Star of David seen in eclipse.
Was asked this morning if God was OK with use of condom. I happened to have dreamed, struggled, wrestled all night with themes relating to the unveiled union of God and man.
My answer: The church traditions that go way, way back to the catacombs are very often factually represented in the dogmas of the Catholic Church even if they are not lived out in every day reality. Refraining from birth control is one of the teachings that has come down through the ages. It has been a part of the church for a long time. I did not research it out, so, I don't know. But, I have to wonder if holding on to the traditions of men, even if accurately represented, is the answer? Jesus told that the traditions of me make the word of God of no effect. I do not know about that. But I do know that another such Christian tradition "communion of saints", "common union of saints" goes back to writings on the walls of caves in the Catacombs. It is that old. Also prayer for the dead. But, when I was a boy that meant something lifeless like saying a novena prayer with a picture of a Saint on a card. Now, the reality of that has resurfaced, showing that the tradition represented life, but obscured by tradition. Not that many years ago, Pentecostal churches would kick you out for speaking of any such experiences as that and now they are common. Who knows? Not the rules so much as the life behind the truth. Anything that obscures I guess is wrong. So, in that way I suppose the prohibition against birth control speaks of a truth of the exchange of life as opposing that which obscures it.
Two uniting without a control, veil, barrier, gives life to a third one. Jesus is this life. He is the way, the truth and the life.
If you do not know, this picture is the host in the Catholic Church, the body of Christ. Many Protestants do not know anything about Catholicism.
Sorry. Not a very good artist, but you get the picture.
The result of the Union of God and man. It can be looked at that way.
"I long to see the great pyramids of Egypt" - a vision, a translation, a fright, a word from an angel "You long to see the Great Pyramids of Egypt," followed by confirmation I got after telling it on the way to dinner, I got the exact same word in the fortune cookie that night. That was in 1981.
In 2014, God spoke to me to go such & such a place and He would speak the same word that he spoke in 1981 in a fortune cookie. I went. It was not in there. I said "Oh well! I guess I missed it." Two days later, in turmoil, I went back there directed by God again. The food was good. Had forgotten about the whole fortune cookie thing. Guess what was in the fortune cookie? "You long to see the great pyramids of Egypt."
I have a picture or that fortune cookie somewhere. Found it!
That can be a little bit unsettling. Never understood it for all those years.
But, after last night, I think that I now understand. I long to see Jesus.
There are people that take that kind of thing too far, I know. And you can do that and get all weird "hidden knowledge" stuff going on. Not intending to do that, but the picture is there nonetheless.
Here are some of the 7s in the bible:
- God worked for six days and rested in the seventh.
- A day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. The millennium is a seventh day. Rest.
- Seven church ages. We have overcome 6, but must overcome now to enter the rest of the millennium.
To stop short on each of these is to miss entering the rest of the Lord. To protect our eyes is to be veiled. Stop short of rest on these three sevens and you end up in works or 666. I am not saying that this is THE or even A meaning of 666 in the book of Revelation. In fact, I am sure that it is not. But, it is in the bible. So, it has to mean something.
It can be frightening and a lot of work to look and see and enter rest according to the writer of Hebrews, and personal experience.
Hebrews 4:10-11 AMP
[10] For he who has once entered God's rest also has ceased from the weariness and pain of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own. [11] Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest of God, to know and experience it for ourselves, that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience into which those in the wilderness fell.
Stopping short of the full rest, leaves us in works. But, there is a work of rest, that leads us into rest.
Hebrews 3:19 AMP
[19] So we see that they were not able to enter into His rest, because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God unbelief had shut them out.
We are overcomers, if we overcome. Eyes wide open!
Revelation 3:14-22 AMP
[14] And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God's creation: [15] I know your record of works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! [17] For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be truly wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. [19] Those whom I dearly and tenderly love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten I discipline and instruct them. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent changing your mind and attitude. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he will eat with Me. [21] He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. [22] He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Holy Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).
1 John 4:13-19 AMP
[13] By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His Holy Spirit. [14] And besides we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. [15] Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he abides, lives, makes his home in God. [16] And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. [17] In this union and communion with Him love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment with assurance and boldness to face Him, because as He is, so are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love dread does not exist, but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love is not yet grown into love's complete perfection. [19] We love Him, because He first loved us.
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