Category: So now what?

Different subjects

On the way home from work I listened to NPR and it was a discussion about the alliance or whatever it is called that is running the no-fly zone and bombing things in Libya. The question was “what should be done about Qaddafi?” People were suggesting letting him go off into exile because it would stop the fighting and save lives. Accountability? Well sure but if one or the other – exile would be best after all think of the lives saved from a long military action.

I disagree.

I have two proposals:
1. Issue the following statement, “10 million dollars to whomever brings Qaddafi to point X alive or dead. Also 5 million per son – same provisions and the same for the one general who is running one of the 3 militias.”

2. Bomb his residence and anywhere else he is and his 3 militias. Bomb, strategic as best, but keep bombing till their is no more noise.

If you are going to go into fight – go into win as quick as reasonably possible anything is a disgrace to your military and country.

Different subject….
sort of….

I am not sure we should have got involved in Libya. I guess what I am chewing on is if we – our country and thereby our government – should make a practice of going in and interfering in other countries strife? Obviously it is not USA policy, see Sudan and most African countries for example. I am not an isolationist but where do we draw the line? We are not getting involved in Syria or Bahrain. We did nothing for those in Iran. Is the line based on the pleas on the number of people who approach us to act? Is that fair to the small countries/populations?

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“…and what shall be the sign…” – part one

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

(Matthew 24:1-3 KJV)

 

If you read Matthew 23 Jesus has just scorned the religious leaders of Israel. He talks of their actions and how that they are in a lot of ways responsible for the condition of Israel. They have killed the prophets God has sent them and those they don’t kill they persecute. He leaves the temple and as the verses above state his disciples start asking him questions. There is so much background material in what they are asking and why – but to not make this a 3 page post let me share that the disciples believing Jesus is the Messiah is going to rule the nation and throw off Rome from them and then begin a never-ending reign from Jerusalem. In verses 4-31 Jesus explains to them that they will suffer persecution, false messiahs and prophets will rise up to deceive them and there will be wars and rumors(stress and fear) of wars, earthquakes, and so on. The signal or event that brings the hammer down will be the abomination of desolation and then the Jews will be hunted down and killed. They will have to flee for your lives and you better hope you have nothing that slows you down (whether it be bad weather, babies and so on) – slowed down will end in death. It will be horrible and then the sun & moon will darken plunging the earth in darkness – THEN look up for the sign – because THEN – I am coming with all the angels.

This is not what they were expecting to hear. They were expecting triumphal messages of bringing in the kingdom. He skipped the first question and gave them the answer to the second one.

Next post – He answers their first question.

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a fig tree – part two

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:32-34 KJV)

 

Key to this parable is properly identifying the fig tree. The fig tree is the tree of self-righteousness because of the law of first mention. Way back in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned they sewed fig leaves together as clothes to cover their nakedness that they were both aware of and ashamed about. Sin had removed their covering provided by God – the innocence and glory of being created beings by God. So they made their own which is translated as self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is the method of trying to be what God wants you to be and more plainly put – you trying to please God on your own instead of obeying Him. Methods of self-righteousness become incorporated and they are known as religion. It is the only tree that God ever cursed and it stands for religious Israel without fruit. You may remember just a couple chapters earlier Jesus curses a fig tree for appearing ripe and ready with fruit but was actually fruitless —- religion and what Israel was and is to this day. Jesus in Luke 21 explains that all trees and the fig tree are references to nations.  That is the background of why Judaism and Christianity are in agreement that the parable is about the nation of Israel.

The first part of the parable then is to observe the sign of nationalism and in particular the beginning of Israel as one of the nations yet unable to put forth fruit that will please God (John 15:1-6). “When his branch is yet tender” means that the person hearing or reading this parable must find some place in history when Israel begins as a nation. It can’t be references to things in the past because the parable points out that the current state of the nation is that she is not one. The prophecies of this event are in the Old Testament: Isaiah 11:11, Jeremiah 3:18 & 16:14 to reference a few. It had to be a date in the future and we all now know that the date was May 14, 1948.

Next post: the parable and the timetable

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Exactly when? – part four

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (Matthew 24:36-42 KJV)

We don’t know the exact date, no one does except God the Father but we have been given enough information to know we are in the times it will occur and we need to be ready for it.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

more on that later…

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A hole story

You hire a crew of 10 people each equipped with a bulldozer and send them to point X and tell them to dig a hole and not stop till you come and tell them to.
You hire a crew of 2 with shovels and after a week send them to point X and tell them to pick up the dirt that has been dug out of the hole and put it back in the hole.
Meanwhile the diggers keep digging.
And digging.
Now look at the pile of dirt – that is debt.
Look at the hole – that is the deficit.
The hole will keep growing until I make it stop.
I have no intention – that is the government.

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