June 1, 2014

From Gary... Warning: Stupidity may be hazardous to thinking

Stupidity, sheer stupidity!!! Reading these warning labels shows how sue-happy our society has become. But then again, consider the concept of Law versus Grace. Paul writes...

Galatians, Chapter 3

Gal 3:2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?
Gal 3:5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Gal 3:6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Gal 3:7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."
Gal 3:9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM."
Gal 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Gal 3:12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM."
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"--
Gal 3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.
Gal 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.
Gal 3:17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
Gal 3:19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one.
Gal 3:21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
Gal 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

God accounts righteousness; man tries and fails. Obedience to the Law of God has always been a wonderful thing and there is an eternal blessing for those who attempt to please God in every way. BUT, no matter how hard we try, we fail (at least in some minor point). Like Abraham, it is our faith, which is expressed in our efforts to please God through obedience, that saves us. Do yourself a favor- expand your understanding of faithfulness to God BEYOND MERE OBEDIENCE TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. That is why God sent his son- to show us the way!!! Going back to rules-based religion is like following the directions listed for Dial soap "Directions: use like regular soap". You wind up trying to use common sense anyway!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading June 1

Bible Reading

June 1

The World English Bible

June 1

Judges 21

Jdg 21:1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.

Jdg 21:2 The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.

Jdg 21:3 They said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

Jdg 21:4 It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Jdg 21:5 The children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh? For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

Jdg 21:6 The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

Jdg 21:7 How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

Jdg 21:8 They said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah? Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.

Jdg 21:9 For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.

Jdg 21:10 The congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

Jdg 21:11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain by man.

Jdg 21:12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

Jdg 21:13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

Jdg 21:14 Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead: and yet so they weren't enough for them.

Jdg 21:15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because that Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

Jdg 21:16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

Jdg 21:17 They said, There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.

Jdg 21:18 However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.

Jdg 21:19 They said, Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

Jdg 21:20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Jdg 21:21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

Jdg 21:22 It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Grant them graciously to us, because we didn't take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.

Jdg 21:23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and lived in them.

Jdg 21:24 The children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Jun. 1, 2

John 9

Joh 9:1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

Joh 9:2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, "Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.

Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.

Joh 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Joh 9:6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man's eyes with the mud,

Joh 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

Joh 9:8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, "Isn't this he who sat and begged?"

Joh 9:9 Others were saying, "It is he." Still others were saying, "He looks like him." He said, "I am he."

Joh 9:10 They therefore were asking him, "How were your eyes opened?"

Joh 9:11 He answered, "A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.' So I went away and washed, and I received sight."

Joh 9:12 Then they asked him, "Where is he?" He said, "I don't know."

Joh 9:13 They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.

Joh 9:14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

Joh 9:15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see."

Joh 9:16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he doesn't keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was division among them.

Joh 9:17 Therefore they asked the blind man again, "What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

Joh 9:18 The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,

Joh 9:19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

Joh 9:20 His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Joh 9:21 but how he now sees, we don't know; or who opened his eyes, we don't know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself."

Joh 9:22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

Joh 9:23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age. Ask him."

Joh 9:24 So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."

Joh 9:25 He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see."

Joh 9:26 They said to him again, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

Joh 9:27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don't also want to become his disciples, do you?"

Joh 9:28 They insulted him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

Joh 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don't know where he comes from."

Joh 9:30 The man answered them, "How amazing! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

Joh 9:31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.

Joh 9:32 Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.

Joh 9:33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

Joh 9:34 They answered him, "You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?" They threw him out.

Joh 9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"

Joh 9:36 He answered, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?"

Joh 9:37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you."

Joh 9:38 He said, "Lord, I believe!" and he worshiped him.

Joh 9:39 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, that those who don't see may see; and that those who see may become blind."

Joh 9:40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?"

Joh 9:41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.

From Mark Copeland... The Church In Antioch Of Syria (Acts 11:19-30)

"THE BOOK OF ACTS"

The Church In Antioch Of Syria (11:19-30)

INTRODUCTION

1. A major church in New Testament times was the church in Antioch of
Syria...
b. Begun by disciples who had been in Jerusalem - Ac 11:19-21
c. Where disciples of Christ were first called "Christians" - Ac 11:26

2. The church in Antioch of Syria would later...
a. Serve as Paul's starting point for his three missionary journeys
- Ac 13:1-3
b. Send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to resolve the issue of
circumcision - Ac 15:1-2

[In our text for this lesson (Ac 11:19-30), we read the beginning of
the church in Antioch of Syria. But first, let's review some
background material concerning the city of Antioch itself...]

I. THE CITY OF ANTIOCH

A. BEGINNING...
1. Founded in 300 B.C. by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander the
Great's generals
2. Named after his father Antiochus
3. Located on the river Orontes, 15 miles upstream from the port
city Seleucia (named after Seleucus himself)

B. FAME...
1. Became known as "Antioch the Beautiful"
2. Famous for its fine buildings, and a long, paved boulevard
flanked by a double colonnade with trees and fountains
3. Absorbed by the Roman empire in 64 B.C., it became the capital
of the imperial province of Syria (and later Cilicia)
4. Josephus called it the third city of the empire, after Rome and
Alexandria

C. POPULATION...
1. Estimated at 300,000, extremely cosmopolitan (multicultural)
2. A Greek city by foundation, inhabitants included Latins as well
3. With a large colony of Jews, attracted by Seleucus' offer of
equal citizenship
4. There were also people from Persia, India, and even China,
earning it another name: "the Queen of the East"

[Much of the above information about the city of Antioch is from Stott,
J. R. W. (1994). The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the
World. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press. Now let's consider the church itself...]

II. THE CHURCH IN ANTIOCH

A. ESTABLISHED BY EVANGELISTS...
1. Of those scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem, who first
spoke only to the Jews - Ac 11:19; cf. Ac 8:1-4
2. Some of them from Cyprus and Cyrene, began speaking to
Hellenists (Greeks) - Ac 11:20
3. Preaching the Lord Jesus, with the aid of the Lord, a great
number believed and turned to the Lord - Ac 11:21

B. ENCOURAGED BY BARNABAS...
1. News of this new church reached Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas
- Ac 11:22
a. Introduced earlier as also being from Cyprus - Ac 4:36-37
b. Who helped Saul to be accepted by the church in Jerusalem
- Ac 9:26-27
2. Upon his arrival, Barnabas (whose name means "son of
encouragement"):
a. Saw the grace of God and was glad - Ac 11:23
b. Encouraged them to continue with the Lord with purpose of
heart - ibid.
3. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith
- Ac 11:24; cf. Ac 4:37; 6:5
4. Result: "And a great many people were added to the Lord" - Ac 11:24; cf. Ac 2:41,47

C. EDUCATED WITH SAUL...
1. Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul - Ac 11:25; cf. Ac 9:30
2. Together at Antioch, Barnabas and Saul assembled with the church
for a year and taught a great many people - Ac 11:26
3. It was at Antioch disciples were first called Christians - Ac 11:26; cf. Ac 26:28; 1Pe 4:16

D. EXEMPLIFIED GOOD WORKS...
1. Some prophets arrived from Jerusalem - Ac 11:27; cf. 1Co 12:28;
Ep 4:11
2. One of them, Agabus, by the Spirit foretold of a famine - Ac 11:28; cf. Ac 21:10,11
3. The disciples at Antioch determined to send relief - Ac 11:29
a. Each according to his ability - cf. 1Co 16:1-2; 2Co 8:2-4,
12-14
b. Sent by the hands of Barnabas and Saul to the elders
4. Thus the church demonstrated one "zealous for good works" - cf.
Tit 2:14; 3:1,8,14

CONCLUSION

1. So began a great church in a great city...
a. Established by evangelists
b. Endorsed by Barnabas
c. Educated with Saul
d. Exemplified good works
-- Perhaps the second most influential church after Jerusalem in the
first century A.D.

2. We will read more of this church in the book of Acts...
a. As an important factor in Paul's missionary journeys
b. Contributing to the successful resolution of a problem involving
Gentiles

Indeed, there are good lessons we might glean from "The Church In Antioch
Of Syria", a few of which we shall look at in our next study...

by Jeff Miller, Ph.D. ... Tampering with the Chief Engineer's Design

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3725Tampering with the Chief Engineer's Design

by	Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

The Great Designer designed designers. An exploding mass cannot design anything, much less design a designer. Genesis 1:28 confirms concerning mankind: “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the Earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the Earth.’” Thus began the field of engineering. Using our ingenuity, humans have since engineered many ways to fulfill the commands to “subdue” and have “dominion over” the Earth, from harnesses for oxen to automobiles to space shuttles and beyond. God created the Universe with potential for infinite growth in human knowledge that can lead to many improvements in living conditions when we learn to harness and utilize the phenomena God designed and implemented on Earth for us to discover. Consider the effect that harnessing the power of electricity, magnetic fields, nuclear reactions, and chemical reactions has had on life as we know it. Unfortunately, as the poison of atheism becomes more prevalent in society, encroaching into the field of engineering, we can be guaranteed that progress will be slowed, and eventually, stopped or even reversed.

An image of an artificial heart exhibited at the London science museum.

A few years ago, I attended a Bio-engineering seminar concerning design improvements on artificial hearts for use in transplants. After the presentation, during the question and answer period, a professor stood up and asked the presenter a question that went something like this: “Has nature optimized the heart yet after all of these millions of years of its evolution, or is it still necessary for us to help it along with our designs?” At that moment, it struck me how dangerous the Theory of Evolution can be if allowed to run rampant in the field of engineering. Those who follow out the implications of the Theory of Evolution could cause not only a hindrance to scientific and technological progress, but could actually place us in mortal danger. How so?

If engineering design is approached from an evolutionary perspective, the above question is appropriate. Has nature optimized the ______, or do we need to fix it? If the Theory of Evolution is true, there should be a multitude of examples in the physical world of creatures and plants, and the components that comprise them, that are sub-optimal—since they are all in the process of evolving to better states. [NOTE: Such is not the case, which is further proof that the Theory of Evolution cannot effectively account for the state of the world.] After all, an explosion, plus a series of random accidents, no matter how many, do not produce optimized systems. Vast improvements would be necessary. Thus, the intelligence, experience, and wisdom of mankind could improve the condition of the system that “Mother Nature” dealt us. [Also note: the fact that we have the ability even to consider improving nature, implies that we as humans are too advanced to be the result of a series of random accidents. Nature could not create and then improve us to the point that we can take over and improve it. Mother Nature could not produce an entity greater than herself. The effect cannot be greater than the cause.]
However, if the Theory of Evolution is false, and the God of the Bible is the Chief Engineer of the Universe, an evolutionary approach could be very dangerous. To tamper with the design of the Almighty Engineer of the Universe would be tantamount to placing oneself above Him in knowledge and declaring oneself to be omniscient. Consider also that science is constantly evolving as research is conducted. Views once held as fact have been radically revised or even abandoned. Though some people for centuries held that the Earth was flat, modern science has proven that the Earth is spherical. The medical practice of “bleeding” a sick patient to eliminate ailments in the blood was common only 200 years ago. However, through further research and scientific investigation, and following many deaths, such a practice now seems barbaric.
Now consider an example that could be directly relevant today. If humans become arrogant enough to think that we have the knowledge necessary to improve the design of the heart, act on those feelings, and then find out through further research that the design of the heart was actually already optimal, what damage could have been done in the process? Those whose hearts had been “improved” by the wisdom of mankind, could have shorter life spans or suffer major physical complications due to the arrogance of atheistic engineers. Thus, humans could potentially be harmed due to atheist engineers making design decisions without adequate understanding of the intricacies of God’s design! No wonder Almighty God, by the hand of Paul, warned: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile’” (1 Corinthians 3:18-21).
Many other examples illustrate the dangers of atheistic engineering. Since sin entered the world in Genesis three and mankind was evicted from the Garden of Eden, the pristine conditions of life on Earth have severely deteriorated. The Earth, as well as the general condition of the human body, is running down as the Second Law of Thermodynamics implies. Disease and genetic mutation, for example, attest to this. Isaiah declared: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the Earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke. The Earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner....” (51:6). We have used God-given engineering abilities to combat some of this decline through designs of our own, including, for example, medicine to combat disease, and sophisticated structures to withstand the forces of natural calamity. However, with a warped perspective about Who the Author and Designer of the Universe is, mankind could attempt to fix things that do not need fixing, and thereby bring calamity, suffering, and unhappiness.
Now consider: If engineers would respect the Chief Engineer Who has surrounded us with amazing prototypes—an engineering school into which we have all been admitted—they could make quicker and better advancements in technology. Engineers of the past understood this. The Wright brothers, for example, analyzed birds to determine how to get an airplane to stay in the air (Fausz, 2008; Root, 1905), thereby achieving their objective. However, evolutionists will tend not to use God’s optimized designs since, to them, there is no ultimate Engineer to mimic. Rather, they are the results of a multitude of random accidents. Evolutionists would, therefore, have to recognize that optimized designs could not possibly come from an explosion. [NOTE: Ironically, many evolutionists openly gape at the amazing complexity and seeming design of the world, and yet fail to recognize the implications of their awe (Block, 1980, p. 52; Jastrow, 1981, pp. 96-97; Lipson, 1980, 31:138; Wylie, 1962, p. 25).] Thus, technological advancement is slowed and designs often will fail to reach their potential.
If scientists fail to ask the right question, we will begin to see notable deleterious effects in the field of engineering. If engineers ask the right question, they, and indirectly we, will continue to have major advancements in technology as blessings from the Chief Engineer. What is the right question? The correct question to ask is, “Why did the Chief Engineer do it that way?” Studying that question will help us to have better “dominion” over the Earth. He designed the Earth, and we can be assured that His design, and the rationale behind His design, will be very useful. After all, who could possibly out-design the Chief Engineer of the Universe?

REFERENCES

Block, Irvin (1980), “The Worlds Within You,” Science Digest, special edition:49-53,118, September/October.
Fausz, Jerry (2008), “Designed to Fly,” Reason & Revelation, 28[2]:9-15, February, [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3599.
Jastrow, Robert (1981), The Enchanted Loom: Mind in the Universe (New York: Simon and Schuster).
Lipson, H. S. (1980), “A Physicist Looks at Evolution,” Physics Bulletin, 31:138, May.
Root, Amos Ives (1905), “First Published Account of the Wright Brothers Flight,” Gleanings in Bee Culture (Medina, OH: A.I. Root Company), [On-line], URL: http://www.rootcandles.com/about/wrightbrothers.cfm.
Wylie, Evan M. (1962), Today’s Health, July.

From Jim McGuiggan... NOT ON THEIR WATCH

NOT ON THEIR WATCH

t's a great Story! There are no losers or useless among Christ's chosen. None at all! They're all on the walls keeping watch and playing their part. They come in different sizes, shapes, genders, ages, degree of giftedness, particularity of giftedness, social status, color, ethnicity, physical and mental health—but they all serve! Their service is flawed, it's true, but nobody knows that better than they do and no union or government, club or community criticizes itself more severely or more consistently than the chosen People. .

They're very often happy but not always "happy" due to their life’s circumstances— they haven't been given exemption from humanity's awful pain, they're called to share it; besides, it isn't only the happy people that serve God's gracious purposes. People in the world might “go down” despite the presence of the Story people in it, but they won't go down without their taking note of it. They can't themselves take away all the world's pain but just by their very existence as the Story and Storied people, in their physical presence they offer an alternative to a sad and harrassed human family—an alternative to its sinking without trace.

The walls they guard are not just the “church” walls. These “chosen in Christ” are not just “church patriots”—they’re “cosmic patriots” (to borrow GK Chesterton’s phrase). They maintain a presence in the world and they do it for the world! Their enemies are not flesh and blood; their enemies are everything that is an enemy of flesh and blood, all that insinuates itself into flesh and blood as a parasite and a destroyer of the human family.

In their better moments these chosen ones have no sense of superiority; they are as sick and beaten-up as the peoples of the world around them. If you cut them they bleed, if you cheat them they feel betrayed, they weep at the graves of their dead ones and groan at a child that has gone astray or a marriage that has fallen apart. They have no personal charisma that the world should admire them but what they have (by God’s good and sustaining grace) is a Story and a place in that Story and as the prophetic embodiment of that Story—the Story that says there is a God who will right all wrongs and that he has given the assurance of that by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. This chosen People in their sacraments, their Story and their embodied preaching at its best proclaim the rejected Jesus who stands for all throughout the world who experience rejection and oppression. Their embodied message is that entrenched evil, enforced poverty and ignorance and brutal oppression are not the end of the Story. After suffering and rejection there was the resurrection and vindication of the rejected One. Believe that, they say, think noble things of God who puts his honor at stake and offers the resurrected Jesus as his assurance that he will keep his word.

Poor souls might go down to oblivion but they won’t go down unnoticed or unmourned—not on their watch!