B"H

Sophie - yes it's a dog's life

Mandy - The cat who walks alone

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These are just a sample of what lies ahead. It took me a while to get the software that allows me to download pictures from my cameraphone to my PC, but it's all starting to come together. If I were to ever learn Powerpoint or one of the other similar programs then there would be no end to what I could do. It might also help if I were more creative in the first place, but you have to work with what you got.

Blessings to all my friends here in cyberspace,

Shlomo

B"H

Shabbat shalom

The table is set and the food is hot. Soon we will gather as the candles are lit and the Day of Rest is set apart from the six working days. The LORD has given us a double portion of His love in the fellowship of His Spirit and the company of our family and friends. Would you like to join us?

Shamor v'zachor (Keep and Remember)

Within Jewish tradition it is said that when GOD gave the commandment regarding the Sabbath he uttered the words shamor and zachor both at the same time. Why is this you might ask? In the Torah (book of Instruction, aka The 5 Books of Moses) we read of the Ten Commandments in two places, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. We are told to remember the Sabbath because it is a memorial to the work of Creation. We must keep the Sabbath because our forefathers were slaves in Egypt and the LORD brought them out with a great display of miracles. It is a testament to the deliverance from bondage.

GOD created the universe and all that is contained within it to express His glory and love. GOD has determined to fulfill or consummate His purpose in establishing Creation despite the rebellion of some angels and the corruption of mankind. This act is generally referred to theologically as redemption. In Jewish theology a special term is given to this act which has ongoing significance, tikkun haOlam (healing or restoring the world).

The deliverance from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea was for the purpose of allowing the children of Israel, and those who were with them, to enter into a holy relationship with GOD Himself. This relationship is often referred to in legal terms as a covenant, or contract. Within the bounds of this covenantal relationship, GOD made provision for healing and wholeness along the pathway of redemption. As long as Israel walked in the way that GOD prescribed in His Torah, then they would experience progress toward the fulfillment of His purpose to show, or display, His glory through all of His creation.

Summary

Creation - made for the display of GOD's glory and love.

Corruption/Bondage - through disobedience and rebellion.

Deliverance - GOD's intervention on behalf of His creation.

Redemption - restoring creation to fulfill GOD's original purpose.

Glorification - the image and the character of GOD is perfected in His creation.

Exhortation

The purpose of GOD to fulfill His original intent has already been accomplished. The realization of this purpose is somewhat contingent upon the willingness of GOD's people to trust Him and take Him at His word. The extent of progress that GOD's rule in the earth makes depends, in part, on the faith of those who are called by His name.

"Beloved brethren, now are we the sons of GOD, but it is not yet clear what we shall be like, but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is and everyone who has this hope in Him keeps himself pure because He is pure."     1 John 3: 2 - 3

 

Blessings,

Shlomo

B"H

 Lonnie Frisbee 1949 - 1993

(taken from the website)

About the Film

Imagine if John the Baptist came of age during the 1960s counter culture, the charisma of Jim Morrison flowing from the mantle of an Old Testament prophet. Meet Lonnie Frisbee, a seeker turned Jesus freak evangelist who compelled thousands towards a profession of Christian faith. It was during a trip into a canyon that Frisbee claimed that God gave him a vision of his future as an influential evangelist to the hippie generation.

Four years later the vision would be fulfilled as pictures of Lonnie baptizing teenage converts were splashed across the pages of Time and Life magazines forever celebrating him as an icon of the Jesus movement.

Despite the stories of spiritual prowess that surround his life, his enduring struggles overwhelmed him. And even though he was the charismatic sparkplug igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations (Calvary Chapel & Vineyard), his name has all but been removed from their histories. Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher is the powerful story revealing the risk-taking nature of God, aligning himself with the most unlikely of characters as if to send out the message (yet again) that everyone is invited to participate.

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For those of you who are interested in contemporary Church history I can’t overemphasize the importance of a new documentary film. Many of you have probably heard of Calvary Chapel and The Vineyard, massive denominations that arose out of the Jesus Movement of the 1960s & 70s. I became a believer during the tail-end of the Jesus Mvmt (1967 – 74) in April of 1973. Although most of the dramatic stories that I have heard and read about took place far from me, I still witnessed enough of the Movement to know that this was a true revival in our time.

Don’t be mistaken, I am a person of no reputation. I am not by any means seeking to insert myself back into history, as though to prove that I deserve some greater recognition here and now. Even so, I can truthfully say that, “I was there!” I visited Calvary Chapel in the summer of 1974 and the place was so big I wasn’t sure it was enclosed. I attended a Thursday night Bible study with Chuck Smith teaching through the Book of Acts. Without much exaggeration I would estimate the crowd there to have been nearly two thousand. There was electric excitement in the air. My desire in sharing this and other related stories is to prompt those who hear me to believe and act in a manner that expects GOD to do great things.

Lonnie Frisbee was a former drug user and mystical seeker, typical of the lost youth of the hippie era. In the natural he was a person with no great abilities or advantages. He came from a troubled home and sought meaning and direction through the mind altering effects of LSD. Lonnie was probably set apart from many other spiritual seekers by his sincerity and determination. Lonnie had a born-again experience with Jesus sometime around 1967. Shortly after this he met Ted and Elizabeth Wise and moved in The Big House, a ministry they had established to reach the hippies in their area. Lonnie was an influential part of this ministry as well as The Living Room, another similar ministry. A short while after this Lonnie traveled to southern California and met Chuck Smith, who was the pastor of the then small and struggling Calvary Chapel. Chuck and Lonnie hit things off very well. Chuck was like a father figure to him and Lonnie thrived with the opportunity to minister to his fellow hippies. During this time Calvary Chapel went from 200 to 2000 in six months. Although he is credited with many extraordinary experiences the most reliable fact is that he was just an ordinary man not unlike any of us then or now. I believe that GOD used Lonnie, in place of many others during that time, because Lonnie was willing to obey GOD in ways that few others would. His story is tragic, yet it carries within it the seed of hope, that any of us could also be used of GOD. Lonnie was a tarnished vessel, but GOD chose him and used him mightily, and so could it be also with any of us.

I pray that in exposing others to the tragedy of Lonnie’s story they will resist the temptation to harbor bitterness and anger over the injustice he suffered. Each and every one of us needs to extend forgiveness and mercy just as we have also received the same from our Heavenly Father. Lonnie was by no means a flawless man. In his latter years he was very bitter over the exclusion and rejection he experienced. Even so, the report of his close friends and family is that there was a time of forgiveness and healing of relationships just before his passing. I beg of my readers that they too will lean towards forgiveness and not allow any root of bitterness to fester and thereby defile many.

I have heard it said, more than once or twice, that everybody is tempted by one or more of the following vices; sex outside of marriage, excessive money or power. If we really believed that this is true; then we shouldn’t be surprised when we hear that so and so has fallen in this or that area, and we should take serious precautions in the first place as though expecting that we, or someone we know, will be faced with such a problem.

Lonnie Frisbee was a practicing homosexual before his conversion, during his brief marriage and sporadically through the rest of his life. He never sought to justify it or rationalize his behavior in any way, but he seems to have paid the ultimate price by suffering rejection from ministry, being written out of the history books and finally dying of HIV related AIDS. I pray that we would be cautious in our judgments of Lonnie or those who so mistreated him. The Body of Messiah needs a lot of healing and there are many areas where we need to make amends for the countless wrongs we have committed.

You can read about Lonnie’s story on the website www.lonniefrisbee.com or by doing a general web search using his name. I would encourage those who do so to pray first, because many of those individuals who were associated with Lonnie are still alive today and active in ministry.

Blessings,

Shlomo

B"H

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The Alenu (It is our duty)

It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to exalt the Creator of the universe, who has not made us like the nations of the world and has not placed us like the families of the earth; who has not designed our destiny to be like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitude. We bend the knee and bow and acknowledge before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, that it is He who stretched forth the heavens and established the earth. His seat of glory is in the heavens above; His abode of majesty is in the lofty heights. He is our God, there is none else; truly, He is our King, there is none besides Him, as it is written in His Torah (book of Instruction): "You shall know this day, and reflect in your heart, that it is the LORD who is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, there is none else." (Deut. 4:39)

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The Alenu is an ancient prayer said to date back to approximately the 2nd century. I think it is very fitting to consider the truth of this prayer concerning our own lives here and now in the 21st century.

I know that I have many things to give thanks for in my life;

• my relationship with GOD,
• my wife and our children,
• a lovely house that is large enough for us and our possessions,
• a small company of friends,
• a decent job that pays for our bills,
• a fairly reliable car that takes us from point A to point B,
• etc & etc.

I want to encourage each and every one of you to consider the many blessings that GOD has invested in your lives. I say that it is an investment because GOD has purposed to bless us so that we might be a blessing to others in turn.

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of GOD in Messiah Jesus concerning you." 1 Thes 5:18

Shlomo

B"H

Today I'd like to share a prayer called Hashkivenu (cause us to lie down). This prayer is said every night after the Shema. When my kids were little I used the Hashkivenu as their night time prayer. In our family it was the substitute for, "Now I lay me down to sleep." In recent years I have recited a shorter version with my own changes added in. I will conclude this sharing with that version.

"Grant, LORD our GOD, that we lie down in peace, and that we rise again, O our King, to life. Spread over us Your shelter of peace, and direct us with good counsel of Your own. Save us for Your name's sake; shield us, and remove from us every enemy and pestilence, sword and famine and grief; remove the adversary from before us and from behind us; shelter us in the shadow of Your wings; for You are our protecting and saving GOD; You are indeed a gracious and merciful GOD and King. Guard Thou our going out and our coming in, for life and peace, henceforth and forever. Blessed are You, O LORD, who guards Your people Israel forever." Amen.

Besides the beauty of the language and its poetic flow, I like the theme of the Hashkivenu. When we lie down to sleep we are in our most vulnerable state. We close our eyes and shut off the outside world. We become unaware consciously of any and all activity going on around us. If an enemy approaches or if danger is present, we are unable to respond due to our lack of knowledge. In this prayer, we not only call upon GOD to watch over us, but we acknowledge that He is gracious and merciful and therefore we are confident that He will both protect and save us in all situations.

In the second line of the prayer, "Spread over us Your shelter of peace," the English text doesn't reflect an idea clearly shown forth in the Hebrew. The word sukkat is translated as shelter, but this word could also be rendered as tabernacle. What is significant about this distinction is that the word tabernacle has specific meaning in Jewish history. The tabernacle in the wilderness, the Tent of Meeting, was the place in the camp of the Israelites where the Glory of GOD was physically manifested. Directly over the tabernacle was either the pillar of fire at night or the pillar of smoke in the day. The root of this word tabernacle is the word shochen, which means to dwell. So through the tabernacle GOD was dwelling in the midst of the camp. In the Gospel of John it says,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD and the Word was GOD. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us." - John 1:1,14

Now, in our day and age, we are given the privilege to walk with GOD and to allow Him to set up His tent in our midst. He wants to establish His presence in the world through His people. He, as our GOD, will do great and mighty things for us. Our responsibility is to be faithful to declare His praises as witnesses of His salvation.

"Grant, O LORD our GOD, that we lie down in peace, and arise, O our King, to life. Spread over us Your tabernacle of peace and direct us with good counsel of Your own. Cause us not to lean upon our own understanding, but to put our trust in You, for You have shown Yourself to be faithful and true."

Heavenly Father, I thank You for my family and friends. I pray that You will watch over us in our coming and going. May it be that through the words we speak as well as the things we do, You might be exalted and magnified in our midst. We recognize You as LORD in our midst, help us to stay focused on Your love and care, so that we may ever walk in ways that are pleasing in Your sight. You have saved us because of Your great love. Grant us now that we might serve You with pure hearts all the days of our lives.

Bashem Yeshua (In Jesus name), AMEN!

Shlomo

B"H

More Sad News - when will it end?

Last night I received a phone call around 12:15 AM or so. This is not a problem since I'm here at work from 6 PM until 6 AM. The nature of the problem though was the caller and his location. Joe Blough has relocated again. Back in March he moved out and relocated several towns away. At first I didn't know where he was going or how to get in touch with him. Shortly afterwards though, it was revealed that he had moved in with a nice family and was doing ok. I spoke with him on the phone a number of times, although not enough, and we also saw him some. If it was necessary I could get in the car and drive out to where he was living in about 45 minutes. Now he is back in New York. It's nearly a thousand miles from here to there. When will I ever see him again??? Maybe he'll come back in December, when Penninah has her formal graduation ceremony. More tears and sadness.

I have been trying to get my thoughts together to compose a few posts here and yet night after night I do some reading and play games to pass away the time. I have tried to keep up with most of my new and old Xanga friends and I do manage to write quite a few comments, but there hasn't been much news here from me in long time. Sorry about that.

Thanks to all for listening and caring,

Shlomo

B"H

Speaking the Truth in Love

Ok, so here's my new project. Actually, it's not new, but what I hope is new is the way I present it. I have been silent for such a long time because I don't want to hurt or offend anybody. I have really strong feelings about some very sensitive topics - race relations in particular and related themes. My view of life is complicated. I don't see things as clearly black and white, but rather there are innumerable shades of gray.  All too often I find myself surrounded by friends and brethren whom I deeply love, but who are not deep thinkers. This is not to say that I am, although quite often I wish I was. Anyway, my concern at present is this. I don't want to hurt or confuse any of my dear friends and thus I have kept silent rather than speak my mind. Now I'm going to speak up and share my thoughts and opinions. I hope that both by means of such disclaimers as this, and the softer tone in my presentations, far fewer of my readers will be hurt.

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Shlomo

B"H

The Rightful Quest for Friends

please be patient, more to follow shortly.

Ha ha ha, who knows the meaning of "shortly?" I gave up on this topic a long time ago. At 54 you'd think I was more mature than this. I concluded that no one wants to hear my whining about not having a crowd of friends. Therefore this post has died on the vine.

B"H

As I previously mentioned, there are several items on dock to share. As usual, I don't have time right now to include everything, but I don't want to put things off indefinitely either.

• A wonderful meeting IRL with a cyberfriend who's name begins with A and ends with A. (A <---->A)
  
• A joyous wedding in smalltown Michigan.
  
• Linus Brown - a true example of "faith in action."
  
• Etc & etc

1.  Who is this A <---->A ?

Hmmm, after approximately 4 years I finally got the chance to meet Andi in person. As time has changed so have we all. I am rapidly approaching the speed limit ( 55 ) and Andi is now better known as Andrea. Back in 2001 Andi was doing home-school High School and I was just getting acquainted with The Band known as [k]. Because of our common interest in Superchick we happened upon one another on the now defunct web site of the Superchick Cafe. Many late evenings were shared in the chat room of that web site. I have "listened" and chatted, prayed and counseled, and laughed and cried through a host of different topics.

I learned a lot during my time in the Cafe. Previously, I had never heard of SI (self-injury), and its varied expressions such as cutting or the odd twins Mia and Rexi (bulimia and anorexia). Although we are a generation apart, I came to discover the possibility of friendship that transcends age and gender. Andrea laughed as she had to explain to me what it meant that her friends had TPed her room. For sure there were times when I was lost as she described her interactions both positive and negative with her girlfriends. It was a whole different world and I could only absorb but so much culture shock I guess. There are some barriers that we can't cross; I'm a married 54 yr old male and she is a single teenaged female. Even so, there are a lot of areas where we can learn important things from one another. Through this friendship and others, I have become a huge advocate of intergenerational friendships. I guess this is just a subset of the larger issue of practical multiculturalism.

Here's a few photos of our time together.

Ha ha ha, it wasn't easy taking these pictures, but I think they came out ok.

Thanks Andrea, I'm privileged to be known as one of your friends. I'm glad that we had this chance to meet and I also enjoyed the time we spent with your Dad.

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More to follow for sure.

Shlomo

B"H

It's time to make a new post again. I actually have quite a few interesting things to share. Lately I have been so physically tired I haven't been able to sit and concentrate on the things that are really important. As some of you can tell by now, I'm not going to write this new important post right now. Hopefully, when I come back to work this evening I'll be ready to write and share some new photos.

Blessings in the name of the LORD,

Shlomo