ANGELFIRE 4-16-10 Yesterday was tax day, with all the rallies across the our land of Sarah Palin supporters. She's looking more and more like a presidential candidate in 2012. I think that was also the date for a recent end of the world movie entitled Big Bang, which was another Hollywood mixup. BB is an aphorism from scientific cosmology and pertains to the world's origin rather ending. If you can't find your answers in the Bible, be very sure not to trust the movies. The older I get, the lest trust I put in any resources down here (not PV but the whole world). Everything has a "get-your-attention" hook, so this is a world full of hookers, so to speak. For truth you've got to look to the One who came as "light of the world." I think of that song I've always loved, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS JESUS. But instead of quoting it, I'm going to tell of a dream song I heard before awakening this morning. And also what must have triggered it in this mind. Give Me My Boots and Saddle was the song, and it must have been an angel voice singing because nothing seemed ever more beautiful. That ooo-o-00 was simply exquisite, so that I woke up wondering how a cowboy song could have touched my so deeply. Recalling yesterday brought back the face of an elder astronaut I'd heard talking on TV. It was Buzz Aldrin, last man to walk on the moon. He looked old and haggard, but he was still holding out for NASA's space program to lead the whole world's. He said the current policy of phasing out future ventures will surely mark America as a second or third class power. He recalled that it was just a year ago in IYA2009 that we had celebrated 40 years since the lunar landing of Neil Armstrong and another. Maybe it was Buzz himself. Such was the reason the United Nations had designated that entire year to the study of astronomy and outer space. At any rate, Aldrin was sad about prospects now of getting to Mars or even going to the moon again.He seemed to be groping to grasp some fading dreams and that cowboy song in my dream offered me the words for him: Give me back my boots and saddle...gonna ride that range once more in the place that I adore...give me my boots and saddle, oooaoo-oooaoo=ooaooo. ANGELFIRE remembers when we called our time in history "the space age," but now our cosmologists have expanded dimensions so vastly that few ever even mention it. Yet the Creator of this Universe awaits those who keep the faith in him as FATHER ALMIGHTY, maker of heaven and earth. Hallelujah, shalom and blessings of forgiveness (rather than more taxes or greater debt) JosephA@webtv.net
LORD's DAY This extra will not be in the paper, but today (Fri) is our Natinal Day of Prayer, though I only heard that mentioned on TV once and only because some federal judge has deemed it unconstutional; but I am so glad America still has IN GOD WE TRUST on our currency. It's on five, ten or twenty, fifty and 100 dollar bills too. Thus we should be aware of significant items in the news that hint at God's destiny for us. The huge ash cloud out of tiny Iceland has spread clear over Scotland, Ireland, England, Europe and beyond. It's been a menace for two days now for commercial air travel. Those airliners can get their jets clogged by what ash rises into the high atmosphere even at thousands of feet. And for this worst ever sky pollution to come from a volcano in that little nation up by the pole is awesome indeed. Then even here over in the US there was a meterior across Iowa and Michigan last night. It turned the whole sky into an erie green as it sped over cities and rural areas. I've never seen such a sight, though once as a boy in IL I stayed up nearly all night watching the aurora borealis. Now that was awesome too. And so are these contemporary signs above. Now we know that there is weather out there in space i.e. solar wind, gas cloud storms and filaments carrying electromagnetic force just like rivers of energy across "empty space." Earth lightning is just once example right here in our atmosphere. But plasma filaments connect all the planets and suns out there; even galaxies too. And the speed of light is 186 thousand miles per second. But we can see back across the distance it has traveled for 13.7 bilion years with modern dection devices. My son in Tulsa is with SETI that keeps an eye on space for ET visitors or signals. The ALMIGHY has afforded us knowledge in order that we are moved to fall down in worship and praise. Most of all we've been visited by his own Son to show us the purpose of it all. Here's children's chorus that fits: To be lie Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask to be like him. All through life's journey from earth to glory, all I ask TO BE LIKE HIM. My heart leaps up to be singing it and maybe some day Angelfire can put the sound on these with words. If any of you readers know how, here's my plea to add it. Also I'm grateful for you online readers. Not a great number by usually over a dozen (but 29 today). Shalom (peace, preservation & prosperity) to you, JosephA aka Angelfire in print
ANGELFIRE 4-20-10 News this morning is that the volcano in Iceland is having new eruptions that add to that ash cloud over Europe. Yet flights from Paris have been resumed and a handful from Amsterdam and Frankfort also. All the stalled air-traffic just can't wait anylonger. Passengers have been using ground traffic for a week, but are taking to the sky again. ANGELFIRE sees danger in this risky travel that flaunts an awesome sign in the heavens. The Lord Jesus told one of his parables about a grain of mustard seed that was "smallest of all the seeds." Yet when fallen to the ground, "it became a great tree." It was just a small glacier in Iceland from which a volcano erupted. And tiny Iceland is on a little island far up in NW Europe named Nuru. It's the world's least sized island state. Now we are seeing how such vast consequences may come from a wee tiny source. That whole site near the Arctic Circle is only 8.1 square miles of very thin crusted Earth. Yet the ash cloud's impact on global affairs continues. It kept many leads of state away from the Polish funeral last week for those 170 victims of that crash at Krakow. Even our president Obama had to cancel his attendance because of ashes in the air space. We clergy get a funeral feeling from that word "ash." The final committal incudes some dismal words spoken at a cemetery burial, "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust." Then as all the living face east, we end gladly with "looking forward to the return of our Lord Jesus, at whose coming in glory and majesty the earth and the sea shall give up their dead and the bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed and make like unto his own glorified body." Hallelujah! This ash cloud in the news may be an omen of evil ahead for the world, but our glory cloud trumps it with Gospel truth. "He's coming soon, He's coming soon. With joy we'll welcome his returning. It may be mourn, it may be night or noon. We know he's coming soon." Scripture names this THE BLESSED HOPE in Titus 2:13 "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." C.L.J JosephA@webtv.net ANGELFIRE 10-22-10 Earth Day is not a major event to this writer, so the message ANGELFIRE wants to stress today is the ORIGIN of our natural universe. It's not just here by chance, but is a creation of the Living God. Thus the care and concern we show for it is surely pleasing to him, even as his beautiful handiwork. In the Psalms we read that "The earth is the Lord's; the world and those that dwell therein." So this Earth Day certainly has a spiritual aspect which should make us aware of our stewardship for it's true and everlasting owner. The Bible speaks of the Promised Land and Bible students all know it was first called Canaan. It was promised to Abraham and his progeny, and Moses led their twelve tribes them out of captivity in Egypt to claim it. As I was returning from my first visit to Israel back in '78, I was pondering all we'd been shown there, when our pilot told us that we were turning to cross over Europe on the way to London. I looked down as he spoke of the Isle of Rhodes being visible below. As the plane tilted over on it's right side I saw the little place called Rhodes below, with roads running neatly and houses all so orderly. A sense of promise down there echoed in my thought to our whole planet as a Promised Land. That was long before Earth Day had been named. But it's carried over for me till now. Since our Lord Jesus came to save peoples of all lands on Earth, it's main purpose must be a home for human souls, each need needing to be saved. The Hebrew word for peace was a greeting I had learned in Israel. They say "shalom" the way we say hello to greet others. Now the latter word is just a sound with no specific meaning. But "Shalom" can be a prayer of blessing and greeting. We read in the N.T. how Jesus spoke "peace unto you" to his Apostles after rising from the dead. Since they were fully Jewish, I don't think he spoke in Greek, but the Jewish expression, shalom. It's much more than just meaning an end of conflict. It includes also preservation and prosperity. Just think, peace-preservation-prosperity all in a word of greeting. Then the reply is also shalom. If you mean it as a blessing, then it becomes a prayer for the one who hears, "God's peace, preservation & prosperity be upon you." What a word to link with Earth Day! The Lord Jesus is coming again to bring a new heaven and earth. So Come Lord Jesus Rev.22::20 So Long/Shalom, JosephA@webtv.net
ANGELFIRE 4-25-10 As a world watcher(seer), ANGELFIRE sees the situation for Greece as urgent to western civilization. Their appeal for financial aid is necessary to prevent a collapse into chaos in that small country that has played such a basic role in history. It's hard to realize that they once ruled the world and gave it a language to connect the peoples of Earth, especially in thinking. Philosophy has it's root in Socrates-Plato-Aristotle teaching. And the Bible (OT), written in Hebrew/Aramaic, was then translated into Greek by the seventy scholars (gaining Septuagent as the version title). So our New Testament was then written in Greek, and I'm sure that was a divine choice i.e. not only to make it international, but because that language had just the right word in it's lexicon, agape. None other term could as correctly express the Father's love being shown as the Gospel. We need to realize that Greek had two other words, eros and philia, for love. But the one in John 3:16 and most of the N.T. is agape. It is above and beyond either eros or philia (sexual or family) love. It means divine total self giving love that demands no reciprocation. It's the only word on Earth to articulate God's care for humanity in language. So we are indebted to the Greeks for this reach of the mind. We evangelicals also know that the mind of man cannot comprehend it fully, but that only the heart is enabled by grace. Thus we believe in heartfelt religion as putting our complete faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. C.L.J. JosephA
LORD'S DAYextra I've mentioned before the book by Lee Strobel, CASE FOR THE REAL JESUS, that gave me such a faith reassurance. I've loaned it around some and have copies of three other books by Strobel. His CASE FOR A CREATOR is the one I've nearly finished. What an impact his apologetics are having! Maybe it's from his name I get so much light. Remembering my navy years in electronics study, I recall about strobe light. It was quite new and amazing back then in '46 and used on fast turning items that would appear still in strobe fast blining light. It could flash on and off at such short intervals because it wasn't created from any electrical filament. Rather the plasma in a tube would respond instantly to the on and off of sufficient voltage. Just in recent years the same efficiency has been found in LEDs, the bulbs that contain plasma which all becomes luminous and which saves electricity since no heat is formed. So Lee Strobel is a new kind of light on the various CASES in his books, and we should thank the Lord for how it makes faith brighter today. He's our strobe light. Strobe is a Greek word for whirl. Thus it signifies divine light exposing Satan's confusion of basic Bible teaching.Thank God for Lee Strobel.
ANGELFIRE 4-27-10 Wednesday at 7pm will begin the final spring revival service at Joy Baptist. Niece and have been attending the glorious evenings of singing and preaching that pastor Clay Shannon has arranged. Others from Davis, WW, PV & all around have come too, filling Joy's beautifully renewed sanctuary (plus being also filled with joy). Revival comes when the Spirit s p r i n g s up into life everlasting, as Scripture says, a time of gladness and inner light as the Lord Jesus is exhaled. I think of all the colors of the rainbow in a spiritual way. First is red, which means great emotion. Then orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The basic three are red, yellow and blue--which combine to make all other colors. Yet all colors combined add up to white, which is the full opposite of darkness. Scripture says that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." If we examine visual light as the radiation of photons, we find it's wave frequency increased across the spectrum from infra-red at the lowest to ultra-violet as the highest. Then there are other radiations our eyes cannot detect. But right in the middle of the visual spectrum is green. Now that says "life" doesn't it. We even call this Earth the green planet. It's the rainbow's yellow blended into blue, or right in the middle. Thus green means growing or alive. "In the green" is a financial expression of prosperity (like in the black monetarily). And our dollar bill has a greenback side (opposite of the black side). Even in traffic there's a green signal for go (just as red means stop). So it seems basic to ANGELFIRE that all of our spring flowers blossom out from their green stems. And maybe some are even green blossoms. No wonder it's the color central in the rainbow. Revival is like spring time of life, a greening up. Yet there's another kind of green that means rot and corruption. When something turns that color, it's time to be discarded. If it's covered with mold and fungus, then get rid of it because it means full of envy. So that's the other side of revival, getting the devil out of our affairs with purifying light from on high. All the seven colors are in a name, ROY G BIV. It's just an imaginary gimmic, yet suggests all seven, with a G for green in the very middle. And all seven combine to make white light. Maybe you learned this in kindergarten, but revival can refresh your mind as well as spirit. Shalom to all of you, JosephA@webtv.net
ANGELFIRE 4-29-10 Wow, but this year's speeding fast, a third of it is nearly gone now. And it seems we are always going back to New Orleans. The oil spill from that off-shore windpowered-rig explosion is drawing attention from far and wide. I had just previously watched the somber memorial service Sun.in W.VA for those 29 miners who died early this month. It ended with a song as emotionally moving as any I've heard. Seems it repeated "Go stand on that mountain" which I assumed to mean Christ Jesus. So now the US is getting ready for a 59th National Day of Prayer. It will be May 6, and there are sounds of protest about it this year, especially since some federal judge has said it was unconstitutional. It's theme is "For such a Time as This." The task force says it's mission is to communicate with every individual the need of personal repentance, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in several centers of power: government, military, media,business, education and family. (rememer the seven colors of light in our last column) more at www.nationaldayofprayer.org One brash reply to critics I've read goes "Let us pray--with or without NDP" and another saying of Christians openly for it "NDP (to-Jesus-or-get-your-own-show)." Yet people of all faiths are invited that day to spend some special time in prayer for our country as well as others. As the task force rolls on toward April 6, objections keep piling up from interfaith groups. But this year's text Nahum 1:7 gives it force, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him." ANGELFIRE sees it as one day of our year to lift all 365 for continuation of a daily prayer life. Back in 1952 when it began, president Harry Truman had endorsed the idea and newly elected pres.general Dwight Eisenhouer got it going. It was rooted in the appeals for prayer with signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the founding Constitutional Convention that followed. We will have already observed Law Day (May 1), so NDP on April 6 is just the correct sequel, as ANGELFIRE sees it. C.L.J. SoLong/Shalom, JosephA@webtv.net Vince Gill wrote the song mentioned above: I know your life on earth was troubled/ And only you could know the pain/ You weren't afraid to face the devil/ Your were no stranger to the rain/ Go rest high on that mountain/ Son your work on earth is done/ Go to heaven a-shoutin'/ Love the Father and the Son/ Oh, how we cried the day you left us/ We gathered round your grave to grieve/ Wish I could see the angels' faces/ When they heard your sweet voice sing/ Go rest high on that mountain/ Son, your work on earth is done/ Go the way to heaven a-shoutin'/ Love for the Father and the Son/ Go to heaven a-shoutin' Love for the Father and the Son. I think it draws from Moses going up on Mt.Nebo when his work was done. He stood at ease until God laid him down up there in a secret grave. So subsequent Hebrew prophets aspired to die in like manner. Thus, Jesus ALSO died on a mountain calle Galgatha or Calvary.
ANGELFIRE 5-03-10 As the oil spill in the Gulf gets worse, we learn of that tower standing nine miles off shore and going down a mile deep in the water. It's been leaking at the bottom, about 5000 gallons each day for a couple of weeks now. At first that BP company said they had things under control, right after the explosion that took eleven lives. But now every source of help is being sought, though the Coast Guard was first. And president Obama is also involved, hoping that his reputation won't suffer as GW's did back when Katrina hit New Orleans several years ago. Predictions are that gasoline will be up over three dollars a gallon, ugh. And all that resort industry will be off limits for the near future. Whew. But up in NYC they are not so bleak. That amature terrorist car-bomb failed to explode in Times Square, when it ignited after the driver fled. What a myriad might have been killed. And a video of the white man who escaped from that '93 Nission SUV Pathfinder has already been obtained by authorities. Sure makes an opposite feeling from down south, with gratitude to God for the alert police officer who responded to a report of that SUV with smoke inside it. Sounds like an echo of 9/11 to ANGELFIRE. How dramatically the powers of good and evil and raging right here in America, as the whole world watches this Christ vs Satan saga. Surely it portends the imminent return of our King Jesus in glory and majesty, when he will take his church out of this wicked world to establish a new heaven and earth. That toppled tower down in the Gulf of Mexico recalls Gen.11 (as 9/11 also did nine years ago), where mankind's folly is condemned by divine judgement/confusion upon man's Tower of Babel project. It was bringing wealth to the greedy, but it's hault brought disaster and division into the world of mankind. The National Day of Prayer can be an urgent time of preparation here in 2010, as US citizens repent of worldliness and wickedness in renewed allegiance to the God in whom we claim to trust. That motto is still on our currency. Oh that it become true in our hearts as the great Day of divine judgement approaches. If we read Revelation, we'll walk in Jerusalem along with it's author John. It ends with the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. I think of that negro spiritual: I want'a be ready, I want"a be ready to walk in Jerusalem just like John." Come Lord Jesus Rev.22:21
ANGELFIRE 5-06-10 As I write, our land is observing it's National Day of Prayer, which will be the 59th time since president Harry Truman started the practice after WW II. I can recall how his successor Eisenhouer was very supportive of it despite the change from Democrat to Republican. That was a clear sign to America that keeping right with the Almighty sure does transcend even national politics. Yet in Britain today is their election and most likely the end of the Labor party's majority. We can recall how Tony Blair won a landslide victory back in '97, then became such a prominent leader internationally too. But Gordon Brown who gained his place those 13 years ago hasn't been able to fill Blair's shoes. Thus the Conservatives seem sure to get their man seated as Prime Minister. Of course there's that small Liberal Democrat party, but can only make deals with either of the two larger ones. So a headline this morning is calling this a "revolutionary election." As ANGELFIRE gets it, no one is sure of the outcome. Back here we are praying instead of voting, and we have plenty to concern us. The flood in Nashville is a major concern now added to the Gulf Coast problems from that oil spill. And NYC is still shaken by the car bomb that failed to explode in Times Square. Just think how the agenda has changed from last month when it was that volcano in Iceland that had all of Europe alarmed, and air traffic grounded. These are truly the tumultuous times foretold by our Lord Jesus to precede His final return, which could be any day now. Each morning as we awaken should start with the question "Am I ready for his coming today?" Our awareness of weather all around Earth that is available is a metaphor for the whole Universe in which our Living God revealed in the Bible continues creating and allowing destruction. As the Father Almighty he has allowed a freedom that gives us the opportunity to live as his children; to know him personally as our heavenly Father. But that freedom has also reslulted in false angels seeking to allure us away from our transcendent destiny. So let's pray every day to stay in God's Way
SoLong/Shalom, JosephA@webtv.net
LORD'SDAY 5-09-10 On this Mother's Day I've read the three letters of John and am trying to fit motherhood into basic Bible faith. One of the ancient Church fathers said that "whosoever would have God for a father, must have the Church for his mother." He spoke in the early age of a holy catholic Church that was pure of Maryolotry. In the NT, John had addressed his second letter to "the elect lady and her children." It was a figure of speech for the church. John had ended his first letter 5:18bff "but he who has been born of God keeps/guards himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one...Litte children keep yourselves from idols. Amen." How sneaky idolatry can be. Even the virgin Mary later became one in the church as that early Church lost it's purity. We don't need a divine Lady in heaven to represent, but do need our sprirtual mother here on earth for strength. Jesus taught the Apostles "Our Father who art in heaven." So that is his prayer given for us to recite together to God. It helps us being mothered in our faith by fellow believers. Faith is not only personal but shared by those with whom we are close in belief. It is intimate but not utterly private. Of course there are things we disclose only to the Lord Jesus, but the more we can feel trust around us the more we can share. So our closest circle of prayer partners becomes the mother church to us. Here's a song to add: God is our father, Christ Jesus is our our brother. And the blessed Holy Spirit is out guide. The devil's no relation 'cause we're a new creation. We are members of that family from the sky. The song shows God's Holy Spirit as mother/guide, doesn't it. And "she" is also mentioned in Genesis as moving over the face of the deep at Creation. So ANGEGLFIRE sees that in cosmology as power flowing through the filaments that connect this Universe together. Plasma cosmology brings parallels to this contemporary world i.e. Earthly big bang in volcanos that explode and economic black hole in the market collapse on Thursday; and another at the bottom of th Gulf of Mexico five miles down. Seems cosmology is echoed in Earthology. SoLong/Shalom, JosephA@webtv.net
ANGELFIRE 5-10-10 Blowing your top was an expression some three decades ago for pent up anger bursting forth all at once. It was the extreme form of loosing your cool. We've long since dropped "cool" from our vernacular. Now we say hot instead, which sounds more like "blowing off steam." I'm leading up to the 30th anniversary of our American volcano's eruption in WA, Mount St. Helens. Our insert of American Profile last week told the story, "Rebirth of Mount St Helens, witnessing 30 years of nature's healing power." It erupted without warning at 8:32am that clear spring morning three decades ago when 57 people were killed. For years after that violent explosion it remained desolate, but life has returned bit by bit. It had knocked 1300 feet off the 9665 peak to trigger the largest landslide in recorded history which laid waste 230 square miles of forest choking 14 miles of river valley with mud. The ash plume spread over cities Yakima and Spokane to turn day into night. Now that doea recall just last month how a volcano in Iceland sent its cloud over most of Europe for weeks. What power volcanoes have! And there are about 1500 of them on Earth, a full two-third being in the E.Pacific, along coastlines of various nations. It's called "The Ring of Fire," (another expression that sounds so familiar). Japan has 40 even though it's smaller than CA. It includes their Mt.Fuji which we all know about. But Mount St. Helens is America's best known, and on May 18th we'll remember that fateful Sunday three decades ago when it blew it's top and got the whole world's attention. Yet we'll also rejoice in the healing nature has wrought so that tourists are going there again. I watched a TV documentary Sat. afternoon that had coverage of the eruption and then the gradual renewal. There was a lot about the volcano's "spine" down deep beneath ground. It was broken but is now growing aagain to a point. It made me think of the anthropic principle seen by cosmologists studying formation of the Universe. What a sign of the divine!! Thus,we are not forsaken nor forgotten on this little planet Earth. Hallelujah! Even that tiny plume in Iceland was a signal to all mankind of the great Day that's coming. And our own National Day of Prayer coincided with a thousand point drop in the world's stock market, biggest ever in history. That's a reiteration of our Lord's warning to lay not up treasures on earth where moth corrupts and thieves break in to steal. But lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth corrupts nor thieves break in to steal. Can it get any louder? Come Lord Jesus Shalom, JA
ANGELFIRE 5-13-10 It's another stormy day here in WW as I'm writing this and recalling Monday's widespread weather destruction at OKC and to Seminole over east. I heard then that 26 twisters had been sighted, which was awesome. But later read it was scaled down to a dozen, which still seems incredible. I was especially concerned as I prayed for Niece to return safe from her trip to Norman. She told of seeing some trucks piled up on the other side of I-35 as she came back. Then at eleven pm we heard OKC's mayor Cornette speak on TV about the extensive damage up there, where crews would be out all night clearing streets. Later the death total was set at up to seven. It was almost as bad as the 2003 disaster that hit Moore so hard. So now I hear it raining gently outside and hope it doesn't get worse. There are various weather names used to describe our our threat: funnels, twisters, tornadoes or even sand devils. Whirlwind is the Bible name for them all and is mentioned numerous times> I mentioned sand devil because Satan is implied in Scripture's "whirlwind." He brings in the crazy element, yet the Living God can use even that for ultimate good. We hear Job being questioned out of the whirlwind by a divine Voice (chap.38). So even weather has a supernatural dimension---or supra-natural (arising from nature but extending beyond it). Somehow this links my view to the "funnel" that British Petroleum tried to lower onto that oil leak in the Gulf. We get things turned on with our science & technology, and then can't turn them off. So that oil keeps spilling out of Earth below into the sea, and rising to pollute our Gulf coast. Thus the blame game has turned into a bigger struggle than the urgent job at hand. Even the UN is involved now. So when we start our cars, we'd better offer a prayer also for the cork being put back in that bottle down there. And also stop trusting so much in human knowhow, as we look heavenward more often. Here's a chorus I sometimes sing while driving my route with the car full of papers: No never alone, no never alone. He's promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone (repeat). I've seen the lightning flashing, I've heard the thunder roll. I've felt the sea waves dashing trying to conquer m soul, But Jesus is waiting in glory there seated upon his throne. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. [repeat chorus again] SoLong/Shalom JosephA@webtv.net