(08/23/2020) What The Cave Comprehended

I recently heard a sermon broadcast at familyradio.org that included an account of the Cave and the Sun visiting one another so they might understand the other’s repeated references to “darkness” and “light”. As Christian believers, our anchor and focus for answering the challenging discourse and thoughts others share must always be the proclamations, promises, prophecies and unchanging purpose we receive from divinity. In that presentation, the Cave first visited the Sun and was dazzled by the presence of light that appeared to be everywhere. When the Sun made its visit to be with the Cave, the Cave led the Sun to a deep crevice to see gross darkness. However, both the Cave and the Sun saw only light. The Cave displayed isolated pits and other locations to the Sun. However, they all were filled with light. The Cave remarked that these places were filled with darkness until the coming of the Sun; and to me the point of the sermon seemed to be, life throughout Creation was filled with darkness until the coming of Jesus Christ. In reflecting on what I had heard, I realized the Cave and the Sun account is regarded by many as a classic of wisdom, yet, I remained unwilling to become entangled in fleshly truth or discourse that challenges the Bible. Beyond the cycles of darkness that present shadows and night there are multiple aspects of darkness that serve divinity. Included are gross darkness, obscure darkness, unfathomable darkness, and unspeakable darkness. Similar accounts have been found among the Sufi as well as the writings of Plato; and have been held to be an allegory, analogy, or parable distinct from a fable (that provides a lesson using animals and objects that speak). It is written: Isaiah 60: 18-20, King James Version (KJV): 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible, and the selection from the music ministry of John Michael Talbot:

THE GOLDEN ARROW: In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? (Psalms 56: 11-13, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Divine Process and Substance (06/24/2020); Divinity Commanded the Void (01/28/2020); The Light Of Life (12/04/2019); To Learn From GOD (11/11/2019); When the Donkey Speaks? (11/03/2016); Living In The Light? (01/18/2015); Balaam (10/15/2013)

(1.) 2^nd Peter 1: 16-19, King James Version (KJV): 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(2.) John 1: 1-5, KJV: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(3.) 1^st Samuel 2: 8-10, KJV: 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

(4.) 2^nd Corinthians 4: 5-7, KJV: 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

(5.) 1st John 1: 5-7, KJV: 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

(6.) Malachi 4: 1-3, KJV: 1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

There is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (7.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnficXVgUTE.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

Image downloaded 12:38 PM, August 20, 2020 @ https://takelight.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/suncave.jpg

THE BLACK PHOENIX

Washington, DC

(11/11/2019) To Learn From GOD

From James Tissot, a depiction of Mary learning at the feet of Jesus.

Today, reply is on learning about the Greek philosopher Plato, and learning about what GOD has revealed and spoken concerning divinity. Secular knowledge and wisdom are expressions by created beings and living creatures that focus on such features as appetite (e.g., hunger, thirst, cravings for sexual contact), sensation, (e.g., hearing, seeing, tasting, touching), and emotion/mind (e.g., anger, fear, imagination, recall). Human philosophy and science attempt to describe material objects, life experience, and the physical world using finite, man-made tools for measurement and sharing information. Intellect, logic, and carnal reason are not sufficient to completely and correctly explain such elements as the origin, process, and substance for existence, life, and divine fullness that include faith, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, personhood, wisdom, and wrath against sin. It is written: Isaiah 55: 7-11, King James Version (KJV): 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. One of the fighters at “Yahoo! Answers” who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile is shared) in the public forum on Religion and Spirituality posted the following:

Does God think that he is a mathematician?

                   Biologists think they are biochemists,
                   Biochemists think they are Physical Chemists,
                   Physical Chemists think they are Physicists,
                   Physicists think they are Gods,
                   And God thinks he is a Mathematician.
                                          -Plato

THE GOLDEN ARROW: Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3: 13-18, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Focus On Things Revealed (09/12/2019); The Existence of “Goodness”? (12/06/2018); Divine Knowledge And Wisdom (06/24/2018); Idolatry -- Exalting Human Devices? (09/21/2017); Tools For Knowing Divinity (05/12/2017); Abstractions, Atheism and I.Q. (08/18/2016); Was Jesus Literate? (10/04/2013); Everything a Lie? (10/05/2013)

“Anonymous”, to learn of Plato, one may consult brittanica.com that reports, “Plato, (born 428/427 bce, Athens, Greece—died 348/347, Athens), ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates (c. 470–399 bce), teacher of Aristotle (384–322 bce), and founder of the Academy,”. At stanford.edu, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy one reads, “Plato (429?–347 B.C.E.) is, by any reckoning, one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating,”; and .en.wikepedia.org states that “Plato was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece...the Academy founded by Plato was the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.” To learn of divine fullness (Christian believers also may say, divinity; the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) look into the things shared by the ministry of Jesus, be alert to hear GOD himself as he has been recorded in the holy writings. The sacred operations of divinity on behalf of mankind include Creation, judgment, Incarnation, revelation, and salvation. Divinity has appeared on the earth using thousands of events, within thousands of lives, over the course of thousands of years. Men are to learn by sharing with one another their own discoveries, edification, praise, and testimonies that make GOD knowable, approachable, present and visible. Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible, and a selection from the music ministry of Bishop Walter Hawkins:

1. Exodus 3: 13-15, King James Version (KJV): 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

2. Exodus 34: 6-8, KJV: 6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

3. Job 38: 1-11, KJV: 1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? 9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, 10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, 11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

4. Matthew 11: 28-30, KJV: 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

5. John 6: 41-48, KJV: 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life.

There is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended (for example, (6.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH2KvYrzZgA&list=RDUH2KvYrzZgA&start_radio=1&t=130.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

Image downloaded at 6:20 PM, November 10, 2019 @ https://4000jesuspictures.com/706-jesus-ministry/martha-mary/j-james-tissot-91.jpg.html

THE BLACK PHOENIX

Washington, DC