By William Moss

Forward

Because there are those among us who aspire, and because there is this time and season, and because there is this God who beckons to us from the heights, this book is written. In every age and in every place where men aspire, there is that which withstands them. Every time the sons of God appear before God, the Devil comes also. In every place that grace is given, there is the law to provide the counterpoint. When the times and seasons of God bring forth the Manchild, there is the Dragon waiting. It is our purpose to identify the dragon and to unmask the devil and to warn the traveler.

There is that which in every age opposes.

It is fitting that we do not war against 'flesh and blood' for we are, at the center, a spiritual people. It is not some secular heaven that we aspire to but the very heart of God.  And because we do not simply set our sights on financial security or a well-rounded religious experience or a reputation among the brethren, we may well be numbered among the radicals of our generation.

But we must, simply must, keep faith with those who have gone before us, as well as those who may come after us.

And we must keep faith with ourselves.

To stop short is unthinkable.

But rest assured, on the way we will meet that one who stands in the gate and seeks to deny us entrance. In this age, that one is not some will-of-the-wisp from the past but an identifiable entity with a name and a character and a history Of mischief-making.  And, although his best work is done in the dark, he can be dragged into the light.

He can be called to account!

He who has 'laid waste' can be laid waste himself for He who once led 'captivity captive' is still in business.

And so we say ...

The Dream

It was a strange scene.  On a stage suspended somewhere between heaven and earth a young man was engaged in earnest dialogue, first with one and then with another.  The subject was religion and what a man's duty was in this life and how he must finally come to acknowledge God and His claim on his life.

The young man seemed quite persuasive.
Some stopped to listen.  Some even to the point of agreement.  These he took gently by the hand and introduced them to the religious system he represented.

But there was more to the scene than that.  To be sure, there was the young man.  And, yes, he was attempting to proselyte others.  But (and this was the strange part) above him, much like a director riding a broom above a sound stage, there hovered an apparition.

I say hovered because that is how it seemed.

I say apparition because it did not have the distinctive features one would associate with a flesh and blood creature.

No. It was more like the genie who sprang from the lamp of Aladdin, as illustrated in a child's book of fables.

Above, floating, unreal, and yet, very real indeed.  So real, in fact, that it literally dominated the scene.  So much so that one finally became aware that it (the apparition) really was the director and that all of those on the stage (including our young man) were merely players. Only as you grasped that fact were you able to ascertain the real situation and the almost mechanical actions and reactions of the players on the stage began to make sense.

Yes, the young man's words were fervent.  Yes, his manner was sincere.  But then you began to notice that which had been hidden before, i.e. his heart wasn't in it.  It was only a role he was playing.  Indeed, his actions were those of a well-trained horse being put through his paces by the owner.  There were invisible strings attached to him and he was being manipulated by the puppet-master who hovered above him.

As the play continued it became apparent that the young man was not satisfied with his role-playing.  Indeed, on more than one occasion, he moved toward the outer limits of the stage, as if wanting somehow to escape the situation.  But he was always drawn back by the invisible strings.

And then it happened.

The young man not only reached the edge of the stage but suddenly  turned his back on the performance and began to walk away from it.  Just as suddenly, the Entity seemed to sense that his power over the young man was diminished.  His reaction was immediate and terrible to behold.  He screamed after the young man.

"Look", he cried, "look up there in the sky!"

The young man looked.

All he saw was a wispy white cloud against the blue of the sky.

"Look", it cried again, "and know this.  You will never know your God except as a wispy intangible, a vaporous substance, like that small cloud up there!"

At that pronouncement, and without thinking, the young man spun on his heels.

"Oh, no", he cried, and the words seem to flow from his lips.

"Oh, no!  I will know Him.  I will know my God.  Beyond the wispy intangibles of religion, I will know Him!"

Without warning the words in his mouth, understandable to this point, changed into that which was not understandable.  Different words.  Strange sounding words.  Full-of-power words.  They filled his tongue and leaped the distance between him and the apparition.
As he continued his impassioned speech, a strange thing occurred.

The apparition vanished!

One moment he was there, the next, poof, he was gone.
And, in his place, what appeared to be a steel girder, upon which the young man set his feet.

Then he knew.

He was free.  He was finally and at long last free!
Not only of the apparition but of his former limitations.
Far below him, the earth and the peoples of the earth.  And he knew that he could step off the girder and, with one giant stride, onto the surface of the planet, now thousands of feet below him!

The young man woke from his dream.

And wondered.

And inquired of his God.

And his God gave understanding to him.

"What is the name of the Entity", he asked, "who had such power over me and my actions"?

The Lord said, "his is a Jewish name".

"Yes", the young man cried, "I know his is a Jewish name, but who is he and what does he represent?"

The answer came.

"He is the Spirit of the Pharisee".

THE DISEASE

From the beginning there has been that which has stood against the purpose of God in man.  It has been called by many names and has fully earned it's reputation as the most cunning of adversaries.  For the purpose of this writing, I will refer to it as the Spirit of the Pharisee and will liken it to an illness or disease.  Not the ordinary, garden variety disease, to be sure, but one that is always and in every place deadly.  Much like the cancer in our modern time, it thrives in the dark, and, because of that, it's work is the more effective.

Strangely enough, it is not a disease that afflicts just anyone.  Rather, it is reserved for those among us who would be 'rich', those who aspire to higher thoughts and whose commitment is beyond the ordinary.

It was in the time of Jesus, who was called the Christ, that we were afforded the clearer picture, the most elaborate display of the disease in full flower.

Indeed, it is as if we are present at the initiation rites of Pharisaism and it is the Holy One himself who is instructing us and warning us against the most dread disease, spiritual pride.

It is that which takes hold of the ambitious and attaches itself to the king.

At first it does not appear to be more than an appropriate self-esteem.  But the cells divide and the tumor grows and the sickness spreads. Until...

In the secular world we are often made aware of what we refer to as pride or self-confidence.  As with arsenic, a small amount can be quite beneficial.  In psychiatry, a bolstering of self-esteem is often the aim and a healthy regard for oneself is regarded as essential to mental and emotional health.  Indeed, it is doubtful if any good has ever come to mankind through the negative emotion.

No 'worm of the dust' painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or sailed his craft over uncharted waters.  No shrinking violet tacks his thesis to the church door nor inferior person takes to the air at Kittyhawk.  Britannia rules the waves, not simply because she has many ships, but also because she believes in herself, in her institutions, in her destiny.

Self-esteem!

A feeling of self-worth!

A pride that has not degenerated into arrogance!

How comely, indeed.  How refreshing.  How needful!  Would to God that all of His people drank from that well and supped at that table.  But there is another side to the coin and a down-side to the mountain.  It is the perversion of the ideal.  It is the overdose, the too-much of a good thing.  It is that which contorts and twists and wrests the concept of self-worth into monstrous shapes, alien principle. It is the net that is spread for the feet of all who aspire.

Everyone who has ever served in a capacity that sets him 'above' his fellows knows of it.  Every Private First Class, every second Lieutenant.  Every Justice of the Peace, every Clergyman.  Perhaps it would be fitting to add especially every Clergyman.  Of course we speak of the Destroyer.  A Spirit which has destroyed, continues to destroy, and will always destroy, for such is it's nature.  Especially is it sent to withstand those who, in every age, would ascend that 'Holy Hill' of the Lord.

Among the things that God hates the most, this is the biggie! Right up there with the lying tongue is the proud look.  Indeed, in Proverbs 8, Evil itself is defined as "pride and arrogancy" and the "forward mouth do I hate" is a declaration of God himself.  Again, in Proverbs 14, "in the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride".  Isaiah pronounces "woe on the crown of pride" and Jeremiah speaks of it as a deceiver... "The pride of your heart has deceived you."

But it is not sufficient for us to quote to you the appropriate scriptures. We are all more or less aware of them.  We know of the warnings issued throughout the Book.  None Of us are ignorant of the fact that when and if it (pride) is fully developed in any of us, that assorted woes and calamities are surely on their way.  Pride does, indeed, "go before destruction" and a "haughty spirit before a fall".

But the disease does not appear full blown.  That is at once our joy and our opportunity.  It was only after the 'son of the morning' became awakened to his great power and considerable beauty that 'sin' (ambition) was found in him.

Then, and only then, did he seek to ascend and was moved to challenge the sovereignty of God.

The Pharisee was a unique individual. Unique in the sense that the widow with the two mites was unique.  And the fallen woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears was unique. God knows he was not the first proud man, no more than the widow was the first to offer from her meager store toward the upkeep of the house of God.

No.

They were unique because in them the various elements of man were brought together, codified, crystallized.  Now and forever after, we who follow after will be able to understand the principle.  In the widow we see, as long as life endures, the spirit of true giving.  In the Pharisee, the spirit of religious bigotry and spiritual pride.  They have given substance to the form.

Thank you, God, for the Pharisee.

In him and through him and because of him, you have made manifest that which has been hidden from us before. In his thoughts, actions, and attitude, we are brought face to face with ourselves.  As you manifested that which was Christlike in us all, he brought to light that which was (and is) Anti-Christ in us all.

Now we know and are without excuse. As your Spirit remains with us long after the events of the gospel narrative have come and gone, so his spirit remains with us, whispering to us, seducing us, delivering us into judgment, again and again and again.

Thank you, God, for the Pharisee!
Someone has to play straight-man for You.
Someone has to set You up for the punch line!

Of course, the ancient sect is long gone from us.  And even if it did continue it is doubtful if any would openly avow themselves a member.  Of the Catholic tradition?  Yes.  Baptist, Methodist, and even Pentecostal?  Yes, but not Pharisee.  Why?  For a very simple reason.  The name is come to mean something quite different to us than it did to those alive in the time of the Son of Man.  In that day, to the majority of the people, the Pharisee was a man or group of men who took their religion quite seriously, indeed, more seriously than the ordinary Jew.  Their zeal was legendary, their commitment and dedication to the last 'revealed' word from their God (the law of Moses) unsurpassed by any.  The Apostle himself bearing witness to them, their attention to detail, and their 'righteousness' as defined by that law.  They were the 'separated' ones.

Today, of course, we have a different perspective.  Today the name is taken to mean one who is intolerant, bigoted, proud and arrogant.  One who is pleased to find out (and quick to point out) that he is 'different' from the ordinary folk who inhabit this planet with him.

The Pharisee who went up to the temple to pray, although only a parable that Jesus told, is a perfect example.  It is recorded for us in Luke 18.  Jesus, speaking to "certain that trusted in themselves that they were righteous" and "despised others", told this parable to them:  "Two men went into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself, God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess."

Now the "Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes. toward heaven, but smote his breast, saying God, be merciful to me, a sinner." When we go beyond the words, it gets a bit sticky.

For what that certain Pharisee said in that parable that Jesus gave, is what their descendants have been saying (or thinking) and the attitude itself is familiar (painfully so) to the most of us.  It is the attitude that suggests that we religious types are inherently 'better' than our neighbors.  Oh, God, I'm so glad I don't puff on them cigarettes, or hanker after corn squeezin's and am content with this one wife you have given me.  I'm also glad, by the way that you have seen fit to make me a bit more moral, a bit more law-abiding, and a whole lot more 'spiritual' than the Publican over there.  I know he is praying at the same altar as I am, but God, we both know that there is a distinction to be made, even between those who worship at the same altar.

Yes, there was a distinction to be made, and Jesus made it.  The rascally (in the eyes of the Pharisee) Publican went down to his house justified rather than the self-righteous Pharisee.

Now it is obvious that Jesus was not saying that our friend, the Pharisee, would be better off, spiritually speaking, if he extorted a little money, cheated on his taxes, or dragged his neighbor's wife off to the bushes.

No.

What He was saying, however, was that this man (the Pharisee) knew nothing of the grace of God, trusted much too much in his ability to 'keep' the law of Moses, was a self-righteous prig and that a goody-two-shoes was going to have a most difficult time entering into the kingdom!

You're sick, man!  A lot sicker than that Publican fellow you are looking down your nose at!

In describing the disease in detail, there is a chapter in one of the New Testament writings that lays it all out for us.  The chapter is 23 and the writing is Matthew's.

Now it may be that the apostle Matthew recorded the clashes between Jesus and the Pharisees more faithfully than the others.  Or perhaps it was simply that he, being a Publican himself, was more attuned to the nuances.  At any rate, Matthew 23 is one woe piled on top of another.

Woe!  Woe!  Woe!

Accusation, charge, put-down, exposure.  After that particular 'sermon', doesn't surprise me in the least that they "went about to kill him".  No Pharisee worth his salt would have been able to sit through a tirade like that without is face gathering just a wee bit of 'darkness'.  Just give a listen:

"They (the Pharisees) bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
and:

"All of their works they do to be seen of men."

"They love the upper most rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues."

"and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi, i.e. teacher or master." (Shame on those terrible folks, right?)

Now here come the woes, here come the woes!

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in."

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  You devour widow's houses, and for a pretense make long prayers . . ."

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you compass land and sea about to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than you yourselves."
(So much for missionary out-reach).

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin (down to and including the very least of your crops) but you have omitted the weightier matters of the law, (such as) judgment, mercy, and faith: . . ."

"You blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel."

(Oh, my.  That is a low blow.)

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within are full of extortion and excess.  You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."
(We do seem to have a problem with that one, don't we?)

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Oh, me.  That's all.  Just, oh, me!)

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets (the dead ones, that is) and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous (the departed righteous, that is).  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets."

There is something especially tragic in this assumption.  I'm sure the Pharisees were sincere.  I do not for a moment think that they thought themselves capable of doing such terrible things as slaying Abel or stoning Zechariah.

But what they failed to understand, even as we do, was that neither they nor we are dealing with a flesh and blood situation, but rather with a Spirit.

And they who are dominated by and subject to that Spirit WILL find themselves 'slaying Abel' and 'stoning Zechariah', i.e. the modern day equivalent.  That is why Jesus could predict that when He sent to that generation (or this one) "prophets, and wise men, and scribes" that they would indeed 'kill and crucify' some of them and others "scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: . ."

The King

In ancient Israel, there lived a young man of the tribe of Benjamin.  He was a typical young Israelite, kind, considerate, and obedient to his father, Kish.  He also was a very striking young man, physically tall and robust, 'head and shoulders' above his peers.  He was also blessed with a becoming modesty.  One day this young man, Saul by name, happened upon a circumstance that changed his life forever.  While searching for donkeys that had strayed, he turned aside to inquire of a certain Seer.  When he did, much to his surprise, the Seer fastened his eyes on him and declared, "Is it not because the Lord has anointed you to be the captain over his inheritance?"

Well, that was not something a young Benjamite heard everyday and the shock of the pronouncement was evident in the young man's reply.  "Am I not a Benjamite, one of the smallest of the tribes of Israel?  And is not my family the least of all the families within that tribe?  Wherefore (in the light of this) do you speak such things to me?"

Or, are you sure you've got the right party?

Of course the word of the prophet stood (as it always does) in spite of the reaction of the young man.  Saul was chosen, he was anointed, he did serve as king over Israel.

But that is by no means the end of the story.

No.

Follow the young man, if you will, from his humble beginnings to his greatest triumphs (and there were many of them) and you will begin to notice that soon after his coronation, something happened to the lad, something terrible.  For he who had slain his 'thousands' met up with something that he couldn't slay, something deep within himself that he could not overcome.

His rejection by God is one of the most moving acts in the entire drama of God.

For this was not an alien king or a pagan prince.  This was a man chosen of God out from the household of God.  It was God himself who had made the appointment and the prophet of God who had poured the oil of anointing on his head.  It was the people of God who had hailed him as King.  And it was from God that the young king had received the courage and wisdom to rule over his house.

It was also God, the very same God, who deposed him.

The story of Saul the King is not a pleasant one either to read about or to reflect upon.  Most of us will hurry past this particular example.  After all, are we not of the 'David' company?

What then do we have to do with Saul?

But Saul is a friend and the story of Saul is not simply the story of a young man thrust into a position of authority before he was able to handle it responsibly.  No. Saul is the story of Everyman and is relevant still, especially to those of us who have had the words spoken over us and the wine poured on our heads.  For Saul, like us, did not initiate the contact with his God.  He was singled out.  He was chosen.  And he did not aspire to the throne.  He was elevated to it. Further, it is a story of a man who did well (for a season) and glorified his God (for a time) but who forgot, or never understood in the first place, that power is a corrupter and applause a heady wine!

Now some maintain that God's arm was twisted a bit by the demands of Israel for a king to rule over them.  But nowhere does it indicate that God could not have simply said no.  No. The fact is that God chose to do what He did, and He chose the lad through whom to do it.

Saul was a chosen vessel unto his God.

And he was a chosen vessel who made all the right moves, at first.  Indeed, in the beginning, the proposition did not appeal to him at all.  When they came around to fetch him for the installation ceremony, they couldn't even find him.  The scriptures tell us that he had hidden himself "among the stuff." (Doesn't appear as if he was exactly lusting after the position, does it?)

After he was finally located and persuaded to accept the mantle of leadership, it is also recorded that he behaved himself admirably and acquitted himself with honor, both before the people of God and against the enemies of the people of God.

It was not until later, after his first real triumph, and after he had savored the 'perks' of kingship for a season, that he found himself on the wrong side of a dispute with the same fellow (Samuel) who had anointed him to be king in the first place.  This time the meeting was not so cordial nor the occasion as joyful.  This time the prophet had a different message for him.

It seems our young king had been exposed to and had contracted one of the most deadly diseases of all, self-importance.  Not content with playing his assigned role, that of king over Israel, he purposely and deliberately insinuated himself into the priestly office.  The amazing thing was that he didn't seem to consider the event noteworthy.  It was only after Samuel came and spoke to him as he did that he began to grasp the fact the he, even though he was king, still must answer to his God for his actions.

"You have done foolishly," the prophet told the king, You have not kept the commandments of your God. If you should have, the Lord would have established your kingdom upon Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue..."

I do wish I could summon a bit of outrage. The man obviously did wrong. He deserved what he got. Case closed.

But the case isn't closed, is it?

You who have been apprehended in this day, you know, don't you? All of you have been thrust onto the stage of God's doing at this present time, you are aware, aren't you? Saul was not the first nor the last 'king' to abuse his Power of Office.

No.

The Spirit of 'pride and arrogancy' is still very much with us.

First the Blade...

The young man was not really much of a preacher, as preachers go.   No fruit for the inspectors, no crowds surrounding him when he spoke, no disciples hanging on every word.  What he was sure of was that he had been 'called' and that from his youth.  But there did not seem to be a niche for him to fill. No one calling for his services and few interested in his views.

Perhaps it was because he never had been all that comfortable with the fire-and-brimstone approach to ministry.  And not having that 'mark', could not buy or sell in the religious marketplace.  Or, perhaps, it was simply that he had never said or done anything noteworthy.

At any rate, he was not highly regarded in the small congregation.

But one day, by the providence of God, he was appointed as one of four youth ministers who, at the discretion of the pastor, would speak during a special meeting of the local assembly.

In the meantime, some very startling things began to happen to the young man.

He received a pamphlet in the mail, read it, and was strangely moved by the words contained in it.  Indeed, it proved to be a catalyst for an awakening in his spirit. While he didn't understanding exactly what was taking place, he was aware that, whatever it was, it was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

Take the bible, for instance.  It did not contain the same meanings 'before' as 'afterward'.  New thoughts and concepts began to form in his mind; thoughts and concepts that were not comparable with the conventional and the traditional.

Indeed, some appeared quite unorthodox and he did not feel as if he dared speak of them to any.  And yet he found he could not contain them and so, finally, sought out a sympathetic ear. But the strange sounds of revelation were not standard fare, and he did not share them with just anyone.

The time finally arrived for the special meeting.  Of the four who had been selected, our young man was, indeed, the ugly duckling.  One of the young men was the brother of a quite famous 'healing' evangelist.  Another was the son of a well-regarded, old-time minister of the gospel.  The third was a paragon of virtue, a beautiful young man, an accomplished speaker, complete with lovely young bride.

The contrast was considerable.

Our young friend had no such credentials.

When the time came for him to speak, however, something happened to him.  Something incredible and hard to be understood.  His words were not halting or lame, as one might imagine, seeing as how he was a novice.  No, indeed.  There was no nervousness in his manner, nor hint of fear. It was as if someone or something was producing thoughts and presenting ideas and illustrations that he personally had no knowledge of.

The flow continued.

Finally, after an hour or so, the gruff old pastor tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You can't preach it all in one night".

After the meeting many things occurred.

Some blessed.  Some cursed.  And some simply wondered.

But our young friend was not a non-entity any longer.
He was taken account of.
He had been noticed.
He was not hidden 'among the stuff' any longer.

Another King

Pride is a rich man's disease.

And if King Saul made the point, King Nebuchadnezzar drove it home.  I'm sure you remember him.  He ruled over the kingdom of Babylon for many years.  What happened to him while doing so is a fascinating and revealing story.

Unlike some who have picked a fight with God's people, he came out a winner.

Or, at least, in the short run.  He came up against Judah during the reign of Jehoikim, besieged the city of Jerusalem and, eventually, prevailed against it.  Having done so, he took certain of the young men of Judah back to Babylon with him.  Among the which were Daniel, as well as Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego. (Does sound a bit like a rock band, doesn't it?)

But it wasn't. It was a group of youngsters, chosen from among the captives to serve the great king, Nebuchadnezzar.  As it turned out, they did not fit in too well in Babylonian society.  Especially did they not like the part about having to bow down to an alien god.  Indeed, they refused to do so, giving us that marvelous story of the fiery furnace and of the Fourth Man who appeared to them there.

In the process, our friend Nebuchadnezzar learned a bit about power and the exercise of it, and who was really in charge of fiery furnaces, etc.  Indeed, if you listened closely to what he had to say immediately after the experience, you might even get the idea that he had been converted into a true believer because of it.  Just give a listen to a very shook-up monarch:

"Nebuchadnezzar, the king, unto all the people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied to you.  I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God has wrought toward me.  How great are His signs!  And how mighty are His wonders!  His kingdom is from generation to generation."

Now I would think that quite a tribute from a fellow who, only a short time before, had set up his own 'golden image' and threatened everyone with extinction who didn't bow down to it!  But sometimes (you may have noticed) a scared-into conversion lasts only as long as the scare does.

And so it was with our friend.

Soon after his little scare (and his very eloquent speech) he was lying on his couch when he began to experience certain strange sensations having to do with a dream.  In the dream, he saw a great tree.  Not particularly frightening in and of itself but there must have been something very scary about the dream, at least to the king, for the scriptures tell us that he was indeed frightened and called for Daniel to interpret the dream for him if he could. Well, Daniel could and he did, unlike the magician and soothsayers of the royal court.  And this be the interpretation of the dream that Daniel gave to the great king Nebuchadnezzar:

"The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the air have their habitation; it is you, oh, king, you are grown and become strong: for your greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth."

Wow!

That's you, king.  That's what your dream means.  You've grown up (isn't that nice?) and you have become strong.  And your greatness now reaches unto heaven itself!

Wow, again!

Not to mention your dominion to the ends of the earth.
(My, my. That Daniel can interpret my dreams anytime).

Well, almost anytime.  It appears that the message continued:

P.S. There is just one small thing.  Like that tree in your dream, you're in for chopping down and "they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and they will make you to eat grass like an ox and they will wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times will pass over you, till you know (come to understand) THAT THE MOST HIGH RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, AND GIVES IT TO WHOMSOEVER HE WILL."

(I think I have changed my mind about hiring Daniel after all).

Great King Nebuchadnezzar, the strong and powerful one.
All systems are go.
You have greatness and you have dominion.
Greatness that reaches unto heaven itself.
And dominion to "the ends of the earth".

One small problem.  Something your advisors either didn't understand or failed to mention to you.  Something you haven't grasped as yet, even with a of your greatness.
Something elemental.
Something basic.
Which is:
The Most High not only rules the heavens, but also the earth!

And where power and dominion are the issues, they belong, to Him (as the Psalmist writes), and He distributes them as He will!  As You yourself have only recently declared:
\"His (God's) kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion from generation to generation."

Perhaps you should run that tape again!

But you will understand, oh great king Nebuchadnezzar.  You will know the mercies of God and His infinite grace will lead you to a place of repentance.  Then your "kingdom will be sure unto you, AFTER YOU SHALL HAVE KNOWN THAT THE HEAVENS DO RULE"!

Oh, my!

After . .

Well, a year passed, as years are wont to do, and the king kind of forgot about the dream and the interpretation of it.  I say that he forgot, indeed he must have, because one day he "walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon and said, is not this great Babylon that 'I' have built for the house of 'my' kingdom, by the might of 'my' power, and for the honor of 'my' majesty?"

Oh, boy. Even I know that to be a no-no.

Sure enough, "while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, Oh, king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from you, and they shall drive you from men, etc. . until you know (come to a settled, now and forever conclusion) that the Most High rules (not only in the heavens but also) in the kingdom of men, and gives it (the dominion, the power, the authority) TO WHOMSOEVER HE WILL."

And so it was.

The same hour, the judgment fell.
The great king was driven into the fields.
His body became wet with the dew of heaven.
His hair grew until it resembled the feathers of an eagle.
And his fingernails like the claws of a bird.
The days passed.

And then, even as it had been spoken:

"At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He does according to His own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, what have You done?"

Oh, yeah!

"At the last time (don't you just love happy endings?) my reason returned to me: and my counselors and my lords sought unto me: and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuhadezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all those works are truth, and His ways judgment: and (I just learned this) THOSE THAT WALK IN PRIDE HE IS ABLE TO ABASE."
Oh, my!

"...those that walk in pride He is able to abase.."

Then the Ear...

Our young friend still did not have a following but was invited, on occasion, to speak to various groups of believers. And he still was not much of an 'ensample' to the flock, being by this time alienated from the church of his youth, as well as the wife of his youth.

But he was given favor with the pastor of a certain denominational group and did recognize that the favor was indeed 'given', seeing as how he and the pastor did not share the same doctrinal positions.  Nor, of course, did the majority of the members of the group, over whose objections the pastor invited the young minister to share his pulpit with him on a certain Sunday evening.

Well, to say there was a bit of tension in the air in that certain sanctuary on that certain night, would be to understate the case.  The pastor, by this time having second (and even third) thoughts as to the wisdom of inviting the young man in the first place, was under considerable strain.  And, as the to young man rose to speak, the pressure on him mounted.  So much so that he, seated in the front row, suddenly dropped to his knees in silent, howbeit fervent prayer.

The young minister, upon seeing this, became aware of a very fundamental problem.  Which soon resolved itself into a very basic question, i.e. would he even be able to continue?

And then the strangest thing of all.

Before he could think or evaluate a proper course of action (should there be one) the young man suddenly dropped his head.  But, instead of praying, began to speak loudly and clearly...  "you binding spirit," he cried, "Jesus you know and Paul you know, and you know me!  In the name of Jesus Christ, leave this place!"

How's that for a lead-in to a sermon?

Well, whatever it was, it worked.  With a sheepish look on his face, the pastor got up off his knees and sat back down on his bench.

And the young man did preach!
And the audience did react!
And strange and unusual events did accompany the preaching of the Word that night!

The effects on the fellowship were immediate.  Within a month the pastor was forced to resign, with approximately one-half of the congregation leaving with him.

And, of course, the young minister who had been the catalyst for the move continued with them.  They met in homes until they were able to find a more permanent place to worship.  And they did prosper in their spirits, the pain of their departure mitigated by new and thrilling insights that were given them.  Needless to say, they were dependent to a great extent on their new friend and advisor, who seemed to know more about what was actually happening to them than they themselves.

And so it went.  Doctrines changed and new understandings were given.  And, always, the young man who had been their instrument for change.  After many days, and not a few difficulities, a new sanctuary was built and new alliances formed.

In the forefront, the young minister.

In counsel and convention, the young man.

Of course, the pastor was still the nominal head of the church but deferred to the young minister in matters of spiritual statecraft and revelation from the Spirit.  It was a strange and exciting time for all.  And especially for the young prophet who had, at last, come into his own.

He was a leader!
People respected his opinion and sought his counsel!
How sweet the taste and grand the feeling!
And then . .

There was nothing unusual about that particular night.  True, there was a special meeting underway and visiting ministers would be occupying the pulpit, but they had been there for some time.  Besides the which, the young man himself had invited them and few would presume to question his judgement in such matters.

There were some, however, who were troubled by what one of the visiting ministers had said the night before.  Coming early to church, they took their young leader aside and inquired as to his views on the matter.  Of course, a leader must lead, and so the young man gave them his thoughts and offered his advices.

Seemingly satisfied, the members went on into the sanctuary to prepare themselves for the evening service.

But the young man was not satisfied.  Something began to trouble him.  It was the thought that he might just not have been 100% correct in his answer to the group.  Did he really, deep down, 'know' that what he had told them was true?

It was all well and good to be a leader but could not one be a 'blind' leader as well? Surely a spiritual guide bore a great responsibility toward those he led.  And so he thought and so he pondered and so he inquired of his God throughout the service that night.  And, when the altar call was given, he knelt with the others.  But they, after a season, returned to their seats.  He remained.  Soon it was time for dismissal, but not for the young minister.  He did not stir.

Suddenly, he did.  He got up from the altar but, instead of returning to his seat, proceeded out of the rear exit and into the field beyond.

When some of the members finally went to look for him, they came upon a very strange sight indeed.  There in the dark, sitting on the ground, was their leader.  With his hands upraised toward heaven and tears streaming down his face, he seemed to be praying.  When they got closer, however, they discovered that he wasn't praying but singing softly a strange little chorus they had never heard before.

Ah, the great leader.
The Moses who had led them out of their personal Egypt.

Sitting on the ground, singing softly through his tears . .
"Oh, Lord, take me on your knee,
And teach me, Lord, of thee,
For I am but a child!"

Still Another King

I do not mean to pick on the kings, as such.  It's just that they provide us with the clearest picture.  They symbolize the ultimate position of power on the earth.  And they are used, throughout the scriptures, to indicate and to illustrate the simple fact that the Most High is not all that keen about sharing His glory with another.

It really isn't whether a man is a king or not.  It's just that a man must always keep in mind that he is 'there' (whatever position of power or authority he is privileged to occupy) by the grace of God and serves at the pleasure of the Most High, who truly does rule "in the kingdom of men, and gives it (the position of power) to whomsoever he will."

For it is only when and as a man assumes the attitude that he really is an extraordinary individual and that God is pretty fortunate to have him on his team, that the water becomes muddied and the feelings become personal.

Now you will notice that King Nebuchadnezzar did not say that the Most High ruled only in the kingdoms of Judah or Israel, but "in the kingdoms of men".  He himself being the king of Babylon, certainly qualifying as one of the kingdoms of men.  As was the one we read of in the New Testament.

Another time, another place, another king.

Herod Agrippa.

The great king who ruled in the land of Palestine immediately after the death of the Son of Man.

Peter had a bit of trouble with him.
James had a lot of trouble with him.
But Peter was delivered out of his hands by the intervention of the angel of the Lord.

Herod did not like that very much.

But he did like the ovation he received one day when the folks from Tyre and Sidon came to pay homage to him.  "And, upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration to them.  And the people gave a shout (must have been some speech) saying, it is the voice of a god, and not of a man."

Now I do not pretend to know whether those who came to visit the great king that particular day were sincere in their tribute or not.  What I do understand from the scriptures is that the effect on the king was terminal.

"Immediately, the angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory: and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost."

Another time, another place, another king.

Who did not understand that the disease of 'pride-of-station' is not a 'take­two-asprins-and-call-me-in-the-morning' kind of illness.  Often, as in this case, it is fatal.

"...it is the voice of a god, and not of a man..."

Of course, it was not the first time such sentiments had been uttered, nor would it be the last.  We religious types are always deifying our authority figures.  We follow them into the desert.  We leave our wives and/or husbands for them.  We sacrifice our children to them.  We bow down to them in matters of judgment. We even sell the family farm in order to purchase shares in their dream. We quite literally entrust our souls into their keeping.

For ..."it is the voice of a god, and not of a man..."

But a man is a man, for all that.
Whether he be king or counselor, Sunday School teacher, prophet, pastor, or pope.

A man is a man, for all that.

Sometimes, of course, we kings and counselors, etc. tend to forget that simple fact.  Sometimes we fail to appreciate the distinction between a god and a man.  Sometimes the lines become blurred.

One day in Lystra, our friend Paul and his companion, Barnabas, were faced with the same temptation Herod faced, i.e. elevation to instant godhood by their admirers.  The difference being, that whereas the king had only given a grand speech, they did something a bit more dramatic.  They told a man who had been crippled from his mother's womb to "STAND UPRIGHT ON YOUR FEET!". . which he promptly did. . and walked . . and leaped for joy!

How's that for god-stuff?

Sure enough (as audiences sometimes will) the ones who were witness to the miracle wanted to make gods of them both.  The began to cry out, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men." They even offered them god-names as Jupiter and Mercurius, and the priest brought oxen and garlands to sacrifice to them.  Yep.  The boys could have done quite well for themselves in that part of the country.

But Paul, thank God, wasn't having any. He and Barnabas were not comfortable with such carryings-on. Indeed, Paul, unlike Herod (and possibly most of us) became quite agitated.  He and Barnabas rent their clothes, ran in among the people, and cried ..."Sirs, why do you these things? We also are men like passions with you..."

"We also are men..."
Not gods, but men!

Yes, Herod Agrippa, you were a king, perhaps even a great king in your own right, but you should have known better than to receive that kind of tribute:

"...it is the voice of a god, and not of a man..."

No. You were a man, just like the rest of us.
But we do thank you, Herod Agrippa.
You didn't die in vain.
You speak to us across the years.
And we who are always seeking 'honor of men' thank you.
Your attitude warns us.
Your example instructs us.

...After That, the Full Corn In the Ear

Our young friend had a problem. The problem was that he was a 'religious' man.

A problem he shared with thousands of his contemporaries who had been, as the scripture has it, "born under the law". As a consequence, his behavioral patterns were those established by and under that system. He had never, for instance, come to the Romans Seven experience. And, as a result, he had little or no comprehension of that 'other law' that the Apostle discovered to be at work in his members.

He was familiar with the moral law, the ordinances, and the commandments but he knew little of that which, taking occasion by that commandment, might very well give a religious man fits. But he would learn. And His education would continue. As he was soon to discover.

For one day, strolling peacefully down a certain street in a certain city, he heard a voice. Not an audible voice, to be sure, (or was it?) but one as clear and bringing a message to him so plain as if one standing next to him had asked for the time of day. The message was simplicity itself:

"You have come up wrong!"

Simple, straightforward, not to mention startling.

"You have come up wrong!"

Now our young friend had 'answered the call' some years before. And he had 'preached and teached' and had kept himself from the world' (or, at least, had given it his best shot). And it was not as if there was no fruit. There had been. Indeed, many called him blessed.

But, according to the voice, he still had not been properly 'brung-up' and was in for a bit of re-education.

Sure enough, within a very short time, he found himself plunged into a living nightmare. The hell that religious man fears more than any other. The one that brought our friend Paul to the very brink of despair. ."Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Yep, that one. The hell of human frailty.

The place where the hedge is removed.

And so it was. From one place to another he was driven. Moral weaknesses that he had, as the poet says, "thought were gone, served him notice that they lingered on". He felt lost. That which had served to make him 'different', i.e. his Christian character, dissolved before his very eyes.

This was being brought up right?

The years passed.  The last noble (?) impulse died.  He did that which he hated and was unable to accomplish that which he would.

Now, it was not as if the young man had no understanding of the grace of God.

He had.  Indeed, he had not only heard of it but had received revelation concerning it.  But that was then and this was now.  That was when the inspired thought flowed freely and the birds sang and the sun shone.  This was now, with the tongues ceasing, the prophecies failing, and the moral man being stripped of his credentials.

But, amazingly, something else was occurring.  Out of death, ever so slowly, life appeared.  And from the distant corridors of his soul, a faint sound.  It was, as he discovered later, the first stirrings of that 'better hope' based on those 'better' promises.

Now the young man was not ignorant of the fact that he was at fault, if fault there was.  Like David before him, he had made his own 'bed in hell'.  Oh, he might well charge God with something, abandonment, for instance, but he knew instinctively that it would be foolish to do so.  It was his lips that were doing the lying and his feet going in the 'way of the transgressor'.

He knew it would be wrong (and fruitless) to charge God.

What he didn't know, however, was that after he had done gone and done it, i.e. made his own bed in hell, that God would be with him still, even there.  This he discovered, joyfully.

All in all, it was an incredible experience.

Now one might assume all sorts of things about such an experience.  One assumption might very well be that the young man simply 'back-slid' due to some flaw in his character and, as a result, wound up in the pig-pen of immorality.  Another, seeing as it had been, in a sense, foretold to him, might be that the experience had been designed as a form of shock therapy, an anti­dote to the religious nature.  In that event, one would further assume that the Great Physician would know what He was about and had prescribed an appropriate remedy.

Which would surely, in the case of our young pharisee, lessen the grip of pride and self-importance.  Again, surely, as painful and intense as the experience had been, the final result would be to crush the proud spirit and genuine humility would emerge.

Surely!

Except that it didn't turn out to be quite that simple.

Our young friend, in spite of everything that had happened to him, remained a rich man.  He had heard things that others hadn't.  He had seen things that others hadn't seen.  He 'had' things, valuable things, that other men did not have, and that the bottom line description of a rich man.

As for revelations, he still, in spite, of his present circumstance, thought of himself as being in a different (higher) place than others.  My, my.  That third heaven was (and is) such an interesting place.

And so the experience continued.  There he was, in the midst of moral collapse, still a rich man, and a proud man.  Of course he did not think of himself as either.  He had retained the power to hide himself 'from his own flesh'.

But then it happened, again. . .

Because there was little call for his particular brand of ministry, the young man was reduced to secular employment.  Finding himself working in the supply department of a certain insurance company, he also found himself supervising the work loads of his two assistants.  One of the assistants was a young man who might very well be called a 'gentile' indeed, i.e. he was not in the least a religious man.  He appeared to be one of those individuals who could care less about such matters as God, or whether or not there was one, etc.  Indeed, he was forever recounting his sexual exploits, and his world was deduced, or so it seemed, from the variety of sensual pleasures he could extract from it.

The other assistant was older, and he did care less.  Indeed, he was quite religious.  In his briefcase, along with his lunch, he carried a large edition of the King James Version of the Bible.  Although he was not a minister in any formal sense, he seemed to enjoy the prestige that accrues, in certain social settings, to a preacher-man.

This, you may be sure, our young friend noticed.  But the Jew and the Samaritan still don't walk together and there is still a gulf fixed between the Pharisee and the Publican (at least in the mind of the Pharisee).  Just so he does his work, he thought within himself.

What he couldn't know, of course, was that it was a set-up! . . This religious fellow with his cheaply made briefcase and his King James Version.

But it was.
It was, indeed.

It was a time bomb delivered by angels, set to go off in the face of our young rich man.  Sure enough, one day it happened
. . KA . . BLOO . . IE . . !

There were three in the office that day.  Our young friend, his religious assistant, and a female employee of the company who had stopped by for supplies.

While she was there, our young man engaged her in conversation, a religious conversation, to be sure.  For, although he was far from what he thought a good Christian should be, he simply could not refrain from talking about that which was still the most important part of his life.

And so they talked, our young friend and the young lady.  He had just finished interpreting a certain phrase found in the scriptures to the lady.  But the religious fellow with the King James has been listening also, and, God help him, made the following remark......

"I don't think that is what that scripture means."

Oh, my!

He kneweth not what he dideth.

For at that moment, the shock waves from that simple disagreement went out, washed over the mind and emotions of the young man, and all hell broke loose!

Suddenly, and without warning, his face contorted, he screamed at the man with the briefcase, "DO YOU DARE TO TEACH .. ME?"

Oh, my.

A look of horror swept over the face of the young lady.  Upon seeing that, our young friend realized instantly what had happened, and he knew it wasn't simply a display of ill-temper or evidence on his part of bad manners.  No. It was the cock crowing.  It was the prophet saying, "You are the man."

A terrible sadness came over him.  Here we was, emotionally bankrupt, the moral ground slipping away from under his feet, and yet he was still, spiritually-speaking, a rich man, still subject to that special spirit of pride and arrogance that stalks the rich man.  Indeed, it was more than simply a vulnerability. It was a giving over to, a subjection to, as if another spirit had gained access to his faculties and was able to manifest at will.

What other spirit?  Not just any spirit, to be sure, but that special one.

And then he remembered.
Another time and another place.

Jesus had just finished healing a man who had been blind "from his mothers womb".  And the man, as one might expect, was overjoyed.  His friends rejoiced with him, and his parents, everyone (it appears) except the Pharisees.  They were a bit skeptical, to say the least, and began to question the act that he had been blind in the first place.  Being assured by the healed man's parents that he had indeed been born blind and that something extraordinary had happened to him, they finally called for the man himself so as to examine him more closely.

They asked him exactly how it was that he could see.

He told them.

The Nazarene had gone through a certain ritual, the effects of which had somehow caused his eyes to be opened.  His testimony did not set well with the Pharisees.  They counseled him to give "God the glory", rather than the man Jesus, as it was evident to them that he (Jesus) was a sinner.  The man answered them with that classic line, "Whether he be sinner or no, I know not, but this I know, whereas I was blind, now I see!

The words of his testimony were bad enough, seeing as how the man Jesus was in their eyes both a heretic and a sinner, but the next statement the once-blind man made was intolerable to them.

"If this man (Jesus) was not of God, he could do nothing."

That was simply too much.  A testimony is one thing, but attempting to instruct the instructors is something else again.  The theological field was theirs, and theirs alone.  Scornfully, "They answered and said to him, you were altogether born in sins, and do you (dare to) teach us?"

That spirit.
That particular spirit.
The same insolent manner.  The identical attitude.  Almost the same, exact words.

"Do you (dare or presume to) teach us?"

And so our friend discovered the hard way that the Spirit of the Pharisee is still very much alive and well and still manifesting on the earth plane.

We Three Kings

Saul, the great king and chosen of God, who didn't understand that being chosen of God does not immunize one from the effects of the disease.

"...but now your kingdom shall not continue..."

Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, who did not know that pride and self-importance would not be tolerated, even in the "kingdom of men".  And he who sets himself against the Great God of Heaven will be called to account, whether he be friend or foe, Israelite or Babylonian.  Until all the earth comes to understand that "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it (the kingdom) to whomsoever He will."

Nebuchadnezzar ... judged, chastened, restored.

And Herod Agrippa, who was careful to cultivate the Jews, but who failed to consider the God of the Jews.  And His attitude toward earthly kings whose favorite pronouns were I and 'my'.

The decree: Lights out for Herod Agrippa.

One lost his kingdom.
One lost his kingdom but was restored, after he got the message.
One lost his life.

THE CURE

Sometimes the treatment is radical, often requires surgery, always it is a process.  But, by the grace of God and increased knowledge, the disease can be arrested and the cancer cured.

There was a time it was not so.  There was a time when you got it, you'd had it.

Set your house in order, make sure you left the silver to Aunt Ida, and close the blinds.  Thank God and research, it isn't that way any longer.

The one pre-requisite, catch it in time.  Examine yourself.  Note any suspicious lumps or unexplained weaknesses.  And, for God's sake and your own, if you find that you just may have contracted the dread disease, immediately (if not sooner) place yourself in the hands of Someone who knows what they're about.

It is not mandatory that we catch up with this killer. And it isn't as if medical science has progressed to this certain point and/or the skills of the physicians have increased all that much.  No. It is simply that knowledge has increased.  He who controls the flow of human understanding, whether secular or spiritual, has turned the valve to the on-position.

It is that simple.

And so it is with we who follow after.  It is not written in stone that we of this generation will overcome that which has, heretofore, overcome us.  It is not that we have come to some golden age, wherein all of the mysteries have been opened to us and last-word revelation burst upon us.  No. We take too much on ourselves if we think so.  No. We are simply come to a place, by the grace of God, that understanding has been delivered to us.

It is the time.  It is the season.

It is not as if we have accomplished some great thing that no one else has ever accomplished.  It is not as if we are a special breed of cat, a kind of spiritual superrace.

No! No! No!

If we persist in the thinking of such thoughts, we will all die like men.

But there is a cure.

Thank God, there is a cure.

By The Grace Of God
"...other foundation can no man lay..."

Someone has said that every revival begins in Romans.  I cannot speak for everyone, but I am aware of the one which is continually going on in me.  And, as far as I am concerned, the man was right.  The moment I fail to remember that this great salvation has been ministered to me "by grace through faith", I take a tumble.  I begin to fret and stew and to think of all of those things I 'oughta' do, and to condemn myself for all of those other things that I do that I 'oughta' not do.

I get back on the treadmill of religion!

But when Paul whispers to me or Martin Luther raises up again in my thoughts, I revive.  My arms that have withered, my head that has drooped, my feeble knees receive new strength.  It is all right again between me and He "with whom my soul has to do".

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" is a question David poses in the 11th Psalm.  The answer is simple:

Build them again!

Grab the shovels, create new forms, and order the concrete! For this house cannot be built, I repeat, this house cannot be built on any other foundation.  Whether you live near the sea or in the deepest valley or on the highest of mountains, YOU CAN'T GET 'THERE' FROM 'HERE' EXCEPT BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

Basic stuff!

Kindergarten curriculum!

I know.

But it is the first principle to be thrown overboard when the ship encounters heavy seas.

And so, you righteous, what will you do?  My advice is to remember the former days.  And no matter how many times the foundations have been destroyed, lay them again and again and again.  Don't let any man take your crown.  Don't let any contractor sell you on the idea he has a better blueprint.  Don't let any supplier sell you inferior materials.  For this is a structure that reaches unto heaven itself.  This thing has to be solid!

It is so simple, this amazing grace of God, or was, until we religionists got our hands on it.

A simple matter.
A matter of the Sovereignty of God.
A matter of "it is not of him that runs, but of God who shows mercy."
And of a hope sure and an inheritance certain.
Of 'unmerited' favor.
What the Baptist folk think of as Eternal Security.
Or, they held an election one day; God voted for me, and I won"!
Or, "man never climbs, but always is lifted".
A simple matter.
Or, it was.

Now it is complicated, obfuscated, not to mention expropriated by some who insist on their right to parcel it out to a deserving few, that is, as long as they remain deserving.  A plague on their house (and ours) they, (or we), anyone who would turn the grace of God into a subtle form of law or legalism.  From such, as soon as it is possible for you to do so, turn away!

But the foundations, because they most assuredly have been torn down, require a bit of time to be built up again.  A bit of sweat, a bit of tears, a bit of time.

Experience is still the best teacher.  Revelat