The Evolution of the Common Law

When the Magna Carta was first introduced back in 1215, it was nothing new! Even prior to 1066, when the English Common Law was finally codified, the principles of freedom which shaped these documents were in circulation. The Magna Carta, or Great Charter, was first brought to King John of England as a list of complaints/demands from certain of his nobles in a bid to ease their 'suffering' at the hands of the Angevinian monarchy. Though such was the original case, the Magna Carta opened the sluice, so to speak, allowing for further interpretation & along with the preexistent Common Law, eventually formed the basis for the Constitution's Bill of Rights!

The Common Law as codified first in England was based, not upon monarchical decision or statute law, but upon the decision of the courts, what is often referred to as case law, that which was established by representatives of the common people! In opposition to common law, though somewhat its basis, statutory law is one set, not by precedent, but by legislation. The Law of the Land, though by its nature based on statutes established beforehand, in English society anyway, is ruled more by the Common Law, or precedential law established by the courts.

In this country, though we are still governed more or less by the principles of common law, thanks to the corruptive influence of its politics, statutory law has taken its place! The courts, in particular the Supreme Court, still establish precedent according to the common law, but, as their decisions are most often influenced by corrupt politics, their decisions most often favor the elite or those who can best line the pockets of the court! The Common Law, though still beneficial to the common man or woman, has become less & less precedential over the years, Rather, it has become more & more statutory in nature!

Along similar lines, when the Ten Commandments were handed down on Mount Sinai, they were in essence statutory law! Under the ordained system of judges, though, the decisions handed down in individual cases became the Law of the Land. Rather than being etched in stone, this became A Living Document, one that would evolve & expand according to individual needs & understandings! In much the same way, through our system of common law, what was originally determined by statute is now made more conformable to the common law & the needs of individual cases!

As we have noted, due to corruption in politics, what was once A Living Document ( the Constitution ) has become barely recognizable as such! What was based upon English Common Law has become mostly statutory, at best based on the individual cases of an elite, or whoever can afford their form of justice! Although we still are governed by a form of the Common Law in this nation, no longer is it based upon the English Common Law it once was! The statutes, though handed down by the Supreme Court, no longer benefit the common man & woman as they were designed to do; they are arranged ( politically ) for the benefit of those elite who can afford its 'justice'!

All is not lost; there is hope for the Common People! The One who laid down the Law in the Beginning has given us such A Living Document; not one etched in stone, so to speak, but one irrevocably etched into our hearts, minds & consciousness. The Creator of the Universe has set His Law in each of our hearts so that it can grow & expand with each of us on an individual or case level. It is only by returning to His Law that we can ever hope to again engage His Creation in a Common Law!

Because every individual is different ( thank God! ), we MUST have a Common Law to govern them by; we have seen previously how a Law etched in stone ( statutory ) worked! Due to the intricacies of human nature & our easy corruptibility, that sort of Law does not work very well for very long. With a Common Law, though, one based on individual case-matter, even with human corruptibility factored in, the Law is established on an individual basis, rather than an immovable statute which can only bring death!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Covenant Family of God

Scripturally speaking, there is no doubt that we who have entered into Covenant with the Body of Christ ( both the Creator Himself & the Body of His Son ) are 'sons of God' ( Matthew 5:9, Romans 8:14, Galatians 3:26 )! There are those who have not, whether through ignorance or stubborness ( rebelliousness ) entered this Covenant & so cannot & should not be called 'sons of God'. The question before us today is, 'can they or should they be considered children of God, or part of His family?'

Most if not all Christians would immediately protest against calling an unbeliever 'brother' or 'sister' ( interesting note; many of those we would call 'unbelievers' call each other 'brother' or 'sister & some act more Christlike than some Christians )! Another question we might ask here ( I have personally struggled with this for much of my adult life ); 'is it obligatory for one to become part of what we call the Visible Church in order to be a Christian?' Realizing that one must aquiese with the Creator that he or she needs His Blessing & Communion in order to have Life ( eternal & everlasting ), we could well ask ourselves if one must accept the Covenant in order to be Blessed by it, or Him!

We have explored some of the differences, previously, between the Institutional Church & the Body of Christ; obviously, not all all who belong to one belong to the other! Jesus said, 'by their fruits you will know them' ( Matthew 7:16 ).  These words He spoke in reference to the Phariseees, but they still hold true today, both of those within & those without the Institutional Church; the Body of Christ, on the other hand, is solely comprised of those who not only profess belief in the Messiah of Israel as the Creator Himself & Savior of the World, but who act according to His Law of Love!

In reference to my life-long struggle & to reiterate the question above, 'must one willfully & purposely enter into the Covenant in order to be in Covenant with the Creator?' Is this not how we enjoy life ( the human experience )? To enjoy the Full Blessings of Covenant Life ( AKA, Eternal Life ), Communion with the Creator & the Body of His Son is a necessity, but in order to simply enjoy this human existence, we must simply exist! We, whether we accept it or not, are in Covenant with our Creator; without this Neccessity, even biological existence would not be possible!

The Scriptures have much to say about belief; for instance 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved' ( Acts 16:31, et al )! These words & others like them, were in context spoken to a certain people, at a certain time & for a certain purpose. This is not to say that they have no application for us today, but the 'salvation' spoken of here was the breaking down of the wall or division between Jew & Gentile; in essence, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, not only of the Jews, but of the Gentiles as well & you will enjoy the benefits of the salvation provided them!

Communion, whether Blessed or Cursed, is not only Necessary to our human experience, it is a Choice we must all make! If we choose to live rebelliously & not according to the Law of Love, then we will doubtless experience a sort of cursed existence. When we refuse to love our neighbor as ourselves ( to say nothing of our God & Father ) & disdain to treat others as we would be treated ourselves, then we most likely will receive the same disdain in return; if we simply treat others as they treat us, if we only react to the actions of others, then doubtless we will find ourselves on the receiving end of much that we abhor! On the other hand, when we simply act according to the Law of Love, in most, though probably not all cases, we will find that Blessings in Abundance will be ours!

The Covenant Family of God, though traditionally viewed as exclusive to those who enter into Covenant, who agree with their Creator that they need the Salvation He brought to His Creation, is, as some have witnessed under the New Covenant, inclusive of all who enjoy biological existence! The Wall of Division has been torn down, having been ripped in half from the bottom up with the Revelation & Ascension of the Son of God! As the Children of God, then, we have been given a choice; will we serve our Father's Purpose & be Ministers of Reconciliation or will we simply exist as Beasts of the Earth, loving only those who love us & treating our neighbors as they treat us?!

Has more importance been placed, in this day & age, on doctrine, on profession & confession, than on the actual application of that doctrine? Belief, in particular right, or orthodox belief is important, but if not practiced, is about as useful as a screendoor on a submarine! The apostle James indeed says that such a religion is dead ( useless - James 2:14-26 )!


It is definitely important that one believes the correct doctrines, for if that one is religious about it ( James 1: 26 & 27 ), his or her beliefs will be revealed through their works, or fruits! Where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, what one does, the way in which he or she chooses to act is the main thing; there are too many who claim to believe a certain thing, but then turn around & do almost the exact opposite & then there are those as well who claim no specific doctrine or religion who nevertheless act according to the Law of Love, simply because it is in their Nature to do so!

In conclusion, as a wise man once wrote, 'Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.' ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ). Along these same lines, another Prophet wrote 'He has shown you, O man, what [ is ] good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God' Micah 6:8 ) Belief & agreement is necessary ( 'everybody's gotta believe something' ), but these two benedictions seem to show what is most important to our Heavenly Father; it is what we do, more than what we say, that matters most!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Importance of Being ( Honest )

'The Truth Hurts'!

'No Pain, No Gain!'

'Honesty is the Best Policy'!

I'm pretty sure there are more applicable cliche's like these out there, but for my purposes here, these'll do just fine! Most of us are fairly comfortable employing the first two & the second in particular when used in the context of say, 'working out' ( exercising ). We Christians, especially those with more open minds, like to use the first when debating certain points with brethren who aren't quite as open-minded as they should be ( when it comes to truth versus tradition ). When it comes to the last statement, 'honesty is the best policy', we like to say it, it sounds good rolling of the tongue, so to speak, but how many of us, when it comes right down to it, actually employ this principle?

I can't help but remember here a story from my childhood; it went something like this, a young acquaintance of mine ( no names here to protect the simply honest ), when asked how he liked a certain ( older ) lady's dress, remarked that it was the ugliest dress he'd ever seen! Okay, so maybe I embellish a little, but honestly, he was just being honest. Now, if he'd been a bit older & 'wiser', he might have known that one doesn't say such things to a lady, but being the young innocent he was, he didn't realize this & so was cut some slack; in other words, he felt no repercussions from his brazen statement!

Another example of how honesty may not always seem to be the best policy might be a case ( totally fictitious, of course ) where someone is either dying in your arms or closer to death than they realize! The natural instinct in such a case, especially if they're a loved one, would be to say something like, 'everything's going to be fine', or 'it's really not that bad''. Telling someone 'it's just a flesh wound' or it's just a scratch', when they're in danger of bleeding to death', may seem like the merciful thing to say at such a time & it may even seem to be 'wisdom' to cajole them like this in order to keep them calm, but in all cases, honesty is the best policy! Say you tell them 'it's just a scratch' & so they stop fighting & sink into oblivion?!

The Truth DOES hurt; without pain of some sort, three usually is no gain or growth! In order to move ahead, we must be honest, first with ourselves, then with others, no matter the hurt, regardless of the painful memories that the Truth might stir up! Yes, it is possible & to many of us operate in this manner; we TRY to move forward without dealing with the problem. Sometimes we are able, through whatever Grace bestowed on us, to forget the hurt, numb ourselves to the pain & actually move forward, past all the memories, forgetting the pain & suffering, whether imagined or real! More often than not though, as the case may be, we use drugs of whatever sort to numb ourselves, put on a strong face to cover our weak & broken heart & simply move PAST those memories to a place where we can almost forget the harm that's been done! When this occurs, which is usually more often than not, the pain, though forgotten ( almost ) is not really gone; it just sits there hidden, festering like an internal sore & ready at any moment to burst open, unleashing an even greater flood of painful memories!

There is only one way to avoid this & that is ( you guessed it ) to be honest! Honesty is always the best policy; in any relationship, if the parties involved cannot be totally honest with one another, where do you suppose the trust level stands? Scripture tells us to 'be sure your sin will find you out'  ( Numbers 32:23 ) Though the context here may be a bit different, since our God, the Creator of all is unchanging & all-knowing, this principle still stands; when we either cause or allow harm to persist, though we sweep it under the rug, it will surely come back to bite us in the ass, sooner or later ( some say, 'karma's a bitch' )!

Now, I'm not necessarily saying that we should tell each other every dirty little secret we can think of; some things really are better left unsaid, but when harm has been done, real or imagined, the longer we allow it to stagnate, the worse it will be when it finally, sooner or later comes out! It's not just going to blow over! It may seem to, but where then is the trust; where is the fellowship?

We as the Body of Christ have been given the Ministry of Reconciliation; if we can't reconcile among ourselves, then what good are we? Why are we here but to reconcile through example? We are the Body of Christ, not the Creator Himself, the only way we can lead someone to repentance is to lead by example; we cannot affect the heart ( ? ) like the Creator! Even through our weakness & maybe especially through our weakness, we can only hope to effect reconciliation in the lives of others, but only if we ourselves are reconciled.

There is a world of hurt out there, not only metaphorically, but mentally & physically! We, even the Body of Christ, weak & susceptible as we are through our humanity, have been the cause of much of this pain & suffering! We cannot blame this on anyone but ourselves, not even our Creator, for He gives us choices & we don't always, even the most upright of us, make the right ones! We have a tendency, as weak humanity, to try to 'smooth things over', hoping against hope that everything will work out in the end. We want to be 'nice' to others so that they will play with us & often things seem to be going along swimmingly when all of the sudden, BAM, something happens & our true feelings/nature emerges; the hurt that follows most often has a worse effect than if the parties involved had adopted a policy of total honesty from the beginning!

As the Body of Christ, then & even as those who don't claim any certain religion, let us determine to adopt such a policy ( of total honesty ), not necessarily to let everything hang out ( flappin' in the breeze' ) so to speak, but to move forward in our Kingdom Expansion! It is the Kingdom of our Creator, our Father God & He will grow His Own, but God forbid we should miss the boat because of our own stubbornness & refusal to reconcile. May we prove, first, among ourselves & then in the world around us, our Reconciliation, our honesty!

Charles Haddon Shank

Family Matters: the Solution to the Problem of Evil

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, 'evil' ( adjective ) is something morally reprehensible, as in sinful or wicked & archaically speaking, something that is inferior or just disagreeable! While there are many things in our world today that can & should be considered 'evil' ( sinful/wicked ), much of what is considered 'evil' is simply a matter of personal preference. One might appreciate the beauty of some thing or idea that is presented, but to another, it is 'evil', in the sense that it is disagreeable, even abominable to him or her!

There is such a thing as Absolute Evil! Certain things are just wrong, not only morally reprehensible, sinful & disagreeable or abominable as a matter of personal preference; in the sight of our Heavenly Father & according to the Written Revelation of His Word, certain things ARE sinful, wicked & abominable! So, while in a certain sense as we've explored previously, the term 'evil' may be applied to a personal dislike ( in fact, Scripture sometimes uses it this way, particular in the Proverbs of Solomon ), for most intents & purposes, 'evil' refers to something that is morally ( according to Scripture ) reprehensible, wicked or sinful ( abominable )!

'What do we do about it; how can we combat it?' The Solution to this Problem has been argued & fought about for thousands of years! There is much talk of late about simply nuking ( bombing ) our enemies ( 'that'll show'em!' )! While this may seem to be the easiest & definitely a most justifiable solution, it, as History has shown, is no real solution at all! Eradicate one terrorist, or even a whole tribe & ten more pop up in their place! 'Evil' cannot be eradicated by practicing evil! How then should we approach this Problem; what is the Solution?

Well, as we've noted previously, the Solution to the Problem of Evil is not more evil, more killing ( even if it seems justifiable & necessary ); the Solution to the Problem of Evil is simply the Reverse, to Live! To Live as the Creator Purposed, in Peace & Harmony with all of His Good Creation, to Love our neighbor as we Love ourselves, to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated & to Commune with Him through Communion with His Family, those who have entered into Covenant with Him!

The Covenant Family of God is the Solution to the Problem of Evil! As 'evil' lies within & not without, it is only by changing ( for good ) that which is within, the heart of the matter, that 'evil' will ever be successfully dealt with! The Spirit Within has taken care of & is taking care of this problem within the Covenant Family of God; now this Spirit works through us ( painstakingly ) to produce the Desired Fruit: the Fruit of Life has become within us, the Body of Christ, a Tree of Life whose healing flow waters the nations around us, providing a lasting solution to the Problem of Evil!

To eradicate 'evil' by simply bombing the hell out of those whose actions ARE 'evil', would be akin to what the atheist creator of the 'new' Noah film decided. His solution was to simply eradicate all human life; no more humanity, just a bunch of 'dumb' animals in the Great Circle ( cycle ) of Life! Mere animals do not sin; idolatry & adultery are foreign to them! It is Humanity with their Laws & Religions that ushers in the Problem, right?! Wrong; it is the choices that we make! We decide within ourselves whether or not to follow our Creator's Law, whether to tred the Path He has laid before us or whether to rebelliously assert our free-will & trespass His Law by committing what is 'evil' in His sight!

'Evil' can be eradicated, but violence is not the answer! Sure, violence ( war ) or just the threat of violence may curb it for a time, but it can NEVER provide a lasting Solution! It is ONLY through Living, truly Living, that we will EVER eradicate 'evil'! Take away the lives of those who, in our eyes, ARE evil will only cause the evil to spread & multiply. If we kill one terrorist, we might as well kill the whole tribe, for without doubt, there will be at least one more in that tribe ready to fill that terrorist's shoes!

The only way to have ANY lasting effect on the Problem of Evil ( for Good ) is to follow the Path of Life through the Spirit Within! We cannot, by committing morally reprehensible or wicked & sinful acts ourselves combat evil! Though there is such a thing as Justifiable Homicide, it itself is not a Solution to the problem of Evil, but merely a Self Defense Mechanism ( this would include all that the Creator has entrusted to our care )! 'Evil' is an action, just like Loving & Living! One chooses to Live & Love according to the Creator's Will, or else he or she chooses to commit 'Evil' by rebelling against the Creator's Will!

'Who & How are we to judge evil?' I leave you with that question!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Transformation of a Society

What a glorious Time to be alive!

We are presently living in a day & age where the transformation of a formerly male athlete into a 'female engenders more social prominence than the transformation of our police force into a military-style gang of legal thugs! In this day & age, it seems that the societially accepted 'norm' is to 'come out', whether it's as a homosexual ( male or female ) or as a 'transgender'. 'What is a 'transgender'?', one might ask; according to the Wikipedia article on the subject, 'Transgender is the state of one's gender identity or gender expression not matching one's assigned sex'. Notwithstanding the genetics involved & the unavoidable depth to which feelings register in this whole debacle, what it all comes down to is feelings, the feeling that one doesn't belong where the Creator has placed them, the feeling that the Creator made a mistake when they were formed in the womb!

Admittedly, the differences between male & female, in certain instances, anyway, have become blurred over the years! They are apparently examples out there ( of both sexes? ) where certain sexual organs are present. Without going too far into the subject ( it may be uncomfortable for most ), hermaphroditism has been found in certain ( rare ) human beings; according to the Wikipedia article on this subject, 'Aside from having an ambiguous-looking external genitalia, true hermaphroditism in humans differs from pseudohermaphroditism in that the person's karyotype has both XX and XY chromosome pairs'. For whatever reason, the Creator of all has structured our human biology in such a way as to allow for a form of evolution, that is to say, that to a point, our biology allows us to become what we eat: as the 80s rock group Petra wrote, 'Garbage in, garbage out'!

It is easy for most of us, Christians especially to disregard these anomalies out of hand, one might say & 'chalk it up to the fallen or sin nature of man; this would be akin to saying, 'he ( or she ) is just acting out; it's just a phase'! The plain, or not so plain, fact of the matter is, whether these anomalies stem from rebellious feelings or not, as the case may be, the anomalies ARE present; we MUST deal with them & yes, we must LOVE them, not what we would call the abnormalities, maybe, but definitely the human beings ( for they ARE still fellow humans, formed in the Creators Divine Image )!

Homosexuals, on the other hand, are made so by choice, their own ( individual ) choice! Now, some, most even, will say that they are more attracted to members of their own sex through no choice of their own; ' that's just the way it is'! My personal theory, on both sides of the equation, is that they have been so mistreated by members of the opposite sex that they have turned for comfort & healing to those of the same sex! Another theory is that this has gone on for so long that the biology ( micro ) of certain individuals has evolved/mutated on genetic levels so that there actualy is a genetic explanation for these anomalies!

The point is, being transgender is a choice, a choice to give in to one's feelings of inadequacy! Bruce ( AKA, Caitlyn ) Jenner has always wanted to be a women! Well, maybe not always; his treatment of the women in his life & their subsequent treatment of him most likely had a lot to do with his choice, but I'm sure there were other factors involved as well. Though there are always certain factors involved & options to be considered, it all comes down to personal choice! Were you made thus & thus? Okay; deal with it! We always have a choice in how we react to the circumstances of life; whether it's homosexuality or transgenderism, hermaphroditism or some form of disability!

Will you give in to your basest feelings, as so many others have done, or will you choose to triumph over those feelings & be the best of what your Creator has made you to be? Will you choose to live according to the feelings that are subsequent to change, or will you live according to the Law of Love & in Blessed Communion with the Creator of All? We were given our individual biology for one purpose; to glorify our Creator & to use our weak humanity to serve Him; any other use is abuse!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Christian Jihadist; Us Versus Them

Is there a big difference between the Christian & the Muslim when it comes to defending their way of life? Most Christians would, of course, say yes, but when Christians declare war on Muslims because they believe differently, isn't it kinda the same as Muslims declaring war on Christians because THEY believe differently?! Many would object to this reasoning, saying that they aren't declaring war on Islam but on terrorists, many of who just happen to be Islamic, or Muslim! 'We are after terrorists', they might say, 'not Muslims'! 'It's not our fault that most terrorists come from Muslim nations'! Well, if that were true, then maybe we'd be more or less justified in killing Muslims, but I believe we can put that idea to rest; if most Muslims were terrorists, don't you think there would be a world-wide problem? Sure, things seem to be escalating all over the world, but for the most part, it's not terrorism but simply reactions to those who try to destroy or otherwise change their way of life!

'But', some object, 'there is evil out there; what you call warmongering is only ridding the world of that which is unnecessarily evil'! There is no question; there is evil out there & it must be dealt with before we can truly go forward, but war is not the answer! 'What, then, is the answer?', is a perfectly just question! 'Can we love them to death?' There are some people out there that it seems the only just & merciful thing to do is to totally eradicate them! The reason that many of these same people need eradication is that they seem to us to have lost all reason. They hate Christians because Christians have become more American than Christian. They hate Americans because Americans began persecuting them for mainly religious reasons, in essence, the whole paradigm of Christian versus Muslim, us versus them!

Islam, from what I've seen, is not a peaceful religion, but on the other hand, the argument could easily be made, neither is Christianity! Religion, by its scriptural definition, is peaceable, but over the millenia, through misinterpretation of the scriptural texts, man has turned religion into something that is far removed from the apostle Paul's admonishment, 'If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.' ( Romans 12:18 ) Now,with the acknowledgement that it is not possible, or so it would seem, to live at peace with those who threaten your bodily existence, there is a time when we must raise our arms & say 'enough is enough; this far you may go, but no further'! Self-defense is scripturally warranted, or so we have been taught, but to go to foreign nations & commit acts of war is not & is totally against the principles of True Christianity!

Yahweh did indeed command the Israelites to root out all the evil from the Land & though this was a command to them under that first ( covenant ), many Christians today take this as license to eradicate whatever they see as evil, though it be in a foreign land! The command to root out all the evil was a specific command to Israel of old & pointed to the fact that only the Messiah could bring Peace & Purity trough the Shedding of Blood! By her failure to follow Yahweh's command, Israel according to the flesh showed that mere men did not possess the fortitude to eradicate evil, mostly because they were themselves evil!

Evil exists, therefore, in the hearts of men & women! We cannot eradicate evil by ridding the world of the Scourge of Islam & neither can we stop the flow by decimating or completely destroying terrorist factions like ISIS. The only way we will ever win the War on Terror is by acknowledging the Prince of Peace!

However, untold damage has been done! Though the empire fail & fall, though we as a nation acknowledge the principles of Freedom in Christ & begin to follow Him in Spirit & Truth, America has laid such a foundation of us versus them & built such a wall of hatred that we will not likely see this Peace in our day! The foundation is being undermined & the wall is crumbling ( on its own ), but that only heralds the end of an empire, not what will replace it! What will replace it depends largely on us, as the Body of Christ, for if we strive, as before, to build a city to our own name, instead of to the Name & Glory of our Heavenly Father, we too will find that we are going in circles & biting our own tail, devouring ourselves!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Rebel Jesus

To the ( self )  righteous Jew or Pharisee such as the apostle Paul, it was unthinkable! This son of a carpenter from Nazareth, one who came from a highly questionable parentage, was not acting according to their traditions & what is more, He was even teaching His disciples to be rebels! Jesus, even though His mother, who had become pregnant out of wedlock, was daring to defy the traditions handed down by their saintly fathers & instead telling people what the commands truly meant! He even claimed to be YHWH Himself ( His Son )!

To those contemporaries of Jesus, in particular, the religious elite, His actions must have seemed like the highest form of treason; not only was He teaching a Change in the Law, He was advocating a denial of the Kingship of Rome & then claiming it for Himself! To make matters worse, He refused to be the kind of King they had wished for, one to throw off the yoke of Rome & lead them on another Exodus, just like the one Moses had led them on! Jesus did lead His People on a New Exodus, but it was A Spiritual Exodus, out of The Bondage of Sin rather than out of physical slavery! Just like their Egyptian taskmasters, the Pharisees had enslaved the True Israelites in a spiritual sort of bondage, a bondage to the Law!

Jesus taught His disciples, as One with Authority, that the traditions of their fathers were 'all wet'! There man-made traditions merely served to deepen their guilt, especially because they taught that, if one kept these traditions, that one was free of the commandments of YHWH! Because of these Teachings, plus the fact that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah & YHWH Himself, though the majority accepted Him as Messiah for a time, the religious elite saw Him as a Rebel & One who needed to be dealt with before He raised the ire of Rome! For a time, the Pharisees left Him alone, except for the occasional questioning, perhaps because they had hoped that He was the Promised Messiah & would lead them to freedom from the Roman yoke; when they figured out, however, that He cam to deliver His People from THEIR bondage, they endeavored to kill Him & finally succeeded in getting the Romans to crucify Him!

The Crucifixion of Jesus, of course, only served His Purpose, His Purpose being to offer His own Body & Blood ( as the Passover Lamb had only signified ) in order to reconcile Man on the Land ( Adam ) with His Creator! The disciples of Jesus, even though they did not fully ( at first, especially ) grasp His Plan, eventually understood it well enough to carry on His work of reconciliation. These disciples received much the same treatment as Jesus had, not just because they themselves were rebels, but because they had dared to accept Jesus as the Messiah & had followed Him in His rebellion! Those who followed Jesus in His rebellion were eventually martyred in much the same manner as He was killed!

Jesus was NOT a Rebel! Jesus, as the Son of YHWH, had the Authority to teach the religious elite & all true Jews what the commands really meant! The Pharisees rejected His claim because He, as a Man claimed equality with YHWH! Besides this, He Himself rejected many of the traditions of their fathers & taught others to do the same! From their point of view, Jesus WAS a rebel, not only because of who He was, but because of what He did! As Followers of Jesus, we too are to be rebels; rebels against the System of Man, to Rage Against the Machine, so to speak!

We are here, as the Body of Christ, to implement His Reconciliation & Rule on this Earth as it is in Heaven! To do this, we must act in rebellion against any system that man forms in opposition to the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father! In our rebellion, though, we need to be careful to remember that we are commanded to love our enemies & to pray for those who spitefully use us! Not only are we Rebels of the Highest Degree, as was Jesus, we are also Ministers of Reconciliation; we were set free from the Bondage of Sin & Death so that we could continue His Ministry of the Marriage of Heaven & Earth, that is, not only to believe with the heart & mind, but to act with our hands & feet!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Ark; a New Beginning

Say what you like about the new 'Noah' movie, choose to see it or not, love it or hate it, be indifferent, etc; one good point the author made was that the whole point of the cataclysm was not so much the end of the world as it was about a new beginning, not the death of what was truly evil, but the birth of what was truly good! This little bit of an article is not intended to be a critique of the movie, so nothing much more will be said in that regard. except that if you were expecting a truly scriptural story, perish the thought, because it departs from the story of The Great Flood even further than Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings'!

Most Christians will agree that the Story pointed to the Christ, or the Messiah; as only a Remnant of Israel was saved from the baptism by fire that the Roman armies rained down upon Jerusalem & the Temple, so, as the Story goes, only eight were saved from the Great Deluge! The salvation that Noah, his Family & a certain number of Beasts experienced through the Ark was significant of the True Salvation, the spiritual regeneration that would come only through Incorporation into the Body of the Christ! While both catastrophes spelled certain & irrevocable death for the wicked, they ensured a New Beginning, or Genesis, for those who had Faith!

Some are currently 'toying' with the notion that the Story of Noah & the Ark, in the words of a rather famous swordsman, did not 'mean what you think it means'! In other words, these few are of the opinion ( very strong, in some cases ) that all the various beasts that were brought inside the Ark for Salvation were not really beasts at all ( not as we're used to thinking of them ), but were actually people, which, in a way, is significant of the Universal Aspect of Salvation, or in more scriptural terms, Jew & Gentile!

Whether the Beasts in the Ark were actually people or simply dumb animals, the point of the Story, as orthodoxically accepted, is that whatever was in the Ark was saved & whatever was outside the Ark perished in the Cataclysm! As the Story goes, after Noah & his family, along with all the beasts, had come safely through the Flood, the Creator reestablished His Covenant with Noah ( A New Beginning ), upon which Noah immediately planted a Vineyard, significant in & of itself, was filled with those spirits & revealed himself as no better than his forefather, Adam!

Although this New Beginning had rather a rough start, with Noah being forced ( ? ) to curse one of his sons, this New Beginning was significant of the Truly New Beginning which the Christ would later Institute through the offering of His Blood & Body on the Cross at Calvary! Just as the Creator sent a Deluge of Water on the Land to destroy the wicked ones of Noah's world, so He sent a Baptism by Fire on the Land to destroy the Wicked Ones of Jesus' world! Those who were Chosen to ride the storm out would experience a New Birth, a New Beginning!

Through their Incorporation into the Body of Christ, although many endured the Baptism by Fire, those in the first century were saved through this Cataclysm, just as those of Noah's world were saved from the Flood through the vessel of the Ark! The New Birth, as Jesus explained it to Nicodemus ( John 4 ) was a necessary part of this New Beginning; now we dwell with the Creator of Heaven & Earth, now there is no more death ( separation from the Creator ), now we enjoy His Presence ( 'no more tears' ) forevermore, the Day of Salvation is past, now we simply enjoy the Fruits of that New Beginning, the True Vine!

Charles Haddon Shank

'Gimme Some Sugar, Baby!'

Ever hear someone talk about, 'too much of a good thing'? It IS possible to OD on certain things, sugar for one, although sugar, in & of itself, is not a bad thing! Moderation is key & also depending on one's circumstances, totally abstaining from certain things might become necessary! The act of sexual intercourse, popularly known as 'sex' is yet another thing that must be carefully & thoughtfully observed. To maintain its significance & intimacy, we must limit our sexual urges to certain times & places, not to mention with a certain person!

Here's another one; 'familiarity breeds contempt'! Now, this may not seem to have anything to do with our subject, but if you think real hard, you might get a headache! Here's a hint though, 'if you stick your head through a window, the pane will be gone'! Okay, enough of that! Speaking of 'sex', depending on the person, of course, it can become rather mundane if practiced too often! Same with something as simple as sugar, if all one consumes is sugar, or sugary ( sweet ) things, even this can become a 'drag' ( especially on ones body )!

'Sugar', besides being an actual substance, can also be a code word for something else; kissing, or even sex can be implemented or requested by asking for this sweet but potentially dangerous, even deadly substance! Again, depending on the person, sugar can be a detriment to their health & even, in certain circumstances, bring death! Much of this though, can attributed to the type of sugar, how it was processed, etc, etc. The processes we employ to make life simpler & easier are actually making our lives more complex & harder, killing us slowly in the process!

The sexual act, like sugar, can be good or evil, depending on the circumstances, or process used to refine & define it! If one goes about it the wrong way, it ( sex ) can bring nothing but pane & suffering. Practiced the right way & using totally natural processes, both of the subjects at hand can be sweeter than honey & the honeycomb! Both were made, by the Creator, to be utilized with certain abandon & for our enjoyment. It is when we lose all sense & simply engorge in either glorious creation that trouble comes knocking at our door!

Sugar, the substance, not the act, is wonderful ( well, okay, the act too ); there are certain people, myself included, that just have a 'sweet tooth'! Then, on the other hand, there are those that just don't really have a hankering for 'the sweeter things in life'! As well, we have those too who should NOT have any of this delectable substance because it is not only dangerous to them; it can be deadly!

Practiced without certain restraints, those instituted by the Creator, the blessing of sexual intercourse can become a curse, both physically & spiritually! Due to certain processes, the sex act has been shown to mete out all manner of death, not to mention much needless pain & suffering. Through right & natural process, it, like pure cane sugar, can prove quite a boon to both ones physical & spiritual health!

'Too much of a good thing'? Yes; it is painfully obvious, especially in this Age of Technology & Industry, that this can quickly & easily happen! The obvious question could be asked here as well, 'what is meant by 'a good thing'; good for you, tastes good? Not everything that tastes good is good for you & not everything that's good for you tastes good. 'To each his or her own', I guess ( to make use of another cliche' )!

The point is, both sugar & sex, in their natural ( original ) state, are good, but through certain processes, have become dangerous to our health! Sugar, like salt or any other flavouring or spice, serves to 'spice things up', to make things taste better. It depends on the user if or how much of it is necessary to 'spice things up'! Correctly processed, both can be a real blessing, but with the wrong process, both can turn out to be a real curse & detrimental to our physical, spiritual & emotional health!

Charles Haddon Shank

'Be Fruitful & Multiply'; the Purpose of Marriage

But did He not make  [ them ] one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

Malachi 2:15

Undoubtedly, under that first ( covenant ) especially,  the Clear Purpose of our Creator in instituting the Covenant of Marriage was procreation! To 'be fruitful and multiply' was given as a command to the birds of the air & the fish of the sea ( though interestingly, not the 'beasts of the field' ) as well as Man on the Land. As we have have explored previously, Man & Woman were created with interlocking parts for which the primary utilization is the progression of the species. Most people understand how this works, so we don't need to get into the intricacies here!

Much is made in this day & age, not so much among Christians, maybe, as among those who make no claim on that Name, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience! The progression of the Covenant, from being more or less based in physicality to being manifest as spiritually discerned ( I Corinthians 15:46 ) seems to give us a clue that this statement is not far from the mark! This might engender many more questions, but is it possible that in the New Covenant ( age ) where there is no more marrying or giving in marriage ( Luke 20:35 ), we are meant to spiritually 'be fruitful and multiply'? the language of the apostle Paul concerning the Fruits of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9 ) seems to point in this direction as well!

Scripture tells us that 'children [ are ] a heritage from the Lord' ( Psalm 127:3 ); this, like the Creator who rewards His People thusly has not changed & will never change! It is not easy, especially in this day & age, to raise children, but the blessing of children cannot be denied! the apostle Paul does not give us a lot of insight into his relationship with Timothy ( or Timothy's mother ), but we are told that he was Paul's 'true son in the faith' ( I Timothy 1:2 ( I Corinthians 4:17 ); Titus was another who bore this Badge of Honor ( Titus 1:4 )! Clearly, it is not merely by physical procreation that we can 'be fruitful and multiply'!

In this Age of Technology there is much that exists, purportedly to make our lives easier, but which actually makes it more difficult! With greater technology usually comes greater cost & nowhere is this more evident than in the breakdown of the family unit! There are manifold ways in which greater technology has affected the family, but maybe the most obvious is the greater cost; many families, because of this greater cost, have done several things, one of which is that both husband & wife are almost forced to work outside the home, rather than one or the other staying home to take charge of raising their children & another is that the children themselves are seen as more of a burden, if there are children in the picture at all!

Someone once said that 'it takes a village to raise a child' & whether one agrees with the thought processes behind this particular statement & the one who made it, it is difficult to deny its veracity, at least in theory! 'Community' might be a better substitution for 'village', but this statement is itself not far off the mark! The Nuclear Family, with Father, Mother & Children, is traditionally how the order was set by our Creator, but they are not alone in their endeavor; ideally, everyone with whom they have blessed fellowship bears a part in the raising of these Heirs of the Earth! These Blessings were given especially to a certain set of parents to raise, but it is not on their shoulders alone that these Blessings rest, but on the greater, especially Covenant Community!

In this present Age, having been incorporated into the Body of Christ ( spiritually ), we understand that this ( incorporation ) is not physically, but spiritually manifested! We, as Timothy & Titus were not, are not so much Children of God by physical manifestation, though there is clearly that aspect, but by spiritual birth ( John 3 ), by spiritual multiplication! This is not to say that the family unit instituted by the Creator is no longer valid, just that our Covenant Horizons have witnessed a Great Expansion & Infinitely so!

Children ARE our heritage from our Creator, but it is not only those that have been especially entrusted to us that are a blessing to us! Neither is it to us alone that those with whom we have been especially blessed are a heritage; all those with whom we have blessed fellowship partake in this Communion! As we have witnessed, it is not by physical procreation alone that we are to 'be fruitful and multiply'; simply by partaking in the Blessed Communion that we have been given by our Creator, we are to establish His Seed in the Earth ( our world ), not simply by physical generation, but by spiritual procreation!

The Covenant of Marriage is a Sacred Institution; as the male & female anatomies have not changed with the Advent of the New Age, neither has this Eternal Institution! While there may be a question in certain people's minds as to whether we are in that New Age ( 'the age to come' ), the Conclusion is unavoidable; we are in the Resurrection ( Luke 20:34-36 ( John 11:26 )! Being in the Resurrection, having been awakened ( startled ) into our True Life, we understand that to fulfill our Creator's command is not simply to engage in the act of procreation ( it may not even involve that ), but to partake in Blessed Communion with the Fruits of the Spirit!

Charles Haddon Shank

 

A Perfect Republic

Many Christians today, while they would most likely oppose the evil of abortion, are, on the other hand, some of the most rabid supporters of empire-building, otherwise known as foreign wars! These same Christians voice their stance against abortion & yet throw their full support behind the warmongery this nation has been embroiled in for at least three quarters of her relatively short life! They justify their involvement with anything from, 'we must root out evil wherever it crops up', to 'we must support the nation of Israel at all costs'! Most of these Christians, as well, would likely tell you that we must blindly obey any governmental authority!

A republic, by its very definition, is a nation whose form of government is 'of the people, by the people, for the people'! According to this Rule of Law, elected representatives from the people govern by the statutes that the people, through their representatives, have ratified. This vision is fast fading in this great nation! Those representatives, for the most part, have become corrupt; rather than truly representing the people that they are meant to represent, they are representative instead of those who have themselves become corrupted through greed, maliciousness & terror!

'We the people' are not immune to this disease, either! Much of the problem lies with the general population; when it comes to decimating the Islamic Horde, most Americans, including many Christians, are almost as blood-thirsty & adept at warmongery as our corrupt leaders! The answer to the question, 'can we serve the Prince of Peace & bomb our neighbors' should be a simple one! The answer is a quick & definite NO! Then there is the nagging question of, 'who IS our neighbor'! Is 'our neighbor' limited to a certain geographical are? Is 'our neighbor simply one who needs our help, or is 'our neighbor' one who has done us no harm, yet stands between us & our target ( enemy ), through no fault of their own, but simply because they live there?!

Now, peace is not always the easiest option; there are times when it seems all you can do is bomb those who threaten our way of life, but we must remember too, our way of life, our Foreign Policy in particular, threatens their way of life! With our history of animosity towards them, even if we began to treat them all as our neighbors ( yes, even our enemies ), it is most likely that we would not experience an immediate reciprocation, but as Christians, are we not commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves & to treat others as we would like to be treated?

The problem is that we are on the receiving end now; having treated other nations like we have, we are now, as a nation, probably one of the most hated ( though feared ), probably on par with Ancient Rome! Much of what has made the evening news recently, including domestic violence, can be attributed almost directly to our involvement in foreign wars. Although Islam, as a religion, is in opposition to Christianity, groups like ISIS would probably not be lopping heads off if Christians had simply followed Jesus' command to love their neighbor! Again, this is not to say that Islamists would have never directly opposed Christianity, if Christians had not taken the violent tack they have, but at least the Christians would not be guilty of warmongery & idolatry!

If we are truly to have a republic, one governed by actual representatives of the people, then we must have a people who are Governed, not just by the Rule of Law, but by our Creator's Law, by the principle of loving our neighbor as ourselves & treating them like we would have them treat us! Until this change registers in the hearts & minds of Americans, Christians in particular, then all we can expect is more of the same & worse, for it can & will only get worse! This system of things, what can hardly be called a republic anymore, must be brought crashing to its knees before its citizens will realize that the Kingdom of God rules & until they understand & acknowledge this, there will be no lasting peace!

If Americans in general & Christians in particular opposed the killing of our neighbors across the seas as staunchly as they oppose the murder of the innocent, we would no doubt see a steep decline in the foreign conflicts that the U. S. Inc. involves this nation of fools in! Would God that we would see this day, the Day when Christians, even Americans in general, not only voice, but show a religious opposition to the senseless killing of our neighbors, whether they be next door or over the seas!

As things stand, though, all that we as Christians can do is to love God & our neighbor as ourselves! Treating others as we would have them treat us may seem a bit simple-minded & like closing the gate after the horse gets out, but at least we will have done our part! Though we as a nation have pretty much irreparably stuck our foot in it, maybe the best we can do as Christians is to secede ( politically ) from this Union & give up this idolatrous notion of empire-building! The only Empire a Christian should support & pledge his or her allegiance to is the Kingdom of our God & Father!

Charles Haddon Shank

To Those Who Have Bled

Although this is not meant to piss anyone off, especially those with friends or relatives who have given their all for this nation of fools, it probably will anyway! Those who have themselves served or are serving probably won't appreciate it either, but some things just need to be said, so here goes! While saying the things that need to be said, however, we must always remember to say them in love!

Untold Americans have lost their lives in defense of this country, or at least this country's ideals! Cold Comfort is pretty much all we can give to the families of those who have lost friends or loved ones ( or both ) in the conflicts, both foreign & domestic, of the god ole' US of A! It would be useless to say that these death were meaningless, for there is no doubt in the minds of most Americans that these conflicts were not only needful, but necessary to the preservation of our freedom & for the good of the world through the spread of their brand of democracy!

There are those, though ( thank God this number is growing ), who have questioned the necessity of these conflicts, in particular the foreign one! Defense of our own country, from invaders foreign & domestic are necessary; war is hell, yes, but there does come a time when we must throw down the gauntlet & fight or die! The Revolutionary War was one such; the so-called Civil War was another. The defense of our own soil & even coming to the aid of our allies is a noble endeavor; we are not advocating passivity!

From the first Barbary Wary until now, though the perpetrators & protagonists may argue till they're blue in the face that these actions were, not only necessary, but unavoidable, the unavoidable & devastating truth is, THEY WEREN'T! Would we, as a nation be where we are today if not for the courageous & selfless actions of those who fought & died in these foreign conflicts? Probably not, but then we must ask ourselves this very important question; ''would that really be such a bad thing??'

Much of what's wrong with the State of the Union is almost wholly & directly attributable to its involvement in foreign wars! Some may try to deny this troubling fact, but really, given any real thought, this sobering fact is undeniable! War is hell & though some sort of conflict is almost unavoidable, even on foreign soil, one might say, the damage that foreign wars especially have done to this nation, both by depriving her of her fathers & sons, mothers & daughters, then by depriving many of those who do make it out alive of their humanity, make them almost useless & even dangerous members of society! This, thanks to our Heavenly Father, is not true of all who have fought & bled!

Democracy is a funny thing; 'we the people', or at least the majority ( 'might makes right'? ) may, however loosely, hold the reigns, but even those reigns, many fear, have slipped irreparably out of our cold, dead hands! Not to mention the fact that most who have fought in defense of this nation of fools wouldn't even have gotten involved unless they were being paid ( okay, so I DID mention it ), the majority of those, of late, especially, who have fought, bled & died for the ideals they were taught, swallowed the line of propaganda they were fed, hook, line & sinker! Did they have to go overseas to fight the enemies of our nation? They were told they did! Some might say it was the real enemies of our nation that told them those lies!

We have only begun to piss people off; much more needs to be done & is currently underway ( has been for years ) that, Lord willing, will have the lasting effect of waking the American people out of their stupor! Only barely do we mention the fact here that much of our foreign policy is very against Scriptural principles ( no surprise there! ), even though our foreign policy regarding the Middle East & Israel in particular is nominally based on the Bible!

'So, what's the use', some may ask, 'of pissing people off; even if it's for the purpose of waking people up?' Are we even sure that's gonna work? It might just get us killed, or at least ostracized, right!? We can only tell the truth in love & hope that it's received in the same manner! We do not wish to denigrate or downplay the meaningful sacrifice of countless thousands, even millions who have given their all, but neither do we wish to see countless more, like them, lose their lives in these conflicts which are not as necessary as they might seem!

Working & Praying toward this End,
Charles Haddon Shank

The Journey

Life's a Journey, not a Destination'!

How true this statement is! This physical existence in Biology, whether one believes that 'Heaven' is our Final Destination or that we, as followers & hosts of the Son of our Heavenly Father currently make it our Resting Place, is definitely a trip; we are clearly meant to learn something along the way, as we journey through this biological experience. The Journey can be a reference to the actual steps we take as we make our way through this world, or it can refer, in a more metaphorical sense, to our maturation as we face new & different challenges along the way!

As most of you probably know, I recently took a rather long ( a day less than two months ) vacation! I first traveled to St. Thomas, one of the U. S. Virgin Islands where I spent three weeks enjoying the fairly relaxed pace of Island Life, on Island Time. After saying my farewells to my family there, I caught a plane up to Orlando where my baby sister lives in Winter Garden with her husband & children. When my two weeks there were up, I traveled to Virginia & spent several days with more family there & then rode out to Indiana where I spent two weeks with more family. Back to Montana was where I headed next, making it my final destination for that trip; but, my Journey was by no means over!

The experiences I endured on this part of my Personal Journey are ones that will doubtless stay in my mental passport for the rest of my existence! Not so much the experiences that I had, maybe, the things I did, but the things I learned, both about myself & others. I learned; experienced rather, that life is not so much about what a person believes, though that is important, but what a person does, whether that one claims a certain doctrine or not! Whether one has all his or her doctrinal ducks in a row or whether that one holds no particular doctrine sacred, when the rubber meets the road, what a person does with his or her belief or lack thereof is what really matters! We may quibble whether it's possible for a person to truly do what is right without acknowledging a blessed relationship with our Heavenly Father & the Body of His Son, His People, but when it comes down to it, doctrine doesn't do windows, to see clearly, one must actually use some full-strength elbow grease!

I enjoyed the time spent with family in each of my temporary destinations, but I also enjoyed the new acquaintances I made in each place as well! Some of the friends I made, in the Islands, in particular, are probably not ones that I would enjoy hanging out with on a daily basis, but then, I might say the same about certain members of my family! Difference in belief has a great effect, maybe too great, on how we experience this earthly life & so go our enjoyment, unfortunately! If only we could simply enjoy the company of a fellow creature, rather than basing our friendship, our fellowship, on what doctrine or creed a person holds to! Alas; as human beings, we tend to judge as worthy those who believe a certain set of doctrines, rather than seeing the worthiness of the creature in the actions they pursue!

Now that I'm back in Montana, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. It sure was an experience, what with traveling through several different airports & then spending several weeks in the Islands! Never will I forget my time there; in fact, I'm still processing some of it! Florida, was almost an entirely different experience for me; I enjoyed every moment, as I did in the Islands, but I traveled around a bit more. I did not spend as long in Virginia as I had hoped, but I tried to make the most of my time there & in Indiana as well. My time in Indiana was a pleasant one, for the most part & I AM grateful for the time that I was able to spend there!

As I continue this Journey, along with my fellow creatures & members of the Family of God, the Body of Christ, I'm looking forward to further experiencing the Grace & Mercy of our Heavenly Father, enjoying each new learning experience as it comes, or as I come to it! We may look at this life as simply a journey which we must endure before we reach our Final Destination, or we may approach it with amazement, with wondering eyes & minds, enjoying each step of the Journey! Our choice may determine how we weather Life's Storms!

Charles Haddon Shank

Love Without Restraint

One of the most misunderstood phrases in today's verbage is 'unconditional love'; it's also somewhat of a misnomer! Well, at the very least, one could object, 'isn't God's love unconditional?' Well, actually, no, it's not! The One who created us loves us because we are His! Does that sound unconditional to you? To be fair though, when most creatures speak of their Creator's 'unconditional love', they are referring to the 'fact' that, as any good earthly father, our Heavenly Father loves each of His children irregardless of their obedience or consummated love! Though this 'fact' may be a questionable one, can even this love be called unconditional? It is simply Love, for God is Love!

Love, before we even consider trying to define it unconditionally, must itself be defined! In today's day & age, 'love' most often is defined, as the apostle Peter seemed to be determined to do ( John 21:15-19 ), as more of a warm, fuzzy feeling, a brotherly love, or comradery, rather than as an action one chooses to perform or not to perform! Unconditional Love, as we have witnessed, is usually defined as this brotherly love, this warm fuzzy comradery that knows no limits. Is it possible for a human being, especially one with the Love of God in them, to love unconditionally? Sure; as all things are possible with God, it's conceivable that such a person could exhibit that Love, seemingly without condition, but even then, is it truly Unconditional Love; is there even such a thing?

Scripture, through the words of the apostle Paul ( I Corinthians 13 ) tells us much about what Love is & isn't. 'Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.' (‭ I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4-7‬ ) Love, according to the apostle Paul, rather than being a feeling, was something one does or does not do! Now, as we've explored previously, feelings are usually involved in our practice of Love & so, usually are why Unconditional Love is a misnomer, particularly for human beings!

It is evident that, especially in the past, Christians have shown an Unfailing Love, or Love Without Restraint! There is no doubt that, through the Love of God, many, even though Martyred for the Cause, have allowed the Love of God to shine through their actions & persevered in doing rightly, even though it cost them their biological life! Even though unrestrained, this was not an unconditional love, but was in fact conditioned on their being a fellow creature!

We have noted before, as well, that a love based on feelings is merely a brotherly love, a warm fuzzy feeling that can change like the weather! It is a well-established fact that feelings change & when they do, it's often like night & day! One day, this person would die for the other & the next moment they want to kill the other! One day one never wants to leave the side of the other & before you know it, that one can't get far enough away! Such is the 'love' most people practice today; based on feelings, it is blown by the wind!

Love Without Restraint, on the other hand, is more like what our Heavenly Father has shown us & what the apostle Paul described in his first letter to the Corinthians! True Love knows no bounds! Like its Creator, Who is indeeed the Embodiment of it, it is boundless, everlasting, eternal! As He shows Love Without Restraint for His Creation, so we, unrestrained by boundaries such as suffering, envy, pride & anger, may choose to love those that hate us & do rightly to those who wrong us?

Love, except as Embodied by the Creator Himself, cannot be unconditional! What we practice toward others, right or wrong, is conditional. Our choices are most often, like it or not ( even the 'best' of us ) based on our feelings; it's simply the human condition & the fact of the matter! We can, however, practice Love Without Restraint, for that is simply to do what is right to your neighbor, whether or not he or she is doing rightly. The question therefore is, 'are we commissioned to Love Without Restraint?' I leave you with this question!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Incorporation of the New Heavens & New Earth

Where do we go when our true self, our spirit, is separated from that which currently houses our true identity, the biological bodies in which we are experiencing this adventure/journey we call life? Is there a certain place somewhere out there, called 'heaven' ( whether it's a geographical location one can pinpoint, or a spiritual realm ) where we will dwell forevermore in endless bliss, floating around on clouds & playing harps? Does it really matter to our here & now?!

Truthfully, to many people, those with physical ailments & disabilities ( like myself ), the dream of a time when we will no longer be encumbered by these these physical ailments & disabilities is a very attractive one! The thought of running free of this physical body is so beguiling that many are so focused on what it will be like that they forget to live now! If 'Heaven' is a place ( ? ) where we go, only after the demise of our physical bodies, then what was the whole Purpose of our Heavenly Father in sending His Son to dwell with ( in ) us, if not to bring 'Heaven' to Earth?!

Again, truthfully, it is well-nigh impossible to look at the shape of our world, to say nothing of the State of the Union & say that we are in 'Heaven'! I mean, seriously, is the crap that threatens to suck us in on a daily basis really an accurate rendering of what the Scriptures said the New Heavens & New Earth would be like?! Well, actually, yes; we've been here before, but let's remember what the prophet Isaiah said about this 'place': 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. (‭ Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭13 & 14 ). Speaking of the difference between those who served Him & His Kingdom & those who served themselves & the kingdom of man, our Heavenly Father even tells us, through Isaiah, that there would be sinners in these New Heavens & New Earth! The apostle Peter spoke of these New Heavens & New Earth as a 'place' where Righteousness would dwell ( II Peter 3:13 )!

Most people today, when faced with the assertion that this is 'Heaven', immediately beg to differ; 'how can this be 'Heaven' when there is so much pain & suffering still; would a good God allow things like pornography & all the manifold evils of society to exist?' 'If this is 'Heaven', some would say, ' I want no part of it; I can't/wont believe in a 'Heaven' where child-rape, hunger, disease & all manner of evil is allowed to persist!' Here's a question for those people, our brothers & sisters nonetheless, 'who is really allowing those evils to persist in our ( own ) world, God, or us?' Is there nothing we can do, however helpless & hopeless we feel when facing such demons? Don't we have the Strength of the Creator welling up within us, through Whom we can do all things?!

Much of the fault, as with so many other things, lies in semantics, the way we say things! Is THIS Heaven, or are WE, the Body Of Christ, IN Heaven ( just like we are IN Christ )? There has been much reference of late, on this blog, to the Marriage of Heaven & Earth, wherein the Creator has eternally invested Himself into His Creation. No, in the sense that we were used to thinking of 'Heaven' were everything is idyllic & nothing hurts anymore, this is NOT 'Heaven', but in the scriptural sense, as the Dwelling of our Heavenly Father & His Kingdom where Righteousness dwells, WE are IN 'Heaven'! 'Heaven' is IN us & in that sense, WE are 'Heaven'!

Much more could be written on this Subject of Subjects, in fact, has been & will be, but how are we living the Life we have been given? Are we living & loving freely, as if there is no tomorrow ( we don't know when our time, biologically speaking, is up ), or are we existing, doing our part, but doing time, waiting for some future 'Heaven' when we have Peace in our hearts now, when Righteousness dwells in US now!

The question has been asked, 'Where do we reside upon physical death? My answer, simple though it may be, is this; 'right where we are now, in the Presence of our Heavenly Father!' Is there another 'place' that our spirits will rest after they are separated from this biology? Scripture really tell us of no other place & as for me, I want nothing more than Peace & Rest in the Arms of the Creator of Heaven & Earth!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Locust Eater & the Plagues of Egypt

 But I say to you that Elijah has also come

And they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.

Mark 9:13

In ancient times, especially over in the Middle-East & Asia, things that we as civilized Americans would hardly consider eating were on the daily menu! Survivalists have been known to eat some pretty crazy things & and even in the younger years of our nation, it might surprise you what some of our forefathers & mothers considered edible!

When John the Baptizer, cousin of Jesus the Christ, came eating locusts & honey ( Mark 1:6 ), this would not have seemed unusual to the general populace, as this is how many or most of his forbears lived & sustained themselves, especially in the wilderness! His forbear, the prophet Elijah, no doubt made much of his sustenance from this delicacy! How often, though, do we think about the significance of their consumption of these hording insects!

Looking through the Scriptural references to these amazing creatures, we find that 9.9 times out of 10, they are symbols of destruction, to whatever extent, usually utter! The eighth plague that was visited on Egypt by Yahweh involved hordes of locusts that 'ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees' ( Exodus 10:1-18 ). It is no coincidence that John came eating 'locusts and wild honey', for this signaled the coming Reversal of the Curse that was about to be inaugurated by the One for whom John paved the way, the Messiah of Israel & the Only Begotten Son of God!

Locusts were symbolically a part of the Curse, as is evident throughout Scripture, most famously, of course, beginning with the Plagues of Egypt & ending with the Plagues of Israel, or Babylon, which Israel had become like! In the famous Blessings & Cursings passage ( Deuteronomy 28 ), Yahweh promises those unfaithful to His Covenant, 'Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land' ( verse 42 ) . Speaking of the coming utter destruction of Babylon ( Jeremiah 51:14 ), He says 'Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, and they shall lift up a shout against you'. The first part of Yahweh's judgement against Judah & Jerusalem  ( Amos 7 ) involves 'locust swarms' that are intentionally formed by the LORD!!

At the 5th trumpet of the Revelation ( Revelation 9 ), we see the fulfillment ( symbolically of course ) of Yahweh's deadly promise in Deuteronomy 28! When the 5th trumpet ( judgment ) sounded, 'locusts' ascended from the bottomless pit; interestingly enough though, they were commanded not to harm that which naturally grows from the earth, 'but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads'. This curse, the fulfillment of the curse promised back in Deuteronomy 28 was not against the Land but was levied directly upon Man on the Land, he who disdained to acknowledge His Creator!

Throughout Scripture, as we have seen, 'locusts' symbolize an adverse judgment, a curse! How significant is it then that John the Baptizer appeared upon the scene, as no doubt all the prophets had, eating 'locusts and wild honey'? He who signaled the Coming of Messiah & the Reversal of the Curse was found eating ( consuming ) that which had symbolically been a part of the Curse!

While locusts are still a very destructive insect & are by no means a boon to any farmer worth his salt, they no longer symbolize Yahweh's judgment ( ? ), at least not Scripturally speaking! As any farmer will tell you, locusts are no friends of the farmer; when they descend upon the crops, the farmer knows that's pretty much all she wrote for that crop, unless he or she can get them away from the crop; it might surprise you, the lengths to which a farmer will go to keep the locusts at bay!

Although locusts still are a problem to the farmer especially, it is no longer a symbol of the Curse, as it was, though it no doubt is considered so by many! It is simply a part of our Heavenly Father's Good Creation that serves its purpose! It is destructive when swarming, but it can also stave of starvation! Personally, I have never eaten a locust, but I hear they can be quite tasty & no doubt are considered a delicacy, especially when covered in Dark Chocolate & wrapped in Bacon!

Charles Haddon Shank

A New Look at the Wheat & the Tares

While the Church of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has accomplished much over the millenia since the Marriage of Heaven & Earth, the Institutional Church, or what is often called the Visible Church, has become less & less effective, more & more splintered & marginalized that Christians have been leaving her hallowed walls in droves! Much of the reason for this is a common focus on the future hope of heaven rather than following our Lord's commands. In the hope of gaining some future utopian dream, many Christians tend to focus more on believing a certain set of man-made doctrines about the Son of God, rather than, as He commanded, loving Him & each other as ourselves!

The theme of 'us versus them' has been a common one as well among the whole of the Institutional Church! The notion that Jesus' return in Judgment, which is a Scriptural one, is yet to come in the future, means to the majority of Christians that Jesus' parable of the wheat & the tares is yet to be fulfilled; the tares ( wicked ones ) are to be allowed to grow together with the wheat ( the good ones ) until the Time of Harvest! Since these tares will be thrown into the Fire at that time, according to this paradigm the mission of the Institutional Church has not so much been one of redeeming the culture as in pulling those out of the culture ( whosoever will ) & saving them from the fires of hell & delivering their eternal souls!

Even among those who believe that the parable was fulfilled ( to completion? ) during the ministry of Jesus & the apostles, one may note a tendency still to view the world in somewhat the same way, as in that some are meant to perish while others are not! The Ministry of Reconciliation stands in opposition to this world-view, however, since we are not here to redeem souls for some future hope of heaven, but rather to redeem every aspect of our culture for the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father! It stands to reason, yes, that not all will accept this reconciliation, it being abundantly clear that, although this redemption & reconciliation has been accomplished ( remember, Jesus cried out on the cross, 'it is finished'! ), not all have, in the past, accepted it, or reconciled themselves to this glorious fact!

Fulfilled Reconciliation & Redemption, while in the greatest sense meaning that these are accomplished, does not in the universalistic sense mean that everyone is automatically 'all good'; this Redemption must be realized, this Reconciliation accepted, in order for them to have the desired effect! In other words, we can no longer few the world through the lens of 'us versus them'; we must treat everyone in such a way a to open their eyes to this Reality; as Ministers ( Agents ) of Reconciliation, we must show, through our storied lives, what the Creator has done in investing Himself in ( to ) His Creation, by Instituting a Marriage Covenant with Her!

We, as the Body of Christ, must & do stand in opposition to what is wrong & wicked, but we must realize that, while the actions themselves are wrong & wicked, the perpetrators are not beyond hope! If we do not treat them in the way that the Institutional Church traditionally has, promising a future hope of heaven if only they will confine themselves to her hallowed walls, so to speak, we may, though redeeming the culture, illuminate the correct pathway for them! By employing Jesus' philosophy of treating others as we would like to be treated, we may encourage the fulfilled reconciliation of the world!

The Church, whose Head is the Very Son of God, has been commissioned with the Ministry of Reconciliation! As such The Gospel has spread, in its Glory over the entire Creation; however, the Institutional Church, with her man-made doctrines & orthodoxy, has attempted, for centuries, to rehang the veil that was torn by separating between the sheep & the goats, discerning for themselves who is in & who is out, who is headed for heaven & who is headed for hell!

When the veil was torn, the separating wall between God & His Creation fell flat; there is now nothing between except for the walls the Institutional Church has reassembled in its place! Glory be to God, those separating walls are crumbling as people realize that not only does the Institutional Church not have a lock on orthodoxy, they hold no sway over the Kingdom of Heaven & the Blessings of the Creator's Presence! Although some of those who are beating the doors down to leave the Institutional Church are going a bit overboard, for various reasons, the movement ( revolution, really ) is being led by a return to Scriptural principles such as treating others as you want to be treated!

Viva la revelucion!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Word & The Sacrament: the Age of Aquarius

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

It is through Him, through Communion with the Son of the Highest & our Creator that we have Life! Without Him, there IS only the life ( existence ) that is common to humanity; without the blessedness of Communion with the Body of Christ & our Heavenly Father, we should 'eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die'! If we partake in the Sacred Life of the Son of God, we have Eternal Life & will never die!

Of late, there has been much concern voiced over a growing trend of people leaving the Institutional Church in droves! This is of greater or lesser concern to many Christians, greater to those with a more traditional mindset, lesser to those more open to the notion that the Institutional Church & the Body of Christ are not One & the same! Of course, this is not to say that tradition is wrong, in & of itself, or even that those who cling to tradition are all wet, while on the other hand, it is not either to say that the members aren't interchangeable; one can belong to the Institutional Church & the Body of Christ at the same time! Again, just because One belongs to the Institution doesn't automatically mean that one belongs to the Body!

Jesus, we must keep in mind, though One with the Father & Almighty God Himself, confined Himself, in His humanity, to living in that 'present evil age', the age before the one we now live in, what He Himself called 'the age to come'! That was the age, particularly toward the end, in which Jesus & His disciples conducted their ministry, the ministry of which Jesus told His disciples , 'follow Me and I will make you fishers of men'! With the coming of the New Age, that 'age to come', in which we are 'sons of the resurrection', rather than being 'fishers of men', we now, as it were, are vessels ( pitchers ) of living water, that which Jesus promised would flow forth from the innermost parts of His disciples!

Although, in a sense, one might say that there are still plenty of fish in the sea ( more fish to fry ), according to Jesus Himself & the Fulfillment of His Revelation, there is no more Sea, therefore, by extension, one could say, there are no more fish! Jesus promised His disciples that 'He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'. We no longer must angle for fish; now, in this New Age, we are water bearers; simply through our faithfulness to The Covenant & our Joyful Living, we baptize the Creation ( our world ) with the Light of His Grace, through the Power of His Spirit!

One short article that has recently caught the attention of this blogger was authored by one of those with a lesser concern for the new trend of leaving the Institutional Church! His mindset was more along the lines of those that would discern between the Body of Christ & the Institutional Church. This blogger even went so far as to suggest that this movement is of God, or instigated by our Heavenly Father; it IS His Church, after all ( not the IC, but the BoC )! I would tend to agree with that statement, but maybe that's just me, rebel & heretic that I am!

'And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being'! Speaking of this physical existence, as the apostle was here, it is manifest that it is only through communion with Him & with His Creation that we have life at all, but through the blessedness of Communion with the Body of His Son, the Church, not the Organization but the Organism, we have Life without End!

We partake in the Sacred Life of the Word, not by eating a special meal every Sunday or by following a certain traditional ritual; we partake in the Life of Jesus by being His Water-bearers, vessels from which He pours forth His Abundant Life upon a dry & thirsty Land! As we minister this Sacred & Abundant Life which was poured graciously upon us, let us remember in turn to love as we were loved, not because we were worthy of that love, but because we simply were & because He is!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Institution of Illumination-for William Vincent

 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.

Matthew 4:16

In the beginning God......................................said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. The Light which was created in the beginning was significant of that Light that was to shine in the Darkness, those in 'the region and shadow of death'. The context, especially the greater ( original ) context, shows what area of the world the writer was referring to & that the reader should have understood. That this Light yet shines is not in question, but how & for what purpose is!

During the early & mid first century, the Light shined, as Scripture had foretold, upon those who sat in darkness. That Darkness was the Reign & Ministration of Sin & Death that the apostle Paul spoke of ( II Corinthians 3:7 ) as a characterization of pharisaic Judaism! It was upon that 'region and shadow of death' that the Light came to shine & was finally revealed as the Creator Himself in the destruction ( judgment ) of Jerusalem & the Jewish Temple, thus effectively ending their reign!

The purpose of evangelism, from Jesus to Peter & Paul, was to prepare the Church, the Body of Christ, to continue to shine that Light throughout the entire Creation, to baptize it with the Knowledge of the Creator! That Purpose, much like Eschatology, was fulfilled; as Jesus said, 'you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes': His disciples were to evangelize, or spread the Good News, throughout the cities of Israel & 'this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come'. Paul later wrote to the Church at Colosse, 'the gospel.........was preached to every creature under heaven'! Now, we understand that this 'every creature under heaven' did not refer to the entirety of Creation, as we are used to thinking of it, but to the known ( civilized ) world of the Jesus Generation!

To be sure, there are areas of the world ( the terrene globe ) yet to be evangelized, or told the Good News, but the Greater Need in this day & age is for Illumination, not for Evangelization, per se! We as the Body of Christ are now the Light that shines in the darkness; Jesus told His disciples, 'You are the light of the world'. His final instructions to them were, 'make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' ( Matthew 28:19 ) The Church was prepared, during the ministry of Jesus, for her ministry of reconciliation, for evangelization; through the ministries of Peter, Paul & the apostles, this ministry was fulfilled!

The ministry of reconciliation, or evangelization, was to the Jews & those who had sat in darkness all their life! The Coming, or Parousia of the Jewish Messiah shed that Light upon the World that had been waiting for Him! In the Marriage of Heaven & Earth, wherein the Creator was forever united with His Creation, the Good News of the Kingdom of God had been fully established; although not fully realized. The Realization that the Kingdom of Heaven is established call for a ministry of Illumination, not further Evangelization!

There is a need, to some extent, for further evangelization, but the greater need is for illumination; illumination, to help people, Christians inn particular, that when the Light came, He never left; He is in His People! We are the Ministry of Illumination, the Ministry, not so much of Reconciliation anymore, although there is that need yet, but to let our light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven! Only as we shine that Light before the world they may begin to realize, most Christians included, that the Kingdom of Heaven is A Present Reality!

The Light has come; the Good News was spread, through evangelization to the known world! What is needed now is not further evangelization ( which nowadays seems to be, 'say this prayer so that you can go to heaven when you die ), but rather illumination. Although the god of that age was overthown in the Lake of Fire & forever destroyed, we, as the Body of Christ & the Light of the World in this day & age fight against similar demons ( idols ) which blind the eyes of even many Christians! 

Charles Haddon Shank

The Fulfillment of the Journey

Well, I'm home at long last!

At just less than two months, my journey of discovery was a much-needed one, one that 'hit the spot', so to speak! I leaned a few things in the course of my travel, one of which was already swimming around in the back of my mind; people are people, no matter what they believe: for the most part, if you treat them like you would like them to treat you, you will usually receive a fair treatment! This is not always the case, unfortunately, sometimes we receive the treatment we deserve, while some people are just plain assholes!

Another thing I learned ( I may have already mentioned this ); I CAN do this! I flew to an island nation far away, walked more than I have for some time & did some things I had been wanting ( if only subconsciously) to do for awhile! One was taking a long trip to a foreign island nation. Another was meeting new friends in these foreign lands. Check & check!

In many ways, this journey, in my mind, was a journey of ( self ) discovery, whereas I tried to leave things as they lay, keeping an open mind & leaning on our Fathers's good provision! I'm certainly not perfect, there are probably things I could have done better & there are others that a certain wisdom would tell me ( & did ) that I should have left undone, but I have no regrets; I'm grateful for the opportunities I was given & the experiences that will stick with me for the rest of my life!

I hadn't thought about it, but as my one brother-in-law remarked, this was my 'sister trip'! I visited with my oldest sister & her family in the Virgin Islands, then my youngest sister & her family in Florida. While I missed seeing her twin & that twin's family in Virginia, I also didn't get to spend as much time in Virginia as I had hoped; maybe next time! After a couple much-needed days with my parents in Virginia, I was headed to Indiana to see yet another sister, one from whom I had distanced myself, as I had from most of my family! For me, this was also a journey of discovery, in the sense of seeking a sort of reconciliation from many of those I had distanced myself from! I trust that I accomplished this goal; although there are still hurdles to overcome & walls to bring crashing down, I have a better feeling about things now!

In many ways, one could say that this trip was simply the latest stage in the journey that our Father set before me long ago! The stage before this was the learning experience I received during my short marriage, the separation & my slow recovery from the devastation & desolation ( still not there )! The best way to look at, I guess, is that life is a journey: one of my favorite sayings is, ' if you're not learning, you're dead'! If you only think of the destination that you want to reach, you're not going to learn much on your journey!

Over the course of this stage of my journey, I AM confident that everything I learned along the way will prove to be useful in the fulfillment of this Jouney we call Life! One thing that we should all note is that, no matter what religion one adheres to, no matter what a person believes, they ARE worthy of our love! We may not like them, we may actually have an intense DIS-like for them, but we can still treat them with kindness & respect, for that is how we like to be treated!

Looking forward to the rest of the Journey,
Charles Haddon Shank