Posted by vincevincevince on January 24, 2010
Can we really take the Bible seriously when it talks about Jesus wondering around, bumping into people with demons possessing them, and casting them out? In the light of modern science, how can we reconcile the presence and threat of demons, devils and sorcery with our lack of evidence for any of them? Perhaps the demons, the devils and the sorcery are all myths, and perhaps so is their counterbalance, God.
Matthew 8:16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
Taking the part of the devils advocate – where have all the demons gone? Now; we know that it is the assigned work of Satan to tempt us, bringing us to rebellion against God. I can think of three types of rebellion against God, the first being to disobey the revealed law of God, the second is to disobey the law of God written upon our hearts, and the third is to deny the revealed God entirely. The first two are classical definitions of sin as disobedience to God, yet the third is something a bit deeper. When we deny God despite him having revealed himself to us, we make ourselves god for we acknowledge nobody and nothing as having a greater power than man.
The first two commandments together require us to acknowledge only God, and to put nothing and no person in his place. When we raise ourselves up as God then we fall so surely and so heavily by making an idol of ourselves. This is both blasphemy and idolatry and of the very highest level. This is the state of post-modern philosophy today – there is nothing supernatural and there is nothing beyond us. God is at best conceptual, and usually merely figurative. I do not believe that such a state of godless philosophy has existed in any time since that of Christ; for even savages who know nothing of the special revelation of God acknowledge that there is something or someone greater than them, some form of supernatural power. What a victory for Satan! What an easy job for Satan, when even those who have learned of God deny him and his law, denying the very concept of sin and hence the reason to resist it.
At first, such a philosophy seems fine, we assume that people are generally good and know how to behave. Even without God, we should be able to keep going on a reasonable path, at least no worse than before. Unfortunately, this neglects to ask where our moral anchor comes from, and it comes from God and the Word of God. When a ship raises its anchor nothing happens, the ship does not move, everything remains the same as it was before; yet it is clear that the ship will now drift anywhere it likes, being driven even unto destruction on the rocks. The same is true for a society uncoupled from its anchor – although at first all seems well and of no effect, it is both sure and certain that over time society will drift from its remembered patterns of Christian life into the depths of moral depravity and sin. When nobody has the ability to say “this is wrong” then all that was once wrong drifts towards being right. What a victory for Satan indeed!
Now consider if at this time, Satan were to openly send demons out amongst mankind, possessing them and causing them to curse God, exhibiting supernatural strengths in their depravity and evil. What a disaster that would be for Satan! The post-modern philosophy would evaporate like the morning dew with the clear demonstration of the existence of the supernatural devil and his evil. What a strong testimony to God the devil is when he is perceived by man, for in acknowledging the forces of evil man must acknowledge the existence of evil and hence sin. If a man realises the existence of sin then he too testifies to some form of God – as without a god there can be no definition of what is sinful and what is not. What a disaster that would be indeed for Satan, if man were to again acknowledge the concept of sin and the supernatural, and begin to think of taking care to avoid the former and seek the later.
Matthew 8:28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Therefore I suggest that it is not due to greater revelation and the closeness of Christ that we rarely see physical manifestations of demons amongst us, but rather due to our denial of even the general revelation of God and our failure to acknowledge the sin that Christ came to take away. Our condition today as those who deny not only the God of the Bible but the very concepts of God, righteousness and sin, is very much more evil than even savages to whom the Gospel has never been preached. The devil has no need to scare us away from righteousness through open works of evil, for we are quite happy to depart for hell of our own accord.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us, and mercifully open our ears to hear you and our hearts to receive you as the sole Lord and master of mankind; that through a knowledge of you we might take heed of the depth of our sin, being drawn to repentance and forgiveness in your name. Amen.
Posted by vincevincevince on January 10, 2010
We obtain salvation by just one work; and the work which is commanded is to believe in Christ, the saviour sent of God (John 6:29). Nothing more is required to inherit eternal life than this!
John 6:27-29
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Whilst is is written that good works are found in those who are saved (e.g. James 2:14), this repentance and striving for obedience to God’s law is caused by belief in Christ and his work; it is the proper fruit of Christ in those who are saved and not the means by which they become saved.
As Paul writes, if salvation is obtained because of the righteousness of our own good works, then Christ has died in vain (Galatians 2:21). There would be no need for Christ were it possible for man to become righteous through his own efforts.
Romans 3:
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
We are all sinners and condemned before God according to our own wickedness. None of us are ‘good enough’ to escape the eternal damnation. We must, at all costs and at all times, cling to our own possible hope of salvation, Jesus Christ. This is the Gospel – that Christ died for our sins, calling us to repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name.
Posted by vincevincevince on December 10, 2009
A common theme in the secular press around Christmas time is that it is a pagan festival, something extra-biblical and indeed unbiblical. A celebration from which, perhaps, a ‘true Christian’ might distance himself; and in which the atheist can happily indulge safe in the knowledge that it is as hollow for Christians as it is for him. So frequently is this trotted out that it has entered the popular psyche with an annual assault both on Christianity and on belief in God and Christ itself through the ‘intellectual’ press and radio programmes. The message has been accepted so readily that a Puritan led government banned Christmas entirely in 1647, and even todays Christian publications run stories which condemn Christmas and those who keep it.
The true face of Christmas?
In terms of finding related customs amongst pagan celebrations, the detractors from Christmas make a well argued case. That there are such relations should not be a surprise. When we celebrate, it does not matter who we are, we have the same general tendencies. We enjoy song, dance, food, friends and families. Lights, candles, fires, beautiful spectacles and cheer in the winter months don’t need pagan beliefs to come about; just human nature. To trace Christmas unquestioningly to pagan practice is like saying that people wore thick coats in winter in pre-Christian times, and hence that Christians who wear thick coats in the winter are indulging in thinly-disguised pagan ritual.
Another prong of the attack on Christmas is to declare loudly that Christmas is not declared nor is it even hinted at by the Bible. That’s true on the surface. Search a Bible from cover to cover and you will not find a single mention of Christmas. Then again, there isn’t a single mention of the name Jesus Christ in the Old Testament and still he was clearly discussed, described and predicted. When it comes to prophesy, names are not everything.
So, are they right to say there is no mention of Christmas? Well, I think that depends on what Christmas means, or rather, what we mean when we celebrate Christmas. The traditional answer is that we celebrate the Birth of Christ – yet as the Gospel so boldly proclaims – Christ existed from before the beginning of time (John 1:1). If Christ existed before the beginning of time, how could he have been born so late in Bethlehem? It is clear then that we do not celebrate Christ coming to life as we do when we celebrate our own birthdays, rather we celebrate something much more important – and I am going to discuss what that might be.
Back in Old Testament times, all God’s chosen people dwelt in slavery in the land of Egypt. There had been great promises made by God to Abraham, yet they were really not enjoying great blessing under the cruel rule of Pharaoh. Things were bad and getting worse, and given that Pharaoh was killing all male children at birth there seemed to be no future for the Israelites as a race. Then something really amazing happened – God came to visit his people and remembered his promise. God himself brought his people out of slavery and dwelt amongst them. Just imagine it – Almighty God himself, creator of the Heavens and the Earth, all powerful – dwelling amongst man?
Whilst the Israelites were wondering in the desert, God had dwelt in a tent, the same kind of dwelling that the people of Israel used. Later when they were settled, King David asked God if he could build a temple for God to dwell in; and it was David’s son, King Solomon, who built one. The temple then became a very real sign of God amongst man, a defining mark of God’s chosen people and most importantly a symbol of God amongst us. The Temple, in so much as it was the place of God’s presence, represented God Himself.
The prophet Amos, prophesying whilst the temple still existed, predicts not only the destruction of Judah but also that the booth of David would be raised up again from its ruins and repaired as it was in the days of old. By the booth of David is meant the Temple, which was built in accordance with God’s promise to David. Later history shows that the temple was indeed destroyed, and eventually rebuilt, yet the second temple never reached the glory of the former as was promised in Amos.
Amos 9:11:
In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
So what of this word ‘booth’? Well, the booth, or sukkah, has a very special significance in Jewish culture. It essentially refers to a temporary shelter, such as a simple shed created for animal housing or a dwelling-tent similar to those used by nomadic desert communities even today. Genesis 33:17 describes Jacob building these sukkah for his animals when he made his own dwelling. There is perhaps no perfect English translation for the term, and booth whilst it may be a technical match does not bring the same meaning as it is used in modern english.
To Jews, whether in Biblical times or now, the sukkah is closely linked to sukkot, an annual festival also known as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles. This festival is peculiar in that it involves building sukkah in remembrance of when both God and man dwelt together in tents within the desert. To this day, observant Jews recite a prayer at this feast, based on Amos 9:11, which translates as “May the Merciful One raise up for us the fallen sukkah of David”.
Interestingly, the prophet Zechariah talks about sukkot, and declares that in the day of the Lord all peoples will keep sukkot. So, that means us, the non-Jewish believers, as well. Yet, sukkot was only prescribed to be kept by Jews, in remembrance of their own specific history. At first glance it would seem illogical for us to keep sukkot as it’s not about us, however perhaps the key to this verse lies in careful consideration of what sukkot represents and what it means.
Zechariah 14:16
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against
Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of
hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.
I suggest that the real meaning of sukkot is a celebration not so much of the people of Israel dwelling in tents, but of God coming to dwell amongst his chosen people. It is a festival symbolic of a renewal of the often fractured relationship between God and man in a very visible and physical way. It is not insignificant that Solomon celebrated sukkot immediately following the completion of the Temple in which God had come to dwell (1 Kings 8:2). Later, it was chosen for celebrating the recapture and rededication of the temple in II Maccabees, a specific observance still recalled today in the Jewish celebration of Channukah. So, sukkot is bound up in the concept of this renewal of this very real and physical link between God and Man.
So, it does seem very fitting to recall the verse from Amos on the restoration of the sukkah of David; and more so when we reflect upon later history. Importantly, the same prophet who declares that all will celebrate sukkot also talks about who it is that will restore the temple – none other than Christ. Zechariah 6:12-13 describes Christ in terms of a man whose name is ‘the Branch’ who was to rebuild the Temple, bear royal honor and rule. That Christ restored the temple and is the branch is clear from his Gospel promise to raise the temple after three days, meaning his own self. Interestingly, when Amos predicts that the temple will be raised, the word he uses for ‘raise’ is the same used by Isaiah 26:19 when he talks about the resurrection of the dead (Isaiah 26:19; …together with my dead body shall they arise).
Zechariah 6:12-13
Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne.
So; do we know any more about the branch? Isaiah 4 talks about the Branch, and then states there will at that time be a booth “for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain” (Isaiah 4:2). What could this booth (sukkah) be, but of Christ himself? Is the coming of the Branch and the booth not clearly the coming of Christ? Can it be an accident then that Christ was born in a place with a manger; a dwelling of animals, probably a sukkot in the sense of those built by Jacob?
If the celebration of sukkot is indeed the celebration of a renewed close and even physical presence of God dwelling with man, then it is no great leap to suggest that it points towards none other than the coming of Christ. That event which we term his birth, but which is in fact God remembering his promise and sending Christ our great Redeemer and Saviour to dwell amongst us.
When we read Zechariah 14:16 perhaps might also think of Christmas, when every year people from every nation “go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast”. We should not make light of the birth of Christ by suggesting a focus on his death and resurrection, for that is to miss the great act of God in remembering us.
I contend that the greater significance of the Christmas story is not the story of birth and swaddling bands, but of God coming to dwell amongst man in a very real and physical way. This is our story, our history, our own spiritual ancestry; Christmas is our celebration of dwelling with God, our own sukkot.
Sukkot is known to the Jews as the Season of our Rejoicing, after Zechariah 8:16, in which it is declared a season of ” joy and gladness and cheerful feasts.” I don’t hold pagan beliefs but I am certainly going to celebrate Christmas this year with joy and gladness and cheerful feasts!
Dear Reader, have a blessed, safe and joyful Christmas.
Posted by vincevincevince on December 7, 2009
At advent, it is traditional to pray for the new advent, the return of Christ; and amongst these prayers is usually one that Christ return that sin might cease. The end of sin coming with the end of this world is a Biblical concept, and well supported by scripture, and yet sometimes in our zealous longing for the return of Christ we fail to take time to properly think about the sin which is around us now.
We live in what has been described as the ‘now but not yet’; a period in which we have now inherited the promise of salvation, have already seen the coming of the Messiah, and but have not yet seen the final acts of completion take place in the establishment of a new heavens and a new earth when our sinful state and fallen relationship with God will be finally restored. So this means that sin is around us, and indeed within us, even though Christ has already died upon the cross. Yet, our salvation should change the way in which we see sin; for whilst we once looked as sinners without hope, now we look as a people redeemed by the great grace of God.
Without salvation, we could do nothing but measure our lives according to our possessions, whether they be tangible, such as a house or a car, or intangible, such as renown or popularity. Now we are in Christ our glory is hidden until his return, and we no longer measure ourselves with the measure of the world. Christ has turned the loss we once suffered when we are sinned against right on its head.
This morning I awoke to find that someone had broken into my car and stolen money from within it. It wasn’t a lot of money yet it was enough to make a difference. How should I respond? Should I respond? The really important question to answer is whether I have been wronged, and if so, in what way have I been wronged.
I have lost some money, and now have fewer worldly possessions; yet even that is no more than the fulfilment of scripture that earthly treasures are stolen away or decay. Jesus exults us to pile up great treasures for ourselves, but not on earth but in heaven. The lesson of Matthew 6:19-20 looks like a reiteration of the law and not directly founded in the Gospel, yet close attention to 6:21 transforms the message into something we can understand through the Gospel and in the Gospel for it relates the statement of law with our rebirth in Christ.
Matthew 6:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What then have I lost, if a man has taken away from me something which is keeping my heart away from God? Have I not rather gained, if only a little, by having fewer treasures here on earth to drag me down on the day of the Lord? Yet, this neutralisation of sin, whilst important is not the end of the story. I depend upon the saving work of Christ, for without it, I have no means to stand before God as a wretched sinner — I rely upon forgiveness of sins in his name. Likewise; as Jesus explains in his chilling warning of Matthew 18:32-35, it would be a rejection of the very act of my salvation if I were not to forgive those who sin against me.
Matthew 18:
32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
So, in being sinned against, not only has the effect of the sin been neutralised by Christ, indeed by forgiving the sin of the person who stole from me I am in direct obedience to Christ in showing others the same mercy that I rely on from Him.
Where then is anger and retribution? Where is the need for revenge and punishment? Surely, there was a sin committed last last night; yet the victim was not me. The victim of the sin was the thief, who has piled yet more charges to his wretched account. If anything, I come out of the experience with more than I had whilst the money was still within the car.
I think that if we really think deeply about the sin which is around us in the context of Christ and his great work of salvation, we start to see that the end of the effects of sin which we await with the second coming of Christ has already arrived, if not generally then at least personally. So, I will pray for the person who stole from me, not for my own ends but that God might by his grace bring that person into the knowledge of Christ, an undeserved mercy which I too undeserving obtained through his grace alone.
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Posted by vincevincevince on December 6, 2009
Being sentenced to death is no laughing matter. Based upon serious crimes you have committed, your life is to be ended, and there is now nothing you can do but try to delay the inevitable. Your only hope is that your crimes, which are many, might be forgiven by the authorities and you be mercifully granted a pardon.
All men are sinners, and all deserve death, for all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The judgement is already clear and our sentence will be carried out at the appointed time. That’s why we must all pin our hopes and lives on Him who is able to pardon us our many sins by taking them on himself, Jesus Christ.
As a reminder of this free pardon, received through no merit or deed of our own but rather despite our lack of merit or righteous acts, download a ‘death row pardon’ deed expressing the glorious declaration of justification by the death of Jesus Christ for our salvation, bringing us to repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name.
You might want to print it onto parchment-style paper and frame it as a talking point, or fold a copy within Christmas greeting cards as a reminder of just why Jesus Christ was, is, and will ever be such a big deal.
Have a correction to the wording you would like to see made? Drop me a comment!
Posted by vincevincevince on October 7, 2009
Having fasted for forty days in the wilderness, the devil came upon Jesus and tempted him in three ways, including on a mountain and at the top of a tower. Where was this mountain and is it called? Was this an actual event, allegory, or is it just a story? What can we learn from it? (Questions via myfaithinjesus.com).
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Matthew 4
Having read a few different sources and considered the matter myself, these are the sum total of my thoughts on the issue… please do correct me where you feel I am wrong using the comments below. Please remember these are a collection of thoughts and not educational or quotable material!
The mountain remains without a name because the name is not important. Indeed, the mountain may have even been in the heavens above. The fact that the devil could show Jesus all the nations of the earth in a moment of time is not due to the particular vantage point, but due to the power of the devil to do so. You may as well ask how the devil was able to take him to the top of the tower, or move him from desert to mountain: these are powers within the ability of the devil.
The event is not allegory; it is recorded exactly as it happened. There is no reason to suggest that it is not an account of fact. However, the very fact that it happened was symbolic of two other events. First, it is a re-run of the fall of man in the garden of Eden, in which man fell for the temptation of the devil. This time Jesus, the perfect man, did not give in. Second, it is a pre-run of the end-times during which Jesus will conqueror the devil entirely and reign with power and dominion over the new heavens and new earth.
The bread reminds us of our mortal lusts that pull us away from the worship of God. Recall that the words “grant us O Lord our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who trespass against us” are followed by a prayer that God “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”. This reverses the situation entirely; instead of being tempted by the devil to enrich ourselves and having to depend upon our own wisdom or ability, we trust in God to mercifully provide what we need both physically and spiritually, the devil being held at bay by his grace.
The mountain-top view of all the nations of the earth should bring to mind our lust for power. How many godly men have become corrupted by their drive to become powerful and influential? Surely many enter politics and ministry with the most righteous of goals only to end up compromising everything for the acquisition of more power. Patience is greatly commended to us, for it is the saints who hold steadfastly to Christ that shall judge even the angels. That Christ exults those who would be great to become servants to the rest is by no means unfair; for to those who follow his words will truly be given greatness far beyond that which the world can possible provide; for even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest prophet born of woman.
From the pinnacle of the tower we might think of another human tendency; that of insubordination. Just as a child who knows the love of his parents will try to direct them make himself their ruler, so too do we have a tendency to try to abuse the love of God and his infinite mercy to our own ends. Even in prayer, we are much faster to ask for favours than to reciprocate the love of God. Although the scripture here reminds us not to test God; when we look further, we see that the reason we should not test God is because to test someone is the action of a master to a subordinate, and never something administered by a subordinate to his master. From this too follows the commandment to honour your father and mother, for to dishonour your parents is to attempt to place yourself above them that gave you birth; just as to dishonour God is to attempt to place yourself above Him who created all of mankind.
Posted by vincevincevince on September 1, 2009
Just a bit of fun! No, it doesn’t ‘actually run’. As I wrote it I was thinking about the power of God’s Word, in particular how his very command can cause things to be created, to come to life or to perform any action that he requires. In a way, it is similar to a programmer – one voice of absolute power with the ability to see, create, destroy and command all things. The parallel text can be found at the very beginning of your Bible.
[word@god ~]# cat creation.word
#!/bin/word // 1:1-5
begin creation
public earth = new domain();
earth.content = 1/0 * void();
earth.startCreation('spirit');
var light = new creation();
try {
earth.addChild(light); }
catch {
throw(E_BAD,'LIGHT FAILURE'); }
earth.light.status = E_GOOD; // all ok
list day('Day','Night') =
earth.light.filter(dark==false,dark==true);
earth.templates.day = day; // save for future days
earth.today = 1;
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
//firmament routine // 1:6-8
var f = new creation();
for (var a in earth.waters)
if (a.index>f.index)
{
f.waters.addChild(a);
earth.waters.removeChild(a);
}
private heaven = f;
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
earth.waters.defragment(); // 1:9-13
var dryland = earth.waters.getFreespace();
var seas = earth.waters.getUtilisation();
try { dryland.generate(E_GRASS,E_HERB,E_FRUIT) }
catch { throw(E_BAD,'LIFE ON EARTH NOT GOOD'); }
dryland.status = E_GOOD;
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
//lights in heavens, use for signs/seasons/days/years // 1:14-19
var lights = Array();
lights[0] = new light
(size = 10,
attach = earth.templates.day[Day]);
lights[1] = new light
(size = 2,
attach = earth.templates.day[Night]);
foreach (lights as l) heaven.addChild(l);
var stars = Array();
for (var a = 0; a < inf; a++) stars[a] = new star();
foreach (stars as s) heaven.addChild(s);
if (earth.checkStatus()) earth.status = E_OK;
else throw(E_BAD,'LIGHTING ERROR');
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
earth.generate(E_WATERCREATURE, E_FOWL); // 1:20-23
earth.setGenerationSpeed(1000);
foreach (earth.creation as x)
if (x.typeOf == E_FOWL) x.setDomain(earth,heaven);
earth.generate(E_WHALES);
foreach (earth.creation as x)
x.limitChild.typeOf=x.typeOf; //after their kind
if (earth.creation.checkStatus()) earth.status = E_OK;
else throw(E_BAD,'CREATION ERROR');
foreach (earth.creation as x) x.nice--; //more CPU
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
var livingcreatures = // 1:24-31
Array(E_CATTLE, E_BEAST, E_CREEPING);
earth.generate(livingcreatures);
foreach (earth.creation as x)
x.limitChild.typeOf=x.typeOf; //after their kind
if (earth.creation.checkStatus()) earth.status = E_OK;
else throw(E_BAD,'CREATION ERROR / LIVING THINGS');
//man project
var man = new creation();
man.style = byVal earth.parentNode.style; //cp God
foreach (earth.creation as x)
if (x.hasLife) x.addController(man.groupId);
man.addVariant(E_FEMALE);
man.addVariant(E_MALE);
man.addFood(livingcreatures,E_GRASS,E_HERB,E_FRUIT);
man.nice--;
earth.creation.addChild(man);
foreach (earth.creation as x)
if (x.hasLife && (x.typeOf == E_BEAST || x.typeOf == E_CREEP ||
x.typeOf = E_FOWL)) x.addFood(E_HERB);
if (earth.getStatus() && heaven.getStatus()) return (E_VERYGOOD);
else throw(E_BAD,'FAILURE ON DAY 6');
earth.days[earth.today++] = byVal earth.templates.day;
daemonize();
//TODO: rest
//TODO: expose parent API to creation
//TODO: invoke interactive-mode man object (sometime later)
end program
[word@god ~]# date
Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 GMT 0000
[word@god ~]# ./creation.word
Creation started as pid 143. To stop type: kill -9 143
Got status: E_VERYGOOD
Appending output to creation.log
[word@god ~]# _
Hope you found it worth the read! Drop me a comment if you liked it; but please no technical questions on syntax or language!
Posted by vincevincevince on August 17, 2009
My personal thoughts on Mark 10 verse 21:
Mark 10
17. And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18. And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
I’m going to focus on 10:21:
Mark 10:21. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
The teaching here is addressed to a Jewish man who has asked what he lacks before God. The man professes to have followed the commandments, by which it means the law of Moses. This is part of the covenant between God and his chosen nation; however what Jesus mentions is not directly from the law of Moses. This disappoints the man, who it is likely had hoped to be told he was righteousness in the eyes of God.
There is a juxtaposition here between two covenants; the first is the Davidic covenant, which was given through Abraham and renewed in David – a covenant of inheritance within the world. The second is the new covenant, which is with all peoples – a covenant of inheritance in the world to come. The words ‘and come, take up the cross, and follow me’ are an invitation to join into the new covenant. The reference to the cross has two meanings; the first is that to follow Christ is to die to the sinful world, the second is a reference to future events. To take up the cross, before the crucifixion would have been understood in terms of loyalty even unto death; not unlike a solider who pledges to serve even if it means being killed.
This mix of the two covenants is the key to the passage; the old covenant prefigures the new. It is a model on earth of what is to come to pass later. Where the old covenant was concerned with outwards cleanliness or that which is kosher, the new is concerned in just the same way with inward cleanliness and purity of heart.
Mat 15:11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Before Christ, the Proverbs already point out the fallacy of riches – that having riches on earth does not make one rich.
Prov 13:7. There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great wealth.
Later, Paul echoes this proverb in his letter to the church at Corinth. He is to be understood as saying that they are to bring the great gift of God to enrich others, though in terms of money they are poor:
2 Cor 6:10. as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Perhaps this can be learnt from the passage in Mark: that God requires us to forsake building earthly wealth for oursleves and instead give it to the poor, that they might not be poor. The way that we treat others who are in need is the way that we treat God Himself. If we do not show love to those who are poor and needy, we do not show love to God.
The groundwork already existed from the Old Testment (e.g. Ezekiel 18 5-9) but it related very powerfully by Jesus in Matthew 25 34-40:
Mat 25
34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
36. naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
38. And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.
So; if a man has money, land or property beyond his needs, it is contrary to what God wishes, because his neighbour (by whom we mean any fellow man) who is poor and in need of support has not been given help. It is not even encouraged to save up riches for our own future needs, for God knows our requirements and if we trust him, he will give us what is right in his sight.
What man can meet this standard? Surely even the monks who claim to take these works literally have safeguarded for their future by joining the monastry. Indeed, if this is part of the standard, who can be saved?
At the last, we must realise that we cannot by our own means achieve righteousness, even though we might strive to do so. It is a mission doomed to failure. Therefore it is only through the atoning work of Christ that we are able to meet the standard; through faith in him whom God has sent we are made righteous before the Almighty.
Mat 6:31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
So what do you think? Do I have the wrong end of the stick? Have I grossly misunderstood something? Leave me a comment and let me know!
Posted by vincevincevince on August 13, 2009
We’re used to watching television documentaries about dismal poverty in far-away places such as Africa or Burma; far less accustomed to the same stories happening in our own neighbourhood. Our accustomed numbness and practiced deafness is strengthened by the comforting knowledge that although the stories are sad, they are not really our affair. After all, the neighbourhoods we in which we live have their own problems that need our attention – perhaps not hunger, but probably anti-social behaviour, infrequent garbage collections, unkempt lawns and planning problems at the local council.
Despite what we read in certain tabloids, most of our communities usually do a good job of being a nice neighbourhood. Things do get dealt with, given time, and where there are people or places in real need help does arrive from one place or another. We have charities addressing all kinds of local social ills, hospitals with an increasingly patient focused ethos, schools, benefit payments and all kinds of other means by which things really do hold together.
In another part of your neighbourhood
I’m going to shatter the illusion. Both you and I are living in dreamland if we think the neighbourhood is OK. There are definitely families in your own neighbourhood who are so hungry they are likely to die in the next month. There are others who are seriously ill but unable to get the treatment that would save them. In another part of your neighbourhood there are children who would love to go to school, if only there was one they could reach. In places, things are so bad that the people have taken up arms and are engaged in terrorist action to get attention from the local council.
I can say this with absolute certainty. These people are in your neighbourhood, you just need to open your eyes and understand that the boundaries of your neighbourhood are not geographic but moral. Our duty to be a good neighbour is summed up in the simple words of Moses “you shall love your neighbour as yourself” Lev 19:18.
Jesus explained it, much later, in answer to question. Someone asked him “who is my neighour?”. In response, a story was told Luke 10:29-37, and like all good stories it has a moral behind it.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
The question Jesus asked in order to illustrate the moral of the story was: “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?”. The man answered him “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
We can all learn a lot from this, today especially. Our modern societies are increasingly divided and subdivided; not only do we have very little awareness of those some distance away, but we often don’t know those who live just a few paces from our door. We may never look outside our class, club and profession – whole communities can live in the same town with almost no interaction.
Everyone here on Earth today is your neighbour, and my neighbour; and the entire globe is our common neighbourhood. Remember what St. Paul writes: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” 1 Cor 10:24 — let’s try to improve parts of our global neighbourhood that don’t directly improve our own quality of life or property value.
Comments welcome
Posted by vincevincevince on August 12, 2009
Sometimes life is busy; then sometimes it is really really busy. You know the times I mean – when your to-do list never seems to get shorter? You cut back on activities, spend more time in the office, skip lunch, and yet there still seems to be far too much to get done.
Have you tried adding more to your to-do list? Yep, that’s a great time management tip. If you don’t seem to have time to do what you are already doing, put more on your plate. This works wonders because the human mind isn’t a machine; efficiency and productivity are not very closely related to time available.
The key is to add something different; something which isn’t your usual work, although it may be work related. You could start a blog, join a sports team, volunteer at a local charity or take classes in something that interests you. Whatever you add, be sure it is a change from your everyday work, and be sure that it has a time commitment behind it of some kind.
Through your new added focus on the fresh activity, your mind will reorganise your existing workload so that it becomes finished. Whereas previously your subconscious aim was to do as much work as possible during the time available, your whole psychological direction changes to completing the work on the list so that you can engage in the new task that you know is going to require a decent chunk of time.
Enjoy yourself and get more done; couldn’t be simpler!
