October 08, 2014
Judge Not
I’m getting interesting and
encouraging feedback from people on the articles I’ve written about visiting local
churches. After reading the online column one friend emailed me, “I
read your church article. Excellent coverage, non-judgmental, and very specific.”
Another was impressed that I wrote about my experience without bias or slamming
other denominations. I value these opinions, but it crossed my mind that these
friends feared the analysis of worship services would be judgmental. The concept for reporting on worship services
is similar to the disciples of John the Baptist who were sent out to see if
Jesus was the one to come, or if they should expect someone else. When they
came to Jesus He told them, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see …” (Matt
11:4 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Of course, Jesus was the real deal. What John’s disciples heard and saw would speak it. Are the worship services you’ve been visiting the real deal? Does what you see there speak it?
-----I think the traits of a worship service reveals more about the spiritual conditions and assumptions of those planning and designing it than it does about the congregation. The leaders fashion their important beliefs into the aspects of the service like Jacob stripped stripes into sticks and laid them at the flock’s waterholes. Some of the sticks laid before the people are Biblically off key, otherwise there would not be so many denominations. Is “off key” not an aspect you saw and heard?
-----I am sure it is. But this has to do with comparisons. Seeing things is just observation. But when comparison is added knowledge emerges. Knowledge is good, for sure, “…the mind of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, “ (Prov 15:14), “…the prudent are crowned with knowledge,” (Prov 14:18), and, “…by knowledge the righteous are delivered.” (Prov 11:9). Knowledge isn’t to be spurned or despised. But observation and comparison both are so variable that the same knowledge held between any two different people is never identical. Therefore knowledge must be handled carefully. “’Knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up,” (I Cor 8:1b), so, “A prudent man conceals his knowledge,” (Prov 12:23), when it is appropriate to do so, I suppose. You’ve found it appropriate. Good for you. Many people in every worship service are off key with the Lord in what they perceive from the service, while many others are on key in the same service. So why judge? He can do that part better.
-----Then. There’s other knowledge. Like, I am writing this under a fully eclipsed moon…neat…which is now obscured by clouds. Rats! And, today is Succoth (that’s not a dirty word, it’s a Jewish holiday.) Six months ago was also an eclipse. Oh! On Passover. My! And six months from now will be another on Passover again. Whoa! And six months after that another one on Succoth again. Uh-hmmm. Enough now. It’s all just coincidence. The last three times this happened was each on most significant dates of Israel’s history. It won’t happen like this again until 2582. Coincidence?
-----It would happen again in 2032 but for a very interesting difference. The first eclipse will be one month after Passover, the third will be on Passover of 2033, and the fourth will be on Succoth. OK. The second will occur exactly 3 1/2 years after the asteroid, Apophis (named after a dragon) barely skims past the earth on Friday, April 13, 2029, in the month of Passover, in a Shemitah year (every seventh year is for the land’s rest,) exactly seven years before it swings past earth again, of course, in another Shemitah year, and, uh, on April 13, another Friday, the day after Passover. Oh my. So, what’s so interesting? One month after Passover is Pesach Sheni, second chance Passover for those who were unclean on Passover. The Tribulation is everyone‘s last chance. This seven year period book-ended by Apophis is perfectly bisected at 3 1/2 years by the second total lunar eclipse, the only one of the four not falling on any Jewish holiday. And, before Apophis was named, NASA logged it into the international asteroid registry with the number: 99942. According to EW Bullinger (19th century theologian,) 9 represents judgment. 3 is God’s number. And 42 indicates anti-Christ. Well. I would love to carry on. I haven’t begun to expose all the “coincidences” surrounding our generation. But I perceive I’m about to max my allotted characters, and I must get back to work. After all, next Wednesday is a total lunatic eclipse, that is, a tax return due date.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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