Theocentric Musings

Anyone watch the movie "Escape from New York"? Anyone been to Manhattan Island? Anyone notice how crowded it is? There's about 3 million people on the island during the day Well in the movie I'm speaking of, Manhattan Island was surroun ded by a wall and was used as a prison. I think a lot of people should watch the movie, it would help people understand the logistics of current events a little bit better. If you take Manhattan island and make it a little over twice as long and a little over twice as wide, and get rid of about a million people, down to a little under 2 million people on it, you'd have Gaza. But add the walls from "Escape From New York" only push them up against the island. Oh, and remove all the sky scrapers so the space for living is even more limited and much more cramped. Now imagine that you're in that prison and you didn't do a darn thing. What would your outlook in life be? Would you get a little bit angry? Would you ...

Why is it so hard for many Christians to believe that a God that would go through the lengths He has to bring you home, is a good God? Religion, aka the voice of the enemy, has done a marvelous job of separating the truth of God's goodness from the hearts of His people. The shepherd leaves the ninety nine for the one and when he finds the one he calls his friends to celebrate. The woman who loses her coin searches for it all through her house and when she finds it she calls her friends to celebrate. The father waits daily and when he sees his prodigal son at a distance, a far distance, runs out to him, brings him home and calls his friends to celebrate. This is the revelation of a good God!! The sheep did nothing for the love it received, the coin did nothing for the value attached to it, the son did nothing for the position he had. And I don't even have to bring up the cross. For God so loved the world... Holy cow people, God is so unbelievably, unimaginably...

Who is the seed of Abraham in the NT? If you bless the seed you will be blessed, if you curse the seed you will be cursed. Jesus redeemed the world from all curses. The scripture people use to defend their bad exegesis of Israel being the seed of Abraham, when in fact believers are the seed of Abraham, is in all actuality null and void. Selah.

If your reading of the bible leads you to hate your enemies and pray for their destruction, you're not reading it by the Spirit you're reading by the letter. What did Paul have to say about that? "The letter kills, the Spirit gives life." Selah.

When you believe "God's wrath" is violent and destructive, you will live a life of violence and destruction. When you believe "God's wrath" is an all consuming fire of Love and forgiveness, you will live a life of Love and forgiveness. Now, which one more accurately reflects Jesus' character? Then it obviously reflects God's character as well. Selah.

Don't let bad exegesis lead you to prop up one group and look at another as subordinate. When you do that it shows a lack of understanding of the character of Jesus.

How are Christians supposed to bring heaven to earth, when that ultimately encompasses bringing peace to earth and walking in peace on earth, when they are utterly obsessed and devoted to waging war? It's a real conundrum, I tell ya.  The question that some should be asking themselves is "why perfectly reflect an oxymoron when you have the ability to be a perfect reflection of Christ?"

What they sing: "Lord you are good and your mercy endureth forever!" What they believe: "Lord you are frightening and your wrath endureth forever!"

ISIS is a perfect example when you start to put a people group as chosen and superior to another. That type of belief always leads to dehumanizing and devaluing others.  Be careful that you don't begin to travel down that path. They are behaving in a completely demonic manner. It starts to explain much of how people went down the path of genocide in the OT.

Excusing the death of innocent children in Gaza with the excuse of "human shields", is like telling a woman who was abused it's her own fault for burning dinner.

Excusing the death of innocent children in Gaza with the excuse of "human shields", is like telling a parent who's child was raped that it's their own fault for letting them leave the house.

Excusing the death of innocent children in Gaza with the excuse of "human shields", is like telling a parent that loses their child to a drunk driver that it's their own fault for driving on the road.

You'll never be more hated than when you speak about being faithful to a marriage to peace in a world that loves to commit adultery with war.

If your response to someone espousing peace is to react war-like, they're not the ones that have a problem, a deception, a delusion, or are not Christ-like, it's quite a reasonable thought to believe that you in fact suffer from those things. Just something to think about.

I was asked a great question on Facebook about taking a peaceful stance in 1941, and if we would have let evil run it's course there wouldn't be an Israel today, and if we can just stand by and watch terrorists wipe the Jews off the planet. Now the first assumption is that God couldn't supernaturally protect His people, but instead of opening that dialogue, I answered a different way, below is my  response and I decided to share it because I am sure the person who asked this question is not alone in these thoughts when it comes to my endorsement of peace: Isn't all life sacred? Is 1941 the catalyst for people devaluing life, hating different people groups, cultures, or nations? We can go even further back, because 1941 wasn't the worst "evil", when we check history, Hitler killed much less people than Mao Zedong. Hitler and Stalin combined didn't come close to Mao, but do we pontificate the lives of those Mao killed like many do the Jews, or are thos...

It's interesting how "pro life" Christians are, except when it comes to Arabs or Muslims.  You can't abort a fetus, but you can bomb pregnant Arab or Muslim women and kill their children to your hearts content in the name of a "holy war."  Like war is "holy," you dolt.  Makes perfect sense. Maybe that's why the world thinks that the Christian "religion" is full of crap.  "Christians" have dec ided which lives are worthwhile and which are worthless, but don't let anyone else make that decision, not even God who has said all life is in His image. Maybe they can learn some lessons from Israel to use on abortion clinics, they can absolve themselves of people's deaths in them by bombing them and claiming "human shields."

People think I'm naive for promoting peace and diplomacy in place of war. Saying that if people walk in peace they will just be killed or abused. You have to fight to live. People can't come together at a table, break bread, drop egos, and make a change.  Maybe you're right, maybe people are hopeless, maybe people are self absorbed, ego driven, prideful, selfish, greedy, war mongering, vindictive , vengeful, wicked, deceptive, and evil. Maybe that's all true. But you know what? War only brings the negative out in people, so what do you think feeds those negative emotions in man? Certainly not peace. Looking at the crime rate and the amount of wars going on across the world right now, and the deaths and abuse in all of those wars, your way doesn't seem to have much of a leg to stand on either. So it's not like shooting for peace can make things any worse. You may be surprised by the results.

..it is immoral for Hamas to use human shields, and it is immoral for Israel to bomb human shields. - H.A. Goodman One person's immorality does not excuse you from the expectation of morality in your actions. Especially when you trumpet your morality before the world. You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you... - Jesus.

2 Peter 3:9 Mainstream Christianity Version (MCV) The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. Wait, scratch that, if they are Muslim, homosexual, or don't support the killing of an entire people group because of the actions of a few, those people you are allowed to blow off the friggin' planet and have no love or empathy for them, just kill them all, let god sort 'em out, Hoorah!!!

I find is so disturbing that many Christians their faith and their salvation is found not in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but in Father, Son, Spirit, Bible, Israel. When did we become a people that worshipped idols? Are we really like the Israelites worshipping a golden calf or 2 or 3? The Bible points to Jesus as Savior, the Bible is not however your Savior. Israel is a people tha t God loves, Israel is not however your God. To belittle the majesty and splendor of God by forcing Him into a box, or a book, or claiming that not to show reverence and worship as demigods a people who choose to deny His place as Messiah means you are against God is absolutely, factually, scripturally, and indisputably codswallop. And then to actually denigrate and slander those who love Christ, and Christ alone as Savior, and choose not to engage in idolatry of any sort, is disgusting and such anti-Christ behavior.

I've noticed something when it comes to Christians and violence. Many will already have decided through their own voices, the voices of their emotions, or the whispers of darkness that the use of violence is completely warranted and then they will search out scripture to support their view. Instead of... Listening for the voice of Jesus through the Holy Spirit guiding them to Peace, trusting Him to deliver them, and searching scripture to confirm His view.