The fingers of God are written into the American experience and the problem of keeping abreast of them is what is driving the circus and turmoil in the United States and fuelling beastly behaviour all over the globe. One has to suspect that there are sisters and brothers living in blissful ignorance of our daily news of our ballot boxes, hordes of civil servants, bigoted religious people, and mud-mired political class are mere toenails: clip and discard. The inability to think rightly grows out of a resistance to thinking. More precisely, God’s fingers allows bad people to rise to power and do bad things. He does not allow the minds of his people, the followers of Yeshua, to be victims of bad thinking. Since our minds and bodies need food. No-one can live by God’s words without being directly related to him. Indeed when the stars in our universes are obviously flawed individuals and sometimes one’s One can, as they did in New Testament times, take up the challenge of embracing a new regime without fear of sanction or rebuke or one can go allied with law and prophets, which is the same as Protestantism and Catholicism in bed, just as we expected.

Thoughts in the public arena

What matters is one’s business. Thoughts are private but we can hardly be expected to hide our good thoughts (about the past, present, and future) or resist telling others. The parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son, tell us about the imperative of telling others what has happened to us. What happened, is happening, and will happen are fair broadcasts, so are what might have happened, might be happening now, what might happen in the future are also all legit. It helps when our expectations do not crowd out the facts. Where we have come from and where we are now are not conflicting pieces of divine stuff we need to figure out and pull together. I think it is way better to be in expectation of the wonders of love and trust, and not being disappointed too deeply. So when we say “I think” it ought to soaked in caring about others, accountable for our relationships, and hold out hope’s flag. Better yet, think out loud. Do we dare? Hmmm.

New Regime Expected

Three prophecies in Luke’s gospel provide the Holy Spirit link between the Old and New Testaments. They occur before our Lord’s public ministry begins. They come through male and female witnesses. They say nothing about Moses, Sinai, and the Law. Each shows the expectation of something different than the Law and the prophets and far more satisfying.

Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, prophesies about being saved, mercy performed as promised, holy covenant remembered, oath remembered, John’s salvation-knowledge career, and he calls Christ the Visiting Honourable (=from on high?) Dayspring.

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, (Luke 1:67)

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, Luke 1:68 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; Luke 1:69 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: Luke 1:70 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; Luke 1:71 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; Luke 1:72 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, Luke 1:73 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, Luke 1:74 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Luke 1:75 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; Luke 1:76 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Luke 1:77 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, Luke 1:78 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:79

Elisabeth prophesies: Yeshua is her lord, Mary is blessed for believing, and God does what he promises.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: Luke 1:41 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Luke 1:42 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:43 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Luke 1:44 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. Luke 1:45

Mary sings: God as saviour is her exultation, he was well aware of Mary’s low estate, he did great things to her, his own arm is the show of strength, he dispenses with proud persons, he pulls down the mighty from their seats.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, Luke 1:46 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:47 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Luke 1:48 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. Luke 1:49 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. Luke 1:50 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Luke 1:51 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Luke 1:52 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. Luke 1:53 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; Luke 1:54

New Regime Received

Hear now how the Spirit witnesses to the fulfilled expectations. This is from an old guy. This is sober thinking out in the open. When Mary and Joseph bring the infant Messiah to the temple in Jerusalem for dedication (called purification due to holiness demands) the Spirit of God uses the occasion to connect the family with prophetic expectation.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; Luke 2:22 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) Luke 2:23 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. Luke 2:24

Imagine the brisk trade at the temple for the sacrifices, the busyness of the priests and Levites, and all the travelling of pilgrims to the temple for childbirth, for the dedication of firstborns, offerings for cleansing after childbirth in Mary’s case, and you can see that this trip was a very big deal. They run into Simeon.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Luke 2:25

New regime Rejected

The people had three authority figure that were supposed to help with both official and social matters. These were the ruling priests, the elders, and the scribes. Their fingers are all over the many things our Lord suffered. This suffering is in addition to dying as sacrifice for sin.

These allies hounded the Lord from birth, and the secular powers of the Roman puppet monarchy also persecuted him. They knew what to expect. Their power was over interpreting the law and regulating the reverent sacrificial services. They knew how to launder money more than lightning up paths and lightening burdens.

Thee big shock was to come in the Lord’s words. He saw the coming events with clarity and commitment. He even revealed his “…great desire” to have that upcoming Passover, saying, “… “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”. Luke 22:15b (actual words, With desire I have desired to eat…)

From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Matt 16:21

Peter’s response to this appointment was “Absolutely no way this is happening to you”. He took Yeshua aside and began harassing (rebuke, ἐπιτιμᾶν , is present tense = he kept it up) the Lord. Imagine Peter taking Yeshua aside for a talking to. Oh my! This is a picture of him doing it every time he got a chance. He would pull Yeshua aside to affirm his view of Yeshua’s destiny. No death and resurrection.

Way off from you, lord, this thing shall never (from not not) be yours

Ἵλεώς σοι Κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο. Matt 16:22

hee-lay-OSE soy KOO-ree-ay, oo may ES-ta-ee soy TOO-taw

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matt 16:22 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Matt 16:23

What are our expectations? Who are our allies? Are there things we say – when we think we are in the know about what Christ is up to – that are help and hindrance? Things of man are food, drink, dominion, occupation, exile, salvation, blessing. It makes no sense to be, from one day to another, condemned in the morning, justified in the evening. Which is a pretty lame expectation per se. The modern version of walking in the light begins with getting everything right. People should not say avoid traps like trust and obey for there is no other way. What happens when one does not obey is a far cry from what is the result of not trusting. The latter is dead. The former is forgiven and happy (blessed)

Salvation is such a great thing that it does make a person think what an amazing thing to bring because of sin, and only dead-beats will deny themselves God’s grace. According to many, eat and drink right are fundamentals, yet these have no place on the atonement scale. There was no treatment for violations of Israel’s eating and drinking (uncleanness not nutrition and not medical) code except for a gluttonous child.

What people say about what we say is far worse than we think.

Let us give the best and expect the best.

There is no disappointment in remaining hopeful

for what God has promised for our day-to-day.

Kingdom-come, food, forgiveness, rescue-from-evil

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Rom 5:5

EIGHT WOES ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES – jingle all the way

I may seem stuck on jackals but not.  Jackals are in the news big time.  So allow me, please, one more peek at today’s jackal prophets, who we see doing anything to cling to the illusion that a palace makes a pig a prince.  It is a phenomenon that we observe in the religious world in the political world and in the financial world.  The popular operations for informing people of critical issues include saying what people want to hear,  pretendingthat things are so because we said so, and preparing a host of talking points to push back against the scrutiny.   Their operations revolve around majoring in minors, taking ownership of what they can and relabelling even the most despicable attitudes as honourable.  Like the people who today believe that walls and tall tales are the mice that enhance the American lion’s posse.  It is one part of the horrible jingles that have pimped up the darkest places of human aspirations.  We are just waking up to the fact that Pharisee love of money, and clamour for the Law of Moses are with us today and it is jingle all the way.

Hollywood Helfire

Like the dead from the wilderness journeys of their ancestors the Scribes and Pharisees of New Testament times were ornate walking tombs.   Their cowardice, malicec and greed are legendary.  Their likeness to the modern pundit and experts on social, political, and spiritual matters is also striking.  Once the administrators of Jewish religion and their academic allies saw Messiah coming they began their questions and and plots to silence the vew voice.   Let us not think that Yeshua did not like these people or had any pwersonal animosity against the Jewish leadership, against the king, the Roman Emperor, or against the local ringleaders.  They fanned the flame of resstance to God and faced the music when Rome destroyed the temple.  It seems that they still thought that the temple was a shield against divine judgment.   They belonged to hellfire, for their legendary unbelief, and even the temple was an empty shell despite all the activity in both rituals and religious invesitgation.  They were in the business of making disciples destined for hell; disciples who were twice as distant from God’s way as they were.

They were not obedient.  They were not into executing justice and we are woefully slow to acknowledge that the kingdom life, for which we pray every day, is what matters.   It is God’s promise fulfilled that energizes us when we join Christ.  We are not merely eligible for kingdom participation: we are in.  On the other hand all the jackal behaviour of New Testament times are in our news today.   The claims made in most jingles are a lot of hot air.

It is not hyperbole when the Rabbi from Nazareth denounces with graphic relish the elite of his society. Scribes and Pharisees are the players to watch. One cannot miss them. His elevation of these groups is to warn against their attitudes and lifestyles. Beware! In effect he says, “Say goodbye to your megaspirations”. All greatness belongs to Christ our Saviour. Every tempest of our 21st century contentions is tainted with Pharisaism and it is time we say aloha to it. We have been hearing and seeing it in alliance with the crudest political platforms. Contending for the faith as our defence of the Gospel cannot be a defence of jingoism. A lot of hot air is out there. Christian faith is not jingoism, even as it has become a front seat ally to political sentiments that reek of greed, impurity, and oppression. The goal of Christ’s call is precise. One does not need 3 to 7 opinions to see what is in it for everyone.

Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 1Tim 1:5  (unfeigned = without pretense)

Jingoism; the favourite strategy of the day.  A hit slogan of the purists is the Ten Commandment jingle. Practically everyone is certain that law will fix our problems. It never did and never will. We know that.  It is beyond debate.  People surely could not claim to be under it and not under it.  That does not work.  When they came to the commandment that invites love from a pure heart they swerved to avoid it and slammed into faking it. Was it that they did not accept either salvation from sin or productivity in the world?

From which, some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling; 1Tim 1:6 understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 1Tim 1:7 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 1Tim 1:8

Now one has to see that the law is the source of the content for the jingles. Paul’s contemporaries affirmed something about love, pure hearts, good consciences, and pretense-free trust in God. But they did so using the law unlawfully. Their arguments were all red herrings. One cannot use the law to establish the Law. The law testifies to happiness from forgiveness, happiness for grace and pardon, and freedom from condemnation, not credit for having paid our debt and not assurance by reliance on our works.

Resistance to decency is an old and persistent threat, reported with clarity in the 6^th century BC. This is God giving the southern Kingdom of Judah one last chance to treat people with dignity and respect. These are not religious standards.

If you stop oppressing the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and stop killing innocent citizens, and deify dead things… Jer 7:6

A spell must certainly be deduced from the behaviour of Christians, Muslims, and Jews who like to self-evaluate as substantial agents for the heavenly kingdom. A demon must be deduced from the large number of our contemporaries who are mouthing ancient sayings as if they were present truth.

Desiring to be teachers of the law is still a popular ambition. The people who are followers of Messiah are not born into access, did not ask to be selected for glory, and have nothing to prove to an unbelieving world.

The Pharisees learned their slogans from the Scribes and together they sought to make Yeshua and John the Baptist (and one supposes all the prophets) nice boys in pretty palace clothes just blowing in the wind.

Matthew 11:7-13

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

Yeshua saw through the illusions and pronounced woes: misery to them.

1. Woe 1. Locking the kingdom against others entering Matt 23:13
2. Woe 2. Theft of property of widows- a religious ponzi scheme complex and making long public prayers to cover their corruption Matt 23:14
3. Woe 3. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Matt 23:15
4. Woe 4. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Matt 23:16
5. Woe 5. passing up on justice, mercy and faith(fulness). Matt 23:23
6. Woe 6. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Matt 23:25
7. Woe 7. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. Matt 23:27
8. Woe 8. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, Matt 23:29 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Matt 23:30 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matt 23:31

There are 8 simple doctrines here. Yes. Doctrines. If there is not a simple doctrine in this package it should be labelled aloha (a lot of hot air).

1. Access is for everyone. I do not want to be a road block to anyone.
2. Robbing the poor is abominable. The vulnerable need our protection.
3. We bring people to Christ, not ourselves.
4. speak precisely of the majors; the saviour is more valuable than the saved
5. some things carry more weight than others
6. majors exist inside us
7. pretense does not persist
8. people do what their ancestors have done

The most obvious items for the modern jingle choir are repetitive prayers (and songs) and the “I got it” mentality, even when the it is an irrelevant adjunct to quasi-spiritual life. Food and drink are not functional for spiritual life. No one can stretch the meaning of the gospel to include the notion that food and drink commend anyone to God. The gospel is not anything that we can relate to in our times. The gospel is the eternal truth about God entering human existence so he can redeem us. No food or drink can make the knowledge or the experience happen.

Bread is for one kind of life and the gospel is for another. The law is not of faith, grace or life. Christ is the only one who can change a leopard’s spots and make everyone zip their lips in amazement. The wonder of the leopard’s change includes explaining what just happened, including the leopard’s silence. The wonder of salvation is not our answer, but the unutterable joy at a generosity that seems infinite when compared to the terror of law and any covenant that depends on our performance.

Jingles are entirely dangerous, because they are supposed to be substantial reminders of what is important, but there isn’t a jingle that is not responsible for the emptiness of tribal religion and for a wide range of the character of today’s wickedness. If the jingle is worth anything it touches mysteries, not possibilities and unrecognizable identities. Jingles can trip a person up rather badly. Now let’s start aloha-ing with vigour, to all those empty repetitions, comfort zone mantras, and interminable cover-up prayers. To the success of everyone determined not be a victim of the daily approved load of hot air, “Aloha!”

God is perfectly patient and longsuffering despite the severity and impatience we observe in the vast majority of people who say they know God. A childish game of merry go round is not worth our time. We have known all along that everything that preceded Christ was at best playschool. That is, all the narratives and wise sayings combine to form a school where one plays with salvation’s pictures and toys. The real learning is for the people who live at the end of the age. Nothing that came before Christ appeared belongs to spiritual maturity, fruitful vineyard, or adopted child. We are using a stupid and bewitching hotspot of lies to cling to the claim of knowing the Lord, because once we say we know Him there is that possibility that one comes to realize that knowledge can be utter nonsense. We Christians believe, we do not merely sing it, that we were blind. The spiritual reality behind the famous saying is that we were dead and that now in Christ we are alive. That’s where we stand. So we cannot allow someone to shove us off our rock.   Ee are certain of what has happened to us even if we cannot explain it.  That is the essence of spiritual life. We cannot afford to have anyone shove us off our Rock of certainty about what has happened to us, even though. We are not able to explain it from a to z.  We are like the wind.

We all know people who are pulling out all the stops

1. to be Jewish
2. to be a nation like Israel
3. to be a kingdom like Israel
4. to be a king like Solomon.
5. to be a priest like Caiaphas.

More and more it is becoming painful to explain away the facts.  How many people do you know who are successful at being all God wants them to be?  We seem unable to say that we fall short, as if God does not see the whole deal.  All the heroes of Jewish and Christian faith were members of the human family who did not possess the attributes of God that some people are claiming to have acquired (and some even dare to say they had them all the time).

The obvious dilemma is that there is a lot of wheel to spin after one becomes a Jew (perhaps more popular and frequent than we think) or Christian.   Both seem to relish a list of things they don’t do.  There seems to be nothing to aspire to after one becomes a son of the Commandment in the Jewish religion. There is simarly nothing apparent to reach for in the Christian faith if one enters by means of pledges to comply with standards.  One can only become twice as bad as the person who brings one in to (presumably) meet Christ.

We are pretty sure that individuals are not spending their lives getting saved, nor are repeatedly coming to the knowledge of the truth.   Our relationship with all people is not merely thoughts and prayers.  They are supposed to be a prominent part of our thinking.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 1Tim 2:1  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1Tim 2:2   This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 1Tim 2:3   who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Tim 2:4

The maturity measure often is unrelated to Christ.  We know that his maturity was not a question of sinning less.  Why is that an issue for disciples when we are powerless to deal with missing Holy Spirit’s guidance?  We are still stuck on the idea that gifts come with strings.  The one safe place for the disciple is first of all trust – that is God at work in us.  However, we also recognize that our witness to great salvation (not creation) has little teeth when we are not positioned in the world as the Saviour was.  A certain flavouring contact is inevitable: a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Christ was lifted up, for all to see, as the example of life, not exalted in the heavenlies, but in his passion.  This was his obedience to mission: suffer for the world’s sin.  His examplary behaviour to which we can relate is his service in the face of massive contradiction and conflict.  One has to be in touch with one’s identity in such a way that nothing happens that shakes our attention from being God’s children.  The pain and elation of life are ways of life that are ours to pay attention to, ours to obey.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Heb 5:8,

A more vacuous commander cannot be found than Mike Pence. If he was the poster boy for followers of the Saviour of the world most people would turn away in disgust. Who has not noted Pence’s fawning praise of the gloating bigot in the White House with incredulity? He must be likened to the small and opportunistic predator-scavenger. Thankfully the ancient scriptures contain a precise expression that applies to a group. Pence and the GOP are infamously scavenging cowards, whose fall is as certain as the riding of a wall of ignorance and bigotry.

Ezekiel (13:4) said of Israel

Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.

He also explains this jackal phenomenon with uncanny parallels to the situation in the 21st century.

Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, Where is the coating with which you smeared it? Ezekiel 13:10-12

The connection to violence and bribes is made in Ezekiel 13:19

You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

People have no personal claim on righteousness. Not the saved, not the unsaved. Nobody. Righteousness is a God-thing.
The Jewish tales of covenant-keeping (even as a possibility) are proven to be unreliable and unfounded. The facts about how humans approach God are inescapable: blood and grace.

I have no idea why righteousness is not acknowledged as the thing that’s done to procure us a righteous standing.
Righteousness, signed, sealed, and delivered is surprising but on fact-check we discover we could have known that God was not expecting humans to fix their sin problem.

If there really was any possibility of any human rising to a flawless performance God would not have prepared the Lamb before the creation of the world.

Acting out our identity

A righteous action delivers a righteous state. Christ died for the ungodly.

How more ugly can we get trying to remake ourselves with obedience and chosen status!

Nothing else delivers what we need. Our attempts are rubbish. Doing nice things does not save people, and the persistent performance of duty does not corroborate salvation. Bad people do good things!

Grace is not a race

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Romans 5:18

One misstep led to condemnation. Death. It was not a multitude of sins that condemned Adam. It took only one.

One paraptoma led to katakrima

There is one right act that led to life. It was not compliance with the law.

One dikaioma led to dikaiosis (justice of life)

What does that fairy tale say again? Sin less but not sinless?
We are foolish to copy a tradition – keep a covenant that failed – that did no good for all of human history.

You do not want the law as your new husband. Its ex-status needs to be recognized. One would have to relinquish common decency and compassion to keep insisting that the law meets human need.

Case in point

Why would a conscientious neighbourhood committee eager to do justice not be fully aware that adultery is a two-person violation.
The villagers brought a woman they claimed was caught in the act of adultery. “in the act” means that there was no reason to drag one person into the village square or gate.
Let’s be sure that if the Lord Jesus was not present that woman would have died.
So let the Moses-head Christians throw their stones: they are happiest jumping on and off off death row.
Righteousness is not compliance with the law because there is no grace in the purposes of the law. We have seen that something in plain sight – and within easy reach- can become the subject of long journeys, distorted explanations and damnable lies.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— Romans 3:21