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Jeremy's Tribute

6/10/2016

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My father (daddy) passed away on June 1st. He shared the following with his grandson:


65 years

Hard to believe.

65 years seems like almost a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time. 1951 and the last place on this earth I wanted to be was fighting a war in Korea. I suppose there’s some comfort to be had knowing you were going to make it through this fight, this war. The innocence of youth, perhaps. Might have been knowing the men fighting with you were trained to do their job and fight for your life as I was theirs. We did our job, we fought the best we could, and most of us did come home.

Who could have known 65 years later I’d be fighting again. Another damn war...
I didn’t sign up for this fight.

This time the war is one I knew full well going into I was not going to win. The men who fought with me 65 years ago aren’t here. This is something none of us were trained for. 

This war I have to fight alone.
​

Cancer.

I have lost most of my strength. I can't feel my legs. I know it will be over soon. I know that I've done my best and fought as hard as I could. I know that there is not much sand left in my hourglass. 

Ironic almost, how this being Memorial Day Weekend, 65 years has come full circle. 

I taught math all across the great state of Wyoming for 28 years. I've caught more fish at Pathfinder than most people have fishing stories. I've had a blessed life. I know a pretty good boy who has always been a much better writer than me, and I've asked if he wouldn't mind helping an old man out. 86 years is a pretty good run and soon the war will be over.

​Love you grandpa. Hope I've made you proud.



Jeremy's Tribute

Listening to the quiet. . .     by Jeremy Rogers  June, 2016 (Grandson of John B. Maher)


The open road is a quiet and lonely place indeed. The desolate wasteland that was my trek this day, morphed into something unconsciously perfect. Southbound to nowhere, I approached mile marker 60 the eerily familiar sawed off plateaus began to appear.

An upward tick pursed my lips as I recounted the legend of the buffaloes I’d been told a thousand times by an elderly gentleman who happened to pass a DNA strand or few my way.

Mile marker 57 appears and in the jagged alcoves of the prehistoric rock formations the predatory raptors are circling effortlessly. Pausing, as if held by an invisible thread, before the descent. Using supersonic vision to find through the sagebrush any signs of vermin life. It is feeding time indeed. Mile marker 56 brings a trio of magpies. Pecking away at the corpse of a skunk who dared to tread too close to the white line to my immediate right.

Mile marker 52 approaches and the silhouette of a cowboy on his horse begins to appear. Within seconds, his faithful dog becomes visible. Motionless they remain, as if frozen in time. Perhaps reflecting, as I am this day, about the tale of the herd of stampeding buffalo heading over the edge with the same speed and force as a locomotive.

The smile that pursed my lips earlier turns. 

The quiet of the open road I’ve been listening to becomes deafening.

My heart knows the next time I traverse this path, the man who told me about the buffaloes will be gone.











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Why the iniquities of the Fathers matter

4/1/2016

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This is long. I have had a lot of questions about generational sin and whether it is scriptural.  Hopefully, this article will clear up some of those concerns. 

Introduction: This paper is not about original sin in any way. I am not advocating the despicable doctrine propagated by the likes of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, which is still a major tenet of many denominations today. We are not conceived as sinful beings. We are born into a world ruled by sin and sinful people. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by YHVH. Yet, from the moment of conception we are governed by both the physical genetics of our parents and also their spiritual history. 


Throughout the Word of Elohim, we are instructed to teach our children the ways of YHVH. We are also instructed about the consequences of not doing so. “I, YHVH your elohim am a jealous el, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and fourth generation.” (Ex 20:5; Ex 34:7; Deut 5:9; Num 14:18) 

The word translated “visiting” in English is the Hebrew word poqad - from the root paqad  (פָקָד) meaning to number, visit, muster, appoint. It is the same word used twice in Numbers 4:49 for appointing as well as numbering or counting. Perhaps if we use the term counting or numbering instead of visiting, we would see a different picture. Is it possible YHVH is saying that He will number or count the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation? If so how is this different than what we normally associate with this verse? 



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Losing.  Dying.  Living.

1/3/2016

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I am fighting, no - warring, to understand
This love, this connection
This way of being that demands more of me than is there


It is death of me
Of my rights, needs, wants, perceptions
It is relinquishing ownership


But ownership of what?
Something I only thought was mine - me.
I have been bought with a price that I did not pay.


Blood. Another death. The price for me.


Who does this? 
Who buys my death?
How does the exchange happen?


A choice. A paradox. A contronym.
Death is life. 
I only exist if I don’t.


It hurts, this losing who I think I am.
It's harder than the words imply
And I am fighting, no - warring, to understand how to do it.

​
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PAUL AGAIN

10/26/2015

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Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:16,17:  as he (Paul) does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. Therefore be on guard and do not be carried away by the error of unprincipled men.

The last post on Paul dealt with the way men have mistranslated and misinterpreted certain words to suit a particular way of thinking, which seems to be exactly what Peter is talking about. According to Peter, Paul’s writing was difficult to understand for those who actually knew and conversed with him, let alone those of us who have a translation of a translation and absolutely no idea of the Hebraic mindset and culture, or any knowledge of the question letters Paul was answering. 

As a reminder, we must exercise a valid hermeneutic (process of interpretation) if we are to have the slightest clue as to what Paul was/is talking about. That means, first of all realizing who Paul was, where he came from, and the problems he was dealing with. According to Peter, he established or put Paul’s writing on a par with Scripture. That being the case, Paul cannot refute Torah or void parts of it without being a false prophet as established in Deuteronomy 13. 

Yeshua said he did not come to destroy the Law or the prophets (Matt 5:17). Paul claimed in Acts 24, as he spoke to Felix, that according to the Way, which they call a sect (of Judaism) I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law (Torah) and that is written in the Prophets. If this is true then Paul cannot teach that the Law is bad or that women are bad or that there is no longer a need for keeping Sabbath on the 7th day or physical circumcision is no longer required as a sign of the covenant. Doing so would disqualify him from teaching Truth as defined by the rules he claims to follow. 

Taking bits and pieces of Paul’s writings and twisting them to say what they do not, thus making them contradict huge chunks of what he has already written is absurd, but that is exactly what has been done. 

I ran across the following quote as I prepared for a teaching a couple weeks ago - yes, I teach and yes to both sexes! There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is condemnation before investigation. —Edmund Spencer
​

We are told to search (investigate) the Scriptures to see if what we are being taught is True (Acts 17:11). That means Paul’s writings must align with the rest of Scripture for him to be considered an Apostle of Messiah. If Paul’s purpose was to change what had been established in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, then according to YHVH’s own words, Paul is a liar and a false prophet and NOT to be believed!
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My Journey - Part 1

6/29/2015

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I have not written in a while. The Father has been working on me. It has been rough. I believe I am coming out on the other side, though there is now the work of learning and operating in the new way of being. Whole. What does this mean? 

As an adjective, whole is used to designate the full amount, the entirety of a thing, its completeness, undivided, unbroken, undamaged. In noun form, the word indicates something that is complete in itself, with all its components or elements operating as a unit. We know this idea from the teaching of Scripture on the body. Although, the physical body has many cells, organs, limbs, it operates as a unit, a whole. Similarly, we are told that the body of Messiah works the same. Many members, each with a specific function, all working together to produce something that the pieces parts on their own can never achieve.  

The Hebrew word echad relays a similar concept. Consider the declaration from Deuteronomy 6: Shema Israel, YHVH eloheinu, YHVH echad. Hear Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH is one. In Genesis 1:26, YHVH refers to himself as a plural unity: Let us make man in our image. This is not the time or place to go into trinity theology. Suffice it to say that YHVH is not three gods in one, but rather uses manifestations of Himself for specific situations. He is One in different forms at different times. We have this word, echad, used in the shema, and indicates once again, the wholeness, completeness, perfection of the Creator of the Universe. 

This image we are created in, is used repeatedly as a metaphor in YHVH’s Word. Basar echad. One flesh. This is the term used to define marriage. Two people (of the opposite sex) coming together to become a new form of echad. Each on his/her own is echad, but coming together like this, they become echad in a different way. Two parts uniting for new purpose. This is a way of being that is intimately connected to the One who created all things. There is no room for independence.  

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Battered Women in Israel

3/15/2015

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I listen to Voice of Israel Radio. Below is a link to a program about the Bat Melech (Daughter of the King) women’s shelters in Israel dedicated to providing safe haven for Orthodox Jewish women of abuse. Ari and Jeremy (the program hosts) can get a little goofy at times but, the program is eye opening and at around the 30 minute mark Amy Openheimer who is the spokesperson for Bat Melech gives a great synopsis of the woman’s role in a marriage relationship stated in Genesis (B’reishit) as ezer k’negdo. 

Abuse is defined and I was especially intrigued by the concept of religious abuse, which is discussed and articulated. The focus of this blog, for a time, is restoring the true roles of men and women according to YHVH’s original intent. When one or other of the spouses is determined to use control over the other for any reason in any way, there is a high potential for abuse incidents. 

Emotional abuse is abuse, make no mistake about it. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse all have one thing in common - abuse. The program is about 50 minutes long, but worth every minute. I encourage you to listen and pray for this incredible ministry. 
Ashrei atah!

http://www.voiceofisrael.com/religiously-battered-the-plight-of-abused-women-in-the-orthodox-world/?auto=1



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Paul's Heads

3/12/2015

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Today, we will look into Paul’s texts that talk about who is the head, namely, 1Cor 11:3 and Eph 5:23.

Paul used the Greek word, kephale in these passages which has been translated as ‘head’ into English. Head can mean many things in English - the piece of our body that sits on our shoulders, the leader of an organization, an authority figure, the top of something as in head of the bed or beginning of something as in trail head, it can even mean the toilet. 



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Paul, con't.

3/11/2015

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We have looked at Paul’s credentials. What exactly do these credentials mean for 21st century people trying to understand the teachings of the man with those credentials at the time Yeshua lived? If we do not see Paul for who and what he was, we will not be able to grasp even the most obvious of his words, let alone those which are filled with Hebraisms and come from a mindset foreign to all we know. The words have been translated into English, but must be seen through the eyes of those to whom they were originally written. Are you able to take off your Greek western glasses and “see” with the eyes of a Jew? Because then and only then can you begin to put Paul’s writings into context - to translate what he was saying to “them” into what it means to “us.”

These postings are primarily concerned with texts that have been used to promote theology and doctrine that has been used to legitimize the domination and degradation of women by men, particularly within the walls of the “church.”

In Paul’s letters, he deals with issues he has been made aware of and which need to be corrected.  Let’s look at Paul’s letters with some specifics in mind. Checking the Greek and digging a bit helped put Paul’s letters in context and settled some very real problems with how the church has traditionally viewed women by not regarding context.

First, Paul’s letters are whole letters, not separate chapters and verses. This means that the entirety of what is covered must be seen, not just a sentence here and there lifted out of context to prove a point that isn’t supported within the rest of the letter (or Torah, for that matter, as Paul would never deliberately go against Torah). 

Second, we only have Paul’s answer letters, not the letters that contain the questions that he is answering. Remember that Paul begins his letters with salutations and greetings and uses language that presumes to address issues that have been presented to him for adjudication.

Third, some of Paul’s writing is applicable for us, while some is written only for a specific situation happening at that time. Can we still profit from it? Absolutely, but only when we understand the reason for the instruction. When we say that women cannot teach men or that they must keep silent in church settings, we have disregarded other text clearly stating that EACH one is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the good of ALL, ALL can prophesy, and ALL must submit to one another. 

The traditional view, which lifts passages out of context, contradicts others making confusion rampant and requires volumes to explain away the discrepancies. How much better it would be to examine the specific bits that do not seem to fit instead of making them an awkward foundation that nothing else can stand on.

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PAUL/SAUL/SHAUL

1/29/2015

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Many read Paul’s words without regarding the circumstances (remove them from their context). If you look at all his writings this way, he comes across as schizophrenic. If you just take bits and pieces, he may seem scattered, disjointed and even misogynistic. In case of the last, he is hung out to dry as a religious nut promoting some not so nice things about women. I would like to look at these bits and pieces and hopefully bring some understanding out of the context from which they were written.

What is context? The Oxford dictionary says: The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Also: The parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.




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The Lesson of Selma

12/23/2014

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Due to being related by marriage, I was privileged to have a private viewing of the new movie, Selma. After my mom died almost 40 years ago, my dad married a lovely woman, Marie Reeb. She was widowed 10 years before when her husband, James Reeb, a Boston minister went to support Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights marches at Selma, Alabama in 1965. While he was there, he was bludgeoned to death by white racists as he and a fellow minister were leaving a restaurant. 

I was in my early teens when this was happening and I understood the severity of the problem, but was not in the problem. I have an acquaintance who is a little older who was actively involved with what was happening during this time. She accompanied me to the viewing and said it was very accurate. If you get a chance to go to the movie, do. There is much to take in and much to learn. Sometimes I wonder if we ever learn...

I wrote a blog a while back that compared the church’s theology of women, subjection, and domination by men to how blacks were treated in this country for years. Both of these scenarios allow for a particular people group to be subjugated, demeaned, devalued, and seen as less than human. God created humankind in His image. We are all descended from the original “parents”. The DNA of human beings is always the DNA of human beings. It matters not that DNA comes from a black skinned person, a white skinned person, or a yellow skinned person, a male or a female. They are ALL people, human beings made in the image of YHVH. (If you are not familiar with what Scripture actually says about the function of the woman, then read some previous posts for clarity. If you disagree, check for yourself the original languages and contexts.)



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    Napoleon Dynamite makes me laugh. The mountains are home.  I really hope there will be chocolate in eternity. I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have are spectacular! More than anything, I want to please my Creator. 

    How you live your life defines who you are. 

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