves personal wreckage in their lives. 
 Why is that? I personally think that is what Jesus is saying to the church of Sardis. Come back to Me...your programs don't interest Me...your social programs are not changing lives...including yours. First, you must return to Me....spend time with Me...and life will have meaning for you again, for all that you do....we will do together! Then, you will find Life...for I am the Giver of Life.

Dr. Laurance M. Guld, President Emeritus of Carleton College once said:" I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or missile. I don't think our civilization will end that way. I think it will die when...we no longer care."

 Life has its moments, and things don't always turn out the way you thought...Knowing Him and enjoying a relationship with Him....is a sure way through!

"The Walking Dead"...are they among us?

I remember as a young teenager going to the drive-in theatre and taking a "hot date" to see "Night of the Living Dead"(yes, the original version...I've been around for a while). I have never really been into the scary movie thing, but at that moment I thought if I took my date and she got scared...then she would hug me and all would be well (lol)...the logic of a man...isn't it a "piece of work?"
 What happened?..well, neither one of us really got into it, and I end up taking her home...and that was the one and only date we ever had together. Hug?...well...got one of those "formal hugs" when I walked her to her doorstep...the logic of a man...isn't it a "piece of work".

Dead people coming alive..."Zombies"...a popular trend these days...well, after "Vampires". I have read on numerous occassions where people actually think they are vampires, and even more gross...zombies. People will believe anything...even about themselves...if they have their heart set on it...that's what I think anyway.
 Yet as gross and abhorrent these things may be, you might have entertained the thought...Are there "dead people" walking among us?

 In Revelation 3, Christ Jesus makes a startling prognosis of a particular church...a church called Sardis. He declares that most of the people of this church are dead...stone dead. He isn't speaking like they are zombies or vampires...He is (in my humble opinion) talking of matters within their own hearts.

 Sardis, a town even when they are mentioned  in the book of  "The" Revelation, had been around for a while. It was a city on the side of a mountain and in 17 A.D. had suffered from a devastating earthquake. Through the generous aid of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, Sardis was restored to being a strong city once more. The people of Sardis were extremely grateful for the aid and swore allegiance to the Roman Empire.
 This is the only time in the Sacred Scriptures the city of Sardis is mentioned, and there is no clear cut evidence of how Christianity arrived there. None of the apostles give an indication they had travelled to Sardis, although in Matthew Henry's commentary, he eludes to the Apostle John as the founder of the church of Sardis.

 Sardis had been quite a trade center, with 5 major roads leading into Sardis. Two major religions of Sardis at the time of this writing in Revelation was the worship of 2 fertility goddesses, Cybele and Artemis. Both "goddesses" had temples built in honor of them.
 Sardis originally was a city which dealt with precious stones and was now a place for producing fine wool and clothing.
 So, what's up with Sardis...and why did Christ Jesus come down on them so hard as described in Revelation 3?

 In Revelation 3:1, it goes something like this: " I see right through you...and all your works. Your reputation speaks well of you...but I look on the inside...and what I see in you is nothing but deadness..stone cold deadness!"
 Now, this isn't the first time Jesus has encountered this sort of thing. While He was here on earth, He got down on one of His "favorite group of guys"...the Pharisees, and made this announcement to them. In Matthew 23:27 it comes across like this: " You guys are practically hopeless! You "famed religious scholars" are nothing more than pretenders and frauds. You walk around all "manicured", clean and neat in your appearance...like a...beautiful...grave plot! Your grass may be clipped, and the flower arrangement is beautiful...but 6 feet under?...there is nothing more than rotting bones and worm-eating flesh! People look at you on the outside and say: " These people are godly saints"...but if they only knew what was under your very skin...what lurks inside of you...nothing but impure and unclean filth...dead man's bones!"

 Another note on the Sardis believers: unlike the believers in not too far away towns like Ephesus, Smyrna, or Pergamum, where in all 3 of these cities the believers in Christ Jesus were suffering external persecution, Sardis believers were an accepted group of the local society. They were not under persecution...hmmm...I think I need to make this a little series on Revelation 3:1-6...for now...break time!

Life Begins Here: "Whom do you choose to serve today?"

The Gospel of St. Matthew is one of interest...for anyone curious about the Christian faith. Matthew himself was a Christian coming from the Jewish faith, and his writings were focused on helping the Jewish community understand who the Messiah really is...Christ Jesus! It is said of Matthew he wrote the Gospel in a "Hebrew style", that the words he wrote might reach the hearts "of his own."
 Matthew was not the first to collect and write about the life of our Beloved Christ, rather St. Mark has been given this distinction. In fact, some biblical historians conclude Matthew used the writings of Mark as a reference to all Matthew himself was describing...about the Messiah.
 The Christian church is said to put Matthew's view on the Gospel as the first book of the New Testament because of his numerous references to the Old Testament.
 Matthew had been...a tax collector...

 In the Old Testament, the Scriptures upon occasion speak of life being a choice: a choice of choosing Life itself...or choosing Death and following ways which were against the lifestyle God has planned for each of us.
 Moses made a Declaration in Deuteronomy 30:19, stating: "Today I have given to you a choice...to choose Life...or to choose Death. And from your choice, it will determine if you are blessed...or you are cursed..."
 In Jeremiah 21:8, the Lord again speaks of choices. At that time, the people of Jerusalem had chosen lifestyles which basically had made God "sick", and He was now angry and 'fed-up" with their rude behavior and abusive treatment they were treating this God who simply loved them. As a result, the people of Jerusalem had come to a point where they were to make 2 choices: 1) Surrender to the Chaldeans who were at the gates of Jerusalem ready to attack...and if the Jewish community would surrender...they would live, or 2) stay within the walls of Jerusalem and fight...and the Jewish community would meet their death. For the Lord had had enough of the rebellious lifestyles of His people, and although He loved them, He was now at a point He would allow Jerusalem to be burned to the ground.

  The Sacred Scriptures also point out in Psalm 1 the differences that arise after a person has made one of the 2 choices: choosing life or choosing death. Psalm 1 declares: "God blesses those who refuse evil advice...but finds his joy in the Laws of the Lord..." Psalm 1 also mentions : "grapes do not come from sharp and ugly thorns, nor do figs become full and luscious from growing on a weed..."

 In St. Matthew 7, choices are again presented for people to make: 1) the reality of life is dependant on whether we choose to follow the "Ways of Evil", or we follow after "Life". Later on in this chapter Matthew writes of 2 fruits we can choose, good fruit or bad fruit. Also, Matthew writes about 2 different style homes: one built on a foundation of rock, the other built on basically no foundation, just sitting on sand.
 So, our own...everyday lives can be greatly influenced by choices we make. Here in Matthew 7:12, Christ is saying here the entire Law and all the Prophets in what they had said and done can be summed up in the following statement: A Gleaning of Matthew 7:12...

 " So here  should be your focus on how to find Life... whatever it is you want in life, whatever it is you desire in life; hoping someone or others will do it for you or give to you your heart's wishes, take the initiative and do it for someone else. Aid, assist, or give to them what their heart's wishes are...make this moment count...give yourself...to another. 
 The Law and the Prophets can be summed up following this instruction: Finding "True Life" is dependant...on how you treat one another." 

We Live in a Tent...Gleaning from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Putting focus on what lies ahead, and yet not knowing exactly what it is...that is part of our Christian message. Many religions outside the Christian train of thought offer a "step by step manual" as to why you are currently doing the things you do, and list the rewards for doing so.
 In Christianity, it isn't quite clear as to what "Heaven" holds for us...but we do know it is completely fulfilling and so much more than our present life is able to give us.
 I do not believe we will just be "floating around on clouds somewhere shooting "little arrows" at things or people", nor do I think we will just "be sitting or standing in a pew singing Songs of Praise day in and day out. I think Heaven is a whole lot more than that, it is a Kingdom...a monarchy, and will have an active and aggressive economy which includes careers, achievements, and recreational activities that are so much more than we presently have known.

 In 1 Corinthians 13:12 it reads: " Right now, we don't see things clearly, it's like squinting in a fog or looking through a mirror that is clouded. When we get there, the first thing that will become clear to us...is Him! For we will see Him...face to face! Then, after that, it all becomes clear."



 Trying to get a clearer image on things has been a curiosity in man for quite some time.
In older times, artists would do a thing they called: Perspectus. Basically it was "looking through a glass and tracing a clear image."
 From this, we have been able to view eclipses and  cameras themselves were invented from this particular technique. Leonardo daVinci once said: " There are some who look at things produced by nature...through glass or transparent veils. They trace the outlines on to a surface of the transparent medium..."
 We have advanced a lot since earlier times....yet the Eternal Life that awaits each of as Christians...is still a mystery at best.
Here in 2 Corinthians Paul compares our present everyday lives to the Life we are going to...by referring to the present life as: "we are living in tents". That would make sense to me since Paul by trade was a ...tent maker. The other thing that stands out to me in regards to tents...there is a whole variety of tents! You have: pup tents, dome tents, square tents, party tents, marquis tents...or the Forest Gump rendition...tents on a stick, BBQ tents, tent soup (when it rains)...etc.

 Here then is a Gleaning from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10...a message from our beloved St. Paul:

 " For we know that when this "earthly tent" we live in now...is taken down ( in other words, when we die and leave our earthly bodies), the bodies we have been accustomed to living in...which is like living in "a tent"...will be replaced...by a real home!
 God the Father Himself has created these "real homes" for us to live in, ...and each one has been custom made...to fit our personalities and make-up of which we were originally created. When we arrive in our "new homes"...the chaos of our everyday lives that we face now...will cease! This will include all the distractions and hardships we face while we are living in a tent...will be left there..in the tent.We will have no luggage to take with us or carry into the "real home" God has made for us.
 Walking through the "front door"  of our "new home" will be like putting on new clothing that you have long desired to wear...and now, you are putting on the new clothing for the very first time.

 In the meantime, we are still living in...tents. Sometimes we grow weary living in these tents: we groan, we sigh, we mend, and we repair these tents. Now that is not to say anyone of us just want to die and get out of these tents, for there is a certain amount of comfort getting accustomed to living...even in a tent. Yet, we must remind ourselves...our real home awaits us...where there is no more mending, no more repairing...and our new homes...last through eternity!
 It is God who has made it this way. The fact of the matter is He has deposited "a little heaven...His very Kingdom" into our own hearts...while we are still...living in tents. The Messiah went to "ends of the earth" to make sure none of us are captured or tricked to follow any other plan...but His...and to keep our focus on the "prize"...the "Homecoming!"

 That is why we have confidence in life even now...that is why we have courage in life, forged through our trust in Him, and that is why we can be cheerful in life...for He has made a way for us.
 These tents may get a little cramped at times...and we may face a "tear" here or there...but we can't let this kind of thing get us down. These present conditions we may be facing: whether we have an old tent, a ripped tent, some of our poles may be dented or bent, or our stakes have been pulled at one time or another, don't let these things get to you.
 We live by...faith!...not by what our tents look like. This is what keeps us trusting in the One we have yet to see!

 So, whether we are living in a tent at the moment, or you may have come  "home"...we all have the same calling: to please Him, and to give all the credit and the glory to the One who...chose to leave His "real home", and become like us...living in a...tent.
 For the day will come, when we will stand before Him, and He will go over the lifestyles we chose to live...in the days when we..."were living in a tent."

Woodstock...A Time to Remember....

It was the summer of '69, I was preparing for high school...and I had just landed my first job! I was a busboy/dishwasher...and I was getting paid to work! The starting hourly wage: $1.65...per hour! Just the thought: every hour I worked, the owner of the local bar/restaurant was to give me $1.65, plus any tips I may receive or split with waitresses. I was one happy guy!
 In late July is when I actually started, it was my first week-end I was employed, in fact, the very first day I worked...when 2 of my buddies busted in to see me. I was clearing some tables when they came running up to me and said,"Hey man, you got to go with, there is a concert coming up and Hendrix is going to be there!" I looked at them and said: "When?" They replied: " in August man!" I had just looked at the work schedule and I was schedule to work 4 week-ends in a row...people were on "vacas"...stuff like that. Then I said: "Where is Hendrix goin' to be at? ( my buds knew I was a die-hard Hendrix fan. Later, when I played my "long-playing" Woodstock album, I literally cried every time I listened to Hendrix rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner.")
 Anyway, my " buds" replied: " New York man, we can get there in 6 hours...some big farm near a lake...I think it is called.....Woodstock."

No, I didn't go to Woodstock...I worked at the local bar. For a long time, I felt remorse for that decision....but since I have rededicated my life to Him (October of 2007), I think He knew what was best for me...even back then...long before I really got to know Him.

 It was 1969....buddies were dying in 'Nam, we were the next to be drafted by the U.S. army, we rebelled against anything that even looked like a "part of the establishment", and of course...we loved to party! It was a crazy time, and I was excited in the midst of it all.
 After all, it was Revolution....a change in our culture was about to take place...or so we thought. 
 But as time passed, and we kind of drifted back into society, I  can never forget the fun and excitement we had during that era. I have often thought...what is it that keeps such fond memories of those years?

Honestly, I don't think our motives were all bad during those years. What I have come to realize is...we kinda left God out of our thoughts and feelings, choosing to go for a more "hippie" view: Peace...Love that did not include morals, because we were "free": well, that's what we kept telling ourselves.

 I think if I had to choose a word to describe the 60's and early 70's, it would have to be the word "Imagine"  the title of John Lennon's song in its release in 1971. By this time we had a catch phrase: " Just give peace a chance", and when "Imagine" hit the charts, it seemed to culminate the whole period of what our culture at that time was trying to say; "a world without countries...and no religion too."
 The problem with all of our "thinking" to that sort of utopia was: we couldn't of been more wrong. Man left to himself isn't capable of fulfilling only what Christ Jesus can do for us..."the changing of our hearts"...and that is why the whole 60's and early 70's era kinda "went south", it never evolved from the its original concept. Lennon of course met a tragic and needless death (hey, I know Lennon had embraced atheistic views but I have read where a couple years before his death he was searching into his Christian roots...I don't know if entirely true...but I know this: Christ Jesus loves John Lennon and went to the extremes for him as He did for the rest of us....He died for John Lennon).

And Woodstock? Well, it really did happen! 500,000 people showed up from August 15th to August 18th, 1969. I worked that week-end at my new job at the local bar. My buddies went to Woodstock, and returned with mixed emotions. They enjoyed some of the music that was there, but were disappointed with the mood of the crowd....there was "Peace...man...Peace" being shouted everywhere....yet, it was still the nature of man to fight, steal, and hurt others. Later on is when I realized....we can't do it on our own...transform ourselves or society...but there is One who can!
 The "3 Days of Peace" or "An Aquarian Exposition" as Woodstock was dubbed, brought different facts and results from the famed "Woodstock Experience."
 Here are some things that went on:
 1. 5162 medical cases with almost 800 of those cases being from drug overdose.
 2. 2 people died of a heroine overdose
 3. 1 guy was crushed by a clean-up tractor( the place was trashed)...while he was sleeping
 4. There are 8 recorded miscarriages during the 3 day concert.
 5. Of course "pot" was the smoke of choice, and it was reported that up to 90% experienced this form of "getting high" at one point or another during the 3 day event( actually it went 4 days).
6. Here was a good example of "peace and love": the "Food for Love" concession ran low on burgers, so to help slow down the demand they raised the price of burgers from 25 cents to $1.00. The crowd at the renowned festival thought it "was completely against what the spirit of the festival" was all about...a capitalistic exploitation! So, the answer: "Burn baby Burn"...the concession was set on fire and destroyed.

7. Of course, burning a way to get food wasn't the brightest idea, so a Jewish community centre made sandwiches with 200 loaves of bread, 40 pounds of cut meat, and 2 gallons of pickles. Now, just think, 500,000 pot smokers with the "munchies"... and with that donation(which was a wonderful gesture")...that would almost seem like Jesus feeding the 5000. Oh, by the way, catholic nuns distributed the Jewish donation. Could you imagine someone "high"  seeing that....Jewish people and catholic nuns working together...I could just hear the response now: "That's beautiful...man."
8. A group called "Sweetwater" was scheduled but were late because of all the traffic jams...so one of the hog farmers led the crowds through a series of yoga exercises ( I wonder if there were some hogs on stage to help with the exercises).
9. A little irony: Woodstock served as a statement for a number of things, one "big one" being an anti-war statement. Yet, in all of its "glory", it was the U.S. Army that flew in by helicopter food, medical teams, and even the performers as well. There were 45 doctors on hand...without pay.
10. Some of the performers who played at Woodstock included: Santana, the Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane (Starship later), Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and Sha Na Na ( you haven't experienced life to its fullest until you have heard "these guys").
11. Performers who declined were: Bob Dylan (he was a big supporter of Woodstock, but his child was hospitalized that week-end), The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Chicago.
12. The first group to sign a contract for Woodstock: CCR...Credence Clearwater Revival. They received $10,000 for their performance.

Oh, and Jimi Hendrix...he did play at Woodstock! He was the last act to perform at 8:30 am on Monday morning. The crowd, which was estimated between 400,000 to 500,000, was down to between 30 to 40 thousand when "Jimi" came on stage. Hendrix performed for approximately 2 hours and it was in the last hour....we won't forget: "The Star-Spangled Banner"...it was simply...the best! Hendrix was in his now famous blue-beaded white leather jacket with fringe and a red head scarf.

 How did it turn out for the organizers of the event?... When it was all "said and done", they were 1 million dollars in debt and over 70 lawsuits awaiting them. I guess "peace got its chance".... which now I have discovered...

 The One I now know as the "Prince of Peace"...paid it all for me"....and I won't get sued for believing in Him either!

 The Revolution....it was a unique time...an era I will cherish...yet I also know there is only One who can do that.....Jesus...the True Christ...the True...Revolutionary!

They Hate Him...and yet have no cause.......

The Pharisees fought (verbally) with Jesus, criticized almost every move He made, and exposed their hatred of Him by wanting Him....dead.

 The Pharisees  were in my opinion a "bunch of guys that wanted the outcome of Israel to be completed...their way." God had promised the Messiah, now the Pharisees committed themselves to "guiding God" as to what the Messiah should act like, look like, when and where He should appear, what He should concentrate on when He arrives...basically, the Messiah to come needs to be the "best of the best"...a Pharisee!
 Is this a problem?...yeaaa...that is a "big" problem. God was never the type of individual that liked to be put "in a box" and directed by others to "help" Him. Don't you "hate it", when you have an idea, begin to share this idea, and people take off with it before you have even finished your thoughts, and by the time the conversation concludes with your original thought (idea), it isn't even close to what you may have been  thinking.
 Jesus descriptions of"these guys" was vivid on the Pharisees: "Whitened graves filled with dead men bones", "Den of Vipers", or simply "Hypocrites".
 I think I have a "lesson to be learned": When God presents you with an idea or a direction that you know is a good one, let Him guide you through it...don't do the "Ok, I'll take it from here"...let Him guide you through the entire process...beginning to the end. Remember...it is His idea...He has a plan to go with it...your job is to remain attentive...to Him...not the idea.

 The Pharisees were a bunch of arrogant control freaks. That is what I think started the friction between Christ Jesus and the Pharisees themselves. The Pharisees were of the thought they were collectively "sons of God" ( Jewish train of thought"), yet Jesus makes it clear He is God's only Son. When Jesus referred to Himself as "I Am"...Yahweh...that was clearly offensive to the Pharisees. Yahweh was a sacred word among the Pharisees, they were apprehensive to even allow the word to come from their lips...and here Jesus is making abundantly clear without reservation.
 On top of all this, the Pharisees did not want to lose their control over Israel to the Roman Authority, and yet did not want a Messiah to come and take away their control as well...the Messiah needed to be...like them. Jesus was far from the type and pattern of what they thought a Messiah should be. It would be better to leave things the way they are...than to have this Jesus be proclaimed the coming Messiah.
 And what made it difficult for the Pharisees to keep things under control...was the fact this Messiah, Christ Jesus... was performing miracles...doing good...and the people were responding. Here was another key...the Pharisees were no longer the "center of attention"....it was shifting...back to the Father...and the Pharisees wanted no part of it!

 Here is a Gleaning from Matthew 22:41-47. Another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. What makes this one unique...this is the last time the Pharisees questioned Him...the Scriptures state they never approached Him...again....

 " The Pharisees had to regroup, the questions they had so carefully planned to "nail" Jesus, had all backfired. Every verbal challenge they had engaged with Him...ended up the Pharisees applying band-aids and more band-aids to themselves. They had just sent their best "expert on the Scripture to challenge Jesus",...with the same results. Now, He wants to ask the Pharisees a question...what is He up to now?....
Then Jesus said to the Pharisees: " I am curious. What do you guys really think about the Messiah...whose family will He come from?"
 The Pharisees responded: "He is the Son of David...He will come from David's line."
Jesus then answered: "Really?...well, I have a question then that perhaps you could clarify for Me...in the Scriptures,  and it was David himself writing this: " The Lord God said to my Lord (the Messiah); sit in the place of honor, on My right side, until I humble your enemies and they become your footstools." Now, if David was calling his Messiah "Lord"...then how could the Messiah be a "son of David?"
 The Pharisees looked at one another...but nothing came from their lips. They had no answer. In fact, that was it...the Pharisees never challenged Jesus again..."

 In John 15:25, Jesus quotes a Scripture from Psalm 109:3, a Gleaning from both:

 John 15:25: " The Scriptures again prove themselves true, Scriptures confirm Scriptures, and is fulfilled this day: "They hate Me without a cause."
                    This is taken from...
Psalm 109:3 " They say hateful things about me, they surround me with hateful words; they slander and treat my prayers like it was a crime. I came for the good of others, and I receive hostile greetings...they make it clear they are totally against me...yet they have no cause to support their hate."    



  

Jesus...I think He would be good playing chess

You just got to love how Jesus would take some of the Pharisee and religious leaders  questions that they "hurled" at Him....and "send them packin'". He would "nail them in their own tracks" (Yea, I got the "cliche thing" goin' on today). The thing that strikes me most about how He handled their questions is...He is so genuine and real about it. I don't pick-up any revenge type statements, being retaliatory, or defensive when He "fired back" at them. It is simply  Jesus being...Jesus, and I am learning to appreciate His Way of Life.
 Honestly...if I were able to come up with some of the things Christ Jesus said, there is no doubt I would have threw in a little extra like: "Gotcha sucker!"...or "How does that feel?" Numerous times Jesus could have easily proclaimed: "Checkmate! It is over!" Remember Jim Carrey in the Pet Detective movies?...He would pull his arms down shouting: "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Yea, that's what I'm talkin' about! Even a simple: "Keep tellin' yourself that." response would have been appropriate in my way of thinking. Yet, fortunately, His Way of thinking and my way of thinking...we are not always on the same wave link...and let me tell ya', His Way of doing things is the way to go!

 So, here we have... "a situation". The Pharisees are "hard at it", trying to follow the Law as dictated in the Torah. Beside the fact the Ancient Scriptures were to be followed with utmost detail, the Pharisees and legal religious leaders of the time had "threw in" a whole bunch of extra stuff...like moral obligations, ceremonial rituals, and dietary prescriptions; anything to "look good"....well, on the "outside" anyway. In Matthew 22..."guess who's coming to dinner"...those Pharisees...at it again...they feel confident they will "nail this so-called Rabbi" this time! This time...He will "go down!"

                           Gleaning from Matthew 22:34-40

 " After the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, making them appear almost foolish because of their own words, they thought; "Let's go after Him now...maybe He is a little worn from the Sadducee's questions."
 So, the Pharisees brought their "loaded gun", the "Expert", on Jewish law. There were 613 Laws in the Torah by this time, and the Pharisees were determined to know all of them and try to follow as many as they could...to look good and let others know they "have it all together."
 The "Expert" approached Jesus, and challenged Him! He said: "Teacher, of all the Laws that are written and needed to follow, how do you know which one is the most important? Certainly God is interested in knowing we are following all 613 right?...Tell us, how do you keep all these laws, and what do you think are the most important ones?"
 Jesus answered: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is the first and greatest of all the Commandments (He didn't really use the word "Law"). A 2nd commandment, which is equally important and similar to the first is : " Love others as much as you love yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) The entire Law and all the Commandments hinge on these 2. In other words, obey these 2 Commandments, and you got all the others taken care of."
 Now, Jesus turns to the Pharisees and says: "Wait, before you run off, I have a question for you...." ( I bet the "Expert" and his buddies were "starting to feel a little heat...right?"

"The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men........

....often go awry."
 This phrase is attributed to Robert Burns, the "National Poet" of Scotland in the late 1700's. The word "awry" means to turn in a twisted direction.

There are men who become "idealists",  those who are given to the pursuit and committment of noble principles, sometimes in a reckless disregard to how impractical or what it may cost.
 There is much pain and shock coming from the "halls of Penn State" these days, even a disbelief to the uncovering of a legacy held in the highest honors of society.
  The recent stories coming out of Penn State reminds me of a quote from Edmund Burke, the great supporter of the American Revolution and a tremendous statesman in the late 1700's. He wrote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is...the good men do nothing."

  "Greatness birthed from an idealism, has been in numerous scenarios throughout history...even Biblical history. Men, given to greatness.. become almost consumed with it, either by protecting their accomplishments at all costs, or thinking success gives them the right to do whatever they think is right...like King David, in all his success as the leader of Israel; killing Goliath, his attitude toward Saul (who wanted David killed), written in the Scriptures as a '"man after God's own heart"....and yet because of all his success and favor from the Lord, thought he was able to go ahead and take Bathsheba as his wife...having her husband killed to do so...even partying with him before sending him to his death. David never fully recovered to that "great love he had for the Lord" after that.
 And Solomon, who loved his people, upon hearing from God Himself He would grant anything for Solomon, Solomon responded with this request:  that He would always be a fair and considerate king for all his people, and his decisions would always honor the God of Israel and help His people.
Solomon, in later years married numerous women from all walks of life...and Solomon built altars and temples to the gods they worshipped...and Solomon worshipped too. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to bring financial success to Israel. He lost the closeness  of his relationship with the God of Israel.
 And even in our own lifetime, we have seen numerous Christian ministries (including prominent T.V. ministries), go down and be no more...yet the founders will claim it was God who made their ministries possible.

 And now....Penn State.

 When it was first made public...many could not even fathom a connection...sexual child abuse and Penn State football...it would seem almost criminal to even verbally state such an accusation..."Has the world gone totally nuts?'
What did this Sandusky guy do...that has everyone so fired up? The stories I am hearing...there is no way anything like that could even be thought of, let alone go on...not at Penn State...Paterno would have no part of it...and "destroy anyone even thinking about even trying such horrendous acts."

Then, Penn State Board of Trustees hires Louis Freeh to investigate and file a report on all this "crazy stuff" that we are reading and hearing about at Penn State...and about Coach Paterno.
  And, Louis Freeh isn't your "normal local lawyer" within the community. Freeh is a former FBI director,and a federal judge. Good move by Penn State Board of Trustees... because NOW this will totally clear up the whole mess  this has turned into. 

The Louis Freeh report consisted of 267 pages. The investigation included speaking with over 400 people and reading approx. 3.5 million documents.
 Duquesne law professor Wes Oliver said of the Freeh report: " The Louis Freeh report reads like a prosecution case for a child endangerment charge against Paterno, Spanier, Turley and Schutz." Oliver notes a former top official in the Philadelphia Archdiocese was convicted of the same charge in June...for allowing a suspected pediphile priest to be around children.

(Ok...wait...this is not the way the report was suppose to read....WHAT??)

 The Freeh report concluded "Paterno, Spanier, Curley, and Shutz had deliberately conspired to conceal Sandusky's actions in order to protect the publicity of Penn State's vaunted football program. Further investigations revealed these 4 men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children...for over a decade."
 In 2001 it was discovered Paterno had extensive conversations pressuring Curley, Schutz, and Spanier not to report a child rape to the police.
 The Freeh report brought the following results from their investigation:
1. Several football assistants who knew Sandusky were aware he brought young boys to locker facilities at the Penn State. No questions..no reports...nothing.
2. By 1999, with "child-sex" issues already confronting Sandusky and known by Paterno, Schutz, Spanier, and Curley.. they allowed Sandusky (now retired) to be empowered to attract potential victims by bringing them to the unrestricted and unsupervised areas of the University's facilities. Sandusky continued to have affliation with the University's prominent football program.
3. A janitor in 2000 said he had seen Sandusky performing oral sex on a young boy. Jim Calhoun approached fellow workers in tears telling them what he had seen. He was so upset he thought he might have a heart attack. (And this is the saddest part of this incident)...The janitors, fearful of losing their jobs, decided not to report the incident to proper authorities.
 Jim Calhoun, the eye witness of the horrible sex act, is now in a nursing home and not competent to testify.
4. On March 2nd, 2002 a grad asst. on the football team had found Sandusky sodomizing a boy about 10 years old. Instead of calling local police authorities, the grad. asst. called his father.
 The next morning, at his father's urging, he called Paterno and told him what he had seen...although it isn't clear as to the details the grad. asst. gave Paterno. Paterno never called the local police and dismissed it as "horsing around".
 Paterno did speak to the Athletic Director, Curley, and told him a grad asst. had seen Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy."
 10 days later, the grad. asst. named Mike McQuery spoke with Curley and Schutz and said he had witnessed "Sandusky having oral sex with a boy." A.D. Curley later denied the statement on anal sex and referred to it as "horsing around".
 The child involved?...there is no evidence any effort was made to identify the child in question.
5. After a 1999 investigation, Jerry Sandusky retired as Penn State's defensive coordinator. In his last home game, he received an ovation from the 100,000 in attendance. At a farewell gala, a number of attendee were struck by this fact: Coach Paterno did not come.
6. The damaging blow to Paterno was his testimony to the grand jury. Paterno says: "I don't know of anything else that Jerry would be involved in that nature...no." He then added: " A rumor may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody. I don't know. I don't remember, and I could not honestly say I heard a rumor."
7. E-mails show Paterno closely followed a 1998 police investigation of Sandusky that ended without charges. One particular e-mail had the caption: Jerry... Curly then asked Shutz on the e-mail: "Anything new in the dept? Coach is anxious to know where it stands?"
                                    Excerpts from Freeh Report


 Jerry Sandusky played football at Penn State...and coached at Penn State for 32 years. Sandusky had grown up in town and was a regular church goer and known for a good family man.
 In Sandusky's memoir, written in 2001 and entitled: "Touched", Sandusky himself confesses to an inability to grow up. He wrote: " I had always professed that someday I would reap the benefits of maturity, but my life wouldn't let me...for the times I found myself searching for maturity, I usually come up with..."Insanity".
 Jerry Sandusky formed a charitable organization for  young children who needed assistance on a variety of levels. The organization, called "Second Mile" relied on Jerry as its chief fundraiser and best "cheerleader."
 By 2010, Second Mile had an income of 2.2 million  and total assets just under 9 million.

 The Grand Jury findings wrote that 2nd Mile was also the place Jerry Sandusky would find his victims.

 Until 2011, Jerry Sandusky had a smiling face on a mural in downtown State College. Michael Pilato, a local painter had created the "Inspiration" in 2001. Then,  Pilato received an e-mail in late 2011 and it stated: "Michael, can you please take Sandusky off the mural?" Pilato then went and painted over the face of Jerry Sandusky.
 Some thought it odd when it was disclosed Joe Paterno himself sought renegotiation of his contract in January 2011, the same month the "sex-scandal" became exposed. Paterno's present contract was not to expire untill the end of 2012.
 The New York Times reported the Board of Trustees were "bombarded" with hate mail because they offered Paterno $3 million if he agreed to 2011 being his last year. Mr. Paterno and his family threatened the Board with a "defamation suit", and as a result received a package worth 5.5 million with "no strings attached."

"If you look at what happened here, it is very clear they were aware they had a pedophile on their campus." Louis Freeh

 Penn State has work to be done in the upcoming years...I would humbly suggest to keep them in prayer and there is no success story bigger than...knowing Him.
 All would be lost...had it not been... for the Grace of Almighty God...therefore
     "By the Grace of God go I"



  

Some Things...Just Don't Make Sense.....

 Earlier, on Friday morning  July 20th, around 12:39 am, a barray of bullets was unloaded for over 15 minutes in...a theatre...people had come to just watch a movie... a "Batman" movie. Why?

  The "Aurora 12"...were an awesome group of people... who had goals and desires in life...just like you or me. From a Christian perspective, there is much to ponder and understand as to why things like this happen...and right now I don't have it all together when I hear of things like this....I am not blaming Him....I just need time to understand...some things just don't make sense...

 In John 15:13...it reads: " There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one who is your friend"... Read what a number of the "Aurora 12" chose to do...which cost them their very lives.... 

1. Jon Blunk... a 26 year old Navy veteran, had taken his girlfriend Jansen Young to the movies. When the shots started, Blunk pushed his girlfriend down between the seats and became a human shield...for her protection. Jon was killed, his girl survived...
2. Alexander Jonathon Bonk...had just graduated from Gateway High School...and was scheduled to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design this fall.
3. Jesse Childress...a 29 year old Air Force Sgt....was taken to the hospital after the shooting...he didn't make it. When the the shooting began, he jumped in front of an Air Force reservist Munirth Gravelly...and became a human shield for her...saving her life.
4. Gordon Cowden...the oldest of the "Aurora 12", had taken 2 of his 4 children to the movie ( they are teenagers). When the "shooting nightmare" had come to an end, his children were safe...Gordon was shot and killed.
5. Jessica Ghawi...a 24 year old sportswriter, had moved to Denver to work at Sports Radio 104.3...Jessica had survived a mass shooting incident in Toronto recently...and had written about it in her blog...she wasn't able to survive this mass shooting.
6. John Larimar...U.S. Navy Petty Officer who was from Illinois. He had joined the Navy a year ago as a cryptology technician and was stationed in Colorado. There were 5 sailors at the theatre....4 survived...John was not one of them.
7. Matt McQuinn had taken his girlfriend Samantha Yowler and her brother Nick to see the movie. Both Matt and Nick covered Samantha to protect her from gunfire...Nick was unharmed and Samantha received a wound in her leg...Matt was killed...he was from Ohio.
8. Micayla Medek was an Aurora native. She was 23 years of age....her Facebook profile read: " I'm a simple, independent girl who is just trying to get her life together while still having fun." Micayla never walked out of the theatre on that early morn.....
9. Veronica Moser-Sullivan was excited...she was doing well with her swimming lessons this summer...and this 6 year old child was about to start...the first grade. Her mother Ashley, was critically injured and remains in the hospital...Ashley received the news late Saturday evening...her daughter Veronica did not survive the shooting.
10. Alex Sullivan was a newlywed...and he was celebrating his 27th birthday. He had "tweeted" shortly before the movie was to start: " Oh man....one hour till the movie...this is going to be the best birthday!...ever!" Alex birthday...was cut short.
11. Alex Tevis had just received his Master's Degree, and came to see the movie with his girlfriend Amanda....and became her shield during the gunfire. Amanda survived...Alex did not.
12. Rebecca Wingo was a 32 year old single mother and was serving in the Air Force as a Mandarin Chinese translator. Rebecca leaves behind 2 young daughters.

 So, you want me to understand a little as to why this guy opened fire on the innocent....I don't want to know....what I do ask is for justice...and justice to come swiftly.

Peter's Declaration : Gleanings from Matthew 16: 13-16

Jesus and the disciples arrive in the region of Caesarea Philippi. This city is approximately 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This was a vacation spot, beautiful to the eye and fun-filled things to do and see.
 Herod's son Phillip was over this area, in fact He is given credit for the construction and beauty of this city during the time Christ Jesus was here on earth. Caesarea Philippi is 1150 feet above sea level, had striking scenery including lush groves of trees, grassy fields, and an abundance of fresh water...it is said fresh water literally gushed from the rocks.
 Deep caverns were located in this region bringing fresh water from the snow melts of Mt. Hermon. The Jordan River has its beginnings from the scenic caverns of this very area. This was a very romantic place, and the promotion of fertility was present in the hearts of the people.

 This area had a long history...even by the time of Jesus life on earth. The area had been dedicated to fertility cults centuries before...by the Canaanites. They had dedicated this area to the gods of Baal, and in particular: 1) Baal-Gad...meaning the lord of good fortune and 2)Baal-Herman...the lord of destruction.
 Philip, the son of Herod actually constructed and named the city "Caesarea Phillipi". The word Caesar was in honor to the Roman emperor and then he added his own name Philip. Caesarea Phillipi could be translated: " Caesar's town that belongs to Phillip".
 During Phillip's reconstruction of the city, he had 2 temples built, actually "open shrines", which were dedicated to the Roman goddess Pan and to the Nymphs. These gods too were promoters to the power and fertility of nature. Along with all this, one of the deep caverns that brought fresh water to the area was believed to be an entrance...to the Underworld.

 As a result, many gods were being worshipped in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and as Jesus and the disciples arrived, certainly the distractions of what the area offered was on the minds of the disciples, and Christ Jesus was quite aware of the many gods being worshipped. Romance, sensuality, scenic nature, and making love...were in the air as Christ and the disciples convened together  in Caesar Phillipi...

          Gleaning from Matthew 16:13-16

 "Jesus and His disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus had a question on His mind for His disciples, and so He asked them: "With all these pagan religions and romantic beliefs surrounding us, what are the people saying as to who the Son of Man really is?"
 The disciples responded to His question and said: "Some say you are John the Baptist (Note: Herod himself had a tremendous fear that somehow John had come back to life through Jesus), and others say you are Elijah (Note: Jews believe Elijah would return and prepare the way for the Messiah). And yet we hear others say you might be Jeremiah (Note: Jeremiah had suffered much for proclaiming God's true message and he had spoken of a new agreement between God and His people), and still others say you are one of prophets of old."
 "Ok," Jesus answered, and then He said: " Here is the real question...Who do you think I am?"
 Simon Peter spoke up...and said: "You are the Messiah...You are the very Son of the Living God!"
 (Note: using the word "Living" separated Jesus from all the pagan no-name gods that were being worshipped in the area).

 So, I guess that is a good question for each of us today...."Who do you think He is?" 

Now I Will Sleep Better.....

Today I was rotating my mattress ( well...I have been told that is a good thing to do every 3 months or so, lol) and I did a "bad thing". As I wrestled with my mattress to complete the rotation process...I ripped the mattress tag clear off...I mean...gone!
 My first thoughts were.."Uh-oh...did anyone see me? Removing a mattress tag can put you under the "penalty of law", or at least that is what I have always understood. Besides, it states that right on the tag itself!
 Jay Leno once said: " My Mom is such a law-abiding citizen she would check her mattress tags once a month."
 So...what's up with this mattress tag thing anyway?....

 First...good news! Since I have been a consumer of mattresses on several occasions in my lifetime,  I have had a misconception on the mattress tag and why it is placed on a new mattress in the first place.
 Here is what I have not understood: The infamous mattress tag on each newly acquired mattress I purchase is...for me...for my benefit. If the tag is removed BEFORE I receive the mattress and have a chance to sleep on it...that is where the illegal act technically takes place.

 The real reason for the tag to be installed on the mattress dates back to the early part of the 20th century. During this era government regulations for the consumer were on the rise to ensure the quality of goods being sold. Mattresses were included in government regulations...why?...you might ask.
 Mattresses up to that time were being stuffed with...just about anything a manufacturer of mattresses could "get his hands on", and some of the "stuffing" was quite questionable. Stuffing could include straw..ok, horse hair...kinda ok...newspaper....uh no....rags...no...corn husks....definite no...and food wastes....gross! The logic of the manufacturer?...the consumer wouldn't know it anyway!

 Here is where the problem of this logic took its toll: mattresses began to be a place of "safe harbor" for bacteria and insects...who would share the bed with one attempting to get their "beauty sleep"....often interrupted by the unwanted guests.
 As a result, the government began putting new regulations on the sale of mattresses. Mattresses would first be required an inspection, then "tagged" to help ensure all mattresses were being "stuffed" with quality material that would not attract bacteria or insects.
 Now, if a tag was removed BEFORE it reached its destination of the consumer, and the consumer had not been given the opportunity to "test" the product purchased, the company that had sold the mattress without a proper tag would be subject to the Federal Trade Commission Act which defined any unfair and/or deceptive practices...and be subject to fines and penalties.

 The "mattress tag" proved successful and brought to an end mattresses stuffed with inferior quality or potential health hazards that had been previously done.
 At the same time...consumers have often been confused with the mattress tag thinking they, the consumer themselves, were subject to penalties and fines if the tag was removed...at any time!
 In recent years, many mattress tags now read: "This tag shall not be removed...except...by the consumer."
So...go ahead...I dare 'ya....



A Note: Does the Scripture have anything to say about mattresses? That I am not aware of....but it does tell the dangers of NOT having one.... Gleaning from Acts 20: 9 and a few other verses:

 "A young man named Eutychus was sitting near an open window. As Paul continued to teach, Eutychus fell asleep...a sound sleep...and fell out the window! He fell 3 stories, and when everyone got to him...he had passed.
 Paul came to the boy, checked on him and said:" Don't worry, he has life...he will be ok! Later, after the meeting, the young boy Eutychus went with the others and returned home...to the sheer delight of all those around him."
 Moral of Story: Sleep on a mattress...with or without a tag!

John 3:16 "The Best of the Best of the Best" part 2

Ok, a Gleaning from John 3: 8-21....

 " Jesus continues: " For you see, the only Spirit that gives True Life comes from My Father, and He is a Holy Spirit. Now here is the thing about the Holy Spirit...He is a Spirit that brings freedom. He blows wherever He chooses. You may Hear Him, see evidences of Him, but you simply can't explain how He comes or where He goes."
 Then, Nicodemus said: " Wait, how does this all work?...I don't get it...what exactly are you saying?"
 Jesus then answered: " You are a respected teacher of Jewish Law, right?...and yet you don't get what I am saying to you right now?
 What I am saying to you is first-hand information, straight from the "horse's mouth" as some would say. What I and those around me are speaking about is what we know. The reason I tell you this...we have all seen it ourselves. The problem lies with the "teachers of the Law"...they don't believe a word of it...even though they have seen evidence as well!
 And besides, if you don't believe what I am telling you in regards to needing a new birth, how am I suppose to carry on a conversation with you about My Father's Kingdom?

 Here is something else to think about. No one has ever gone up into the Presence of God...except One...and He has willingly come down ...FROM His Presence...to be a son of man.
Do you remember how Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so the people would have something to see...and would cause them to believe? Well, right now it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up...and everyone who looks to Him, puts their trust in Him, and is expecting Him...will gain a real life...an eternal life!"

(NOTE: Ok, John 3:16 in a Gleaning format):

" DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THIS GOD OF ISRAEL LOVES ALL PEOPLE...BOTH THE GENTILE AND THE JEW? HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE UP HIS ONLY SON..FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM. WHY?...SO THAT NOT EVEN ONE WOULD BE DESTROYED. THIS IS THEIR TIME...THIS IS YOUR TIME! ANYONE WHO LOOKS UP TO THE SON OF MAN, AND TRUSTS AND BELIEVES IN HIM...WILL HAVE A WHOLE, A FULFILLING, AND A REAL LIFE...THAT WILL LAST THROUGH ETERNITY!"

 Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus: " Understand this: God did not go to this severe extreme of giving up His Only son so that He might simply point an accusing finger or tell them how bad they are.
 He came so that they might be rescued...each one of them...through the power of His Only Beloved Son...and by doing so give their lives an entirely new meaning...the real meaning to what Life really is about.
 Anyone who accepts this Act of Love is forgiven...and cleansed... and set free of anything that had hindered their lives.
 Anyone who rejects this Act of Love by refusing to accept His Beloved Son who has come to rescue them...is already "living their lives in a slow hell"...which is exactly where they will end up.
 The real question to Life is here: The Light has come into the world...do you receive the Light...or do you reject the Light? Would you choose Darkness over God's Light?

 Those that choose Darkness and Evil literally detests anything that has to do with God's Light. In fact, the people of the Darkness will not approach the Light of God's very own Son...because their lives will be exposed for what it is...Evil and Darkness...just like the one they follow.

 Yet, the ones who embrace the Truth of God's Light, and practices the Truth, and lives the Truth...will walk into the Light...for they will taste of His Presence, and all their work is a reflection of Him, the Son of Man, and will give honor and praise to the Father, who sent His only Son to save them."

 (NOTE: Some bible scholars say Nicodemus accepted the Son of Man that evening, others say he did not based on the latter part of Saint John 7. Still others claim there is a story that Nicodemus was there when Stephen was stoned...and that was the "evidence" that caused him to yield...to God's only Son.....)

 This we do know...when Joseph of Aramethia came for Jesus body to be taken to the Tomb, Nicodemus was with him...and had brought 75 pounds of myrrh and precious ointments....for Him!

John 3:16....the "Best of the Best of the Best!"

John 3:16 is undoubtedly the most famous and popular Scripture verse in both the Christian and the secular world. We see it on billboards, on electronic message boards, at sports games ( someone always seems to have a sign raised in the air:"John 3:16",  and even some athletes themselves wear the verse of Scripture on the anti-glare patches they put under their eyes.
 I would have thought this verse of Sacred Scripture would have originated at some great gathering of a nation (like a Gettysburg Address type event), or for direction a mass of people were crying out for (like John F. Kennedy when he spoke: "Ask not what your country can do for you..ask, what you can do for your country."), or perhaps this portion of Scripture would have come from Jesus own teaching series at the Sermon on the Mount.
 Yet, this did not come from any of those scenarios. Jesus spoke these words in the quiet of one secluded evening... one man to another. Now, as time has evolved and history has "taken its course", these words have been echoed to millions of people throughout the entire earth.

What "went down" that night...when Nicodemus came to Jesus?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a prominent leader among the Jewish people and a member of the 70 leaders for the governing counsel in Jerusalem...known as the Sanhedrin.
 Some historians claim he might have been Nicodemus ben Gurium, a very wealthy Jewish person living in the same area and the same time as "this Nicodemus" is written about in St. John 3. Nicodemus was educated and about the same age as Jesus when John records of his conversation with Jesus.
 The name "Nicodemus" is of Greek origin and was a fairly common name used in the 1st century. Actually "Nico" is "Nike" in Greek...and we are all familiar with the word Nike.
 Nicodemus means: "Victory of the People". This is the only person in the entire Scriptures called by this name.

The Gleaning will be taken from John 3:1-21. I will probably have some "Notes:" to go along with it.......

 " There was a man, a particular man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a prominent Jewish leader within the community as well.
 After the sun had gone down and darkness was beginning to fall one evening, Nicodemus came to speak with Jesus.
 He greeted Jesus in a respectful manner saying: "Rabbi, it is for certain You are a teacher who has been sent by God. The miraculous acts alone are clear evidence God is with you."
(Note: Some biblical scholars explain Jesus was with his disciples, probably around a campfire at Gethsemane (a large vineyard just outside Jerusalem), and Nicodemus was in the "shadows" with a cloak on when Jesus stepped away from the campfire and had approached him.)

 Jesus then answered him: You are right! He is with Me and I tell you for certain that unless you receive a new birth, it will not be possible to see, to understand, or experience the Kingdom of God."
(Note: Nicodemus position among the Pharisees was likened to what we might term a "Director of Naturalization". Nicodemus was in charge of seeing those who are Gentile origin that have "filled out applications" to become Jewish...Jewish citizens if you will. This office  held more "political awareness" than an essential need for it, because of this very fact: the Romans, the Samaritans, and the Jewish people hated one another.
 Now, here is where Jesus gets a "little interesting" in his choice of words replying to Nicodemus. 1) Jesus skipped the preliminaries....He didn't acknowledge, call him by name, or give any mention to his position in the community. Nor did Jesus ask why he was there at that moment or how he was doing...Jesus just avoided all that...and went to "the heart" of what was on Nicodemus's mind. 2) The other thing as this conversation unfolds is to understand a little of Nicodemus office he held within the community. In order for a Gentile to be approved of Jewish citizenship, each applicant must go through a ritual called "New Birth". It involves tedious study given by Rabbis, a public meeting renouncing their entire past and pledging to Israel...and the God of Israel. If approved by counsel, there is a baptism by immersion and the applicant is now becomes a Jewish citizen of Israel. All their past is left there...never to be mentioned again. 8 days later, the males would go through the sacred Abrahamic rite of circumcision. So, what do you think Nicodemus was thinking when Jesus was speaking of a "new birth"?...ok, back to Scripture).

 In verse 4 it states: "Nicodemus responds: "Wait, what do you mean? How can someone who is grown...return to his mother's womb and be born all over again?"
(Note: Ok, knowing that Nicodemus is not totally ignorant to the "new birth" concept because of the office he was in....Nicodemus was "grasping at straws", he was "just buying time"...and here is why. Jesus had just "rocked his world" by saying "Unless a man is given a new birth..."
 You see, Nicodemus was under the premise all Jewish people were already children of God...and would see and understand the Kingdom God was sending. But Jesus indicated unless a man, and you could probably safely say "every man"....whether he be Gentile or Jewish...all must experience the new birth...or it will not be possible to see...the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus and his whole belief system just got "flushed" by Jesus opening remarks. And yet, at the same time I personally think there might have been a "hunger" in Nicodemus heart as well...because he knew the old Jewish legal form to becoming a Jew....lacked power...excitement...and it didn't really change anybody...kind of like some customs we have even today in Christian circles...they lack something...they lack...Him! So, another way Nicodemus might have said it was: " Wait, what are you trying to do...teach an old dog new tricks?")
Ok, in verse 5 it reads: "Jesus fires back at Nicodemus once more. " You need to hear what I am telling you...listen...real close! The way we are all born naturally, through our mother's womb is one thing....being born of the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit...that's another. You need both. In fact, the only way you can become a child of God is by being born through His spirit....Trust Me...that is the only way to His Kingdom! So, don't act so dumb-founded when I say to you...you must be born again."

 Note: Ok, this story is a little more in depth than I thought....Breaktime!...then Part 2

"In a Galaxy...far, far away...." Well...even in the same Galaxy...

It was 10:56 p.m. (EST), people from every walk of life throughout the earth...were waiting...waiting to hear a message...from outer space!
 And it came, and we heard: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

 It was at that moment on July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong had just stepped off the lunar landing module called "The Eagle", and had become the first human...to walk on the surface of the moon.

 This "whole moon thing" had  its roots in 1961, May 25th to be exact when President John F. Kennedy made a special appeal before joint sessions of Congress.
 Tensions were building between Russia and the U.S. as to the advancement of their space programs. In fact, the U.S. found themselves "chasing after Russia" in reference to space advancement, and couple that with the "Cold War Era" beginning to make itself more known, America was primed for a challenge!
 President Kennedy on that day in May then ushered in and declared this announcement: " I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth."

 Thus began: "The Apollo Missions"

 Named after the mythological god Apollo, its given name was to be a reflection of some of Apollo's "virtues" in Greek mythology including being "god of the sun" and the "god of prophecy", and to accept the challenges of the present age. Also noted Apollo was the "god of poetry", and after the "moon mission" is completed, we would then read and retell the story in various forms of poetry and song.

 By 1966, the first unmanned Apollo mission had been conducted, the main purpose being to test the structural integrity of the space vehicle itself.
 It was on January 27th, in 1967, that the Apollo Missions soon found out that to get to the moon , it would not come without a  severe price. A tragedy occurred at the Kennedy Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 
 A fire had broken out (later to be discovered due to faulty design) and 3 men lost their very lives during a manned launch-pad test of the Apollo spacecraft and the Saturn rocket. The 3 astronauts were: Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chafee.
 It was at that point the Apollo missions realized the seriousness and intensity of the accomplishments they were about to do. Grissom and White were buried at Arlington National Cemetery while Chafee was buried at West Point. Their valiant efforts for our country will be remembered...both in our hearts and in the stories of the "Apollo Poetry".

 On October 8th, 1968 the Apollo 7 was the first manned mission which orbited the earth and made preparations for the "journey to the moon."
 In December of 1968, the Apollo 8 carried 3 astronauts to the dark side of the moon and safely returned.
 In March of 1969, the Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first time while in earth's orbit.
 In May of 1969, the Apollo 10 did a complete "space run" around the moon, a "dry run", in preparation for the "Big One".

 On July 16th, 1969 the Apollo 11 left the Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 a.m. (EST). The astronauts on board included Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins. Armstrong, a 38 year old civilian research pilot, was the commander of the mission.
 After traveling for approximately 240,000 miles in 76 hours, the Apollo 11 entered the lunar orbit of the moon itself.
 On July 20th, 1969 at 1:46 p.m. (EST), the lunar module named the "Eagle" separated from the command module. About 2 hours later, the "Eagle" began its descent to touch down on the moon itself...which it did at 4:18 p.m. (EST).
 The "Eagle" landed on the moon at the southwest corner of what was named "The Sea of Tranquility". It was here the famous phrase was radioed to mission control in Houston, Texas: "The Eagle has landed!"

 There was a camera attached to the "Eagle", and as Neil Armstrong made his way down the module ladder, the pictures from the camera would beam back to earth...the whole world could see this breath-taking moment! It was now 8:18 p.m. (EST) as Neil Armstrong prepared to set foot...on the moon! As he stepped of the "Eagle" foot pad at 10:56 p.m. (EST), Armstrong began to describe the moon's surface as "fine-grained, almost like a powder". Then came the phrase that will be forever etched in the poetry of the Apollo Missions: " That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

 At 11:11 p.m. (EST), "Buzz Aldrin joined Armstrong on the moon's surface and together they took photographs of the moon's terrain, ran scientific tests, drove around in a space vehicle, planted a U.S. flag, and spoke with President Richard Nixon on the phone via Houston.

 At 1:11 a.m. (EST), July 21st, the "moonwalk" was complete and the 3 astronauts returned to the lunar module, slept that night on the surface of the moon, as the "Eagle" made its return to the command module.
 On the moon's surface was left a plaque that read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon...July 1969 A.D....we came in peace for all mankind."
 On July 22, 1969 the Apollo 11 began its journey home and splashed safely in the Pacific ocean at 12:51 p.m. (EST) on July 24th.

A couple other notes:
1. 5 other lunar landing missions were made, and one un-planned lunar swing with....the Apollo 13.
2. The last men to walk on the moon were Eugene Cernam and Harrison Schmitt on December 14th, 1972 aboard the Apollo 17 mission.
3. The entire "Apollo programs" were both costly and labor intensive. The missions included over 400,000 engineers, techs, and scientists. The cost of these missions were at $24 billion dollars...and yes, we were able to "beat Russia o the moon."

After that, the Apollo missions seemed to lose their viability, and we have not returned....

 Just one question...why was it necessary to inscribe on that plaque left on the moon's surface..."Here men from the planet Earth....." Are there men from anywhere else?? Hmmmm.

The "Rosetta Stone" makes it's....Debut

Gotta go back a few years to find out what happened...on July 19th, in the year 1799.....

 Napoleon of France was out to conquer the world during this period, and had established a military campaign to conquer the region known as Egypt. After all, his predecessor, Alexander the Great had done so and had created quite an antiquity with his establishing of the city of Alexandria.

 Here on July 19th 1799, a French soldier named Pierre Bouchard, discovers a black, basalt (volcanic rock) stone that is approximately 4 feet long and 2 and 1/2 feet in width. It was kind of an odd-shaped stone, and Bouchard came across this finding while stationed at a fort near the town of Rosetta, which was approximately 35 miles north of the great cultural city of Alexandria Egypt.
 Ok, this is where it really begins to unfold! On this basalt stone was the fragments of 3 different inscriptions: 1) Greek 2) Egyptian demotic (no...not "demonic"), and 3) Egyptian HIEROGLYPHICS!! Demotic in case anyone is interested is the "common, everyday language of a particular region etc.

 Anyway, the Greek inscriptions declared these writings on the stone were done in the 2nd century B.C. by Egyptian priests who wanted to honor their Pharaoh, Ptolemy V of Egypt.
 Also in the Greek portion of this fragment on the Rosetta Stone as we have come to know, contained a key ingredient that literally became a historical breakthrough. It read in the Greek that "ALL 3 INSCRIPTIONS ON THIS STONE CARRY THE SAME MEANING".

 So, what was the big deal about?....because up to that point the Egyptian hieroglyphics language had not been able to be "cracked"....no one had been able to understand and translate it into modern day language. This written language had been "extinct" for quite some time, and some say the last time it was in use was...2000 years before this discovery.
 As a result...people got excited about this "Rosetta Stone"! You see, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France was a huge supporter of education and the preservation of art and culture throughout the world. In fact, Bonaparte had assigned a group of cultural scholars to accompany this military campaign to Egypt with the following orders" "To seize any and all cultural artifacts...for France!"

 The French soldier who discovered the basalt stone, Pierre Bouchard, was quite aware of this order given by Napoleon, quickly reported his find. In 1801, the British were able to defeat the French army of Napoleon and took possession of the...Rosetta Stone.
 Cultural and ancient language scholars "jumped all over" this discovery, and an Englishman named Thomas Young began making progress in the "cracking" of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Yet, it was the French Egyptologist named Jean-Francis Champollion (is that a cool name or what!), who lived from 1790-1832, who ultimately broke through and was able to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphic writings.
 Champollion was  self-taught in the arts of ancient languages, and actually used the Greek writings on the Rosetta Stone as a guide to his breakthrough. The real key to the hieroglyphics seemed to be its "word pictures" represent objects, sounds, and even groups of sound. With the breakthrough of understanding hieroglyphics, Egypt and her rich ancient culture became a "whole new world" of discovery for understanding a valuable part of human history.

 Since 1802, the now famous Rosetta Stone has been kept in the British Museum in London. The only exception to it staying there was in WWl, when it was moved underground for protection.
 In 1822, new hieroglyphic inscriptions were found at Abu Simbel, a temple on the Nile River in Egypt. Due to the breakthrough from the language studies of the Rosetta Stone, Champollion was able to translate the inscriptions at Abu Simbel....its writings were about some guy that had built the temple in Egypt....he was called "Ramses".....

 As the Greek mythological phrase that has been quoted through the centuries says: "Leave no stone unturned...", seems to be quite applicable to this great discovery on July 19th, 1799.

If Love is the Answer....Could You Please Rephrase the Question

Lily Tomlin, a comedienne and actress said those words in reference to having a relationship.

Throughout history we have been inundated with what makes for a successful relationship work for 2 people in love.
 Honestly, I don't have a clear answer myself although I have had the fortune of seeing a few relationships around me have success in making it work.

 And then there are the quotes of those that are written down in history... some saying not to take life too seriously.... here are some of the more light-hearted quotes I have read on relationships:
1) A person can actually read of comments on this as far back as 400 B.C. "Euripides" wrote a view on marriage by saying: "Never say marriage has more joy than pain." It doesn't appear he was enjoying life at that moment, or perhaps he was just having a "bad day".
2) Socrates himself gave an opinion on relationships and marriage when he wrote: " By all means marry! If you have a good wife...you have found happiness! If you end up with a "bad one"...you become a philosopher!"
3) Mary Poppins got in on this as well when she said these words in a light-heart manner(I think?): "Though we adore men individually, we agree as a group they're rather stupid!"
4) Miss Piggy has offered this thought: "Is there a cure for a broken heart? Only time can heal a broken heart...just as time can heal his broken arms and legs."
5) Then there is the quite controversial Rosanne Barr who made this observance: " A good man just doesn't happen. They have to be created...by women. A guy is at first a "lump", kind of like a doughnut. So, first, you have to get rid of all the stuff his Mom did to him. Then, you got to get rid of all the "macho crap" they pick-up on beer commercials, then it comes to my personal favorite: the male ego."
6) Dennis Miller, TV comedian said after his first 7 years of marriage: " Never wallpaper together, and you do need 2 bathrooms...both are hers."
 Ok, with all the light-hearted "stuff"... there seems to come a glaring truth behind it all as well. What makes a relationship work?
 My take on relationships and their lasting value is centered around  the word "tender". I think when you lose that "tenderness" for the other person....danger could be eminent.
 People and "guys" in particular have a tendency to blend "tender" with being "weak". I personally think that is so far from the truth. When you are tender with one another,,,it seems qualities like being sensitive, having gentle emotions, and concern for the other carries some strong characteristics,  yet it can expose you to being vulnerable, easily crushed, and sometimes it can really hurt. And that is probably why "guys" choose to call it weak...got to protect yourself from something like that happening, right?

 I am a big believer that the opposite of love...is not hate. The simple reason is love and hate demand passion....and hate in all its fury is an act of vengeance...you can still love the person and hate him/her as well.
 I think the opposite of love is: indifference....you don't care anymore. Showing any care, concern with the other, and certainly being tender. is no longer a part of you.

 There is so much "out there" on how to have a successful relationship...both in the Christian world and the secular. Following certain steps may have reaped benefits for some....yet not for others. It has to be something that comes up out of you...something that comes from the heart...like tenderness. That's my humble opinion anyway.

 One of my favorite songs in regards to " broken" relationships is the song "Stay" by Sugarland. It came out in 2007 and the video is pretty cool. Country is not my only choice of music, but I do think the video brings out the frustrations of...in this case infidelity.
 The chorus Jennifer Nettles sings has some real heart-rendering words:

 "Why don't you stay, I'm down on my knees. I'm so tired of being lonely, Don't I give you what you need? When she calls you to go, there is one thing you should know. We don't have to live this way...Baby, why don't you stay?"
Then, as she portrays one "gathering herself" a little, the last part of the song goes: "So the next time you find you wanna leave her bed for mine......Why don't you stay, I'm up off my knees, I'm so tired of being lonely, and you can't give me what I need. When she begs you not to go...there is one thing you should know...I don't have to live life this way. Baby, why don't you stay..."

 I just notice people seem to be hurt everywhere...people say they hurt because they are not in a relationship, and people say they hurt because they are in a relationship.
 And just in case you might think I am hurting from a break-up, the answer  is No, I really am not hurting ...but it just seems I am around all of it lately.

Personally, I have had my share of  "challenges" in relationships, but as Ellen Burstyn (actress) was quoted: "What a lovely surprise...to discover how unlonely being alone can really be!"


Here's what works for me: It is from St. Matthew 12: somewhere around verse 20:
                                  (A Gleaning Format)
" I've placed my Spirit on Him, and He will decree what true justice and fairness in life is all about. He doesn't need to yell at us or even raise His Voice. He doesn't make a lot of commotion on how messed up your life might be, and when He comes to rescue you...He won't stomp all over your feelings or push you into some corner...."

 That seems to be a good start....being at peace with...Him.