Theology of Nuance

Thoughts on Pan's Labyrinth

2008-09-02T22:45:00.002-05:00

(I have attempted to not include any spoilers, for any who have not yet seen this movie.)

[A word of caution about this movie, I did not like the graphic depiction of violence in two or three of the scenes. So, a word to the wise...]

I relate to the two adults who Ofelia trusts, the mother and the lady concierge, Mercedes.

Each of these central caretakers for Ofelia, tell her that when she is older (and ostensibly wiser) she will become as they are, i.e. pragmatic & utilitarian.

When maturity comes, Ofelia must give-up her hope, dreams and belief in "fairy tales".
This should be juxtaposed to Jesus' words in Mt 18:3-6
"and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. [5] Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, [6] but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

This also would be a motivation to never seek to "mature".
Why would Ofelia have any desire to become, either;
1. The lover to a demon, as her mother had chosen
2. Or, the concierge and lead housemaid to satan’s instrument of pain, as Mercedes had chosen?
There is a particular scene when Ofelia's mother finds out that she has placed a mandrake under the her bed?
The mother is very pointed about the need for Ofelia to give up hope, and then she threw the mandrake (hope) into the fire.
I think the fire symbolizes satan's domain (aka hell), the mandrake represents the growing hope that is inside of both, the mother and Ofelia.
The mother attempts to kill Ofelia's hope by destroying the mandrake, however, she, in-fact, only kills her own hope & dreams.

Would hope threaten the mother's reality? I don't know.
Or maybe, Ofelia's hope represented an indictment of the mother's compromises.

In any case, it challenges me to consider what I demand of my kids. How much hope, of my children, should I be willing to incinerate, so that they are well grounded in reality?

I struggle with some of the concepts.
There is a frightening aspect of children choosing "the hope" of death, rather than the corresponding "hopelessness of life."
But, I feel the correlation and it bothers me.

It disturbs me that the life that Ofelia is promised by the faun, appears to have such a strong resemblance to death.
Why does life resemble death?
And the reason that this question is relevant is because it is inherent to the biblical narrative.
The concept, "Life is death and death is life", is at the very core of Christ's passion.

Unforgiveable

2008-08-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

The Trinity issue is extremely important for disciples of Jesus to understand. I am afraid that too many believers in Jesus’ divinity, don’t understand what exactly, they believe. It is daunting to sit down with a Muslim, who is vehemently monotheistic, and explain how One God equates to a Father, Holy Spirit, and Son. The confusion for the Muslim is usually magnified by the power of three, in the disciple of Christ.

The nature of the three individuals of God, also explains another issue for which most Christians are uncomfortable in discussing.

The fact that God can forgive ANY sin is Amazing. It is Amazing Grace, to be precise.

Christ can transform men and women in miraculous ways.

Yet, Jesus tells us in Mark 3:28-29, “I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”

Let me say it…, Nuance & Paradox of God. I am advocating a Theology of Nuance.
God can forgive any sin and blasphemy except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
There are NO “hard and fast rules” with God.
Innocence is not determined by strictly following God’s Law and guilt is not determined by “technically” breaking God’s Law (Mt 5:27-30 & Mt 12:1-14). We are disciples of a God who demands a very loose Theology of Nuance.

I want to explain how my understanding of the individual character functions for the Trinity, will shed light on the Father’s inability to forgive blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Look below at the description for how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit function. I had this in the post of March 19, 2007.

The Father is executive. He is the planner. He sets the vision. His will be done. He administrates the purpose. He is the Captain of the ship. He is the General of the Army.
The Son is the labor. He is the active. He fulfills the vision. He completes the will of the executive. He is the XO for the Captain of Ship. He is the Cavalry and Infantry and Armor of the Army.
The Holy Spirit is the material supply chain. He produces & provides the power. He is the materiel supply line. He delivers the fuel to the Armor. He delivers ammunition to the Infantry. He provides counsel and support to the wounded. He is the Navy Corpsman & Army Combat Field Medic.

Now let me make a point from carnal brutality and violence of war. In war, Navy Corpsman & Army Combat Field Medics, will always have insignia on their helmets and arms, indicating their role and position in the battle. They are never supposed to be targeted by combat personnel, nor are they ever supposed to be exploited for combat purposes. It is an “unforgivable” sin to target non-combatant medical personnel. It is also an “unpardonable” sin to use them, hospitals, and ambulances for combat functions. This is in our human psyche. We feel it in our bones. It makes emotional sense, even while we cannot explain it rationally.

This is the design of our Creator.

The Holy Spirit is utterly defenseless in our spiritual battle with the demons and our adversary, Satan.
Just as when the Navy Corpsman steps onto the battle field where mortars are going off just a few meters away, he does not take up a rifle, because he has a nobler calling. So long as he is in an ambulance with a bright Red Cross, he is without protection. So long as he has a bright Red Cross on his helmet and arm band, he is acting as the symbolic equivalent God’s Holy Spirit.
When you take aim on the Army Combat Field Medic, you are shooting at the symbolic representation of He, who is the “Breath of Life” in the nostrils’ of “Adam”, i.e. Humankind. Genesis 2:7

“And the Lord God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.”

What do you have..., if you take aim at the very “breath of life”? Your heart is beyond repair.

God bless,
DSM

Money, Money, Money; or A different interpretation of the "Rich Young Ruler."

2007-08-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

Mt 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, 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.
Is he eternally lost?

Did he die in his sins?

Many folks will tell me that this fellow is lost.
Many folks will say that Jesus has condemned all rich people.
But, I differ fundamentally with the faulty hermeneutics used to put this stake through the souls of so many people.
Look again, at the the passage about the Rich young ruler. Verse 22 says that he went away sorrowful or "sad" because he had great wealth.

Is he sad because he's rich?
This is not the typical response to having great wealth. Is it?

'John Doe wins the multi-million dollar lotto, so he goes away sad because he has excessive wealth.'
You just don't hear this.
My take on this passage is that, the rich man recognizes his deep Spiritual need. In-fact this exchange is the same in all of the synoptic gospel accounts. The man asks Jesus what "he" personally, must do to have eternal life. So, the fellow has a recognition of his need.

Consider this in the context of Mt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The young ruler meets this criterion by simply asking the question of Jesus.

Look further, Mt 5:4. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." The young ruler meets this criterion by going away "sad". He was not sad because he was rich, but rather, because he knew that there was "one thing" that was coming between himself and God.

Jesus has good news for people who are able to recognize such a sad personal state of affairs, "They will be comforted."

Look at Mt 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." This young man appears to be getting a lot of good news (gospel) from Christ. The rich man clearly, has a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness, because after Jesus tells him a list of things, which he had followed "religiously" the young man didn't celebrate and hoop-it-up, but instead he recognized he was still lacking something.

This issue could be expanded further by talking about the impossibility of any rich man's salvation...on his own merits, versus any rich man's salvation on God's merits. But, I am hoping you are getting the idea by now, that this young man met Jesus' stated criteria for being blessed in Mt 5.

Okay, if you still follow me on this. And if you too have felt "sad" that you have not achieved God's level of excellence, then I am also hoping that you might recognize that your very deep and earnest desire for perfection is the exact same thing to Christ from Mt 5. If you didn't care, then there would be a problem. But, that's not the case. The only thing lacking for you, is the answer to yourself of some important questions:

Just How Powerful is this Jesus?
Is he really able to forgive anything?
Can he heal me, personally, for any & all faults?
Can He create, in me, a holy and sanctified soul? Despite my failings.

God bless,
DSM

What is God's Dream/Vision For You?

2007-08-29T19:50:00.000-05:00

My kids are currently obsessed with the animated movie Robots. If you are familiar with the story I will be brief with my summary.

The lead character, Rodney, grows up at his father’s knee, being encouraged to “follow your dream”. Through the ensuing story we learn that the father had not been so encouraged as a young robot, and therefore, he had compromised his skills and talents to utilitarian expediencies of supporting his wife and son.
The story is generally good and it is very encouraging to young kids.

However, the underlying point that must be taken for granted, is that people will have a clearly defined “dream” or “vision” for their service to their fellow ‘bots’, and by implication to the Creator.
This assumption is not true for most humans; maybe it is different for Robots.

Please consider the following.

When an engineer creates a machine or tool, the tool will reflect a clearly defined “design intent”, this physical appearance will reveal for what the tool is supposed to be used.
For example, an archeologist can easily discern designed intent for an unearthed cup, the same is true for a hand saw or a ladle or spoon.

But, how, specifically, does an individual human reflect the Creator’s design intent?
Any answers?

We are talking about a spiritual element of the Human creation, therefore, any attempts to look for the equivilent of a coffee mug's handle or a saw blades teeth, simply won't work.

Robots is a cute movie, but our physical lives as homo-sapiens does not so easily reveal God's will or “vision/dream” function.
Therefore, the overarching role, which we are to play in God’s scheme, must always be subjectively discerned, so long as God refuses to reveal specific details to us directly, e.g. by speaking via burning bushes or by speaking from bright lights that surround us.

It is always the case that people look for signs of God’s plan for us, personally or individually. And it is from the various signs we see, that we will be shaken to the core periodically, because we attempt to apply our interpretation of events to God’s eternal plan.

So here is an all too common scenario…;

I have a “vision” of God’s purpose for me. My interpretation of "God's Plan" for me is confirmed by subsequent anecdotal evidence. Yet the dream suddenly becomes a “nightmare” and God’s purpose, which had been so clearly perceived just moments before, now becomes apparent chaos, and leaves me attempting to make new order out of the fragmentation of my vision.

Humans are utterly blind to the Father's specific and detailed plans for each individual self. I am walking blindly into the future. I sometimes bump into walls of chaos, pain and confusion; and sometimes I slip comfortably down corridors of peace, pleasure and tranquility. Yet, neither the chaos nor the tranquility reveals anything about my true and detailed mission as an individual.

Jesus Christ said that many details are only known by the Father (Mark 13:32). So all the conjecture about detailed “vision” of my purpose will only create faith struggles when a new ‘wall of chaos’ jumps out of my future and smacks me squarely in the middle of my“dream”.
The scriptures tell us the beginning of the story is “Here” and the end of the story is “There”, but only this one thing matters, between the “Here and There”; TRUST God the Father through the valley of the shadow of death. He will see you safely through to the other side, PERIOD

Good advice is good advice, but so far as I can tell my purpose is to get a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk and to glorify Jesus to whomever I meet along the way.

What I am attempting to say, is that I need not know the Father's detailed and specific will for my life.

I have not read The Purpose Driven Life by Dr. Rick Warren, so I am not commenting on his view per se. But rather, I am saying that our "Purpose" is a simple one that does not require that we find some new and innovative way to discern the will of the Father, e.g. high powered tea leaves for divining God's mind.

We can pick-up trash laying on the ground at the filling station, while we fill up our automobile, and in so doing bring high honor to Jesus. Its just that simple. Anytime we humble ourselves in service to someone else, we have fulfilled our Purpose.
Nothing here, in my opinion, requires more 'how to' books by T.D. Jakes, Joel Olstien, Dr. Joyce Meyers or ________ _____ (fill-in the blank).
Just study the life of Christ and His early disciples and then put into practice what you find, voilà you have fulfilled God's vision and His will.

Knowledge has value.

However, being tempted by the desire to possess knowledge of God's will & purpose is a trap for me.

I have already been snared by the devil's scheme. This trap is the same pitfall that captured the hearts of Adam & Eve.

Remember that episode; the serpent tells us to partake of the fruit of knowledge and then we can be like God, by knowing His will.
Being aware of the Father's detailed plans is irrelevant; it is enough for me to know that God has given His Word to me and for me.

So, in the here and now, I must trust.

It's not so romantic to think that God's will is for me to pick up garbage beside a gas pump.
I'd rather dream about having some grand and noble purpose that will set me in a spotlight of creative history, but that is simply not God's way.

If I want to fulfill my mission and purpose I must set aside those carnal desires for greatness in "my vision", and instead become humble like the Lord.

And by the way, this doesn't mean that I have to like the Father's plan either. Take note that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God and Creator, prayed "let this cup pass from me", which necessarily implies, that even the Son of God didn't like the Fathers plan.

My purpose is not discernable.

That is my conclusion of the matter.

God bless,

DSM

Our attitude is our own judge!

2007-06-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

It has occurred to me, that in the universe that God has placed us, people have ultimate control of only one thing; our own attitude.

This is called "free will".
Furthermore, it is our attitude that will be our judge, when we meet the Creator.

I often times attempt to transfer my own personal "law" or rules for salvation onto other men and women, but God has not granted this authority to me.
My self-imposed "law" or list of things 'to do' or 'not to do' will not be binding on anyone other than myself.

It is interesting to consider that all Christian churches, congregations, denominations, and even individual people have lists of rules for salvation. Some of those lists are formal written rules and laws, but many are just ingrained dogma that we have picked up from whomever has happened to have taught us along the road of life.

We seem to presume that the Creator of the universe will be obliged to judge all of mankind, on that final day, based upon our very own personal credo.

If only we could stop for a moment and consider how audacious this presumption truly is, we might be just a little more forgiving of our fellow human.

So at this point, possibly our question could be:

What are the limits of God's power to give life to a lifeless body?

God bless,

DSM

p.s. I believe the answer is in the preceding post.

What single thing can determine your salvation or your perdition?

2007-06-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

2007-06-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

Job 3:25-26
25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. 26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

American Standard Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

Question: Why did Job fear that this trouble would befall him? He had never suffered before. He had only known blessings all of his life. He had great wealth, land, livestock, prestige, power and unified family.

Yet, he says that the "thing that he had feared, had befallen him."

Why did he doubt God before the trouble? Did God allow this anguish to befall Job, so that Job could overcome the fear that lived inside of his heart?

I wonder about my fears too. Are all of my fears going to find me? Will I overcome my fears like Job overcame his?

I pray that God will give me the power to rise above them when they find me? My fears are inside my heart and I pray to overcome them before Satan brings them to bear on my soul.

I am ashamed of the pain that has come to those I love because of my fears in the past. And I wonder if Job's sons and daughters were destined to their fate because of the fears of their father. I am afraid that my kids will suffer as a result of my fear.

God bless my kids and help me overcome before my fear overtakes my loved ones.

God bless,

DSM

If God seems distant..., who has moved?

2007-06-07T21:34:00.001-05:00

This epigraph is on a church billboard not too far from my home; I've added the Job passage as food for thought, because, I like to think.
So, let's go ahead and ask that question of our patriarch Job, incidentally I think that Job's friends metaphorically already asked this question.

Job 1:1, 6-12
1 There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.
6 One day the angels* came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan the Accuser came with them.
7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
And Satan answered the Lord, “I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”
9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason!
10 You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
11 But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
* Job 1:6, Hebrew the sons of God.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

Job 2:1-7
1 One day the angels* came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan the Accuser came with them.
2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. And Satan answered the Lord, “I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without cause.”
4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin—he blesses you only because you bless him. A man will give up everything he has to save his life.
5 But take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot.
* Job 2:1, Hebrew the sons of God.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

Any guesses on who moved? Think long and hard, because cliché will not answer the question. And cliché may only pour salt onto a bleeding heart/soul. People must be served by Christ..., i.e. Christ's Holy Spirit who lives in you and me. Is he still there? Is the heart of the One who said 'Eli eli lema sabachthani' in His temple? If He who can identify with Job does remain, then..., as He asks the question, He also knows what happened on the day the veil was torn.

The earth shook! Darkness covered the earth! And God moved away...

God bless,
DSM

p.s. Jesus still trusted the Father & Job still trusted Him too.

The most practical lessons that I've learned on anthropology, sociology, and theology, I learned from Calvin & Hobbes.

2007-05-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

Just to be clear, the lessons were not from John Calvin nor Thomas Hobbes, but rather from the Bill Waterson's comic strip characters Calvin and Hobbes, who are the namesakes of the former.

At what point will you abandon your faith?

2007-05-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

(Francisco de Goya. St. Peter Repentant. c. 1823-25.)

(I am posting this for a fellow follower of Christ, who has been forsaken by God. I know that your questions will not be answered in this post, however, I believe that each follower of Christ should ask this question and not just pretend to be a superman or wonder-woman, when it comes to trusting God. At some time in our lives, we will each come face to face with our break-point. The adversary will ask the Father for permission to sift us as wheat. We must remember that Jesus is praying for us, just as He did for Simon Peter; "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." So to my dear friend and the one to whom I have spoken about the trial that you are currently facing, please consider the following words from Luke 22:32, "when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers.” I do not know why God does the things He does, but the ultimate purpose must be from Jesus exhortation to Peter. We must prepare to 'strengthen and build up our brothers and sisters in faith.')

You may be able to tell by recent posts, the past several weeks have been difficult for my faith.
As I write, my father-in-law is still in a coma from the auto accident of April 29. God has preserved Gary and has sustained him and our family, thus far.

I will not give any further details of my personal pain, however, I will confess that I am aware that my struggles are surely not worth comparing to those struggles of many, who read this post.

Pain & grief is relative to each person, so there is not a quantitative standard to measure what should be categorized as "big" or "small" pain & grief.

And to this point, we should consider that many "small" griefs, which are placed on a person will build stress until a "break-point" may be reached, and when the day comes, it seems that the collapse of ones faith came over "nothing".

With this single little grief that may push us past our break-point, it may seem insignificant to our own heart. Therefore, we tend to feel guilty or foolish. Thus, we may not allow ourselves to admit that we are facing our personal 'Crossing of the Rubicon', as regards our faith.

The purpose for this essay is to encourage each reader to take hold of all opportunities to face personal griefs and suffering. God will be glorified and the adversary will be weakened when we continue the struggle in faith.

The question that is the title of this post, exposes the value, which our adversary sees within pain, grief, and suffering. Satan sees these small sufferings and big griefs, through a single lens, that purpose is; "Does this grief move D.S. Martin closer to giving up his faith?"

There is nothing painful in life that cannot be seen with the understanding, that the adversary wishes to use it for driving a wedge between us and God. (Genesis 3:5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.”
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.)

From the above passage we can paraphrase the adversary by saying 'God's heart is not good. Men & Women shouldn't trust I Am.' And God is portrayed as an enemy of Man, because of a very attractive fruit tree in the Garden of Eden.

The fall of mankind and all subsequent pain, murders, wars, child abuse, etc. are all brought about by the simple fruit tree in the middle of the garden. Seems like a petty thing, yet Eve and Adam distrusted God's will and holy nature, because of that tree, which had implied meaning to them, that He was keeping the "good stuff" from them. They were too presumptive, for their own good!

Also however, there is nothing difficult in life that cannot be seen with I Am's sole purpose of building perseverance in faith. We might paraphrase this as God saying; "Don't give up. Just stay with me David Martin, and you will see how much I love you. Trust me with more than your heart, and I will give you more than life."

Please remember the Lord's words to Peter (Luke22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."Emphasis added.)

So if you have not thought about the question, you may be sure of this, your adversary has considered it, and he will ask the Father on some day when you think, as did Peter; "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death."

Peter had only considered two possible negative outcomes for faith in I Am; loss of freedom and death.

Have you given up everything as Peter had done?

Have you left your home and business for plans of glory in service to God?
Have you spent years in preparation for the work of the Creator of heaven and earth?
Have you betrayed the expectations of your father and mother, by declining to take up the family business and carry on the name your parents gave you at birth?
And finally, have you had everything, everything, everything, crash in on your very soul and crush your hopes and dreams?

Well, don't forget that this all happened to Peter.

Matthew 4, 18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. Jesus called him from his home, from his parents, from his business, from his whole life. It was all given up because of Simon's unwavering faith in Jesus the Messiah.

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven.” Jesus took Simon's name. The proud name that was 'Simon', which came from his parents, now becomes "Peter". When translated, Simon's new name is "Stone/boulder".

Simon and brother Andrew are the first disciples to sign-on with the Messiah. They spend the next three years in training to do exactly what Jesus told them in the above passage from Matthew 4:19 "...and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 26:50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.... 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled. ...66 What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He must die!” 67 Then they spit in Jesus’ face and hit him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”...
69 Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some other bystanders came over to him and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter said, “I swear by God, I don’t know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went away, crying bitterly...Matthew 27:21 So when the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” the crowd shouted back their reply: “Barabbas!” 22 “But if I release Barabbas,” Pilate asked them, “what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
And they all shouted, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the crowd only roared the louder, “Crucify him!”.

I should probably keep going with the brutal beating that Peter's "Messiah" took. I might tell you about Peter's Rabbi being treated with contempt as he is spat upon. I could recite the mocking that was bestowed upon Peter's "King", with a crown of thorns. Is it necessary to tell you about the torturous death that Peter's God suffered at the hands of Roman/"gentile dogs"? Does anyone not know about Peter's master receiving a Roman lance through his heart?

So, let me ask the question again; At what point will you abandon your faith?
If your husband or wife leaves you; will that turn you against God?
If your son or daughter is harmed; will that turn your heart against the Father?
If your mother or father abandons you; would that push you over the break-point?
If you lost your job, money, family, purpose, & hope; would you then, tell God to shove-off?

In my opinion, it is better to ask the questions when things are going well, rather than to wait and deal with it on the adversary's terms.

God bless,

DSM

Review of book:Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger

2007-05-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

I am persuaded that God has again, in this book, provided a great service to His servants in the Church.
"The purpose" is re-emphasized and the process for achieving the "Great Commission" is clearly laid-out for any and all who wish to serve the Lord.
Even while I am convinced that all believing "church leaders" will benefit from this book, I am more convinced that this book should be in the hands of the "laity", i.e. the vast numbers of individual members of the body of Christ who evangelize at the water cooler or the construction site food catering trucks, but only when they know their purpose.
Please also read this essay, The Power of Parishioners, by Dr. Rick Warren, which coincides with the Rainer/Geiger findings in Simple Church.
The leaders are not the power of Christ's Church; rather it is the vast army of committed volunteers who understand a "Simple" message with an understandable goal, which is preached from the Simple Church that Jesus established on Pentecost a few years ago.
The power is not in the Pastors, deacons, and preacher/evangelists.

The power is instead from the Holy Spirit within the hearts of those who believe that Jesus can and will save.

God bless,
DSM

Meanwhile, I am still hurting and He is still forsaking me.

2007-05-13T14:46:00.001-05:00

(Response to Comment by Craig)
Craig,
I am not feeling overcome, only forsaken. I am thinking that "forsaken" is a blessing and not a curse, but, it doesn't make it any more pleasant.

The fact that Jesus concludes His passion with "It is finished" means that He understood, that being forsaken in the flesh was the purpose for life. Maybe we would agree on that point maybe not, however I am beginning to understand this; that Jesus was our example in every way, not just in the superficial ways, such as 'rubbing elbows' with the 'salt of the earth' crowd.
Therefore, if Jesus was forsaken by the Father, while in the flesh, we too will be forsaken by the Father, while still in the flesh.

You should read my most recent essay (May 10, 2007 "Betrayal of Job, (Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani)".

People keep telling me 'Maybe God is working in this thing by _____', and my response is "Yeah,it sure could be, but your 'solution' does not provide resolution and it is very uncertain. Meanwhile, I am still hurting and He is still forsaking me. I am not turning from Him, I will be here no matter what He does to me, even if He sends me to a cursed cross, but I don't like it! The LORD gives the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.

I pray that God may bless you and your family, (preferably, with more pleasant blessings than those referenced in Psalm 119:71)
DSM

Betrayal of Job (“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”)

2007-05-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

Many do not agree with me that God “does” things that amount to betrayal or forsaking of His people. But, until you can tell me what Jesus meant by his dying words (Write it. Post it here to this essay. Support it with citations from scripture. I will not debate, what is clear from the Lord’s question to the Holy Father, unless you are willing to search the scriptures and support your beliefs with the "inspired words" of God's prophets.);

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I will stand by Jesus words! He knew what was happening and he characterized it accordingly. He was not “mistaken”. He was not “confused”. He was not just being “emotional”. He is God and He was forsaken by the Father.

Discounting the words of the Lord, by saying "It only appeared to Jesus, that the Father forsook him", necessarily implies that Jesus could be wrong about the Father. If Jesus ‘could be wrong’ about the Father, then why would anyone dare to worship Him as Lord.
It is not plausible to claim that Jesus, as he breathes his dying words, is only asking a “rhetorical question” of the Father. Final words are not commonly known to be "rhetorical."
Anyone who uses human wisdom to equivocate for Jesus’ intended meaning, simply will not suffice for me. Jesus said it, either He was wrong, He lied, or He was speaking Truth. I tend to believe Jesus and Truth are never on opposite sides.

Therefore, if it happened once, to Jesus Christ, then it can happen again and Job knew this all to well, have a look for yourself,

Job9:11 Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves on, I do not see him go. 12 If he sends death to snatch someone away, who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’ 13 And God does not restrain his anger. The mightiest forces against him* are crushed beneath his feet. 14 “And who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? 15 Even if I were innocent, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. 16 And even if I summoned him and he responded, he would never listen to me. 17 For he attacks me without reason,* and he multiplies my wounds without cause. 18 He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. 19 As for strength, he has it. As for justice, who can challenge him? 20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it* would prove me wicked.21 “I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me—I despise my life. 22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to him. That is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ 23 He laughs when a plague suddenly kills the innocent. 24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not he, then who?* Job 9:13Hebrew The helpers of Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.* Job 9:17As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads with a storm.* Job 9:20Or he.Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

God does not “correct Job’s error” when he responds to Job. The Lord is speaking within the full context of the discourse between Job and his friends. This full context has two distinct themes which are NOT ambiguous.

The theme of Job is this; “God the Creator has forsaken me and I want to know WHY?”.
The theme of Job’s friends is this; “God cannot forsake anyone, because that is ‘unjust’. Therefore you, Job, are responsible for the calamity that has befallen you. What the heck did you do, Job? Come-on, give us all the gory details.”

God instead says to Job, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them…Where were you when I …fill-in the blank“.

The “ignorant words” statement, about Job’s words, does not mean they are wrong words. It simply means that Job does not have full knowledge about that, of which he speaks.

If I am wrong about any of this, you should write and show me where, because as the Lord concludes His discourse with Job this is what the Lord says;

Job 42:7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and with your two friends, for you have not been right in what you said about me, as my servant Job was.
8 Now take seven young bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not been right in what you said about me, as my servant Job was.”

Also note, I am not saying that the Lord says that all of the details from Job’s discourse with his friends are “right”.
In a logical debate, such as what occurs with Job and his friends, details are ancillary to each side’s underlying theme.

Therefore, the Lord is speaking to two distinct themes, which have been outlined using, anecdotes, details, hyperbole, metaphors, similes etc.

Furthermore, I know that “free will” is a part of the equation, but “free will” is not a person and can, therefore, have NO CULPABILITY, while God is ULTIMATELY CULPABLE, just as Job states in 9:24.

The LORD emphatically states that Job is correct in his theme, i.e. "God has forsaken me".

Jesus, by inference, also states that Job is correct, as He cries out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani”.

I will take Job, the LORD, and Jesus over all the Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge Theologians, a.k.a. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, every trip of the train.

But, that also means that my pain is quite real and quite irreconcilable…, while I remain in the flesh.
DEJECTED!

God bless,
DSM

No answers yet.

2007-05-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

I don't think that I would be in a mood to receive answers well, even if they were provided and were accurate.
I believe the words would only make me angry.
Maybe not, though.
I suppose it would depend upon who was speaking. Also the context of the words should affect how the words are received.

A song came to mind this morning and I will apply the lyrics, just to see how it works.

"Count Your Blessings"

Today is my 15th Anniversary.
My Wife loves me.
She kissed me on the cheek as I woke-up this morning. (She found the card I left on her night stand.)
My daughter hugged me last night at bed time.
My son liked his birthday present, a new bicycle.
I have a spare work vehicle to drive while my truck is out of service for 6-8 weeks.
(I'll add to this list as things occur to me.)

Dejected?

2007-05-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

I suspect that this is pride, but I don't know the answer.
No answers are available that will suffice.

Ecclesiastes 1

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “utterly meaningless!”
3 What do people get for all their hard work?
4 Generations come and go, but nothing really changes.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

If I die to self today, I always tend to resurrect myself tomorrow and I must die again. I can't get away from myself. Why do I fail?
Why do I care if I am given a goal and then have the mission taken away?
Why do I care if I am given answers that appear to be wrong or even intended to simply placate me?
Why do I care if I am needed?
If I am dead to self, then is my value dead?
If I am dead to self, is my value increased?
How do I go about service with passion? Because passion necessarily and inevitably brings dejection. Dejection feeds pride. Pride is sin!
How does one serve dispassionately and yet remain effective?
How does one serve dispassionately and yet hold a zest for life, to and in Christ Jesus?

Life is dejection, suffering, betrayal, pain and love.
Why God?
The paradox seems irreconcilable.

May God bless you with a full understanding of love, rather than an exaggerated understanding of the other items listed above,

DSM

p.s. We shouldn't forget Jesus dying words,

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

DEJECTED!

When the Father forsook Jesus, I wonder if Jesus feelings were a thousand times more intense than the way that I feel now? Probably much more intense than even that.

Can we name any souls who were saved under the Old Covenant?

2007-05-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

I am beginning to think again.So, this question occurred to me,

Can we name any souls who were saved under the Old Covenant?

and my initial answer came up with the obvious Abraham, among many others, e.g. David, Rahab, Daniel, etc.

However, this begs a question; if the Old Testament (Covenant) had the power to save some, why did God go to the trouble of establishing the New Testament (Covenant)?

Is it just a "better" or more effective method of salvation?

Wouldn't this be analagous to saying that the "New" Synthetic motor oils are better and more effective at protecting engines from friction than the "Old" Petroleum based motor oils.

My motor oil analogy carries the implied meaning that many motors receive inherent benefits from petroleum based motor oils, and even to the point that many motors have been "saved" by petroleum based motor oils.

I grew up with my father instilling this dogma into my preventative maintanence schedule.

He would say, "Son..., you can run a motor out of gas, but you should NEVER run a motor out of OIL."

So, you see, I understand the value of the Old Covenant motor oil.

However, now the New Covenant motor oils have arrived, and if one wants to "really" save his motors, he must utilize this "New" means of salvation, which is brought through baptism into synthetic lubricants.

Nevertheless, here is the question again;

Can we name any souls who were saved under the Old Covenant?

Please look at two passages that have bearing on this question, 2 Corinithians 3:9.

Is Paul's statement universal? It appears to be so, and most disciples of Jesus seem to accept this statment as universal. And the context appears to command that we understand the universality of Paul's point concerning the Old Covenant.

How will this 2 Corintians passage affect our answer to the question at issue?

This creates a conundrum for many of us, doesn't it?

Here is another passage that may help or it may uncover some unresolved faith issues.

Look at Hebrews 11:39-40. We must understand the context of Hebrews 11. The writer of this letter is addressing doctrinal errors from the 1st Century Church. His focus is to answer faith issues for Jewish believers. He outlines God's faithful from the "Old days". We would say from the Old Testament. This passage is the "Hall of Faith", and the final two verses from the chapter could turn your world upside down.

What did the Hebrews writer mean?

Let me know what you think.

God bless,

DSM

p.s. Would you prefer that I provide the text of the bible passages or not? I am considering dropping the use of the biblical text and only giving the citations. Please weigh in, if you have a preference.

Update on my Father-in-law

2007-05-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Gary remains in the critical care unit of Presbyterian Hospital.
The principal issues that the lead trauma surgeon has high-lighted are his internal organ functions in his abdominal cavity.
His kidney function is very low, which necessitated the use of dialysis treatment, starting Monday April 30. (The doctors have indicated that the kidneys could recover sufficiently to resume normal function.)
The stomach, gall blader, colon, and liver are all very low in their respective functions. Generally, the doctors have indicated that with the dialysis treatment that Gary is receiving, we should begin to see all the internal organs to recover more quickly.
Therefore, we remain hopeful.
The sedatives that had been used last week to keep Gary in a comatose state, have been reduced significantly.
This should begin to allow him to regain consiousness. The extent of brain damage is unknown. The physicians have indicated that the contusions were minor, but they have no knowledge of how this will have affected him.
My wife sat with Gary yesterday evening and talked to him and held his hand. As she prepared to come home she noticed that his eyelids appeared to open a little bit. The nurse told her that this may be his begining to regain consiousness.
This was a postive sign for her.

Linda began her physical therapy yesterday, Wednesday May 2.
She was released from the hospital last Friday evening.
The daughters spent the weekend with her, each taking a shift, and this week there has been a crew of family and friends helping her.

Linda, obviously, wants to be with Gary as often as she can.
She asked to stay with him overnight last evening, but that would not be good for her health and recovery.
We continue to request for your prayers for Gary especially, but also for Linda, and finally for the entire family.
God bless,
DSM

for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

2007-04-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

Things are going well for Gary and Linda, as well as for all who know and love them.

We remain confident that Gary and Linda’s recovery will bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.

Therefore we are continuing to pray for them, and we are joyfully expectant of the miracle that is occurring.

We ask that you please pray boldly and confidently for Gary and Linda, to the glory of Christ.

God bless all,
David S. Martin

12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah.* He named it Ebenezer—“the stone of help”—for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
*
1 Samuel 7:12
As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Shen.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

What is the significance of Jesus empty tomb?

2007-04-10T19:19:00.000-05:00

In light of the faithful of the Old Testament, e.g. Adam, Abraham, Job, Judah, Rahab, King David.
These men and women didn't know Jesus' victory over death.
They were not baptized into Jesus' death burial and resurrection, as the apostle Paul describes in Romans 6:2-10.

If indeed, God's mercy and grace does extend to some, e.g. the faithful of the Old Testament, who didn't have the knowledge of Jesus, why did Jesus even "waste our time", by giving us the Great Commission, and telling us that 'as we go to all people, we should teach, baptize and train them to obey God's command to Love?" (I am asking a rhetorical question.)

The answer to this question is the "power" of the Holy Spirit.
When we fail to obey the Great Commission, then the "power" is not shared. When the power of the Holy Spirit, which can change people, cultures, communities, is not shared, people live powerless lives.
They still may hope, yet, they have no assurance of the thing, for which they blindly hope.
The incredible "Holy Spirit Power" resides in our ability to share a believer's confident assurance of the hope that belongs to all who know Jesus Christ, because we have been buried in the grave of baptism, and we no longer fear anything that satan can throw at us.

Jesus name carries the confident assurance of the thing that all faithful people hope in our hearts.This includes faithful people like Melchizedek, David & Job.

They did not have the evidence of Jesus Christ's empty tomb. We however do have evidence.

Therefore we have powerful evidence to share, with them in the world who are still on trial. These folks have a need for the evidence we have.

It is evidence which will show their innocence to the charges that are being presented to the Father, charges for which, our prosecutor and adversary, i.e. satan., is attempting to convict all mankind.

God bless, and share the exculpatory evidence.
DSM