So, random blurb having just scanned facebook..... I'm amazed at how much we will force other people to suffer in an attempt to protect ourselves. It's so freakishly arrogant.
Fear-mongering, by the way, is an excellent way to steal the people's rights and enrich the bloated power of ungodly governments. Kudos to President François Hollande for not only keeping his word but for allowing the facts to inform his decisions. May the Lord bless the work of his hands.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Christians and the Temple
Christians need the Temple.
Yes, I'm talking about that Temple, the one that Solomon built. We need it back. In fact, we need it back as much as the Jews need it, and we need it because the Jews need it.
Christianity is a "landed" religion. God called humanity to Himself and made two covenants with us- that we shall have authority over this earth and that we shall observe the Sabbath. Then He called the Jews to Himself and made a covenant with them, promising them their own special land out of all the earth.
It was in that land that the Temple was built, and it shall be rebuilt there.
And we need it.
Christians really like rituals and holy places. This is a good thing, since humans were designed to like rituals and holy places, and it is good for Christians to behave like humans. Behaving like anything else would just be silly.
Have you noticed that Christians spend a lot of time and money trying to build little temples? We miss the Temple, and we try to fill our longing with a substitute. Oh, sure, we'll do other things inside these special buildings to prove to ourselves that aren't actually temples, like martial arts clubs and children's games and knitting circles. But we are very careful do those things outside our special times, dividing up our little temples into rooms that are holy sometimes and secular the rest of the time.
It's that division that alerts us to our need for the Temple. It points out to us that we want a special place to meet with God where we lay down our mundane human activities and follow a ritual that lets us feel....different. Special. Maybe even holy.
I think we should cultivate that desire. We should set up shrines in our homes where we practice personal worship, and we should pray for the day when we will gather at the Temple to practice corporate worship.
I don't think our little temples cut it. They just don't work. And not only are they dissatisfactory as temples, they numb us to the desire that would drive to pray for our Lord's return. If we would let that desire awaken in us, we would feel pain, and we would rightly feel our need for Israel to prosper and conquer. We need the Temple back. We could use that need as motivation to forge relationships that glorify God. We could allow our need to drive us to Him, to our knees, and to our brothers. We could allow ourselves to feel our need, and then the peace that comes with the faith that God will one day meet that need.
Or we can create counterfeits that allow us to ignore the need. I've been the witness to many counterfeits, and, let me tell you, they aren't worth it. Counterfeits never are.
So I'm going wait and hope and pray for the rebuilding of the Temple. I need it to be rebuilt. I need God to answer this longing in my heart. And until He does, I'll wait and pray and lean on Him. I am part of the Dispersion. My land has been overrun with godless men and I can't go home. Not yet.
But one day, one day I will get to go home. That will be a good day.
Yes, I'm talking about that Temple, the one that Solomon built. We need it back. In fact, we need it back as much as the Jews need it, and we need it because the Jews need it.
Christianity is a "landed" religion. God called humanity to Himself and made two covenants with us- that we shall have authority over this earth and that we shall observe the Sabbath. Then He called the Jews to Himself and made a covenant with them, promising them their own special land out of all the earth.
It was in that land that the Temple was built, and it shall be rebuilt there.
And we need it.
Christians really like rituals and holy places. This is a good thing, since humans were designed to like rituals and holy places, and it is good for Christians to behave like humans. Behaving like anything else would just be silly.
Have you noticed that Christians spend a lot of time and money trying to build little temples? We miss the Temple, and we try to fill our longing with a substitute. Oh, sure, we'll do other things inside these special buildings to prove to ourselves that aren't actually temples, like martial arts clubs and children's games and knitting circles. But we are very careful do those things outside our special times, dividing up our little temples into rooms that are holy sometimes and secular the rest of the time.
It's that division that alerts us to our need for the Temple. It points out to us that we want a special place to meet with God where we lay down our mundane human activities and follow a ritual that lets us feel....different. Special. Maybe even holy.
I think we should cultivate that desire. We should set up shrines in our homes where we practice personal worship, and we should pray for the day when we will gather at the Temple to practice corporate worship.
I don't think our little temples cut it. They just don't work. And not only are they dissatisfactory as temples, they numb us to the desire that would drive to pray for our Lord's return. If we would let that desire awaken in us, we would feel pain, and we would rightly feel our need for Israel to prosper and conquer. We need the Temple back. We could use that need as motivation to forge relationships that glorify God. We could allow our need to drive us to Him, to our knees, and to our brothers. We could allow ourselves to feel our need, and then the peace that comes with the faith that God will one day meet that need.
Or we can create counterfeits that allow us to ignore the need. I've been the witness to many counterfeits, and, let me tell you, they aren't worth it. Counterfeits never are.
So I'm going wait and hope and pray for the rebuilding of the Temple. I need it to be rebuilt. I need God to answer this longing in my heart. And until He does, I'll wait and pray and lean on Him. I am part of the Dispersion. My land has been overrun with godless men and I can't go home. Not yet.
But one day, one day I will get to go home. That will be a good day.
Have a Pangolin
Happy Wednesday!
"Pangolins (also referred to as scaly anteaters or trenggiling) are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, Manidae, has three genera, Manis which comprises four species living in Asia, Phataginus which comprises two species living in Africa, and Smutsia which comprises two species also living in Africa. These species range in size from 30 to 100 centimetres (12 to 39 in). A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. The name pangolin comes from the Malay word "pengguling", meaning "something that rolls up". It is found naturally in tropical regions throughout Africa and Asia.
Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this adaptation. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites which they capture using their long, specially adapted tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring which are raised for about two years. Pangolins are threatened by hunting (for their meat and armor) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats. They are the most trafficked mammal in the world. All eight pangolin species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species."
"Most pangolins are nocturnal animals that use their well-developed sense of smell to find insects. The long-tailed pangolin is also active by day, while other species of pangolins spend most of the daytime sleeping, curled up into a ball.
Arboreal pangolins live in hollow trees, whereas the ground dwelling species dig tunnels underground, to a depth of 3.5 metres (11 ft). Pangolins are also good swimmers.
Indian pangolin defending itself against Asiatic lions
Pangolins are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them. A pangolin will consume an average of 140 to 200 g (4.9 to 7.1 oz) of insects per day.
Pangolins have a very poor sense of vision, and therefore rely heavily on smell and hearing. After locating their prey, they tear open the anthills or termite mounds with their powerful front claws. Their front claws are so large that their front feet are not useful for walking. The animal uses its long tail to counterbalance its torso as it walks on its two hind legs. After tearing open the ant or termite mound, it uses its long tongue to probe inside the insect tunnels and retrieve its prey. They have glands in their chests to lubricate the tongue with sticky, ant-catching saliva. The tongue extends all the way into a cavity of the abdomen and is longer than the pangolin's entire body length. Pangolins lack teeth and, therefore, the ability to chew, however, they ingest small stones while foraging, which accumulate in the muscular stomach and help to grind up ants.
Some species, such as the tree pangolin, use their strong, prehensile tails to hang from tree branches and strip away bark from the trunk, exposing insect nests inside."
~Wikipedia.org
"Pangolins (also referred to as scaly anteaters or trenggiling) are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, Manidae, has three genera, Manis which comprises four species living in Asia, Phataginus which comprises two species living in Africa, and Smutsia which comprises two species also living in Africa. These species range in size from 30 to 100 centimetres (12 to 39 in). A number of extinct pangolin species are also known. The name pangolin comes from the Malay word "pengguling", meaning "something that rolls up". It is found naturally in tropical regions throughout Africa and Asia.
Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this adaptation. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites which they capture using their long, specially adapted tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring which are raised for about two years. Pangolins are threatened by hunting (for their meat and armor) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats. They are the most trafficked mammal in the world. All eight pangolin species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species."
"Most pangolins are nocturnal animals that use their well-developed sense of smell to find insects. The long-tailed pangolin is also active by day, while other species of pangolins spend most of the daytime sleeping, curled up into a ball.
Arboreal pangolins live in hollow trees, whereas the ground dwelling species dig tunnels underground, to a depth of 3.5 metres (11 ft). Pangolins are also good swimmers.
Indian pangolin defending itself against Asiatic lions
Pangolins are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them. A pangolin will consume an average of 140 to 200 g (4.9 to 7.1 oz) of insects per day.
Pangolins have a very poor sense of vision, and therefore rely heavily on smell and hearing. After locating their prey, they tear open the anthills or termite mounds with their powerful front claws. Their front claws are so large that their front feet are not useful for walking. The animal uses its long tail to counterbalance its torso as it walks on its two hind legs. After tearing open the ant or termite mound, it uses its long tongue to probe inside the insect tunnels and retrieve its prey. They have glands in their chests to lubricate the tongue with sticky, ant-catching saliva. The tongue extends all the way into a cavity of the abdomen and is longer than the pangolin's entire body length. Pangolins lack teeth and, therefore, the ability to chew, however, they ingest small stones while foraging, which accumulate in the muscular stomach and help to grind up ants.
Some species, such as the tree pangolin, use their strong, prehensile tails to hang from tree branches and strip away bark from the trunk, exposing insect nests inside."
~Wikipedia.org
Anti-Confederate Flagism is Hypocritical
Here is why I think that the rush to alienate ourselves from the Confederate Flag and the "hate" it stands for is hypocritical and straight up silly:
Anyone who proudly waves the American flag is promoting
There is no flag on this planet that does not have a story of hate in it's history. We do not raise our nation's flag as a symbol of righteousness, but as a symbol of the identity of our people. That identity may be founded on the blood of the innocent, but whose isn't? If we're running a competition for who has the least guilty flag, we will all fail, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) Rejecting our history because we don't like our past selves is ludicrous. How are we to learn from the past if we erase it? In my opinion, those who are hating on people for flying the "Confederate" flag are simply indulging the crime they claim they're fighting against - hate. Be wary of the man who preaches too loudly against a particular sin, for it is likely you will find that sin living comfortably behind his door.
Anyone who proudly waves the American flag is promoting
- A nation that is founded on the bodies of the indigenous peoples of this land
- A nation that imported slaves that had been sold to her by their neighbors
- A nation that put unity over righteousness
- A nation that apathetically stood to the sidelines as Europe was enveloped by the insatiable greed of tyrants
- A nation that turned a blind eye to genocides because war was too costly
- A nation that topples and establishes the governments of madmen to ensure a continued supply of oil
- A nation that currently houses one of the worlds largest hub for human trafficking
- A nation that consumes so much that even though she makes up only 5% of the world's population, she consumes 24% of it's wealth
- A nation that produces so much waste that she pays other nations to deal with it because she's run out of burial grounds
- A nation so self-centered that she murders millions of her own offspring so she can continue her life of indulgence
- A nation that burns millions of acres of food in order to keep it's market "stable" while some 25,000 people every day to hunger related problems
There is no flag on this planet that does not have a story of hate in it's history. We do not raise our nation's flag as a symbol of righteousness, but as a symbol of the identity of our people. That identity may be founded on the blood of the innocent, but whose isn't? If we're running a competition for who has the least guilty flag, we will all fail, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) Rejecting our history because we don't like our past selves is ludicrous. How are we to learn from the past if we erase it? In my opinion, those who are hating on people for flying the "Confederate" flag are simply indulging the crime they claim they're fighting against - hate. Be wary of the man who preaches too loudly against a particular sin, for it is likely you will find that sin living comfortably behind his door.
God's Will, Temptation, Trails and Fairness
"God Will Give You More than You Can Handle"
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/god-will-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle
"Christians can make the strangest claims when comforting those who are suffering. What do you say to someone whose life is falling apart? If you have but few precious minutes with a person who’s lost a job, home, spouse, child, or all sense of purpose, what comfort do you give?
We might turn to conventional wisdom instead of Scripture and end up saying something like, “Don’t worry, this wouldn’t happen in your life if God didn’t think you could bear it.” The sufferer may object, head shaking and hands up. But you insist, “Look, seriously, the Bible promises God won’t ever give you more in life than you can handle.” There it is—conventional wisdom masquerading as biblical truth. You’ve promised what the Bible never does."
I like this article. It says what I've always felt and couldn't articulate. It is very, very comforting for me.
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/god-will-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle
"Christians can make the strangest claims when comforting those who are suffering. What do you say to someone whose life is falling apart? If you have but few precious minutes with a person who’s lost a job, home, spouse, child, or all sense of purpose, what comfort do you give?
We might turn to conventional wisdom instead of Scripture and end up saying something like, “Don’t worry, this wouldn’t happen in your life if God didn’t think you could bear it.” The sufferer may object, head shaking and hands up. But you insist, “Look, seriously, the Bible promises God won’t ever give you more in life than you can handle.” There it is—conventional wisdom masquerading as biblical truth. You’ve promised what the Bible never does."
I like this article. It says what I've always felt and couldn't articulate. It is very, very comforting for me.
Lichens and Green House Gases?
http://beforeitsnews.com/science-and-technology/2015/07/new-source-of-greenhouse-gases-discovered-2774796.html
"Inconspicuous creatures surprise with a property that is important for our climate: Lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria release large quantities of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as laughing gas, and low quantities of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere."
Yay! Lichens and mosses are totally rad.
And no, I don't believe in "global warming," as defined by the media. The earth is trying to reach equilibrium the same way everything else is, which means cycling in and out of cold and hot extremes, with those extremes getting closer and closer to each other. It is a big deal and will lead to extinctions and plagues, but there's not really much we can do to stop it. There are other, much more important things we need to address, like the disposal of the massive amounts of waste we produce.
4.3 pounds per person per day x 365 days in a year = 1569.5 pounds per person per year
1569.5 x 318,900,000 (US population) = 116,398,500,000 ~ 116.4 billion pounds of waste per year
That is a man-made problem. That is a problem we can fix. That is a problem we desperately need to fix. And that is the problem that media doesn't really talk about.
"Inconspicuous creatures surprise with a property that is important for our climate: Lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria release large quantities of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as laughing gas, and low quantities of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere."
Yay! Lichens and mosses are totally rad.
And no, I don't believe in "global warming," as defined by the media. The earth is trying to reach equilibrium the same way everything else is, which means cycling in and out of cold and hot extremes, with those extremes getting closer and closer to each other. It is a big deal and will lead to extinctions and plagues, but there's not really much we can do to stop it. There are other, much more important things we need to address, like the disposal of the massive amounts of waste we produce.
4.3 pounds per person per day x 365 days in a year = 1569.5 pounds per person per year
1569.5 x 318,900,000 (US population) = 116,398,500,000 ~ 116.4 billion pounds of waste per year
That is a man-made problem. That is a problem we can fix. That is a problem we desperately need to fix. And that is the problem that media doesn't really talk about.
Microplastics being ingested by Zooplankton
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150629133813.htm
"Tiny microscopic animals called zooplankton are ingesting plastic particles at an alarming rate, according to a new study by Dr. Peter Ross, head of the Ocean Pollution Research Program at Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. That could spell trouble for the entire aquatic food web."
I try not to go all environmentalist on you guys too often, but this is really important. We try to convince ourselves that because plastic in the ocean is being broken down, we're all safe. But it's a lie. Plastic kills. Period. And its extensive use is not due to necessity but to bloated consumerism. Greed.
There are many places that plastics are very useful, and responsible handling of these situations wouldn't leave a scrap in our oceans. But we're not responsible. We're totally depraved, and this is one of the results of that depravity.
Just for fun, here's a picture of how energy is transferred up the food chain.
"Tiny microscopic animals called zooplankton are ingesting plastic particles at an alarming rate, according to a new study by Dr. Peter Ross, head of the Ocean Pollution Research Program at Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. That could spell trouble for the entire aquatic food web."
I try not to go all environmentalist on you guys too often, but this is really important. We try to convince ourselves that because plastic in the ocean is being broken down, we're all safe. But it's a lie. Plastic kills. Period. And its extensive use is not due to necessity but to bloated consumerism. Greed.
There are many places that plastics are very useful, and responsible handling of these situations wouldn't leave a scrap in our oceans. But we're not responsible. We're totally depraved, and this is one of the results of that depravity.
Just for fun, here's a picture of how energy is transferred up the food chain.
Sociopaths & INTJs
So, I just found out that not all those who lack empathy are sociopaths. It turns out that there is a whole personality set aside all by itself that generally lacks empathy. I find this to be hilarious.
And disturbing. Not because I think this personality type is dangerous, but because I think the oversimplification of the common understanding of sociopathy is dangerous. Stereotypes have their place and are useful in navigating our complex social world, but oversimplifications of highly defined behavior sets can lead to a whole group of people being marginalized, or even ostracized, because of their base personality.
This personality type is good and useful. It is rare, coming in at a mere 2% of the world's population. It is known to its personality system as the Architect, and people of this personality base are extremely intellectual, cunning, precise, curious, energetic and efficient. And they get the best grades in school.
We know that people love this personality type because it makes up an estimated 13% of personality types in fictional literature. Of course, pegging the personality of fictional persons is difficult so take this number with a grain of salt, but also note that the most common personality in this particular personality system is approximately 14% of the global population. Even if the numbers are a little off, it is pretty clear that most people enjoy books with this personality as the lead.
So, please be careful and do your research. Diagnosing someone as a sociopath when all they have is rare personality type could cost you a friend, and could destroy what few chances they have at normal relationships. God created this personality type and has called it "good." Please don't call it evil.
And disturbing. Not because I think this personality type is dangerous, but because I think the oversimplification of the common understanding of sociopathy is dangerous. Stereotypes have their place and are useful in navigating our complex social world, but oversimplifications of highly defined behavior sets can lead to a whole group of people being marginalized, or even ostracized, because of their base personality.
This personality type is good and useful. It is rare, coming in at a mere 2% of the world's population. It is known to its personality system as the Architect, and people of this personality base are extremely intellectual, cunning, precise, curious, energetic and efficient. And they get the best grades in school.
We know that people love this personality type because it makes up an estimated 13% of personality types in fictional literature. Of course, pegging the personality of fictional persons is difficult so take this number with a grain of salt, but also note that the most common personality in this particular personality system is approximately 14% of the global population. Even if the numbers are a little off, it is pretty clear that most people enjoy books with this personality as the lead.
So, please be careful and do your research. Diagnosing someone as a sociopath when all they have is rare personality type could cost you a friend, and could destroy what few chances they have at normal relationships. God created this personality type and has called it "good." Please don't call it evil.
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