RevRainbow

It's one of those, "I can't believe I said that!" moments. Please accept my sincere apologies for a statement I should not have made at the end of my discourse on the Wedding Feast parable found in the Pulpit forum. I referred to myself as a scribe, a teacher and keeper of the Word of God. Well, my friends, I am no such thing. I'm just an old man who reads his bible and on occasion gets a little inspirational message to share. God may have given me wisdom, but I certainly didn't use it with that statement! It was a pompous and self adulating sentence for which I am truly sorry and regret ever having said. I wish it could be erased from the postscript. I fervently hope it does not negate the spiritual insight given in the message. I apologize to all and especially to my God. Peace. RR PS: This post is for your information and does not require a response. Thank you.

Isnt there something in numerology where 777 is a "perfect" number (Christ) and 666 would be "imperfect" anti-Christ? I dont have a lucky number but in poker I dont do too poorly with 3 of a kind (even if theyre sixes).

Got me a 30 year old Kaman Matrix acoustic. Great for the old folk songs. (the strings are recent, of course!)

Thanks, Wiz. Fawzo: I don't think He was being sarcastic. I think He meant "I never knew you"...in regards to being a true disciple. Yeah, I'm certain that when we "cross over" we are all in for some surprises!

Peter did it to you three times; You even told him he would. You knew his heart and future. Saul was out to get all of your believers; You knocked him down In a blaze of Divine Light Changing his zeal against You, for You. Here I sit at my kitchen table, Every morning, Where I make decisions, Contemplating the day ahead, Wondering… You see, Lord, I’m confused (Ha! What else is new?). I know You didn’t intend to start A new religion, but You did. You wanted to bring Light to the world But men have changed it back into darkness. We so-called Christians have A form of godliness, But the power is missing. The words all sound good except that today we say: “Be warmed and filled,” because we cannot multiply The loaves and fishes. What we do have – the excess harvest – We burn or allow to rot in the fields, Preferring to issue government cheese Of artificial color and taste- Not unlike our beliefs- For the sake of filthy lucre. People speak in Your Name. And the preaching sounds right, Spoken from the lips formed in Sparkling smiles And perfected dental work; Not in robes of righteousness, But rather garments of fine wool Highlighted by silk neckties all paid for By the Widow’s mite Entrusted to the Gospel of Christ. Is this not also denial? Is Christ a marketable commodity – The new and improved Jesus - Preached in places which have had A demographic survey And tickets in advance To an audience that desires to see The charismatic preacher perform An extravaganza for God, And be emotionally moved By their own silliness Rather than empowered With the true Nature of the Holy Spirit? Is there a difference between Benny Hill and Benny Hinn? I’m confused, Lord, With those who profess the gospel Yet manufacture miracles For fear of embarrassment when the Blind do not see; The lame do not walk. And with those who need To go to school to learn how To speak in tongues properly. Yet, they are not real, nor authentic; Merely staged devices employed To persuade us To send in our money for the Healing prayer rag. “Watch the eyes of Jesus in the picture Miraculously follow you around the room!” Yes, I know it is faith that heals And not the rag…but! Are we deceiving ourselves and others When we have to pretend It’s real because we do not have The faith - do we really believe?- To move mountains? Are they only making a decision for Christ To enlarge the preacher’s audience; Not the Kingdom? So I sit at the kitchen table Asking if I am denying my Lord Because I cannot heal the sick Nor raise a dead child back to life, Nor believe in the “new” Way, The corporate Christ. Lord, let me get one thing straight. I am tired of the deceptions, lies and facades. I would even lay aside the bible itself, If I thought it was fabricated, In order to seekYour Face more clearly. Your words ring true And resonate in my being; Because I have seen Your power work in my life, Not on the TV screen. All I have, all I cling to And hope in are the Promises of God In spite of the shams and scams And evangelistic circuses on television. But what about the gullible? How refreshing it would be To meet a real oracle of God! Yet, I wonder, While sitting at the kitchen table, If we would recognize An apostle in today’s world Without the dental work and nose job. I will walk by faith, Still hoping, still believing, As much as is in me Until the End, For I think I understand Now what You mean When You said to those Unfortunate souls Who healed and preached in Your Name, “Depart from me…I never knew you.”

Probable in my estimation. A bit of reality mixed with myth (where have I heard that before?).

So what was their response? PS: My kid has no concept of time either!!

Insightful, Q. yes, we must question our motive for confession.

Fawzo, we need to spend more time in the garden under the trees listening to the birds. Too much learning, too much pondering, is a weariness for the mind. We shall never be able to contemplate the fullness of the Almighty any more than we can understand the expanse of the universe. The more we study, the more we probe, the larger and greater the universe becomes. God is infinite and not limited by time nor space. We must take time to rest from the queries and enjoy the stars rather than question them. There are times when looking at the heavens I do not ponder quantum physics and strand theories but rather just smile and repeat: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."

Thank you for the opportunity to respond in some detail and please ask any questions you may have. May God bless us all with deeper understanding of the heights and depths and riches of His mercy.

Tell me first, in what way is my answer important to you?

No. Time here on earth is for our benefit and, IMO, exists no where else in the universe quite the same way (it's relative, you know!) and for the Creator, well, He transcends time altogether and thus can see the entire tapestry from where He stands!

Naw, it aint changed nuthin, Fawzo. I've pretty much felt that way for a long time. My core beliefs are pretty well set on solid rock. Its just that I finally was able to share my POV on the Almighty and His work. To us it may be confusing and all we see are the strands and loose ends, but my heavenly Father sees the finished work from the front. For now, we see through a glass darkly, as Paul says. Unless someone is slipping something into my tobacco pouch, no, it aint hemp.

I don't think anyone can respond on the Pulpit threads, Wiz; I don't hate you...after all, we Christians hate the sin, not the sinner!

Thanks. Perhaps there are more who believe that what we see is not as "real" as that which we cannot see and what we do see needs to be seen from the perspective of the Creator rather than the creation. Peace.

Hey ed, what kinda birthdays are TH birthdays??

Bring it on! (According to my faith, we dont know the time but we have been getting signs for the last 2000 years!)

There is a place I go at times where children's games and nursery rhymes are stored and shelved a-waiting, a-waiting to be played and sung. They have been used quite oft before but now they lie behind closed door. This place was mine- my childhood- I left behind, I thought, for good. Those happy days and simpler times of children's games and nursery rhymes. So I'll go back; relive those times where children's games and nursery rhymes are there for me a-waiting, a-waiting to be played and sung.

Thanks, Rev Ed.

You already know I like your poems, Q.

Writing poetry: the word's of soul's emotion; sensitive spirit. A voice in the wind beckons me to leave this place and soar with angels.

I enjoy the imagery and emotion of the text, sad tho it may be.

Ahh, Q, there are a few liquids I am into!

Bullets didn't ricochet off the real Superman! How could they at point-blank range! Toe-tapping tadpoles embarked on a row of fallen decayed tree limb listen to iambic pentameter: da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. Is what I write what I mean? Analyze me; my poem-words? Moreover, most too intellectual (right side) miss the subtlety of heart-words (left side) -or is it the other way around?- not from the cheat-book. Do I rely, yes, on the dictionary for spell-check; I, who thought Thesaurus was a Jurassic mammal; scurry to the Ninth Collegiate for definition or, use same for replacement of the common word; write for the asses; not the masses for whom synonym is tasty on French Toast? Symbolic; symbiotic; psychotic? Write what I feel-think; not to impress; digress; oppress; repress; depress, but express-emote emotion; notion; motion; -line breaks, da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. Superman is dead; tadpoles into frogs become, croaking analysis, small hearts; small brains; legs to be eaten; expanded air-puffed throats- ribbit, ribbit. Catch a fly on your tongue; gunshot wound to the head- life is too short no matter how long you live. Cause of death: Frustration (didn't take Advanced Composition), and therefore did succumb his words too oblique for him to self-critique. Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum.

The loonies in the Grump do show a dire need for never-go; little birdies fly inside to giant waves brought by the tide. The wind has blown the crackers off, and jumbled mumbles from aloft do show and tell of senseless rhyme; the end will tell in backward time. For lonely is the rich old Frump who plays inside the garbage dump; to understand is rich for poor, and makes a cent a connoisseur. So never-tell if understood the message of the writing hood; for hidden in the verses there is understood by reading care.