SOUND BITES

2 THESSALONIANS 13

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you,

brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath

from the beginning chose you to salvation through sanctification

of the spirit and belief on the Truth.

KJV

The old woman sat on a park bench overlooking the river wending its way through the green valley to the sea.   It was a glorious summer day, just like the long hot summers of her childhood.   Bird song filled the air.  Majestic trees offered blessed shade, relief from the late morning sun.   Black headed gulls soared on the gentle currents of warm air, seemingly weightless, graceful and free.

Thank you Father for the blessing of this little glimpse of paradise, a hidden gem in a very troubled world, far from the rivers of blood and appalling suffering of millions as wars rage and revolution rises, her silent prayer.  She could only wonder whether she would witness the coming retribution that would fall on mankind.   No one wanted to heed her warning.  Daft old bat, am I bothered, I won't know anything about it, I'll be dead, yeah, end of, was a fairly common reaction  that was perhaps to be expected from a society that had written God out of the equation.

How the generation lacked imagination.   If its not proven or scientific it doesn't exist, when in reality even the animals sense destruction long before our senses are tuned in.   

Nell was reading the Book of Enoch which it is considered was written 300 BC in Aramaic or Hebrew a clear prophetic foreshadow of things to come.   As Enoch's God blamed and condemned the fallen angels for the corruption of mankind prior to the flood, perhaps He might be merciful with the continuing contaminated gene pool.    Apparently the angel Azazel taught women "eye painting the beautifying of the eyes with make-up of various colourings and this led them astray into fornication and ungodliness, they became corrupt in all their ways, and how gullible are the men that followed Eve's daughters. 

Nevertheless Enoch, the first scribe of righteousness eagerly scribbled down warning after warning,  his writings revered by the Jewish people.   What a fascinating book but hardly surprising it was not included in the Canon of Scripture.   Ken Johnson Th.D. book "Ancient Book of Enoch" is an easy read with text references to the bible throughout.   In his Introduction Ken states Enoch lived for 365 years, he was a sinner like every other human being but he pleased God with his lifestyle.   Hope for us all considered Nell.

Enoch 27.2

Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with Enoch pointed out that Hinnon - Valley of Giants - is for those who will be cursed forever.   Here will all the cursed be gathered together who utter with their lips unseemly words against the Lord and speak insolently of His glory.   Here they will be gathered together, and here will be their place of judgement.   

Nell considered it could be filling up fast.   Enoch warned of a first and second coming of the Messiah which apparently according to the current Pontiff is not going to happen.   Fundamentalist christians are advised not to read this book.   Hardly surprising because the theme is that God is going to deal with this wicked world, hardly the stuff of prosperity teaching.   Some preachers might consider as well as their playing with fire, they might just end up in it along with Azazel.    Mankind was apparently fairly innocent until the "wrecking crew" landed on the planet and infected the sons and daughters of men.

The Lord God proclaims to His holy angel "The whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel.   Yeah the buck stops there.  Every fallen angel is listed and their punishment clearly set out.   One theme shines through the book, the awesome power and glory of God.

Enoch's Journey 22 - Enoch asks the angel Raphael whose spirit has the voice that goes to heaven to petition God. (paraphrased)   The angel answered him "This is the spirit of Abel, whom his brother Cain murdered and he makes suit against him till his seed is destroyed from the face of the earth, and his seed annihilated from amongst the seed of men.   

Enoch 10 - Seventy Generations.  

God passes judgment "destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end."

Of course in 2016 most denominations don't talk about evil, the devil or punishment in hell for those who transgress the commandments of God.  Nell doubted the book would hit the best sellers list.  

She would always give advice to any fellow pilgrim swimming against the tide of a permissive society that if they followed the Word of God there was no condemnation.   They must work quietly and consistently against the darkness and eat their own bread.   Never, never let anyone tell you that you are backslidden because you refuse to digest twisted doctrine.   She remembered the writings of J.R. Miller DD - Many christians have their heads stored full of catechism, creed and Scripture, and yet when trouble comes they have no one truth on which they can really lean or trust their weight, or which gives them any actual support or help................Piles of doctrine, but no rod and staff to lean on in weakness;

Let us learn to study the Scriptures for ourselves, and to know what we should believe and why we should believe it.   Second-hand Bible truth is not the kind of food our souls need.

Nell knew the most High God knows His children.   He sees the killing fields and His angels gather the martyrs.   Their end will be glorious and those who persecuted them will receive His judgement.

The book lay gently in her lap as the sun rose higher in the sky and she felt sleepy.   She really needed to make it back to base before it got too hot.   Another traveller sought refuge under the tree.   A beautiful young dog bounded to Nell's side, eager to say hello.   

"Are you okay" enquired the young woman.  Nell was sitting so still.  Had she "bought the ticket, dropped off her twig, after all the elderly in middle England were hardly used to coping with the heat.

"I am fine" replied Nell.   "It's good to just sit.  No agenda, no schedule, just soaking in the peace of this place."

"Yes it is" replied the stranger "have you seen the increase in rubbish lying around the river bank.   I just wish whoever does it would take it away with them.   Its usually the teenagers, saw some yesterday, a group of boys and girls mucking about."

"I suppose we all did it at one time" said the young woman with a smile.

"Actually I had a very strict up bring" replied Nell "my grandmother taught me cleanliness is next to Godliness.   Not that my mother took any notice of that particular saying.   I wasn't allowed to hang around with boys, especially Catholic boys who were apparently well known to getting girls pregnant.   In fact the Nuns warned us against kissing a boy.   I took all that very seriously and my parents ensured I was heavily chaperoned. 

Can we blame a certain southern comedian and his Wynnetta Slob for this generation?" asked Nell.

"What was funny about someone sitting knee deep in letter, grossly overweight with food liberally smeared all over their face and clothing.   The generations that followed appeared to chuck everyone on the floor and tidy went out the window.   I well remember trying to stay upright walking over the litter in my granddaughter's bedroom. 

Only yesterday I was thinking about the BBC News programme Viewpoint in December 2007 (not that I support that particular channel) but according to John Feeney humanity is the greatest challenge.   He said "we are out of our league, influencing systems we don't understand.   We are at a turning point in history.   We are now in overshoot as we further erode the earth's ability to support us.

"Of course there is nothing wrong with the earth" said Nell "Look at the trees growing in Chernobyl it is capable of regrowth from a pile of ashes.    It's mankind that is responsible for today's mess.

"Can't argue with that" said the young woman with a smile.

Nell was on a roll.   She had an audience and she was off sowing.  "Did you see Noam Chomsky on R.T. this weekend" she asked her bench companion."

"No" was the prompt reply.    

"He's the great American linguist, philosopher etc. etc.   It's still available on You.tube.   I just picked up the simple quotes that someone with a very inferior brain to his could absorb after all we live in a world of 'sound bites' don't we, apparently the goldfish come off better on that score chart.  I was trying to scribble down the words to pass on to my grandchildren because they are so relevant to what is happening right now.

He said "in today's world the measure of a decent lifestyle is gadgets, which we don't need."

The perversion of elementary concern is incredible.

Unfocused anger and we attack one another.   This makes people hate and fear each other and look after themselves.

Unless policies are reversed normal human instincts will be driven out.

And finally,  "what matters is the countless small deeds of people that lay the basis for the future"

I think it was called Requiem of the American Dream - its really good, catch it if you can.   Apparently Richard Nixon placed Noam on his enemies list.   What an honour!! said Nell with a stifled giggle.   Noam is considered the most influential intellectual alive.   Even I could understand what he was saying but sadly most would be glued to all the other trash the television spews.   I have seen him quite a few times on discussion programmes and he is so incredibly wise and learned, but there's just one thing he leaves out of the equation as far as I am concerned"

"What's that" asked the listener.

"Hashem, Alpha and Omega.

After all his father was an Ashkenaz Jew and a Ukrainian.   The Ashkenaz were ethnic Jews and according to my research were originally in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.

"I'll pick that programme up tonight" the young woman replied.

"Do that" replied Nell "and just as a matter of interest he also said "the optimists will not survive what is coming, the pessimists will because they will have prepared which of course is the best advert I can think of for reading the bible which tells you exactly that.   After all it started in the Middle East and there it will finish.   There's a lot of slurry in this decadent society.   Let's hope we learn before it's too late to get our act together.

A pungunt smell filled the air.   "Pooh" said Nell "that was the slurry cart rattling up the hill.  Time to go home and shut all the windows.   

The old woman rose and collapsed and rose again.   "My knees keep giving way" she chuckled "nothing lasts forever"

The young woman said "goodbye, it was nice talking with you"   

The old woman blushed "I think I did most of the talking - sorry"

"Not a problem" said the young woman kindly as she continued her walk.   She couldn't help wondering why on earth this old dear was so happy, even though she sees extinction around every corner.   What was she taking!!! uppers.

"It's freely available"  The thought came from nowhere.  "It's there for the taking, for the most brilliant mind to the simple child.   Blessed is the man who knows His God.  His destiny is assured.

    

Nothing but the love of God shed abroad in us by the Holy Spirit

can keep any of us in such gentleness and tenderness 

amid the stern and severe experiences of life.

Yet is is possible to carry the gentle heart

of a little child through all life's hardness and chill

into the fullest and ripest old age.

J.R. Miller DD

HER LIFE IN HIS HANDS.