2016 Year In Review

Opened Facebook this morning and I get one of those - Happy New Year's Eve Bob! - Just thought you would like to view all the political memes your "friends" shared or liked this year. 

It then ran a slide show where memes flip in and spin out and since it's been running for the last 4 hours I decided to give you my own year in review.

When I was a freshman at Aquinas College in 1972 I took a class in Speech. One of our projects was to make a presentation to the class and my theme was - Is Paul Dead? - Paul being Paul McCartney, the cute one of the 4 Beatles. Evidently Paul had not been seen in public for a year or two and people who are into things like that suggested that he was actually dead and for contractual reasons the rest of the band was mum about it but they did hide clues in their music so their true fans would find out.

There was a song on one of the albums, I can't remember it it was on Magical Mystery Tour or The White Album, which had a blank space after it ended and then a minute or two or random noises. If you had that vinyl record on a turntable and rotated it backwards at just the right speed there was a place where it very clearly said "Paul is dead". And then there were pictures of Paul on album covers which were clearly photoshopped. My teacher didn't buy it but half of the class did and isn't that what's important?

"Fake news" isn't new, but this year we finally have a name for it.

This year it seems like half of Briton's musicians, from Ziggy Stardust to George Michael, have actually died, almost everyone except for Sir Paul, still kicking around after 45 long ones. American celebs, from boxers to movie stars havn't fared much better. And with such an expiring crowd I feel bad for them. Johnny Carson, the long time past host of The Tonight Show, said often that his greatest fear was dying on the same day as a President or a natural disaster, which of course would get all the big headlines.

Now we can wonder if someone is actually dead or if they just didn't want to perform at Trump's Inauguration.

Ah, the year of vanity, from the guy coming in to the one going out with pen and phone in hand.

On a brighter note, this year I published my first two books.

The interesting thing about writing a book and publishing it is that unless you are a well known, no one except friends or family will ever find out about your book no matter how good or bad it is. Unless of course you find a way to promote your effort. Even though my books are listed on Amazon and formated for Kindle and the titles may go out on catalogs to major retailers, there are already millions of titles out there with hundreds of thousands new ones being added each year and the odds of being discovered are very small.

Books like mine (not going through a major publisher) used to be called Vanity Publishing but now there is a much more friendly and sexy term attached to it - Indie Publishing. I am now a proud independent publisher who paid zero dollars to get my books published. I did not have to pay upfront for a garage load of books and can order for myself 1 or more at a very inexpensive price.

However I do want to do things to promote my excellent and unique work so I am working with a Christian book marketer who has written a very nice review of my first effort, GLORY TRAIL They gave me 10 out of 10 stars. Can you beieve it? Perhaps this will be nothing more than vanity marketing but we will just have to see.

May the year 2017 find blessings for all of you and your families and for me and mine as well. May God bless and protect our country and may the well springs of revival open up to renew and heal this land and it's people.

And thank you, thank you, thank you for having visited my blog this year.  

Shepherd's Watch

Vast stars spread out
Judean sky
we watched as nights before
and wondered if
how deep how far
could there possibly be more

Benjamin spoke
as one who knew
about this moving map
and told again
where lights would go
to fill prophetic's gap

And listened we
but deep in thought
so long the promise waits
how small we are
to think we know
the depth of what He creates

A little lamb
stirred by my side
then fast again to sleep
I laughed to think
I could know more
with thoughts that were not deep

How could one know
what lays beyond
if even just one day
then stirred again
my little dear
but then he was OK

Out in the dark
we heard a song
with lights that made us stand
to greet a band
proclaiming news
I couldn't understand

And oh their faces
shone with joy
their wings covered the sky
today they said
a Savior born
so hurry now and fly

And fly we did
to a nestled cave
where a mother held her Son
who stirred a bit
when we came in
then slept - He was the one

That night of course
I could not sleep
trying to take it in
that time goes on
yet He had time
to heal my soul from sin

Happy Hearts

Announcing the publication of my second book - HAPPY HEARTS - In Poems And Short Stories. My first book GLOrY TRAIL was a collection of mostly poems and a few short stories that were spiritual in nature. HAPPY HEARTS is about 2/3 poetry and 1/3 humurous short stories that are not overly spiritual in nature.

This is again self published through Create Space which is partners with Amazon and Kindle and so is listed on both. The great thing about self publishing is that my main reason for putting these two books out there is not to make a lot of money.  Thus I don't need to worry about combining poetry and funny stories and then have someone ask me - So who is your audience?

Putting those books together has been a lot of fun but has taken some time and creative energy which is why I havn't been posting as regular as I would like in the last 2 months. And, I am working on yet a third book which has the working title - DIARY OF A CHARISMATIC - Essays On The Spirit Filled Life. Unlike my first two books that one will be much longer, perhaps 300 pages.

Is it commercial? I don't know. Here is where I do need to ask the right questions and then perhaps submit it to a Christian publishing house which will take unsolicited manuscripts. There are two reputable ones who will look at a word document and get back to you in 7 to 30 days to let you know if they have any interest. And if they reject it - I can always self publish! (already have a great cover designed).

Cheesy Christmas Movies

If you are a woman, and I know over half of you are, what would be your ideal December day off?

My third daughter Melissa informed me about a month ago that last Wednesday (my day off) she was going to call in sick at the school she teaches social studies at, still drop her kids off at the babysitter, and spend the entire day with me at my house watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. Mom was of course also invited and wouldn't it be nice if we started the day by going out to breakfast/brunch at Anna's House, a fairly new breakfast/lunch restaurant nearby.

In Missy's mind this was going to be just like old times. Her older brother and sisters had moved out of the house, Younger sister Becky was away at college and she could chill out with her dear old dad (and mom).

Eventually, because she was getting so excited about the day, Melissa told her sister Carrie (my second daughter) about her plans and Carrie, thinking that was a great idea, got included. She told James her husband that he needed to take the day off and manage getting their younger kids off to school and back again.

Well, now that Carrie was invited Melissa didn't want her other sisters to feel excluded so she did the right thing. She waited until the day before (ha ha) and left a voice message with Ceci and Becky telling them what the plans were. Becky who lives over an hour away wasn't able to get off of work but Ceci did have a couple of hours open mid day and she said she would swing by.

The big day finally arrived. I had a previous commitment first thing in the morning so I missed the brunch but was here when they came back to the house. Melissa told me that her husband Dan would have loved to also come but he's as honest as the day is long and he didn't quite know how to explain to his boss a day off chilling with with his father-in-law watching Hallmark Christmas movies.

All the necessary ingredients for a good time were there. Jackie got out her best Christmas plates and prepared some goodies to snack on including a spiral sliced ham for lunch. The girls each brought more goodies to snack on plus a variety of breads. We moved a bunch of rocker recliners in front of the big screen TV, each with a blanket to snuggle up in, and proceeded to watch 3 of the batch of Hallmark movies we had recorded.

Ceci came over for a couple of hours as promised. Dan took an extended lunch break and got in most of one movie (maybe he saw the whole thing, I'm not sure how long he was standing outside in the cold looking through the window before he got up the courage to join us).

I've watched a lot of Hallmark Christmas movies just with Jackie but it is a totally different experience when you are watching one with a group of your daughters. I'd glance over at my girls during a sad part and there they were, blankets wrapped up to their necks, tears streaming out of their eyes, even audible words of encouragement for the poor actress who just found out that her true love, whom she just got to know while visiting her little town all decked out for Christmas, complete with the requisite skating rink, wise old Santa Clause and home town bakery run by a chubby faced woman who knows every body's business, has to move back to New York or LA where his snooty ex-girlfriend is waiting to sink her exquisitely manicured nails into his handsome but innocent and naive neck.

And then there was the movie where an Italian Catholic guy tells his hospitalized and dying from heart complications grandmother that he has honored her last wish and now has a girl friend. Not actually having a girl friend he goes online and hooks up for an agreed two week period over the holidays with an only child Jewish girl who needs to show a boyfriend to her folks who want her to find a nice Jewish doctor to marry. Things go better than expected. The girl comes over to visit the Italian family. Grandmother is there because she has made a miraculous recovery, they know the girl is Jewish but don't care and everyone has a great time.

It is a little more dicey when the couple goes to the girl's parent's house to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. He has to pretend he's Jewish, they insist he light the menorah candle and lead the singing (in Hebrew) but things work out. However, somehow the girl's parents get invited over to the guy's house. The family wants to make a good impression so when the couple walks in with the girl's parents they are greeted by the entire Italian family who, pretending they are Jewish, are each (including grandma) wearing the skull cap and have decorated their home with about 15 Menorah candle sets which it turns out are actually Kwanzaa candles. All the candles are lit, the Christmas tree is still up but the angel on top has now been replaced by a star of David and the family puts on Jewish music and start dancing around in circles with the stunned couple in the center.

At this point my entire family is rolling on the floor in laughter. It calms down a bit when the exuberant dancing causes grandma to have a heart attack but by now the tears will have to wait.

The girls think this was so much fun that we need to make it a new Christmas tradition. The only problem is that everyone of their girl friends they have talked to about this want to come over as well. Don't all dads like to watch cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies with their girls?  

My First Book!

Yesterday I published my first book Glory Trail - Poetry For The Spirit  which can be found on Amazon books!

Sea Wall

We
brace
ourselves
up top the dune
to watch November lords
as northwest winds
cut off the tops
of fast approaching hoards
and down below
beyond the grass
to stop what time supposed
are massive oaken deep sunk beams
once buried now exposed

We
hear
a roaring
beating heart
are awed to be
so near
and wonder why
the sea gulls stay
so close this wooden pier

We
see
the shore
it's surface drops
then rises full and strong
to smash against a well built wall
thats waited all along
tossing droplets high and wide
falling back upon the mass
of rolling anger stopped this time
but will our sea wall last

We
take
a picture
that cannot
express how vast this be
or who could stand without a wall
declaring victory
but I
will keep this
in my heart
remembering the day
when all was lost until I thought
to bend my knee and pray

Thoughts On The Election

I have never really liked or admired Donald Trump. I did, way back when, watch parts of a couple of seasons of his show The Apprentice until one episode where he had the group stay at the mansion of "a good friend of mine - Hugh Hefner". That was enough for me.

Our family does have an interesting connection to him though. My brother Jim owns an upper end furniture business and one day at his showroom during a furniture market they were told that Trump and his then wife Marla would be coming in to pick out some pieces. My brother, having heard that Trump was a pompous so and so, never bothered to leave his office to say hi. Trump. pouty lip and all, followed Marla around. She picked out a sofa and after wards Jim's business changed the product identification of that sofa from something like S2410 to "The Marla", (you have to understand this was a combination of my brother's sense of humor and a great marketing idea) which started a new trend for product identification in the furniture industry.

All along I have believed that Trump was still at heart a big spending, big government New Yorker with liberal social views who recognized an opportunity, adopted a populous message, found an enthusiastic audience and then ran with it. Almost all politicians lie and promise the world to get elected, they always find lots of people who never learn the lessons from the past and believe what is promised and so why would Trump be any different?

Plus I have this particular pet peeve. Most problems in this world are very complicated and there are rarely any simple and easy solutions. We should find solutions based on rock solid principles and go from there. Politicians rarely express principles but they often express simplistic slogans. Build that wall!

On top of that I was horrified at all of his personal attacks against anyone who challenged him, his tone deaf ear toward racial and other minorities, his many other callous remarks, especially toward women, his tendency toward vindictiveness, his long history as a womanizer, his association with casinos and strip clubs and on and on.

On the other hand I could not in good conscience support HRC. There is almost nothing in the Democratic platform that I agree with but here I am only going to high lite one area.

My number one issue for most of my life has been to support and defend the rights of the unborn child. If you are a liberal I want you to hear this. I and many others firmly believe that human life starts at conception and while nature may and often does stop the development of the child on it's own it should not be our decision to do so. For me I see this as a cause equal to the abolition of slavery with a common denominator. Slavery (and we should probably say racism as well) is only possible when you consider someone else as less than or as a non person.

You may not agree and this post is not an essay on the right to life of the unborn but there is another factor involved. Not only do my tax dollars go for the funding of Planned Parenthood (a major abortion provider and I find that aspect of their business abhorrent) but the Obama administration (as would a HRC adm.) has tried to force people of conscience (i.e. Catholic hospitals) to both advise and provide for abortions.

My decision after Trump became the nominee was to withhold my vote. I heard all the logical arguments form the conservative side about the importance of selecting the 1 to possibly 4 Supreme Court justices, the necessity of securing our borders and so on but I did not trust Trump nor respect him nor want someone as crude as him to represent our country.

Every fall my wife and I go on a 40 day period of prayer and partial fasting. One of the things we were praying about this year was of course guidance and direction for us and our family concerning who we should vote for. My heart and stomach had been churning that entire time. I remember clearly being in prayer the day after our fast ended, two days before the election and sensing clearly that it was God's will for me to vote for the Republican candidate. Since then my heart and my stomach have been at peace. When the time comes I can stand with confidence before my Maker.

With the struggles I went through I should not have been surprised at the liberal reaction to the Trump victory. I knew that most of them live in a shatter proof bubble, surrounded by the like minded, reinforced by a liberal main stream media and daily gorged through the Internet with 100 anti-Trump, anti-Republican, anti-Christian memes.

But I was surprised. Not really by the demonstrations because there are people behind the scenes who benefit from chaos and are both advising and funding most of the demonstrations we have seen in the last two years, including many of the post election ones. It was the angst of the true believers who actually felt that the world was coming to an end and it was the fear that Hispanic and Muslim and homosexual populations would be somehow targeted.

Part of that is based on who Trump is, what Trump has actually said and how he has said it and part of that is the realization that certain government policies advanced by Obama may be changed.

However I think another major factor is that politics is a dirty and brutal game, played to the death to win, and that the daily propaganda mills, the constant rants by comedians and the misshaping and misquoting or quoting out of context created an image of Trump designed to create fear and loathing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that Trump has called ALL Mexicans rapists and murders. That never was true but that's what the average Hispanic (and probably most liberals) have heard and thus they believe. No wonder they are frightened.

I read just today a woman's post that referenced among other things that unlike Trump (supporters) she does not think gays are freaks and that they deserve basic human rights. Does she actually think Trump or more than maybe 1 per cent of his supporters actually feel this way? This is by the way why Pence, by all accounts a decent human being, is even more hated by a large swath of the liberal circle than Trump. Opposing the legalization of homosexual marriage or supporting the rights of a Christian owned business not to have to service a homosexual wedding when there are a thousand others who will (which I would contend is reasonable based on a number of arguments which I will not get into her) is equated with hate or viewing homosexuals as less than human. And yet I have read the most vile and vulgar comments toward Pence. No wonder the gay high school girl is scared.

What I am trying to say is that there is certainly enough blame to go around but that a good portion of the fear is self induced. People only listen to those of like mind or they actually believe their own sides propaganda.

As far as the post election fear of Muslims, this does worry me. The whole thing, from the immigration of refugees, to what is happening in Europe, to the nature of Muslim adherence and law which supersedes common law and makes assimilation into our society much more difficult for certain sections of the Muslim community, to the real and present danger of terrorist attacks, to the past administration which tried to protect the Muslim community by not naming the name which fooled no one, all of that is complicated and needs to be lovingly and intelligently worked out.

Here is my fear. I don't know if a Trump administration will follow through on any of my desires or if he will grow into the office and become someone that we can respect. I will keep praying. But it is evident that there will be no honeymoon period from either the media or the honored opposition.

Honestly I was very happy that my side won even with my distaste and mistrust for our glorious leader. My heart was at peace and I could go on from there. Never in my life have I seen such a reaction. We do need to listen to each other and learn how the other side feels. I have been sick to my stomach for the last 8 years so don't tell me I can't understand. Listening to each other rarely happens and social media tells us far more about our friends than we ever knew before. But hey, Trump won so I guess anything is possible. Maybe the Good Lord will use this in ways we never expected.
 

Ode To The World Yo Yo Champion

My cousins have an online site devoted to the joy of writing. One of the writing prompts for November was to write on ode to some particular thing, whatever we wanted. Here was my submission.

Ode To The World Yo Yo Champion

Yes, that would be my wife
who when our children were young
showed them around the world
and the cat's cradle
and walking the dog
and mentioned off hand
that she had once been
yo yo champion of the world.

Years later she found out
that her precious tribe
believed her
and told their friends
how cool their mother was.

That would be my wife
who told me just today
that she would love to go outside
and reattach all the brilliant
reds and greens and yellows and burgundys
back onto the maple outside our dinning room window
her favorite tree.

That would be my wife
who used 5 hour energy at work
because yesterday we picked up
new kitchen cabinet doors and drawers
and she was up until 3
drilling and attaching
hinges and glides
since she was so excited
and I'm not very handy.

That would be my wife
who from the kitchen
groaned loudly whenever Cleveland scored
and assumed that I too was routing for the Cubbies
when actually all the time
without letting on
I was cheering for the Indians.

We shared a victory hug
my reward for being discrete.

That would be my wife
who heard 5 year old Zane
bug his mom for a yo yo
and then on the way home from work
stopped over to surprise Zane and Piper
with the tools that made her famous.

You are the best grandma ever
shouted Zane
of course I already knew
that she is the best.

Bob In Wonderland

Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dee
came looking for my vote
and so they held a nice party
was one of special note
the queens were there in red and black
attended by their cards
although they seemed a little slack
some fell across the yards
the rabbit brought his large time piece
it said three quarters pass
he stayed too long and had to cease
left us in just a flash
the hatter showed he was quite mad
by giggling at the scene
then poured some tea which made him sad
and not a bit serene
to comfort him a mosey squeaked
and ran up to his ear
but knocked his cup which promptly leaked
and filled that place with fear
humpty dumpty tottered fast
the crash was quick and deep
we scattered but I was the last
tonight there'd be no sleep
I said goodbye to Twiddle Dee
or was it Twiddle Dumb
I get confused which one they be
or if I will succumb

Bread And Fish

Bread And Fish

Sometimes we hear but have not heard
see but are blind to what we've seen
tasted and ate but are still hungry

There are those that ask for a sign then eat their fill
a little bread, a little fish, more left over
still waiting for what has just happened

Was the smell warm and fresh
the texture rough or crunchy
the meat slightly salty

Did they notice how He did it
where each loaf came from
how long it took to break or cut

When the day ended
the baskets gathered
given to the dispersed crowds
the boat pushed our from shore

There were men who worried
after seeing Him feed the 5000
and then just today another 4000
from several loaves and a few tiny fish
that they only brought with them on that boat
a single loaf of bread

And when they cried - we have no bread
did He shake His head and bite His lip

He wondered if their hearts were hardened
how they could not remember
why they did not understand
the twelve baskets of left overs
and today's seven more

Their boat came to shore
and He healed a blind man
at first everything was hazy
so He prayed again and all was clear

Oh may our hearts be soft
and our memories stay fresh
may we hear and understand
see clearly and give Him praise
taste and know that He has compassion on us.

The Fool Says In His Heart

Once again they talk about going to Mars
maybe even having some folks settle down there.
And Mars might be nice I guess
but you ain't ever going outside to breath the air
or tend your garden - or watch the seasons change.

The poles are 240 below
the equator in summer is plus 68 (dipping to minus 100 at night)
there are no lakes or streams or puddles to splash in.
So, if you must brave the elements
why not colonize Antarctica - it would save us bundles.

Ah, but Mars might have water
and from that water microbes
and from those microbes bigger obes
just like what happened on Earth
or so they say.

There is a dirty little secret your teacher forgot to tell you
because really, they knew you would never think it through.
Life did not begin by a lucky combination of elements
in the vast oceans of Earth or Mars
on one fine day, long, long ago.

Even the smallest dot in the biggest ocean
on the grandest stage in the heart of the universe
in order to live and to love and to carry on
to reserve it's spot in the miraculous galley
must have a fine tuned script to sing it's song.

That first dot needed bits and bits
millions and millions of organized bits
layer upon layer of glorious bits
each part necessary to support the other
there must be some reason for sister and brother.

That's not religion, that's science.
You cannot get life from doing the right chemistry
we've tried, we've failed, we've given up trying.
We've never observed spontaneous life in nature
we've looked, we've waited - but there's always Mars.

internal bleeding

There is, way up there
beyond the hazy blue mountains
and pass the peaks of desperation
deep in a hidden wooded valley
lying next to an ice cold stream
whose pebbles are still sharp
on this cold October morning
a large saber toothed cat
forgotten by time
but caught in a moment of contemplation

He looks at himself in the backwater of a bend
then closes his eyes tight to make sense of his fear

It has been days since the fall
branches breaking, needles flying
intense pain in the gut
he dragged himself to this very spot
and waited
now he was finally hungry
but when dinner came scooting by
his body wouldn't respond

The young teacher spread out fresh papers
for her second grade class and asked them
to dream of wild animals and funny trees

what is that she asked one girl

a cat with big curved teeth was the serious response

waiting for the pumpkins to fall

The sight of raining pumpkins made her laugh
and grateful
that the orange and yellow, falling from the trees outside
would not end her life that day

it was the cat that gave her pause

He had been a man she had always admired
and she trusted him with an open heart
but one day he grew fangs and flew away

The pebbles in the ice cold stream
are still sharp on this cold October morning
but there is One who knows your pain
who waits patiently for you

Letter To The Post Christian

Many commentators have called today's America a post Christian society. Belief in the inspiration of sacred scripture has greatly declined, more and more young men and women are leaving the churches they grew up in because they do not find church or religion relevant to their lives and values and the values of those who still go to church are becoming more and more like the world's.

Pastor Andy Stanley recently wrote that the main thing that drives today's generation is the pursuit of happiness and "when faith is viewed as an impediment to happiness - goodbye faith".

In the same article he also wrote that this group also comes into the room with a full slate (i.e. they have a fully developed world view that coincides with most of what modern culture currently believes). In response to that we have to simplify everything in order to give them a reason to accept the inspiration of scripture as a basis for establishing truth.

In other words, it is not enough simply to quote scripture to establish a basis for what God's will is on a subject because today's culture has already discounted scripture (and in fact it is becoming more and more hostile to it). This generation has been exposed to Christianity and has rejected it as not being relevant for their world.  Our response then needs to be to meet the millennial where they are and to begin laying a foundation, building upon it step by step, that allows the Holy Spirit to bring in light and truth.

Dear Post Christian,

Would it make any difference if I told you that when I prayed for you the other day it was in tears? I was having a nice talk with God and your name came up and as I started asking for walls to be torn down so the Holy Spirit could move in your heart and mind I started choking up.

Do I love you? Of course I do, but nowhere as much as I know He does. And you see that is really the whole deal, isn't it?  I get to talk with my Father in heaven. I get to worship Him with abandon. I experience what has been called "the peace that passes understanding".  And it hurts me to know that there is so much more to life that is real and sure and lasting and that you have no idea what you were really made for.

He wants to love on you, to see you grow and mature, to kiss you on your cheek and send you out and to wait for you to return, running back with arms wide open.

He wants you to know where you are in this vast universe, to know what your purpose is here, to help you with every part of your journey.

Dear friend, there are ropes that bind and chains that wrap around and vines that choke out and flesh that hardens. But these do not come from the Father. There are things done in the darkness but one day everything will be brought out into the light. He is light and in Him darkness flees.

I end with an account that was written by Matthew only 20 to 30 years after it happened. Matthew was a disciple and apostle of Jesus who was also an eye witness to the risen Christ.

Now after the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it . . . The guards shook for hear of him and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women; "Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here for He has risen, just as He had said. Come see the place where He had been lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 

There came a day for me when this became much more than a story. After being an atheist for years the Spirit of God brought me to my knees and the risen Jesus entered my life. That moment began a journey with it's ups and downs, but I never walked it alone.

On Getting Out Of A Cozy Bed On A Crisp Autumn Morning

(1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

(2) The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

(3) Then God said, "Let there be light" and there was light.

(4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

(5) God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

(14) Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and them be for seasons and for days and years; 

(15) and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth:, and it was so. 

(16) God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 


On Getting Out Of A Cozy Bed Early On A Crisp Autumn Morning

Did the heavens and the earth
moan and say
it's too early to rise
on that very first day
oh no - they said - rejoice
and praise the one
who rolls back the chaos
revealing the sun


There are some who may have a theological disagreement with this little poem of mine (they say the sun was created out of nothing on day 4, I say the sun was created out of nothing in verse one and that what we read in verse 16 may refer to a different type of action). Admittedly I hold to a minority position in a camp which is more and more a minority camp. That is, we believe that the scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit and that they are to be seen literal except when the context suggests otherwise.

I veer somewhat from traditional literal understandings of the creation account in Genesis by favoring what has been called the gap theory, first suggested in the Schofield Reference Bible. Since there is a straw man argument set up against the gap theory (i.e. it is only necessary for people like scientist Hugh Ross who don't want 7 literal 24 hours days of creation out of nothing 6000 years ago and instead promote 7 ages of millions of years each) let me tell you what I believe makes sense.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth - out of nothing. We do not know when that was or how long that took. Maybe it happened only thousands of years ago, maybe it happened billions of years ago. The bible doesn't say and we are making certain assumptions which may or may not be true to date back to Adam, then minus 7 days and then to verse one.

There are certain other things that the bible doesn't tell us. We are not told when angels were created, when the evil one rebelled, and when or how evil spirits came to be. And yet the evil one was there in the garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve. If the 28th chapter of Ezekiel is referring to him when it talks about the king of Tyre, who was in the garden of Eden, covered in precious stones, who had far flung trade and was called "the anointed cherub who covers", who became corrupted and sinned because of pride for his beauty and wisdom, who was cast off of the mountain of God before men, then there must be more to the story and a time frame to put it in.

I believe the phrasing in Genesis when it says and evening came and morning came, one day is there to indicate a 24 hour period. Therefore I do not believe that Genesis describes seven stages of millions of years each. However I do not see any solid scriptural or linguistic necessity (after reading many commentaries) for Genesis verse 1 to have to be a continuous part of what happens in the description of day one.

It seems logical that verse one can include not only the creation out of nothing of the universe but also a broad framework for a per Adamic world (the Hebrew words in scripture do not allow for Adam to have evolved from something else). If this is true then it is also logical to speculate that there was a world of angels and other creatures that perished when or sometime after the evil one rebelled and that that world was judged and cast into chaos. The six days of creation (and the seventh when God rested) would then be process of God restoring what had been judged and creating man in day six to rule over and take care of that new creation.

Eleven

It was the storm of black rushing down once busy streets
people darting into stores covered in gray
bottled water for the eyes and throats
moans and are you OK

There were brave people who were on the way up
when all else was on the way down
and beams stuck through like fractured bones
that would never be set or healed

Do you remember when the clear blue September sky
gave way to hate for freedom's cause
to a new struggle that could not be won by politicians
nor understood by the twin ivory towers rotting from inside

It is once again September
and I am waiting for more insanity to play out
for the crowds to shake off gray dust and wash eyes in Viscine
so they can remove the grit from the great collapse

And yet - I will trust in the One who brings out
a green sprout on a barren and gray volcanic landscape
breaking up the catastrophic foundation and replacing it
with meadows and forests and buzzing and singing

Biker Bar

This is an actual place Jackie and I went to last week and the name brought out the Robert Service in me. We met some of her cousins and their spouses there for dinner. The entire back wall was a bar stocked up to the ceiling behind it with every type of libation. Quite impressive. When we got there half the stools were occupied by some very interesting characters.

One of Jackie's cousins knew the new owner who was an ex-neighbor of theirs. The guy recently got a winning ticket for a million dollars and invested in this joint. He came over to talk and we complimented him on the food. "I plan on expanding the kitchen" he said "because now we only have one flat top to cook on. But these guys (looking over his shoulder), you know, are really only interested in drinking."

As we were leaving a band started firing up out back and eight more big hogs two by two were pulling into the special parking lot reserved for like minded folks.

Biker Bar

It was once called simply - North 40
though now McCarty's on the name
and I wandered inside with my lovely dear bride
found a place past the lonely pool game

The tables were set cafeteria style
we found ours near the lotto exchange
it gave us a view of the bar keep named Stew
with the Ladies and Gents room in range

Then Misty our gal with the long ponytail
slapped some old plastic menus right down
and asked if we knew what kind of a brew
we would like for deep sorrows to drown

My wife ordered water with a slice of lemon
and I said a coke would be nice
so she grunted OK then came back with a tray
and wondered what food we had found

Then pulling a pen from behind her right ear
to a pad that was simple and sweet
wrote salsa and chips with extra bean dip
and two North Forty burgers to eat

We had feasted and paid for our portions
when a band in the back found their song
and the door opened wide to the black leather stride
of a club who found where they belonged

We waited right there so I started to stare
at a sign said - meanest waitress's in town
then looking about saw some fellas no doubt
who seemed to be coming around

Dark beards on their face didn't slow down the pace
of two men who had drunken their fill
and to get to the room past my chair they would zoom
- except for an oath made to Bill

Now Bill was a father who told many tales
bout his life in the golden old days
when you do as your told and a man's word was gold
and a promise's a promise that stays

One day when his eyes were dimming
opened wide while he grabbed my kind hand
said he wanted to know if I ever would go
to a place with a live biker band

And if you do son then it's time to have fun
cause those guys are nothing but air
it would leave my soul well if one of them fell
I think that would only be fair

To tell you the truth when parking the car
it seemed like a family type place
and the bikes in the lot seemed to have their own spot
although maybe I acted in haste

But now there was only a second
to think of my love for sweet Bill
then I pushed back my chair as if that was fair
and down went one dude with a spill

His bandana flew up like a copter
his key chain rattled the floor
so sorry I said as the wife and I fled
in a flash we were out of the door

There are nights when I hear that band playing
while I'm tossing and turning in bed
and I wonder if Dad would still have been glad
if I'd written this poem in it's stead.

Les Deplorables

We all get called names from time to time. Just last week an obnoxious young guy who failed his motorcycle test because he drove about twice as fast as he should have with his very large bike, accused me first of ageism (I guess because the guy who took the test just before him and passed was a lot closer to my age) and being racist because I must not like Hispanics (neither his first or last name was Hispanic and he didn't look at all Hispanic so who knew?).

But then I woke up one day this week, looked out over the rim of my basket and realized that even though I am not a Donald Trump guy I fit the description of many of the poor slumps that are.

I am a male and pro life so that makes me sexist.

I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman so that makes me homophobic.

I think that our country should secure it's borders so that makes me xenophobic.

I'm pretty sure that radical Islam wants to destroy our way of life so that makes me Islamaphobic.

I don't agree with President Obama on almost anything so that makes me a racist.

I think that the Black Lives Matter movement is counter productive so that makes me a bigot.

I don't believe in paying reparations to ancestors of slaves or Native Americans so that makes me a white supremacist.

I think our country should only spend what we take in and that we need to start paying down on our debt so that makes me a hate monger.

I believe that the global warming debacle is much more political than scientific so that makes me a science denier.

I live in a small Midwestern town and like an occasional Mountain Dew and bag of Doritos so that makes me a dumb-ass country hick.

I love my bibles and like my guns so I am one of those unenlightened folks who love their bibles and guns.

I believe there was an actual Adam and Eve and a Noah's flood so that makes me a bible thumping ignoramus.

I question Bill Clinton's libido and Hillary's health so I must be part of the great right wing conspiracy.

I believe I have the right to express my views and disagree with those who want to change traditional social values and that makes me intolerant.

How could one guy get to be so, so deplorable?  I don't know but I will try not to respond to name calling with equal vigor. Instead hopefully I can do as it says in the 4th chapter of Ephesians, vrs 29, 31, 32:

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word which is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so it will give grace to those that hear.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor be put away from you with all malice.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

The Never Seen Stone

There it was, in my pocket
lasted through a wash and dry
and when I put on those jeans
and jammed my keys deep
they clunked
out I pulled the never seen stone
this was a gift from my youngest daughter
(with 2 children of her own who perhaps would not get it)
but I got it
and like I said
there it was

It has an irregular shape
is mostly grey fading to white
I smelled it and it doesn't really smell
I tasted it, then took a drink of water which I spit out
(FYI - it tastes blah but my saliva gave it a little shine
which does add some character)

When my daughter next comes to visit
I will proudly show her the place of honor
where I will display her symbol of love and affection for me

You may wonder if I have any other never seen stones
No

To The Laodicean Shepherds

Why do you dismiss the wisdom of ages
offer aid and comfort to rebels
encourage those who sin
walk down forbidden roads yourself
and make to no effect the Word of God?

If your sheep die while you are their shepherd
comfortable in their rebellion and sin
ignorant on how to read the Bible
kept from the moving of the Holy Spirit
never having surrendered to Jesus
either as Savior or as Lord
will you have an answer
when you yourself stand before Him?

Who owns the fields you shepherd
provides sun and rain in season
while you are sitting dry and in the dark
writing your lectures to Him?

Do you understand the nature of evil
how it deceives and calls itself light
then burrows deep in the soul?

Have you thrown yourself down in anguish
for the souls of those entrusted to you?

Have you ever trembled in His presence
in fear and awe of His holiness?

Do you even know Him?

"And He Got Up"

In the 9th chapter of Matthew there are two stories told back to back which use the same phrase at the end of each.

The first tells about Jesus healing a paralyzed man.

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage son, your sins are forgiven."

And some of the scribes said to themselves,"This fellow blasphemes."

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins - then he said to the paralytic, Get up, pick up your bed and go home."

And he got up and went home.

The crowds are awestruck and they glorified God who had given such authority to men. We then read:

As Jesus went on from there He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth, and He said to Him, "Follow Me."

And he got up and followed him.

In these stories the paralytic picks up his bed and goes home. Matthew leaves the tax collector booth and follows Jesus but it is interesting that in the very next sentence Matthew too has gone home for we read this account;

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house (this must be Matthew's house) behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

The Pharisees, like the scribes in the first story who thought that Jesus was blaspheming, seemed upset that Jesus would associate with sinners. Jesus answer to the Pharisees also applies to the attitude of the heart of the scribes when is says;

"It is not those who are healthy that need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion and not sacrifice' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Notice that as Jesus instructs the paralytic to get up and go home, and as he instructs the sinner Matthew to (get up) and follow Him he has also instructed the Pharisees "But go (back to your homes) and learn what this means."

There are many different ways to be paralyzed. With the first man it was a physical condition and yet what did Jesus see as more important? Yes, it was the condition of the heart.

The scribes and the Pharisees were also paralyzed in their hearts. They desired a righteousness derived from religious observance and could not see past that, either to have compassion on those who were sick or for those whose lives had taken such a different course than theirs.

And most, because their hearts were closed, did not recognize Jesus for who He really was, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Heir of David, the long awaited Messiah, the Christ.

Jesus request for each of us is still the same as in these stories. He wants us to have compassion for others, He offers healing for our bodies, forgiveness for our sins and wants us to get up, go home and He will come and dine with us.

But we can't just sit there on our rear ends. GET UP!

Beyond The Third Sandbar

Beyond The Third Sandbar

Beyond the third sandbar
heading surely my way
barely visible from where I stand
ankle, knee, waist deep
all at the same moment
in the fresh waters drawn from the sky
and blasted out from the depths
is an irresistible force
not caused by the fluttering wings
of a butterfly in Brazil
or a trumpeter's blast in New Orleans

And yet here I am, waiting, watching
straining to maintain my place
feet and toes dug into the shifting bottom
shoulders and face leaning out toward the horizon
hard fists punching the incoming hordes

Finally it begins to rise
bigger than all it's companions
not yet white with sun and air
but it is a monster
and I will be it's master
and will ride it to it's doom

Can A Third Party Or Write-In Candidate Win?

Is it possible in today's day and age for a third party or write-in candidate to win the 2016 Presidential election? Well, we had a tornado pass close by this afternoon and I thought I might have seen a pig flying so the answer is sure, it is technically possible but practically impossible.

This is what you need to know in case you are going to get behind a candidate who is not the Republican or the Democrat offering and have actual hopes that your protest vote has any chance of producing a real outcome in the Presidential election.

The first thing to mention is that we little people of the United States when voting for President are not actually voting for the man or woman listed on the ballot. The Founding Fathers in their wisdom did not want the President to be just the person who could garner the most overall votes. They wanted as well for each state to have a certain amount of influence in the process.

Thus they created something called The Electoral College which is a group of people from each state who travel to Washington sometime after the election and who then place their vote for President. Each state has a number of electors which equals their number of congressmen and senators.

Electors are not selected by our votes. Each party submits to their state a list of people that want to represent that state in the Electoror College. Electors cannot be people who are currently serving as elected representatives at the state or federal level. Electors are free to vote their conscience but since they are always people very active in their party the results are usually as expected.

All but 2 or 3 states award all of their elector spots to the party which has received the largest vote total for their candidate for President.

So here are the hurdles for the success of a third party candidate. Almost all states have a deadline for a third party to file the proper papers to get on the state's ballot and to submit a list of electors. Often this also requires properly signed petitions of at least 1 per cent of that state's voting aged citizens. Newly created third parties for this year's election will have a real problem getting on the ballots of enough states to be able to, if they actually can get a majority of votes in those states, to end up with a majority of the overall elector votes.

Interestingly, a write-in candidate does not have to submit either signed petitions or prior to the election their list of electors. How the states will handle the submission of electors for a winning write-in candidate is up in the air but it would not be a stretch to guess that the major parties will hold up any write in successes in the courts for years. Most if not all states do require that a candidate submit their name to the state sometime prior to the election to have a vote for that name to be counted. Thus any protest only votes are never publicly counted or published.

Now practically speaking a Democrat candidate could either be hospitalized or in jail at the election and still register 40 per cent of the vote in most states. Republicans seem to have more qualms about these things but they could run a clown and he or she would still get 35/40 per cent of the Republican vote in most states. That leaves a third party or write-in candidate fighting for the 20 to 25 per cent of the voters in a state who are still willing to go out and vote. That will not be enough to get electors.

Ross Perot ran as a third party candidate some years ago, participated in the debates and gathered about 15 million votes across the country. He won 1 Elector vote, from one of the 2 or 3 states that proportion their Electors.

But, maybe some kind of tornado will rip through this country, pigs will fly and I won't tell anyone that I majored in political science.

For What Does It Profit A Man

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?  Mark 8:36

And he (the evil one) led Him (Jesus) up and showed Him all the kingdoms in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "I will give you all this domain and it's glory; for it has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you worship before me it shall all be yours".

Jesus answered him, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only".  Luke 4: 5-8

Perhaps the choice between a red pill and a blue pill is a false one and the one who offers them does not really have your best interests, or the world's best interest, at heart. For him, either choice you make will work fine.

Perhaps though, this world is really not as it appears to our senses. There is life intertwined with it that we do not see, rarely sense and misunderstand when we interact with it. The pill presented to see clearly in this world is offered by someone who actually wants to further distort what is reality.

Perhaps there is a third choice, not offered by a mysterious man and certainly not a pill. It is a choice for life and not death, for freedom and not slavery, for hope and not despair, for truth and not deception, for humility and not pride, for love and not hate, for forgiveness and not bitterness, for purity and not lust, for obedience and not rebellion, for trust and not doubt, for faith and not deception.

For me this current election cycle involves a choice for principle over power.

One the one hand I am presented with the beliefs of the Democrat party and their candidate which opposes almost everything I believe is God's revealed will, from protecting the life of the unborn to preserving the sanctity of the family. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are under attack and this will continue unabated without change. Then there are my own perceptions of the needs for conservative fiscal policy, reducing the debt, limited government and faithfulness to the wisdom the founding fathers inserted into the constitution. In my opinion most of their leaders are amoral and some are actually evil. Lying is a tactic I have seen over and over.

One the other hand I am presented with a fractured Grand Old Party and their populist candidate. Although my beliefs line up much better with the GOP I am also all too aware that politics is a power game and most good people after tasting power get corrupted by it and lust after it. Knowing that there is always another election ahead, afraid of vicious attacks from the other party, the press and Hollywood if conservative fiscal or social policies are legislated they have time after time lied to me as well, promising one thing and delivering another.

With the Supreme Court you know that a Democrat will always select a liberal social and judicial ideologue who desires to legislate their beliefs from the bench. It's just a matter of how radical a person can slip through the vetting and nomination process. With a Republican president the odds should be much better for getting a judicial conservative who looks first to the Constitution. Candidate Trump at this point in time has a judicial selection committee headed by legitimate conservatives.

But here are my problems with the guy selected by a record number of voters in the Republican primary process.

It's not just that he and his family have been life long liberal Democrats. It's not just that he couldn't begin to articulate a pro life position, showing that he has never even thought it through. It's not just that he has been a known womanizer who has married and then divorced a couple of trophy wives (apparently not being faithful to any of them) and still brags about how important family is to him. It's not just that he has built and owned casinos with strip clubs and I never thought anyone who owed a strip club would ever be considered for President. And it's not just the numerous financial failures that have gone with his successes or his unwillingness to be transparent about his finances.

For me it is also about his arrogance and his personal attacks and attempts to destroy anyone who opposes him (think of him doubling down on his bazzar remarks about Ted Cruz's wife and father after not getting Cruz's endorsement). I know that a lot of things he says get taken out of context and are then used by the other side who has an army of social media and press experts who blast him and make fun of him 24/7. But honestly, Trump makes it so easy for them.

And I believe that Trump like Clinton is a habitual and pathological liar. I remember during the primaries when Rubio started making fun of the size of Trump's hands and then the next day on TV I see that he holds out his hands and says, "Look at these hands. People tell me I have beautiful hands."  Of course it was a joke and of course he made it up, but it came out so easy. I began to wonder, is there a line for him or does he say whatever he needs to?

We live in a world that is about to morph and change dramatically. Major banks are going to fail in Europe and other parts of the world. People groups and their beliefs are on the move. Economies are under huge stress in parts of South America. Socialism is advancing in America and it's leaders, both seen and unseen desire chaos in the streets, racial and economic. Turkey, Russia and Iran all desire to recreate their old empires. China wants to rule the East. America is 20 Trillion dollars in debt, saddled with social health and welfare programs that are growing exponentially with fewer employed workers to pay for them and every year there seems to be a greater percentage of single parent homes.

Politicians are unwilling to address the core problems because the other side always wants to get back in power and will paint the bleakest picture of anyone who suggests social or fiscal responsibility.

I have heard it suggested by a few people I have admired for a long time that Trump may be God's instrument to lead the U.S. through those unsettling times. There are many well respected religious leaders who believe the long list of promises that Trump makes (conservative Supreme Court judges, secure borders, enforcing current laws and common sense in our immigration policies, more favorable trade deals, bringing large amounts of off shore money back, realism concerning Islamic Jihad, improved relations with Israel, better care for our Vets, the repeal of Obama Care). They know that none of that will happen under a Clinton administration and fear that American may not recover from even 4 more years of the progressive playbook.

I know that is very compelling. I am resigned that all men and women are flawed and that we are voting for a President and not a pastor. But I also understand that the problems as well as the solutions are spiritual in nature. And if that is so, if I am right on that, then it suggests to me why I have the gut anxiety every time I see and hear Trump.

I feel like someone has taken me up to the top of a mountain, shown me all the kingdoms in an instant of time, and said, here, this is the solution. And I wonder - Am I choosing life, or freedom, or hope, or truth? Am I choosing humility, or love, or forgiveness, or purity? Am I choosing obedience, or trust, or faith? Is this a man God can use? Or am I choosing a positive thinker who asks us to trust him because he can do the job and then says something so outlandish I want scream at the TV.

I do not want to choose either the red pill or the blue one. I have been praying this last month for a third option. I will keep praying and vote for whomever I feel the Lord desires me to. Perhaps we as a rebellious people will get whom we deserve. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on us and our country.

May His peace be with us.  

Summer

I've had the privilege of growing up and living in West Michigan, near the sandy shores of a rather large lake, dotted with resort towns like South Haven, Douglas/Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven and on up to Pentwater and Ludington. Scattered along the shore are public beaches, piers and lighthouses, cottages single or in clusters.

The "Big Lake" provides scenes of early morning stillness, awesome and ever unique sunsets and so much more in between. This poem combines a cluster of my memories in imagining taking a week or two off and just chilling.

Summer

I find myself dreaming of faded shorts
and lakeside cottages snug together
walking between on old cement walks
edged by tall random weeds and buzzing bees
concrete fading into speckled white sand

I am free because it is morning with nowhere else to go
but the water's shore with it's rippled surface and
scattered gulls and half buried driftwood logs
which has called me to visit before breakfast
and the shower which I just might forget about

Later there will be time to find the little local stand
where one might acquire a steamed dog, warm moist
bun topped with cheese and onions and ketchup for me
or spicy original recipe chili for her
but for now I am quite alone, toes splashing to a lazy rhythm

Back at our rental there are a few books that might get read
a Weber grill that will be fired up once or twice more, family
that is coming and fresh picked corn that needs to be husked
and a large steel water filled tub waiting to greet my sandy feet
which haven't seen my shoes for three whole days

Let's Talk Turkey

The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary  Daniel 9:26

Several days ago it appeared that the Turkish military was attempting a coup against the government led by their president, a guy named Recep Erdogan. Erdogan was away from the capital but called upon the Turkish people to take to the streets to resist the coup. Led by the mosques this they did in mass and the coup was quickly ended. President Obama praised the restoration of democracy and supposedly everything will go back to normal.

However, it did not take long for Erdogan to start his reprisals and begin to complete his goal to totally transform Turkey from a secular republic to an Islamic caliphate. For about a century the Turkish military had been the guardian of the democratic process but after Erdogan was elected, first Prime Minister, then later President, he has been purging the military of any leadership which would oppose his Islamic goals.

A day after the coup attempt almost by magic there were already long lists of generals, journalists and judges to remove. Some already had their heads lopped off by the masses and Erdogan began pushing to restore the death penalty so he could make all this legal.

Two days ago it was announced that every dean of a college or university (1577 in total) must resign, 21,000 teachers had their licenses revoked, 1500 judges were suspended, 9000 police officers and 500 clerics removed as were many thousands in the military. That was followed up by a decree that all of these people and their families are now on a no fly list. Tragic.

The recent supposed coup attempt in Turkey is probably the most important thing to happen in the world so far this decade. The fall out from it may lead to a massive war in the Middle East as Turkey attempts to form it's caliphate and be the dominate force both for territory and for the hearts and minds of Muslims worldwide. It will affect the alignment of NATO, the safety of Europe and the economic interests of the United States.

It has been suggested by authors such as Joel Richardson that a leader of Turkey will be the Biblical "Gog" mentioned in Ezekiel 38 that will lead an end time invasion against Israel. Many of the territory names mentioned in Ezekiel historically can be linked to Turkish areas (European identifications are the result of a very old bias that wants to see the pope as the Antichrist and the western half of the Roman empire, or Europe, his 10 nation confederacy). Some think this Gog could also be the prophesied Antichrist.

During the time of Christ and the apostles the land area on the Eastern half of today's Turkey was known as Asia Minor. Rome ruled at that time but previously the land had been part of the empires of Assyria, Babylon, Medes and Persians and finally the Grecian empire. After Alexander the Great died the Greek empire was split up between his 4 top generals and Asia Minor became part of the Seleucid dynasty. Among lands that dynasty included were greater Syria (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq) as well as Israel.

Prophecies in Daniel talk about these empires, the break up of the Greek empire, and suggest that the coming Antichrist will come from territory that had been part of the Seleucid dynasty. Interestingly there was a partial fulfillment of that prophesy in 165 BC when a leader of the Seleucid dynasty, Antiochus Epiphanes, dedicates the Jewish temple to Jupiter and sacrifices a sow on the altar. Antiochus is considered a type of the Antichrist to come.

A few years later the Romans defeated the Greeks and expanded an empire of their own and so they ruled both Asia Minor and Israel (or Palestine). When the Jews rebelled against Rome and Jerusalem was destroyed along with the Jewish Temple (the sanctuary of Daniel 9:26) by the Roman legions in 70 AD the vast majority of the Roman legions involved as well as their support troops were not Italian but rather drawn from and stationed in Asia Minor, Greater Syria and Arabia. According to the Roman historian Josephus, the Roman general Titus actually tried to stop his troops from destroying the Jewish temple but they would not listen to him because of their hatred for the Jews.

It is from one of the lands of these troops, "the people of the prince who is to come", that the prince, the Antichrist, will arise.

John wrote Revelation around 94 AD. The seven churches mentioned there were located in the Western half of Asia Minor. The letter to the Church of Pergamum mentions that city as being where the throne of Satan is. This was a giant altar built by the Selucids to honor their chief god which later honored the Roman gods. There was a pagan priesthood at Pergamum, the chief priest's title was Pontifix Maximus, and that title was eventually transferred to the Roman emperor. After Emperor Constantine moved the center of the Roman Empire from Rome to Asia Minor to a city he renamed Constantinople (now Istanbul) he handed the title over to the Christian bishop of Rome.

In the 1800's German archaeologists dismantled the altar of Pergamum and moved it to a museum in Berlin. They refused to return it to Turkey when asked so 2 years ago Turkey rebuilt it at the original site. On a side note, when Obama was running for President he went over to Germany to make his first major foreign policy speech and while doing so was standing directly across the square facing the Pergamum museum which displayed the giant altar.

In the 700's Asia Minor was conquered by Muslim forces. In 1299 we see the beginning of the expansion of Turkish rule with the formation of the Ottoman Empire gaining steam a hundred years later. From 1453 to the 1800's Muslim Turkey ruled a caliphate that controlled a large geographic territory, including Northern Africa and the Middle East. By the early 1900's their empire was shrinking and so Turkey and the Ottoman Empire aligned with German forces during WWI in an attempt to become strong again.  It was during this time (1915) that Muslim Turks murdered over 1.5 million Christian Armenians and Assyrians. In 1917 the British and their allies took over Arabia, Palestine and much of the Middle East and Turkey's borders became what they are today.

In 1923 a man named Kemal Attaturk (known as the father of modern Turkey) came to power. He instituted free elections and transformed Turkey into a secular state. It has remained so until Erdogan was freely elected and began to change things (his famous quote is that Democracy is the bus we will ride until it's time to get off).

It is the desire of many Muslims for there to be a Muslim empire, or caliphate, throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa and Southern Eurasia. But Islam is quite diverse ethnically, politically and spiritually. There are in that part of the world Arabs, Persians and Turks, secularists, moderates and fundamentalists divided up into the two main branches of Islam, Sunni (about 85 per cent) and Shia (about 15 per cent).

The primary Shia power is Iran. Iranians are ethnically Persian, most of their population is young and secular but the country is controlled by a group of fundamentalist mullahs who control every aspect of government and life. Their desire is to be the leader of the Muslim world and their theology seeks the destruction of Israel and confrontation with the West in order to usher in a glorious Islamic world. They sponsor terror groups such as Hezbolla and are behind the sectarian violence between the minority Shia and majority Sunni in Iraq.

The main Sunni power is in the Arab countries of Saudi Arabia, which has a lot of money and which controls the main Muslim holy places of Mecca and Medina, and Egypt, which has a large population and is the center of Islamic education for the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia funds the building of many mosques throughout the world including a lot in the United States. They are trying to hold together a Sunni coalition with other Arab nations. They are also fundamentalists but because they interact with the West there are more radical Sunni forces, as well as Iran, that want to overthrow the Saudi kingdom.

Egypt has been relatively moderate for the last few decades and they have a peace treaty with Israel. There too the military have been involved. During the Arab Spring a few years ago the people overthrew a corrupt leader, drew up a new constitution, but then like Turkey the people elected a leader (from the radical Muslim Brotherhood) who started to remake Egypt into a fundamentalist Muslim state. President Obama, siding as he has done so often with the Muslim Brotherhood, praised the democratic process. This time however the military stepped in and changed leaders.

Most Arabs in the Middle East hate the Jews and want to eliminate the Jewish nation but have a hard time working with each other.

That is why the rise of a Sunni Turkish caliphate may be very appealing to most Muslims (at least to the Sunnis) and to the West. The Turkish armies will end the fighting by groups like ISIS (who will not get their caliphate), bring peace to Syria and will stop all the infighting caused by artificial borders created by the Allies in WWI. Muslims the world over will look with pride to what the Turkish caliphate will bring about and the West will be glad to see an end to chaos in the Middle East. Perhaps there might even be a peace treaty made with Israel (for 7 years of course).

Ah, but prophecy says that like a fish with hooks in it's jaws Turkey's armies will be drawn to the beautiful land. Iran, Libya and Sudan will be it's partners. God will then intervene. How close are we?

    

Modern Day Pentecost

Throughout the history of the Christian Church, from Pentecost onward, there have been believers in every century who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit to teach, preach, pastor, serve and administer, but also to prophesy, to heal, to raise from the dead, to deliver from evil spirits, to speak words of wisdom and knowledge, to work miracles, to have visions, to speak in other languages known and unknown and to interpret what has been spoken and to move in other manifestations of the Holy Spirit as He wills.

I have a thick book called - The International Dictionary Of Pentecostal, Charismatic Movements - which lists some of these through the centuries. Here are a few examples taken from there showing that spiritual gifts were still common even after the death of the last apostle.

First Century - Around A.D. 96, Clement, bishop of Rome, and Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, document the continued operation of prophetic gifts.

Second Century - Irenaeus of Lyon describes the gifts of prophecy, discernment of spirits, and exorcism in his Gallic church, and even mentions that individuals have been raised from the dead.

Third Century - Origen of Alexandria says healings, exorcisms, and validating signs and wonders continue to be experienced in the church.

Skipping ahead 1400 years we see:

Seventeenth Century  -  Early Quaker literature records visions, healings, and prophecies, which they liken to the Day of Pentecost. There is even evidence of tongues speech among them, although Goerge Fox, their founder, eventually discourages such ecstatic utterances.

Eighteenth Century  -  John Wesley, the founder of Methodism (1703-91) introduces into Protestantism an awareness of the Spirit's operation in all of human experience unlike any other in Western Christianity at the time. Although not personally given to enthusiastic religion he is very tolerant of followers who claim dreams, visions, healings, and revelations.

The "Awakened", a Lutheran revivalistic movement in Finland, begins in 1796 with a sudden out pouring of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by such observable signs as visions and glossolalia (tongues). This renewal continues into the 20th century.

Nineteenth Century  -  The West of Scotland revival (1830) features a variety of spiritual giftings, including prophesy, healings, glossolalia, and interpretation of tongues.

Pentecostal phenomena, including glossolalia, are reported among South Indian Christians in Travancore and Madras State in the 1860's and 1870's.

(end of quotes)

America experienced prior to the Revolutionary War a revival known as the First Great Awakening, led by such revivalists as the Wesley brothers and Jonathan Edwards. Out of the Second Great Awakening which happened prior to the Civil War and which continued afterwards through many evangelistic tent meetings came the theology of a second spiritual experience after conversion which became known as a "holiness" experience. This was a deep inner transformation of a person which then reflected in their desires and the type of life that would flow from that.

In 1900 a holiness preacher, Charles F. Parham, reads an account by missionary M. Jennie Glassey who went to Africa in 1896. There had been reports of the possible reappearance of the gift of tongues with actual occurrences in India and Africa and this was very exciting to many who wanted this gift before they proceeded to the mission field. Parham travels to Shiloh, ME, where he hears speaking in tongues for the first time and is convinced that it represents evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and would be a key tool for world evangelism.

In January 1901 Parham and his students at Bethel Bible School pray that the Holy Spirit would be poured out as it was in the book of Acts and Agnes Ozman became the first one there to to speak in tongues.

In 1905 one of Parham's students, William Seymour, receives the Pentecostal experience and is one of the key people leading the famous Azuza Street revival (1906-1913) which had a world wide impact and from which sprang the formation in the next two decades of the Pentecostal branch of Christianity.

From the Azuza revival on most people openly claiming the experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues were not welcome in their denominational churches. This began to change in 1959 when Episcopal Priest Dennis Bennett became baptized in the Holy Spirit, started preaching it to his church in Van Nuys, Ca, and was not forced to be quiet about it and leave. This was credited as the beginning of the Charismatic movement in the mainline churches.

In 1967 the Charismatic movement hit the Catholic Church which eventually led to Jackie's Charismatic experience in 1971 and my experience of salvation and baptism in the Holy Spirit late November 1972. The Holy Spirit eventually led our family out of the Catholic Church but the tongues and prophecies, the praying with expectation for healing and deliverance, the experiencing of scripture as alive and powerful, the words of wisdom and knowledge, inspired dreams and even visions have not ceased for us.

Modern Pentecost began with a deep desire for souls to come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. The early saints wanted the power for that reason. It still drives us. Pentecost is not about vibrant worship, although that is great. It is not about spiritual gifts, although people today need healing and deliverance and prophetic words and encouragement just as much today as at the beginning. It is certainly not about thinking that we are better or more holy than any other Christian, although it is hard to imagine why anyone would't want to have the Bible come alive or be able to worship and pray with a spiritual gift made just for us so we can go on when our native words and understandings run out.

Modern Pentecost is about surrendering our souls to everything that the Father desires for us. It is about us being weak and Him being strong and the Holy Spirit leading us in our weakness to do strong things. It is about faith that is alive, hope in the midst of the worries of this world and learning to love all those with whom we share this earthly soil. And it is about trusting Him, that when we yield our heads and our hearts, our feet, hands and tongue, that He knows who we are and can do all He has promised.

Some gifts are for us personally. Some are for the benefit of the Church, the Body of Christ. Some are for His desire that all would come to know Jesus, surrender their hearts and wills to Him, and come to freely love and worship the Father.

Jackie, who was a believer for as long as she could remember, received the Holy Spirit baptism after her father gave her a little talk about his experience in receiving the gift of tongues and baptism in the Holy Spirit. He then laid his hands on her, prayed, and Jackie began to speak out in another language, thus beginning a new chapter in her Christian walk.

I surrendered my heart to Jesus as Lord and Savior alone on my knees in the living room of our little third floor apartment. At the same time I asked for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and surrendered my voice to the gift of a new language.

We were later able to pray and lay on hands for each of our 5 children to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and to ask Him to fill them with His Holy Spirit. They all received the gift of tongues right away and have been trusting Jesus through the good and the bad times ever since.

We recently prayed for a woman whose father is a famous Bible teacher to receive the gift of tongues. She had already asked Jesus for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit but had not as yet received her prayer language. Her father did not believe in such things but she knew it was for her. When we prayed we did not put our hands on her but even so a few weeks later we got the report that she was happily praying in the Spirit.

God never promised that life would be easy. But He did promise to send us a Helper, an Advocate, a Comforter to be with us always, even to the ends of the earth.

The Holy Spirit is with you at conversion. At that time your spirit is reborn and the Holy Spirit can freely move in a lot of areas of your life. But many times He is released in a more powerful way in your soul as we surrender to Him, especially as we surrender our tongue to a language that we give breath to but He gives the words.

It is my prayer that you would seek Him right now to find His great gift for you. That you would tell the Lord that you are willing to do anything that He desires of you, trusting that He loves you and only wants what is best for you. Ask Him for a fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him for the gift of tongues. Then take a step out in faith to yield your voice to His gift. If may come while you are on your knees. It may come when you are relaxed in the shower, not afraid to sing nonsense. It may come while you are driving to work (good luck with the rest of your day!). But if you ask (The Father wanting to give good gifts to His children) you will receive.

Glory Trail

There runs nearby a well marked path
past forests, farms and home
and mostly when you're heading out
you'll travel it alone

It starts far East of where we live
heads North towards the U P
which leads it West a long ways on
as far as one can see

Old trails like this are precious hopes
maintained by kindred hearts
who see the world as it goes on
without fast stops and starts

Where one can hear the barking jay
wait for the silent butterfly
and smell the dampness of the wood
beneath the cloudy wind blown sky

A while back in our little town
during praise and worshiping
I started seeing angels tall
who'd sometimes join in and sing

This made me wonder many things
do angels travel light
upon firm roads that cross this land
or are those wings for flight

Or might they traverse glory trails
led on with urgent haste
to do the bidding of the One
full power or full grace

Will fragrant pines cause them to pause
and consider season's change
is there sweet time to climb the grade
and gaze upon the range

Or do they march with purpose
knowing more than we can guess
Or fly with frightful swords ablaze
two or four abreast

And as those angels sang with us
it stirred my anxious heart with hopes
that there would come dear victories
for lives bound up with ropes

Were we a route to somewhere else
just passing through this town
they used the nearby well marked path
then heard our praising sound

Or could this be a rally point
with plans of future battle
designed to bring down fortresses
and make dark towers rattle

That every unseen principality
and every unclean demon power
would be caste down by angel swords
and forced to hide and cower

Will then from here the armies march
Northwest and then Southeast
upon the well marked angel trails
as the Spirit is released

You've heard about the glory train
that runs upon bronze rails
where one can only ride by faith
up to where that entails

But now we'll know the glory trail
that's bound not up but wide
to bring a roaring cleansing fire
with angels by our side

To every place that hungers deep
for loosing ropes and chains
where souls cry out for mercies hope
where lives will lose their pain

Where men will speak with boldness
declaring Heaven's way
where women freely serve with men
to preach, prophesy and pray

I urge that you will get caught up
encountered by those flames
set free to hike the angel paths
equipped to boldly proclaim

That there is One who died for us
who will set our spirits free
who opens eyes so we can walk
new eyes so we can see

There runs nearby a well marked path
past forests, farms and home
and when you venture out on it
you'll never be alone

The Moth

We came to the path at the damp end of the road
those four cute grand kids and me
I asked which way would be best to go
toward mountain or the sea
one wanted South three wanted North
we went with the majority
and headed down a winding path
past fences, graves and trees

When boys are young they run ahead
though girls take an even pace
to show granddad their self control
although I'll call it grace
then holding hands at a busy road
this band scurried cross with haste
to our destination's nearby park
such fun we would embrace

Approaching nearer it got real loud
a crunching kind of sound
from men in buckets sawing limbs
which crashed then to the ground
they worked next to a play area
the one we had been bound
so safely from a distance watched
our group milling around

Heading back to climb the Southern hill
more adventures filling our day
before us flashed an open plain
broad green with white display
and kneeling down upon the grass
Sydney cupped her hands to say
let me show you my newly captured moth
which promptly flew away

The rain gives life to those ancient trees
it falls upon fences, grass and graves
there are many like me who have taken walks
from youth to middle days
and while no longer running ahead
with encouragement and praise
I watch the moth fly freely now
pretending I'm amazed

Wonderful God

Wonderful God

Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.

Romans 1:20


In a world of - a billion trillion

middle place, full of grace, so near the edge

of a tiny - swirl itself -  so big

we cannot - see around - feel the sound

each tiny corner . . .

Heard it said, He is dead, seeking no further

looking then - to the end - vastness of

infinitesimal . . .

wondering - where they surf

deep on the unknown rolling ridges

through time and space, what a pace, explorers

though we cannot yet follow

before . . .

beyond . . .

out to the barriers . . .

of dark and light - what is right - it matters

not if we're just blinded - invisible - divisible

yet filling each fundamental

quirky pore, wait there's more, tying it all together

someday, we'll say, casting our crowns before Him

Holy - Holy

Holy is the Lamb who sits upon

His throne - we're known

Wonderful God

Noah's Flood

Recently I viewed a discussion on the show Prophecy Watchers where host Gary Stearman talks to 2 men who traveled in 2013 to the mountains of Ararat looking for evidence of the remains of Noah's Ark. If interested check here . (Spoiler Alert: They are selling their DVD and book through the show and did not find the Ark but did find 60 feet below a glacier at 17,000 feet material that was organic).

I firmly believe in a real Adam and Eve and that there was a universal flood in which all mankind save 8 were destroyed. However I do not feel bound to recognize an unrealistic date purposed by many creationist who are locked into dating schemes based on the Masoretic text which places creation at 4004 BC and the Flood at about 2350 BC.

A few years ago I wrote a post giving my opinion/research on what should be the proper dating for when Adam lived and when the Flood happened. It was called Dating Da Delug  and is should be very helpful if you are at all interested in placing Biblical truth next to secular history and modern science.

There are two points I want to make here.

The first is that science and history do not trump scripture. As I've expressed before I am always amazed at how much we already have and are continuing to learn about this universe through the sciences. We just need to understand that in some areas scientists make assumptions based on a uniformist view point (everything goes on just as it always has).

The number one tactic of the enemy has always been to marginalize and make ineffective God's revelation and truth found in scripture. In this day and age it is critical that our youth gain a proper perspective about biblical interpretation so that they can trust that what God is saying through the Bible is true.

Since early on as a believer I've always taken a literal view of the biblical text in it's context and have been very comfortable that it really does all work with science and history. Sometimes you just need to dig a bit.

The second is that records of the oldest civilizations only go back 5000 years. Scientific dating methods such as carbon dating cannot really be calibrated more than 2000 years (and are probably mostly accurate no more than 4000 years) and they do not take into consideration pre-flood carbon inputs. A very good case can be made for a flood date of around 3300 BC which is what we get if we use dating from the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. All of a sudden everything fits and makes sense.

Here are some thoughts for you.

The pre-flood world was much different than the one we live in today. The oceans were shallower, the mountains were lower and the cataclysms which produced the flood not only brought huge volumes of water from both above and below but also worked to reshape the continents. The early post flood world was wetter, the Northern regions were uninhabitable and there were logical routes for migrations of peoples and animals.

Mesopotamia was the first region settled, the tower of Babel was built and then mankind spread out further. I believe that all other species had programming in their DNA to allow for quite a bit of change within limits and as they migrated to other regions they adapted to their unique environments, giving us the huge variety of life that we see today as well as in the extinct species.

Once again I recommend you check out my post Dating Da Deluge .  Here are some additional notes adding to what I wrote there.

The Byzantium calendar, because the Eastern Church uses the Septuagint translation, places the birth of Adam at 5509 BC and the flood at about 3242 BC.

The question usually asked is, did the Septuagint translators add time or did the Masoretic translators subtract time? It is my belief that the Septuagint version, quoted by Jesus, the apostles and most early church fathers should have the more accurate dates.

Here is one reason suggested for doing so.

Chief Rabbi Akiva in the early 2nd century, believing an ancient prophecy that the Messiah would appear 5500 years after Adam, and calculating that date had arrived, declared that a man named Bar Kuchva was the Messiah. Bar Kuchva led a revolt against the Romans which was successful for 3 years before the Romans regrouped and crushed the entire people, dispersing the Jews throughout the world.

Not wanting a repeat of this fiasco Akiva and the leading rabbis changed the dates listed in scripture for when a patriarch begat the next patriarch. If scripture said for example that Sela lived 130 years and became the father of Eber the age was reduced by 100, saying instead that Sela lived 30 years and became the father of Eber. Indeed all the dates of when the patriarch became the father were reduced either by 100 years or by 50 years

When the Masoretic text was written many centuries later it incorporated the changes made by Rabbi Akiva and his rabbis.

Discernment

Discernment

The journey began some years ago
sweet dreaming on his bed
of dragons, treasurers, princesses
and lands to where they led
Each passing day he'd map it out
precious little at a time
but plans grew up and in and out
like poison ivy vine

Then one fine day they took control
how sad he never knew
that every thought was colored with
a mist portrayed as true
at first it seemed this gave him hope
great beauty far beyond
fine castles, knights and pageantry
just past the endless pond

But there are places not to go
cause they may drag you under
and you won't know how deep you've gone
beneath the trumpets thunder
this world is not as it appears
while wading in the shallows
those trees reflecting softly back
don't show the hangman's gallows

Upon the sea he placed his craft
of paper, wood and glue
and sailed it out away from shore
curious what it could do
so proud he was to see it float
until there came a wave
which overturned our voyager
not smart - but oh so brave