Author: eejoseph

Faith is too often a fool’s exercise

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Ask the guardians of the courts of justice about grace and they will tell you that grace reversed was not grace in the first place.  Ask the practitioners of faith – I do not mean holding a set of beliefs – about its rewards and they will tell you that faith allows your eyes to see things that do not exist. While the tears of grief are running down your cheeks your faith contradicts the evidence and offers you neither a handkerchief nor a hug.

And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Mark 10:52

Faith is not merely expressing a strong desire when the divine energy is absent or pointed in a different direction.

The kind of faith that always makes you wait is likely not a faith God bestows. If faith is believing the impossible – from the human perspective – is going to happen then it is most certainly not imagination.

We cannot deny that people can and do restore vitality to many malfunctioning facets of human life, but those who have seen a person grow limbs and who have seen funerals interrupted by returning life can relate to faith that works with divine love supervising. Having “authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” and a shield against injury (Luke 10:19) it is a curious phenomenon that presents itself when we see faith healers decreeing and declaring deliverances and the end of all injuries and loss|, for which there is usually little or no evidence, unlike the case of the man in Mark 10:52 (cited above). For the record, there is not a single case of an individual falling down for a healing at Yeshua’s hands.

A faith operating where human willpower and capacity are authorized can only be called comedic. God does not do what he expects of us.

Repeat, recite, reduce

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This saying by Ms. Jackson is surprising for its clarity and its place in the major religions. There is whole lot of reciting and memorizing of what is expected of us and what we think of ourselves.

Our thoughts about ourselves become public when they are the mantra our community treasures. Recently we have seen more than a few outrageous falsehoods take on an urgent and violent mode of operation. Politics and finance are becoming religions: they claim responsibility for human values. Let’s not laugh. Politicians, money-handlers, and preachers are muddying up the water-channels with their claim to mediate noble human characteristics. We must distinguish human values from the values of corporations. The latter may be entities, but they are not persons. Values that rise from the fog of recitation are like wax too close to a fire. God’s kingdom is not a value system. Neither beneficial nor dangerous self talk will bring on God’s rulership of our lives.

Special is “holy”

We tell ourselves that we are unique, and that is absolutely true of every person.  We tell ourselves that we are special, and that is also absolutely true of every person. We look around at our neighbours and peers – if we admit that we do have neighbours and peers for whom we have the requisite respect – and we might think that they too are unique and special. Some of our self-talk can be downright dangerous! We are prone to make comparisons and rank people like Olympic medals.

It is a shocking statistic that nations and political parties seize this we-are-better stance as if it were a virtue.

Class Conflict

We seem the think that we have a choice between a healthy psyche and the persistent idea that we have more uniqueness and more special marks than our neighbours, and it does not seem to bother us that being special does not harmonize with making second class citizens of other people. On that route, esteem of the neighbour deflates and our own realistic profile in the eyes of the One who alone is absolutely unique and special suffers.

Idolizing the Difference

We look at an automobile and we know it did not spontaneously evolve from a metal and plastic soup. There is no fault for crediting the car manufacturer for the existence of automobiles. Humans are slow to recognize the intelligence and might behind our planet, galaxy and the universe. Perversely, we deny God the right to be for us all we need: the essentials being pardon, justification and identify. In creating us (and any part of his workd) God made sure that each carries his stamp. It’s a good thing God has a long record of tolerating insults and wicked speeches. Humans and idols did not make myriad galaxies and they cannot.

Recitation and regular repetition of what we have been told is important does not transform us into what we affirm.  We all know individuals who lack familiarity with the language of the Old Testament and keep saying the words we have learned without ever experiencing the growth or change promised and expected. A person is not what he or she speaks or thinks.  It is evident that we like the easy solution even when it is prone to abuse and has been the subject of wise discourse for thousands of years.  When evaluated for its contribution to salvation and spiritual growth both recitation and repitition are mere human crutches.  They are responsible for elementary human learning.

Excellence is everywhere, not only in the usual holy places like tombs, locations where the wise and holy assemble, but in every atom.

Identifying the holy and the superlative around us may begin, not with reciting ideals and expectations, but with recognizing God’s excellent name in the whole world.

No nice girl in there

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(Expanded May 31, 2021)

Ephraim is another name for the northern part of Canaan, the kingdom of Israel. The Israelite kingdom was the first to feel God’s chastening rod by means of deportation. The southern kingdom, Judah, soon followed Israel into exile. Hosea, one of the late prophets, had a message about the “Israelite” kingdoms that is bolder than shocking. Whores go whoring, and Hosea saw it up close in his personal life and in the kingdoms. There is not a nice girl in the resume presented by the people who were in the room.

Prostitution in the Pentateuch was not a talking point about potential filth in the people’s psyche. God warned Israel about prostituting herself with the abominable practices of the Canaanite people, and he predicted that they would do so repeatedly.

Fleeting Goodness, Prophets and Priests

We can go only so far if we are satisfied with a wooly-eyed look at the popular story. God’s mercy does extend into eternity and we are aware that even a proverbial seven decades for us get our act together is more than adequate. We would be caught in a web of the spider who catches the unwary with a narrative of infinite cycles of apostasy and return (repentance). The popular line is that Israel-Judah has been through the cycle of estrangement, chastisement, and restoration. What is left can in no way be called a kingdom. When the judgments so often include death (as in the wilderness journeys, the enabling of enemy assaults and invasions, and hundreds of individuals executed by the government) there is not much to attach to infinite cycles of sin and restoration.

On one occasion Yahweh offered David options for punishment. David chose to be chastised by God rather than humans. This question – “what shall I do to you?” – is something different.


O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and your judgments are as the light that goes forth.

Hosea 6:4

Here the prophet reports that Yahweh has a case to make about the value of his repeated corrective measures. It is obvious that there is no such thing as an endless cycle of spurn and return. One day the piper’s hand comes out, waiting for his pay. “What shall I do to you?” from Yahweh signals that the prescribed measures have not brought about the wellbeing everyone craved. The cutting down of the people by prophetic declarations and by His own decrees is the divine response to momentary goodness. Goodness in a prayer in the morning is like the dew. Goodness in a multitude of offerings is fleeting.

Prophets and priests transgress like humans

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Hosea 6:6-7

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. (Hosea 6:8) And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness. (Hosea 6:9)

Hosea 6:8-9

Two places of opportunity were provided for the covenant to become at least expedient if not fulfilled: the sacrificial services and the medical practices of Gilead. There is supposed to a balm in Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22, 46:11, 51:8). Rather rather than burnt offerings there might have been mercy. We know who made the decisions about the worshipper’s expenses for sacrifices. Every sin by a priest (reported) required a bull. A ram might do, or two doves and two pigeons might suffice for a person with less means (Lev. 5:7). We can see how the practice of selling animals as a part of the temple service was vulnerable to filthy captialism.

Prostitition sinks the ship

Horrific things were happening elsewhere too. In Judah the effect of a broken down marriage, due to partner defilement, was in full view in New Testament times.

I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

Hosea 6:10

There is a tacit resignation to Judah’s stiffneck after end of the exile. When the Persian returned the captivity (reversed the exile) one might have expected the Gentile uncleanness and desire for foreign gods would have ended. It is not surprising that the resistance to God and the sleeping around continued in New Testament times, even as the temple compound became an even more colossal monumental testimony to the people keeping up the marriage appearance. The king was Herod. The king was Caesar.

Also, O Judah, he hath set a harvest for you, when I returned the captivity of my people.

Hosea 6:11

What happens to a defiled wife or even a betrothed partner is assigned in the Law. It is highly unlikely that a couple will want to stay together in such situations. Even though a familiarity with God’s ways and words reveals that we should only say “never” when He says “never” fixing broken things a relationship with a defiled spouse is not happening without a crisis.

“If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:1

Supporting the state of Israel to defy the solution of the Palestinian Problem only goes the affirm that finding a nice girl in the ancient picture of Israel, Judah, or any of the nations is unlikely and improbable. One would have to zoom in in a few seconds of antiquity to find the nice girl. We still believe that where we see shut doors God sees open doors. Where the law depends on prisions the Son of Man imposes liberty. In the modern picture of Judah and the nations it is equally unlikely and improbable to find a nice girl.

Noone dies in heaven

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The most obvious hole in the dam we’ve built to stave off the great reality is the hope for a better world. That usually means better conditions for me and my loved ones. The dam has been crumbling in plain sight since heaven came down. It has been a long time since men of spiritual sight recognized that rituals will never approximate the best of either now or the future. Above all the things we have defeated stands death. We have not stopped dying or killing. Rest assured nothing dies in heaven, paradise, or utopia.

Quandary: death before heaven

Essential to the identity of God’s people – those responsive to his wisdom – is a peculiarity, a weirdness. He calls them sons, children, servants even as they struggle with the very things from which he has saved them. He does not expect them to put out signs proclaiming how far along the journey from regeneration to glory they have progressed. People seem more interested in talking about heaven as a distant and future thing, not to be accessed until death intervenes. Even now many believers do not want to die with Christ in order to experience the life he offers for the present time. Are they really dead or alive? Do they think that they can rejoice in a ticket to heaven without dying?

Not another video

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Moral sense has little to do with to watching any video. That source of information does not work for me. It is rare to find a video, whether of teaching, preaching, or power demonstration, that brings the stills and clips of the Bible leaping into our reality. I hope you vet your video shares and not expect your contacts to wade through a pot pourri of half truths and unholy concoctions.

Beware of the video glut and learn to read your Bible without idiot middlemen.

if you have not noticed yet this is a good time to take particular interest in seeing how many of our brothers and sisters are being taught by videos (or zoom meetings where credible contributions are seen as hostile) whose sources remain either hidden or are openly questionable.

Beware of nonsense content! I recently received a version of THE OLD RUGGED CROSS in which the lyrics were “for a world of lost sinners was saved”.

Riddled with lies

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If a Roman Catholic believer rejects the pope as his primary authority on matters of faith he would lose his identity at once. If this troubles you please take a look at what your church says is the authority in matters of faith. Then again faith does not have to be connected to any person or single principle, not when there are thousands of precepts giving people the bases to challenge and evade real authority.

Fake Allegiance

Moses did not give his people life’s bread. Life’s bread is the Son of man. The followers of Moses are in deep denial whether their profession focuses on Israel’s (failed) covenant with Yahweh or the extant covenant in Messiah’s blood. The issue of truthfulness is not that we do not read Moses (the law, the prophets and the writings) but that we understand that all the roads of life and truth radiate from God’s Anointed. Any alternate idea is pure rebellion. You may not have a pope or a cherished set of commentaries and the message of life has not – ever – changed from being good news promising God’s gifts to the helpless and lost ones who believe.

24 perverse verses

There is a book named Acts of the Apostles with a chapter titled Transformed by grace with no reference to the cross. There is not even an oblique mention of the fact of divine atonement in any of the twenty-four paragraphs of that ill-fated chapter.

That someone died to bring grace to humanity has to be number one if one is an approved interpreter of the gospel. Not to the writer of this Acts of the Apostles. Even when the place where grace’s taps were opened – TRANSFORMED BY GRACE – is expected to be the feature the writer reports “It was on mount Sinai” instead of an truthful proclamation of what happened at Golgotha.

Rejected, no benefits accrue

… (10) let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11) He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.

Acts 4:10-11

Not much difference between Peter’s audience and the bewitched of our times

Counting lies is fashionable these days, as popular as people tallying up the commandments to which they are in compliance. This observation shows that the absence of the truth from a collection of pronouncements can render them utterly destructive and identifiable as demonic.

We read every thing that even hints at being reliable and helpful, but the Holy Spirit, through the sacred texts, protects us from swallowing half-truths and deceptive professions. We are in Christ because we believe in his finished work. Moses and the prophets play no part in enabling faith or in giving us the Holy Spirit as permanent HELP.

Myopia today

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The Short-sighted Condition is defined by the Galilean manfisher as lacking virtue (2 Peter 1:5-7). He could have addressed one lack: obedience.  Being obedient, after a closer look, however, is not a recognized spiritual achievement, and Peter is no pal of lying extremists who want to say they comply with God because they have done what he commands. The shortsighted do not give a rabbit’s phallus for what God has given his elect as their inheritance.

Since we are certain that believers are like plants under the care of the Production Master with access to water, who would it be that keeps harassing believers about their leaves and fruit other than a foe?

2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3) He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalms 1:2-3

If the exchange about the divine Spirit and virtue turns to a book we shout “Yeah!” and if the book turns out not to be the Bible we can only say “Nay”.

More than a popular list


Virtue Gifts are marked with *, and are charismatic, that is, they are marks of grace. Fruit produced by the Spirit – Spirit Fruit – are marked with ***.

1. Diligence*
2. Faith ***
3. Moral excellence*
4. Knowledge*
5. Self-control***
6. Perseverance***
7. Godliness*
8. Brotherly kindness*
9. Love***

What has anyone acquired that God did not give? Nothing. Not a single aspect of grace unleashed can be tagged as a failure. The same cannot be said about the law, not with its proponents pursuing murderous solutions to societal problems and finding no insytructions for parading a spiritual life for the world to see. A spiritual life is part the kingdom of God. It comes without human scrutiny and contribution. Be as thorough as you please if you need to settle into the 20/20 vision capacity of the redeemed; if you are intent on seeing past the weak and ineffective paradigms and talking points that define the lifestyles of the myopic of our times.

Pray for Jerusalem

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We do it because God invites us.  We can visualize the interest of the King in this piece of real estate and our own residential stake in the future Jerusalem. There is much to peace that people do not want to manage either mentally or physically, and that is why Jerusalem has no peace.  People stuck in their traditions will be the last to become courageous heroes. We pray and use our voices to light up the dark corners where evil hits the airwaves dressed up a strength and goodness.

Traditions dominate Islam and Judaism. There are patriarchal practices, purely human traditions (like everyone else on the planet), tribal heritages, social norms (some of which are the subject of revision by Moses, the Lord, and the prophets) and statutes and judgments picked up over time. The fact that Islam guts the Jewish traditions with Arab views, and Christians will not accept any adjusting of what Moses wrote (as Islam does) afirms that there is no people of the Book because there is no “book”.

Jews do not even bother to try to convert Gentiles using television and radio as Christians and Muslims do. If either of these communities of believers had a rock solid foundation there would never be any amendments or adjustments to belief or practice.

Marketing in East Jerusalem

The Israeli PM is no king.  His political base, the supposed zealots of Yahweh’s ways, has been unable to secure a majority among the religious coalitions, after four elections in two years.  A more illegitimate government head is hard to find on the planet. A PM who fails to accept the Jerusalem for all people indicated by Abraham’s fatherhood, by David’s songs and actions, by the prophets’ messages, by the embedding of the chosen people in Babylon and Persia, by the domination of Judah by Greece and Rome. It is too plain to be missed. Discrimination of the worst kind – genocidal- makes an alien practice of stopping those bent on spilling more innocent blood in Jerusalem. It is already abundantly clear that banning Gentiles from the holy city is an abomibable practice.

Pray for eyes to see why

He who has ears will hear. He who has eyes will see. People absorbed in their own identity to the detriment of all other peoples can hardly be depended on to do justice, love mercy, and walking humbly was ditched every time Yahweh engineered a rescue from hostile hands. Yes, let us pray for Jerusalem to have her peace; she cannot keep forever missing her dates. No, we cannot be silent about the atrocities happening in settlements and curfews and expropriation of land legitimately owed by Palestinians. Christians are not a rubberstamp for bad actors anywhere. If you had to choose between an American cop or an Israeli cop would you not go copless? Pray for Jerusalem, you’ll be living there soon, believer.