Deeper Furrow

  Haven’t I Been There Before?      Slipping the syrupy juice down my throat and driving my spoon into another scoop of white bliss, my mind thought it was in Heaven.   A and W root beer floats were the bomb in my days.   Parked outside the restaurant, the magical speaker would capture my dad’s voice as he placed our order through his driver’s window. What seemed like hours later, a waitress came with tray in hand.   It was fast/ slow food of the ‘70’s.   Onion rings caught my attention as their warm aroma filled our car’s interior.       Haven’t I been there before?   No.   This is a synthesized memory.   Parts and pieces laid close to each other seem to fit.   In fact, I have no definite recollection of complete details.   I do like the smell of onion rings.   Carroll, Iowa is the location of an A and W.   Chances that my family never placed a full order is good.   Dad di...

  Foul       The batter in stance works the plate.   Pitcher winds up with his favorite.   Unleashing potential met at the end of his arm inflicts the ball travelling at breakneck.   Trajectory to inside the zone, batter’s eye peels to discern an advantage.   Bearing weight to pivotal foot, hips thrust and shoulders follow.   Jumping the gun, the bat strikes in collision pulling left.   Set sailing, spectators stand to behold the anticipated hit wanting more.   “Foul!”   The line judge shouts and the wonderous crowd groans again.       Timing is everything.   In fact, God holds the marriage act in high regard.   One action is defended and justified in His courts.   He looks down in approval when it is enacted with respect.   Barring all His commands condemning its inordinance, we celebrate the correct application and its subsequent blessings: 1.    ...

  Atonement Versus Forgiveness Atonement – To cover Forgiveness – To erase      No sin or violation was eradicated prior to Christ’s sacrifice.   In other words, all men from Adam to John the Baptist died with their sins remembered.   Putting their faith in Christ’s future action, as modeled in the sacrificial system, meant God covered their sin.   In this state, God’s wrath was turned from them.   By contrast, all believers after Jesus’ death enjoy complete erasure of any wrong.   God, in addition, chooses to forget.   Something He could not do before His Son’s sacrifice.       Iowa weather takes its toll on roadways.   Summer’s heat and winter’s cold expand then contract material such as concrete.   Small fissures grow as water seeps in then freezes.   Pushing apart, cracks multiply.   The continual pounding of tires finds the concrete’s fatigue.   Eventually, potholes resu...

  What Has To Be First Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the  Lord   is  the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One  is  understanding. ”      If heliocentric is sun-centered thought, then there must be a term about God-centered belief.   Here the proverb tells what must be central.   As if the orbits build off one another, we see a model.     In the center, we meet the unchanging One keeping His position and illuminating all. 1.       The first orbit would be knowledge.   A simple understanding of facts.   What is truth?   This seems basic, yet it still needs His light. 2.       The second orbit would be understanding.   Once knowledge is amassed, how do they influence each other?   Cause and effect. 3.       The last orbit would be wisdom.   How are we to apply everyday?   ...

  Under Further Review Light – predisposed to agree with God. Darkness – predisposed to disagree with God.   Adam was made in the image of God.   His spirit was light. Adam’s fallen image changed.   His spirit became darkness. Seth was made in the image of Adam.   His spirit was darkness. We are born in the image of Adam.   Our spirit is darkness.   Mankind must become light to understand God.   Jesus offers us hope.   We can change.   John 3:3 “ Jesus answered and said to him,  “Most assuredly, I say to you,   unless one is born   [ a ] again , he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   Upon rebirth, we bury our Adamic nature.   We are born in the image of God.   Our spirits become light.   John 1:4 “ In Him was life, and  the life was the light of men.”  We now enjoy His life.   Upon further review, the ruling on the field stands.   Mankind still nee...

Twins Vaunt – to boast about or praise, especially excessively. Meek – quiet, gentle, not willing to express one’s opinion in a forceful way.      Not identical at birth but rather conceived to show contrast.  Fraternal in nature, these spirits bounce off each other like little tykes in daycare.  Diaper change time and we get to inspect them more closely. 1 Corinthians 13:4 “ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself , is not puffed up, ”      Charity is love put on wheels.  Like an action verb, it is a driving force behind its conditions.   Charity works backstage not blowing its own horn.  Although displaying great accomplishments, charity in modesty hesitates to sign its name to any masterpiece.  Rather, it directs attention to the Giver of the talent.  Satan is our example in the negative.  He vaunted himself over God when he sought to rise ...

  What Provoked Moses? Meek – quiet, gentle, not willing to argue or express your opinions in a forceful way Numbers 12:3 “ (Now the man Moses was very meek , above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” Exodus 32      We all know the story.   God, Moses, mountain, people, golden calf, and a bunch of dancing.   Seems like Moses was up and out of sight for a little longer than expected.   God was laying on him the peculiarities of the tabernacle.   Moses without a pen kept it in his noggin.   Perhaps an angel would remind him later.       Previously, God lit down upon the chosen piece of rock.   His holiness set the mountain on fire as He spoke to the people directly.    Moses, keeping individuals away from Mount Sinai, ran danger tape and threatened to shoot anyone with arrows if they crossed.      B efore that, manna met them in the morning when hungr...

  God And Gambling      I had the run of the town when I was ten-years-old.   Early summer mornings would find me on the hunt for cans.   Pop and alcohol drained then fit into a sack on my handlebars.   Like searching for mushrooms, in ditches and upon roadways I’d spy the monied refuse.   At a nickel a piece, they went far to fuel my zest for candy and pinball machines.   I had can fever .   My eye was always on the ready catching redemption gold strewn about the ground.      I was addicted.   I think psychology calls it irregular rewards.   In other words, I wasn’t harvesting cans.   In that case I would be gaining with predictability.   No, I was a hunter/ gatherer with every trashcan lid I lifted.   Never knowing what stash I would stumble across enticed my curiosity to keep seeking.   I was gambling weighing effort expended versus payoff.   I had an unhealthy preoccupat...

  Doing The Math      Wow!   Putting the pieces of prophecy together can give one a headache.   Even Solomon said an excess of studying is wearisome.   Yet, why would God give foresight if not to sharpen our Biblical reasoning?   So here goes …. A timeline is necessary to construct. Jesus’ sacrifice – Matthew 27 The Church’s start - Acts 2 The Church’s rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4 The gathering of the Jews – Revelation 1 – 3 The time of wrath – Revelation 4 – 19 Christ’s return – Revelation 19 Satan bound in pit – Revelation 20 The first resurrection – Revelation 20 The call to rebuild Jerusalem – Daniel 9 The building of Ezekial’s temple – Ezekial 40 – 42 (taking seven weeks) The Lord entering the temple – Ezekial 43 The Lord reigning with the elect – Revelation 20 (for sixty-two weeks) The Lord leaves the temple – Daniel 9 Satan is loosed - Revelation 20 Satan covenants by trickery – Daniel 11 Satan ends d...

  Defining The Ages      Perhaps the easiest way to define the ages is to examine God’s workings with Man. From Adam to Pentecost – God’s spirit worked around man From Pentecost to Christ’s return – God’s spirit worked in and around (Church age) From Christ’s return to the Great Tribulation – God’s spirit in, around, and visible (1000 year) From the Great Tribulation to new everything – God with all and in all.     First, God’s presence was taken from Mankind when Adam fell.   Only through the sacrificial system of Israel could God visit Man.   When Man revered Him as holy, He could come close.   He restricted Himself to the temple.     Next, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, Man could become holy temples.   At Pentecost, individual men (and women) were filled with the Holy Spirit.   Now God’s presence is in Man, yet He stays invisible having no physical locality.      Then at t...

  His First Miracle Continued John 2:4”  Jesus saith unto her, Woman , what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. ” Genesis 3: 14  “ And the  Lord  God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel . ”       Maybe my conjecture, but I see this link.   If Jesus’ hour is His coming in glory with His angels to establish His kingdom on earth, then what of the enemy?      “…thou shalt bruise his heel.”   At the cross we see the death of Christ and subsequent resurrection.      “it shall bruise thy head,” At the coming of Christ, Satan is bound and cast into the bottomles...

  His First Miracle John 2: 1 – 11      This one is complex.   He unfolds understanding then ties it together with His strings of time.   The clue to this passage is His first response to woman, His mother. John 2:4  “ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come . ”       What if His hour were this? Revelation 19: 11  “ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse ; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He himself. 13  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 14  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ”      Afterall, in John ...

  Cyclosporine      Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive drug given to keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ.   In other words, the body knows its own and will fight foreign matter from being grafted in.   As a man with stage four kidney disease, this drug may come in handy.       So how is Christ our cyclosporine?   New must come.   In our natural state, our being fights what is not original.   Upon conversion, His Spirit enters in.   Mysteriously His Spirit intertwines with ours being permanently bonded together forever.   Hence, He is needed as we accept Him as our savior.      Acceptance is a huge thing.   What we allow into our heart, mind, and soul influences our spirit which animates our body.   We are as fortresses, walled cities with wooden gates hung upon steel hinges.   He gives us opportunity to stage keepers at each entrance.   They...