Author Archives: Senti

The church I grew up in was and is amazing, but we used to sing from a hymnal in the evening service named, “Crusader Hymns” and although the songs were totally well known Evangelical hymns, looking back the title of our songbook was less than savory.  I mean we certainly weren’t advocating the actions of the crusaders, but in those days Billy Graham had a “Crusade” every other year or so and we didn’t think about the implication for a Muslim or Jew at the time.  Eventually they phased out these hymnals.  I still love the songs, which have nothing to do with the Crusades, only love for Christ, but it got me thinking and I pulled out a piece of writing of mine from the very early 2000’s concerning this subject that I thought was worth sharing:

Into Eternity

 

As a warrior goes forward it is a strange mixture of courage and fear.  Yet the power of the true warrior is God himself.  This kind of warrior almost rests in His action, letting that Power guide him, yet using all that strength that can be mustered from Him.  It is the flow, focused, yielded, stern.  And this battle is not with flesh and blood .  The true warrior battles within himself, or herself.

Thomas meets her by a stream, as he explores its edge, so he spots a young woman, as young as he, and she notices him as well.  She is there on a different kind of exploration: to find flowers and put them in her hair.

“Hello,” says he shyly, but smiling.

“Hello,” she responds, smiling back at him.

“A beautiful day…” as he looks up at the shining sky.

“It is.”  She nods, still smiling.

And they pass each other by.

 

He is enlisted for war, not understanding its purpose, yet loyal to his father; his father is loyal to the Pope.

And the Pope has ordered the taking of Jerusalem.

Thomas would go on the following day.

‘But who is this lady?’ he asks himself.

The next day, before his departure, he spots her again.  He ambles down to the stream again, to reflect.  And there she is.

“Hello again, my lady.”

“Hello,” she responds, again with a smile.

And he, “What is your name, if I may ask?”

“Esther.  And you?”

“Thomas.”

They nod to each other, smiling.

She hesitates…“Are you going to the war?”

“Yes, my lady,” he says, now without much expression.

They are silent, looking at each other.

“I wish you well.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Silence again and he ends it.  “I must go.  Good day.”

“Good day.”  She curtsies.

With a nod Thomas is off, a rendezvous with his father and fellow men.  And all of them are off in good time, brandishing sword and shield.  Onward and they meet with the army.

They set out quickly the following morning.  In two days time they are beyond their homelands.  In two weeks they enter battle on the borders of their own country.  In two months time they are in the thick of it.

Thomas learns battle quickly.  His uncle’s arm is hacked off in the first waves, his uncle falls and dies in agony as Thomas watches, then fighting from fear and it turns to courage in time, but he is still unsure of its purpose.  To the homeland of the Christ, yet why all the bloodshed?  Is this really the will of God?  He wonders, but fights on.

But in the third month his father becomes ill; he requests an escort, his son, back to their homeland.  Granted it is, on the condition that Thomas would return with able bodied young men behind him.  Reluctantly Thomas accepts it.

In another month, Thomas and his father make it back to their homeland.  Yet his father is more ill than ever by that time and, in a few days, is dead.

Thomas stays for the funeral, comforts his family as best he can with tidings of the battles, and on the fifth day walks down to the stream, alone.

There she is.  But, noticing him, she does not seem to notice.

“Hello.”

No answer.

“Hello, Esther?”

She turns, now with bridled anger.  “How much blood has been shed, Thomas?  What brings you here?”

She is flushed now.

“My father fell sick and is dead.”  He is without expression.

She looks to the ground.  “I am sorry,” but still distant.

“What vexes you, my lady?”

Her skin color returns to normal.  “I have been thinking, Thomas, about war and blood and God.”

“Yes?”  He frowns.

“What purpose does it serve?”

“Which, war, blood, or God?”

“War and God if He wills it.”

“I know not, my lady.”

“Then why do you fight?”

Both expressions are calmer.  “Because it is their order and because…I know not.”

“But whose order is it?”

“The Pope.”

“Is it therefore God’s order?”

“I know not.”

“Neither do I.”  She shows vulnerability this time as she looks to the ground.

“Have you prayed?”  He looks at her.

“They tell us to pray for the siege of Jerusalem.”

“What do you pray?”

Still looking at the ground, says she, “I tell Him my thoughts and ask Him to forgive me if I be wrong.”

“What would you be wrong in thinking?  What are these thoughts?  Possibly they are right.”

“Possibly.  But they are not the Pope’s.  Thomas I wonder if God really wants this crusade, this bloodshed?”

“As do I, my lady.”

“If He forgives us, why not them?”

“Not even the nobles could answer that.  Are you a noble my lady, by birth?”

“Somewhere betwixt peasantry and nobility.”

“As am I.  We cannot answer it.”

“But let the peasants build the palaces of God, while the bishops build their own palaces of wealth.  Does that seem God’s will to you, Thomas?”

“Nay, but who am I?”

“Indeed, or I?  May God forgive our insolence if we question Him wrongly.”

“And may God forgive us all if we do so rightly.”

She gazes up at him with concern.  “Indeed.  May their blood not be on our heads.”

“If that blood is wrongly shed, I am sure it is not on yours, my lady.”

“Nor yours, dear sir.”

“Ah, but I have shed it.”

“In duty, not in spirit.”  Now her eyes plead with his.  “Come away with me.  Let us run to the mountains.  I know a wandering Friar there; he will marry us.  They cannot find us there.”

Thomas smiles.  “You have won my heart, from the moment I saw you, lady.  And I shall accept your plan.  Let us run there and marry before God, protesters of the Catholic Church and let Him decide our fate.”

Esther smiles broadly.

Thomas holds out his hand to her, she takes it.  They come to his horse, gather provisions and ride for the mountains.  They do all they had dreamed to do, feeling some guilt, but more innocence than ever.  These are Protestants, but not the first.  There have been many since the first days of the Church, only some have been seen by history.  Most have not.  All have been seen by their Lord on into eternity.

Why is it becoming common place in American culture for men to take out a gun and start shooting?  That hasn’t been common place before in America, not random acts of violence, or seemingly not so random.  Jesus teaches that not only if we murder are we subject to judgement, but if we are angry with our brother without being willing to settle the matter, we are also subject to judgment.  So maybe we shouldn’t be too quick to point the finger.  Consider this:

A guy with a gun in his coat decides he’s a god as he’s walking down the street.

Blood comes from his nose when he falls on his face, tripping on his own feet.

Crashing on his face still doesn’t change his mind- “I’m still a god”- and so remains blind

Down on him God looks with a smiling face; comes down as a member of the human race

Elohim appears in human form to this guy and tells him plain as day,

“Foolish man, I’m God as a human; listen and I’ll show you the way.

“God is worth believin’; I’ll show you how to be one with me forever.”

However, the guy takes out his gun and screams at Him, “Never!

“I don’t believe you!” so he shoots God in the nose so that He falls on his face and is dead.

Just because He’s God though, He can’t stay that way and so gets up from His bloody bed.

Kindly He rises up and says to this guy, “Do you believe me now?

“Listen to my voice, put down your gun and let me show you how.”

Me and you he is, that think we are all gods, but fall flat on our faces.

Notice how God comes to us in human form, just as He did in Jesus

Our mouths and lives are our guns that we shoot at God and one another

Perhaps it’s time to put them down and start to love our fellow brother

Quit shooting our guns and consider the one who turned the other cheek

Rises up again and reminds us all that, “Blessed are the meek…

“So do you believe me now?” He asks through the passing ages

to this very moment He asks again, the Sage of all the sages

Understand with ears that hear, and let me ask, “do you believe Him?”

Veer a little from that Path, and His voice begins to be far and dim

Whoever has ears let that one hear

X-ray vision into Heaven if held dear

You and also me

Zealous to be free

Have you heard the one about the pastor, the priest, the drug dealer and the bar? Yeah, there’s a homeless guy laying outside a bar. He’s bleeding from his mouth and unconscious. The pastor goes by on his way to a church committee meeting and sees the homeless guy, but says to himself, “I’m late for my meeting, got to go.” The priest goes by on his way to a hospital visit and sees the homeless guy, but says to himself, “Who knows how he got there; I don’t want to get an infection or something since I’m going to the hospital; got to go.” Then a man goes by who is a drug runner and is thinking to himself, “Does anybody see this guy? Is anybody gonna’ help him?” He looks around, sees the people walking past this homeless guy on the ground and a tear comes to his eye. He goes to him and asks, “Are you okay, man?” Hearing no response, he picks the homeless guy up and takes him to the hospital. They wait at ER until 3am and once they see the guy, they bandage him up and send him on his way, so the drug dealer puts him in a hotel for a couple nights and pays his way. So who was the priest and the pastor here?

So here are two pictures of Rochelle, Johnathon and I, one in 2006 the other in 2016. And it makes me think how much we grow and change over the years. We’ve put the Narrative up on the website since it’s been featured on my blog and it’s a free download from our media page, but as I read through it again I realize it’s a living thing because I don’t agree with every detail of what I wrote back then, but that’s okay. The question in the Narrative is whether or not the student is ready to begin his ministry in Christ Jesus and I wrote it when I began mine, so read and decide for yourself what you think:  www.envisionmission.org/media

 

The Father’s Will

The Father sends a breeze and the trees begin to dance in the wind and clap for joy in praise of Him. The birds begin to sing and as He blows His wind on us we begin to glorify Him too. We know like the trees and the birds, what to do. The trees and birds do what they were created to do; so it is with us. That is how we all glorify Him.

If I could retitle the book “Boundaries” by Cloud and Townsend, I would title it “Living in the Father’s Will” because it is not about putting up boundaries with people, but rather living in the pleasant boundaries that the Father has for us. We learn to love more, not to close our hearts, but at times that means we will be hated because we speak the truth in love. We are not called by the Father to that thing which that person in our life insists we do for them. We must obey God rather than men. We listen to the Father, not just as a radio transmission from heaven or like a robot or a puppet on strings, but in the freedom of glorifying Him because we know what He desires, when He blows His Spirit’s wind on us, and we do it.

See former blogs about hearing His voice, but by all means hear Him and obey. This is our joy, our food, our satisfaction; to do the will of the Father and stay in Him always. This is abiding in Christ; this is how we shall bear fruit.

Be blessed today in that knowledge. Do you sense it? Don’t you know what He wants deep down? If not, maybe you should quiet yourself down and spend some time with His creation and learn from the plants and animals a few lessons. He’s speaking through them always.

Although I never graduated from college, my wife did in 2002, as this picture demonstrates, a year after we were married.  In my narrative a student and teacher dialogue.  We’ll put the full narrative on the website and you can decide if you think the student should graduate as “Mastered by Divinity”, but I’m asking the question: what would it look like for one to be mastered by Divinity?  What do you think?  Is that possible this side of heaven?  This last section of the Narrative concerns the last days and how it might be.  I purposely leave out the last few paragraphs so you will have to decide if the student does indeed graduate:

After some months of consideration and planning the idea was presented to the police force and implementation began.  Yet it was not made known to the public as of yet.  Hospital rooms were prepared and added to steel and coal mills, plants, and factories throughout the world.  Once construction was complete and medical personnel added the first rounds of workers were terminated.

“Five men and women from Elizabeth’s quarters were chosen for ‘medical attention’ since they had had a cough, sore throat, or some small ailment.  Days and weeks passed, but they never returned to work.  Indeed they were no more, but the workers did not yet know this, thinking that maybe they had been transferred.

“Yet within a month of these things taking place news spread in the outside world through the mental waves concerning what had happened.  Someone in the medical department leaked the information to the news department and its alternative editorial directors, who were hired to keep diversity in the news stories when the one world government formed.  They reported: ‘Hundreds of factory workers terminated for mental illnesses.

“Details spread through the underground press like a wild-fire.  There was an uproar among the public and Orenam appeared on the air waves in order to explain these actions.  ‘Tolerance is vital, yet we cannot tolerate intolerance.  And this kind of unwillingness to receive basic help is surely a sign of mental illness of the worst kind.’  He began this way and spoke much the same thing he had spoken to the world union, except with more emphasis.  Then he added, ‘The claims are exaggerated by the underground press.  We have taken great pains to ensure that those workers were, in fact, already very sick physically and mentally, and so thought it best to help them to the next life and relieve their pain in this one.’

“Suddenly, however, there was much criticism from the Jewish community, although Orenam’s place of residence and temple were both in Jerusalem.  Many Jewish writers who had once accepted Orenam’s messianic identity, now severely questioned this idea.  Within weeks many began to reject his authority outright.  This created a snowball effect until most of the Jewish community joined protests in the streets and surrounded Orenam’s temple and home.  It was as if the blindfolds were taken off of the eyes of the entire Jewish community.  Soon the former government of Israel secretly convened and unanimously agreed to claim independence from Orenam’s government.  They sent him immediate word of their decision and warned him and his party to depart from Jerusalem or face a militant revolution.

“’How can we abide this new development in a supposed messianic leader?  How is this any different from the reign of Hitler in Germany, which rose up slowly and stealthily in its time?  Now those who do not agree with these particular ideals of what has been called tolerance are being systematically killed in what sounds dangerously like the death camps of old, which some say never existed, but we have reminded ourselves to “never forget”,’ a certain Jewish editor presented to the air waves.

“Quickly Orenam and his associates exited the country in his personal jet.  The Pope offered refuge for him at the Vatican, since they were already dear friends and partners toward the agenda of ‘world peace’.  The Jewish police ransacked the temple and reinstated the worship of Yahweh alone in every place of worship in Israel.  Israeli citizens reported to local government departments to have their identity waves reprogrammed for Israeli citizenship exclusively.  Within months the parliament and prime ministry were reinstituted, the police and military restored to independence, the economy and religious practice transformed.  Rabbis: Messianic, Reformed, Conservative and Orthodox had always expressed discomfort with the idea of being part of the ‘great divinity’ but couldn’t deny the clear benefits of Orenam’s leadership up to that time.  It seemed blasphemous, but Orenam always reminded them that so had Y’shua seemed blasphemous in his days.  But now the blasphemy was clear to almost all of them.  Some Rabbis, especially Reformed, expressed disagreement with the forced exit of Orenam’s government.  Some even exited with his party, but most remained.

“Rescue operations took place secretly; special forces were sent to the labor factories in various countries.  One of the covert missions targeted Elizabeth’s factory.

“In the spring, when another group of workers was called out for ‘medical attention’, Elizabeth was among them.  She had a slight pain in her left leg.  This was reported to the nursing staff and two days later she was called to the office for transportation to the hospital. ‘It’s really just a slight pain,’ she insisted.  ‘There’s no need to send me to hospital.’  But the nurses ignored her.

“They put all of those who were chosen into gliders the next day.  On the way there her glider seemed to be malfunctioning and the driver let out a yell.  Laser fire cut into the driver and the glider slammed down on the polluted garbage dump they had just been flying over.  Two men and a strong woman appeared and pulled her out through the top hatch.  They instructed her quickly, ‘Don’t be afraid.  We’re here to rescue you.  Come with us.’  She did so and they placed her in a sleek black jet-like vehicle.  Rapidly they took off and were in route to Tel Aviv.

“’Who are you and where are you taking me?’ she asked, her eye brows furrowed.  ‘We are Israeli soldiers, undercover, and we’re taking you to Tel Aviv for safety,’ the strong woman answered.  ‘But Orenam is in Jerusalem,’ Elizabeth said, ‘What is happening?’  ‘No,’ the woman assured, ‘not anymore.  Much has happened in the last few weeks.’  And she explained everything to Elizabeth on the way there.

“There were many like operations with many factory laborers being taken to Israel who had been on their way to hospital.  When news of this reached Orenam he sent out defensive forces with all transports and now a war would be soon on the way.

“From this point forward things grew worse among the general populace with increased immorality, corruption among police officers, massive numbers of laborers being sent to be terminated in hospitals, virtual violence in entertainment became totally real as people’s appetites for such things became more and more demanding, suicides were at an all-time high, prostitution, drug use, and crime rings came out in the open, since most of it had been legalized anyway.  Orenam had boasted that crime was nearly extinct, but this occurred directly in relationship to the legalization of more and more former offenses.

“Thus when Orenam pointed out the strike assaults of the Israeli army to the world union, it was not difficult for him to call on America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the entire Middle East to declare war against them.  Education had been so dumbed down that when Orenam declared it the war to end all wars, almost no one except some university professors knew that this phrase had already been used in vain before in world history.

“All the continents of the world surrounded Israel.  Within days, what had been the police force of the world was now a vast military power gathering for battle around that little nation.  Israel would be no match for them.  In the sea naval ships gathered, approaching the borders of Israel ominously.  From Lebanon to Egypt high technology armaments, missile launchers, tanks and robotic soldiers surrounded Israel’s borders.  Indeed all nuclear weapons had been terminated by that time; otherwise, they would have surely been used at this juncture.  But every other available force was at the disposal of the world military now.

And what was once called the Holy Land was now a refuge for all those who held an Orthodox faith, especially Jews and Christians, but even some Muslims and also those with mental illnesses, disabilities, the aged, and the sick.  Israel’s little domain was packed with people who had fled there or been rescued in the past years preceding this unprecedented attack.

“Nearly every one of them had come to faith in the Son of I AM as the coming Messiah instead of Orenam.  Some were unsure, but remained nonetheless.  Then an earthquake struck Israel and Orenam called it ‘God’s Judgment’.  The general populace of Israel fled to the mountains.  But just as Orenam’s armies were about to proceed with the onslaught, meteorites began falling from the sky.  The temperature became extremely hot and great explosions could be heard in the sky.  Some in Orenam’s army fell dead from fear.  And the rest of the story is known.  The Son of Man, the Son of I AM, would come on the very clouds of heaven with angels and saints at his side and annihilate Orenam’s army as well as the demons around him in order to bring judgment.  He would transform the saints immediately where they stood and they would meet him in the skies of heaven.  Then they would all come back down to earth so that I Am would make His dwelling among men and women on earth, the new Heaven and new Earth.  Heaven and earth melded together finally, that all things could be restored.

(The entire Narrative will be available on the website soon)

30 years into the reign of the Roman Emperor Dometian, Christians were beheaded for not putting incense on their wrist or forehead and saying, “Ceasar is Lord”.  At first it was taboo, then you couldn’t buy or sell in the marketplace, and then you were beheaded.  It was a steady change that we look back on now and think, “how could they have gotten to that point?”  But I wonder how the future will look back on our time?  Also I wonder what the future holds.  Here is a continuation of what the Last Days could look like:

“You are stubborn in your dogmas and unwilling to learn.  I will return tomorrow.’  And he stormed out of the room, chair in hand.  Elizabeth prayed, but soon after the officer had departed, the room filled with the sound of Orenam’s voice.  Loudly from the speakers in the ceiling, recordings of Orenam’s speeches were played continuously for three days and nights, though for Elizabeth it all ran together under the light of a room and in a cloudy mist of confusion.

“’Nuclear weaponry has been disarmed,’ his voice would ring.  ‘A new age of peace has come and all is well.  Evolution has reached its zenith.  Old superstitions have faded away.  We are one; we are the world, united.  Nothing can stand in our way now.  The universe is ours to explore.  Think of it, friends.  Poverty has been eradicated, wars have ceased, a touch of gladness fills our hearts and even the religions of the world now live in peace.  When natural disasters come everyone helps restore the affected areas.  The schools are full to the brim; there is hope among the nations again, not just some, but all.  We have come to the summit of the mountain and now we can enjoy the landscape.  Think of it.  There is peace and love everywhere!’ Great applause roared over the recording.  And these kinds of speeches went on for days, one after another, all taken from Orenam’s speeches over the decades.

“At the end of the recording Orenam’s voice spoke the same phrase over and over again for many hours.  ‘What is the greatest command of God?  To love.  And God is love.  Whether Muslim or Jew of Christian or any religion, we all worship the same God and we are one with him and one with each other.’

“Finally the sounds ceased and the tall officer reentered soon afterward.  Elizabeth was sprawled out on the floor, desperate for sleep, too exhausted to weep and barely functional.

“’Elizabeth, what is the greatest command of God?’

“’To love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength.’

“’Excellent.  And the second command?’

“’To love your neighbor as yourself.’

“’Good; and God is love.  So simply answer yes or no.  Do we all worship the same God and are we all one with Him and each other?’

“’No,’ she managed simply.

“The tall officer stood up from his padded chair.  ‘Elizabeth, you are too stubborn and rebellious for your own good!  Maybe some hard work will help you see things more clearly.’  Again he stormed out of the room.  Suddenly the mist disappeared and Elizabeth immediately fell asleep.  She remained sleeping for two days.

“After she woke she found water in the tray having been boiled, but not drugged.  As soon as she picked up the glass and drank, a quiet beeper was set off.  In minutes a group of policemen entered the room.  When she had gulped her last, they took her by the arms and escorted her out of the room.

“She was again taken into a glider, which flew on for some time.  She was kept locked up in the back of the vehicle with an escort driving who she could only see the back of.  The escort took her to a steel factory that was located many miles and hours away from the educational complex, even away from the most populated areas of the city.  Although few places were unpopulated because of the overpopulation of the time, these areas were as close to rural as was still possible.

“The glider hatch opened, the escort gestured for her to come out, so she did and followed him towards the steel mill.  It was a huge building with smoke stacks that ran through filters to decrease pollution and turn the excess into oxygen and hydrogen.  As she entered the mill she saw men and women working tirelessly in the heat of the molten steel.  Guards looked on nearby the workers, having mental wave headsets for their own entertainment while they kept watch on the progress of the workers.

“Elizabeth was taught there to work in steel with cauldrons and factory machinery.  She was given small, prison-like quarters, rooming with nine other women, sharing an old-fashioned toilet, bunk beds and four walls.  The women had to speak to each other in whispers since conversation was discouraged.  But she did find that many of them shared similar stories, some Jewish, some Muslim, but most Christian, and some simply unwilling to submit to the new government.  A few of them had mild disabilities, but most held in common the conviction that the times were evil and the Messiah would soon return or come, depending on the religious convictions.

“One day Elizabeth noticed a woman speaking openly with the guards.  ‘I see it now!  We’re all one; we’re all a part of God.  I think I may have reached the enlightenment that Orenam has spoken of.’  The guards seemed very pleased.  They all smiled and one of them said, ‘It sounds like you’re ready to graduate, my dear.  Come with us.’  As they began walking away with her he asked, ‘Are you willing to be tested at an educational facility again?’  ‘Yes,’ she said.  ‘I think I’m ready.’   And they escorted her out immediately.

“One of the other women near Elizabeth whispered in her ear, ‘She will be actualized, Liz.  They’ll set her free and reinsert her identity chip if she articulates the Orenamian ideals properly.  She doesn’t believe it, Liz.  She just wants to be done with the work.’  A guard saw them speaking.  ‘Silence, back to work!’  They obeyed.

“Elizabeth looked around after pressing a button on one of her machines with sweat pouring down her forehead and neck.  These women were not of the ‘graduating’ type she could see.  Often they encouraged each other in whispers and close camaraderie resulted from their secret fellowship.  This only served to strengthen their convictions concerning faith and the evil surrounding them.

“In time their guardians noted this and separated them, forcing them all to room with mixed gender quarters.  This seemed to the police an effective way of helping them progress along the evolutionary track by decreasing gender distinctions.  Yet even here they flourished, since nearly every one of them shared common convictions.  Much honor was given between men and women.  They separated sleeping space between the two sexes, took turns at the toilet without peering at each other, and remained quite cordial in almost every case.  ‘Why don’t you all have sex with each other?’ one of the guards asked.  They gave no answer.  While this baffled many of the police officers, it did make for orderly living conditions, which made the job of the police even easier.  It was also a great witness of the faith, although the guards often could be heard saying, ‘It is due to our Orenamian style of teaching about proper working conditions.’

“In this way the men and women worked for a number of years.  In fact it had been thirty years since Orenam was named chancellor of the world union and soon afterward declared his divinity along with the divinity of all mankind.  To refuse to acknowledge the great divinity, especially Orenam’s divinity had been disdained in the beginning.  Within a decade it became a matter of needing reeducation.  In that next decade hard labor conditions developed for those who still refused the change.  Now, in the third decade since Orenam’s coming to power there was a new consideration before the world union council.  There was less willingness for tolerance toward those who ‘refused to evolve’.  After a speech demonstrating that he had kept every promise he had made, unlike so many politicians of the past, Orenam himself suggested that, ‘Tolerance is vital, but we cannot tolerate intolerance.  Our feet need to stand ground somewhere.  We cannot simply abide any behavior as acceptable.  When someone murders they go through rehabilitation, when someone incites hate for others they go through the same process because we have put Jesus’ teachings into practice in our government that hatred and murder are the same and must be dealt with in the same way.  But what should be done with those who refuse rehabilitation?  We have considered it merciful to painlessly terminate those with severe disabilities, old age, or mental illness.  Isn’t this refusal to acknowledge our obvious truths a kind of mental illness?  Wouldn’t it be merciful to do the same for them and for the sake of society as a whole?  They have become pariahs of our social structures in the same ways as those who are not evolved mentally or physically.  Why would it be different to help them and this present world by mercifully sending them into the next life?’

“There was some resistance to this and much debate ensued, but in the end Orenam’s words won the day.”

(to be continued…)

 

I sometimes get concerned about what kind of world my children will face as they become adults, and especially their grand-children, but when I remember that already they are joining us in our ministry of music, I have hope that they will be like shining stars in a crooked and depraved generation.  Here’s the next installment of the Last Days section of the narrative, considering ideas of what it might be like:

“’You assume my allegation of rape is false just as you assume everything I say to be false, but we do not have world peace when men and women are forced into compounds and brain-washed to think as the government thinks or be punished for refusing!’

“’Silence!  Elizabeth, you will no longer speak in this session or you will be forcefully removed.  You were brain-washed by your religion.  We are here to help you practice your faith in a loving way, not in this spiteful manner that you are presenting to us today.  This is a place of education and free thinking, but you will not spit out your superstitions and rebellion here.’

“’I will not be silent while these injustices still remain; the elderly are euthanized, the disabled and unwanted terminated in the womb, sexual immorality is rampant and everyone thinks he or she is a god!  How right Jesus is in calling the world’s deeds evil, but you sanction them as good, how twisted…’

“’Guards!’

“Immediately a host of male police officers bounded through the automatic doors and seized Elizabeth from where she sat.  They forced her to come away to a small room where she was thrown to the floor and left alone for several hours.

“In these hours she had time to think, knowing the intention of the police was to arouse fear, but her thoughts went to I AM.  She prayed.

“When a tall man entered the room, bringing a padded chair for himself to sit on while she remained on the floor.  Elizabeth kept her head down.

“’I understand you have a complaint to file?’ he stated gently.  Now she peered upward locking eyes with the officer.  ‘I have been raped by your policemen and forcefully taken to this compound against my will.’  The officer stared back at her.  ‘What proof do you have that you were raped?’  Now she simply stared back at him.

“’I’ll assume that means you have none.  It will not help your case to make false accusations against the police.  So let me advise you, it is best to cooperate and learn some tolerance so that it will go well with you and you can live in harmony with everyone else.  The reason you’re here is that you haven’t yet learned to live in harmony with the rest of the world.  We found you on the streets with proof that you have been buying and selling in the underground market.  No identity chip was found in your wrist and there is absolutely no need for you to be on the streets when the government has aid programs with free housing, free meals, and free education, healthcare and entertainment.  So why were you on the streets?  Because you haven’t been able to interact properly with the world around you.  But we’re here to help you, not to harm you, so there’s no reason to be upset or contentious.’

“’Spare me the brain-washing.  Your idea of tolerance is so twisted you have no idea what the word means.  Forcing people into government compounds is not tolerance, it is intolerance.  You will not tolerate my faith in Jesus Christ and so you put me into this compound.’

“’We do tolerate your faith in Jesus Christ.  In fact, we honor your faith.  We’re just trying to help you practice your faith in a tolerant manner.  We cannot tolerate intolerance.  You have held to the insane belief that God is full of hatred for people and only by believing that Jesus was hated in your place can you be loved by God.  We are trying to help you see that God is love and Jesus is our example of love and tolerance.  God loves everyone and everything: Muslim people, Jewish people, those who practice Hinduism, Buddhism, and any other personal religion a person might have.  He is not exclusive, but inclusive.  His death was a metaphor of sacrifice for all people to imitate and his alleged resurrection is a symbol of newness and rebirth for all.  As the Bible says, “in Him we live and move and have our being.”  We are all a spark of the great Divinity…’

“’Please sir, I’ve heard this all before.  Yes, God loves everyone, but love is a choice and not everyone loves Him.  Few in these last days are willing to recognize that without His Grace we would not have any goodness.  We all want to take credit for our own goodness, but we have separated ourselves from God’s holy Presence with our selfishness and the rebellion in our hearts.  Only through Jesus taking the consequence of this selfishness on Himself can we be restored to God.  Even now you can have a love relationship with Him and walk in joy, real joy and love…’

“’You claim that we are trying to brainwash you, but you have already been brainwashed by the hypocrites in your archaic religion.  Wake up, Elizabeth.  Be evolved.

The time is new.  Be open to new things, not just letters on a page that are dead or teachings of chauvinistic men long gone…’

“’They are not just letters on a page, by God’s Spirit they are alive, life-giving, sharper than any two-edged sword…’

“’Don’t you understand even the language of a sharp two-edged sword is immersed in a militaristic, war-hungry culture?  Let your love relationship with God be bigger than the confines of an ancient culture and learn new things…’

“’Our battle has never been against flesh and blood, but against powers, authorities…’

“’Enough, silence!  I will return again tomorrow when you have had time to consider.’  The officer stood up, took his chair and walked out of the room quickly through the automatic door.

“Elizabeth still sat on the floor, staring forward.  She shook her head.  Then she prayed again.  At the edge of the room a small compartment suddenly opened out of the wall with a glass of water on it.  She wanted the water, but knew from its tint that it was drugged.  So she lay down to sleep, but as she lay down a mist filled the room.  It smelled of chemicals and kept her from sleeping.

“For days no one came to see her and all she could drink was the water given her, which kept her from sleeping.  So she continued to pray.  The days passed but she could not know how many since she could not sleep, nor see the light of day or dark of night.

“Finally after many days, the automatic door slid open and the tall officer entered the room, chair in hand.  Again he set the padded chair down and sat on it, peering down at Elizabeth blankly.  ‘You’ve had time to think, Elizabeth, much time…’

“She could hardly keep her eyes focused on him, she had become so dizzy.  ‘Why have you kept me awake by force?’

“’Haven’t you been sleeping?  Has your conscience bothered you so?  You finally understand that God is love?  You finally understand that yours is not the only way to God, that all loving paths lead back to love?  Will you finally let yourself rest in that love and tolerance that you know is true deep down?  You are divine, you are an expression of God; you are powerful beyond what you know.  You’re afraid to admit how powerful you are.  Don’t be afraid anymore.’  He spoke in such a way that one phrase overlapped into the next.  She could not get a word in edge-wise and she was too tired to do so.  Thus she kept her head down and stared forward, expressionless.

“’All these wars for religion, but they only led to strife, death, oppression, and starvation.  There are no poor any longer, we live for well over a hundred years, children can play in the streets, wars have ceased; there is one government, one common language, one economy, one world in harmony.  See with new eyes.  What more have we waited for?  What more did Jesus come to bring but world peace, harmony, and all on equal footing, realizing our potential, a people actualized, the whole of mankind together as one.’

“This kind of talk went on for several hours as Elizabeth kept her head to the floor.  Finally she fell forward in exhaustion.  The officer stopped speaking for a moment.  Then he asked her quietly.  ‘Do you now understand?  Just tell me you understand; that’s all.  This can all be ended if you simply tell me you understand.  I’m sure you will find that you will be able to rest easy with a clear conscience.  Your old beliefs are fading away as a dream when one awakes.  You’re waking up to understand the things I’m telling you, that they are true.  You can rest in them.  Just tell me you understand.  Say it with your lips and you will find yourself easing into slumber, I assure you.’

“’I understand,’ she repeated weakly.  The officer smiled.  ‘Good then, I’m so glad to hear that you’re coming to your senses.’

“’I understand that children play in the streets and wars have ceased and there is one common language, one government.’

“’Good, good,’ he said smiling again.

“’I understand that some of these children are adopted at an early age by sexual molesters and taught to have sex with them; that these molesters are called peda-sexuals, as if they are born that way, except that now most of them were also adopted and raised in the same way themselves.’

“At this the officer no longer smiled.

“’I understand that wars have ceased, but men and women still hate each other in their hearts and they choose to not live near each other or to be terminated because they hate their own lives.  One common government that forces people into submission if they do not cooperate…’

“’Silence!’  He stood up from his chair and Elizabeth stopped speaking, still lying on the floor.  ‘You do not understand!…’ ”

(To be continued…)

Does it sound crazy to have identity chips in our bodies so that the government can keep track of us?  What if it could be justified in the name of keeping us safe from terrorists who would try to enter the country?  I’m not so sure things like that won’t happen in the future and this newest blog entry explores some of those possibilities.  Let me know on Facebook if you think my ideas crazy:

“’If we are to love and respect each other,’ she protested, ‘why can’t I be allowed to let my conscience decide whether I want to pay homage to Orenam?  I don’t hate him, but I also don’t agree with his philosophy.  Why should I be forced to do so?’ she asked.

“The police did not know what to say in reply, so they let her go.  For the next ten years it was tolerated to not transfer identity waves to Orenam, but it was taboo, even scorned.

“When that ten year period was over, she (and all those like her) was forced by the police to pay a fine and not allowed to trade in the marketplace, as it was with anyone who refused to transfer their identity waves to Orenam’s governance.

“Thus many of those who refused joined an underground market, so they could buy food and uncontaminated water.  Many were already self-sustaining farmers and became suppliers for that market.

“But quickly that market was deemed unconstitutional and Orenam even called it ‘un-community minded’, speaking of the importance of self-sacrifice for a greater cause rather than selfish interest for the individual.  ‘This selfish mindedness has been the cause of all our problems from the dawn of our memory as humanity: greed, war, and corruption were built on this kind of selfish mindedness.’

“Thus Orenam ordered that all persons were required to transfer identity wave rights to the government, which was ‘representative of the people’.

“At that time underground surgeons helped many remove their identity chips.  Elizabeth had the surgery done, using all her life-savings to pay for it.  Her particular surgeon was a kind man, but could afford no anesthesia.  He removed the chip from her wrist and gave her strong whiskey as a pain reliever.  Now she was on the run.  She was selling soap in the underground market that she made herself.  All those in the underground market bartered their resources and moved from town to town, living on the streets and in the countryside.

“On one occasion two well-dressed men followed her so closely that she couldn’t trade at all for three days.  Secret police were always pursuing those who traded in the underground, sometimes arresting them, sometimes unable to find them.  However, in the third decade after Orenam’s government was instated, he set up ‘educational complexes’ which were designed to ‘spur on the evolutionary process’.  People there were forced to attend classes, kept awake for days with certain drugs in place of food, and given work assignments designed to enhance brain activity.  Assignments ranged from computer programming to typing government materials.

“If a person refused to comply they were taken in for interviews, starved, and subjected to ‘repetitive therapy’, which included being forced into a room where the ‘patient’ was made to hear loud messages from Orenam over and over again for hours, even days at a time.  If the subject still refused he or she was sent into difficult and dangerous labor, usually working with heavy metals, oils or coal mining.  In the following years some even died in the process.  Some recanted and joined the ‘party of freedom.’

“For eight years Elizabeth was able to evade the secret police.  But one night, while she slept behind a dumpster in an alley in Buffalo, New York, she was spotted and taken into custody.

“After the police violated her, they sent her to the nearest educational complex on a glider (a small vehicle that hovered above the ground.)  Once she arrived there she was taken to her quarters and given meal pills for sustenance and boiled water to drink.  She spent that night in tears rather than sleep.   The next morning she was taken to her first class at the sound of the intercom.  ‘Class begins in five minutes.’  And an escort came to take her there.  After she dressed she walked to the classroom with the escort close behind her, down a hallway and to the left.  There she sat down with twenty or so other ladies and a tall woman in a police uniform entered the room.

“She spoke with authority.  ‘Too many days have passed with war and hardship for us to forsake so great a cause as this.  We cannot allow anything or anyone to infringe on this new age of peace and freedom.  If you don’t understand now, you will.  We are not here to incite hate, but tolerance.  There can be no greater cause than this.  We welcome Elizabeth to our school, our newest arrival.’  All eyes were fixed on Elizabeth now.  She peered downward at the floor.  The instructor continued, ‘Elizabeth called herself a Christian, another label, another religion.  But Elizabeth will learn who she is uniquely and not to label herself as such things.  We are all one, yet we are all special.  She will learn the true nature of her faith and ours.  Faith is good.  We need to believe, so do not persecute her for her beliefs.  Only love her and she will understand.’

“Elizabeth looked up now.  ‘Is this what you call love?  Your fellow police officers raped me and forced me to come here.  You know nothing of Christ and His love.  But if you are so tolerant then let me go free and practice my faith as I choose.’

“Other ladies yelled, ‘Here, here!’ and ‘Amen!’  But the instructor’s voice carried through the room even louder than theirs.  ‘If you have a complaint with the police it may be filed, but do not resort to false accusations to prove your point.  Freedom is not in the old ideologies.  You must allow yourself to evolve beyond superstitions of the past that caused war and division.  The only thing that will not be tolerated is intolerance and your interpretation of religion does not tolerate any other way, lifestyle, or creed.  Therefore it cannot be tolerated in the new age of true tolerance.  Yet we tolerate you as a fellow human being, giving you a place to live, food to eat, free education, health care and many other rewards as you progress in knowledge and understanding.  We’re here to help you, not to harm you.  Finally we have world peace.  All the nations are under one banner.  We are the world.  We can now explore the farthest galaxies together as a united humanity.  How can you oppose such a wondrous ideal? Can’t you see the wisdom in this, dear Elizabeth?’ she asked with a smile.

(to be continued…)

Will we have food pills in the future?  What do you think?  I’m skipping to the last few parts of the Narrative, which deals with the Last Days.  That is usually the last topic in Systematic theology books, but I want to present a theory as to how things could be in the Last Days, not as a prediction, but as a way of getting us thinking:

 

“You said that the adversary would not attack in the West with a direct onslaught, not yet.  Does this mean that someday he will?”

“Many in the West do not even acknowledge invisible things.  That wind is changing in this time.  It has been to the advantage of the enemy for people not to believe in the spiritual world.  But later there will be many manifestations both good and evil, and the enemy will use that even more to their advantage.”

 

Before the dialogue continues the teacher takes a drink from his glass of water and then sits up straight again.  They proceed…

 

“Explain how it will be in the future, even in the last days.”

“Imagine a woman named Elizabeth, many years in the future.  Maybe this is how it will be for many in those days:

“Elizabeth was an American who lived after the fall of America from its position of power.  A nuclear attack on the east coast had devastated the US powers.  The economy crashed into oblivion.  Natural disasters abounded: earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes.  All these crippled her power also.  An outbreak of disease unstoppable; terror attacks, unpredictable all added up to the downfall of the States.  After the world wars, China; however, with the upsurge of the good message, became the next superpower.  America took her place with Europe as a secondary nation, even as a set of nations; no longer a great empire.  Now the days came of prosperity for China and she ruled the world.  But, as in America, the prosperity blinded her.  She became apathetic, polluted, arrogant and careless.

“After many had learned to speak Mandarin, the Message had turned to the Middle East, and Christianity became the preferred religion of China, but it lost its vitality.  Every Chinese leader claimed to be a Christian.  It was the popular thing to do, in order to get votes and gain prestige.  Once again the real followers of I AM went underground, as it was before Communism took its place as a secondary party.

“Now the Islamic world had become peaceful towards its Christian neighbors and learned to live in peace even with the Jews.  An accord was made between Israel and Palestine; two states living without war or insurgency.  The three major religions had learned to live peacefully together again.  After the world wars were settled nuclear weapons, which had been used on many occasions and nearly devastated much of the world, were disdained and there was much negotiation about disarming, but no one was yet willing.

“During the world war there was a great awakening in Israel of Jews receiving the Son of I AM as Messiah who would return.  Because Israel and America had Islamic countries as a common enemy for so long, and there was so much love from I AM’s followers for the Jewish people, their hearts were won over.  The Chinese followers had led the way for peace in the Middle East.

“But in time in all the nations of the earth a new philosophy was arising, a new optimism.  The philosophy of humanitarian tolerance, world peace, and self-actualization reemerged and spread widely.  The idea that all religions were the same and led to the same end became more and more popular throughout the world.  It was in that time that Elizabeth lived, when most people spoke of peace and harmony, of the divine spark within and the promise of Utopia.  The League of Nations had grown strong and a new facilitator was elected who was Jewish by birth, part Arab and Roman Catholic in religion.  His name was Orenam, and many marveled at his abilities to bring peoples together.

“Elizabeth was also Jewish, living in America, yet she believed in the Son of I AM as Messiah.  Her parents had taught her well the things of I AM.  Yet both of them were euthanized in their old age and though she resisted it, she could legally do nothing to stop her government from terminating their lives.  She never married, for there were few who shared her convictions.  The few who did met together in their homes, taking turns, eating meals, singing softly, since they all lived in high rise apartments.  People didn’t appreciate their songs there and complained if they became too loud.  Only the rich owned homes and yards by that time and the population had increased so that every square inch of land was overcrowded, except very controlled areas of farmland.  That is of course why the government had implemented restrictions on child-bearing, age limits, and especially terminating pregnancies with any disabilities or defects.

“Bio-engineering zygotes was encouraged in those days; part of ‘evolutionary progress’.  Elizabeth often questioned whether it was progressive to allow ‘beasta-sexuals’ and ‘peda-sexuals’ (those supposedly born with the desire to have sex with animals and children, since there was chemical differences found in the brain between such persons in contrast to heterosexuals just as there had been differences found in the case of homosexuals and polygamists) to practice their life-styles legally as long as there was mutual consent.  But her opinions were not popular in her time, so they did not carry the day in the age of ‘true democracy’.

“It was in that age that the new spirit of the times took hold.  Orenam simply announced it officially through the mental waves.  ‘We are all one, all from God and returning to God.  If we can simply believe in ourselves, love ourselves unconditionally, and find the power within, we can accomplish anything.  Just as Jesus taught, God is within us.  We just need to open our eyes.  Mohammed, Moses, Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, all had the same revelation of God.  If we can open our eyes we will all see clearly.  God lives in us.  This is enlightenment, salvation, and peace.  All religions worship the same God.  All roads lead to heaven.  Think of history.  So many wars have been fought because of the dividing walls between people and faiths; but we can have world peace if we just believe.  Be like a child, just as the prophets say.  Let’s put aside our nuclear weapons.  Let’s put aside our differences and focus on our common belief in love, in God, in peace, in right belief, right thinking, right knowledge and make the holy pilgrimage to our destiny.  If we all join together we can make it happen!’

“And the nations applauded uproariously.  After these great speeches all the nations publically disarmed their nuclear weapons.  Militaries were done away with.  They simply became part of the new world police.  War would be no more, it was said.  And everyone knew it had taken place because of Orenam’s message.

“Then came the assassination attempt.  Orenam nearly died after he was shot.  Everyone prayed and believed.  Everyone hoped for his healing in the world by hoping in the common spirit of man, which was said to be the true god, and he was healed according to the best world doctors.  When he returned to his office, he claimed to have an even deeper revelation, especially of Jesus’ teachings.

“The assassinator had been a self-proclaimed Christian.  Orenam pardoned him, forgave him and restored his finances, winning him over.  Many news waves questioned how Orenam would respond to the criticism from Orthodox Christians, Jews and Muslims, but especially Christians since Orenam had originally claimed that religion.  Orenam gave a speech that convinced many and would change history forever:

“’In my near death experience I saw light and spoke to God and Jesus and Moses and Buddha and Ghandi and Mohammed, all in a great assembly.  They told me that Jesus’ teachings were the most important, but that these were all the teachings of the great teachers, if men would only have eyes to see.  Jesus was the Messiah, and he came in many forms and has come again in all of humanity.  We have to come to a new day; the return of the Christ in the hearts of all men, if we are willing.  When Jesus Christ came the first time they rejected him because they hardened their hearts and did not see.  Let’s not make the same mistake again.  Of course it is not as we expected.  But let’s soften our hearts and receive the message of God, through all of his prophets: love.

“’If we just love God, ourselves, all others; if we will just come together for peace; if we will just realize that he lives in us already, give to the poor, turn the other cheek, love our enemies, love our families, love our neighbors, respect each other, stop killing each other, stealing and judging each other, we can reach enlightenment, salvation and peace.  It’s right before us.  Will we take it?’

“Many other words like these were used and millions of Christians, Jews, and Muslims praised Orenam’s teachings and some even called him the ‘new Messiah’.

“That belief slowly grew as the nations of the world no longer fought and Orenam’s teaching spread to every city by mental waves, the new great technology.

“Jews were asking, ‘What else are we looking for?  He appeals to Moses and Torah often.  He is Jewish.  He ushers in world peace.  He is the Messiah, isn’t he?’  Christians said the same.  Muslims agreed, since he encouraged the five pillars as well.  Buddhists and Hindus paid homage almost without exception.  There was much happiness in the world in that time.

“But Elizabeth questioned the ideas Orenam presented, even secretly calling him the anti-Messiah.  Some who also were in her group decided she was crazy and narrow-minded.  Only a few remained in her group.  And there were others like them in the world, but not many.

“In a few years Orenam was invited to mosques, churches and synagogues worldwide.  The Jewish community hailed him the Messiah by that time.  It was then that he announced his plan to build a sacred temple of God.  In three years’ time he did so, and built a throne.  In his speech he then said ‘To help us understand that God lives in us all and that we are all sons of God, I’m going to sit on this throne humbly.  Not because I’m any better than the rest of you, but as an example to you.’  He did so.  ‘And I declare to you that I am the Son of God and so are you.  We are all the Son of God, all a part of the great divinity.’

“He was applauded.  People came and paid homage to him.  The Pope even bowed before him.  Over the next few years Orenam was given power to govern the nations as King.  He claimed to be the servant King of kings, a President to the Presidents, even a god to all his fellow gods, being careful to recognize that the One God lives in all.  Many coins and dollars were soon made with his inscription and all the identity waves were required to transfer under his governance in order to function in the market place.

“Now came the test for Elizabeth.  She struggled about what to do.  She had the identity circuit in her wrist from the American government, but she never felt comfortable with it.  Should she transfer her identity waves to Orenam and his one world government system?

“She refused.  But this meant she would have to run away from her place of residence and go into hiding.  She found an abandoned church building that was a hiding place for others as well, in the more dangerous part of her city.  But she and those who were with her were tracked down by the police and taken in for questioning.