From Memorial Day

The point is…once again….that your rights don’t come from MEN or GOVERNMENTS!! If they did, the constitution wouldn’t be worth a tinker’s damn!! The words of the Declaration of independance and the Constitution, are what created the dream in men’s minds that YOU are now living!! That is all it is people, a dream!! That’s how truly fragile it really is!! It is a chimera, a wil-o-the wisp, A phantasm, sprung directly from the hearts of dreamers from over two centuries ago, that they formed into a living presence and a dream that millions have lived. And, they did so, without truly knowing what it was or how it was attained, but living it none the less. A chimera, that some few among us all, even today, are willing to give their lives for, even though they couldn’t really explain it to you either!! From time out of mind, from even before the dawn of civilization, men and women have felt it, lived for it, trained their children to covet and treasure it, even though they couldn’t explain it, or where it came from then, or where it comes from now. Some shouted it as they died, some whispered it as their lives fled from them in rivulets across the ground, of some far away battlefield, they couldn’t even pronounce the name of properly. Some have pursued it through swamps real and imagined, across deserts that stretched beyond their endurance, just as the hunger for it outlived them. Some have provided it for us without knowing they did so, simply by being productive citizens and paying the taxes levied for the joint defense of us all. Some have preserved it, dying in prisons of the unjust and by being remembered for their courage and inspiring us to ever greater efforts toward it’s preservation. Some have conveyed with a glance, all of it’s meaning and some, with millions of words, have failed to convey even a glimmer of what it truly IS. It is a word, a thought, a deed, a hope, a wish, a memory for some, for others a future untold. But at the end of each day…still a dream, still a chimera, still a will-o-the wisp, unfathomable, unexplainable, unearned, loved and cherished, even to foolishness, but NEVER to be surrendered. NEVER to be given up and never, never to be thrown away! The name of the dream?? One word…..freedom. The place where it was truly given life in the minds and hearts of men? The United States of America. And for at least a while, as it is cast aside by the many for security in the foolish hope that a man can preserve it alone for us, with the hollow promises of a politician, the last best hope for the world, the same, The United States of America. The land of dreamers….may we be preserved as such……. Dedi cated to our troops and those who wonder at our nation. Be well friends………..Rev. Bruce……………………….Tawodi

Time to do the Mission

This is a time for reflection on our mission as members of, Tree of The Mustard Seed Ministries and  The People
of Abraham.

We see from the news that a great conflagration is raging with
increasing loss of life and displacement of peoples around the region
of the Holy land.

As The People of the Books, we owe our brothers and sisters who are
caught up in this clash of arms, the offer of solace and support no
matter who they are, or what faith they follow.

We as people of peace will face a test in this time of chaos and
tumult. That test will be staying true to our course and calling for
peace no matter who may be at fault in this current clash.

Hundreds of years of war MUST BE STOPPED!! The cycle of death MUST
END!!
It is the INNOCENT who pay the greaatest price, for the hatred of
others. The women, children and men, who just want to live, and find
safety, in the homes and countries where they live, suffer the
greatest.

I am sending you, as members, the request, that you take the time and
effort to send to the leaders of Israel the fervent prayer for their
peace, but also to remind them that killing of the innocent, no matter
who does it IS WRONG!!

Also, the leaders of Hamas should be apprised of this fact, There is
no “right” in killing of the innocent, It is a perversion of what ever
faith you follow. This will be followed by other requests of the same
nature. Be strong, pray hard for God to prevail over the foolishness
of men!!
be well friends,…….Reverend Bruce

The concept of SOUL and SPIRIT

I am going to discuss this article on my show today and also decided to put it here I wrote it early in the morning today my sixty second birthday.

On another thread All 4 truth asked that someone start a thread for the contemplation of the religious concepts of “Soul”. After a couple of days of thought ( and cooling off! ) I thought what the hey I’ll start one, can’t get in much more trouble.

Personal statement; I will note here, that everything I write is not researched as I write it but more rather is “stream of conscienceness ” writing and I just fly free with what I believe, or what I have learned in life. As such it is mine and very seldom can I give links or places of reference to buttress what I say. If you don’t agree with it, fine, go do the study yourself,you should do that with anything you read or hear, as to do any thing else is intellectual laziness. If you ask I will give places to go if I recall them, but I don’t take links or articles and parrot them as some kind of pseudointellectual exercize, to impress the impressionable. These are simply MY beliefs, and understandings, they don’t have to be yours and in some cases, SHOULD NOT BE.

Biblically speaking the concept of soul begins in Genesis with the description of Adam’s creation, after forming the body of Adam the text says”and He (God ) breathed life into the nostrils of the man.” Now right here is a place to explain some thing . Many have said that God was speaking in the “royal sense” when it is written that He said let US make man in OUR image. This is a REAL stretch of the mind as this would be the only place where it occurs in the entire Bible. Exegesis reveals, once again, something that was Misunderstood by ancient man. Jesus was Prevenient, or existed with God at the time of creation. This world was created with Him in mind and, all that you see here, in this world, was for Him, by God, and with the approval of and acceptance by, Jesus. Once again, I did the work. Before you start throwing rocks, YOU do the work! When you read in the Bible “Let us……Jesus was THERE!!!

The breath of life is thus described as being “spirit” or by some “soul”. The concept, Biblically speaking, of the ANIMATING< “breath of life”> that then returns to God at death, is the concept of the oldest Biblical scholars because, quite simply, THAT IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!!

This line of thinking agrees with spirit as “given” by God and upon death, returning thence. Some cannot reconcile this with the “mind” full of lifes experience and all the wrong, as well as right, decisions that will be someday judged by God, on the last day.

Further complicating the issue is Jesus tells us that, “The dead are conscious of nothing.” But also tells us that “Those who believe yea, verily, even though they die ,yet shall they live!” Well, most think we “sleep”, that is what death in the bible is referred to, and then we are awakened on the last day to face judgement.

Two problems with this, the first is the “oracle” saught by King Saul the first king of Israel. When he went to the witch of Endor and commanded she call up the prophet Samuel for this oracle and in the earliest writings she did and Samuel said “why do you do this it causes me great pain!” Samuel gave his oracle which was willfully misinterpreted by Saul and led to his defeat and death, of himself and his son Johnathan in battle.

The next account is of the transfiguation on the mount where Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James and John, is Transfigured and meets with Moses, Elijah, and the spirit of God was heard to say “this is my Son, listen to Him” This is written to be the time when Jesus was appraised of the coming weeks and what He should do and of His death. But also note, there were two “beings” alive who conversed with Him.

What does this mean?? Is there life immediately after death? Or were the two great men called up from “sleep”. What was the purpose of God?? Was it to reassure Jesus, that He would ultimately live?? Or was it for the witnesses with Him?? And what form does that “life” take,… awake and sentient, or asleep waiting for God’s call to arise? It is these considerations and questions that led to the concept of “soul”.

The ancient Greeks had a concept of soul in their pantheon of gods and mythic creatures and it was called psyche. ( sike E ) which stipulated a living sentient entity of pure energy that inhabits the body during life. At death it passes on to live in what ever state it has earned, hades or heaven or somwhere in between. The permutations of this are almost endless and only limited by the human imagination!.

Christian theology has evolved along two paths separate and distinct in their slant and application, it is easy to see the two ideas of “spirit’ and “soul” and the different combinations being used to explain supposed dichotomies in scripture, where really, these dichotomies do not exist.

Some are taken up directly to God at death, we have the stories of Elijah and Elisha doing so and we are also told the dead sleep and are conscious of nothing and theologically speaking both are true. Some earn their redemption being Gods emisarries, or more rather, are given this by Gods grace, it CAN’T BE earned by works. others are given rest till the resurrection, both as written, both stated by scripture, BUT unacceptable to man!!

We then enter the area of speculation and it is here, that the combination of soul and spirit begin some kind of wierd amalgamation over the centuries till NOBODY is sure of anything!!

The concept of pure “soul” as a being of pure energy is an old one and who knows may be true. I have often imagined that we are all sparks of creation or actual living entities cast into the universe by our creator to go and learn to be the highest expression of themselves and, by this concept, to glorify God and then return to him as more complete and a statement and a compliment to God, from this eternal infinetude of experience to sort of express, the infinity that IS God, that we some day as “souls” will share in. With all My studies over so many years always with a questing heart and on guard against being misled by my own desperate hope of life of SOME kind after death, this is kind of the way I lean in my understandings. It does NOT contravene scripture, it resolves the dichotomy of “spirit” “soul” argument in my mind quite elegantly as the simplest explanation is usually the correct one in theology and life.

To Wit; The more complicated we make something, so that it becomes impossible to understand, the more it has been corrupted by man. Period!

This is revealed also in the Bible many times when what is startlingly clear, becomes muddied when men simply don’t want to believe what they are told. IT HURTS sometimes to do so, at least to our finite little minds.

And so we look at death with finality and perhaps it is well that we do so and concentrate on the life we have been given.

We are promised eternal life by God and to trust that, takes more than the average human being is capable of, simple trust, In the WORD OF GOD, as given to us to understand and apply to our lives.

O.K. tear me apart now, I expect that many will want to as what I have written flies in the face of what many have been taught. But, consider, there is nothing here, that I have not heard from a pulpit at one time or another

Be well all…………….Rev.Bruce……………………………………………Tawodi

 

THIS ONE’S FOR ME.

A strange and very upsetting thing happened last night and I thought it was worthwhile to write about it, but didn’t want to on the venue where it happened.  I have been called a lot of things over the years and last night was a real capper. I don’t know if I will publish this but for the last year or so it’s almost as if I can’t really think,  unless I’m writing for some body elses understanding. So if I can make sense to you, maybe it will to me.

As most of you know I have a blog radio show and do a lot of posting on a forum else where. On this forum one of the people,  who I respect a great deal,  posted a starter piece for discussion. In it he referred to apostacy in a poorly vieled compilation of scriptural quotes and analysis, that though flawed in it’s scholarship, was very pointed in it’s direction. In it he pointed out,  as many have,  that anyone who adds or takes away from the “word” is of,  or from,  the AntiChrist. I was floored as I do a lot of think pieces there and on my show,  as most of you know. I do not condemn ANYBODY for their beliefs, that is a wrong thing to do, if I do not believe as they,  and they ask,  I will tell them that but in the same breath,  tell them it is not necessary for me to. It is only necessary for me to ACCEPT that they do, understand their viewpoint and work within those parameters,  to include them in my thinking as we converse. Also to be sensitive to the beliefs of others and not step on them inadvertantly by my own ignorance,  something I am not always successful at. WHO IS??

I responded somewhat strongly to his treatise, then went back later and deleted what I had written, as it did not support my image of myself and,  who and WHAT, I choose to be. I left a short explanation of one of the errors in scholarship,  said why I was leaving,  and did.

This is really eating me up because I thought in all of my writing ( 3200+ posts and articles there ) here on the blog and the things I address on my show it was absolutely clear who I am and,  my intent to bring peace between people of ALL faiths,  we need not be afraid of each other,  never mind be killing each other.

I am extremely careful to tell all that read and listen,  that I have NO AUTHORITY to tell anyone anything,  or how they shoud or MUST believe. My belief is that we all walk a different path as we come to know God, each of us is unique and no two of us will know God the same way. There are generalities yes,  but each relationship is unique!

I firmly believe that each one of us is special and unique, in his ot her,  own way and that we are MADE that way by God,  to reflect the many things we can not apprehend about Him.  As we realize this, we see that God is unlimited, that is the PURPOSE of our unique-NESS  ( is that a word?? )

It is possible that he never even considered me as he wrote what he did,  but it felt directed, as many there speculate on aspects of and the nuances of,  God and the lessons brought to us by Jesus, The Christ.

Many know that I don’t believe that Jesus was God. He was OF GOD given great power to do His mission as DIRECTED by God.  Here at the beginning of the world and will rule over that which God gives him to rule,  in Heaven and on earth,  as the Massiah and conquering King of all. He told us he will prepare a place for us in His Fathers mansions and,  He will sit at the right hand of God in Heaven itself,  as He does so.  After all that’s what Jesus said,  isn’t it?  He said that God was in Him and,  He in God.  He did NOT say that He WAS God!   When in Nazareth He could do no miracles because of the people’s unbelief and tells us that all of the things he did were by Gods power, never claiming that power for Himself. He stated that all of the things He did were to glorify God,  not Himself. He told us that the father will decide when to end the world as we know it,  not even the “Son Of Man” knows when this will happen!! If He was God why did He not say,” when I’m ready,  you’re TOAST!!”  evrything in scriptures is stated this way except the changes wrought by two unknown scribes known by scholars as ‘Q”  and the  other is known as “P”.   We know this by changes in syntax and the writing examples themselves on the oldest documents extant.

Can some body,  ANYBODY,   tell me where I have stated anything different??

I got to tell you,  I can’t remember ever doing so!!  I guess I’ll put this in “thoughts and sharing” if I publish it,  I was gonna put it in “Can anybody help me!”  But maybe I’m beyond help!!

Pondering………….What NOW???? ……………be well all…………….Rev. Bruce…………………..Tawodi

 

 

 

GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I have not been posting much over the last two months due to the fact that my wife and I bought our first home together at the end of Oct. then I had a very bad turn of health. Thankfully we had the help of my kids to move, I’m still getting better and things are settling down once again.

On my blog talk radio show, Tawodi’s Hawks Nest, I have been discussing for a period of weeks the different causes of the unrest and downright hatred between the people of the middle east. It is important to understand that it is not just religious in nature but political and cultural as well. I had planned to take three weeks to do it, but it ran out to five and there was a lot of positive input from people who listen and they contributed much to the education process that took place there.

Then of course there is the other blog page for The People of Abraham home port so to speak. There is almost no traffic there and I can not seem to get the help that word press has in place to assist in feeding your site once you’re up and running. For instance the tag cloud system that the search engines cruise and bring in so many people.

If I can not change things there I will delete that blog and bring it to the word press platform, as obviously I know how to make things work here and getting help is considerably easier.

I wish all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR  and will be getting back to my old rate of writing which was almost daily if you all recall.  To learn a little, go to Tawodi’s Hawk nest  ( righthand side bar click)  and listen to what I have been doing for the last six weeks and you will then have a full picture of the plan for this the new year.

 This is what I have decided to focus on with the group called The People of Abraham,  which of course is for Christians Muslims and Jews to talk, learn and, for reconciliation, Not so much of differing faiths but as human beings.

Be well all,  Take care and Iask for His blessings on you all……..Rev  Bruce…………………………………………..Tawodi

Columbus Day look what you started Mr C !!!

I posted this in the military forums this morning I thought you may enjoy it also, happy Columbus Day.

Howdy, happy Columbus Day;

It seems appropriate that this is here on this day.

The title of this thread led me to believe that Bill was going to post the Bible passages of various verses, where we are admonished to respect worldly governments,as institutions allowed to men and, recognized as necessary by God.

We are told, repeatedly, that governments that are just, rest assured of Gods blessing. We are told as christians, “render unto Ceaser that which is Ceasers.”

We are told, we are to be in the world but, not OF the world.

Were we settled by people ( puritans) who were devout and in their words engaged in” building a shining city on a hill??” Yes, we were.

As the colonial society grew into what would become The United States, did the bigotry of some “christian” sects seep into the cracks of that society? Yes it did, put plainly and simply.

For awhile it was legal to shoot Catholics in Mary’s town, later Maryland.

Was it legal to shoot anyone seen coming over the border into the Massachussetts Bay colony from Rhode Island? Legal? Hell it was required that you do!!! Believe it or not that law finally came off the books in the late eighties here in Ma.. 1980’s !!

These two, as well as hundreds of instances of others, are why the constitution was framed as it was.

First, to assure the world that HUMAN RIGHTS, come from where ever you choose to, or WHAT ever you choose to, consider a higher power.NOT FROM MEN!!

It was framed to assure that this government has NO power to take them away. NONE!!

It ,the constitution, was framed to assure that the sole existance of, THIS CONSTITTUION, is to protect them, enshrine them in such a way, that
Those who follow down the path of whatever destiny this nation has, never forget that. The constittuion does not and, was not, formed to GIVE YOU ANY RIGHTS AT ALL!!!

This constitution was framed and, this form of government, was CRAFTED to protect your rights, provide for the common defense to do so, and to be that just government of that shining city on a hill.

We, all of us who pray, ask for wisdom, next time you pray for that, think and, Thank God, or whatever providence you happen to believe in, that the framers and the builders, SOMEHOW, inculcated in our people the thought that, THE JUST LAW, agreed upon by our citizens, is to be the ruler, in THIS country. Not whoever happens to presently shine in the cults of personality. The politically popular or the temporarily
transcendant , in the temporary passions we see all around us, as they rise and fall in seeming importance.

Think of these things as you consider all of this, look into your heart and admit to yourself, that there have been and, will be times, when you yourself are dangerous in your passions and belief and, in the heights of passion are capable in the imprudent statement, or the innapropriate or even violent action that passion brings, as it suspends judgment.

Good article to post Bill, happy Columbus day, and, lets all once again thank all those “old dead white guys” for their skill, wisdom and yes, the passion, to give us what they did….the last best hope of Mankind, That shining city on a hill.

Be well  all………….Rev. Bruce………………………………………………………………..Tawodi