Tag: Jesus Christ

If We Were God…

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

God sent His only begotten Son into the world by way of a manger–a sort of tub that farm animals ate out of. But if God had been a man, if God had been like us, He would have done it differently.

Instead of bothering with shepherds, He would have had His angels appear on the White House lawn or Rockefeller Center. It would’ve been quite a show.

Instead of a manger, He would have provided a sprawling, towering palace sheathed in gold, with really nice marble statues, guards in fancy uniforms, an army of servants, trumpets blowing… the works.

Instead of a baby, He would have sent the Son to earth in the form of a dazzlingly handsome man, eight feet tall, with muscles on top of his muscles, diamond tie-tacks galore, way smarter than anybody else, with all the good intentions in the world–

And there would have been no Cross, no rejection by the authorities–

And none of it would have worked worth a damn, because Christ would have become just another celebrity among celebrities, a leader who scared half of the people to death and made himself just plain odious to the other half; who would have forced good things on us until we were sick of them; a Nero without the fiddle…

No, it wouldn’t have worked at all.

God, praise God, knew better than we will ever know. That’s why He sent us a baby in a manger.

Carol, ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing on Christmas Day’

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This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I don’t know why. There’s just something about it that moves me. But then just about everything about Christmas moves me.

There are many versions of this carol. I chose this one because I like the instrumentals.

This, by the way, is the holiday which we’re not supposed to mention, some jidrool might get offended. But then again–

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas! Jesus Christ is born!

The Carol Got to Me

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I listened again to The Holly and the Ivy, and this time it really got to me. It brought tears to my eyes.

I don’t want you to think I’m some kind of weeping willie, although it has always been my way not to withhold tears from those to whom tears are due. If you can’t be stirred by the beauty of holiness in Jesus Christ… well, I don’t know.

Tears of joy are a small tribute to pay to Christmas–the day we have chosen, by custom, to celebrate the Incarnation, the word made flesh, our salvation. Those are very large gifts. And along with them, we receive love, family, sweet memories, and hope.

This is an evil age we’re living in, and we need to know that our God has not forgotten us. That’s what the carol was telling me. It took a few hours to sink in.

God is nigh. That is the lesson. He is never farther than a prayer away, and sometimes even closer than that.

My aunt, the last of my family in her generation, is now in a safe place which has already done her lots of good. And just in time for Christmas, too. This was a gift, and I am thankful for it. Not the first gift I have ever received from my God, and surely not the last. So I give thanks for Christmas, for Jesus Christ coming down from heaven and into the world, where I am. And for all the other gifts that go with it.

The Vatican and Space Aliens

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Here’s a headline that caught my eye this morning: “Vatican sceptical [sic] about close encounters of the third kind” ( http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-sceptical-close-encounters-third-kind-095541614.html ).

It seems scientists have discovered an “Earth twin”–a planet that is neither too close to its star, nor too far away, to support life–so that naturally revs up speculation about intelligent ETs, alien civilizations, Space Brothers, galactic federations, etc. And naturally some journalist in Rome went to the Vatican’s observatory (see, Galileo? now they’ve got telescopes, too) to ask a lot of stupid questions about how the discovery of life on other planets will prove that the Bible isn’t true, and so on.

Only thing is, this earthlike planet is some 1,400 light years away from here. If you pointed a flashlight at this planet when Mohammed was a boy in knee-pants, the light would just be getting there today. And so, said the Vatican astronomer, we can forget about meeting Mr. Spock for the time being.

He also told the journalist that the birth and life of Jesus Christ on earth was a unique event that will not have occurred on other planets. Plus the usual cop-out of the Bible not being a science textbook, so certain parts of it don’t have to be literally true, my precious…

I’m having trouble imagining this conversation.

A lot of people who sneer at religious faith, especially if it’s Christian religious faith, have their own unshakeable faith–based, mind you, on no evidence at all–in the universe being full of super-intelligent space aliens who will eventually teach us to be super-intelligent, too.

Don’t take science fiction lightly. It has seeped deeply into our culture, and deeply into many people’s minds.

Winsome? We’re Supposed to be Winsome?

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Image result for images of sappy simpering

“Winsome” is one of those words that make me feel like giving someone an Indian burn. The dictionary defines it as “cheerful, pleasant and appealing.”  And Christian commentators are always advising us to “be winsome” as Team Satan tears down our country, debauches our culture, corrupts our churches, and comes gunning for our children.

Guess how many times the word “winsome” is used in the Bible, King James Version.

Zero! Never!

Was Our Lord Jesus Christ being winsome when He called the Pharisees, to their faces, a generation of vipers (Matthew 3:7, and elsewhere)? Was He being winsome when He fashioned a whip and drove the moneychangers from the Temple (John 2:15)? Or how about when He told His audience, “You are of your father, the devil” (John 8:44)? Think they found those words very winsome?

What do these commentators want of us? “Sure, tell the truth, that everyone who promotes homosexuality has a really good chance of spending all eternity in Hell–but simper winsomely while you do it!” Maybe we ought to have our pictures painted on velvet, with real big eyes–I’m told that’s winsome.

It’s okay to let people know that their actions are destroying the country, are exceedingly displeasing to God, and come directly from the Devil–as long as you can do it in a cheerful, pleasant and appealing manner? Maybe get the Doublemint Twins out of retirement: maybe they could deliver that message in a winsome way.

I think we’ve long passed by the time when winsome might have been of service to us. Don’t you?

All Out for Narnia

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There’s a bus that will take you to Narnia in time to help Peter and Edmund stand against the White Witch. It’d be nice if there were another bus that could bring them here to help us against our own wicked witches: but then, as Aslan might say, “You have looked, my child, but you have not seen. Look again!”

Or perhaps the Prophet Elisha put it even better, when he and his servants were surrounded by the chariots of the king of Syria: “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” But the servant couldn’t see what Elisha saw, so Elisha asked God to open the young man’s eyes: and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-17)

You board the bus to Narnia, needing no money for the fare, just by opening the book, or starting the tape, or even looking into your mind instead of looking out: because that’s where the bus stop is. Usually the bus is already there, waiting for you.

Now there’s not much point in going to Narnia except to see the Lion, Aslan. In our world He has another name: Jesus Christ the Son of God, Our Lord and Savior. Sometimes here in this complicated, fallen world, our vision grows dim and we don’t see Him. For some of us, a visit to Narnia and a glimpse of Aslan is all it takes to get our eyes focused back on Jesus.

They that be with us are more than they that be with them.

God said it, so it’s true. The chariots of the wicked will exist for not a moment longer than God allows them to exist. They glory in their imagined power, as the White Witch gloried in hers.

All aboard!

A Game Show from Hell

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http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/AMXUdCwpdeY/maxresdefault.jpg

A subtle modification made to a certain kind of TV set enables the set to pick up broadcasts from Hell–that part of it that’s closest to our world. We join such a broadcast already in progress.

“And welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, for another round of Mock the Scriptures. I’m your host, Sid Mephistopheles–and how about a helluva welcome for our two contestants? Mr. Foaming-at-the-Mouth Atheist, and Dr. Wishy-Washy Liberal Churchman!”

(Hysterical screeching in the background)

“Now, you boys know the rules because you’ve both played before–and both won, let me remind our studio audience. The prize for this round is an autographed picture of George Soros. Are you ready to play Mock the Scriptures?”

Both: “Ready, Sid!”

“Okay. Now, in this round, I’m going to give you three propositions taken from the so-called ‘holy’ Bible, and you have to decide which one is the most ridiculous. The three propositions are: 1) God created the heavens and the earth in seven days; 2) Jesus Christ was born of a virgin; 3) Sinners are saved by belief in Jesus Christ. Foamy, you’re up!”

Atheist (hissing): “Well, what can you say? One is more ridiculous than another. There’s no such person as God, and the whole universe created itself! But then it’s all hateful and contemptible, isn’t it? Superstition! Anyone who believes a word of it is just plain stupid! Stupid, I say!” (His pale face begins to turn red. Tendrils of smoke issue from his ears. By the time he’s actually yelling, he’s also levitating some 12 inches off the floor.) “Dirty, stinking Christians! Dirty stinking Bible! Ack, grrrr, yowf!”

Mephisto: “Okay, Foamy, okay–calm down now.  Don’t you love this guy? He’s been here 40 years and still refuses to believe it! How about a hand for Foamy?” (Hysterical screaming in the background. Mephisto turns to the Liberal Churchman.) “Wishy, you’re going to have to go some to beat that! But go ahead, give it your best shot.”

Churchman: “Thanks, Mephisto. You know, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me no pleasure–well, maybe a little!–to make fun of the childish stories in the Bible. Decades of modern scholarship have proved conclusively that hardly anything in the Bible is factually true. Seven days of Creation indeed! Virgin birth–a fairy tale. And we all know by now that there’s no such thing as a sinner–and if there were, whatever he believed in, that would save him! Really, the only thing God asks of the Church is to acknowledge the inerrant truthfulness of Science, and to perform gay marriages–”

KRAAAK–BAM! A  blinding flash of lightning, with a deafening thunderclap, and suddenly Mr. Wishy-Washy Liberal Churchman is no longer present. There is only a charred spot in the floor.

Mephisto: “Oops! Well, folks, it looks like Wishy has won the whole shootin’ match, hands down.”

Atheist: “Wait a minute! Where is he? Where did he go?”

Mephisto: “I think I can safely say he’s been promoted to a lower level!”

Atheist: “Well, then, how is he going to collect his prize–that picture of George Soros?”

Mephisto: “Oh, where he’s going, I think he’ll someday be able to collect Mr. Soros’ autograph in person.”

A Satire That’s Become Reality (Aaaagh!)

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Remember Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, who predicted the disaster and wound up saying, “I hate being right, all of the time”? I’m beginning to get a sense of how he felt.

Just over two years ago, in the June 26, 2011, edition of NewsWithViews ( http://www.newswithviews.com ), I published a satire entitled, “A New Bible for a New Age.” It was a satire making fun of liberal churchmen trying to rewrite the Bible to make it conform to their own asinine and indefensible beliefs. My New Age Bible included a “New New Testament.”

And behold–now there really is a New New Testament, compiled by some clown from the Jesus Seminar–an outfit devoted to “disproving” the divinity of Christ–and the usual gaggle of renegade churchmen and ministerettes from the usual flatline demoninations. (Sorry, but I don’t want to call them “denominations” anymore. “Demoninations” is more accurate.)

What they did was to add to the New Testament ten “new books,” actually old books rejected by the Church centuries ago for being full of Gnostic heresies. This is not just diluting the New Testament; it’s poisoning the well.

Why did they do that? Says the publisher’s PR guy, for two reasons:

*To advance a feminist agenda

*And to stress “the importance of the teachings of Christ, rather than His redemptive death, which has alienated Christians [sic] who seek to square their faith with reason.”

So, as is always the case with these fimbos, their real object of worship is not God, but themselves and their own sin-corrupted, severely limited power of “reason.” And their authority is not the word of God, but what they think the word of God should be. None of this “redemption” stuff, thank you! Wonderful people like these don’t need redemption.

But in the meantime, how about that? I write a satire, a lampoon, a joke–and then they do the very thing that I imagined them doing! Right down to the bleedin’ title: A New New Testament.

Satires are not supposed to come true; but this one did.

God help us.