(04/24/2014) Not A Matter Of Opinion?

What appears as the arrogant language and “holier-than-thou” manner of Christian believers when declaring the will of GOD is considered, today.  Also, there is more on resurrection from the dead.  A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Robby” (Level 3 with 1,993 points, a member since March 24 , 2014) posted the following:


Everyone's view of God is different, so why does each person speak as if their own opinion of god's will is correct? 

Why don't they say ''this is what I think god wants'' rather than ''this is what god wants''?


THE BATTLE AXE:  Resurrection from the Dead? (04/23/2014)—The person who says that there are things impossible for GOD operates with limited ideas and concepts (we say, ignorance, lack of spiritual knowledge) determined by human experiences of appetite (e.g., hunger, thirst, cravings for sexual activity), sensation (e.g., hearing, seeing, tasting), and emotional/mental functions (e.g., desire, fear, imagination, recall).  Those having no understanding of GOD as one who exercises sovereign authority over all existence have not yet “discovered” the aspect of human makeup spoken of as the “inner spirit.” More than this, they fail to grasp the possibilities for communication and relationship with GOD wherein GOD may demonstrate and reveal divinity.  For those lacking spiritual awareness and discernment (i.e., ability to use ones own spiritual content given from GOD to recognize spiritual events, objects and persons), their highest levels of consciousness are experienced as a form of perception (a process of observation and interpretation of ones environment).  Thus, for example, beauty is no concrete, material, or physical thing that exists, and that all men describe and speak of in the same way.  One person’s perception of a painting by El Greco, by Salvador Dali, or by Van Gogh may be one of balance, beauty, and depth.  Another person’s perception may be of darkness, distortion, pain, and ugliness.  Yet, there is sufficient agreement that every viewer experiences shared meaning, and participates in proposing the standards to clarify the aesthetics and principles for assigning value.  To be thorough, our human standards for speaking of GOD must embrace all that pertains to birth, continuity, creation, death, life, love, and reproduction along with correction, government, judgment, and sanctification.  Consider Deuteronomy 29:  1-4, 1st Samuel 12:  16-18, 2nd Kings 4:  8-10, Job 33:  12-17, Isaiah 64:  4-5, 1st Corinthians 2:  12-14, Matthew 22:  30-32, 1st Peter 1:  3-9, KJV.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  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.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  (2nd Corinthians 4:  1-10, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  All Lying Forbidden? (03/04/2014); Wrong Not to Forgive? (03/05/2014); Continuously Tested (12/31/2013); (Chosen To Serve As Prophets (01/01/2014); Lawful Revenge? (01/02/2014); “Authorized Personnel Only” (03/13/2013); Before Abraham Was… (03/14/2013); Why A “Spokesperson”? (01/14/2013); No Contradictions? (01/15/2013)


“Robby”, here are a few points on Christian belief you may not have seen before:

(1.)  Those who acknowledge salvation through the ministry and work of Jesus Christ have all been recruited to display and share the “good news” (we say, the Gospel) through their own attitudes and lives upon the earth.  Believers are permanently changed through baptism (death of ones inborn spirit, rebirth from divine DNA, so to speak).  It is spirit matter from the makeup of GOD (e.g., faith, holiness, love, wisdom, and wrath against sin) that equips believers to perform their duty as spokespersons and witnesses for Christ and GOD (we say, as apostles, disciples, prophets, priests and kings).

(2.)  The “authority” and “force of truth” (some say, power) a believer displays does not emerge from their own creativity, imagination, intellect, logic, and mental abilities.  Eternal goals and divine purposes are to be established by what a believer will say and do.  Therefore, it is not a matter of personal opinion.  What believers utter (e.g., comfort, praise, promise, prophecy) must make a connect at the level of spirit, rather than the levels of emotion and mind.

(3.)  Personal testimony is often used by believers as a device to edify others (i.e., build up the spirit content of those to whom they minister).  Because testimony appears as ones own eye-witness report, hearers often miss the fact that testimony is a formal statement submitted in the process of judgment, and its force, validity and value resides in its being “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

There is a lot more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.)  The divine process among mankind is a work of both flesh and Spirit.  For that reason, many things must go forward paced according to the finite limits of men, rather than by all the boundless possibilities of GOD.  Those born again must gradually “grow up” again meeting the same life challenges as others in the earth until they become mature (we say, perfected, ripe for harvest).  Despite being “chosen,” where they mistakenly speak from self-will, believers can not accomplish the divine purpose as models of what to become, what to do.  Instead, they serve as examples of what not to be and what not to do.  Their hearers are being granted an experience to develop discernment.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to the measure of divine faith that resides in you.


Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  (1st Peter 5:  6-7, KJV)


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(01/15/2014) Poem for Amiri Baraka

     Today, I share a poem acknowledging a creative artist and teacher, Amiri Baraka (nee Everett LeRoi Jones).  Also, there is more on divine revelation through believers.  I was a young broadcaster in FM radio learning and exploring jazz music as an expression of African American culture when I first heard a daring fusion of speech and music featuring the playwright and poet Jones with the New York Art Quartet (also known as NYAQ).  As nothing I had ever heard or read before, their performance of Black Dada Nihilismus (1964) impressed me with the ferocious intellect and power that are to be conveyed by the spoken word as art.  Our poets should also be firebrands and speak to the issues of our living, not simply the awe of existence or our polite sentiments as those who are now “genteel”.  Poets also must howl, kick ass, and show tough love until hearers and the world around them are “scared straight” and flee from complacency.  Every writer must walk the thin line between hypocrite, showman, and bearer of truth.  What it means to live forever must be succinctly redefined without arrogance before the eternal.  Is it any wonder, the Greeks aligned themselves to Muses, and the shepherds of Israel are fluent speakers of acrostic poesy?  Through Baraka the many hard issues of censorship, FCC regulation, freedom of speech as well as the duty and privilege for thought leaders and writers came into view with overwhelming clarity and power.  At that time, I received Jones as the “Father of my Black consciousness,” and since then he has been a major influence in my thinking and writing along with Jesus Christ.  On this past Sunday, in memoriam, a local public broadcast station radio program host featured Baraka’s performance with the New York Art Quartet of Music’s Underwear (recorded June 14, 1999, from the album “35th Reunion”).  The program host later explained by email, broadcasting Nihilismus instead would have gotten him into difficulty.  (Meanings for the chosen names:  Amiri is Prince, Baraka, is “blessing, in the sense of divine favor.”)


THE BATTLE AXE:  GOD is Showing You (01/14/2014)—A foreign nation and its ruler may be made known and visible by an ambassador who embodies the lawful authority of his sovereign state.  Similarly, believers serve as envoys and representatives for the unseen kingdom of GOD.  Those who are born again, must also learn and “grow up again” by meeting the same life challenges, tests and trials as all others alive upon the earth.   In the same way a spectator should know something about the process, rankings, and rules for the game before they can be fully comfortable with the crowd in the stands for a football playoff competition, a person should receive proper preparation to correctly evaluate and recognize divinity and godliness appearing in others, and in themselves.  See 1st John 2:  1-5, 1st John 3:  15-17 and 1st John 4:  1-3, 6 and 12-14, KJV.

 

He Done Gone and Died
For Amiri Baraka the African American Musicologist, Playwright,
Poet and Scholar (1934-2014)

LeRoi, who could smile so wide
He done gone and died

A quiet, poet’s death
Not like the other Bison
Falling wordless under arrows
The bullets of the West,
The Eastern tourists
Urban meat eaters,
Reveling in their
blood sport from a distance

Theater is where you find it
Make it
Catching the conscience of the king
Playing out the truth
In toilets, subways
The First Church of Dada
or
Sailing ships that lifted like a ghost

Showing life
To be or not to be
His own
A thing of black
Beauty, a new aesthetic
A new politic
And new voice not to be smothered

Who else could have shown us
The means of production
And socialist art
America’s true poetential for revolution
And Marxist magnificence
The thought of social violence
As the tool to gain humanity
For nation-building, baptism
rebirth

Hearing our primitive rhythm
Our genius as old as time
Proud not poor
Hip not beat
Rich not square
Hard not foul
Country not nationalist
Cool not compromised
Angry not hateful
Rushing like the A-train
To get it done
And where it has to go

Not lamenting
Laureates lost
Newark’s neglect
Paradise, pomp
The clearinghouse bonanza
Where the mind’s packed
In champagne
Waiting for a curtain call
Another dress rehearsal

Like gun runners, airmen
Act like you know
Make wordmusic, song bombs
Glittering spears of speech
that loose us from this mortal coil
LeRoi just upped himself
And split the scene
Let there be applause.

LeRoi, who could smile so wide
He done gone and died

 

©Michael Andrew Williams, 2014.  All rights reserved worldwide.

     There is far more to be said, properly shared, and spiritually understood.  (For example, many argue against divine law as an obstacle to complete freedom of speech declaring their right to blaspheme has been abrogated. However, blasphemy is a manifesting of sin that may dominate awareness and self-will in created beings and living creatures. As such, blasphemy is self-destructive and cannot be supported by frameworks of commitment, common sense, consistency, respect and righteousness that disqualify blasphemy as affirmation of ones life essence.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.  (Matthew 12:  35-37, KJV)


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC