Ranger Jim

Hebrews 7:14-17 (KJV) 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

My sister in law was in a hospital with several serious symptoms that confounded the staff there. They were considering she might be "sceptic", a serious infection. My wife finally got through a message for someone to call her since her sister couldn't engage in a sensible conversation on the phone. The only thing her sister seemed to receive was to welcome angels to be dispatched by Jesus to come alongside to comfort her and speak into the ears of her caregivers some wisdom. My wife received a call from a nurse the next day. No progress had been made. Before ending the call, she had a thought. She asked the nurse whether her sister was being given a specific prescribed medicine for a condition. It wasn't on her med list! The nurse thanked her profusely. The very next day her Baptist sister called to say she had two angels all night singing, holding her hands. She was moved out of ICR and made that call when moved to a room. She was released with a few more temporary prescriptions. Her nice evangelical message has remained that her sister called for God to send angels to rescue her, and they came singing! She is now open to phone discussions of Bible truths both of those folks were deprived of in their youth. We would say it might be important to emphasize, acknowledge at least, that your mother has indeed been hearing angels in the midst of sickness, perhaps because someone is praying the right prayers, and an important ear will hear the song.

I have a wrinkle in the canvas of this important discussion. With a background in teaching Bible to "regular" Christians, I was inserted by the Lord into ministering to men with life controlling issues, like meth addiction, admitted to two local Christian recovery ministries. Among those men are new babes in Christ living among those not yet in Christ. After years of teaching Bible, the time came when several asked me to teach them to witness to their "friends" on the outside. They felt prepared to witness, able to explain anything Christian...we thought. After a few months of covering "witnessing", the administers allowed a delegation to visit those acquaintances in the yard of a "crack house". After an afternoon of that we returned home to discuss the experience. All 14 reported they never got to the subject of Christ, but were lured into drug talk. The eventual explanation was that I had missed the issue of the CONSCIENCE. Satan loves to speak through it. Every man was easily reminded of sins they committed among those witnesses. Yes, they understood those sins have been forgiven. But the challenge has been to how to resolve the memory capacity of one's brain, containing 3-D video of memories, to issues between heart and mind, that is spirit, soul, and body. It's a matter of self forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, and dealing with outside pressures from peers and the Devil. Now I have a better idea of why my former denominational Sunday School members of 29 years spanse failed to bring new converts to class beyond those my wife and I added by the power of the Spirit. I will not assume they lacked the understanding to copy us. Their consciences, inadequately confronted, inhibited them. The result was to fall into discussions of sports and other more comfortable issues.

It might be claimed that unless a person believes and can prove Confucius, or the Muslim's Koran, or the biblical word of God, one might rightfully remain an non-believer. Well, a "non-believer" really ought not believe in any religion, or any of the more recent scientific concepts, or anything else outside the contents of one's own mind. What might be the contents of one's mind? One visit to a typical nursing home can reveal what that amounts to evolving to a mind that can't do anything but shout out years, shouting "1965, 1966, 1967, 1968.....1994", then back down with 1973, 1972, down to 1965, and over again 24/7. I have one veteran dealing with that now. It takes a lot of research to plow through military events to identify the source problem! The Bible doesn't require self-proof. The word of God is simply, and dynamically, the word of almighty God. So it is that I pray that one vet receive His mercy, that I exchange my present and eternal benefits for his credit, that he die in peace in His arms. I believe almighty God will fairly judge that. Let the abundant mercies of the word of God mediate, like a public defender attorney, apply every benefit afforded by man and God towards all accused. Do not judge, or rather if you must Judge, judge righteously, nor face your own judgment according to the LAW. Be merciful.

Faith carries humans to expectations above verified facts of the present. Even if we experience faith fulfilled in our own mind for a moment, it's still faith if there is no finite boundary to it, like the laws of thermodynamics are bounded to man's perception of the laws of physics. "The truth", then, resides somewhat in what always works for every person having "the truth", while others not having "the truth" must rely upon what is naturally comprehended, perhaps plus whatever understanding is comprehended a little outside the box of "the truth". So it is that a creature like man can share observations of some animal in view, noting it has hold of some truths common to a man, but not the whole of "the truth". He can also compare other humans to humans in an effort to define "normal", or the positive/negative extremes in his or her mind. That's where "religion" enters in, an effort to normalize a perception of "the truth" among people. God, not religion, so loved man that He made the way to His truth easily perceptible in one one verse of scripture embedded in this passage: Romans 10:8-13 (KJV) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. "The Truth" is near you. How near? In your mouth. He only requires belief in what was told of Jesus in His word, then say it with all your "heart" and mind, in His "hearing". Then God will lead you to the particulars.