Monday, October 31, 2016

The Sexual Implications of the Covenant of God


An Immoral Bishop
The Covenant of God with man is not a negotiated agreement, but a Divine fiat. God says in effect “You are mine. I have chosen you.” Humankind has the freedom to either affirm, or deny, the offered relationship, not to negotiate the various aspects of it; but there is a school of thought within the Church that wants to claim the benefits of the Covenant without accepting its moral commands.

Our “progressive” theologians today want to dicker with God over His sense of morality, which they think is outmoded, judgmental, and unrealistic. They say that as Christ is the fulfillment of the old sacrificial and ceremonial aspects of the Old Covenant, so also the moral commands are thereby nullified.

But the moral commands of the Old Testament find their full explication in the New Testament, and not a “’jot or a tittle’ will pass from the law until all is fulfilled” [Matthew 5:18]. Both Jesus and Paul make it very clear that marriage is a union between one man and one woman; and that the lusts of the flesh must be brought under the rule of God.

The question is; just who is God? Who is in charge? In establishing His Covenant with the people of Israel, God says, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me” [Exodus 20:2-3]. The condition of the Covenant is expressed in the Ten Commandments. 

Humankind has the freedom of response and some in their arrogance deny the claims of God and want to pick and choose between the various commands. George MacDonald warns us that, “The one principle of Hell is “I am my own.”


Sunday, October 30, 2016

On Sexual Morality in the Church




Nowhere in the New Testament does it tells us that the moral law of the Old Testament is superseded by freedom from morality in the New Testament; even though it is clear in the New Testament that the Old Testament sacrificial system is fulfilled in Christ. We have from many quarters in our contemporary Church an illusion that if the Old Testament said, “Don’t do it,” that this no longer applies specifically to sexual behavior.[i] It doesn’t take much of a reading of St. Paul to discover that St. Paul agreed with the moral prohibitions of the Old Testament.

Even as St. Paul says, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law,” He immediately says, “Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” [Galatians 5:18-21].[ii]

Of the commandments of the Old Testament, Jesus says, “Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 5:19].

In the Church today we have many, who from fear of the anger and rejection of those who want freedom from morals, or from their own sexual drives, will approve of things the whole of Scripture disapproves; even though Christ Jesus and St. Paul stand witness against those very things.



[i] A Semi-Marcion theology.
[ii] See also: Romans 1:24-32; I Corinthians 6:9-11.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

When Love Becomes a Heresy





There is a lie that has spread like a malignant infection throughout the Church casting its spider web of deception upon the unwary. This lie separates the command to love from the moral teachings of Holy Scripture. It says that Jesus statement, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,” nullifies St. Paul’s observation, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [1 Corinthians 6:9-10]. 

This lie has spread like a virus from some of those in high places, from some of our schools and colleges, and from some of the seminaries of the Church. It masquerades as love and acceptance, but it is a love that denies, denigrates, and mocks holiness. This love is a mockery of the love of God, because love cannot exist without holiness. This lie so exalts love without holiness, that those who teach it, think that because love is the greatest commandment, that it cancels all other commandments. 

Saturday, October 8, 2016

BUMP AND GRIND
















Bump and grind. Bump and grind. Years ago a young lady who had been faithful in Church came to me and said that she was going to stop going to Church because on Saturday night she and her mother went to a male strip club and going to Church made her feel guilty. 

“I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” [Psalm 101:2-3].

A friend of mine worked for a major American Hotel chain and it was his responsibility to entertain Arab businessmen visiting in Dallas. What they wanted was strip clubs where they could get a few drinks and watch the Bump and Grind, Bump and Grind. The end result was that as his faith grew, my friend had to go and get another job.

But it is closer than that, Bump and Grind. All you need to do is turn on your computer, go to Facebook, and click on any number of posts. Often when you do that the page that comes up is accompanied by a side column of sexually suggestive posts inviting you to see “Hot Moms,” or XX Women Who Stumbled into Adult Film World, or “Shocking Wedding Photos”, and similar invitations to enjoy a little “soft porn” whatever that is. Sex sells, and what is really for sale, is your soul. Bump and Grind. Bump and Grind.

As an aside, some of the people currently throwing stones at Trump are doing so to deflect their own guilt about their own viewing interests. Bump and Grind. We live in a sexually lewd age. Bump and Grind, but there is nothing new under the sun. Bump and Grind.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Judgment Songs















Fair warning! You don’t have to read this if you think that in our country and the Church everything is hunky dory. If you find the judgment songs offensive, they are, and so is the state of our society.


JUDGMENT SONGS

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” [Isaiah 5:20]!

Let Them Be Called Anathema : Priests, Princes, Prophets, and People.
[Ezekiel 22:23-31].

The Jaded Land

Anywhere we go throughout this jaded land
The faithless huddle in buildings made of stone,
Or brick, or board; their houses built on sand,
Crustacean shells for flesh and blood and bone
Shielding those who flee from God’s clear command.
There’s no life, no living among such dead,
No prophetic voices, no angelic singing,
No humble hearts for whom the Blood was shed.
Bishops, priests, deacons, people, cry no bitter tear.
All alike to the wicked world are clinging,
They will reap the whirlwind and despair.
Ichabod!  Their glory has departed!
They have no future, their past’s beyond repair.
Lo! They reject the Word with hearts undaunted.

To them the Word of God is clear, “These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you” [Psalm 50:21 ESV]. 


Blind Lust is a Fool to Wanton Gaze

Blind lust is a fool to wanton gaze
At emptiness tricked out to daze
Not heeding the emptiness within.
What soul lies behind those wanton eyes,
Decked out with death and dead’ning lies?
That breast uplifted, those silken thighs,
Those welcoming arms, those hidden harms,
Bid the blind unwary enter in.
The fool enters through the gate of pleasure
Tasting the lascivious fruit of sin,
Not seeing death its hidden treasure.
Blind lust is a fool to wanton gaze
At emptiness tricked out to daze,
Heeding not the nothingness within.

Remember that “death lies close by the gate of pleasure” [St. Benedict], at least certain types of pleasure.
















The Wicked Nod and Smile

The wicked nod, smiling ever sweetly
And the simple smile in glad return
Not knowing those wicked smiles will burn.      
Even though the wicked man acts comely
His hidden intent is often deadly.
To control you alone his heart doth yearn,
For this he labours, that your heart should churn.
He controls when he treats you cruelly,
For he knows when you by fears are ridden
His own fears may be quietly hidden.
Wicked is as wicked does, smiles mean nothing,
Control is all. Over you he’s flaunting
Usurpation of your private power
For when you are weaker, he is stronger.

Always write what you know? This is one of the things I know; that there are wicked men and women, even as there are many who are good. Sometimes what you don’t know can hurt you.  




















Lecher Priest

God save us all, we have a lecher priest
Whose every word and smile is oily sweet,
Whose love denying love is just a cheat,
Whose words and actions show his inner beast.
He did not start thus, no, not in the least.
He once longed with ev’ry trembling heartbeat
To be a star, to be a true athlete,
Presiding at the altar and the feast.
His heart was never silver, only tin,
His feet were partly iron, partly clay
When he began to show the beast within.
Hidden within his heart was sad dismay
And all alone he faced his inner sin.
Where was the Church upon that fateful day?














Abuse!

The child was bothersome,
So she slapped it up
the side of the head
and it yowled,
which bothered her
even more
challenging
her control
which she barely had.
So she slapped it up
the side of the head
again.
Then the child grew up
never understanding
why it bothered her so much
when her child was bothersome.
So she slapped it up
the side of the head
and it yowled
which bothered her
even more
challenging
her control
which she barely had.

Jesus tells us that whatever we do to others we do also to him (Matthew 25:40).  This applies not only to feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty a drink, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and those in prison.  It also has a broader application to issues such as child abuse.  The voices of the Church, the voices of you and me, need to be heard, and where we can, we are responsible for reporting abuse, and for education.


















The Trumpet

What glad trumpet shall my soul awaken
When the pillars of the earth are shaken?
What resonating tones will sound
Gathering all my moldy bones around?
What ringing cry shall tear asunder
Heaven and Earth in awesome wonder?
Shall I be glad?  Shall you be sad?
When the angels come to sort the good, the bad?
Surely, clearly, when all is said and done,
When eternity’s new day has now begun,
Naught of human evil shall endure
But only those whose humble hearts are pure.
He seeks the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind,
He calls home the ones whose tender hearts are kind.