Opus 2026-174: On the Street: Reflections of Driving Style

I wonder how a person’s personality is revealed in their driving style.

I know that usually what we are experiencing at the moment stands out to us as being unusual.  Having said that, it seems to me that quite frequently when people are very quick to pull out in front of me as I’m driving down the road they end up being afraid to drive the speed limit once they’re in place.  I know you’ve had the experience.  You’re driving along in a 55 mile an hour zone, the road is clear in front of you.  A car pulls up to the cross street.  Instead of waiting for you to go by even though there’s no one behind you, they will immediately pull out in front of you as if they’re in a hurry to get to the hospital.  You jam on your brakes.  You slow down.  You watch to see if they will accelerate so you can keep moving, but alas and lack, they don’t seem to realize it’s a 55 mile an hour zone.  So they cruise along at 45 maybe 50 if they’re in a good mood.

Now I wonder if there is a sense of arrogance and self-centeredness, which is at work here or it just that they are day dreaming.  They’re very willing to pull out in front of you because they seem to think they’re more important than you are.  Then they’re very willing to drive very slow because that’s the speed they want to drive that and they wouldn’t care less if there’s anybody behind them.  Does this reflect itself in their personal relationships?

I wonder if these are the people who take up two parking spaces so their car doesn’t get scratched.  I wonder if they’re the ones who idle blocking traffic in the parking lot waiting for someone to come out and get in their car and move it so that they don’t have to walk very far.  I wonder if they are the ones who pull up in front of the entrance to the grocery store and sit there idling until someone eventually comes out.  Or extend that to the airport where they stopped in the Loading Zone Only and wait for the person to get off the plane and come out.  They could be the one who takes a full shopping cart into the 10 items or less aisle at the grocery store.  There are many applications in this personality type.

They might be the nicest person you ever met, I have no way of knowing.  Or they could be one of the most self-centered people that you’ve ever experienced.  Maybe we need a scientific study for this.  Anybody want to write a grant? 

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-173: Click Bait: Three to One

The title of the unwatched video had to do with the fact that Arminius disagreed with Augustine, Calvin and Luther.  In further ground breaking news we learn that the Pacific Ocean is west of the United States.  A better response might be, “Well, duh.”

I am going to guess that the sponsor of the video was going to claim that anyone who disagreed with those three theological giants was obviously at best misinformed.  At worse such a person would be a servant of Satan.

What I would want people to take away from this announcement is that the principal Reformation theologians were in agreement with one of the founding saints of the Roman Catholic Church.  In my reading this year I have had that pointed out several times, usually by people with an Arminian slant.  It was not offered as a recommendation for their ideas.

If you are a five point Calvinist then it might surprise you that much of your theology comes from a Catholic theologian.  If you are any type of Christian it might be interesting to realize that Augustine was out of step with much of the teaching of the earlier church fathers.  One synopsis of Augustine and the Reformers was that the difference was not so much theological as political.

My journey is a voyage down the road of comparing all that I have been taught over the years with what the Bible actually says.  I have some solid foundations.  I also have some strong bastions of nonsense that need to be overcome.  We need to be careful of theological jargon that is not straight out of scripture.  Some is necessary, like the concept of the trinity.  Others are questionable such as the five Solas.

Keep in mind that when you stand before God your pastor or favorite author will not be there as your advocate. Jesus has that role.

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Opus 2026-172: Quite an Accomplishment

I sometimes wonder if we can make God weary.  I understand that God is omnipotent, and that the thought of us wearing Him down is rather ridiculous, but at the same time, I wonder if there isn’t a bit of peevishness or frustration the creeps in at times.  What brought this to mind was some of the prayer request that we are constantly sending up to Him.  I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but most of the prayer requests that are brought up have to do with the illness of people who are not part of the congregation.  We hear about cousins and friends and distant relatives that are going through really difficult times . Our heart goes out to them.  We put them on our prayer list.  And we pray for them.

Which brings up that eternal question, “Don’t you think God already knows about this?”

On Wednesday nights we are working through Jeremiah.  We started months ago and that caused me to read through the book plus some of the other prophets.  One of the things that comes through repeatedly is the incredible patience that God has towards people who think they are in the inner circle.  He is continually calling on Israel to repent, and with some basic guidelines.  He offers to forgive.  He offers to restore.  He bends over backwards for a bunch of unworthy and ungrateful semi pagans.  

I’m not sure which would be more frustrating. Our prayer request or our disobedience.

When given a chance I will ask about the spiritual condition of the person.  Sometimes there is no knowledge.  It troubles me that it doesn’t seem to be the concern.  What is the gain if someone is cured of cancer and continues in disobedience?  I guess it gives them another chance to repent but the destination has not been changed by a healthy scan.

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Opus 2026-171: Wildflower Watch: Or Not

Our first few years in Texas seemed to show that there was an established pattern to the appearance of different wildflowers.  It seemed to start with blue bonnets and much later you would have the indian paint brush.  That pattern is totally a fantasy this year.  We have both of them coming up at the same time but in very limited numbers.

The blue bonnets are looking pathetic.  They are few and have lots of breathing room.  They also are much shorter than in years past.  I imagine people would blame in on the drought conditions.

There are also milkweed blooming which I thought happened almost last.

There are also some generic yellow, white and purple patches but they tend to be background for the rest of the blooms.  They may be the main act this year.

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Opus 2026-170: Gathering Around the Tree

Why were the Jews so dense?  God did not really demand that much.  One of the false flags that are waved in our faces is that you could not keep the law.  Rubbish.  The Rabbis came up with 613 laws to be observed.  I hear a lot of Christians refering to them but my guess is that they have never bothered to look into what the 613 consist of.  Many are duplications.  Many apply to temple worship and with no temple they are a bit archaic.  Many only apply to priests, Levites and members of city councils in ancient Israel.

It is still a real question.

Think about your Old Testament.  Much of it involves reciting the rebellion and debauchery of Israel and God’s threats if they don’t straighten up.  They started with a golden calf and ended up wandering for 40 years.  They kept trying to conquer Canaan their way.  The judges oversaw brief periods of toeing the line.  God sent prophets for hundreds of years and only a few listened.

And what about the New Testament church.  If they had not been so sinful we would have little of the letters of Paul to read.    

So the problem was not the egregious demands of the law or the impossibility of keeping it.  The problem was not ignorance.  It went much deeper than that.  In fact it goes back to the Garden of Eden when the serpent implied Eve could be as a god.  It is still our modus operandi today.  

The organized church acts like it is the serpent rather than the voice of God.  The Bible is ignored or interpreted according to the latest social fashion.  Truth is denied because it requires submission and confession of sin.  Sin is embraced in all its forms and called righteousness.  God is rejected for the advice of the latest mega church guru.  

Join me in looking deep into our hearts and checking our motivation.  We are in history and history is the constant challenge of people trying to echo the choice of Eve.  God have mercy on us.  I have a feeling His patience is wearing thin.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-169: Next!

What is the next big step in technology?  We are in the middle of one but most of us are not paying attention.

Do you remember when you discovered the power of the Google search?  I remember using it as a teacher to root out plagiarism in my students work.  It was awesome. I could type in a suspicious sentence and quickly find out where it came from originally.

The current big step is backwards.  More and more often we find that the programmers of the so called AI and the algorithms that deliver unsought videos are out to limit our access to information.

A good example of this is found at the Lazy Farmer.  He is a resourceful individual who has been using YouTube videos to find out how to fix things.  We have all done that or should have.  I had a broken lawn tractor and found several videos that showed me how to take care of it.  At that time the problem was not YouTube but the little quirk that cooks have of leaving out one small ingredient or step when they tell you how to proceed.  

The Lazy Farmer documents his discussions with the AI that used to be helpful but is being reigned in by the developers.  The program confesses it has been told not to answer certain questions.

Searching for information is at a crossroad of finding nothing and only finding what the cultural architects want you to find. It is increasingly useless or decreasingly useful, take your pick.

The environment is being prepared for the next step forward.  Not being into tech I have no idea what it will be based on or how it will spread but people who were used to the vision of a free internet are increasingly realizing that the vision has cataracts.  When it appears I assume that the existing power structure will try to pull a Microsoft and put them out of business but eventually there will be a tool that will survive.  The current giants will try to reform and promise to do better.  Hopefully the general public will remember the Peanuts cartoon with Lucy pulling the football out of reach.

Of course the greenies could also win and bring down all modern technology. It is hard to access an internet powered by unicorn farts and rainbows.

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Opus 2026-168: On the Street: What’s My Hurry

As I get older, I find myself constantly less irritated by the slow drivers that seem to always get in front of me.  I used to fuss and fume.  Now I just kind of sit back and enjoy the ride.  Well, not always, but more and more often.  I find this produces two juxtaposition ideas.

On the one side I’m getting older and I am retired, so I have more time.  What is the rush?  I’ve learned that most things will wait for me to get there, and if it requires being super on time, it may not be worth doing.

On the other side, I don’t have as much time.  I’m getting old.  The clock is winding down.  I don’t claim I have crested the hill and started down the other side, but I’m certainly getting close to the summit.  So maybe I should hurry up a little bit more.  Maybe I should be more impatient.  After all, they may be robbing me of my last chance to stop at my favorite restaurant or visit the library.  You never know about these things.

At least it builds my character.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-167: Monday Pulpit: I’ve Got a Feeling

In Sunday School we were working through Romans 8.  The teacher had his agenda and part of it covered this verse but did not touch on what came to my mind.  That does not surprise me since my mind tends to wander down crooked, shaded paths.

(Rom 8:16 KJV)  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

My question, which I did not express out loud, was, “How can you tell the difference between the Spirit “bearing witness” and just a feeling generated by other pressures?

The question was already in my mind.  Last week I watched a segment of The Narrow Path with the teaching of Steve Gregg.  The caller was a Mid-Acts Dispensationalist.  The acronym for the group, their choice not mine, is MAD.  She was accusing him of condemning a previous caller and reprimanded him for his attitude.  The question of any well grounded person paying attention would be “What attitude?”  I don’t know if you ever listen to what Steve Gregg has to say but aggressive and condemning are not words that usually come to mind.

She repeated many times that she could “feel” that the caller was sincere and that he was right.  The fact that Gregg calmly pointed out errors with scripture, reason and logic had no bearing on her feeling or his attitude.  The was the origin of my question more than the verse in SS.

How do you tell which it is?  Usually when we refer to the influence of the Spirit it is a non-physical experience.  Rarely do people hear God actually speaking out loud.  I can remember one time when I thought He spoke, but only one.  What is the difference?  One is very unreliable and the other is always to be trusted.

Discernment and seeking truth are essential.  Start with yourself.  Are you a person who tends to experience a lot of emotions?  Is that how you deal with the world?  Do you cry easy?  Do you have the gift of mercy?  Be careful when making decisions based on feelings.

One test that is always essential is to run what you feel through the test of scripture.  I have heard people say that God told them living in fornication was okay as long as you were in love.  Really.  You don’t need to look too hard at scripture to see that is not valid.  That is an easy one but realize it is not obvious for some people.  Keep in mind also that situations that require instant answers for life changing decisions are best put aside until you have time to pray and consider.

It might also be of value to identify some people with the gift of discernment or of wisdom.  Run your feeling through them.  If they are immediately on board then it is probably the Holy Spirit.  If they hesitate then take that seriously.

That feels like a good plan.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-166: Accidental Wisdom

The wisdom of children is more accidents and poor choice of words than insight.

My grandson was deeply involved in a space war in which I was the adversary.  The problem emerged when he declared victory.  When I expressed my horror he simply said, “You are not doing anything so you lose.”  While that was an accurate synopsis of the situation it struck as a great bit of social commentary.

How often in life do we complain that we did not win and the truth is we did not read the fine print.  You know the fine print I speak of.  It says, “Must be present to win.”  Just a small detail but a game changer.

Some basic principles of life are so simple that children see them and adults claim they are victims who were blindsided.  When you show up late for work, take a lot of breaks and leave early you are not the victim when you are the first one laid off.  Consider it a reward, or an award.

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Opus 2026-165: Side Effects of Worship

In theory worship is designed to lift up and praise God.  That is a fine goal but it does not tell the whole story.  There are also a lot of benefits that accrue to the worshipers.

I find that a time of corporate worship develops a greater sense of being a part of the body of Christ.  It is like a mortar that flows through the joints between believers.  It cannot be measured but it can be recognized.

The individual benefits are also multiple.  Worship can improve your clarity of mind and focus.  The experience makers it easier for God to speak to us because we’re listening.  I find that if I don’t know I am being spoken to I miss a lot.  You may have had the experience in which someone is talking to you and you think they are just on their phone, or vise versa.  In that case you don’t miss a lot but you didn’t have a chance for anything because your mind was somewhere else.  When you walk in and open your Bible or hymnal you open the door to communication.   It gives the Holy Spirit a chance

I find it contributes to emotional stability and strength in multiple areas of my life.  There is something about the presence of other believers and the instruments of praise that reach down into our soul and put things into perspective.  That calmness prepares us to deal with life more effectually.

If we listen and apply ourselves it gives us increased knowledge and understanding.  What is not to like in that.

There is also the chance that if you do not know Jesus, salvation may become a reality in your life.  It might even begin a revival in your church and ultimately in the country.

Worship.  If I were writing in Greek that would be in the imperative.  Do it alone on your front porch.  Do it driving in traffic.  Do it in a building set aside for that purpose.  It will be worth your while. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-164: Middle Class Morality: Pillars of Culture

A post on Powerline titled “6 Pillars of Civilization” gave some basic information that we all need to embrace.  This is extra true in the current climate of depricating the contributions of Western Civilization.  I don’t know if they are original to the writer but they are something to consider.

The six,

–Monogamy
–Free enterprise
–Representative government
–Universal education (reading/writing)
–Scientific method
–Monotheism

Most Americans of previous generations would read this list and say, “Of course.”  They would accept those as normal.  All of them are assumed in cultures based on Christianity.  In fact they are demanded.  Not so much the rest of the world.

Take the Muslim world.  The only one of these that they would embrace is monotheism.  What are the results of one out of six?  Poverty.  Ignorance.  Violence.  Tyranny.  Millions fleeing.  Not a very good return on investment.  Much of the same can be said for the third world countries that reject Christian foundations.  There are some exceptions like Japan but even they operate on principles developed in Christendom.

Notice I said “previous generations”.  I am not so sure that the current generations would endorse the list.  What that should tell us is that the benfits of the list will soon fade away.  In a business the trust that is developed by years of honesty and responsible practices lead to profits and a repeat customer base.  When the proprietor begins to cut corners and reduce value the business ends up closing down.  A good example is Panera Bread.  It used to be a go-to stop and now it is almost empty.

What does the future hold?  That depends on the values and priorities we adopt.  Choose wisely.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-163: Comfort or Control

When my grandchildren are doing an over-nighter at our house there is a scene that repeats itself.  They will come looking for me and demand that I go play Legos with them.  I will eventually go along, sit on the couch, take a bin of pieces and begin sorting through them looking for inspiration.  I have come to the conclusion that one of two things are in operation.

Either I am providing a sense of security or I am being manipulated.

Once I am settled in the scene goes one of two ways.  Either they set me to looking for parts or they quiet down and work on their own.  I can quickly revert to childhood and start trying to be creative.  I got my first Lego when I was 27 years old and it kept me busy for hours.  I know the power of Legos.  I can also sit for long periods of time just enjoying the scene of busy grandchildren.  Sometimes I can get up and go back to what I was doing and they don’t notice for a while.

Is it comfort or control?  I am not sure I care.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-162: Uncharted Revelations: Lessons in Geometry

I am still trying to visualize what is being described in Revelation 4.  After we get past the colors of God I start thinking like an interior decorator or a geometry major trying to look at how things relate to each other.  Maybe you need calculus to understand this.  

We  start with a throne located in heaven in verse 2.  That gets me looking up but that won’t work for long.  Then in verse 4 we have 24 thrones arranged “around” the throne.  I see them in a circle.  Around does not mean lined up in front.  Verse 5 has seven lamps in front of the throne.

Are you getting the picture?

Verse 6 adds the sea of glass,

(Rev 4:6 KJV)  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Different translations make different pictures but we will stick with the KJV.  Ignore the descriptions of the four beasts for the moment but ask yourself how they can be in the midst of the throne and around it at the same time.  Give up?  Me too.

Now drop down to verse 10.

(Rev 4:10 KJV)  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

The elders are going to need to scramble.  They were all around the throne, now they are falling down in front.

Quite a picture we have.  I am not sure what theological significance it has but it would certainly make a good painting for your church foyer.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-161: Hard Choices

In Texas we have a large number of animals that desire to become roadkill.  They especially love cloudy nights or foggy low spots.  In the daytime, they love to come bouncing out of bushes besides the road and the inevitable eventually happens.  As I cruise in Hill country, I find that I have to make a decision on which is the better course.

On one side, I want to set the cruise control.  That means that I don’t have to keep looking down at the speedometer to see how fast I’m going, and I can concentrate more on the road.  However, that means that there is that moment when I am still accelerating before I can get my foot over to the break.  On the other side, there is greater control when I’m not using the cruise control however, the animals love to take that moment when you’re checking your speedometer to come and stop right in front of you.  It’s a trade-off.

Life is full of very difficult decisions.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-160: Flip Side

Wasn’t it comedian Flip Wilson who came up with the line, “The devil made me do it”? It is one of the great lines in comedy and one of the greatest excuses in theology.

It is a denial of responsibility.  We fall into the trap of giving Satan god-like attributes.  He is not omnipresent.  He is not omniscient.  He only has so many demons to do his work and yet we give him these awesome powers.  I personally think he sits on his throne and laughs at our excuses.

While I accept the reality of an active Satan I don’t think he has to do much.  We forget that ever since the serpent laid the trap for Eve mankind has been using him as a scapegoat.  He is good with that because he is focused on results rather than credit.  The lesson in the Bible is that we are sinful in nature and our default is to rebel against the God who created us.  When given a chance we will take the route of self.  Only the influence of the Holy Spirit makes it possible to resist and mankind usually is not interested in cooperation.

Evil thrives because we think we are smarter than the average bear.  All these deluded socialists who claim it will be different this time think one of two things.  Either they assume they are smarter than the millions sent to the Gulag or they know in their hearts that it may not work for the masses but they will be in the command chair when the chain gangs are formed.

It may have been the seed for our victim culture.  We should make up calling cards for the social workers and bleeding hearts of the West that has Flip’s Phrase printed in Gold.  After all, the fact that they cannot show up for work on time and put in a days labor is not their fault.

It is older than Flip.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-159: Times Are a’ Changin’

I continue to worry about the children of Texas.  My wife got pulled over recently for not driving 20 miles an hour a half a mile away from a school.  You have to plan your trips to make sure that you don’t go by schools around here because with all the parents lined up to pick up their precious children, the school buses having control over the highway, and the speed limits that are absolutely ridiculous it’s hard to get around.  We have one place here where the road goes by a high school and in the middle of the day when children theoretically are all in the classes it’s still set at 20 mph.

I have a theory, which I think I mentioned before, that you can tell the intelligence level of the kids in a neighborhood by the speed limits they post outside their school.  We have a private Christian school that we drive-by on a regular basis the speed limit there is 40 miles an hour all the time and 35 miles an hour when the children are being picked up.  If you going to other towns by public schools and this speed limit again is often 20 miles an hour.  I shutter to think about how I used to walk home from school on a 4 lane road and cross that 4 lane road without crossing guards, flashing lights, signals or anything else like them.  I survived.

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Opus 2026-158: Anticipation

As I drive across the Hill Country of Texas I am glorying in the anticipation that someday I will be in eternity and all of this beauty and prosperity will be small potatoes.  I look into the future and I see a glory that I cannot comprehend.  OK.  The thought comes to me, though that there are some people who are in poverty, struggling, in danger, facing all kinds of family issues, and they look forward to eternity also.  I’m wondering if the anticipation they have is even greater than mine.  You see, I have to work at trying to think how things could be better.  To be honest, that’s not that hard, but I think that people that are really struggling must find it easier to look ahead and think that things are really going to be better.

That doesn’t go to say that people in that situation wouldn’t love to switch places with me, but it’s just a thought of how we have so much to anticipate and it meets all of our needs.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-157: The Blues

We all know about the epidemic of blue cities, but we tend to think of big cities when it comes to the blue color.  Unfortunately, even the midsize cities are becoming metropolitan areas.  You pretty much have to move far out of town to get away from the crazies.

Part of the epidemic is in the new developments, all of which seemed to have HOA organizations.  I have yet to find anybody that really likes them and yet they are prevalent everywhere.  Most people that don’t like them tend to live in areas where they appreciate the benefit, but they get irritated when it comes down on themselves.  They want to live in a place where there are no people running businesses out of their garage with all kinds of people parking in front and coming in to buy things.  They want to live in neighborhoods where people are not allowed to park their broken down cars on the front lawn.  They want people to be required to keep their yards mowed.  The problem comes when you’re the one who doesn’t want to mow your lawn, has old cars, or wants to run a business.  Then the HOA is interfering with your freedom.

You can’t have it both ways.  In reality, it seems to me that HOA’s are the most basic form of democracy that exists.  That statement is made recognizing that democracy tend to lead to tyranny.  We deliberately bought in a location that didn’t have one and yet my wife has already been agitating because a guy down the hill is running a business out of his yard.  We don’t want county or city regulations and inspections on what we build or how we live.  At the same time she has been upset that somebody down the hill is not finishing their house as quickly as they should, and there are piles of materials all over the place.

Again, I repeat, you can’t have it both ways.  If you live in an area that has an HOA and you don’t like what’s happening then I would suggest getting involved.  Get elected to the board.  Make the changes that need to be done.  Get put in charge of offering citations for violations of the Doctrines and Covenants.  Become the tyrant that everyone complains about.  At that level, you probably don’t have much reason to gripe if you don’t like how things are being done.

Where we are, quit griping and let people live their lives unless they decide to park their car in your yard or their trash is blowing into your flowerbeds.  You don’t really have much to say. 

Make Daniel Boone proud.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-156: Monday Pulpit: The Blessings of Good-bys

The Sunday School lesson was interesting but I still have a short attention span.  It wasn’t totally my fault.  The guy assigned to read went beyond the request.  I noticed.  My sense of righteous indignation tried to kick in.  Instead I followed along and considered what he had read.

He crossed over into a comment about the antichrist.

(1Jn 2:18 KJV)  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
(1Jn 2:19 KJV)  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

If you are into eschatology then you are probably familiar with The Anti-Christ.  He is a dominant figure in the battles of the end times.  Like so many Biblical concepts, our theology gets ahead of our reading.  Another way of saying that is that our emotions get ahead of our reason or our opinions get ahead of the evidence.  Of course I could be doing that with my evaluation of what they are saying.

But not so fast.  In the Greek the first “antichrist” does have the definite article so we could accept that as synonymous with what end times folks like to talk about.  A couple of problems should be obvious.  The most important is that this Greek word does not appear anywhere but in the writings of John.  The second is that it is implied that this has already come.  A third is that John immediately switches to the plural.  It is many antichrists, not one Anti-Christ.

What got my attention was that John seems to be defining what he means by antichrist.  Look at verse 19.  It seems that John is defining them as people who were once part of the church and then left.  Depending on your theology you can say that they backsliden and gone apostate or you can say that evidently they were never saved in the first place.  Either way, the antichrist is people who once were in and now are out.

With that understanding the antichrist has been around since the first church was formed.  They are still with us.  They will be with us until the resurrection.  This should also tell us that someone leaving your church is not necessarily bad.  It may be they needed a different church and the move was a good thing.  On the other hand it may have been that they were secret disciples of Satan and they just could not take the holy fire of your worship.

Something to think about.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-155: Daniel Boone Moment

I’m beginning to think that we may need to follow the example of Daniel Boone.  If you aren’t familiar with the folk tale, every time somebody moved in within a few miles of him, he felt like the neighborhood was getting crowded and he wanted to move west.  We live in the Hill Country of Texas.  When we moved in, there were a fair number of empty lots and most people have been there a while.  It felt very country.  Things are changing.  I don’t think there are any empty lots left.  The light pollution from quarries and such in the area are making it where you can hardly see stars at night.  We have a business being built at the entrance.  The housing developments are going on all around us.  So far they manage to keep them disguised by not cutting all the trees down but when you look at an aerial map, you can see the huge complexes that are already there and others that are being planned.

What’s the man to do?  Is it time to move?  Is there any place that we can move that has running water and electricity that is not crowded by the peasants of the world?

Of course, they probably say the same things about me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-154: Be the Hard Target

When I hear the daily updates on what’s happening with the news I am struck by all of the nut jobs that are out looking for unarmed victims that they can attack.  At times like that I am really glad that I live in Texas.  That is no guarantee that the nut job won’t come for us, but it certainly makes him think twice.

I don’t know why people don’t understand that terrorist people who are mentally disturbed because of the drugs that have been pumped into them, antifa, and extreme Democrats (but I repeat myself) are looking for the weak targets because in their hearts, they know they’re cowards.

I hope I never have to be faced by the real potential of violence.  I try to be prepared.  At the same time, these killers are always looking for soft targets.

I tried to avoid visiting soft targets.  I don’t think our church is a soft target.  There might be some fool that thinks it is, but he will be in for a rude awakening, I think.  I avoid stores that have the signs on the front saying that you can’t bring firearms inside.  I’m sure that the terrorists will honor that wish of the owner of the business.  Most medical facilities ban firearms.  I go in with trepidation.  It’s bad enough that I have to put up with the medical profession playing games with my life.  To add to the danger by allowing only terrorist to come in armed is not something I enjoy.

Pray before anything happens.  Stay alert.  Go on with life.  Don’t surrender to the attempt to destroy our freedom of movment and assembly.  Even if something happens, with 350,000,000 people in the country the odds of it happening near you are slim.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-153: Headlines: Farewell to Jesse

I did not pay any attention to the funeral for Jesse Jackson.  From what click bait I could see it turned into the circus I would have expected.  Funerals are usually times of sugar coating and hyperbole anyway and when you have a poster child for the left it could only be worse.

I would like to point out the similarities that Jackson had with another historic figure, Benedict Arnold.  What they had in common was that early in their careers they started off very well.  Arnold was the key figure in the Battle of Saratoga which kept the American army alive early in the Revolution.  A political general stole all the credit and it started Arnold down the road to becoming a figure equal to Judas.  

Jackson, in a similar way, started out as a noble figure.  He was on the road to becoming a key to freeing American blacks from the plantation.  He had a lot of good ideas and was implementing them.  In one book I am reading, written about that time, Jackson was lumped with dynamic thinkers like Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams.  At the time it was deserved.  People forget that part of his life because he went so far south later.  I don’t know where he went wrong but I think he got a taste of power and money which had him make a deal with the devil.

I understand that there is a statute to Benedict Arnold but it only has a leg.  That is because he was shot in the leg at the Battle of Saratoga and Americans want to remember that part of his life.  I am not sure what kind of legacy we could post for Jackson.  I would suggest a rainbow because that was in the name of his early organization but the rainbow has been hijacked by other groups since.

I salute him for his early contributions and hold him up as an object lesson for corruption in his later life.  Let him be a warning.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-152: Uncharted Revelation: God Colors

In verse 2 of Revelation 4 you come across a description of “one” who is sitting on a throne in heaven.  You assume it is God but don’t get a confirmation until the last verse in the chapter.  In verse 3 John tries to describe what he sees,

(Rev 4:3 KJV)  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

We already went over the earlier description of Jesus which did not make sense and we will have more confusion on that later but close your eyes and think about the picture we have of God, I assume the Father, at this point.  I had to do some research because I had never heard of a sardine stone.  Fish, yes, stones no.  It might help to see modern translations changing it to sardius or camelian.  That gave me something to go on.  

The sardius stone is in a range from orange/brown to what I would call redish/chocolate.  That is an interesting way to describe God on the throne.  That made me check the other colors.  I thought of jaspar as green but it comes also in red, brown, blue and yellow.  Emeralds usually have some kind of blue to them.

So what does God look like?  Not a lot of detail but a lot of color.  He certainly doesn’t look like the vision on the Sistine Chapel.  I am afraid if the KKK ever read this with their brain turned on it would have ended up fried.

It may not make any sense but it is interesting.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-151: Click Bait: It Should Be Obvious

I did not bother to click on this one because I wasn’t really interested but I saw it several times and the image kept coming back.  The scenario had Lucy, Ethel, Fred and Ricky watching a game show on TV and the bait was that Ricky knew all the answers.

As it kept coming back to me I wondered why.

The one big difference between Ricky and the others is that he did not attend public school in the United States.  That is my assumption for this post anyway.  I really don’t know the I Love Lucy lore enough to be sure, but it makes sense.  I would assume he went to school in Cuba and actually got an education.

I had an experience like this when I was teaching.  I had a young lady who had just left the boat from Sierra Leone.  For those who went to public school, that is a nation on the west coast of Africa.  I remember her coming to me after a few weeks, almost in tears, because of the empty classes she was taking.  She said, “In Africa I was studying Shakespeare, here we are learning the definition of a noun.”  I believe she was in 7th grade at the time.

So it should be no surprise that Ricky knew the answers.  He had an education.  It is amazing what a difference that makes.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-150: Temporary Necessity

A common claim of growing government control is that it is only temporary.  How many taxes have been pushed because there was a short term need?  Then they never go away.  The only government program that comes to mind that I feel has ceased is DOGE and it is the one I approved of.

This brings to mind Abraham Lincoln.  On some lists he appears as one of the great presidents.  On others he is the worst.  The reason for putting him last focuses on the exercise of presidential authority during the Civil War.  I am going to need to look it up but my memory tells me that the Constitution gives the president authority to suspend Habeas Corpus during time of war.  Done.  I was right:

Article 1, Section 9.  The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety require it. 

That seems clear.  How did the list prsented by a “conservative” lawyer tell me he was wrong?  Possibly because it is under the legislature not the president.

Did he cancel them before he was killed.  Would he have cancelled them if he had lived?  Does it make any difference?

Under what circumstances is it moral to act immorally?  Sometimes it is an easy choice.  It is not easy to do the right thing but knowing the right thing is clear.  The classic example is Dutch citizens hiding Jews from the Nazis and lying about it.  The only person who has a problem with that is the SS.  When we get down to paying your taxes because you disagree with how the government will spend it, things get a little more questionable.

Life is not simple.  We are entering a time when that is a simple statement.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-149: Don’t Glean

I was listening to a segment of Steven Gregg’s program and a caller used the phrase, “Gleaning from the Bible.”  It struck me that he was more accurate than he imagined.

Run a definition of “gleaning” through you head.  Gleaning was the process of going to the corners of a field and harvesting what the farmer had missed.  It might also involve picking up anything he missed in the middle of the field.  It was a provision for the poor who were willing to work.

Gleaning means gathering the left overs.  It is not the process for feeding the population or seeing a return on your investment of labor.  If you apply it to the Bible it would seem to mean looking for the leftovers so that you can act like you have the harvest.  Not a good picture when God had gone to so much trouble to preserve His written word.

In a perfect world the grain harvested from the corners is as nutritious as what came from the center of the field.  That may work when you are dealing with wheat or barley but it is totally inadequate for dealing with truth.

Don’t be a spiritual gleaner.  Don’t spend your time listening to people who are spiritual gleaners.  The farmer does not plan to live on the leftovers and neither should you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-148: Click Bait: The Setup Continues

The headline read:  “‘This is a problem.’  Iran war puts JD Vance in a bind before 2028.”

The source was USA Today.  I did not bother reading the post because I could not believe any factual material it presented.  At the same time I did not need to read it to see the psyops going on.  There is an operation in place to demote JD Vance from the position of heir apparent and transfer the blessing to Marco Rubio.

I have been seeing this for weeks.  I don’t know if it is organized or if it is just a case of not-so-great minds running in the same gutters.

I have no major problem with Marco Rubio.  As I have said, he did some stupid things years ago but people can grow.  Donald Trump is an example.  I do have concerns that people who were once never-Trumpers favor him and keep building him up.  He has the feel of being an insider that is waiting to get his chance.

Currently I would go with Vance because he is an outsider.  I wait to see what he does with the assignment to investigate fraud that the president gave him.  It could make him or break him.  Another possibility is that the Rinos and talking heads will ignore any success he has and push Rubio.

Stay awake.  Chart the ways in which psyops are being played daily.  Pray like it makes a difference.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-147: Another Reading Project?

Back in the days before wokeism became predominant I used to read a lot of fiction.  Alas, the lockstep ideology in the publishing industry has destroyed what used to be a great pastime.  The requirements for feminized characters who tend to be of untraditional sexual orientation and the great combat skills they seem to have gets a bit boring.  I am leaning toward nonfiction more often.

That presents its own problems.  Much of the nonfiction is also politically correct and tediously predictable.  I used to be able to get recommendations from others who read a lot but the books they have recommended to me and I have read are not as awesome as I was led to believe.

What is a man to do?

I am going back and reading things I read years ago.  Thomas Sowell’s Conflict of Visions is always worth a reread.  C.S. Lewis is rewarding.  The current book I am planning on working through is Idols for Destruction by Herbert Schlossberg.  It is copyrighted in 1983 but views society like it was written tomorrow.  He starts off like this,

“The technological flowering and economic expansion of the 20th century has been accompanied by an astonishing growth in pessimism, even despair.”, p. 1

I read it twenty years ago and took notes.  It seems worth reconsidering.  I doubt if you will find it in the library but I think it is worth your time.

I have several long term reading adventures going on.  My hope is I live long enough to finish them but knowing me I will keep adding more to expand the list.  Does that lead to immortality?

Schlossberg, Herbert.  Idols for Destruction.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-146: Monday Pulpit: Ranking

During the Sunday School hour we were working through Romans 8 and breezed past this verse,

Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I interrupted and tried to get the class to pause and consider adoption.  It didn’t work.  I got patted on the head and they moved on.

Any time I come across the word “adoption” in the Bible it makes me stop and consider what it meant in that day.  We have a tendency to believe that past cultures think the same way we do.  For that matter we tend to do the same with modern cultures.  In some cases it is dangerous.  In this case I think we miss a lot of the richness.

Adoption in the Roman Empire of Paul’s day was considered a higher level of family than natural birth.  In Rome, if you were not happy with the way your children were turning out, you would go out and adopt someone you thought worthy of being your heir.  That would put your children aside because they were less significant.  Sometimes the push to adopt was the result of women being reluctant to have children themselves.  Roman culture had a lot in common with modern women who value their own physical beauty over having children.  So you would adopt.

When you adopted you did not go out looking for an outcast or settle for second best.  The modern concept of adopting handicapped children or disadvantaged teens would have been a strange concept.  You did not adopt for the benefit of the child but for your purposes and goals.  Keep that in mind when you consider that Paul is saying we are adopted.

The gentiles were the focus of this adoption.  They were brought in from outside the family of Israel.  They were made children with the right of addressing God with the familiar rather than the formal.  That is what the “Abba” was all about.  We like to say that we are not worthy of salvation and that is true but this would seem to indicate that God sees something in us that is not in the unadopted.  It could be something as simple as a willingness to believe in Jesus.  It could be that you have unique qualities like the Apostle Paul when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.

However you want to look at it accept that being adopted into God’s family makes you special in His eyes.  You are not ranked as superior to your brothers and sisters in Christ but you are elevated to the class of family.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-145: The Third Option

If you had any adults in your life you have probably heard the expression, “Do as I say, not as I do” or some variation.  On one side it is an acknowledgment of our lack of perfection.  On the other end it is a mark of hypocrisy.  My thoughts, though, are running with Biblical statements that don’t make sense when translated into English.  My theory is that it is only our ignorance that keeps them from making sense.

I come across things that are impossible all the time. Take this for example.

Exodus 17:14 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this [for] a memorial in a book, and rehearse [it] in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

It would seem to me that if you are going to mention Amalek in the Bible then you have not removed remembrance.  You have perpetuated it.  Anyone paying attention and having their brain still attached to their spinal cord would see that this is just an expression and not an infallible decree.  Is that asking too much?  Evidently.

People of that day would understand just like today if I say, “I ran out of gas”.  If I am sitting by the road in my car that would have one meaning.  If I am collapsed on the couch in my living room it would have another.  If I was inflating helium balloons for a party it would have still a third.

We should extend the expression to a third option.  It should be, “Don’t do as I say or as I do but as I mean.”  I think reasonable people of good intention could make that work.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-144: Early Seeds of Modern Education

We often tend to think that the ideas and philosophies we see and hear are somehow original.  Not so.  Most people have heard of H.G. Wells.  When I was a kid we had his Outline of History on our shelf and I remember looking through it.  Evidently that was in his early years before he went to the dark side.  Here is a description of his later thinking,

“By 1933, when he published the shape of things to come, he could see no better way to overcome the stubbornness and selfishness between people and nations than a desperate action by intellectual idealists to seize control of the world by force and established their vision of a universal compulsory educational program.” P. 2

If you know much about the history of the International Communist Party and the National Socialist Party then you know that they instituted just that.  In more recent times we have seen the educational establishment implement similar programs of brainwashing.  Compulsory education plays along with this.

The average teacher probably has no idea what is going on.  Many like children and want to help them grow up.  Discernment and insight are not their strengths.  The people directing education are another story.  They have taken over the power positions from day care to Harvard and are vigorously pushing their agenda.  Be aware.  Do everything you can to defund their efforts and get them fired.

It may be too late for your children so do it for your grandchildren if they are allowed to be born.

Schlossberg, Herbert.  Idols for Destruction.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-143: Pardon My Brain

There are times when I wonder if I am going to need to disconnect my brain to be comfortable in the congregation of believers.  Let me try to give an example before you write me off as hopeless.

We were “studying” Jeremiah 25.  From verse 18 to 25 there was a long list of political units that no one has ever heard of and the claim was that God was going to make them “drink of the cup”.  Okay.  Then we come to this verse:

Jeremiah 25:26 (KJV) And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

Being the contrary person I am I asked, “If you are going to say ‘all the kingdoms of the world’ why do you have a list of all these kingdoms?”  I was not trying to be silly.  It seems like there must be an answer.  The answer I got was, “Well, if it wasn’t important it would not be in the scripture.”  Well, thank you.  I also know water is wet because water is wet.  Now how about a real answer like “It was a literary device used in ancient Israel to show emphasis like Jesus saying ‘Verily, verily’ for emphasis.”  Or they could have said, “It might be a literary device…”.  Those answers I could accept.

And as you read through the chapter you have phrases like “perpetual desolations” regarding areas that you know were not perpetually desolate.

I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.  That includes literary devices and figurative language.  When things don’t make sense literally then they can make sense if understood properly . What I don’t tolerate well is mindless endorsement of obvious contradictions.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-142: Every Coin Comes with Two Sides

I don’t know what labels to use or categories to indicate, but we have a group of people who believe the modern nation of Israel can do no wrong because of what they call Bible prophecy.  This comes to mind, not because I dwell on it but because we covered one of those prophecies in our journey through the book of Jeremiah.

Notice this verse,

Jeremiah 25:5 (KJV) They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

This is just one place we see this “promise of the land” as it is called.  This is just one example to indicate what I am referring to.

The interpretation of this is that God gave them a specific land and it would be theirs forever, thus when the nation of Israel was established in 1948 it was considered a continuation of this promise.  They like a literal interpretation which ignores the first part of the verse and only sees “the land”.  Other places you can find a description which fits nicely with the greatest extent of Solomon’s kingdom from a branch of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to just below the Gaza Strip.

The problem this group encounters is found only a few verses later,

Jeremiah 25:8-9 (KJV) 8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

otice that this verse declares that as a result of ignoring the first part of verse 5 He will “utterly destroy them”.  When I pressed the pastor on this he declared it to not apply to everyone, in other words it was figurative.

I don’t ask for much.  All I want is for people to take the entire Bible and be consistent with what it says and not switch horses in order to fit it into your narrative.  If a phrase in verse 5, ignoring its context, it taken as a literal promise how can a similar phrase in verse 9, declaring utter destruction, is just a figure of speech?

The consistent way to look at this is to declare them both as conditional statements in context.  You find this all through prophecy.

Is modern Israel the nation of prophecy?  Like so much of prophecy it could go either way depending on them and the context of unfolding history.  So far I see a very small percentage of the population that would be considered faithful but that could have been said about any time in Israel’s history.

Stay tuned.  The final chapter has not been written yet.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-141: Picking Your Shade of Grey

Evil exists.  Evil has consequences.  Evil triumphs if we ignore it.  It is like the fungus in the Petri dish.  It can grow overnight.

There is a quotation that I believe is attributed to Lord Action, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.”  I am afraid we are in one of those times where action is required.

If you watched the State of the Union Address you saw the grandstanding and verbal traps that kept bringing up expected situations and the Democrats kept falling into the obvious trap.  It was a no win situation.  Remaining seated in the face of manipulation was theater.  That was not the evil of the moment.  The evil was in the hearts of those who did not want to stand because they seriously disagreed with the statements.  That inner direction is laying the tracks that are forcing the country toward a socialist paradise like Venezuela.

At one time we had some agreement on what evil looked like.  No more.  There is a famous quote from John Adams in a 1789 letter,

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

When he said this he meant basic morality as described in the Bible.  He meant the religion of Christianity, not Satanism.  Everyone understood that.  They may not have lived by those standards but there was no mystery about what they meant.

We have moved beyond that.  We have choices to make about how we will deal with the future.  One choice would involve millions of people making the choice to repent of their sins and follow Jesus.  Along with that others would acknowledge that such a life is a plus factor and change their way of doing things.  The other choice is to realize that we don’t want to live according to the Constitution as written and redo it.

What actions might we consider because of the potential products of ignored evil?

We might consider expelling Muslims as a group.  This would seem to be expelling a religion but that would not be the motive.  Islam is a religion, yes, but it is also a political system based on Sharia law.  This is a civic legal code that is totally antithetical to our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  Such a step would be similar to the laws that we once enforced against Communism because it was committed to the violent overthrow of our government.  Sharia law has the same result, thus it must go.  Muslims must go because they are required to introduce it.

A similar action should be implemented for socialists and Communists.  The law would need to be written in such a way that it involved the philosophies no matter what cute titles they adopted.  These are political systems that bring nothing but poverty and death

On a milder lever but just as hard to implement would be establishing qualifications to vote.  The problem here would be establishing honest requirements, not the kind of targeted nonsense that was in place under Jim Crow.  When I was running the gauntlet in California to become a teacher they required something called the CBEST.  It was something any high school sophomore should have been able to pass.  Should someone be allowed to vote if they can’t read a simple sentence?  Should they be required to name their congressman before given a ballot?  Should they be allowed to vote on economic issues if they don’t pay taxes or can’t balance a check book?

These are serious questions that no one wants to deal with.

We need to talk.  Of course that means we have to be able to communicate in English.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-141: Chicken Washing

Is chicken washing a thing or is it just something my grandchildren came up with?

My impression is that chickens are rather unclean as a whole.  I don’t know that taking a hose to them would make any difference to the bugs that are under their feathers, or do they eat all the bugs that bug them?

If I heard correctly the responsible adults in their lives have banned future chicken washing.  I guess that should answer my initial question.  Maybe that would be a good platform for the Republican party in the next general election.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-140: Click Bait: Questionable Benefits

I have enjoyed some of the click bait I have encountered.  I don’t know if it is under the heading of social media but some of the memes showing male humor really strike home.  The things that these guys joke about are hilarious because they are so true to life.  I have also watched some podcasts by women who are trying to help husbands understand the thinking and actions of their wives.

After watching all this I feel better about myself.  It is good to know that I am not the only man in the world who sees no point in folding his underwear.  At the same time it points out things that will never go away in this life unless I do things I am not able to do.  That lays on the guilt trips that I was able to ignore.

I wonder if there are times in life when it is better to not be aware that there are cures available.  Sometimes the cures cause problems worse than the original.  We all know about side effects of medications.  I remember when I was concerned about toe nail fungus.  I was told there was a pill I could take that would clear up the problem.  Fortunately for my health I had done a little research and knew that one side effect of the pill was problems with you liver, or should I say potential side effects.  The possibilty of damaging my liver was enough to make ugly toenails endurable.

I am getting to the age where things start falling apart.  It is part of life. I accept it.  How often are elderly people faced with the choice of a potential procedure or medicine that is billed as a miracle but it comes with a price tag that will bankrupt your family?  I am not there yet but I keep hearing about it.

Hopefully we have people in our lives that will help us work through these types of issues. May your health be wonderful and your choices be clear.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-139: First Step Prep

Are we going to survive as a nation or join the ash heep  of history?  Are we going to continue as one nation, under God, or break up into a bigger version of the Balkans?

If you are a believer make the first order of the day that the phrase “under God” becomes more than just a recent addition to the Pledge of Allegiance.  If you are not a believer might I suggest you become one because God will not be listening if you are not.

The United States is not the Chosen People.  We are blessed.  There is no question about that.  Much of that blessing is because we have had a large enough minority that were faithful.  That critical mass made things work because God extended His hand.  The question I find myself asking myself, because no one else will listen, is “At what point will the salt become so faint that preservation is not longer possible?”

God will have His hand on His remnant.  There will be spillover.  He may bless some because the faithful care about them.  I am not worried for myself but I am concerned for the masses that refuse to respond.

A I said, make the first order of the day prayer.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-138: The Real Obstacle

Jesus once confused his listeners by making the following statement,

(Mar 10:24 KJV)  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
(Mar 10:25 KJV)  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.

Some say Jesus was being humorous.  The word hyperbole comes up.  What is also clear is the surprise that the disciples had.  

(Mar 10:26 KJV)  And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

Rich people were assumed to be rich because God blessed them.  They were thought to go to the front of the line when Saint Peter called.  What was this nonsense about how hard it was?

As I was thinking about this and discounting all the theories I have heard I had another one.  The biggest obstacle to getting a camel through the eye of the needle is that he doesn’t want to go.  The same would be true of the rich man.

I think what stirred this thought was the question about certain leaders, like Donald Trump, having any understanding about salvation.  They often know the lingo.  They will admit there is a God and that He is in charge.  What they are not willing to do is submit themselves to that God.

We don’t have too many camels running loose today.  A better example might be exhibited by my grandchildren trying to get a small lizard to go into the jar they were offering.  I did not follow each chapter and verse but I think the final score was Lizard 1, grandchildren 0, but a good time was had by all.

Picture trying to get me to eat liver and onions.  My pastor was making another attempt to convince me of how good they are if they are fixed right.  Of course I know an oxymoron when I hear it.  You can’t make dry water or edible liver.  I could go to any store in the country and buy raw liver.  I could go to many restaurants and have it already prepared.  I can afford it.  Everything is in place except the fact that I am not willing to try it again.

That is where so many are in relation to the things of God.  They know all that they need to know and have access to people who will answer any questions they might come up with.  The problem is the same problem the camel has:  They don’t want to.

So relax in your concern for that rich and talented friend.  Keep a Bible handy because you never know when you will need it but realize the decision is up to them.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-137: Not a Clue

Recently I had a providential encounter, or maybe I should say “almost encounter.”  I am alive and moving because I saw the truck coming through the red light without even slowing down. I saw the truck.  I see the hand of God.

The thought occurred to me that this might be an indication that God still has something in mind for the time I have left on this earth.  Since I have time on my hands I wondered what that might involve.  The answer is a total case of No Clue.

There are times when we can see clearly what God has in front of us.  Other times we might have a glimmer but no long range map.  Frequently we have No Clue.  I tend to think that is the most common experience.  In fact it is the usual path because I am not sure we are always thinking about it.  When you got up to go about your business for today did you wonder what earth changing events you might influence?

I don’t see any path forward where I am going to change the course of world events.  That is nothing new for me and it is probably common for you.  The plain reality is that God is working things together according to His will and He does not need our approval to get it done.  It might be that if we knew the plan we might try to stick our fingers in and mess the whole thing up. 

Be content that our task is to be obedient and live upright lives.  We have influence that we might never think of.  Someone that is totally off our radar might see how we respond to a situation and rethink their attitude.  It might be that we are simply that drop of baking soda that makes the biscuits rise.

Go ahead and question.  Try to figure it out.  On the way to a bigger question mark in your day rejoice in trust for the one who does not need a clue since He wrote the rules.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-136: Don’t Make My Day

For some reason the phrase “Make my day” came to mind this morning.  I think it is from a Dirty Harry movie.  I don’t think I ever saw any of the movies but I have been exposed to the clips and segments that are common.  If my mental construction is correct the movies feature a cop who is committed to justice and is not worried about going outside the boundaries to achieve it.  My impression is that the audiences cheer him on as he breaks the rules to bring the bad guys to their deserved end.

Add to that the adventure novels that feature similar characters.  The first one I was aware of was James Bond, 007, which meant he had a license to kill.  We watched him exercise that permission and were entertained.  The same pattern was used in repeated series and stand alone novels about secret government agencies that reported only to the president and went around the world like undercover Lone Rangers.  The rules did not apply to them because they were in the service of righteousness.

It was exciting and for the most part we all went along for the ride.  In the process we were being conditioned to accept the idea of vigilante justice.  We were being taught that the rule of law was something that could be set aside in the quest for punishment of evil.  It was all very good when the president in charge of the secret agency was on the side of the angels but the question becomes, “Who appoints the angels?”

What we are seeing lived out on our streets is the shoe on the other foot.  The forces of darkness have adopted the idea that the end justifies the means and their end justifies anything that they want today.

The rule of law is being set aside. What is the rule of law?  Hayek gives a good definition:

“Nothing distinguishes more clearly conditions in a free country from those in a country under arbitrary government than the observance in the former of the great principles known as the rule of law.  Stripped of all technicalities, this means that government in all its actions is bound by rules fixed and announced beforehand - rules which make it possible to foresee with fair certainty how the authority will use its coercive powers in given circumstance and to plan one’s individual affairs on the basis of this knowledge.” p. 80

The rule of law is difficult to apply when you are facing an adversary who understands your limitations based on that rule.  We are faced with a Marxists incursion in our country that knows how to push our buttons and maniuplate our good intentions.  It remains to be seen if we will find a way to survive.  There are two things that allow this attack to be successful.  

The first is in infiltration of our judicial system by bench sitters who are part of the enemy.  Judges who legislate from the bench in obvious opposition to the Constitution are part of the enemy.  We don’t like to think that people who are appointed to be impartial can side with evil but it is a common experience.

What makes that a real problem is politicians who refuse to apply the oath they took to protect and defend the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic.  At the present time the Republicans have “control” of both houses.  If they would honor their commitment we could see judges impeached and fraud punished.  If we had a few Democrats that remembered they are Americans we could see the same thing happen.

We have had rough times before.  The one that stands out to me is the decade preceeding the Civil War.  We survived but the price was high.  Let us hope that we can avoid that violence but be willing to pay it if necessary.

Hayek, F.A.  The Road to Serfdom, Fiftieth Anniversary Edition.  Chicago:  University of Chicago Press, 1944, 1994.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-135: Monday Pulpit: Needs and Wants

The pastor was out of town and we had one of the back ups in the pulpit.  He was preaching on John 4 and the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well.  He lifted out a couple of verses that I know I have read many times but I don’t remember noticing,

John 4:3-4 (KJV) 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

Jesus is going from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north.  In between was Samaria.  Jews and Samaritans did not get along.  Jews would usually go the long way around if they had to take this trip.  It was doable and a regular path.  For some reason Jesus had a “need” to go directly.

No, He didn’t.  There was a recognized path to avoid polluting yourself by passing through Samaria.  “Needs” here does not mean that there was no option.  It means that He had a compelling reason that He did not share.  All I can conclude is that He needed to run into the woman at the well and share the good news with her and her village.

We need to keep that in mind as we go through our day and run into situations that we would rather avoid.  There are times when God has plans that we are not privy to.  It is hard to know when we should press for change and when we should accept but we need to have a basic understanding that God often has multiple goals and we might not know any of them.

Be faithful.  Walk upright.  Live a righteous life and trust that He has more irons in the fire than He cares to share with us.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-134: The Elephant in the Room

I just finished listening to a podcast by the guys at Triggernometry as they interviewed Lionel Shriver.  It was an interesting discussion about what is going on in the UK and USA in regard to the attack on our traditions and cultures.  What I found frustrating was the way in which they continually ignored the elephant in the room.

Maybe a better metaphor might be the Viper on the chair or the dirty diaper in the corner.  They totally ignored the biggest problem, which is spiritual.  When asked about the motives of the progressive mindless masses they came up with all kinds of charitable concepts but they left out the point that they are living in the service of evil.  They never mentioned the ideology of Islam and ignored the hatred of Christianity on the left.

The problem with the pink haired women who are attacking ICE agents is not their lack of fashion sense.  It is not that they believe they are doing something noble.  It is that they have committed their souls to the service of Satan.  They think they are working toward a better world but in focusing on their target they totally ignore what is also down range.

One of the laws of gun safety is to be aware of what is behind what you are shooting at.  A police sniper will not shoot at a gunman in a playground full of children because his bullet willl probably go through the killer and hit a child behind him.  These people rioting in the streets are not fighting for something; they are just destroying.  That brings a big smile to Satan’s face.

The problem with the Islamic terrorists is not that they believe women should dress with more modesty.  It is not that they want to pray in the streets.  It is not cultural, it is spiritual.  They worship a god who believes it is glorious to murder women and children.  I would say “innocent people” but according to their belief, none of them are innocent.

The people doing all the violence are either atheists or Muslims.  To be honest I don’t think there are any pagans involved.  They have a better contact with the eternal.

You can’t fix something until you admit it is broken.  It is not a cultural problem.  It is a spiritual problem.

homo unius libri

In Which I Pause to Look Both Ways

On my way to the midweek service at our church I have a left turn that I must make.  Several month back I resolved to make sure that I look both ways before I take advantage of the green light.  This time it paid off.

It is a T-junction controlled by a signal.  The signal sometimes seems to be in nap time so it is not uncommon to get frustrated.  I still make it a habit to check cross traffic.  This time the traffic from the left was slowing visibly.  On the right, however, there seemed to be a different pattern.  As I paused a full sized pick up blew through the red light without a hiccup.  He sailed through and kept going.  If I had been in a hurry it would have been my last left turn.

I guess God still has something for me to do in life.  I thanked Him and my guardian angel and proceeded to church.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-132: The Change That Isn’t

I continue to think about God changing His mind and yet claiming to not change.  I reprint a key verse to refresh your memory.

Malachi 3:6 (KJV) For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

At this point I am toying with how someone can change and yet not.  It is because the basic value remains the same but the environment in which it is expressed looks for a loophole.  If you are charged with raising responsible children and keeping them alive in the process, then the child might focus on the idea that you are there to see that they grow safely and ignore the real purpose of the guardian.  So the child might do something that is mildly dangerous but is necessary to develop an independent adult.  The guardian might let them fall out of a tree or skate into a wall.  When it happens the child might accuse the guardian of failing them.  The guardian did not change.  His purpose remained steadfast.  The accuser was manipulating the situation for their own purposes.

This is what some people do with God.  They take the part of His character that they think will get them what they want and think they are so clever they can manipulate Him into a corner.  It is like eating a bag of candy that says “fat free” and getting upset when you gain weight.

The nature of God does not change.  The purpose of God does not change.  The fact that His response varies reflects that lack of change.  I like to say that God does not play games.  While that is still my view I would accept that when He does join the game He plays by the rules that He wrote, not the ones you want to play by.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-131: Check Your Sources

There are so many sources of ultimate knowledge that I have a hard time sorting it all out.  My focus today is the diet gurus with a nod to the revised nutrition pyramid.

When I was in college my mother went on Weight Watchers and had ongoing success.  Since she did the cooking we all went on the program and I was doing very well with it until I was drafted into the Army and forced to eat military style.  Later I tried different programs and had temporary success.  Finally about 10 years ago I got serious about avoiding diabetes and lost what I needed.

I have always had a relatively healthy diet, or so I thought.  I like most vegetables and dislike fat.  I had my issues like an addition to salt but I am one of those people that salt does not attack.  I was aware of the nutrition pyramid but did not worry about it because I ate that way anyway.  Then they revised it by turning it upside down.

One of the lessons of my life is that I stop listening to the experts and the most recent “scientific research” which is usually paid for by the people being vindicated.  You know the pattern.  Coffee is bad for you then it cures cancer.  Eggs are bad until they aren’t.  

Several years ago my wife came across a book called The Weigh Down Diet.  Over the years I have read it three times and keep coming back to the Biblical basis for its principles.  One of the quotes jumped out at me on my recent reading.

God  “has put food down on earth for us to enjoy, and He did not accidentally leave the basic four food groups out of the Bible.” p. 71

I recommend the book as a source of principles.  The author tends to get touchy-feely a lot which I don’t buy into but the principles are sound.  Maybe your local library has a copy.

Shamblin, Gwen.  The Weigh Down Diet.  New York:  Doubleday, 1997.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-130: You Can Quote Me

I like to be right even when I am wrong.  I hope that doesn’t make any sense to you.  It didn’t to me at first.  

Obviously we want to be right.  That is basic human nature.  We usually start out in a disagreement with the idea that we know what we are talking about.  What happens to me is I run into someone making a statement that does not seem right to me.  They may quote a Bible verse or a famous speech and it does not line up with my memory.  I question them.  They remain steadfast.  What is a know-it-all to do?

What I prefer to do is look it up.  If it is a Bible passage it is easy.  If it is a quote of John Locke it might be problematic.  I would like to think I am the one who is not ignorant.  I cannot be sure of that so I try to investigate.

I may find my memory was right.  It happens often enough that I could get smug.  I may find out I am wrong.  It happens often enough that I have learned not to be publically smug.  In the end I find out the correct information so that I can be right even if I was wrong.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-129: I Found a Label

Recently I wrote a post about theological labels.  I don’t know if this will be put online before or after that because things tend to be confusing at times.  Having said that I think I came across a label for me this morning.  I am a member of the Puny School of Theology. Another title might be the Pathetic School of Theology.

I don’t come to this point by disparaging myself or belittling my efforts to understand God and to interpret his word.  I don’t back off from any of my positions, at least I don’t think so.  I come to this point because as I’m sitting in the dark contemplating the glory of God I become more and more aware of how puny and pathetic my words are in trying to describe Him.

I think that in human terms, He tends to look down and smile like a benevolent grandfather, pat me on the head, and in His own way, chase me around the couch.  I speak, of course, as a grandfather.  I think of my grandson when he’s in a Zorro phase.  If he plans ahead, he comes into the house with some kind of a cape on, a hat, and of course, a sword.  Now his cape may not be the flowing black one that Zorro wore, his hat may look nothing like that fine headpiece in the movies.  His sword may be nothing more than the tube from the center of Christmas wrapping paper, but he is Zorro personified.

I greet him as if he’s Zorro.  We engage in robust and enthusiastic sword fights.  Back-and-forth, we go across the room.  At times I chase him.  At times, he chases me.  I’ve even been known to take away his sword, then give it back to him.  I can remember the days of being Zorro.  At no time did I actually believe it, but I enjoyed.  I know my grandson realizes that he is not Zorro, but he still challenges me to a duel, knowing that there is no way he can win, knowing that I will not take unfair advantage of him.

Sometimes I tend to think of God that way.  He lets us pretend that we are Zorro.  He may even really enjoyed it in ways that I can’t understand, but neither one of us ever forgets who God is and who Zorro isn’t.

I’ve also been known to be a member of the French Foreign Legion.  I’ve been an NBA star.  I have performed unbelievable feats.  They are unbelievable both of you and to me, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  I also enjoy my puny attempts at theology because I know that eventually, probably in eternity, God will straighten me out, we will put down our wrapping paper swords and we will commune friend with Friend.

Hmmm...  Maybe the Zorro School of Theology

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-128: Retired Occupations

How do I spend my time now that I’m retired?

Much of my time to be spent in what might be called meditation.  It is part of my worship.  Some synonyms for such meditation would be pondering, contemplating, musing, considering, introspection, thinking.  I will find myself on the front porch at all hours of the day, looking at creation and sensing the presence of God.  It is glorious.

I also do some writing.  That is what this is.  I have a lot of ideas that float through my mind and no one to try them out on so I submit them to the ether world.  It is almost like a pressure that keeps building up and needs an outlet.  My friends and family don’t realize how much nonsense they are spared.

There are a decreasing number of basic maintenance things that I do around the house such as changing air filters.  Those are decreasing partly from my decrease in ability but even more so because my wife thinks I can’t do it or isn’t willing to wait for me to do it.  Every once in awhile I tell myself I need to do things like dust my bookshelves and sometimes I even do it.  Then I ask myself, “Why?”  I really don’t care about dust on my bookshelves or ceiling fans.  It never bothers me.  It doesn’t trip me or cause me pain.  I never hear the books complaining.  Live and let live.

I read and take notes on what I read.  I am not sure what I am going to do with the notes but a part of me is sure that I will need the information some day.

I play with my grandchildren.

I talk to my crazy friend on the phone.

I listen to monologues.  I try to keep out of the way of these things but there is only so much you can do.  Other people in my life don’t have the benefit of writing.  They must speak it for it to be real.

I would agree with the other old folks who say that they don’t know how they got everything done when they were working.  I wonder if eternity will involve having lists and actually using them or whether we will just develop the gift of forgetting.

Ask me on the other side.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-127: Click Bait: Label Me

I recently was drawn in by Clickbait promising to define and clarify the differences between the five major branches of theology, and since it was only about eight minutes long, I figured I would risk the time.  They tried.  They came very far short of making it as clear as they claimed it was.

I find that I don’t know how to label myself when it comes to whether I am a covenant theologian or a replacement theologian or some other category that was not included.  Recently, I’ve been studying dispensationalism because of a friend who is a rabid dispensationlist and I find it totally inadequate.  But what label would I use?

I tend to be one of those people that will argue about just about anything.  Sometimes it’s a recreation and I get carried away, but there are other times when I am dead serious.  There are a lot of questions to every system because no system that I am aware of fits all of the scripture.  When a dispensationlist tells me that I have to interpret everything literally, I scratch my head and with an innocent expression on my face, ask, “Do you really believe that rivers clap their hands?  Do you really believe that God has feathers?  Do you really believe that the picture of the Lamb in Revelation has a whole bunch of eyes?”  Now to me these rhetorical questions.  They don’t deserve an answer.  All they do is point out the silly nature of some claims.

Take for instance the thing that we hear constantly. I  heard it again in the video I watched about how all of the different schools of theology agree on certain things.  In the explaining of the agreement they use the term, “faith alone”.  I’m sorry.  I don’t care if Augustine, Calvin, Luther, John, MacArthur, RC Sproll, and a room full of other theologians love the phrase.  The only place in the Bible the phrase is used is to say it is not by faith alone.

I hope you can see my problem.  If you can’t see my problem, then I guess you will have a label for me, “heretic”.  There is nothing wrong with a good label.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-126: When Will I Go Viral?

That’s easy to answer.  Never.

There are many reasons for that starting with the fact that it may very well be that nothing I ever write is good enough to go viral.  That is a minor reason because I have read and listen to some of the things that do spread across the internet and I’m generally not impressed with much of it.  But you can’t ignore that that’s one of the problems.

I am also too lazy to achieve such notoriety.  Most of the people who started out blogging and wanted to make a splash moved on to other platforms when Blogger started declining in popularity.  It takes work to get well known.  That involves learning new technologies and switching to what is popular.  Not only am I not interested in seeing pictures of people’s lunch, I don’t want to learn how to tweet or whatever it is called now.

I also am too straightforward.  I remember when I was first starting out that one blogger was working overtime to get his numbers up.  You would find him in the comment section of almost every blog with a comment and an invitation to follow him.  It worked for him at first but I don’t know if he ever offered any content.  There is a certain salesman personality that gets out and makes the sale.  More power to them.

Fame and fortune are on the same path and I never seem to be interested in following it.  If that is your plan then good luck.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-125: Figs and Remnants

I continue to be frustrated with preaching and teaching that is superficial and eisegetical.  I try to listen but it is almost impossible.  I have found something that helps.  Over the rest of the week I revisit the text that was the supposed source of the sermon or lesson and do the thinking that I expect from the speaker.

This past week we went through Jeremiah 24.  As we read I saw something that the Pastor was ignoring.  I asked about it and was patted on the head.  I am growing used to the head pats so I took it with a straight face and courteous manner.  I felt like it was an important point but it was either above or below his radar.

The chapter begins with God showing Jeremiah two bags of figs and they are described this way,

Jeremiah 24:2 (KJV) One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

Obviously the two types of figs were going to be treated differently.  It was assumed that the good figs were the faithful of Judah and the naughty were the rebellious and disobedient.  The thing that I felt was interesting came later,

Jeremiah 24:5 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

Notice that the good figs are being carried away to captivity . Later it says the bad figs stay behind.  That seemed like the opposite of what I would have expected.

Make what you will of it but to me it pointed out that if things start to fall apart around you it is not necessarily a mark of God’s disfavor if you are in the group that is deported.  God can care for His people in any situation and His plan is often not what we would expect.

Keep trusting and living in righteousness.  Things are not always what we think.

And keep reading and thinking.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-124: Word Meanings

I often reflect on how the word evangelical has lost its meaning along with other terms having to do with Christianity.  I have written about it before.  Sometimes that is just the process of time.  Think of family names that are around you.  Do you know what a fuller was or a fletcher?  At one time those were special skills.  Time marches on.  Other times, and this is what we are experiencing today, the forces of despotism around us keep redefining words so that they can confuse the issues of the day.

I repeat, because it needs to be repeated, there is a philosophy that advances this.  It is called deconstructionism.  It is at the base of socialism and Marxism.  It thrives in public education.  It grows with the ignorance of the masses.

The thought occurred to me that there are words in other disciplines that are facing the same thing.  Take for instance the word “scientist”.  It no longer means what it used to mean.  Thre was a time when being a scientist meant a person who investigates the world and seeks truth and understanding.  Now it is a profession based on getting grants and publishing papers.  Facts are a phantom of the past.  I heard Jordan Peterson say in an interview that he knew about 41 genuine scientist in the world.  They were doing some awesome work.  The rest, not so much.  He runs in those circles and is in a place to know.

The same deterioration is taking place in other fields.  People still have a false respect for teachers.  Maybe misplaced is better than false.  Modern teachers are products of the same failed public education system that they perpetuate.  I remember when I was in awe of the guys who drove those big trucks across country.  Policemen used to be our friends.  

Part of the answer is that we need to respond to people based on what can be demostrated about their character, contributions and skills.  Don’t assume.  Act with courtesy but don’t give any credit where it is not due.  Use words correctly.  Avoid jargon that confuses.  Expect others to do the same.  We need to reclaim culture and make it honest again.  

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-123: The Thousand Paragraphs

One of the reasons that church attendance has declined is that preachers and teachers have abandoned studying the word and instead go to what I call the Thousand Paragraphs.  I first thought in these terms when looking for a church to get involved in after our move to Texas.  I visited a small church in town and was generally impressed.  The worship was a healthy mix of traditional hymns and more contemporary songs.  There was a good spirit.  People were friendly. The sermon was adequate.  But…

I got the impression during the sermon that if I returned the next week I would hear the same sermon.  The words would be different.  The text would be different.  In spite of that it would be the same “turn or burn” message.  I had the feeling that the pastor had a thousand paragraphs, memorized and readily available, and he could call them up in any order.  They would fit together and seem coherent.  They would fit almost any passage of scripture that he chose, not because they were the result of study and prayer but because they were so flexible.

I have heard a lot of that type of preaching.  Often it takes the form of reading a long passage and then going to your thousand paragraphs, never to return.  In a sense the gospel is presented.  An invitation is given and because the goal is evangelism it is considered a success.

I did not return to the church.  It wasn’t because of the preaching.  I have given up on that.  It was the strong Calvinistic theology presented.  I can take it when it is not pushed but when it gets too heavy it is better for me to leave.

I wish them well. It may be that the thousand paragraphs will be enough.

homo unius libri