Popcorn & Fossils

What do popcorn, fossils, and rain have in common? Read on and you will find out.

The evolutionary scientists and evolutionary science are generally proud to proclaim that the sedimentary layers in fossil records have the least advanced and smallest life forms on the bottom and most advanced and usually largest on top. Okay fine. I will post direct from Wikipedia and will quote the scientific claim since quoting wiki is about as accurate as I believe many scientist and scientific theories are much of the time (sarcasm intended)

"It is possible to find out how a particular group of organisms evolved by arranging its fossil records in a chronological sequence. Such a sequence can be determined because fossils are mainly found in sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock is formed by layers of silt or mud on top of each other; thus, the resulting rock contains a series of horizontal layers, or strata. Each layer contains fossils which are typical for a specific time period during which they were made. The lowest strata contain the oldest rock and the earliest fossils, while the highest strata contain the youngest rock and more recent fossils.

A succession of animals and plants can also be seen from fossil records. By studying the number and complexity of different fossils at different stratigraphic levels, it has been shown that older fossil-bearing rocks contain fewer types of fossilized organisms, and they all have a simpler structure, whereas younger rocks contain a greater variety of fossils, often with increasingly complex structures"

Okay...so you have the picture in your head...

Smallest and least evolved: Bottom

Largest and most evolved: Top

Now...take a freshly popped bag of popcorn. Preferably one that did not pop completely and use all the unpopped kernels. Before you open the bag what do you normally do to make the most tasty and rotund pieces come to the top and make the kernels fall to the bottom? Better yet get one of those old school stove top Jiffy Popcorn® tinfoil pans. When you want the kernels to shift to the bottom to be nearest the heat. What do you do?

You shake the bag or container.

In doing this, air spaces or empty spaces are created between the other popped corn. As spaces open they open from small to large. The first thing to fall through the open spaces would be the smallest and densest. The unpopped kernels. This continues until the smallest is on the bottom and the largest is on the top.

Now transfer this concept to water. During an extended period of water being disturbed and sediment being continually disturbed much of the water sediment would become waterborne and like our bag of popcorn, the smallest densest objects would settle first as they would fall through all the other debris first. Shifting waters would continue to sift what has hit the floor of the body of water until only the largest objects would be on top. Anybody reading this ever use a sifter to pan for objects in a riverbed? Gold, Fossils? Small stuff falls through large stuff stays on top or in the grating.

Now let us look a the Biblical account of the flood in Genesis 7.

"And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died." ~Genesis 7:17-22

The first thing that should be noted in the passage above is the words "increased greatly". The "greatly" means "with vehemence". The waters increased upon the Earth with "great vehemence". Secondly, "all flesh died that was on the earth" or everything was destroyed that could breath air including "beasts" or "dumb beasts; especially any large quadruped or animal". The actual translation is closer akin to "every living substance". Everything from land. Due to the toxicity of the water from so much garbage floating in it it probably took out quite a bit of sea life also. Due to all the debris/dirt suspended in the water fish could not breath through their gills and died. A storm of this magnitude was probably quite aggressive or violent stirring up the waters like shaking a thick powder into solution (with rather large four-legged deceased chunks floating where? On the top...and then falling last onto all the dead matter at the bottom). The word above that translates "increased" or meh-ode' / מאד actually translates to a word closer to: vehement/vehemently; or by implication, speedily. So there is a double emphasis of vehemence when we read "increased greatly" back-to-back. Fast waters would clearly agitate things and stir up things in the water. Think World's Deadliest Jobs: Alaskan King Crab Fishermen during a storm on the high seas (think sea-sick...rraaaauuuullpphhh). Verse 8 uses this word twice in Hebrew back-to-back מאד מאד or "the waters had mastery vehemently vehemently upon the earth" but is often translated "prevailed exceedingly"...we lost some of the impact on this one. Example: The Hebrew was sort of saying "DANGER DANGER" but the translations to English often makes it sound more like "It was dangerous". These waters were not just deep...they were rockin'.

So what do we think happened when a storm raged outside the ark for so long a period of time during the great flood of Genesis 7-8. A flood which nearly every ancient culture has insisted actually happened in some shape or form adding credence that a worldwide event as described actually happened? The waters were in a tumult. Stirring, shifting and sifting objects. Small are laid down first largest last in a continually shifting body of water. The technical term is turbidity.

"Turbidity currents are sudden disturbances of the normally quite deep marine environment and can cause the geologically speaking instantaneous deposition of large amounts of sediment, such as sand and silt." ~Sedimentary Rock (Wikipedia)

So what are we really dealing with here? Strata laid down over time over successive periods or strata laid simultaneously based on size of the objects and their density? BTW, Science must also deal with the Cambrian Explosion also.

"The Cambrian explosion has generated extensive scientific debate. The seemingly rapid appearance of fossils in the “Primordial Strata” was noted as early as the mid 19th century, and Charles Darwin saw it as one of the main objections that could be made against his theory of evolution by natural selection" ~Darwin's Dilemma-The Cambrian Explosion (Indigosociety.com) [Punctuated Equilibrium be damned, where's the proof for it?]

Am I saying that the flawed science and spotty fossil record is wrong? Far be it for me assert such a thing. What I am doing is musing about yet another anomaly on the evolutionary cavalcade that continues to be rammed down many peoples throats without offering them the obvious viable alternatives like the "SoulJournaler popcorn fossil theory" of sedimentary fossil strata. Instead the viable alternatives are mocked instead of being approached intelligently and given credence. Slowly these "ridiculous" creationist or intelligent design arguments are gaining ground with little resistance.

Just some thoughts. It's not like I'm an expert or anything. Nothing to write home to mom about. I'm just sayin', ya know?

Anybody know where I put my ButterBuds®?

Biblical Femininity IV: The Perfect Tool For The Job

I can here the echoing repeat of this question spreading all over the world, " Who is Huldah?" Huldah, her message and the way in which it is delivered and used are unique and move the history of Israel forward. We see her biography in the Bible in one verse. The genealogy is a means to identify her and locate her in the lineage of Judah (i.e. Jesus' lineage).

"Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter" 2 Kings 22:14


She is a Old Testament prophet(ess) and she is the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas keeper of the wardrobe. Who's wardrobe? Well, let us go back and put this verse in context. This is 2 Kings 22. The book of the Law had been rediscovered or found during repairs to the Temple. King Josiah (the last good ruler) heard the words and...

"When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:11-13

Huldah must have had a formidable reputation because not only is she female in this society which is predominately male oriented, she is also consulted on an insanely important issue like rediscovering the Law and hat to do about it.

She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me [Josiah], "This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched. Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” 2 Kings 22:15-20

So they took her answer back to the king. So why did they go to Huldah? We must remember this is a time concurrent to the ministries of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1) and Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1) under Josiah's reign also. I believe it is because she was (1) a prophet, the correct type of person to know and interpret God's truth...and (2) she was available. She was approached, she had the answer, she answered and the task was completed. Josiah being a righteous king was probably led of God to do so.

So what do we learn from her. Huldah's is a lesson to the Church to recognize the gifts in the body of the church. To do our jobs properly we must recognize what our spiritual gifts are and what other's spiritual gifts are. In the flip side we must realize what they are not and try not to force square pegs in round holes. It is not accident that Huldah earned this reputation that even a king of Judah would've recognized and reacted to. God must have been moving in this woman in power to have been visible at such high levels of government and society. A real gift practiced in a righteous manner evident to all.

What kind of reputation do you have. A godly one? Prayerful? Ungodly? Ill-tempered? Calm? Loyal? Backstabbing and backbiting? Do people come to you because they want to or do they run in the other direction when they see you coming? "Uuugggghh, here comes Christian So-and-so, she's/he's probably just gonna bludgeon us over the head about how we're such reprobates and about how great she/he is, ruuuunnnnn!" People will not come to you if they expect a flogging from you. The Word of God is to be delivered with love, not always the blunt end of a ball-peen hammer.

We also see Huldah functioning within the realm she has been appointed to by God. She is in cooperation with others functioning within their rolls appointed to the by God also, king, priest, wardrobe keeper, etc. She does not compete with them but works in a synergistic manner to fulfill God's will and move the narrative of the Bible forward during the time of the Kings. She (and the others) are the perfect tools at the perfect time to complete a job custom made for them. Coincidence? Irony? Hardly. Just like all the other custom-made tools made perfectly for the job that helps move the entire narrative of the Bible forward and brings to fruition all the prophecies in the form of Jesus Christ. All coincidence huh? 40+ authors over a millennium and a half. Coincidental mythical stories written by know-nothing, misogynistic, homophobic, nomadic goat herders? Uh, okay, yeah sure, whatever you say. Do people that think this even read the Bible?

In a single appearance in the Bible in one chapter we see a woman tell Judah that because their response to God was improper they will not be spared God's wrath. The king of that nation (Josiah), because his response to God IS proper will be spared seeing his beloved people driven into punishment and exile. It will not occur until after is death. As a prophet she most likely only repeated what she was told by God and acted as a conduit and vessel for the Lord. As was the case with Abigail we see the Lord mentioned in Huldah's speech profusely 6 six times in 4 verse. She clearly has her focus where it should be, on God, on the Lord.

I imagine Josiah was hoping for good news or at least neutral news from her. He got a little good news for himself but overall the news was pretty dismal. We must remember that when we call on the Lord the response may not always be what we expect...or want. Sometimes the response might be negative. "Not my will but yours be done".

In the end we also see the Josiah called on all those needed according to their gifts and he is recognized has having been one of the greatest and most righteous since David. His efforts to turn Judah back to God are admirable but only a stop-gap measure until his death as they will continue their backsliding after his death.

Because God chose a virtual unknown to carry out this task gives faithful servants such as us hope the He will indeed use us as He sees fit if we are righteous and clean vessels ready for use. If we are continuing to dwell and sink into our sin the chances of that happening a greatly diminished. Wouldn't you much rather be used by God knowing you are holy enough to be used rather than ignored or discarded do to the filthiness that is still tainting the heart of His vessel?

"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Unhealthy Dependancies: Epistemological Parastism

I must first state before typing this that I was the type of person that I will be typing about. Second, I am not saying doctrinal errors are okay and where possible, they should be called out and corrected. They should be corrected in a gentle coaxing manner not a bludgeoning with a crowbar. I will define the syndrome I am about to elaborate on as Epistemological Parasitism (a.k.a.: belief sponges). Those of our brethren that believe what they believe because it is NOT what someone else's belief is. They allow someone else's belief system to shape theirs. What this is is rather simple to explain but I have yet to find a full proof answer to fix it other than prayer. The problem is that it is nearly impossible to get the people doing this to realize they are doing it or accept that they are doing it because the very rudiments of our faith tell us that we are to cling tenaciously to the truth. The problem is...what people often cling to is not "THE TRUTH" but usually "someone elses truth", "their truth" or "a truth" (all lowercase "t") which is nothing more than someone's opinion...or worse..false teaching.

This rant arises from a conversation I have had recently where I was told I was an idiot for going to an Arminian based college...as a person that leans Calvinist. Read between the lines on this one folks. I am currently undecided and sitting on the fence somewhere between the two BUT I do believe that Christ came into the world to serve as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. I believe that Christ was crucified, died, was buried and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). I believe in the Trinity-three persons, one being (Matthew 28:19). Do these beleifs make me a heretic? If I said right now to all theCalvinists reading this that I do not fully adhere to T.U.L.I.P. (I'm not saying I don't...I'm just using for example) do Calvinists believe I will go to Hell? This is a huge argument between Calvinists and Arminians. Is it worth taking into the public square to air dirty laundry?

Epistemological/Epistemology (theory of knowledge or belief) and Parasitism (symbiotic relationship between organism/entity where one organism/entity, the parasite, benefits at the expense of a/the host)

You/we all know this person. They are venomously anti-Catholic, anti-Protestant, anti-Dispensational, anti-Premillennial, anti-Amillennial,anti-Calvinist, anti-Arminian, etc, etc. These people are so anti-whatever that their vitriol and "anti-ness" overrides what they really should believe or surprisingly what they want to believe. They allow their displeasure with what they dislike (or dare I say hate) determine what they actually like. Not only is this not loving your neighbor, in Christian circles it is also not loving your brother and it is absolutely harmful to the person doing it. They are causing damage to themselves with their venom. Frankly it is spiritually unhealthy. It is most pronounced in those that do not like the tradition and ritual of other denominations. At one time I was one of these people. I let what I didn't like about other denominations dictate how I worshipped and deal with my faith. What some denominations held in high regard I neglected to my own regret. I actually diminished proper importance of certain areas of Scripture...that is not biblical.

Yes, I believe there are doctrinal errors in some denominations, too many to go over now. There are horrible misconceptions that get piggybacked onto these differences that make demons out of brethren because of non-salvational issues. Do I think some within those denominations are totally on board with some of those errors? No. Do you think every living soul within those denominations are damned because they don't belong to yours and go to your church? Do you think that everyone in your church understands every little nuance of doctrine in their Church? If you do you are deluding yourself. Sometimes having faith like a child doesn't require people in your church to split hairs down to the microscopic level. Pop quiz (for other than Theology majors and Pastors): Do you know if your Arminian friends care who is infralapsarian or supralapsarian? No? I didn't think so.

I know plenty of Catholics, Calvinists, Arminians and Dispensationalists that I am pretty sure I will see in heaven in the presence of Christ. Sadly, I also believe their are many hardcore believers that might not and would whip you silly for even mentioning Mary or PreTrib or for not seeing exactly eye-to-eye with them. They would stare at you as if you were the devil incarnate for mentioning the possibility of Predestination or Freewill or condemn you for being a heretic for not believing their views of prophecy concerning Israel. Exclusivity doctrine is fine in salvational issues, in other areas it is potential fodder for driving people away from the church because it will affirm many outsiders belief that Christians are overtly judgemental. Arguing over the prophecy of Revelation (which hasn't even happened yet) to me is ridiculous. It is not for us to know...

"...the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8.

Those that would ostracize you immediately for not agreeing with their specific views would probably never talk to you again if you didn't immediately repent of your "heretical" beliefs on the spot. They would also have no qualms if they never had to come near you again for not adhering strictly to their "code" and denominational prejudices. Many are too quick to broad stroke an entire denomination because of a combination of bad experience(s) and inability to see the difference between salvation and non-salvational doctrine. Half the time, what they deem as heretical are not even issues that can be deemed heretical, it is open to interpretation based on its significance to the reader.

"You don't believe in Pretrib, Premill Dispensationalsim!?!?! Yoouuuu sinner! You are going to buuuurrnnnn!" Instead of lifting up brethren, people that think this way are tying to bury the brethren.

Meanwhile (back in the real world) most folks don't even know what the heck dispensationalism is nor will it ever affect their salvation or relationship with Jesus if they never heard of it either.

I am here to say one thing. A belief in Christ as the Savior that will saves us from our sins is a darn good place to start. Knowing that salvation is by faith in the work that Christ did on our behalf. Knowing that he fulfilled the Law and the prophecies of the prophets. Knowing that he died for our sins, was buried and rose again in the third day. Knowing that the Godhead is three persons and one being. These are good places to start.

Our hyper-judgmental brethren are so set against the thing they hate that it totally affects what they actually believe and how they make decisions. Any theology built on the polar opposites of another belief or denomination is a detrimental symbiotic parasitism. Without something to stand against, the belief systems of these types of people crumbles. Sorry folks, the "If you're not for us you're against us" doesn't work here. If this is not true to some extent for many of us then I want anyone responding to this post to tell me exactly why they have chosen the church they have, the denomination or the thought processes behind their choice of doctrines. If they cannot give a clear decisive reasoning and logic based on the Bible that holds water then they have not done their homework. The Bible said to renew our minds not remove them. Doing things because they "feel right" is dangerous ground to be standing on. They don't know fully what they believe but they know what they don't believe and they know what they don't like. Whatever "it" is that doesn't conform to their presuppositions is deemed the "enemy".

So test yourself in relation to what you think of me. After making some of these statements it will be interesting to see how many, after reading this, will unfriend me or dump their join on my blog.

(1) I sit on the fence between Calvinism and Arminiansim right now. But mostly lean towards Calvinism. I believe in the Sovereignty of God AND Free Will. They're are not mutually exclusive "this" and "that" but instead they "overlap" so to speak. I do not know how I just know this is what the Bible tells me. At least that is how I have read it. Does this make me a heretic?

(2) I do not have an opinion either way on the prophecies of Revelation because they are not suppose to be fodder for the tabloids at the supermarket or material for some guy's "end of the world" novels broken up into 23 volumes at $25.99 apiece. Does this make me a heretic. Revelation is suppose to be a warning to believers to make sure their hearts are in the right place if Jesus comes back tomorrow. It did not say He WAS coming back tomorrow. As a matter of fact it is the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" not "Revelation of the end times!"

Do these make me a heretic? If you believe these issues make me a heretic...you better check your mirror.

The bottom line is this. Does the doctrine taught truly jeopardize a persons salvation? Does it violate on on the essential tenants of the Christian faith? Does it cause another to stumble? As Augustine of Hippo once penned, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity." You really have to decide if what you are prepared to argue with someone about...is really worth arguing over. You can still win an argument and loose the person. Is what you believe and are willing to caustically defend worth losing a person's soul over? Frankly, if you have the chance to lose a person in the argument it had better be a salvational issue. Nitpicking and non-salvational hairsplitting in this situation becomes asinine and counterproductive. Look at it this way. If someone from the outside (non-believing) is sitting on the fence thinking about coming into the faith, do you suppose bickering between religious siblings is going to seal the deal for them?

"Oh look! I get to argue with the people I love and care about over petty insignificant minutiae that means little or nothing on the eternal scale of things! Yay! Then I get to spend the holidays with them henpecking and badgering me about my erroneous view of predestination or free will! Yippy! Where do I sign up?"

Its enough to make someone want to leave The Church...or never come to it. Please note that I did not say you should dumb down Scripture to gain more converts. I also did not say to preach errant doctrine. I am just saying that you may often need to humble yourself and realize that you are not always right in issues where Scripture did not directly speak to an issue. Are you sure everywhere you took something literally that it wasn't meant to be taken figuratively? Are you sure? Are you over-spiritualizing a passage to suit your own needs?

Again it bears repeating Augustine's brilliant statement and then paraphrase and put it in my own words.

In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."

Andy's translation: In Salvational Issues: Correct Doctrine and Unity, In Non-Salvational Issues: Liberty, In all things: Don't be a dope and don't bludgeon people with your opinion. Present them with the Bible and do the best job you can explaining why you believe the things you do.

Quiet Time On A Sweet Ride

I use to hate mindless work since I always saw it as a waste of my "precious" time. Although God's time is still precious, I now do not think as highly of myself so that time I now see as God's, not mine. God, who is precious and infinitely more valuable than I anyway. I also see that time is anything but mindless. People in the church say that you need quiet time with God. Does quiet need to be quiet? When I get into labor or laborious situations that require rhythmic mundane or repetitive tasks that do not require much thought, I dedicate the forefront or primary portion of my thought processes to thinking on God's word or on things of God.

I have found that these multitask situations are where I find the most profound insights. Specifically mowing my grass and mountain biking. Many say they go into a trance or zen-like state. I personally go for the Biblical meditation myself. If there is an especially troubling or complex passage I have been brooding over I will internalize the words or memorize the main gist of it before starting a task and then I will take it with me. I will also usually carry some index cards and a pen in my seat pouch if I am on the bike. If I am on the garden tractor I just get off and walk in the house to write down anything I do not want to loose. I believe my wife does this when she is gardening or working in the flower beds.


When Paul said pray without ceasing he wasn't saying never get off your knees physically, he meant something along the lines of always having God at the forefront of your mind and making Him the first factor in the decisions in your life-and praying a lot. When people say you need to rest in the Lord and find that quiet time I believe that to looks different to different people. I personally cannot lock myself away in a closet or small quiet room. Well, at least it wouldn't be my first preference. It would make my kind of batty.

“Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10

A commonly misunderstood passage. Being "still" in God doesn't mean be immobile in Him. Still- הרפו Raphah: it means "to be weak in" or turn your problem over to Him and let Him take care of it. To slacken, let your pressure abate and ease. It doesn;t say you need to be totally relaxed and lying prostrate in the ground totally limp. I find it is most beneficial to dwell, focus and meditate on Christ and Christ-likeness when my mind and body are both active to some extent and in sync. I find these are the best times to study and retain things to and I believe it has something to do with blood flow to the brain. Most of my intense memorization is often done on a treadmill or StairMaster or after a bike ride in the summer I will often have my flashcards for Greek along to take advantage of the fact I am at my peak alertness.

Being still can mean being idle but it doesn't have to mean that. For me it is often not. I am active in this life and it is how He made me. I am active and I am to use that activity as much as I can to serve God. It was the way I was raised up, I was raised in the way I should go (Proverbs 22:6). It was who I was when I was knit in my mother's womb (Psalms 139:13).

For me being still really means moving and being active. That place where people say they get a zen high when running or riding bike? I get a Christ high. That mindless loop around the wife's flower beds in the front yard aren't so mindless anymore. They are some of my most productive "face time" with the Boss. Unless of course I crash or wipe out on the bike. Then I end up getting face time with a tree or the ground.

Let's be perfectly clear though. I am not saying that this passage says you do not or are not suppose to be physically immobile. If you literally want to be still and not move to dwell and meditate on God, then go for it. What I am saying is different people worship and meditate on God in different ways. We were all made different. God being infinite may enjoy the variation (or not).


Now if I could only figure out a way to combine the bike ride with the lawn mowing I would have the perfect quiet time and perfect ride. Hmmmmmm.

The Jesus Duck-N-Spin

There was once a time that I may have been mortified to have a conversation about Jesus Christ in public while actually saying the name, "Jesus". Of course there was once a time when I did not accept Him or have a relationship like the one I am learning to have now. It was called "The Jesus Duck-N-Spin". Someone speaking to me would say "JESUS!" rather loudly (or so it always seemed) and then I would have this instantaneous physiological reaction that caused me to duck my head and spin around my field of vision to see if anyone was looking or had overheard this outburst of charismatic exuberance. I never denied Christ had existed, I just hadn't been touched by the Holy Spirit yet. I understood that those ashamed of Him would also have Him be ashamed of them in return but...but after someone yelled JESUS!...it felt like those people were staring at me had murder in their eyes not (o_0) or (>.<) but more like (x_X).

I literally physically cringed when I heard the His name (JESUS!)being shouted. I'm not sure why that was either. It took years after coming to an intellectual knowledge of Christ to even realize I was doing it. It was brought to my attention by another of my pagan friends that found it amusing even from a non-believers perspective that I would have such a knee-jerk reaction to worrying about who had overheard it. I guess it was because I just wasn't prepared to die to self and allow Jesus to take the reins in my life. I wanted my yoke because I thought I had better ideas. It wasn't until I crashed and burned (repeatedly) that I realized that the plane I was in wasn't worthy or capable of soaring in the vast blue sky.

Things have changed quite a bit. Today I found myself discussing Reformed theology and the Reformation in the book section of Ollie's Discount Outlet and doing it quite robustly with a like-minded person. There were Jesus', God's and amens all over the conversation. I have long since lost the shame of proclaiming and using the name of the Savior. It is my firm opinion that the failure to do so has cost this country and the world irreparable damage.

Instead of looking around in shame, now I look around me in occasional curiosity to see the behavior of the folks around me when speaking. Yeah, them. The ones that all look like they are minding their own business. At least they try. I know for a fact that the name Jesus has a polarizing affect on people. I have seen three distinct reactions from people when discussing all things Jesus related. One thing I have not seen is a "non-reaction". I either see a noted positive reaction or a noted negative reaction...never neutral.

Group #1-The Rocket To Deep Space: They shoot off for the nearest exit or farthest point from you as possible as soon as they hear the words: Jesus, God, believe, sin, repent, "I'll pray for you", sinner, accept, or tithe (I think some believers shoot away when they hear tithe too). They want nothing to do with God, you or anything even remotely non-secular. They have ecclesiastical allergies and often break out in imagined hives and have trouble breathing when they see bowed heads, crosses and hear the word "amen" and "Jesus" in the same sentence.

Group #2-The Elliptical Orbits: The people that pretend to not be paying attention to you but you have obviously hit on a sore or important subject for them. They hear you giving what seems to be good advice or a viable solution to a problem they also have but are either (1) too shy to approach the conversation (2) trying to hear the answer without making eye contact or (3) are waiting for you to say something stupid or do something stupid to affirm their fears that you are the idiot Christian they thought you were. They are called elliptical orbits because their movement will often times bring them in very close physical proximity to you to hear what you are saying about God/Jesus or they are waiting for a chance to strike up a casual conversation. If they actually strike up a conversation with you it is because you have mentioned something extremely pertinent in their lives. At this point I begin to realize myself that I am indeed being used as a fisher of men. In hindsight, I may have actually been the bait as I am often outwardly a basketcase. Some of these folks might actually be Christians themselves watching another of their brethren trying to win one to Christ. Sometimes, sadly, they are there to judge you to see if you did it right or to verify your doctrine is sound and if it isn't they step in to correct you.

Group #3-The Meteor: The meteor is exactly who you think it is. It is the one you knew was somewhere near and shoots straight in and immediately makes impact by engaging in conversation or joins the one you are already in. These people can often be Christians sometimes they are not but are engaged because of the topic or are intrigued by your words. Sometimes the meteors fly in out of nowhere like a light streaking through the night. It turns out they were in the hardware section right behind the book section and you were talking so exuberantly and gregariously about the redeeming value of being saved by Christ and the merits of the Christian life, that people two rows away could've heard you too. Anyway, they too shoot in and immediately introduce themselves or actually cut-to-the-chase and ask you how you can be so sure about what you are saying.

I can look back and now laugh about the Jesus duck-and-spin with a sad pathetic humor that only a born again like me can have. I totally understand now how it could mortify a non-believer but not a believer. It is this thought that often gives me pause now and I think back in dread.

It would mortify a non-believer.

All those years I thought I was saved because of a goofy prayer as an eight year old. I wasn't saved. A believer wouldn't have been producing the bitter fruits I had been producing. A real believer wouldn't have been ashamed of what He was believing in. I was a seed thrown on the poor soil. I sprouted but produced not fruit but sour grapes.

It is now, when I think about this that I start to cringe...thinking about all those years I was lost having only intellectually assented to something greater than myself but never identifying it as Jesus and accepting it fully. Now I do the Lost Souls Spin-N-Speak. I talk about God and Jesus and what has been done for sinners. I do so loudly enough to be overheard in the hardware aisle from the book aisle or from the cereal aisle to the frozen food aisle (I'm kidding folks). I do it as often as I can in public without being overtly obnoxious (depending on who you ask). It is a great opportunity to reach one more. As I speak I spin slightly, panning the horizon looking for reactions to the "Word", seeing if there are any takers. Any Rockets, Elliptical Orbits or Meteors. If I see a rocket I usually chase after them...**chuckle chuckle** :P

Intellectualizing or Internalizing

Often our issue is not intellectualizing the Scripture, it is internalizing it. We accept the message that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised again the third day according to Scripture. Then we we do absolutely nothing with it. We intellectually assent to it and then move on. It does nothing to move us in life. I compels us to do nothing. We must ask ourselves something at this point. Are we saved? Did I accept what Jesus did for the sake of my only intellectuality or do I desire to have a relationship with Him by internalizing His teachings and becoming His disciple?

As I have said hundred times in the past and will probably say a thousand in the future before I die: You cannot have a experience with The Living God and walk away unchanged. If you did walk away unchanged it might not have been God you came near to. Only you can know for sure. This understanding avoids the usual question I have so often heard, especially from Catholics and non-Calvinists, "Can I loose my salvation?" The question really should probably by, "Did you ever have it?" Believe me, you will know it when God descends into your world. It is something more than an intellectual assent. It is also more than a feeling that I am told I needed to have experienced by my more animated brethren. The God that left His presence manifest on Moses after being on the mountain, the God that anointed kings, the God that dwelt in the presence of His people as a pillar of flame by night and a cloud by day.

So you sit and ask, how will I know? Personally, I have noted it in my behavior. I have internalized behaviors, sometimes unconsciously so. Behaviors that show and manifest a Christ-like nature that were not who I use to be. Sometimes these behaviors and actions are quite inexplicable and are not always the easiest course of action but because they will benefit others, I do them. I have slowly disconnected from what the culture and society says is okay. I often find much of what they deem okay offensive and improper now. Is it a deliberate arrogance to purposely appear snobbish and act like an idiot? No! Is it often perceived that way? Yes! In an attempt to set myself apart from it and prevent myself from sinning I often am perceived as being stand-offish, intolerant and exclusivist. The reality isn't that I look down on others for their behavior but it is a need I have to avoid what can easily become a trap for me that ends in sin or a further distortion of a holy life.

I am only now learning to be thick skinned and resistant to certain types of sin. I came from a background of addictions. I know that limiting is not an option for me, I need to avoid things. Some say, "I am not that weak, I can handle it." Can you? If I told you the names of every person I heard that from on the last 25 years that ended up destroying their lives or ended up sliding slowly back to sin and eventually dead it would take your breath away. The evil and sin lurks in the shadows just out of the line of sight. The minute you turn, it jumps on your back and hangs on to you like a ravenous animal. Its claws deeply dug into your back and teeth embedded in your neck.

Do I internalize it well? Do I always walk the walk perfectly? Of course not. I am very human and therefore a sinner by nature but there is a constant desire to first seek out the will of the One, Christ...God. I am now wired in such a way that I try to assure I am in the will of God and obey the life outlined in the Bible. Yes I stray but I always try to recenter on the Word. I am always gauging to see if I am being led astray and if I note a considerable deviation of 5-10% of normal. If I sense I have gone off target I stop, plan, check and act if I get off track again.

You will know when your 5-10% off. It will be like riding in a vehicle with air low in a tire or a messed up suspension. Your life will lean or list to one side or the other and you will always be using some of your strength and effort to right the steering and it will continue to fight you. It is at that point you need to stop the vehicle, get out and find the problem. Then make a plan of action to correct by focusing on the Lord in prayer and check to make sure the plan is working. If not it is either the wrong plan or the one you have needs to be tweaked. Act on it and get it right, your sanctification is at stake. If you do not make the corrections now and recognize somethings not right, it can only get worse. If it gets worse you risk permanent damage or worse...failure.

Maintenance and being proactive are key. A true believer will care about this and want to do it to maintain a close and active relationship with their Lord and Savior. If not...off to the scrap heap. Sometimes it takes more than replacing oil or polishing the paint to keep up appearances. Sometimes it takes more than replacing a headlight to see where you are going. Sometimes it takes an entire tune-up or overhaul the of the inside. This can only be done by internalizing not intellectualizing. If you only intellectualize Christ and the Word it is like replacing the vehicles computer but doing nothing to fix the malfunctioning engine. If you want a smooth clean running machine...you need to do both.

Biblical Femininity III: Objects In Mirror More Distorted Than They Appear

Lot's wife is another person that remained nameless but because she is female I will include her as an example of bad behavior in my women's series here on SoulJournaler. She does not speak verbally in Scripture and she is barely mentioned in narrative but what is said of her and those around her speaks volumes.

Her husband Lot is Abraham's nephew and he was a man that was concerned mostly with himself and his own needs. He valued his angelic visitors more highly than his own daughters and this was before he realizes they are messengers of God. He was concerned more with outward hospitality than he was with his own family. Lot, if it wasn't for God's grace over him would've basically just been another nitwit of the Old Testament. Lot had picked the better of the two claims and the greener pastures and still blew the advantage he had been given. Abraham with the lesser claim had to come to his rescue against pagan kings. The last we see of Lot he is drunk and has committed incest. Brilliant.

Let us observe the city of their residence. Sodom.

"They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Genesis 19:5

Clearly a city of sexual depravity. I will not even get into the details of the depravity since it will lead us down a trail that will require a post of its own. Archaeological finds corroborate the narrative of the Bible also concerning the condition of this city of the plains. God then cannot find even 10 righteous people within Sodom yet Lot and his family continue to live in the godless and iniquitous environment. God sends two angels to warn Lot of the impending destruction of the city of his residence.

"With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” ~ Genesis 19:15-17

What words should draw out attention here? "When he hesitated..." Even in light of three obvious imperatives from God's messengers: "Hurry", "Flee", "Don't look back". Between Lot and the other members of his family, they fail on all counts. Lot and his family drag their feet leaving and make excuses.

"Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” Genesis 19:20

Lot is trying to replace a large evil with a smaller one, Zoar. Another city of the plain in exchange for the one they are in now. They are haggling here...this in exchange for that after God has clearly told you to GET OUT! Today I believe they call this "hemming and hawing". Included in the disobedience and reluctance to obey is Lot's wife's infamous failure to not turn back and look upon Sodom.

Here is where we need to take special note of Lot's wife's behavior. Even in the mist of the depravity of Sodom and the poor spiritual leadership in her household from her husband...she is held accountable by God for her actions. Her deliberate act of disobedience is punished immediately. Although we see her look back in the narrative we get the sense that she was not purposely thumbing her nose at God, it seems almost as if she slips not even thinking about it. She simply give in to the sin as if to say, "I couldn't help myself". This should give us a second insight. We can be punished for disobedience even if the disobedience isn't intentional or intended to be a belligerent act towards God.

More than likely this was her hometown. She may very well have had legitimate "human" reasons for "needing" to turn around. She may have been in the process of loosing other family members (to sin) and loosing friends (to sin). Does this justify disobedience to God? Does it? What about curiosity? A sense of loss of everything left behind that was now currently going up in a conflagration? A need to cling to things of the past because she was afraid of the future.

How often do we do these things in our lives today? We cannot or will not release our death grip on old entrenched sins that have become like Linus' blanket? We all have them, what is yours? The only thing that probably keeps the others from turning back and doing the same is their fear of God. In these situations I have learned not to turn around. I have found when I fight this call to change and turn in a new direction I immediately face other adversities that are worse than the options placed in front of me to change my life for the better. Sometimes the right choice is not always the one that will treat us the nicest. Sometimes the better path is the harder one since it will build perseverance and character in us. Sometimes the fix to the problem ends up being stronger than the original just like the welder understands that the weld is often stronger than the original material it is made from.

We should pay very close attention to Lot's wife's punishment. Many times God has abundant grace and allows immediate "breathing room" when we disobey and make sinful mistakes. Sometimes our punishment will come later. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it is immediate, profound and irreversible. Are you willing, because of your disobedience, to take a chance like that? Lot's wife is an example of the justice that overhangs us all. When is the issue, not if. Lot's wife had no time to repent or even regret. Even as Christians, we can hedge or play the odds. Commit this small sin now and repent for it when we are done. Right? Admit it, we are all guilty of this and to state or think otherwise puts us in a state of denial. Substitute a large sin (Sodom) for a small one (Zoar). Sin with the hopes of a quick repentance afterwards because we know for certain God will be merciful and full of grace in this "instance" because its only a small sin. What happens if you have tipped God's wrath against you because of an over abundance of sins accumulated over years and God finally says, "Enough is enough! Your judgement comes NOW!"

Welcome to Sodom, welcome to an existence as a pillar of salt.

The real question is: When we read this story do we see Lot's wife...or ourselves? We always think we see things correctly but that is not often the case because we have sin goggles on. What we are really seeing is a distortion. Are you seeing yourself correctly? Have you made an honest assessment of yourself?


Are you a gambler willing to take unwarranted risks? I'm not. Every time you sin knowingly you take a risk...just as Lot's wife did. A true woman (or man) of God tries to meet the requirements of God's holiness as accurately as they can, not see how little they can meet and still be holy. Making deals with god that you will go back and repent for premeditated sins is not a Christian behavior, it is gambling and making deals with the devil. You are not trying to be holy but you are actually trying to get away with murder because you are sinning and the wages of sin? Death. Since sin-is-sin-is-sin, one more backwards lustful or murderous glance is the equivalent of adultery or murder and will be judged harshly as if the actualized sin was committed. You should pray you have time to repent of it if you intended to do it...God may allot you the time to do so. Maybe not. It is better to play it straight and obey outright.

Born Five Years After He Was Born

Since it is the first day of December here in jolly ole Pennsylvania, I felt like typing a post on Christmas...well, sorta. You'll figure it out by the time you're done reading.

Christianity began in the Roman Empire and often numbered the date "in the ___th year of Emperor Soandso" or "in the time of King Whatshisname". Dates were associated to rules or leaders or reigns of kings since they had been recorded in public records. Having been recorded they were easier to date. These records of leaders may have often been recorded in such permanent manners as carving in stone, especially in the case of Emperors. These methods allowed for rather pinpoint dating at times. Even after two millennium we still have an accurate view of when things took place in the New Testament (and Old in some places). The examples below from Luke are exceptional since he was trying to document a historical account of Jesus Christ for Theophilus. Unfortunately, at other times like in the Book of Daniel, trying to date Kings Darius and/or Cyrus it makes things rather confusing.

"In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron." ~Luke 1:5

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)" ~Luke 2:1-2

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness." ~Luke 3:1-2

The early Christians also dated the way the Romans did initially which was dated from the beginning of the empire or "anno urbis conditae" meaning "from the the foundation [of the city] of Rome". To make a long story sort, the church eventually did not like using a dating system that mated it with a empire that persecuted them (Christians) mercilessly so the church abandoned the practice. In the mid-4th century the Church decided it was only proper to begin dating in honor of Christ the founder of the faith (obviously). In 540 Dionysus Exiguus invented the Christian chronology and the year of Jesus' birth was 1 A.D. "anno domini" or "the year of our Lord". There is no year zero as that would be an absence of a date so the sequence would be like this 2 B.C.,1 B.C. 1 A.D., 2 A.D.
Using information from the Gospels, Dionysus concluded that Jesus was born on 753 A.U.C. but his calculation was off by approximately 4 years. Jesus was born before Herod actually died in 4 B.C. so His birth ended up being about four and a half to five years before the official dating of His birth.

The dating system formulated by Dionysus didn't get instituted until 690. Once it was it went global and spread with the spread of Christianity. Jewish people still use their own dating which supposedly dates back to the world's creation based in the Bible (Old Testament). Both of these dating systems are now being forced out by a secular world that wants nothing to do with Christianity or Jesus Christ and they have begun to shift to B.C.E. and C.E. which are "before common era" and "common era". Ironically, the common denominator between these two date identifiers? They both still pivot around the birth of Christ, and even the secular version uses this basis although they won't aknowledge Him. They want the date of Jesus' birth but they don't want Jesus. How ridiculous.