(12/18/2016) Saying "GOD is Love"

Today, what Christian believers mean when saying “GOD is love” is in view.  The multiple facets of love are revealed in relationships, and go beyond mere affection and emotion.  Included are acceptance, access, accountability, acknowledgment, affirmation, approval, and nurture.  A writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information appears) posted the following:

IS GOD LOVE?

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer:  and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:  and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  (1st John 3:  13-18, King James Version, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Believers Are To Love (12/07/2016); The Relationships With GOD? (11/30/2016); Herein Is True Love (10/21/2016);  The GOD Who Loves? (10/02/2016); Divine and Unconditional Love (09/18/2016); Love That Is Spirit? (01/28/2016); Punishment To Show Love? (11/29/2015)

“Anonymous”, in the same way you could say, “football is a game,” be correct, yet, still not have said what makes it different and special from the many other games (e.g., baseball, cricket, ice hockey, soccer), many say, “GOD is love” without also indicating in what way GOD is different from affection and emotion within relationships that are platonic, romantic, professional, or sexual.  Divine love is not best described by using ideas and language for carnal, material, and social relationships, for GOD is a spirit.  Love to GOD is shown by such things as kindness to others, obedience, practice of sacraments, praise, prayer, respect, trust, and speaking truth.  Divinity appears as an array of inseparable spirit substances such as faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, immortality, immutability, incorruption, eternal purpose, purity, wisdom, and wrath against sin.  Multiple sacred operations are carried out and performed by divinity including atonement, cleansing, covenant, forbearance, forgiveness, judgment, rebirth, reconciliation, redemption, revelation, salvation, and sanctification.  The perfection and righteousness of GOD makes it that divine love is even expressed through such diverse and challenging elements for finite beings as birth, death, mercy, punishment, sacred law, and suffering.  Consider the following:

(1.)  Deuteronomy 6:  4-5, King James Version (KJV):  4 Hear, O Israel:  The LORD our God is one LORD:  5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

(2.)  1st John 4:  7-9, KJV:  7 Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.     

(3.)  Hebrews 12:  4-8, KJV:  4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.)  1st John 3:  1-3, KJV:  1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:  therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(06/20/2014) Blessed Are The Peacemakers

Topics, today, include corporate identity, Native Americans, racism, and slander.  I expand upon a comment I shared in response to a television news report where a Federal agency having oversight on trademarks announced a ruling on the legitimacy of a name used among professional athletes.  The following statement was posted on my Facebook page (06/18/2014):


REDSKINS family, What’s In a Name? Given the issue is racism, it is vain (a waste of time; pointless idolatry; bollix, BS, and talking smack) to quarrel about the name of an athletic team, and offer no solutions that include dialog; learning, living, sharing, and working together; or correctly identifying goals, consequences, and opportunities for change. Invite team members to live among the peoples during off season; have team members open their homes and teepees. Offer space for training camps, sponsor education programs, however, do not keep promoting sanctimonious drivel. Lead by example and hard work in projects for genuine change. Offer a vision of the future, instead of continuing to rue the past. Just like Federal copyright registration is only ONE way to establish and protect ones ownership of patents and other intellectual property, trademark registration is not the only way to validate ones lawful ownership of logos and similar material. At best, those insisting they have a “cause” have missed the mark by choosing the wrong target. Be encouraged!


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Blessed are the peacemakers:  for they shall be called the children of God.  (Matthew 5:  9, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Understanding Peace? (11/20/2013); Adversary or Servant? (11/21/2013); Unseen Sin? (06/18/2013); Bible Authors and Truth? (06/19/2013); Unless You Repent (03/05/2013); The Childhood of Jesus? (03/06/2013); Will GOD Bless My Team? (12/31/2012); Put Every Man His Sword By His Side (01/01/2013); Escape from Racism (10/24/2012); Christians Who Ignore GOD’s Laws (10/25/2012)


For many years now, my life has been hidden in Christ; and I have been working to be known as a full-time Christian writer.  Sanctified, and set apart by the work I do, I can not now say that I personally know a single entertainer, government official, head of state, politician, college or professional athlete, corporate executive, or television evangelist anywhere in the world.  I do not have Jewish friends with whom I study Siddur, Torah, or observe the Sabbath.  Nor may I say, I personally have friends who are Native Americans.  Even so, it has been my duty to humbly offer intercession and prayer on all their behalf, on behalf of Jerusalem, on behalf of all Israel, on behalf of Washington, DC, and on behalf of all America.  With this in view, and saying what’s been said another way, I share the following counsel as one who is impartial and unengaged:

The Great Spirit, who is maker and keeper of the buffalo, who wears a rainbow about his shoulders, who hides his laughter in the rivulets and streams, the One who is Father of all pure waters, is not pleased to see new war being made upon the basis of old wounds.  Some youth who have not truly known the battles whereby they have been brought forth accuse him of their hunger and thirsts that are not yet quenched.  They grumble and moan as though the earth now shrinks and wastes away because He no longer marks a trail for justice and for truth.  The One who marked a path for the rain, the thunder, the lightning, and the hail, also is He who marks the path for peace.

Do not be deceived.  Corporations do not operate as sovereign states, or nations; and are not living entities or peoples.  Renegades and outlaws often infest them, who seek little more than 30 pieces of silver (in Bible days, the price of a dog, and the price of a whore).  Just as the NBA showed itself absurd in response to recent events (racism will not be ended by the sale of a team, and the change of its ownership), the NFL will show itself inept.  Arguments made on the basis of emotion and feeling are not the same as those rooted in law, principle and vision.  Response by the American games establishment has become as predictable as the attitude of Congress against the President of the United States whenever the Chief Executive responds to any domestic or international crisis.

Historically, racism is a disease that plagues both those operating as though superior as well as those who see themselves as victims.  The symptoms of racism always appear as denial of accountability, denial of ones involvement, and denial of gain and any continuing benefit from negative conditions.  There is no genuine grasp or understanding of the work that must be done for correction, for the victims recovery, or for the continued survival of all.  There is always refusal to respect the integrity and value for the culture, lives, and traditions of others.  Therefore, racism spreads as a poison of discontent, hate crimes, ignorance, indifference, false claims of innocence, and, finally, violence.

Genuine nobility and peace will never come through short-sighted protests.  They must come by all who live drawing closer, not by their moving far apart.  Because it is not yet truly in their spirit, neither “Hail to the Redskins,” nor “Hail to the Oneida” will be the same as “Hail to the Peacemakers.”  The echo and the whisper are cousin to the shout; what was taken as a slogan was not to be forgotten:  Blessed are the peacemakers.  The wisdom of the eagle is not to fight the currents of the air, or to seek to lift himself by his own power and strength.  The air will do the lifting where the eagle will yield and turn according to its prompting.  What he wants is not forbidden, or withheld from him.  He must know, he will never soar to see the fruits within the valley, or serve as spirit guide to those who wear the feather, by beating against the power of the winds.

So far, arguments against the continued use of “REDSKINS” seem all on the level of “common sense.”  As a result, what we have heard up to this point seems no different than the complaint that “Mother F…er,” “SOB” and similar invective are libel and slander against all women, and must be expunged from our language.  Where arguments against the team name go to the level of law enforcement, judicial action, and public tribunal, the community correctly expects a clear and detailed presentation of evidence for accountability and involvement in direct damage, for criminal intent as well as for malice and motive.

There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, the cry of the eagle is followed by silence.  Many are still listening to hear invitations to cooperative action.  Could there be peace and a broken arrow through proposals and requests for support to the national Native American museum in Washington, DC; for grant programs to develop curriculum and research in anthropology, Native American studies, history, etc.; or for funding action programs like those of the Peace Corp to ensure resources and services for Native American communities?  Clearly, few are now upon the proper path that leads to peace, and until we walk again in brighter light, all America will keep drinking shame like water.).  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.  (Matthew 13:  51-52, KJV)


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(01/13/2014) GOD is Jesus?

Understanding the appearance of GOD in the person of Jesus Christ is the topic, today.  Also, there is more on why Christians pray for others.  The writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Yeah” (Level 1 with 5 points, a member since July 14, 2013) posted the following:


Christians, how can a man be God?

How could Jesus Christ be God?


THE BATTLE AXE:  Why Christians Pray for Others (01/12/2014)—There is a human need for truth regarding divinity.  GOD has provided a lamb; and the focus for those for whom prayer is made is not to be the one who offers prayer on their behalf; it is to be upon the one who hears and receives such prayer.  The careful examination of divinity permits a higher grasp upon the many possibilities for what it is to be completely human.  Spans for the single bridge that ensures communication among us are shared conditions, shared experience, shared purpose, and common truth.  Nourishing and protecting the diverse and multiple aspects of our spirit will always be a necessary part for human perfection, and survival.  Those who appreciate this fact, do not impose or intrude any burden upon others that may be called oppression.  In a society that may continually challenge, discount, ignore, and overlook what we regard as our greatest gifts and talents, it is a benefit to be reminded others do care, and make peculiar efforts on our behalf that we might have life more abundantly.  See Isaiah 53:  6-12, Isaiah 59:  9-19, Luke 22:  32 and Romans 8:  34, KJV.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:  and these three are one.  (1st John 5:  7, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  The Fullness of GODhead (01/09/2014); World Without End? (2014); Only One GOD (09/14/2013); Weed and Godly Wisdom (09/15/2013); Utterance is Spirit (09/08/2013); A Start for the Idea of GOD? (09/09/2013); How Was GOD Known Before Jesus (10/06/2012); Jesus, King of Earth? (10/07/2012); A Man in Heaven? (09/23/2012); Aliens? (09/24/2012)


“Yeah”, Christians accept many ideas and statements as truth on the basis of their agreement with various powerful ideas that go beyond emotional, mental and physical activity to describe spirit aspects of human experience.  For those who are simple, and not aware of the broad range of meanings and values that must be taken into account, basic explanations must be offered that depend upon intellect, language, logic, and reason.  For example, a believer might offer an analogy saying, Consider the officials on the football field.  During the course of a playoff game the officials have full authority and power.  Once they leave the stadium, however, they are merely ordinary citizens in the community (we say, they are nothing).  The location as well as the function and the role they serve in determines their identity, and who they are in relationship with others.  To speak of GOD as Savior, sovereign and supreme requires a similar understanding of locations, functions and relationships.

For those who have received a fresh endowment of the Spirit from GOD through the ministry of Jesus Christ, GOD is known as a spirit who has put forth all created beings and living creatures as well as the environment and material objects that makeup the sphere of their existence.  The active presence of GOD is discerned and recognized by the appearance of divine operations, sacred events, and eternal purposes.  Included are atonement, birth, covenant, death, forgiveness, gratitude, incarnation, love, prayer, praise, promise, prophecy, rebirth through baptism, judgment, reconciliation, revelation, resurrection, sanctification, and utterance.

There is far more to be said, properly shared, and spiritually understood.  (For example, one first must acknowledge and respect the measure of divine spirit that resides within themselves to rightly comprehend Almighty GOD appearing in flesh on behalf of all Creation.  Sin that opposes the continued existence of divine law, all life, and all divinity is not itself a being, nor is it a physical or spiritual thing created by GOD.  Yet, sin has direction, effect, and presence; and may dominate awareness and self-will in created beings and living creatures despite their intellect, logic, reason and science.  Sin may not be totally eliminated without overturning all existing order; and is carefully limited and resisted through the provisions from GOD in Christ.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.  He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  (2nd John 1:  9, KJV)


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(12/31/2012) Will GOD Bless My Team?

      Whether GOD responds to prayer asking victory for competing athletes, and more on the perfection of the law are topics, today. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Oscar Manuel Perez” (Level 3 with 1,920 points, a member since April 9, 2011) posted the following:



May God bless Dallas Cowboys, my team. LOL, will you pray for me, lol?



THE BATTLE AXE: The Law Not Flawed (12/30/2012)—In the terms of its unique purpose, the law is perfect, and accomplishes every aspect of its divine intent (Romans 7: 12, KJV). The law only fails where we ask from the law what the law has not been designed to do. While the divine law is an inheritance for the people of GOD that establishes a level of security, the law does not automatically bestow real property (land), social position, and worldly wealth. Those who are accounted as faithless or godless may usually also be regarded as lawless. The law cannot eliminate sin; however the law may illuminate and make the presence of sin known where sin would be otherwise invisible. Law does not control and influence where the carnal mind has dominion; for the carnal mind consists of mechanical operations of the flesh (such as appetite, imagination, sensation, and fantasy), and is not subject to the Spirit of GOD (see Romans 8: 5-14, KJV). Thus, in accordance with the Gospel, the law of GOD is for those sinners seeking change, repentance and the righteousness of GOD (1st Timothy 8-10, KJV), and provides guidance as a standard of correction, rather than a rod for condemnation and punishment.



THE GOLDEN ARROW: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8: 28, KJV)



THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Why No Answer? (08/25/2012); GOD Does Exist (03/20/2012); Idols of Flesh (03/12/2012); The Work of Jesus (03/13/2012); Gangs? (12/02/2010)



      You will probably find the answer from mature Christians to be somewhat disappointing. Blessings from GOD are provided so that believers may carry out and perform divine intent; and divine blessing pertains to spiritual rebirth, growth, and perfection of Creation. As with human warfare and struggle on the battlefield of blood, GOD is active and present during athletic competitions through the commitment and faith of the individuals that make up the units in conflict, the team or sports organization. The depth of each man’s personal relationship with GOD will shape his attitude, his effort, his obedience to coaching, and his being in sync with others.

      The answers of GOD to prayer for victory may be seen in the healing of injury, or that participants may bring to the game soundness of body and clarity of mind. Even so, the divine purposes focus upon the forgiveness of sin, the revelation of divine person, and the sanctification of both heaven and earth. A divine judgment is now in process that does not focus on human behavior and conduct, or how men entertain themselves in the earth through the flesh. The Gospel of Jesus Christ exhibits the standard for the searching of our lives; and the emphasis is upon the divine content of ones spirit, rather than diet and foods, sexual behavior, and verbal exchanges. The imparted, indwelling Spirit of GOD is not a spirit of combativeness and competition. The church and kingdom of GOD are built up and edified only by a holy spirit of cooperation.

      There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, many say “luck” favors those who are well prepared. GOD favors those who are dutiful, faithful, holy, obedient, reverent, righteous, and wise. To the extent the games center in covetousness, ego, pride, and self-promotion, the games must be understood as idolatry, ungodliness and whoredom.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC