everyone counts

Monday, October 10, 2005

Have You Heard?

This weekend I heard that 30,000 people were killed in an earthquake in Pakistans. I heard that New Orleans is planning on becoming another Las Vegas. I heard that President Bush's next candidate for Supreme Court Judge isn't fit for the job because she teaches Sunday School. I heard a great sermon on Worship, and a pretty good one on intercessory prayer too. This weekend I also heard the God of Glory Thunder, I saw shooting stars, and heard the LORD say - focus girl, focus!

17 comments:

Chris P. said...

Thanks Maryellen.
Yesterday was a good day, wasn't it?
Lots of shooting stars lately. Signs in the heavens?
The tragedies and the politics of this world should be driving us to our knees.

Ezek 22:28-30

Wanderer said...

I didn't think that you believed in signs from the heavens.

Chris P. said...

Why not? I believe in the God who made the heavens, His Son Jesus Christ, and His Scriptures that speak of the signs.

Kim said...

Hmmm. My message this week was "Pay attention".

Grey Owl said...

I saw a sign in the heavens the other day. One of those big roadside ones. Holiday Inn, I think. Ever stayed there? A free paper and breakfast with every room. Classy.

Arthur Brokop II said...

It's not signs FROM the heavens Wanderer, it's signs IN the heavens and the stars and planets were created on the fourth day for just that purpose, and the Bible is full of verses about the stars, etc...
i love the one about the stars singing, but i don't have time to find it right now...have you ever been in so high and quiet a place that you could actually hear the shooting stars whiz by????

Arthur Brokop II said...

Grey Owl, you need to look higher up...

Grey Owl said...

Ah yes, I see. The Hilton, perhaps?

Wanderer said...

I could have sworn the Bible warned against astrology. Now you say there can be signs in the heavens but only from a certain source. It is ok to do the exact same thing for the exact same reason provided you say the correct name first? How do you know which ones are the evil stars and which ones are the righteous ones?

Arthur Brokop II said...

Wanderer, could you hear me say out loud, Oh give me a break...
you know what we are talking about...
signs of the times vs signs to live by...signs for a season...not signs that detemine ones personality or future...evil stars or good stars? how about evil trees and good trees? We aren't contradicting the Scriptures when we say that the heavens declare the glory of God, and consider the star of all stars that announced the birth of Jesus...

Wanderer said...

You puzzle me, MaryEllen. First you say that it is obvious that I understand what you mean, then you take my point and argue it at the same time.

Of course I see the futility of the argument of good trees versus evil trees. The intended sarcasm was there in regards to the rest of it.

Only the foolish look to their horoscopes to guide their daily lives. Even I will acknowledge that. My frustration moreover is the frequency at which who says something is given more weight than what is said.

Chris P. says the signs of the heavens point to political problems, and it is an acceptible reference to signs from God from a spiritual person. If I said the same thing, my Pagan roots would be questioned. Clearly the case since you jump all over my question. When have I ever shown you any hostility or attack that you would thus turn your sites on me?

I posed an honest question about something that truly made no sense to me. I posed this question from the expectation that we are not so far apart as one might think in our communion with God. Instead you give me this, "Give me a break" crap. I have never shown anything but a desire to understand your position, but you immediately jump to the conclusion that I already understand and am picking a fight. Sooner or later it always comes down to that, doesn't it? No matter. I come to places like this for respectable conversation. Where I live, if I want thoughtless assault I merely need to step outside.

Arthur Brokop II said...

please understand wanderer...i meant no harm or hostility...i don't want to offend you or turn you off. i honestly figured you were being tongue in cheek with your comment and that you did understand the difference between astrology and the Biblical concept of signs in the heavens. It is not a question of which stars she created and which stars he created is it? Truth is truth. What has always amazed me in our conversations is how much truth, and wisdom you have about spiritual things, even though in most circles we would be considered total oppisites and antagonists. I have been a bit messed up of late, and my personal frustration over things totally unrelated to you came out in my comment. I am sorry.

Chris P. said...

Wanderer,
You don't get to play the martyr card.
The words of Jesus:

Matthew 24:

29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.


Luke 21:
25"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Does any of this sound familiar?

Since Jesus is Lord of creation and the Bible is the true Word of God,we can safely bet on the signs in the heavens. This in no way resembles astrology. Astrology is used for the guidance of individual lives and the fulfillment of those lives. The Scripture speaks of the end of all things as we know them and the return of the King of Kings.

Wanderer said...

Chris P. - When did I declare myself a martyr? When will you realize that I have read this book, and my questions come from relating this to reality? You instantly point out that there is a difference, but don't actually designate what the difference is, other than a meager generalization that demonstrates little other than not knowing anything about my side of this coin.

I don't need your sympathy. I never claimed to be a martyr. I spoke the truth. How about you keep your feeble and mindless attempts to attack my character out of these posts until you can demonstrate that you have the faintest clue where I am coming from?

MaryEllen - You didn't drive me off. I truly meant that you puzzled me, and running away wouldn't help me solve that puzzle would it? As has been the case with every post I have directed at you, my comments were made in the attempt to solicit an answer from you to further our understanding, and help us both along the path to completion.

As for your comment about it not mattering which were Her stars and which were His, I agree completely. This was my thought process. I was merely attempting to find out what the defining line was that made one person's observance of the skies and of nature acceptible and another's to not be acceptible. I appreciate your response.

Chris P. said...

Wanderer
This is the second time your reaction was out or proportion to my comment. I did not insult you, but apparently it is ok for you to deride me.
I wasn't offerring sympathy either.
(Empathy not sympathy,compassion not pity. Which may include the infamous tough love.)

The "Book" is written only to those who believe in the God who wrote it. Any and all understanding of it comes by faith alone.
According to the "Book" all men may see and know God as Creator, some know Him as lawgiver. All will know Him as judge, many of those to their eternal regret, and few will know Him as Father.
I do not believe we "woo" people in. We are called to give the Word and the Holy Spirit is responsible for the results.
BTW, I do not play games with semantics and I appreciate being direct, rather than vagueness.
The vagueness and game-playing are symptoms of the post-modern illness that pervades this world.

Wanderer said...

Chris P. - You do realize that all of those whom you try to look better in front of, and shame me in front of are reading the words we've both written? You didn't attack me? "You don't get to play the martyr card." That wasn't an attack? Of course not. I have seen that phrase on birthday cakes a dozen times. A clue from the reality set: Saying I don't get to be a martyr implies that I am trying and failing to be. This is an attack. My response wasn't out of proportion. It was directly in reference to what you said. I think this is apparent to everyone here, including you. If you don't want me to respond to your comments, don't instigate my response with a comment directly to me.

I don't advise you play word games with me as you have been in the attempt to get a cheap shot, but if this is your continuing desire, maybe you should bring it to my blog or invite my return to yours. It is too often we seriously bump heads on MaryEllen's blog. She undoubtedly has better things to do than watch you attempt to box with me. I haven't been commenting to you unless directly named by you. I suggest you do the same. Apparently we don't play very nicely with each other.

Chris P. said...

Wanderer
You are an expert at making a mountain out of a molehill.
My reply is over at my old blog, where I have replied to your comment there.