Pages

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.

Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Opus 2023-299: Wake Up Call

I keep reading that increasing numbers of what were perfect stereotypes of brainwashed citizens are waking up.  I refer to the mindless obedience of American blacks and Jews who have historically voted for the party of the KKK, Jim Crow, filibuster of the 1964 Civil Rights act and constantly voting against Israel.  I keep hearing that some are waking up.

Good.

At this point I think the ones waking up are the minority of the minority that are capable of independent thought and are paying attention.  In case that offends you as racist or some such nonsense, even the majority has a minority that are capable of independent thought and paying attention.  The move, if it is really happening, is an encouraging sign.  When you have numbers in the 90% voting straight Democrat you wonder about their sanity.  

There is a reason why the elites should fear this movement.  At present it represents no threat to them.  I have heard Stalin quoted as commenting that the important action is not how people vote but who counts the vote.  I expect there will be continued theft of elections.  These people control the courts, justice system and information outlets.  If they were able to get away with such obvious crimes last time we can expect more of the same.

The reason the elites should fear is that these thinkers and attention payers are like most conservatives.  They are peace loving, slow to anger and believe in the rule of law.  The plain truth is that they do not operate the same way that others in their demographic operate.  For now the Progressives* will go home and party.  Eventually the part of those demographics that are used to using violence to solve their problems will realize they have been had and start to come for the smug liberals.  When that happens the calls for talk and due process will fall on deaf ears and there will be blood in the streets.  By that time the police and military will be so gutted that they will do what they did before, turn and run or not show up.  This time is will be from fear, not because they will ordered to.

Now if we could only start infiltrating the great brainwashed masses of journalists, teachers and academia.

*(Liberals, educators, the media, socialists, communists, crony capitalists, fascists (I repeat myself), elites, Rinos, Democrats, leftists, Never Trumpers, Antifa, BLM, MSM, Deep State, etc.  Synonym for swamp dwellers)

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-298: Build a Bubble

We often complain about the rodents of congress living in a bubble.  They don’t know how the other 99% lives and, as long as they get reelected, don’t care.

I am wondering if it might be a good idea to actually put them in a bubble.  Make it a self-contained world in which they cannot read the MSM or have access to any polls.  It might also be reinforced so that they could not talk to other members of congress.  No parties, no interviews by talking heads, no eating out.  You get the idea.  Make that double for Democrats.  Make them decide what to do based on their promises and their knowledge of how the real world works.  I say this as I watch the Republicans continue to be the worthless party as the Rinos keep crossing the line to lick the shoes of their Democrat overlords.

I wonder how they would vote if they were not worried about the next cocktail party or trip to Epstein’s Island.  It might transform the country.  It is clear they are transforming the country, the wrong way.

Primaries are coming up.  Consider whom you will vote for.  If the Republicans won’t give you a real option then go third party.

Elections matter.  Vote.  Pray.  Stand up.  Speak up.  Be counted in life.

homo unius libri

Friday, December 1, 2023

Opus 2023-297: Dark Thoughts: Immutable Change

I was thinking about the character of God and His attributes.  I have a whole page covered with words that describe God and His actions.

Is God restricted by these attributes?  Is God described by these attributes?  Are the words given in the Bible just a human equivalent of something divine and beyond our comprehension?

I think the answer is “Yes.”

While God in His sovereignty could change His character, part of His character is that He won’t change.  We have a fancy word for that, immutable.  The fact that God is immutable leads to confusion.  It tends to define God as a concrete existence that has no possibility of interacting with creatures like us.  That is obviously not the case.  We have examples of God changing His mind and reacting to people.  Moses argued with God.  Abraham bargained with God.  Gideon is another example.  God’s character did not change in those encounters.  He is immutable.  His stated decisions did change.  He is a free agent.

The Bible gives us a description of God.  We need to remember that God came first and the description came later.  An example of that concept is music theory.  I took a class on music theory in college and did well although I am not a musician.  One of the things I remember being explained to us was that music theory came after Beethoven, not before.  Beethoven did not learn how to do what he did by reading a book.  The book was written in analysis of what he did.  The same is true of God.

Go to the source.

homo unius libri

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Opus 2023-296: Dark Thoughts: Chain Reactions

God is still the Prime Mover.  Secular scientists get all choked up with rage when anyone suggests that there is a God and He ever did anything.  It is one of the problems that held up the acceptance of the Big Bang Theory.  It is pushed now in the hopes that people will not look back and see the resistance.  The big problem with the secular view of the origin of the universe is that they have no way to explain the beginning.  What they have come up with corresponds very will with Genesis 1:1.

Why my thoughts in the dark of the morning took me was that the Big Bang was not a one time event.  Each human life is another example of the Big Bang.  Sorry, I could not get around that pun.  Every conception is a totally unique event.  In the case of identical twins the divergence starts almost immediately.  When you consider the wonderful complexity of the human genome it becomes clear that each human is a creation in their own right.

Each person is a unique individual with incredible potential.  We tend to forget that.  It used to be assumed.  With the emergence of the philosophy behind things like Critical Race Theory that uniqueness is overwhelmed by identity politics.  Characteristics chosen by the elect as important become more important than anything original about you.  You are just a cell in your particular woke caricature.  You are a cipher of the state.  You are just a part of the primordial ooze.

We need to get back to celebrating individuals and their contributions.  We need a society that develops that.  America came close.  Socialism wants to destroy it.  The American dream and the liberty outlined in the Bill of Rights are a recipe for each of us being more than just another bump on the road of life.

Believe it and live it.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-295: Tangent to What

What troubles me is not people coming up with weird ideas or borderline heresy.  Most of the time that is a good way to start a conversation.  My mind tends to take tangents and I will defend them to the point of not being fun any more.

I am more disturbed by people who have not had a new thought in years.  These can be Christians or not.  In so many lives mental petrification is a serious problem.  

Personally I find it hard to read through the Bible and not see new ideas or eyebrow raisers.  Maybe they are not new.  Maybe I noticed them thirty years ago and just forgot.  At my age I could have read it last week and forgot.  Sharing my mental tangents and getting those looks of condescension help to sear them into my memory.  

As an example, today in Sunday School the teacher was reading through the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.  This married couple sold some property, gave part to the church and claimed that they had given all of it.  Though given a chance to confess their lie they stuck to their story and each was struck dead.  I have heard this many times in my life.  Today the question popped into my head, “I wonder if that increased or decreased giving in the church?”  For some reason I never got an answer.

For some reason many people don’t like my tangents.

homo unius libri

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Opus 2023-294: A Simple Message

Simple songs with a simple message and eternal consequences.

I was listening to Bing Crosby sing, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”  It goes through a progression from seeing, then hearing, knowing and eventually saying.  It never mentions the name of Jesus.  It seems to be expected that you know what the star means, what the song says and who the Child is.  Don’t assume that is true in today’s world.

There is no deep theology in this song.  It is simply a message of sharing.  Sharing the hope.  Sharing the joy.  Jesus put it a bit differently.  He started with,

(Joh 9:5 KJV)  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
He is the light but the implication is that He would be leaving.  So we see His words in Matthew,
(Mat 5:14 KJV)  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
This is the context of also saying we are the salt of the earth.  What it means is we are a presence which cannot be denied.  We are the seasoning in the stew of life.  Like the song, this does not involve deep theology.  It means living a life that reflects the light and holiness of God.  When the Holy Spirit has used your witness and other ingredients, He will lead people to start asking questions and then you can share what you know.

Embrace the hope, joy and peace of the incarnate Savior.  Let it radiate from your face and your actions.  Maybe this can be the year that revival breaks out because of Christmas carols.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-293: Huzza for Honest Evil

I’m thinking we need to give a shout-out to the honest evils in the world.  Most evil hides under a cloak.  Think of abortion mills murdering uncounted children and claiming they are doing it for the benefit of women’s rights.  Think of all the insiders making a couple of fortunes by milking the totally useless green energy fraud.  Think of the members of congress who claim to have gone to Washington to do the will of the people.  I don’t remember the people saying they want members of congress to become rich while they bleed taxpayers dry.  Not those people.

I’m thinking of how certain groups declare with no mystery what their goal is.  The evil proponents of Islamic Jihad are currently at the top of the list.  They proclaim what they plan to do.  They are very clear about it.  They are very open about genocidal murderer of Jews.  That includes all Jews with no regard for age, sex or civilian status.  As a mild mannered Palestinian I once knew proclaimed with a straight face, “You need to kill them all.  The women have more babies and the babies grow up to be soldiers.”  He was a public school teacher twenty years ago and a genuinely nice guy, except for Jews.  

If you go back to the Marxists, the Communist Manifesto was very clear about all the things it wanted to destroy and do away with.  Topping the list in clear English was the family, religion and private property.  It is double clear because when it was published it was put out in many languages with an official translation by the authors.  Don’t believe me?  Download a copy and read it.  It isn’t long but it is specific.

I believe that also Hitler in Mein Kampf was very clear about destroying everything of the west having to do with Christianity.  God was to be replaced by the state and all humans would either be exterminated or brought into submission to the state.  I have not read Hitler’s book so I can’t speak with authority but you get the idea.

The other side of this coin is the total blindness of the general population and their Elite overlords.  You might consider them part of the disguised agents of evil.  How people of good will could rally against Israel when the slaughter was clear and the Hamas method of using children as human shields is well documented.  Maybe the answer is they are not people of good will.

Again I say, pray like it was necessary.  It is.  And while you have any liberty stand up, speak out and make a difference.  You might try voting but I am not sure that is a lost cause at this point.

homo unius libri