We were studying about generational sin and part of the subject was God allowing bad things to happen to a believer, to allow them to be attacked. It was questioned as to why that would be allowed. After all, would a loving parent allow their child to be attacked. The verse from Job above is a precursor to terrible things happening to Job, that the God approved of. It is certainly an interesting question and one I had to think over.

First of all, I do think God gives us a great deal of latitude while still providing us His protection. I think of it as being allowed to play in the backyard. The kids can go anywhere in the backyard and there is some stuff there that is dangerous, but nothing too dangerous that is likely to quickly kill the children playing there. There is a fence so there is a boundary as to how far the children can go. I heard someone else use the analogy of a river and that we can side to side in the river, but are bound by the banks of the river to continue flowing down the river. While both of these are good ways to illustrate the free will that God provides to His creation, it does not explain why He would allow attacks to come upon us. That would be like allowing an attacker into the backyard.

As I thought about it, I tried to think of situations where maybe an attack can be a good thing. It occurred to me that body building is about attacking the muscle tissue, that by lifting the weights and putting strain on the body, that the body reacts and builds the muscles up stronger so that next time they will not break down under the same load.

Then I thought about getting a shot, an immunization. It seems that is basically allowing a small attack into our bodies, so our bodies build up the strength to fight off a large scale attack. Now I am no expert in either muscle growth or immunizations, so if I am mistaken in any way, please correct me, but it seems that these are two examples of attacks that we allow in our society for the good of individual. Weight training is generally seen as a good thing and certainly immunization against disease has been a good thing.

So maybe it is more like God allows attacks, but those attacks themselves are controlled, so that the attacker allowed into the backyard is only can promote a limited level of danger. And this is done to help us getting better, get stronger and be able to resist greater attacks. If this thought process follows through, then God is providing a service of growth when He allows us to get attacked. So while the attack might feel bad and be tough to go through, it seems like it is nothing when compared to not having the attack and going through what might be coming (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10).

I guess this might be why Scripture says to count it as joy when we are under trials (James 1:2-4).

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Glorified and sanctified be His great name in the world which is created according to His will. May He cause the reign of His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the life of all the House of Israel, speedily, yes soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and forever eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is high above, far above all blessings and hymns and praises and consolations which are spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be great peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in the heavenly realms, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

As I think on my grandmother and what she meant to me, I feel confident that God has taken care of her. She had a strong love for God. I am not sure she knew how to separate the traditions of her traditional Jewish upbringing with that of a faith in Yeshua, but she exhibited a strong faith nonetheless. She would bring newsletters and calendars from my Messianic congregations back to her Rabbi and show them how her grandchildren serve God. Whether the Rabbi understood what a pray, healing and infilling of the Holy Spirit service even was, my grandmother was there to serve that congregation and to serve God, by her service to the congregation and community and in her defense of the faith in Yeshua. That speaks something that I do not know if I realized before her passing. I would always look at her and think she has a foot in both doors, but yet now I can see clearer that she exhibited a strong and very real faith in Yeshua.

She was a wonderful grandmother and a wonderful person. Very sweet and loving, warm and inviting, always with a good word on her lips. She always encouraged me to be a mensch. I will leave it to God and others to judge whether I was successful in that endeavor, however the greater point is the encouragement she offered to me in that. She had a way of bringing peace to a situation, and even after things like divorce in the family she remained friendly with the other side of the family.

It is encouraging that even though she is missed, to know the joy she has brought to me. I consider her ways and the pleasure she took in me as a child and basically all children, but especially her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. When I see my children enjoying themselves and growing and making me kvell, I know my grandmother is also kvelling as well.

So each time I stand when the Kaddish is recited at synagogue in memory of my grandmother, I can know that it is God that is in control and that it is He who is bringing His kingdom very soon.

He that bears witness of these matters says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Amen. Yes, come, Master (Revelation 22:20)

Here is a tribute video that was created for my grandmother.

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Microsoft is designated as an official supplier to the 2008 Olympic Games.

It’s Windows XP operating system was chosen to run on all PCs used by the organizers a well as being the operating system installed on PCs supplied by Lenovo Group, the computer maker than is one of the major sponsors of the 2008 Olympics.

Microsoft’s newer operating system, Vista, was not chosen.

Lenovo chairman, Yang Yuanqing, was quoted as saying that because of the complexity of the IT functions at the Games, it was decided to not use the the more recent operating system. “If it’s not stable, it could have some problems,” he said.

(from here via /.)

A 2 year old OS that has had it’s first service pack is still not considered stable enough. What does that tell you, the consumer buying a new PC. If it is not stable enough for the Olympics, is it stable enough for your children, for your budget, your photographs? Imagine the havoc that would have been evident if Vista was used. It most likely would have been more than a BSOD caught during the ceremonies. At least the technical experts who set it up made that decision. What decision should you make with your computer? (Hint, something other than Vista, maybe a Mac, or Linux.)

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The website, List Universe recently had a list on Top 10 Astonishing Miracles and in it number nine was Incorruptible Corpses. Reading through the description and knowing that in Scripture there were some that never tasted death made me think this certainly seems possible. I know most of the miracles listed involve Catholic tradition and I am not here to argue for or against the miracles listed. That is not my point. My point is that here were people who received something special. They were called to a certain level of holiness, a level that at least as of today I have been able to achieve. Sometimes we get to a crossroads with G-d if we choose right we move on, if we choose incorrectly we sometime go around the mountain again to return to this crossroad again. Sometimes I think God allows us to go down the incorrect path we choose and reap the consequence of that choice. I see myself going around the mountain a great deal. I understand that it is by grace that G-d allows me to go around again and gives me another shot, as it were.

Once again I look at me and my struggles (and G-d’s victories through me) and then I look at either people I know, people I read about in current event, in history or in Scripture and wonder why I do not have that level of faith, that level of holiness. And while it might be bad to compare, in this case I think the comparison for me reveals something about G-d. He equips us for the task He calls us to. Some are equipped well and their task is likely quite a heavy task. Other are called to simpler tasks and equipped less heavily.

So, I think it is not that I am weak or somehow less than others who have achieve greatness in a Spiritual sense, but I have not been equipped yet for anything beyond what G-d has me doing right now. That might change tomorrow, but for now I am OK with my weakness, but will continue to pray for G-d to strength me and fill me more with Him and his Spirit and have less of me there. And whether I end up one who escapes death or not, I trust in my G-d for all things.

B”H

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Being a Messianic Jew who values the Torah and whole of Scripture and not just certain parts I wanted to start getting clouds of the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament.

Here is Genesis:

Exodus:

Leviticus:

Numbers:

and Deuteronomy:

I used the King James Version for all my clouds. Pretty interesting stuff.

B”H

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Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you, but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to reason or emotion, but to the soul.

And:

Dismiss it all you like, but I’ve heard from far too many enormously smart, wise, spiritually attuned people who’ve been intuitively blown away by Obama’s presence - not speeches, not policies, but sheer presence

So why do people have this love for Barack Obama that goes beyond just liking his policies or campaign promises? That his “sheer presence” can blow away “enormously smart” people? Well, I was watch a YouTube video with parts from a PBS special about the Weather Underground and came upon one small section that had a clip from an Obama event. The words hit me in a way and gave me the answer as to why so many are so infatuated with the presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate. He said:

then you and I together, we will remake this country and we will remake the world.”

You can see the quote in it’s whole here and compared to former President Reagan by the Washington Post. I found the comparison based on this quote and one listed by Reagan to be a bad comparison as Reagan’s words were a summation of his Presidency according to him, not a promise for a future. If what you do changes the world, that is far different that promising to change the world. I personally see very little similarity between Reagan and Obama. You can view the quote being spoken below.

So what does this quote reveal to me? Well, my Rabbi has often said that we are His (God’s) creation. He is the creator, we are the creation. He goes on to say that if we could be gods, creators ourselves, we would, and he points out that we all do desire this in some way. If we could we would choose to become gods ourselves and make creation what we think it should be. And that is what Obama is promising; that his supporters and those that vote for him can change the country, can change the world. That they can become gods. Quite a bold promise!

Well, now I can see why people are so enamored with him, after all promising godhood is a powerful promise. Whether he would be able to keep that promise, of course, is another question, one that I will leave for others.

B”H

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“My only message is simple,” Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. “The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century.”

A pitcher hitting and running the bases is old fashioned and antiquated is the message he seems to be trying to get across. By why stop ay just a designated hitter for the pitcher. Chien-Ming Wang got hurt running the bases. The major leagues are full of slow lumbering hitters. Maybe we should have a designated runner. Get some track star to stand to the side and moment the ball is he, this person can sprint on down the line to first base, most likely in a scant few seconds. Why should fans be forced to see Frank Thomas, Brian McCann, David Ortiz and others “clog up the bases.” Replace them with a designated runner.

While we are at it Hank, why have a player who is a great hitter, but a terrible fielder out on the field. Why not an offensive unit and a defensive unit, like football? Then you have nine designated hitters. Think of the runs, think of the battle. Now, that is 21st century thinking.

I, for one can do without the DH and without interleague play. Let athletes be athletes. The best will rise and will do so by excelling at more than one function of the game.

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Some of the attributes and Scriptures he listed (that I can recall):
Protective
Nurturing
Disciplining
Loving
Romans 8:15
Deuteronomy 1:30-31

There was a much longer list with Scriptures for each, but I found it to be very interesting. Maybe I will try and get a copy of the message so I can post it here.

In the same way the post expressed a similar thought, especially for those without a good understand of fatherhood because of their own past. I think that Bryan makes some very good points about God the Father being the center of worship, even on a day that we are traditionally looking to earthly fathers. If we make God the father an image based upon earthly fathers then we are creating an idol. It is a very interesting thought.

He also gets into a very interesting part about how we acquire understanding, whether through the sense as understood by Aristotle and Aquinas or another way. He puts forth an example that shows the problems with the sense only approach:

One of the problems with Aquinas’ view can be seen with an example. In order to understand the concept of “love,” we see it play out before us. In the lives of others, between our parents, in our own lives. We see what it is like when someone loves someone else. John, in his first epistle, says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The one who says we can only know through sense experience is then forced to say that the only way we can understand the love of God is to come to know love through seeing people loving each other, and then applying that knowledge to God. This poses a problem. People are sinful and incapable of perfect love. Human love falls well short of divine love, and the empiricist must then consider God’s love by way of analogy.

I argue that it is actually the other way around. Because God’s love is perfect, and because He has created us imago dei, that is, in the image of God, we are born with an innate knowledge of love. We can then recognize love in others lives and our own. The real analogy here is not in understanding God’s love for us, but in understanding our love in light of God’s perfect love.

So as we come to know God more we know more about what Fatherhood is and the knowledge gained is not only via our senses but revealed via the Spirit as well. Some very good thoughts to ponder and reflect on. May we strive to walk in the example of perfect fatherhood as revealed by God the Father.

B”H

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I then thought to my children, especially at a younger age. I think this is true of most kids as well. When children are in the “terrible twos” they sometimes feel a beginning of a sense of independence and sometime refuse to come when it is time to leave the park, playground, store, etc. My kids certainly did this. One thing I did at these times instead of struggling with them, was to try and get them to realize and learn that they need their parents, especially at this juncture in their lives. I would say something like, “OK, I am going now. See you later. Hope you can find your way back home.” Was I actually choosing an evil path and really considering leaving my two year old there? Of course not. I would get a bit away, perhaps around a corner and peak back and most often, the child would sense that they are in over their heads and get up and come to where I was going. I would head back to them and then be able to leave with them. Did I change my mind about leaving them there? No, it was never my intention to do so. But, I helped them to learn something, so that the next time they might have that lesson stored away and be more likely to obey, rather than risk my attempting to leave them again.

Might it be the same thing with God, might he be teaching us a lesson, as well as the people involved at the time? I think it just might. God most likely knew that there was not even ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but “allowing Abraham to change His mind” gave Abraham a chance to trust God better in His words and in His ways. In a similar vein, Moses learned of God’s love for His people, for His ability to forgive and remain faithful to His covenant, as God allowed Moses to work it all out in his own mind. I don’t think God ever intentioned to destroy His people, which would invalidate the promise made to Abraham, Issac and Jacob and form a great nation out of Moses. God knows better and is true to His word and His covenants.

So does God change His mind? I don’t think so. And that is something that I am glad about and can rest therein.

B”H

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