Theology of Nuance; Struggling with God and Man and Overcoming

Lyrics:

When I die don’t cry for me
In my fathers arms I’ll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I’ll be whole

Sun and moon will be replaced
With the light of Jesus’ face
And I will not be ashamed
For my savior knows my name

It don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away

Gold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
Come and eat from heaven’s store
Come and drink and thirst no more

So weep not for me my friend
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to him
Who will raise the dead again

Luke 17:2
“It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.”

1. Grandpa was tough. He had a lot of experiences that showed how tough he was. He was electrocuted in 1954 while working at the rock crusher plant, he was nearly dragged over a cliff, by a runaway truck at the same plant, and he was caught-up by his denim work shirt in the conveyor system. But, he was also gentle, evidenced by how he loved kids and how they loved him. He was always excited to hold the little ones and he would smile from ear to ear while they were with him. Compare this to our Lord Mt 19:13-14 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children to come me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
2. Grandpa was merciful to me when I deserved punishment. Once, about thirty or so years ago, I had my BB gun and took aim at Grandpa’s rain gauge. I didn’t figure I had a chance at hitting it, since I was a fair distance from it and I had only one pump. However, I did hit it and broke it. Nobody saw me do it, so I put the gun away and after awhile we loaded things up and waved goodbye to Grandma & Grandpa until our next trip down from the city. After a couple of months we came back down and I had almost forgotten about the rain gauge incident. But, Grandpa hadn’t. He got the grandkids together in the dining room and brought out the busted gauge and simply asked who was responsible. I quickly owned up to it, not knowing what Grandpa’s reaction would be. As I recall, he told us about responsibility and he told me that he was disappointed with me. But, he didn’t yell. He simply made the point that when I make a bad decision I should address it immediately and not run away from it. Grandpa was like the Lord in showing mercy to me. The lesson of mercy extends beyond that Saturday Afternoon of thirty years ago. Mt. 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy.”
3. Grandpa did not often tell us how much he loved us, but we knew he loved us by what he did to show his love. Once he and Grandma took a summer vacation with my family. It was Mom, Dad, Jeff & myself in our car and Grandma & Grandpa in their old blue International Harvester pickup. We were somewhere West of Dalhart, TX and had been on the road the better part of the day, when Dad saw a lone Elm tree with a picnic table on the horizon. Dad quickly took the decision to stop and have a picnic there on the high plains of the Texas panhandle. Both vehicles rolled to a stop and Dad, Jeff and I unloaded from the Buick and ran back to Grandpa’s truck just as the wind shifted. Dad had stopped us next to the biggest pig yard in west Texas. The smell almost overwhelmed Grandpa, who was still behind the wheel of the International Harvester. He never criticized Dad or offered any opinions about Dad’s choice of picnic areas. He simply said, “James, I’m not that hungry. Let’s keep driving.” Grandpa showed his love to us. Compared to our Lord 1Jn 4:9-10 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

   For those of us who don’t yet believe in the LORD and for those of us who do believe, we should consider these words from Jesus in Matthew 19:25-26 & 20:1-16
   25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

   Jesus then told this parable about those who follow him.
   1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
   3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 At noon and again around three o’clock he did the same thing. 6 At five o’clock that evening he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
   7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
   “The owner of the estate told them, ‘Then go on out and join the others in my vineyard.’
   8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired earlier came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
   13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take it and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?’
   16 “And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.”
   Some come early in the day, some come in the middle of the day, and some come at the very end of the day, but all receive the very generous reward from their Master.

   Grandpa did indeed confess Jesus about six months ago, while talking with Dad.

   Mt. 12:1-13 God Almighty follows the Spirit of the law not the letter of the law. He is a Lord of mercy. Mt. 12:7 “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”

   To conclude this memorial to Homer Martin, we can know that
   1) He was tough & yet gentle like Jesus
   2) He was just, yet merciful like Jesus
   3) He showed his love by his actions, like Jesus.
   4) And finally he confessed his faith that Jesus is Lord.

Look at the Does God Exist? website. Mr. Clayton makes a bold claim that he can scientifically prove that God exists.
I want to get back to my answers to Matt, about what I believe and why I believe. (This is the 3rd or 4th part of this answer series, depending on if and/or how you might be counting the parts.)

What do you think about this photo? Is it beautiful? Peaceful? Graceful?
I say God is majestic!
Some say “nature” is awsome!
Did anyone catch the personification of Nature, in the quote from the Scientist, Russ George? About nuclear fusion within our Sun and all other stars in the universe, Mr. George said “Nature, however, does not seem to use it on a very large scale…”

So, you must understand that Mr. George has simply taken the word “God” and replaced it with the word “Nature.”

Nature is personified and given a personal will.
I don’t know Mr. George’s theology, but this same issue arises with many publicly avowed science atheists.
Therefore, simply replacing the word “God” with some other word does not get rid of God, it rather just gives Him a new title.

It is, ultimately, up to each individual to know ‘what’ he/she really believes and ‘why’ he/she has been convinced of that thing.

We may not want to work out our beliefs because the answer is inconvenient.

This issue happens in the news every week.

The story might go something like this: A mother’s “little Johnny” is caught in a tragic incident on a “joy ride” or with a trunk load of illegal drugs or “You Name It”, and the mother goes on Channel 8 news and tells the reporters that her son is a perfect angel.

We choose to believe or disbelieve for many reasons.

But, truth and lies do not exist without leaving their mark. Often times the mark is clearly present, but the evidence is simply ignored because the required action may be too painful.

It is a failing of the individual to not desire the truth.

And when this happens we make ourselves to be fools, by believing our own made-up lies.

We actually see people who can fabricate lies out of whole cloth and then begin to believe the thing they’ve just made-up. We could laugh, it weren’t so sad. This is the very thing that the Apostle Paul wrote concerning in Romans 1:18ff. Look at the following passage and think about what Paul tells us about God and humankind.

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes.

Humans are the same today as they were then, “Wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.”

Pushing truth away about a rebellious and disobedient child will condemn that son or daughter to a life of misery. And yet, we do it.

Pushing truth away about a tire that has a bulge on one side will result in tragic consequences on the highway. And yet we do this too.

Dealing appropriately with either of these two examples will certainly result in personal discomfort, but the alternative is far more lasting and ugly.

My 2nd essay on this subject, posted on December 21 2006, deals with the subject that Paul outlines in the Romans 1 passage above. I made the same point that Paul made. I used specific hard evidence of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, but even non-technological folks from two thousand years ago saw the same truth that remains today.

Please, read Romans 1:19-20 again, and I will meet you up in my next post, to conclude this thought. But, you have got to follow me there.

TO BE CONTINUED…

God bless,
DSM

The title is a variation on the opening for the Apostle Paul’s “Sermon on Mars Hill.”

Humans do not suffer mysteries easily. This point has been unstated, but integral to most of my essays for the last month.

We are unable to let go of mysteries. If we see a car that has a “vanity” licence plate, we go insane trying to figure out what the thing means. So long as the car is in front of us, we will ponder the mystery of the unique order of the symbols, until the car turns or we figure it out, e.g. “LISINSPL8″ for licence plate.

The problem with denying God, is that the evidence for Him is everywhere we turn. So, God’s automobile is always before us, with the licence plate that says “GODSPACE”.

Therefore, if we tell ourselves that God is not driving the car, we are left with a big problem.

If He is not in the drivers seat who is?

We will fill the drivers seat with a “new faith.” Because the fact that we observe a “creation”, necessarily requires the existence of a “Creator” or a creator.

This “New belief/faith” has tangible tenets, which are set in the form of an implied creed, no less than any other religion that we might observe in our world.

Let’s briefly consider a portion of the canon of this religion, which is called Secular Humanism.

To become an adherent in the Religious Order of Secular Humanism one must adhere to the following TENETS of the Faith:(Please tell me if you think these are straw-man arguments. It is not my intent to spar with an imagined foe of truth. This list is my own creation, and is based on my personal struggles with faith.)

• 1. Disavow the God of Creation.
• 2. Disavow Jesus the Son of the God of Creation
• 3. Disavow all matters, which might imply, infer, or otherwise direct the Human consciousness to the possibility of a spiritual dimension. (In other words the only real Universe is the physical Universe.)
• 4. Accept the Physical Sciences as the only way to true Human Enlightenment. (Except when the Physical Sciences discover physical evidence, which might imply, infer, or otherwise direct the Human consciousness to the possibility of a spiritual dimension. In these cases refer to Tenet 3, 2, and 1 in that order and then have a bourbon & soda as due penance.)
• 5. Utterly Ignore the Theological Implications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In other words the Religious Order of Secular Humanism must acknowledge the truth of the Second Law of Thermodynamics for the sole purpose of TENET 4, while at the same time denying that the statement “Any system which is free of external influences becomes more disordered with time. This disorder can be expressed in terms of the quantity called entropy.” has any bearing on the fact of the existence of a Creator.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics actually DEMANDS the existence of a Creator.

Look at the hyper linked language above in tenet #5.
· Our Universe should, to any rational mind, qualify as “Any system.”
· God Almighty, the Creator should, also to any rational mind, qualify as an “external influence.”

How might any system (a.k.a. our Universe) become more ordered without an external influence (a.k.a a Creator)? And still be in harmony with the Second Law of thermodynamics? Any ideas…?

I am waiting for an answer!

I have not received one.

Is there any rational Secular Humanist who will dare answer this?

I will wait and see.

Yet, the sciences tell us that there was a “big bang” that brought all visible order, e.g. galaxies, stars, planets, molecules, atoms, neutrons, protons, electrons, neutrinos, quarks, and now branes. All of this physical matter makes up everything that is observed in creation, including you and me.

Am I the only one who has noticed that our Universe/system is very very very ordered?

It is simply blind faith that leads anyone to disavow God, for this god of random luck. Try making a “big bang” and see how much order you get. As a kid I loved making small and big bangs with firecrackers. My purpose was not to achieve order, but rather I was in it for the chaos principle. I hoped to turn an ordered cardboard box into an vast pile of chaotic confetti.

Is it necessary to take this illustration any further? Need I tell you that I never once produced a ROLEX Chronograph timepiece with my “Black Cats” and “M-80s”? Or did you already guess that?

Never once, did I produce a Siamese cat from my “Black Cat” firecrackers. Did you guess that too? My…, you are presumptuous! Or maybe you are just following logic and evidence.

Folks, please remember that our solar system’s Sun has coalesced in an order that is so envied by the energy producers of our world that it would be revolutionary (Divine) if we could reproduce it.

Look at this quote about the order required for “Nuclear Fusion” of our Sun from the scientist Russ George in March 1999.

• “The number of people working in this field around the world has in fact declined from about 1,000 to around 100, because the reaction is very elusive. Cold nuclear fusion is not an invention, but a phenomenon of nature, which is very energetic. Nature, however, does not seem to use it on a very large scale, and the reaction is not normally seen as very robust or easily reproducible.”

Please, if you would permit me to paraphrase this quote,

• ‘Fewer and fewer scientists are venturing into this field, because we are finally beginning to realize the amount of “external influence” that is required to produce a sustainable and ordered “cold nuclear fusion” reaction. We are concluding that only a Creator can do this in an easily reproducible way and on the quantitative scale that is observed in all galaxies.’

My point, Matt, is that the universe is a very big mass of order, that is moving toward chaos and disorder, just as the Second Law of Thermodynamics, unambiguously, states. If it were not so, then our science would be useless to us. We depend on the Laws of Physics to sustain our continuing expansion of knowledge. If I can show a single example of disorder spontaneously moving to a state of order, then the Laws of Physics will collapse. Yet, that is what the religion of Secular Humanism states as a matter of faith.

It is really no different than if I can show a single example of dropping a brick and it floating into space. If this were to occur, the physical Law of Gravity would be dashed to oblivion. We are fools to claim that we can suspend various laws of physics for a single instant, just so that we can take comfort in killing God. We kill science if we do this, and still God will remain.

To disbelieve a Creator demands that I believe an absolute contradiction in the Laws of Physics.

Science, on this score, proves that the Religious Order of Secular Humanists, also known, as atheists could just as credibly claim that “Up is down and East is West.”

I do believe science is valid. Science confirms my faith in the Creator many times every day.

• Scientists however, let me down many times every week.
• They sometimes lie, just as I have done.
• They, are blinded by personal biases, just as I am inclined to be.
• They act and respond, with incongruity, to the science for which they prove and attest.
• They are human, just as am I. God bless them, they are as helpless as you or I, when we are acting outside of the Creator’s Laws.

I have no problems with Science per se, after all, the Laws of Science were established by the Creator.

So, you can see how my thoughts flow. I was faced with these irreconcilable TENETS in Secular Humanism, and yet, still I was obliged to “Believe” in something far less credible.

I couldn’t get away from this fact. Belief is compulsory for all human philosophy, even “Non-belief.”

Would I feel more complete by embracing a religion that is devoid of sincerity?

Mind you, I am not saying that this is a reason to trust in the Creator (that will come latter in my answer), but it is certainly a good reason to distrust the Secular Humanist’s veracity and good faith. (Pun intended.)

TO BE CONTINUED…

God Bless,

DSM

This essay is the 1st part of an extended answer to a request from Matt, a fellow blogger. “I have a topic request. If you have the time and the inspiration, would you please write about ”Why I Believe.” I know you’ve probably covered this idea in fragments on most of your blogs, but I would like to hear a complete position on why you believe that God exists, the bible is His Word and that Christ is His Son ect… Thanks.”

Well, Matt you are correct that many of my essays either allude to the answer or assume that the answer is self-evident.First, I should fill in some of the “etc” and also give you some clarification and background for my opinions.

Some of my faith opinions are still in flux. In other words there is some circumstantial data that is in harmony with my “fringe” opinions, but my conclusions are, to some degree, a willing “leap of faith”. This is true for just a few of my beliefs.Nevertheless, all opinions are a mixture of bias and knowledge (this includes OU is better than Texas). Just kidding (Matt is a Longhorn), but the point about bias is real. And this is no less true for faith issues, than it is for collegiate football.
Also, there is so much to my belief, that I will not be able to include everything; otherwise it would be a very long and boring autobiography.

These are the questions that I will address.

• A. Why do I believe in a Creator of the universe?
• B. Why do I believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the actively creative power of this Creator?
• C. Why do I believe that this Creator is the inspiration behind the scriptures?
• D. And, why do I believe that the Church is the body and Bride of Jesus the Creator?

I have focused the question by the modifications above. I think that our answers become more apparent, when our questions become less ambiguous.

ANSWER FOR ITEM “A”

The issue of “Does God Exist?” was a problematic one, in my early adult life, i.e. Age 18 to Age 21. There were some ancillary issues (which are of a personal nature that I won’t include here) that affected my ability to accept “belief.” I have used the term “belief” and not “belief in God”, with intent, which you will see as this answer develops in a later post.

Things that I began to observe in the world, appeared to be out-of-step with what I had been taught by my parents, bible teachers, preachers, etc. And it finally culminated in my 1st freshmen year at Oklahoma Christian College, in the fall and spring of 1983-84. I was in a class that challenged me on my “Belief in God.”
“Genesis”, which was taught by a respected Bible professor and PHD at OC, ironically, challenged my belief in God. Very quickly into the course, the 2nd week, as I recall, we got to Genesis 3. This is the fall of Adam and Eve.

I raised my hand and asked the professor the question, “Did God create the devil?” I thought it was a valid question. Incidentally, I still think it is valid, but I now have the answer that is sufficient to me. (I will give my answer to this at a later date. I believe that this answer is a part of Matt’s “etc.” from his question quoted above.)

We had studied the “creation” episode in the preceding week. But, in Genesis 3:1, we were looking “eye-to-eye” with a talking serpent. The professor gave only a very cursory answer, that I will paraphrase from recollection; ‘Yes, God created all things…, but I don’t have time to go off on “a wild goose-chase.”’

It was my opinion, at that moment, that he had perceived my question as an insolent attempt to divert the focus of his lecture.

And, now that I am 23 years removed from my passions of that morning, I must admit that I was, indeed, a very cheeky college student. And, that I may have, in-fact, been acting mischievous by asking the question to him, in the fashion that I did.
What self-respecting college student wouldn’t take an opportunity to ask an “honest and legitimate” question, which has as an added benefit of pinning the shoulders of an “Ivory Tower” professor to the floor?

I could even feign an indignant offense and by doing so, take the desired excuse for abandoning my faith.

After all there was a “fun” social function coming up in a couple of weeks with a sister club. Hey, if Dr. Blah,Blah can’t answer a simple question about the origin of the devil, then the answer is obvious, right? God, doesn’t exist? And “Come on guys, let’ parrrrrrty!”

It was a very useful Ad Hominem and it opened up my social calendar quite well.

I subsequently dropped out of college that semester, so that I could fully devote myself to hedonism, which had become my new religion.

However, I had not truly abandoned all my knowledge of the bible, which was something that always caused an irritation to my moral conscience, even as I went about my apostate ways.

I won’t go into the dark period of half-life. But, suffice it to say that I awakened one day.

I think it happened when I found my bible in the trunk of my car. There was a lot of symbolism in this storage of what had been a High School graduation gift from the congregation where I’d grown up. The symbolism did not go unnoticed by me. It was a cold shower and demanded that I take a decision on where I was headed. I should either throw away this moldy old book and get on with my life, such as it was, or I should take some serious time restoring the book to a readable condition.

I decided to go the restoration route. The bible had slipped into the lowest part of the trunk, in the fender well. There it got wet from water that seeped up from the drain plug that was in that low area. Each and every page had fused to its neighboring pages. So, the effort to get the pages open was quite time consuming.

But, the pragmatic answer of just disposing of the book and getting a new one, begged the question; Why get a new one? If I don’t care enough about this one that was a gift. I managed to open the bible and I keep it on a prominent bookcase in my living room. It is still misshapen and most of the pages are discolored by mold and water stains. But, it still has the power of life for a seeking heart. And it reminds me of where I have been.

Following my apostasy, a phase that lasted two years, I went back to college and enrolled in a course that had the opposite affect. This course too, was a profound irony.

“Cellular Biology” truly acted as an anchor to my belief in God.
It is one of those ‘paradoxes/paradice’ that this blog highlights.

• I found reason to leave my faith by studying Genesis.
• I found reason to confirm my faith by studying Science, life sciences in-fact; the home of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”.

God loves teaching us through and by means that are topsy-turvy, upside down and backwards.

This fact is among my personal favorites, for an individual rationale to belief in all of the above questions.

The way that God does things is “foolish” to carnal thinking. But, yet it is logical and orderly in an inexplicable way.

Who hasn’t heard the cliché, “God works in mysterious ways.”? This phrase is a testimony to the fact that there is this “ethereal order” to life that refuses to comport to standard conventions (a.k.a. common sense). Don’t tell me that God expects his people to use “common sense.” God not only doesn’t expect this but he has commanded us to not use “common sense.”

• Luke 6: 27 “But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do for others as you would like them to do for you.

Which of these is “common sense?”
I will give more detail on this point as we get down through my story.

TO BE CONTINUED…

God bless,

DSM

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.”

There is irony in mankind requiring a “heart of flesh” from a spiritual God. And it speaks to the masks that are in Sacha Baron Cohen’s characters and
Thomas Merton’s “false selves”.
We hide our true self behind a “heart of stone”; a heart that feels no…

• pain, shame, compassion, love, empathy, sympathy, & mercy

But, it rather feels far too much…

• self-pride, self-righteousness, sanctimony, arrogance, hatred, rage, contempt, derision,

Do you remember that Old Testament story of Jacob receiving his “new name”?

Genesis 32:24-30 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. When the man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “It is now Israel (he, who struggles with God), because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.” “What is your name?” Jacob asked him. “Why do you ask?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel—“face of God”—for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

I know, that you know what it means to struggle with God. I think also that you have been knocked “out-of-joint” as well.
This passage is, again, another nuance and paradox.
Why is this story in the bible?
Why does it say that Jacob struggled with God?
Why does it say that God couldn’t win the match against Jacob?
Why does God bless Jacob, as a reward for the wrestling match?

These are profound questions to a confusing paradox.
I will admit that for many years I have hated this passage, with painful contempt. It flies in the face of everything in my carnal being. It is simply not logical.
Jacob should not wrestle with God!
God should not wrestle with a man!
God should punish Jacob for impudence and audacity!
God should flip him over and pin his shoulders to the ground with a mere wink!
Jacob should fall flat on his stomach and worship God and beg for pardon!

Israel? Your name will be “Israel,” because “you have struggled with both God and men and have won.” Maybe he won against “man”, but there’s no way he could win against God.

Right?
How, God?

How am I supposed to cope with this story in the bible?

Please, tell me that there was a transcription error, something is wrong. Right?

Well, I have come to a point in my life, where I am beginning to accept more of the paradoxes of God. I am not a shill for a fraudulent snake oil salesman. I am simply beginning to understand that God’s grace is far greater than my jaded experience (a.k.a carnal nature) will allow.
This is what I see from the event with Jacob and God.

• 1. God does not punish us for struggling with Him
  2. God expects the struggle.
  3. God cherishes the struggle.
  4. God respects our struggle.
  5. God understands our struggle.
  6. God freely grants us the opportunity to struggle.
  7. God’s only requirement is that we not “give-up” our struggle.

I know that God can pin my ears back. But, God doesn’t want to do that. The same is true with Jacob.

This exact event occurs in my house every week. My son and daughter love to “get me down.” And we wrestle around in the floor until I am out of breath or until it’s time for a bath. (Which tends to coincide with regularity.) I struggle with my kids and enjoy the struggle, because I love them.
Yes, I am sometimes hurt by our struggles and sometimes they are hurt by our struggles.
But, so long as they are willing to come back and not give-up, our wrestling will build strength, character, love and trust.

• What happens if I pin my son or daughter on the ground with no effort and no struggle?
• Will they trust me more?
• Will they respect me more?
• Will they love me more?
• What happens if God pins Jacob to the ground?
• What happens if God pins me to the ground?
• What happens if God pins you to the ground?

I don’t think that I am taking this too far. God could beat us if that were his purpose.
But, we know what his purpose is now. Don’t we?
Through Jesus Christ, the Father’s purpose is to “seek and save” John 3:17 “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”

Jesus could have pinned our ears back. But, the goal was more in line with a 41 year-old dad wrestling with his 3 and 7 year-old on the living room floor.

Finally, the issue of the mask and the name, Jacob was the name that he was given at birth. He moved around behind it, and operated with it as a defense to protect him from the world. But, it was replaced with God’s name.
I know the purpose of the name in this context.
When one “knows” our name, it will allow them to control us. This was an important point to the people of Jacob’s day. And it even continues in the modern day as well.
It is not thought of in these terms anymore. But, less than two generations ago, children were taught that it was disrespectful to use an elder’s “Christian name.” We should instead use the proper title with their surname. Remember?

This “name issue” gives control to a person.
When Jacob told God his carnal name, he granted authority to God. God subsequently changes his name, to “Israel.”

Revelation 2:17
“Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. (Emphasis added)

The new name was “a blessing” to Jacob, it is a blessing to all who give God authority. Israel was blessed to not have to hide behind the mask of Jacob. Jacob treated people with contempt, just as “Borat” does.

God bless,

DSM

Masks have uses, but they are rarely for good, El Zorro, Spiderman & the Lone Ranger notwithstanding.

• In my experience, when a person needs a mask to hide his identity, it means one thing and one thing only; he is up to no good.

• I know that this is common now, and these avatars are offered everywhere you turn when online. But, when I first saw this in the mid ’90’s and attempted to use it, I began to see the dangers of chatting as an alter ego or more accurately as a pseudo-ego. I could step outside of myself and be anyone & say anything in anonymity.

• I quickly left the virtual chat room; because I recognized the potential for moral harm to myself, this was the only time that I have used the online ‘chat room’ forum. When one is hidden behind a façade, anything goes. People may take on the ego of a little boy, a little girl, a hypersexual femme fatale, or a big burly & muscular man. The only limits to a person’s avatar are the programming options that these various companies offer.

• I am sure some will say ‘It’s harmless fun.’ Or ‘they are just cartoons, so, what’s the big deal.’

• When these men are back in civilian life it happens occasionally, when a threat to a family member requires them to “switch on” in order to neutralize the threat. Family members will comment about the man, that he was ‘like a different person.’

• Police officers will often have difficulty moving from peaceful home life to the high stress of daily patrol. Police see us at our worst. If I am pulled over for speeding, it’s not a good experience for me and the officer is likely to hear things that is not me being my best. So, Police will “switch on” when on duty and be a different person when at home or with family.

• Finally, there is the life and times of Sacha Baron Cohen (a.k.a. Borat). Folks around the world are debating the good or bad of Borat. I am not going to debate about the fictional character. However, I will note something that Mr. Baron Cohen said in his interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. I will paraphrase Mr. Baron Cohen’s remarks. He said that he would not be able to do and say the things that Borat does and says. He indicated that he must get into character, so that he could behave boorishly and treat people with such contempt.

• Please note that Mr. Baron Cohen must “switch on” in order to do the things that he does. Actors such as Mr. Baron Cohen call it “getting into character.”

• If I must “get into character” or change my appearance & name to Borat in order to say things that are immoral, inappropriate, embarrassing, exploitive, and vulgar; then why is this a “good” thing? Why is this a skill that should be lauded? If I must hide behind a pseudo-ego to hurt people or “reveal” peoples ugly side, am I less ugly? Are those people made more noble by my masquerade?

• A mask rightly arouses suspicion for the person’s character, who hides his identity. And a prosecutor or law enforcement officer who surreptitiously encourages me to commit illegal acts will be guilty of entrapment, even if I am shown to be a lawbreaker.

• I submit to you, that Mr. Sasha Baron Cohen is that prosecutor. Therefore, even if the rest of the world is sullied, it is so sullied because Mr. Baron Cohen encouraged it for his pleasure as Borat, and his personal gain as Sasha Baron Cohen.
• Incidentally, the above right picture is a true representation of real Kazakhs, not the debased mythical ones that exist primarily in the mind of Mr. Sasha Baron Cohen.