Due to family medical issue, this will be the last blog for 2 weeks.
Hope to be back to scribbling November 5. May Jesus Christ be praised. Virg
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They took a break from demanding, lengthy and exhausting military meetings and planning sessions in early, 1942. Generals Eisenhower and Clark asked British driver Kay Summersby to show them some of England’s historical and military sites. While on one of the trips Eisenhower related to Clark that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor had visited Washington in 1941. They were invited to visit the War Department, even its War Room. Eisenhower watched as everyone deferred to the royal couple and answered their questions. Their American guides even let them see maps designed to prove military strategy and tactics. All the while that happened, Eisenhower listened as the guides talked—and realized they said nothing whatever to the Duke and Duchess. For a very good reason: they were not trusted because they had spoken favorably of Hitler. They would never receive any information useful to the Nazis. Past Forgetting, 30 That should never be said of anyone preaching the Bible. Wherever a teacher or preacher steps into Scripture, the Holy Spirit sinks him knee-deep in ideas. And those ideas, developed by us, should be clear, have substance, contain depth and be chock-full of challenges for every listener. God trusts common people, filled with the Spirit, to understand his Word when it’s preached at any level or depth. No preacher should ever preach simple sermons, fearing the congregation can’t fathom spiritual depths. See Matthew 22:33. Difficult as his teaching was, the common people grasped Christ’s meaning. None of us will ever preach at his depth. We shouldn’t accuse our people of inability to understand deeper teaching as an excuse not to study God’s word in-depth. New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords In this reference to the Past...think of Marie Antoinette’s jewelry heading to auction. The treasure, sneaked out of France after Marie’s arrest and execution, remained in the family until now. San Diego U-T, 10/14/18
Think of relics from the Titanic purchased by hedge funds for $19.5 million. Jewelry, clothing and dishes, retrieved piece by piece from Atlantic Ocean depths, recalls the terrifying final two hours about the “unsinkable” ship. San Diego U-T, 10/14/18 Think of the anniversary of the San Diego Union, 150 years after it first appeared Saturday, October 10, 1888 as a four-page paper. Among other purposes, William Jefferson Gatewood, Editor, wanted the Union’s to be a spokesman for Christianity as a curative for society’s ills. A picture of the Union new brick building in 1870 “New Town” San Diego showed a city of wooden buildings and outhouses scattered over wide acres, with plenty of open ground from Fourth Avenue and Broadway west and southwest. San Diego U-T, 10/10/18 This writer has always liked the past. As a fifth grader in Central Grade School, Lincoln, Illinois, he became aware of his love of history. That zeal continues to this day. Read the past. Learn from the past. Retain the habits and truth of the past. Avoid in the present the mistakes and sins of the past. Live in the present valuing the lessons past history teaches. An open-mind to the past will invariably draw us nearer to God, ruler of all past, present and future: the God who Is, and who Was and is to Come, the Almighty Revelation 1:8. New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords God has scattered throughout scripture his personal names, his attributes and his commemorative names. This blog lists a few of more.
He is known as JHWH, or Jehovah, the tetragrammaton Jews won’t pronounce in deference to his GLORY. The NIV always distinguishes that name as LORD, to distinguish it from Adonai, Lord. When the two names are used together, God is known as Sovereign Lord. He’s also known as The Everlasting God, Lord Almighty, God Almighty, Lord of Hosts (Powers), El Shaddai-Almighty, the Ancient of Days, The Lord, the LORD Almighty (when Adonai and Jehovah Sabaoth are together). He’s called Jehovah Jireh—the Lord provides. Also Jehovah Nissi—the Lord is my banner. Also Jehovah Sālom—the Lord is peace. He is the Holy One of Israel and the Lord God of Israel. “So Jacob called the place Peniel” because there he saw the face of God Genesis 32:30. In the New Testament God was called Jesus, Master, Christ/Messiah, Teacher/Rabbi, Lord, Son of David, Faithful and True—Revelation 19:11 and King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revelation 19:16. However, Revelation 19:12 makes it clear that the Faithful and True rider, who is also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... “has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself” Preface to NIV Bible. Which interprets Ephesians 2:6-7, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Think of that. The Savior, in whom the Invisible God is completely seen, as the exact representation of God, is SO Magnificently beyond explanation that it will take forever and ever for him to explain himself to us. No one else in history comes even close to having such dimensions. Since personality is God’s greatest gift to humans, we can “only imagine” what it will be like when the mysterious personality of Jesus Christ as God made flesh will begin and continue and continue—to reveal himself. We will have to be there with brains then comprehensive enough to fathom all he is revealed incrementally and eternally. What an experience. You won’t want to miss it. But will you be ready for it? It’s only for those who have “loved his appearing” and served him perseveringly till death. Amen & Amen! New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords An author said no one excelled Benjamin Franklin as an innovator of change. The Genuine Article, 184. In reality, Adam—the first innovator of change—made the most of catastrophe once removed from Paradise. He and Eve continued having faith in God after being expelled from Eden. First, giving God credit for the birth of Cain. Second, giving him thanks for the birth of Seth. Third, their recovery from failure.
While being distinct, while in the Garden both Adam and Eve were known as Adam—mankind. To distinguish her as a female from his maleness, Adam gave her the name Eve—the mother of all mortals. Observe that difference as the sole relationship that constitutes marriage, whatever culture says. They had lost Paradise and been evicted from the Garden. They had also been forgiven and could therefore continue living for God, though they couldn’t return to Eden. They taught their descendants one of the great lessons of life: failure won’t defeat us if we get on with life despite it. If we learn from the mistakes that caused it and avoid them in the future. Failure can be a new beginning, not the end. And if sin has brought an end to what we cherished, we need to get started on a new life under God’s supervision and in God’s will. True, failure can be so great no further success compensates: like the German defeat at Stalingrad; like Sir John Franklin’s disaster exploring the Arctic; like the Japanese defeat at Midway. Nevertheless, failure is never final for us unless we quit. Both Robert E. Lee and William T. Sherman were failures as Generals seven months after the Civil War started: Lee the King of Spades by having his troops digging defensive works, Sherman considered insane. Nevertheless they persevered through their failures and 41 months later emerged as heroes of their side. Each of us is a “work in progress,” whatever our age. God isn’t finished with us yet, and won’t be so long as we live this side of the grave. If we’re willing to let God work his will to change us into what he envisions, even failures can be advances. For nothing is impossible with God, not even recovery from the worst failure to greater success. –Fini- New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords We might think that losing Paradise, and finding work outside Eden a “jungle”, would be enough to destroy Adam and Eve’s faith in God. In reality they instead gained new faith.
Note that Eve rejoiced that “with the help of the Lord” she “brought forth a man.” This first-ever human birth in history had Jesus Christ as the obstetrician. He explained to Eve step-by-step what pregnancy entailed. Why her body began changing. What was growing inside her. And, as delivery time neared, how that great bulge in her tummy would ever get outside her without tearing her body apart. The result increased the faith in God that she had compromised when eating the fruit. Note also how the birth of Seth renewed her faith that God renewed the messianic line. She likely had little concept of its true meaning, but she knew that Satan had in Cain’s murder of Abel merely disrupted the line of Abel, not destroyed it. An English actuary told a writer for the National Geographic that humanity’s purpose was no more apparent now—1994—than previously. Indeed, he declared humanity is no closer to understanding WHY we all exist than our earliest ancestors. The man had faith in his own actuarial tables—how much insurance premiums would be, based on the age expectation of the applicant; and what could companies expect from the population in 10-20 years—but not in Almighty God. A brilliant but heathen mind. A novice in divine planning, Eve nevertheless understood that in Seth’s birth God’s ordained purpose in creation would continue. Indeed, as we know, whatever it takes in history to achieve God’s purpose, is achieved. Doesn’t matter how strong the foe against it or how weak the believer serving it. God works by his own will, power and wisdom to achieve his chosen ends. –End Part I- New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords Eve’s disobedience resulted in the greatest catastrophe in humanity: it began the assertion of human egotism that has ballooned through the centuries to become Gargantuan. We believe we are in charge, and God is irrelevant.
During WWII General Eisenhower and his military entourage went hunting in Italy. They spent the night in a cold and drafty hunting lodge. A humorous incident provided relief for everyone. Kay Summersby’s dog flushed a rat from its hole in the General’s bathroom. Everyone rushed in. The General immediately said, “I can handle this.” He put on his glasses, took out his pistol, took careful aim, fired...and missed. The desperate rat jumped to a vertical pipe and hung on. Ike hurriedly re-fired...and hit the rat’s tail. He fired again and brought the varmint down...wounded. An aid rushed forward and finished it off with a log. Everyone but Eisenhower howled with laughter. When a semblance of quiet came, Ike’s Aide Harry Butcher quipped that it was great shooting—just what he expected from the Supreme Commander. Past Forgetting, 164. Humanity’s most famous and fatuous words: “We can handle this. Just give us enough time, education and money.” Though we invariably find ourselves impotent in dealing with life. God persistently teaches us the weakness of the body, the limitations of the mind and the POTENTIAL of his Spirit within us. But we ignore God’s Spirit to concentrate on the body—made like the animals from dust—then magnify the mind which, apart from God’s Word, proves as incapable of sound judgments as Ike trying to shoot that rat. New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords our highest pleasure
The Queen of England and Prince Philip visited San Diego in February, 1983. Wanting to worship Sunday, February 27, the Royal Pair chose St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to host them. Which surfaced obvious problems. While 580 seats were available, 800 of its 1000 members wanted to attend, in addition to many of the city’s British organizations. San Diego U-T, 2/16/83 A church committee decided to prioritize: regular worshipers who were also major financial contributors were the first invited. Less regular attenders of smaller financial contributions were next. Those with neither qualification didn’t receive invitations. Those bereft of the chance to worship with Royalty howled in protest. They needed to wait only a week. For the following Sunday all 580 seat remained available in St. Paul’s. Did the leaders have to prioritize regular attenders over others that Sunday? Sunday, February 27, 1983 people thronged St. Paul’s be able to worship God with human royalty. A week later, with only God Almighty present, very few of those flocked to services. What Jesus said in judgment of his critics in John 5:41-44 remains his critique of many religious people today: “How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” Yours for a faith that would prefer to worship with a few whose sole interest was praising God in Christ than with many there for any other reason. New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords Understand that Madame Guyon’s mysticism sometimes filtered scriptural truth through mistaken personal views. She nonetheless had a valid point that challenges Christians today. Far too many people, many of them disciples of Christ, are more interested in God’s benefits than a disciplined daily recognition of and personal relationship with Jesus. They plead for us to love each other, but won’t seek the God of love. They want to be safe, to be fed, to be protected, but won’t seek the Good Shepherd. They want to be free of guilt, but don’t seek the Savior of forgiveness. They desire a joyous after-life, but won’t seek the Christ of Resurrection. In short, they want comfort, not commitment to God; their pleasures, not God’s Presence. Jesus made himself the focus of discipleship. He said, “Come to me”...Matthew 11:28, “and I will give you rest.” Yet we want rest, peace, forgiveness and hope while resisting, not obeying, him. The apostle Paul declared, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20. Jesus...the Christ...the Son of God...he’s all Paul knew and wanted and desired and served. That wasn’t mysticism, but the essence of conversion. And it never changes just because we consider Jesus a person in our life, not the One who owns our life. Whatever has been or is the object of our life, our affections, our support, our interest, whatever...everything will vanish except Jesus when we come to the end. He awaits every one of us and he won’t disappear just because we don’t want him there. Let’s enjoy the good things of God. But let us Desire and Seek only Jesus Christ, the God of all good things. He always remains. Always. Forever. –Fini- New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords “But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.” Joshua to Israel, Joshua 23:8. Madame Jeanne Guyon, 17th century French mystic, led Christians to seek peace with God without the interference of Catholic priests and ceremonies. Mysticism isn’t a Christian monopoly. Moslems and Hindus are only two of world religions with the emphasis. Ancient Essenes and Gnostics majored in it. Madame Guyon sought in mysticism what ecclesiastical Roman Catholicism couldn’t satisfy.
Mysticism is perfectly sound New Testament teaching often distorted by being filtered through one’s personality and preferences. It can be as easily absurd as formalism in belief and worship impermeable. To be fair with the Madame, we must see Christian mysticism as a reaction to the cold, priest-ridden, form-fascinated religion foisted by Roman Catholic theology. Left spiritually cold by the externals of Catholic religion, mystics found peace by losing self in God’s presence. Thus, Madame Guyon could say she didn’t need to ask for forgiveness from God. In the ecstasy of his presence, none existed. That’s incorrect. Humans must seek forgiveness before we enter God’s presence. However, while in a state of forgiveness, and in God’s presence, the forgiven Christian is aware only of the Savior’s Glory and Grace and of himself only as one lost in rapture. –End Part I- Check out my new Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at: Amazon Check our my Digital books at: Smashwords |
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