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ANGELFIRE. 8-01-06 Didn't July just fly by? Now you and I can heave a sigh, or else go cry. Though here's this guy who wonders why I didn't try to bake more pie up in the sky, for bye and bye. Maybe I am still too shy.
That verse that came from out of the blue as a reminder for me to "lay not up treasures on earth...but lay up treasure in heaven" Down here all the alarm bells are ringing, the warning lights flashing and danger sirens blowing in the hourly news events. Even that trumpet of the ages is shaking old hell's foundation. How much more is required to get mankind's attention?
Yet the world continues to laugh about sin. People go on making fun about wickedness as though they will never be called to an accounting. There is a godlessness abroad in the land that I first sensed from that "black humor" which filtered in from England. Monty Python is a name that comes to mind from back in the sixties. It has poisoned our spiritual life so that to read Ps.90, "A prayer of Moses the man of God" now seems utterly alien for this nation. Things that are clearly noted in Scripture as abominations to the LORD are only subjects of constant joking. Everything has to be funny. No wonder the wrath of Yahweh is falling upon America. If this global terrorism is of Satan, and I believe it is, then Who had the key that released him upon us to "roam about the earth?" (Job 1:7) All our military force cannot destroy such an enemy, because he is immaterial spiritual corruption. And such is widespread today. Even those spouting Scripture can sometimes be the worst of all. This isn't the Yuletide and now is no time to just be jolly, because what's happening around the world should scare the hell out of us. We need to get down on our knees in front of the Almighty; even privately to fall on our faces before our LORD God; because in spite of America's fine lady Secretary-of-State and her noble efforts in the Middle East, THAT GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY IS AT HAND. Now hear this:
The market place is empty, no more traffic in the street. All the village scenes are idle; no more time to harvest wheat. Busy housewives cease their labor, in the courtroom no debate. Work on earth is all suspended as the King comes through the gate. OH THE KING IS COMING, the King is coming. I just heard the Trumpet sounding and now His face I'll see. The King is coming, the King is coming. Praise GOD, He's coming for me.
Hallelujah & Shalom PS I see by the hit counter that several hundred have punched up this page each of the past few months. You online readers get to see "the finished product," because I always add refinement to the original copy that has to be sent in promptly for the paper. This online edition allows me to make clarification as well as correct overlooked mistakes. So glad to have you as an online reader. I know it's August and I must start that page next. JA
ANGELFIRE 8-05-06 It's hard to distinguish which has been the hottest, weather across the US or warfare reports coming out of the Middle East. Summer heat here in PV hit a record last week with 107 degrees, and NYC then suffered power failure in the "Valley of Skyscrapers" until it's hospitals were filled with victims of heat exhaustion. And afar there was a lull in the bombardment of Beirut that ended with resumption, while Katyusha rockets falling on N.Israel numbered above 200 with threats of bigger ones. And explosions continued in Baghdad and a bomb strapped to a motor cycle went off in Kandahar of Afghanistan. Meanwhile the UN debates which must be first in Lebanon, "truce or troops." Now that kind of hatred heat may spread over here since Lebanon's terrorists target the US as much as Israel. It's the fruition of all those chants we heard from Iran some decades ago calling US "the great Satan." I previously compared Iran's president Aboudanijab to Allie Oop, but now feel I owe and apology to Allie. I enjoy the funnies tell what he's doing in the land of Moo. Sure offers relief from world affairs.
Here's congrats to Judge John Blake on being elected for the office to which he'd been appointed. His lovely wife Susan probably got a lot of votes for him too. And now comes the run-off election for several others. I'm recalling my trip to Central America back in '85 with a clergy group, when the San Denistas were in control of Nicaragua. Jimmy Carter had called them far leftists, but Ronald Reagan came in saying they were Communists. The Contras were rebelling against them from over in Honduras. I never imagined politics could be so polarized. And failure to vote was punished with a fine. So everyone talked about how bad things had been under the previous dictator and how the people's revolution with Daniel Orgega had improved life there. I nearly got brain washed myself, as so many of our delegation did while we toured all the areas of improvement and talked with San Denista officials. Cuba was their friend and allie, and knowing that was what kept me from falling for the line we were being told. In a few years the San Denistas were outed at the polls. So maybe there's also hope for Cuba now that Castro is faltering after 47 years of Communism. My only trip over there was aboard a destroyer on a training cruise to Gitmo right after WW II. That was before the world had ever heard of Fidel Castro. Shalom (our blessed hope is that Christ will return at last).
ANGELFIRE 8-08-06 Have you ever read the N.T. book of James? I took another look yesterday considering the UN's lack of peace in the Middle East: "From whence come wars and fightings among you...even of your lusts" (4:1) is an answer in his letter to the twelve tribes of Israel from one of the half brothers of Jesus (Jude is the other). Previously in 2:8 James affirms that "If ye fulfill the royal law...'thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' ye do well." (So it's a royal law rather than the` golden rule). But about war, he goes on saying in 4:2 that "Ye lust and have not; ye kill, and desire to have...ye fight and war yet ye have not...(4:4)know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of GOD." That really draws the line sharp and clear, doesn't it.
So lust is the root cause of warfare. It means "excessive desire, inordinate appetite," and describes the fallen nature of humanity as a ME FIRST attitude. I saw that ME as short for Middle East in a news report and it rang with added meaning. The ME war involves all of us on planet earth (just as US so aptly takes in "us/we" Americans). We've narrowly defined lust as pertaining to sex, as some ancient theologians linked it to Adam's accepting that forbidden fruit of intercourse. It was offered to him in Eden after the snake had already taken Eve's virginity. Adam's motive as lust was his fall, rather than his copulation.
ut lust isn't as bad a word in the O.T. as it is in the New (where it's in Greek instead of Hebrew). With Greek thoght, it extends to wealth and money, fame and fortune, revenge and blood, clear into international relations. Hezbollah is a vengeance motivated party of the worst sort of lust. Sunday was Hiroshema Day, which recalled for me the revenge we had wanted for Pearl Harbor during WW II. We even took it double just three days later by hitting Nagasaki also with a second atomic bomb. We did those cities about like Joshua treated the Canaanite cities he led the Israelites to destroy: taking nothing as booty but making it all a burnt offering to Yahwehm their holy GOD. That's why the ban was already placed upon them beforehand. And vengeance runs deep in the Bible. Remember the "cities of refuge" where those could flee who were innocent of the crimes of which they were accused. The family of the injured would get even and there were no courts or police to rightly control such strong passions. "An eye for an eye" ruled that revenge by balanced to be just, and implies only so much blood to be spilt for what had been shed. But with the coming of our Lord Jesus, we see forgiveness exalted above revenge, and agape replacing lust. His glorious return will bring the final healing of mankind's blood lust, hatred from hurt and heaven sent revenge to those who have suffered injustice. Vengeance belongs to GOD, even beyond the legal systems designed by man.
Robert Lunsford told of Oklahoma's ethanol plant to be built in Enid by Okla.Sustainable Energy. It still lacks 14 million of the 90 needed, but I hope a lot more will soon follow to get fuel costs down. Don't you? Yet I'm not happy to see that huge casino opened just south of Norman. It's several times bigger than Caesar's Palace in Vegas, and will make the Chickasaws richer yet. But suckers who just can't afford to loose income their families need will buy a thrill by going to throw some of what little they have away. And school teachers sure are not getting what they expected when they backed legalized gambling for the rest of our state. Even saw where they had filed a law suit against the governor they helped elect. But the case was thrown out and Brad Henry is now running for a second term against Ernest Istook, who has served in Congress. Shalom to you from ANGELFIRE
ANGELFIRE 8-15-06
August is named for the first Caesar to become Emperor over the ancient Romans. But Julius Caesar, for who July is named, never made it since he got assassinated. These two months may echo glorious days in history, but only mean hot, hot weather today. Remember when the leaves turned red and yellow before becoming brown and the countryside would be so beautiful. Now it's only in the fires breaking out there among the dry grass and leaves. So governor Henry re-imposed the burn ban. I don't expect any of the thrill of the coming fall, which has always been my favorite season. What a year this has been for fire fighters. We had a vacant church building completely demolished last week here in north WW, plus the nearby home of a black lady burning up completely. There are suspicions about the fires having been deliberately set. That seems to parallel the world wide craze for destruction that was shown in that plot by terrorists to blow up a dozen or so airliners between England and the US. Sure thankful it was thwarted.
I read from Daniel 11 this morning about the abomination of desolation to be set up in Jerusalem. In seminary we were told that it referred to Antiochus Epiphanese, the foreign monarch who sacrificed a hog on the Temple's high altar. That was a century or so before Christ, and Jesus even made mention of it (as yet to come). Surely He was speaking of how gross, vulgar and profane life could become in the future. So it fits today doesn't it? Like torching an empty old church house. The sign on it there was COGIC, which stood for Church of God in Christ I learned. But it made me think of that tough cop called Cojack. Maybe our WW police can find the arsonist and make him pay, like Cojack always did. Hope so.
Sunday night at LARC it was a delight to see the prison yard all so green. They keep the sprinklers going stead, so I guess there's a good water supply. And the inmates never leave any trash on it. Of course there a tower with guards looking down and that helps I'm sure. But on my WW route I took notice of our local lawns and found so few to compare. Even our own here at the Pinkhouse has more brown than green grass. Yet there were five around town that would qualify for the "LARC award," two right across the street from each other (I wondered if there was a rivalry there of "mine's greener than yours"). There's no water rationing here yet here in WW, so maybe I should have seen even more. But of course watering adds to the bill, and so that fact can do the rationing. Instead of odd/even days. It's just costly for any day. And I guess the water's cheap up at LARC. But so much heat will surely up the expense of water everywhere sooner or later. So seek first the green pastures of that forever after with the Lord Jesus.
Our editor Jeff Shultz will be back from visiting his sons up there in Chicago next week. We've talked about that "windy city" as I'd recall from my '45-'46 tour of duty on Navy Pier right off the downtown loop (named for Chicago's elevated railway transit system). I've told him how I attended The World's Tallest Church, Chicago Temple (First UMC of Chicago) there in the center. And there wasn't a Sears Tower then for terrorists to bomb, like last month's threat by those in FL with such a plan. I've always had a warm feeling toward that cold place ever since my winter's stay up there. Shalom
ANGELFIRE 8-16-06 In less than a month now we will mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11. Now the movie about it that Oliver Stone has directed is gaining attention. Remember how proud America was of the way NYC firemen sought to rescue people from the WTC, towers, even though so many perished in their collapse. Ground Zero became the sacred scene where so many gallant ones had been buried in rubble. Yet I'm dubious about viewing it all again from Stone's perspective. I just don't trust any Hollywood interpretation about people or events. The daily media has enough distortion and perversion of information feed to us in the first place. So that text in 1 Cor.13 guides believers best, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly... Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known." Stone directed that one about JFK's assassination that I never saw either. Am told it really was full of spin and su-spin-se, but it did make a name for Stone. In the Bible the first martyr for Christ was stoned to death for his faith. But now your mind gets "stoned" just at the movies, it seems. Though that used to be the result of smoking lots of pot.
Which brings to my mind our upcoming vote on liquor by the drink for Garvin county. I was told by one city official several weeks ago that it had little chance of passage in November. But those who argue from an economic perspective seem to be gaining ground. Doesn't it seem odd, when we've put the brakes on so hard against smoking, that we might now loosen them more on drinking? I say nicotine is certainly bad, but alcohol is even worse. And both are bottom rungs on the ladder of drug abuse that climbs clear up to meth. Oh I forgot that caffeine is probably the very first. Guess I forgot because that's where I am, though trying to stick with the caffeine free.
Hey that terrorist plot to down ten jet airliners coming from the UK was a recall to vigilance. It would have matched 9/11 all over again with 300 passengers per plane. Says to me that Satan is raging in this end time and we must be ever wary of his cunning which filters into all our affairs. The rule of Christ over our lives is the only protection in this warfare between Spirit and flesh. The latter rules this world, to which the devil is god. Thus the global war on terror signifies how nearn the Lord's return must be. When the Lord GOD looked down at ancient worldly wickedness before the flood, it was violence in the earth that made up His mind to start over anew. Thus the new world that our Lord Jesus began with His crucifixion/resurrection is about to be delivered with these birth pangs of anguish and anxiety: "Looking unto Jesus" means keeping the faith that He will appear again a second time to rescue His own and place righteous judgement upon this whole world. I talked to a very elderly lady Sunday who told me that when she was a small child her mother told her Jesus would come any day then. Now she wonders if ever, since she's so near life's end. That's the question of the whole church: "How long O Lord, how long?" Yet our prayer is right there at the end of the Bible, "Come Lord Jesus." So we keep reminding Him that He has said "Behold I come quickly."
School has started again and I read where dress codes were being stessed in OKC and Tulsa; perhaps even uniforms by the time of middle schools. Seems that certain clothing creates rivalries which disrupt orderly classes. I've never put much consideration into what people wear. In the book of James we are warned about showing favoritism or being impressed by attire. Yet some of it can evoke gang loyalties, just as school spirit links to the team and band uniforms worn for games. So what we wear is a sort of language that will tell others (as well as ourselves) who we are and what we do. Each profession has it's uniform, costume or regalia. Yet we Americans have enjoyed the freedom to wear what we like as an expression of our own identity. That's how I hope we can keep it and leave the uniforms for the military, where volunteers expect to surrender their individuality. And welcome back from Chicago, Jeff. We've missed you. Also, shalom to you, my readers here and online
ANGELFIRE 8-19-06
Zarephath was the name of a place between Tyre and Sidon mentioned in 1 Kings 17 where the LORD sent Elijah to survive after the Brook Cherith had dried up. That was a Biblical situation where Lebanon today now barely exists. But Elijah was told that a widow would provide for him. Sure enough she appeared and told him of the starvation that she and her son were facing. Then he asked her to share with him the little left and gave a promise that it would not run out. She did and the oil and meal in her pantry lasted through the drought for all three of them. That was a foretaste of Jesus feeding the multitude with only five loaves and two fish. Remember how many followed him after that, though He insisted on a better reason for discipleship. Still, there has to be food for us mortals, as even Elijah needed it, immortal though he was. A natural source failed when that brook dried up. So let's pray that such human aid (recall the widow's mite that Jesus called "might" instead) can be given to the innocent civilians in Lebanon, even if we see some of those hateful yellow flags still displayed.
ANGELFIRE mentioned last time how our raiment can be a sort of alternate language. Very often it's the first bit of communication between persons. We size up another by what they are wearing, their general appearance, even sooner than anything that's spoken. Then flags, banners or symbols being carried have that same input from groups of human beings we behold. We are a meaning hungry species, way beyond any of the animals that GOD also created; even though they have their own signals which we have to study in order to control them. But attitude is an extra prominent feature with us. It permeates all that we do or say or think. The widow at the gate of Zarephath in 1 Kings.17 could tell that Elijah was a prophet by his mode of dress. That's why her attitude was to gave heed. And she finally saw the miracle of Elijah bringing her child back to life after he had died. That's what the coming again of our Savior in glory and majesty means to all who are expecting His return. It's an attitude of resurrection and called "the blessed hope" in Scripture. Though He has come to us again and again personally as the Risen Christ (or the other Comforter), His final appearance will be totally public. Then every eye shall see, including the dead in Christ who will be raised again from earth's dust for their spirits that He'll have with Him to re-inhabit glorified bodies. May our attitude be as much compassion for the hurt in Lebanon as anger toward Hezbollah for causing it. Shalom
ANGELFIRE 8-23-06 Just saw that the price of gasoline is down at least seven cents. Now that's good news for all of us. In contrast, the price of copper has gone up so much that thieves are stealing rolls of it at construction sites. Of course we all have copper in our pockets in the form of pennies. So we must be getting richer without even knowing it. I sure can't tell it. Can you? Yet now we're hearing that the cost of restoring Lebanon will be in the billions. If we allow Iran, which has plenty of oil cash, to do the job through Hezbollah, then that situation will get even far worse for Israel. Hezbollah got launched in '82 when Israeli forces pulled out of Lebanon and has been subsized by Iran ever since. It's first big terror strike was that suicide bomber who drove a truck onto our Marine base there and killed over 200 of our troops. Reagan soon pulled the rest out of such danger, which has set the pace for Iran ever since. Their Ayatollah's followers had already brought down Jimmy Carter as president by holding Americans hostage for 444 days. Now we've heard Newt Gingrich saying that Israel suffered the biggest defeat in it's history. I think it was a radical statement; still there doesn't seem to be enough sympathy for Israel. Who is willing to send their troops as part of the UN peacekeeping force? France acted willing at first but now offers only 200. Italy is offering more and I think Newt wanted to jolt the EU members into helping instead of looking the other way They would see that Hezbollah just has to go, then face the hard question about who will disarm them? We've heard mention of diplomatic negotiations persuading them to give up their weapons, but that sounds like la la land to me, or another French attitude. Hezbollah is bent on the destruction of Israel and nothing less. Yet France has stronger ties with Lebanon than anyone.
Bible readers are familiar with "the cedars of Lebanon," and expression that puts that country into our lingo. Yet it was a name for mountains and means white or snowy. That fits a place where cedars grow. And a lot of Americans have come from there, including Ralph Nader our well known conservationist. My son sent me an open letter he'd written to president Bush expressing ugly criticism of the US Middle East policy. Nader must be trying to get back into politics, but he won't get my vote despite the mistakes we may have made. I recall in Scripture how their king Hiram of Tyre gave David lumber to build his house (palace), and then his son Solomon enough cedars of Lebanon for building the Temple. But he sure didn't get any political help from up there. In fact Hiram later turned away dissatisfied with Solomon. In the spiritual warfare against Satan, we need to "be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." That's the way of the Cross which Jesus has walked already to set an example for us who follow, saying "He that would be My disciple, let him take up his cross and follow Me." That's how to be a shalom maker in the heavenly family. He said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of GOD," though some might have to wear uniforms and carry weapons in keeping the peace. Shalom
ANGELFIRE 8-26-06 We've long know of dwarf stars, but now Pluto has become a dwarf planet by vote of the 2500 astronomers who met in Prague last week. Two other less known bodies near Pluto got the same classification, though one had never been honored as a planet: the other, which was asteroid Ceres, had been demoted back in the 1800s; and 2003UB313, which we'd expected to become a tenth, never made it. Now all three begin their careers as dwarf planets. That leaves only eight full fledged ones orbiting the sun(Sol). I seem to recall that it was an Oklahoma astronomer who discovered Pluto as recently as the thirties. As a child I didn't like the name for it that sounded like the devil, though it pricked my interest in astronomy. But our own PV native son, Jeff Moore, still has a nine year job of directing NASA'S New Horizons probe to study up close those dwarfs out on the edge of our solar system. It's a vast undertaking, more distant than ever undertaken.
I've given a nick name to my Song & Spoken Word show on channel 2, "Six-Thirty Thursday," on which things often come to me during the half hour recording it. But I had written these "Valley of Christ" words that I sang to the tune of Red River Valley: In this Valley Lord Jesus we seek You, and await Your return every day. For the follies of this world we see through, so we're trying to walk in Your way. We pray GOD that He'll hasten Your coming as mankind has spun out of control. Still the race here on earth we'll keep running till you come take us body and soul. Meanwhile here in Christ's Valley we're serving, doing what things You tell us to do. And we trust You'll give sin it's deserving when these years of Earth history are through."
Knowing that Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, is next to the greatest name in Scripture, I've felt that my home town might aspire even to live like the very greatest by also being Christ's Valley. Thus the song above. Shalom
ANGELFIRE 8-30-06 Though this observer always gets excited about space ventures, ANGELFIRE never mentioned the Atlantis shuttle launch set for Sunday afternoon. Somehow it just wasn't on our agenda and sure enough the trip to that ISS had to be delayed, while our eyes were on far off Pluto instead. Then my column was headlined as the "Mickey Mouse Planet" and it threw me bewildered at first, until I recalled Walt Disney's dog by that name. Instead of "dwarf planet," Pluto might have just been called a runt: even smaller than Earth or about the size of Mars. But I guess nearly 3000 astronomers got it settled it in their session at Prague. Now the eight true planets around old Sol divide evenly between the nearest and solid rocky four (Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars) and the remote gigantic gaseous four (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). So attention is back to Atlantis now, and going to the ISS after weather delays that Ernesto has caused. Florida's going to suffer the damage this time instead of New Orleans. As I write it's been exactly a year since Katrina hit N.O.
These days we get so overwhelmed by stormy weather that even an outward look into deep space can help restore our proper perspective. That's what reading the Bible and praying privately add to human existence. The world considers it mere pious piddling, but evangelical Christians know it's their safety belt that needs to be buckled each morning after their tank has been refilled with Spirit power--speak spiritually of course. The words of an old song say it, "I need Thee, Oh I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee. Bless me now my Savior. I come to Thee."
It was good to read Friday's front page "FOCUSING ON DRUNK DRIVERS" as part of law enforcement's national campaign through Labor Day. There seem to be two major factors in so many wrecks, alcohol and adolescence. Then the report in stories of traffic fatalities so often ends by saying "seat belts were not in use." That can apply to our calamities generally, because the Bible is our Godgiven seat belt and so many neglect to fasten up for the highway of life. Yet traffic keeps getting heavier as global affairs engulf us more and more. So keep your eyes on the prize, which is Christ and His kingdom. Won't you tune in Thurs.6:30 "Song & Spoken Word" KJCS. Shalom