Shirt Pocket Homilies

[Olde Tymer]

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● Heb 5:4-6 . . Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest.
But God said to him: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (cf. Ps
110:4)

Melchizedek served as a high priest in Abraham's day. (Gen 14:18-20, Heb 5:10)
Abraham's day was at least four centuries prior to the covenant that established
Aaron as a high priest for Moses' people.

In a nutshell; when people's high priest is patterned after Melchizedek, then they
are in no danger for failure to comply with Aaron's covenant (a.k.a. Moses' law)
because that particular covenant isn't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4 & Gal 3:17)

That was quite an advantage for Abraham, to wit: seeing as how he wasn't
obligated to comply with Moses' law, then he was at liberty to walk with God
another way, ergo: seeing as how Jesus is Christianity's Melchizedek, then neither
are we obligated to comply with Moses' law which includes, but isn't limited to, the
Ten Commandments.

● Matt 11:28-30 . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Webster's defines "penance" as an act of self-abasement, mortification, or devotion
performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin.

Extreme forms of penance include things like donning sackcloth and ashes,
malnutrition, hermitage, celibacy, walking around with a pebble in one's shoe,
privation, self flagellation, the wearing of garter belts studded with metal spikes,
and ascending flights of stairs on one's knees, et al.

Those types of calculated pain and/or suffering are usually meant to convince God
of one's sincerity.

However, folks unified with Christ can get by just fine without all that because his
crucifixion did for them what no amount of their own personal suffering will ever in
a million years accomplish.

● 1John 2:2 . . And he himself is the propitiation for our sins

Webster's defines propitiation as: pacify, appease, assuage, conciliate, mollify,
placate, and/or sweeten.

● Isa 53:5 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
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[Olde Tymer]

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When people are desperately clinging to treetops, with murky flood waters roiling
around them, just inches away from death and the hereafter, the last thing they
need is somebody coming by to discuss America's border crises and/or the ongoing
coal mine fire in Centralia Pennsylvania when what they really need is a National
Guard helicopter to lower a harness down and pull them up from that treetop.

When someone awakens at night in a burning home and finds themselves trapped
in their room; that is not the time to talk to them about global warming and/or the
war in Ukraine when what they really need is firemen to break thru the flames and
get them outside to safety.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were possible to dial 911 for assistance when someone
comes to the realization they are in grave danger going to Hell and see no hope of
ever escaping it on their own?

Born and raised in the Catholic religion, it was never once suggested to me that
God was sort of like a 911 emergency responder with whom I could connect to
obtain competent assistance with my concerns about ending up on the wrong side
of things when I make the journey to the other side.

● Rom 5:5-10 . .While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good
man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

. . Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
the wrath of God through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God through the death of His son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life.

FAQ: Who has phone service connecting with Heaven?

REPLY: Your voice will do. Find some privacy and in your own words RSVP God and let
Him know you'd like to take advantage of His son's death to protect yourself from
retribution.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Forgiveness hinges upon timing. Folks on the wrong side of the netherworld ar
stuck there because they let God's benevolence slip thru their fingers when it was
available.

● 2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in
vain. For He says: In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I
helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

● Heb 3:8 . .Today, if you hear His voice, do not resist.

As a parallel case; the Pharaoh of Egypt was given ample opportunity to comply
with Moses' demands until the night when an angel came thru Egypt slaying all the
land's firstborn sons; even the firstborn among livestock.

Another parallel case is the Flood when Noah warned of an impending deluge year
after year until the day came when all not aboard the ark were slain; including
moms, infants, and elder citizens.

Compare the parable of the ten maidens wherein five weren't thinking. They let
themselves be distracted with a trifle and by doing so missed the party.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Heb 10:26-27 . . For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

That passage is basically a reiteration of Num 15:30-31 which is codified in the
covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. (For the purposes of a letter that specifically addresses Jews, a
"knowledge of the truth" would of course be relative to that one particular
covenant.)

Now the thing is: that covenant's rules and regulations are not retroactive. (Deut
5:2-4) Therefore they wouldn't be binding upon priesthoods established prior to
Moses' Law.

Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) was exempt because he was the Almighty's high priest
something like +/- 400 years before the Law. (Gal 3:17)

Jesus' priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek's. (Ps 110:4 & Heb 5:10)

Therefore, seeing as how Jesus' priesthood isn't subject to Num 15:30-31, then
neither are any of the people unified with him.

● Acts 13:37-40 . .Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through him everyone who believes is
freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

* The Greek word translated "freed" basically means just and/or innocent, i.e.
acquitted; defined as an adjudication of innocence due to a lack of evidence to
convict. An acquittal is far and away better than a pardon because it leaves nothing
of record in one's personnel file to discuss in court.

NOTE: On the night of Jesus' birth, an angel announced good news of great joy.
Well; speaking for myself, as someone who had a lot to answer for, the availability
of an acquittal for willful sinners was very joyous news indeed.
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[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Can a Christian be a Buddhist?

REPLY: Buddhism, like Falun Dafa, is basically peaceful. However, some of classic
Buddhism's components are incompatible with conventional Christianity.

1) Buddhism has no supreme being.

2) Buddhism's goal is nirvana. However; the nirvana that Siddhartha Gautama
taught isn't a destination: it's a state of mind; and Buddhists who achieve nirvana
live it here as mortals; not somewhere else as immortals.

3) Buddhism has no afterlife. When those who achieve nirvana pass away, they go
completely out of existence. But the ones who fail to achieve nirvana have to go
thru a process called samsara wherein they undergo serial reincarnations; which
are quite a bit different than a resurrection.

4) Reincarnation doesn't return one's soul to their body, primarily because there is
no soul in Buddhism; instead, reincarnation reassembles the karmic matter that
was once a particular individual. The complete teaching is a bit complex but in a
nutshell, Buddhists expect to return as either gods, asuras, hungry ghosts, hell
beings, animals, birds, and/or humans.
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[Olde Tymer]

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The old testament has quite a bit to say about the kingdom of Heaven, and so did
Jesus in something like thirteen of his parables.

I decided for myself long ago that its venue isn't up. Instead it's down here on
Earth relative to messiah's future jurisdiction as monarch and ruler of the entire
world; which for now is in the hands of the wrong kinds of people.

For example; according to Isa 2:4, messiah intends to put a stop to war. Well; just
look at the kingdom of Heaven's politics today. War is common, even in the very
promised land itself.

Of particular interest to me is the prediction that "neither shall they learn war
anymore". Well; here in my land, kids as young as six are training in martial arts;
and boastful of the fact that they are able to disable somebody with their bare
hands.

My favorite atheist, Christopher Hitchens, once remarked that religion ruins
everything. He was so right. Well, that has to stop, and it will. Isa 11:9 predicts a
one-world, peaceable religion; and it won't be given lip service, no, it will be practiced.
(Isa 2:2-3)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Well; in my own experience, that statement has been 100% reliable because I have
yet to encounter even one person in all my 81+ years who I felt was successfully
duplicating God's sinless perfection. So then, I've concluded that God has set the
bar so high that nobody can reach it. His own goodness is the gold standard and,
speaking for myself, I can't even come close to equaling it let alone topping it.

When I was a young guy coming of age, it occurred to me that if I were as naturally
pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, then it would be very easy to attain to
Heaven, and to stay in Heaven, without fear of being kicked out.

● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

That would be the cat's meow.

So; I was very surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something very similar
to the thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made to Moses' people.

● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.

That benefit will make it possible for Moses' people to live with God on earth, but it
isn't sufficient for making it possible for them to live with God in heaven. However,
there is a benefit available that makes it possible for them to live with God in
heaven as well as on earth. It goes like this:

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption that's in the world.

I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever hope for because even at its best, the human nature is corrupt; which is
translated from a Greek word basically meaning decayed, i.e. spoiled, as in gone
bad like when raw meat is left out for too long. Decay can be stopped but it can't be
reversed, and therein is a serious problem with the human nature: it's too far gone.

Hence Jesus' instructions:

"Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again". (John 3:7)

Note that his instructions indicate a do-over isn't optional; it's mandatory.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Luke 11:1-2 . . He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one
of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.
He said to them: When you pray, say: yada, yada, yada, etc.

When I was a little boy, just about every night at bedtime I recited the classic lay
me-down-to-sleep children's prayer. In my opinion; a rote prayer like that one is
okay for getting kids started communicating with God.

Jesus' disciples were full-grown men physically. But they were just babies
spiritually. A prayer like the Our Father is a good place for spiritually immature
Christians to begin, but it's not a good place for them to stay.

●1Cor 13:11 . .When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason
as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

Now you take Jesus for example. There is no record of him ever even once praying
the Our Father. In point of fact, when examining Jesus' prayers, it's readily
apparent that he always prayed in a conversational style instead of rote. A really
good example of his style is located at John 17:1-26. Jesus' style is the style that
mature Christians are to follow as their role model.

● Eph 4:15 . .We should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ

● Heb 4:16 . . So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy
and to find grace for timely help.

The Greek word for "confidently" basically means all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness,
bluntness, and/or boldness.

Reciting a rote prayer like the Our Father is not what I call forthright, nor blunt, nor
out-spoken, nor bold. No; it's actually quite childish.

When people have been Christians for some time, and still reciting rote prayers, I'd
have to say that their spiritual growth has been stunted, i.e. they're not developing
properly because they haven't been getting adequate nourishment.

● Eph 4:11-13 . . And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as
evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full
stature of Christ,
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[Olde Tymer]

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When I was working as a professional welder for the US Army Corps of Engineers,
we had weekly and monthly safety meetings wherein we were shown some grisly
photographs of real life industrial accidents involving burns, chain saws, punctured
eyes, explosions, falls, crane collapses, suffocation, crushing, and the like.

Let me tell you: those safety meetings got our attention, and really made a sharp
distinction between the fool and the wise.

A Danger Foreseen;
Is Half-Avoided.
Cheyenne Proverb

Now; the book of Revelation was written for a number of purposes but the one that
really stands out is mentioned right at the first; and goes like this;

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what
must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who testifies to everything he saw-- that is: the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed
are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is
imminent."

At least one of the blessings to be obtained by reading Revelation is awareness, i.e.
folks familiar with its contents won't be floored when the events it describes begin
coming to pass.

A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions;
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Prov 22:3
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[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Why is Palestine called the promised land?

REPLY: Back in the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis-- several centuries before
Moses --God deeded that region to Abraham, and to his posterity via Isaac, as a
permanent possession.

The covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy, isn't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4, and Gal 3:17) Therefore
no matter how grossly, nor how often, Moses' people fail to honor their obligations
per that covenant, they will never lose possession of Palestine because Abraham
obtained it for them in perpetuity as an unconditional gift. There is always the
possibility of their losing sovereignty in that land, but never a possibility of their
losing ownership of it.

● Rom 11:29 . .God's gifts . . . are irrevocable.

* The actual borders of the land that God promised to Abraham, and to his
posterity via Isaac, delineate quite a bit more territory than today's squeaky little
State of Israel.

● Gen 15:18c-21 . . from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the
Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgasites, and the Jebusites.

The Euphrates is Iraq's eastern border. The "river of Egypt" is very likely the Nile
since there was no Suez Canal in that Day; though it's been suggested (with some
merit) this water might be a small stream south of Gaza known as Wadi el Arish.

If there's a map handy, it's readily apparent just how huge a piece of real estate
that God assigned to Abram and his offspring. It's very difficult to precisely outline
the whole area but it seems to encompass a chunk of Africa east of the Nile,
(including the delta), the Sinai Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Onan, UAE, Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

We're talking about some serious square mileage-- roughly 1,538,370 of them;
which is more than Ireland, United Kingdom, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany,
Sweden, Norway, and Finland combined!

Currently, Israel, at its widest east to west dimension, across the Negev, is less
than 70 miles; and south to north from the Gulf Of Aqaba to Shemona, about 260;
comprising a square mileage of only 8,473: a mere ½ of 1% of the specified region.

God has yet to give Abraham posterity via Isaac control of all the land. In point of
fact, the boundaries were very early on temporarily reduced for the time being per
Num 34:1-12)

The temporary boundaries run from the Mediterranean Sea eastward to the Jordan
River; and from the southern tip of the Dead Sea northward to a geographic
location which has not yet really been quite accurately identified. Ezek 47:15 says
the northern border passes along "the way of Hethlon" which some feel is very
likely the valley of the Nahr al Kubbir river which roughly parallels the northern
border of modern day Lebanon, and through which a railroad track lies between An
Naqib on the Mediterranean coast to Hims Syria.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Heaven? Not Interested!

It's an alien world with which I am totally unfamiliar; and when I leave here, I will
be leaving behind everything near and dear to me, e.g. photos, mementos,
souvenirs, collections, sights and sounds, mountains, creeks, rivers and forests,
clothing and equipment, tools, landmarks, entertainment, hobbies, BFF, keepsakes,
and my good olde reliable 1994 Ford Ranger pick-up truck, etc, etc.

The culture shock tsunami of leaving all that I know & love and going to a foreign
land where I know & love nothing at all, is not my idea of a good time. Personally; I
dread the thought of having to start all over again from scratch.

NOTE: I've heard tell of folks who've never experienced nostalgia; they are unable
to form attachments to anything, to anybody, nor to any place. When they leave
this life, they will leave nothing behind of sentimental value; nothing in the least,
nothing at all. It's like they lived their entire lives as turnips and carrots instead
of sentient beings.

For many of us working stiffs, the first day on a new job is stressful and quite an
adjustment. The night before that first day can cause enough anxiety to keep us
awake worrying about what we might expect.

I'd imagine that, whether we end up in the right place or the wrong place in the
afterlife, we will be just as stressed on our first day there as the first day here on a
new job.

The anxiety associated with death is to be expected seeing as how most of us have
no experience at all with that particular journey. But much of my own anxiety in
regards to death is related to what comes after. Pity there are no guide books
available in print to prepare us in advance for the adjustment folks are required to
undergo as they struggle to fit into Heaven's (or Hell's) way of life.

* The one thing I do look forward to in Heaven is the possibility of a library where
everything that can be known about the cosmos is stored. Carl Sagan would've
loved a library like that because he went to his grave with a lot of unanswered
questions. But now they'll never be answered because Carl was, at best, an
agnostic, and at worst, an atheist.

The kingdom of God? Yes!

To the best of my knowledge thus far; Jesus is on track to return to Jerusalem
seven years after the rapture to set up the theocratic kingdom predicted in the old
testament, and of course everyone unified with him will return too. Well; I for one
plan on taking some time off to visit all the sights I missed this time around.

For example, the only foreign country I've ever been to is Mexico and even then
just the border towns of Tijuana and Tecate so I have a lot to catch up on; that's if
anything is left. It appears to me from accounts in the book of Revelation that the
world will undergo catastrophic damage during the interim between the rapture and
when the Lord gets back so I may be in for some disappointment on a few fronts.

But what the hay; at least I won't be on the wrong side of things with that myriad
of lost souls down below who have nothing to look forward to except the great
white throne event depicted by Rev 20:11-15.

Oh! and another thing; according to Matt 26:29, Luke 22:15-16, and Luke 22:28
30, folks who make the cut for the kingdom will be able to dine upon ordinary foods
and beverages. Just imagine the pleasure of touring the world and tasting samples
of cuisine in every culture on earth; and in perfect safety too because according to
Isa 2:4 there won't be any war zones to worry about; and Isa 11:6-9 suggests that
danger from the animal kingdom will no longer be a concern.
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[Olde Tymer]

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Quite a few of the artistic representations of Jesus' face that I've seen depict him as
a rather attractive man but according to the Bible, he wasn't.

● Isa 53:2 . .He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is
no beauty that we should desire him.

My youngest brother was a chick magnet growing up, and very popular in school
amongst both the boys and the girls. He was admired and had lots of friends; but
apparently Jesus wasn't so fortunate. He was more or less one of the nobody's in
his community rather than a stand-out, and his peers tended to ignore him.

● Isa 53:3 . . He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.

Like Job's friends-- who were positive the old boy deserved what he got --the folks
in Jesus' community assumed his medical conditions attested that underneath that
facade of piety he was actually a bad man.

● Isa 53:4 . . Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

People really couldn't tell just by looking at him that Jesus was somebody special.
In point of fact, his own cousin John the baptist had no clue that Jesus was the man
for whom God sent him to pave the way. (John 1:29-33)

All in all, Jesus didn't fit the picture of God's choice for a man destined to be the
supreme of all prophets; not even close, so it's no wonder folks who knew him were
astounded to be told he was "the one". (Matt 13:54-57 & Luke 4:16-29)
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