ANGELFIRE 4-06-07 Photos of the three winners in our municipal election led off in this week's WW Gazette: Mike Perry as new mayor, Ken Moore re-elected city marshall and Sue Helpingstine to unseat councilman Clifton Deakons. If there was rancor or slander in the campaigning so common now in politics, I never heard any of it. But right below front page were two stories of pain caused by drinking and driving: charges increased to a felony for that Feb.17 hit-and-run death down at Davis of WW's own Bud White and the Mar.11 Sat. double fatality accident just west of town on #77 in which James Tompkins of WW and Jere Ivey (over in the wrong eastbound lane) of PV both lost their lives and Mrs.Tompkins left seriously injured. These and other alcohol related calamities demonstrate the ruin from America's liquor industry so that 21st century Christians need to abstain. I wrote about the use of unleavened bread for Communion because yeast signifies satanic influence. And so does fermentation, thus "fruit of the vine" instead of wine. Both are the beginning of rot, thus impure. And just as the Passover escape from Egypt was in haste, thus we shun the devil with as much speed as we can. Piety means love of GOD. The world can mistake it for piousity, which is only pretense. But the proof is His divine love (agape) that flows into others from those who have a true relationship with the heavenly Father. Such real faith is never self righteousness. It's a profound gratitude to our Lord and Savior for salvation from sin, with the willingness to forgive others because we ourselves have been forgiven. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb.12:1-3 Then the text reminds us that it's the blood of Christ that saves us, not our own. So IT is our source of overcoming grace. Halleluah and Shalom
ANGELFIRE 4-11-07 I don't feel any sympathy after the Don Imus flap, but do respect even more how sharp Al Sharpton has been. Two political cartoons also spoke to me in this very paper. On Wed. the "Mood of America" with all those faces looking west was at first a puzzle to me. Then I saw GW's face in the middle looking east. Since it was the middle of Holy Week, it could be for EASTer week, though that's quite a stretch of interpretation. Then for the great resurrection DAY, it was a little Abudenijab dressed as a rabbit with the bag over his shoulder containing 15 eggs being given to Tony Blair. They were marked as "released hostages" and his greeting was HAPPY EASTER," though we all knew it was a stunt to glorify Muhammad in the eyes of Islam on their prophet's birthday; an act almost as fake as the Easter bunny is to Christians. So instead of a double take, it became "double fake." That's because the capture was a kidnapping from the start, a crime against the Brits. So how can their release make Iran look noble when it had behaved as a thief and then a liar about what it had done? The Lord Jesus said that Satan comes "to lie and steal and to destroy" trying always to cover it up with deception.
Then Jack Pack on KJCS told of that angel who came with an earthquake on Easter morning to remove the stone closing where Jesus had been buried. Matt.28 is the only mention made of a Roman guard that Pilate had placed on the tomb. Angelic glory terrified them into all fainting, but then the high priest paid them off to say that His body had been carried away by followers while they were in their coma. If any report got back to Pilate, he promised to get it dismissed. So for the love of money they sold out the Savior by denial of His victory over death. That's a far bigger swindle than Aboudenijab's to the whole world. It almost matches Judas taking the 30 pieces of silver in betrayal of our Lord. Both Matthew (27)and Luke (Acts 1) record his self imposed fate after he realized what a horrible thing he'd done. He went back to the Temple to confess "I have betrayed innocent blood" and they only answered "So what." Then he threw all the pieces of silver down there before them and went out to hang himself. Luke adds that he purchased a field with the money (actually the priests did so with his money) where "he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, so that all his bowels gushed out"). Thus it was named the Field of Blood and can still be seen just outside old Jerusalem's walls. All this shows what a tricky enemy we may face as we follow Christ Jesus. Even ample cash, which we all need just to function, can lure us into loving it more than we do Him. He said "Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness, and all these (other needs) things will be added unto you." (Mt.6:33) That takes daily trust to keep paying bills on time and maintaining financial integrity. How nice it would be to have such a large stash of cash that we could just "forget costs and enjoy having everything we want." But that's the lure of serving mammon (a false god). Have you noticed how rising in riches so often takes people away from GOD instead of closer; or the richer church denominations become, the less vital they are. Their clergy want to please the affluent to win their support for the budget. Money talks, and it also keeps saying "Follow me." There are spiritual dangers in our capitalistic culture when we take our eyes off of the Lord. He forsook all the treasures of heaven and became poor for our sakes, that we might gain eternal treasure. And the Easter points us EAST, from where He will return with all the saints and angels to claim His very own. Shalom
ANGELFIRE 4-15-07 What a shock it was in this little town Tuesday to have one of our citizens just blown away by a hail of bullets on Tuesday; and that by a brand new husband. Things have gotten as dark and dreary here as the weather this Friday morning. Her family lives less than block northeast of our Pinkhouse, so we've seen plenty of relatives over at the McIntire home to await the funeral. One of the WW titles has been "City of Hospitality," and it had been shown to the out-of-state newcomer. That N.T. text (Heb.13:2) which advocates such an attitude toward strangers, concludes with "for in doing so, some have entertained angels unawares." Yet there's also the danger of betrayal too, as happened right here where the devil slipped in Tuesday morning. It makes us wary just as all America is over national security since 9/11. Even the immigration problems pertain to that goal of hospitality. Of course the text was referring to the time Abraham invited those three travelers into his tent, not knowing that they were angels. They fore-warned him about the fire that would soon would fall to consume the wicked cities nearby, Sodom and Gomorrah. Since his nephew Lot and family were in the first, he got them out ahead of the destruction. Later they came back and told him that he was to have a son by his wife, instead of just a nephew. It was so incredible at their ages that Sarah burst out in laughter ("isaac"). Hence the name of their miracle child that was eventually born. (Then Sarah used her own plan instead of waiting on the LORD's) The term angel means "messenger of GOD," so we should always be ready to make visitors welcome as tested by Scriptural standards. If someone is profane and as gross as Don Imus, then we owe them no time or interest at all. Of if they are advocating Godless and hateful behavior, then beware. We need to seek Christ first in our hearts daily. I've added His name to this song from one of my youthful favorites: "When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high. And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the rain is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on, walk on with CHRIST in your heart and you'll never walk alone. You'll never walk alone." To me the "hope" just had to be our Lord Jesus, because He's the rainbow the song is suggesting.
So long; till His return as King of kings & Lord of lords (maybe this very day!)
ANGELFIRE 4-18-07 As I begin this column there's a police conference underway at Blacksburg VA which may identify the gunman who killed 33 students and faculty there, including himself. So far it appears he was an Asian student, possibly from China or perhaps Korea. His two guns are found with the I.D. numbers filed away. So he had planned the crime, even to chaining the doors shut to cause rescue prevention. The somber mood at Virginia's largest university in that small town has spread all over America. The shock of such sudden and senseless death is an extension of our experience here in WW last week from that single shooting of our town's barber. Local feelings of anger and revulsion here have been amplified ten thousand times into the national consciousness. In both cases it was the sinister plan of a culprit from elsewhere who exploited America's generosity toward strangers. Such goodness had even been allowed the 19 who proved themselves terrorists on 9/11 by accomplishing their horrible mission six years ago of utter wickedness. And the prelude to that vile moment had also been right up at our own OKC just a few years before.
The Wynnewood and Blacksburg events are not considered part of global terrorism. But they do derive from the same source of evil, Satan himself. And that very word comes from "live" spelled backward. So it's a kind of insanity in the world that seems to be on the rise in these last days: good things being turned around in a reverse and perverse direction. Or another name for these insane works is from "evil" started with the letter d (which could represent divinity) to become "devil." Our Lord told us in Matthew 23&4(woes and endtime signs) just how terrible the things would become before His return. So we must look to the Cross for divine healing of the wrath and anger we feel about such abominable deeds being shown to us in the media. Some may even commit them just to gain their fifteen minutes of fame if they feel ignored. So we must not let them have it. Instead, let's keep our minds on the Lord Jesus Christ and search the Scriptures daily, as we await His glorious coming again. Here's a chorus that says it quite well: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." So long/Shalom
ANGELFIRE 4-21-07 Besides the Virginia Tech campus massacre on Monday, there seems to be an uncanny link of April with many devilish plots. Thursday marked 12 years since the OKC bombing in '95 that was a prelude to 9/11 in 2001 which was being hatched by those 19 terrorists that April. Before those came David Koresh in Waco TX and afterward the Columbine shootings. Then their sequel in Spain at Madrid's rail center in 2002, plus several other such events that the Gazette's Tammy Ervin mentioned to me. Her son, Dusty, a student in WW Sr.Hi. had pointed them out to her. That English poem "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" might be read here as "...weirdly turns to thoughts of hate." We live in a time when the mind of man has ignored the living GOD to become focused only on self. And without a divine Point of Reference, the self goes stark raving mad. That's because human nature is fallen away from the Creator's design and innately corrupt, malign, carnal. unregenerate, and debauched. Yet pride bars our minds from knowing this until we look at perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ. His life is the mirror in which we can behold ourselves and gain repentance of our wickedness. We are not ever able to do that by ourselves. It comes about through grace imparted by the Holy Spirit. Then we have the sense of being bought with a price, Christ's blood that was shed on Calvary. The world saw Him being rightly executed as a deceiver, of all those foolish enough to really believe in Him. And with Satan as it's god, this world still has that hellish view. But we who "foolishly" trust, do know that showed He'd defeated the evil one's dominion by rising from the dead; and now He lives within our hearts to dispell bitterness or self-pity. Divine love (agape) flows to us and through us to others from heaven above; where He now dwells, until that Day of His returning to this earth with power and glory. It will be a time of vindication for the righteous, and the wicked will finally receive their everlasting punishment. Notions of escape into suicide will be shown as the uttermost folly of all, some as the "April fools" for endless ages, who leaped into that final lake of fire. John saw it in Revelation where the devil and those who sided with him will be cast. Maybe "trash off" month is a sign of such an everlasting disposal pit. I see such city collectors here in WW as earthly heroes. They take away our burden of waste to be burned. But spiritual garbage doesn't just burn up, because it takes forever. Jesus told a parable of Dives the rich man who fared sumptiously while Lazarus the leper outside had only scraps on the ground to eat. Then the rich man died and his selfish greedy soul landed in hell. But Lazarus was taken to heaven to look down there at him. Dives cried out for Lazarus to help him get out and was told that it was impossible; so then he begged Lazarus to go warn his brothers. But the former leper said that his family already had the Scriptures and would surely not listen, even to someone who returned from the dead; (nor hear the Gospel of One risen, and repent). So long for now... till Jesus returns
ANGELFIRE 4-25-07 Who can recall Boris Yeltsin? Those of you my age remember him as being somewhat like a hard drinking, tough talking cowboy type of guy, who took over the "Evil Empire" by having guts enough to stand unarmed on a Russian tank that approached the Kremlin to put down a military coups. Gorbie, the Communist premier, had been incarcerated abroad while in another country and some hard corps general was taking charge with military power to restore old line Communism. But Yeltsin won over the leadership to begin dismanting that tyranny which was known as the Soviet Union. Then after 8 years, he suddenly resigned with an apology to the people in '99, to leave Putin as his choice successor in solving the many problems Russia's democracy had faceed under his presidency. Now Putin's pooped out and the Russians are wondering if democracy's been all that great. But Yeltsin's funeral is to be in that Cathedral of Christ the Savior, one the Communists had destroyed instead of making it a museum (as they did most). Yeltsin had it rebuilt, maybe just for this day (to show his heart's allegiance). At least it signifies in architecture how the Kingdom of Christ outlasts the follies of man i.e.secular materialism as Karl Marx wrote it in "Das Capitol, their false bible. Despite failures, Yeltsin had been the first elected president of Russia; and his resignation in '99 marked the happier ending of a century with such pain and misery. It's Putin that's had the hard work of putin'' things back on track, as I see it.
Here in WW I we've got plenty of plus signs: Kent's Cafe reopened out north 6am to 3pm, downtown a new ATM across from the Landmark Bank, new furnishings inside our Crescent Drug where I met the new pharmacist, a historic residence on Kerr Blvd. being remodelled by it's owners at Stevenson Enterprises, and Snak-Shak re-opening tomorrow after being closed several weeks for renewal on the inside. Don't know what's to become of Ye Ole Barber Shop, where the late Gloria Hunter had her place. As everyone knows now, one of her customers had won her hand in matrimony; then she left him after he threatened her with a knife to her throat. So when she went back to work, he came downtown to the shop with another woman in the car and a loaded pistol to shoot Gloria on a street around the corner, emptying the gun that he got somewhere. Then he walked over like a devil's robot and turned himself in at the police station. It was WW's prelude episode to what happened next up in Blacksburg VA. This month had begun with Holy Week, the first eight days seeming serene and sacred. Then all hell broke loose. We even had a Friday 13th as things were going so crazy here and at VT. I opened my Bible to Jn.13 this morning and it was at the Last Supper, where Jesus told what pain was just ahead for them and Himself. Young John, on His right hand, hears it all, Judas (maybe on the left) gets identified as the betrayer; then Peter (the leading Apostle) as one who will deny Jesus three times during that very night. So those were furious but famous hours, which the Bible records now and forever. Look to the Lord in the midst of this turmoil, and trust that He is coming back again: "I go to the Father. But if I go, I will come again and receive you unto Myself," an infinitely better deal than the Russians got from their now deceased leader! So long and Shalom
ANGELFIRE 4-28-07 Wednesday's ANGELFIRE shifted it's topic from the death of Yeltsin in Russia to new improvements here in WW. That illustrated how gains near-at-hand can be overlooked by being too global minded. Though I see Christ as the Lord of human history, He's also my personal Savior, "closer than hand or foot and nearer than beathing." So here's another WW plus that I failed to mention: the house next door that Niece is now remodelling. I think it's about the seventh one we've bought to remodel, beginning with the Pinkhouse right here on which she began back in '91. We're at the NW corner of Juanita & Clayton, with #7 right next door east (Juanita & Severs); a place with plenty of space on the half-block. New siding has given it a contemporary appearance and soon the inside will show her magic too. How did I fail to make mention when it's as plain as the nose on my face? That's an illustration of GOD's being so very close at hand, yet man's being unaware of any divine reality. The fallen nature of earthly beings leaves us blind to that eternal glory filling both heaven and earth. I recall the tri- sanctus in that hymn which is sung "Holy, holy, holy LORD God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Thee, heaven and earth are praising Thee. Oh LORD most high." And earth is far more than just one of the eight planets (#9 named Pluto was declassified last yeaar). Of course we've learned to treat it as the name Earth in this space age. But in Scripture "earth" is used of all material creation, even other places. So could there be earthlings on that new planet that's been found around another sun in a different galaxy? Perhaps, because they'd also be created from matter, or "dust of the earth," just as we are. GOD's physical universe is all composed of the same elements (which totalled back 92 when I studied physics under the late Mabel Erwin at PV high school back in '43-'44). adamah is Hebrew for soil or ground. So the first man's name could be taken from soil on any planet as dust into which our Creator has breathed life (or spirit). Have we overlooked such a possibility the same way I did my wife's project here in WW, that's right next door to us?
As I think of that SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) program that got so much publicity when it began a few years ago, I grow more convinced that it's a futile quest. My own son in Tulsa became involved in it and told me only yesterday how his own computer is still hooked up to their global net-working. But if there were any messages coming from outer space to verify conscious temprospatial beings out there, we'd have picked it up by now. On the other hand, we can communicate instantly with GOD the divine Source through prayer. Another name in Scripture is Yahweh Sabaoth, which means "LORD of hosts(angels/armies)." We can talk to the transcendent One beyond this physical universe, and know Him as Father through the Son who came into it like one of us. We don't talk to the angels, but do know they are watching (as observers for the Father/Son). And they enter and leave at speed beyond time or space, yet cannot be detected by natural science. That's because they are supernatural. So long...till Christ returns