Religious Fluffernutter: Imminent Return- Who does that?

Religious Fluffernutter: Imminent Return- Who does that?

Where did this idea that ‘If the Lord tarries’ concept come from?

 What does that mean, if The LORD tarries’, like He’s sitting at the right hand of The Father like a lap dog waiting for His instructions when Dad says, ‘Fetch Boy!’

 Now there is some semblance of Truth in that, yet, He ain’t coming back tomorrow or the next day. He’s coming back the way He came the 1st time round, (and it wasn't on the winter solstice season of Dec. 25th), what does your Bible/Scripture say?

 Luke 1:15, ‘The Time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is @ hand repent and believe in the gospel’. (Interesting He said this to folks who obviously knew what the gospel was, without any ‘new’ testament.) 

Gal 4:4, says, ‘BUT when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son… meaning, God didn't wake up one morning and say, hmmmm, wonder what I’ll do today, I know!, I send my only begotten Son today! Yeah, that’s the ticket! Hmmm let’s do that and see what happens.. NO! God, THE CREATOR works by appointments called HIS appointed TIMES!

 See Leviticus 23.

 Let’s get real, you got an appointment with the Doctor next Tuesday, but you say to yourself, I know what that says, but I’ll show up on Thursday, he’ll know what I mean. Better yet, husbands, you have an appointment with your wife and say, hmmm, I’ll just show up on another night, she’ll understand. How’s that working for ya?

My point is, He/’Jesus’ just isn't jumping up off of the right handed seat of The Father and say, I’m in! 

No! He’s has an appointed time! It’s Set!

 And we got some funky doctrine that says, ‘If the Lord tarries… or you never know, He might return tonight! You better get saved today! 

Religious fluffernutter. www.marshmallowfluff.com/pages/fluffernutter.html

 Again, people read your Bible/Scriptures for yourself! What does it say?

 Read 1 Thessalonians 5! He doesn't come like a thief in the night to those who are awake and aware! We need to quit making excuses for out laziness and just regurgitating religious jargon we've heard, like no one knows the day or the hour! Duh! That’s because the time won’t be during the day because that appointed time comes with the new moon on the 7th month!

You know, the one we sing about without bothering to understand, ‘when the trump of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more…’ which brings me around to my topic.

 Do you really believe that ‘Jesus’ The Messiah could return @ any moment?

 I know most people don’t because they don’t behave anywhere close to the fact that ‘today could be their last’ and that they might leave their loved ones behind!

 Left behind, that’s a golden calf doctrine that needs to be melted down and drunk by all who preach it and write New York Times best selling ‘Trilogies’ that go into 14 or more books!

 I saw a great T-shirt once; I kissed my left behind goodbye… I ask you:

•  Who gets taken 1st and gets bundled and burned and who gets left behind? Tares go 1st, Wheat get left behind. Matt 13 47-50 

• What gets taken 1st and what gets left behind? Dross goes 1st, silver gets left behind! Proverbs 25;5 

• Who got taken out of the room 1st @ the ‘last supper’ and who was left behind? 

• Who gets cut off 1st and who gets lifted up? Psalm 75:10 

• Who got taken out 1st and who got left behind in Ex 14? The Pharaoh and his army got taken and the Children of The Living God got left behind. 

• Did Korah get taken 1st and the children of Israel get left behind?

• Didn't David write that the He shall remove all the wicked of the earth like dross, so who then gets left behind? 

• Doesn't it say that the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous will be uprooted from it in Proverbs 2?

So who got taken and who gets left behind? 

• Aren't the wicked overthrown and are no more, but the House of the Righteous will stand? Proverbs 12:7, so who gets taken and who gets left behind? 

• Oh, in the story of Sodom and G’morrah, who got taken and who got left behind? 

• Which tree was taken out of the garden and which one was left behind? The tree which God didn't plant was taken out Matt 15:13, that’s the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Tree of Life gets left behind! 

• Don’t the wicked get taken away from the king and his throne is established in righteousness? Proverbs 25:5, so who got taken out and who gets left behind? 

I got plenty more; love to hear the ones you find! So IF ‘Jesus’ could come back @ anytime, and IF there is a pre-tribulation rapture, why do we even bother to sing that song?

•  Who get’s to see Him when He comes as He said in Matt. 24? 

Do you want to be taken out in the 1st wave? Or do you want to be left behind?

Now is the time to examine everything! 2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Yahshua the Messiah is in you, except ye be reprobates? Remember, what faith was ‘Paul’ talking about? Couldn't have been ‘christianity’ it wasn't around at that time nor did ‘Jesus’ come to start a new religion called that.

 Neither was it Judaism, that too wasn't around at the time he wrote that! What faith was he talking about? Good question, dig my friends and you’ll see.

 The well is deep! And Refreshing!

 Prepare to be left behind! Luke 21:27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The MTA = the IND, BMT and IRT June 2012 Anyone outside of New York City probably wouldn’t know what all these initials mean. Who knew they were talking about the Big Apples Subway system? Here’s the translation: MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority is composed of the IND (Independent Subway System -1932), the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation – 19 teens), IRT (the Interborough Rapid Transit Company 1904). So now you know! Not to be confused with PATH, another organization of subterranean transit, the Port Authority Trans Hudson! Where ya going on this one there, Rick? Glad you asked. Ever notice, your Bible, The Scriptures is written in a funny way? Using words in a way that you and I wouldn’t normally talk, type nor text? LOL! No, I am not talking in that funky King James; ‘gimme-est thee thou lucre there thou ignorant slave! Wouldest thou committest a sinneth!’ Bleeech! (Godley Amplified version) No, I am not talking about King James, I am talking about the choice of words used in most Scriptures. Going back to the original language of Hebrew and not the wide gate lost in translation versions such as The Message or Living Bibles. Like the Subway system of New York, do you trust map of those who actually built the subway or read an interpretation of the map when you want to get from A to B? You know, from someone who says, ‘this is what I think it means’ or ‘this is what they meant when they said this train would connect to this train.’ Back to the Words of Scripture. Example, the word ‘gathered’. Ever notice how many times that word shows up and in sentences that you and I would never write? ‘And all the city was gathered together at the door. (Mark 1:33) How would you write that? ‘Man, everybody showed up!’ Read your Bible, that’s a loaded sentence, ALL the city was GATHERED at the DOOR! How about this one: ‘And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. (Matt 13:2) How would you text that? Evry1’s here! Lotsa ppl! So many He can’t speak w/o gettin a boat! Where y’@?’ There are soooo many ‘Gather’ verses, I implore you to pay attention to when they show up! Read slowly! I got 2 more, (matter of fact there are over 245 verses of Gathered or Gather in your Bible/Scripture!) One more….. the first occurrence of the Word reveals a lot as well. ‘And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.’ (Gen 1:9) Sup wit dis? Why does He write it this way? Think He wants His people to be gathered unto one place? While He sends His messengers to gather up the tares at the appropriate time to bind, and burn THEM first while the Wheat get left behind to be taken to the barn? (Matt 13:29) I have a thing called my ‘So what?’ prayer. I ask Abba/Father, now that I know this, now that I see this, ‘So what?’ Now that my eyes have been opened to the Word ‘Gather/Gathered/Gathering’, I now write at the top of the page of my Bible/Scriptures a capital G with a square around it. To draw my attention to the word G = Gathered, just like the NYC subway lettering of its trains. A reminder to me, Rick, stop and go deeper to see what’s in here. For those who have never taken a NYC Subway, they are pretty simple, named after letters and numbers. Ever hear of ‘Take the A train’? We’ll that subway will take you from upper Manhattan all the way downtown, into Brooklyn and out to Rockaway Beach on Long Island. Whereas the D train starts in the Bronx and will take you downtown and all the way through Brooklyn and end up on Coney Island. Gotta know where you’re going and how to get there! And yes, they have maps clearly marked for us! Well so does The Creator of the Universe! Ever see, Nicolas Cage in the movie, ‘National Treasures’? It’s a neat movie about how our founding fathers placed secret codes in our original documents that would lead one to some great ‘gathered’ wealth. In this movie, first of all, in order to find the ‘treasure’ you had to have a ‘want to’ to want to look for it’ Proverbs 25:2 says, ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.’. In other words, there’s something deeper in here IF you want to dig for it. In the movie once, Nicolas Cage, begin to dig deeper and all of a sudden, words seem to appear and ‘jump off the page’ at him, helping him to connect that dots if you will. Ever have that hapBlupen to you? It does to me… now! Now that He has me looking for the dots! Like the names of the NYC subways. The A, B, Q, F, #2, # 3, E, C, etc… go here on how to get around under New York, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway, pretty neat. Now, I’ll share my Scriptural underground notes, should anyone find my Bible/Scriptures with it’s ‘Godley amplification’ and oh yes, of course, highlighted colors. I am open to hearing what you have found! (See Proverbs 2 on how and why to dig!) I have a big L on Scripture where The Creator has promised His people His LAND! Sometimes you feel that He cares more about His Land than He does His people, read it for yourself. He does treasure HIS Land, and He treasures His treasured Ones. I highlight Land in green! R with a square around it stands for RESTORE. I read where He is quite interested in Restoring as much as Redeeming! Don’t you? Hmmmm, Restoring what? See Acts 1:6 and Acts 3:21. Hint hint, wink wink! I color R with blue. I find a lot of DO, which I highlight in yellow You know those verses where He encourages us TO DO this and that? It’s amazing what He says/prcmises what HE will Do IF we will only DO what He says! But to our chagrin we say, Nah. Read the full verse of the one we think we know so well, ‘MY people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge’. Hosea 4:6, read the rest of the verse as to WHY HIS people are destroyed! Shame on us! He makes His Way very clear! It’s the pin-headed theologians, the Ph-Deity’s that think THEY know better! Hrumph! A couple more of ‘Godley’s Scriptural Subway’ system. C = Conspiracy. Yes! Virginian there is a Conspiracy and it’s NOT a Theory. Evolution is a Theory, Conspiracy is very real. Read Psalm 2, 74:8, all of Psalm 83!, Matt 22:15, Matt 12:14,Psalm 64 just to name a very few! I Highlight C Yellow at the top of my pages! Others are H for Healings, which He did and we should and will be doing. I highlight H in Green as well! D is for deliverance. How many times did He and His disciples DO Deliverance? Make note, and mark them! You’ll begin to connect the dots! Share what you find! There is soooooo much more! Rick@godleyworks.com Deeper is better! Let’s dig; we’re the Tunnel Kings for The Great Escape! More to come, Mordecai!

The Creator Behind bars!!!

This morning was totally awesome behind bars @ the OCC. Here’s how the process usually works, I get there about 7:30-7:40, sign in and let the front desk know I’m here for Freedmen Ministries. Then I wait in the lobby till they page all the men who signed up for the class. They come from different pods (cell blocks), so that can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes all depends. No problem, I’m on their time anyway. So I get there this morning. I don’t come in with a game plan, although I seek one from The Father. I didn’t have one, but the men usually have a question or 2 or 30 or 40 and the Spirit takes it from there. I arrived at 7:35, announced myself, and they said to come right around! (No waiting), wouldn’t you know it, coffee had to take its course, so I run to …well you know where. As I get my walkie talkie I go to the room in the back through 3 automatic doors that open and lock behind me. Well I look to the room and ALL of the men are there, sitting at the table waiting for me! 20 minutes early! All smiles, all eager… To say the class was sweet, and tears flowed because of them understanding the cup of Bitter Waters…then the confessions came for prayer to break strongholds….so here we are an hour ½ laying on hands praying over about 5 or 6 men. Oh I forgot, they opened with a custom rap song about ‘The Words’ that come out of my mouth, I’m going to be a better man….. Oh if you all could have witnessed it. Forget about moist brownies, I’m getting moist eyes just typing this….

Godley’s Gallimaufries April 2012

Godley’s Gallimaufries April 2012
My Mother, Marjorie, passed away at the age of 94, on April 27, 2009. She died in her bed at home with all of us there. The last week was a fun week of sharing, eating, enjoying and loving. How can you mourn for a life lived long well and full? Recently my brother asked me if I remembered what ‘Mommy asked for 2 days before she died? I told him, no, what? He said, that she asked for a dictionary, she had to look up 2 words! Someone, asked me what those word were, and regretfully I don’t know.
Think about it though, even though we don’t know our last day and date to chisel on a tombstone, imagine being 94 years old and still having a hunger and thirst to learn! I say all that to say this, the title of this month’s article is in Marjorie’s honor. You see, usually I have a topic or theme to write about, but not a title. Just a year ago I wrote an article called ‘Rick’s A Roux’. The title came from a Louisiana word called Roux whereby it’s a little of this and a little of that to make a sauce for gumbo. When I sat down to do this month’s article I had the same unction to do another ‘Roux’ type article, yet I wanted to call it a ‘Hodge Podge’ and thus birthed this month’s article.
When I looked up some synonyms for Hodge-podge there appeared the word Gallimaufry! What is that!? Never have heard the word before, I looked it up. So as I learn hopefully you will too! Words are wonderful. Words have power, they build up or they can tear down.
Ever heard of Gallimaufry before? Let’s learn. Gallimaufry simply means assortment. Gallimaufries: A motley assortment of things. Synonyms: farrago, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, mélange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag. It comes from the archaic French galimafrée, of unknown origin, which might have referred to a kind of sauce or stew. Support for this comes from its earliest sense in English of a ragout or mishmash of ingredients, “a dish made by hashing up odds and ends of food”,
Live and learn! Even till age 94 and beyond! So I have 2 Gallimaufries share this month.
Gallimaufry 1: Reading from Leviticus 6, we learn of the sacrifice requirements of a Son of THE Living God, (Creator), if one wants to walk according to His Word and be known as His child. Many of us have been taught that these are ‘done away with’ and ‘no longer necessary’. Part of that is true, but we overlook the heart of the issue and toss all of it away and never visit these passages. First of all it is not the Heart of the Father in the Beginning to have anything innocent die on our behalf to cover or atone for our sin(s). Obedience is better than sacrifice, if one obeys The Fathers words then there is no need for a sacrifice! Rather simple.
However, since there was disobedience ‘in the beginning’, Genesis 3 which exposed His Children, (naked and shame), and broke fellowship as desired by The Father, He sacrificed something innocent to cover His Children (Gen 3:20), with the plan to bring them home back to the House (John 14, Luke 15), Restored Back to the Garden as it was in the Beginning (Acts 1:6, Acts 3:21).
Since we humans are obdurate, stiff-necked and dull of hearing we keep cycling further away, so instructions for the way back have to be covered more and more. Ergo, the instructions of a Loving Father who doesn’t want His children to get burned and die from ignorance in Lev. 6.
If all sacrifices are pointing to The Lamb of God (and they are) So, I'm thinking that John could have said in (John 1:29):
'Behold The Red Heifer of God'
'Behold The Burnt/Thanksgiving Offering of God'
'Behold The Grain Offering of God'
'Behold The Sin Offering of God'
'Behold The Guilt/Trespass Offering of God'
'Behold The Peace/Shalom Offering of God'
John would have been right on all occasions!
Agree? Disagree?
We truly are Beholding aren't we?
Gallimaufry 2: Lately I’m watching Words; Mine and others. I’ve been involved with some Scripture studies one at an area ‘Body Restoration’ shop (God does have a sense of humor) and the other at the local jail. I don’t teach nor preach, we just take their questions and go look up the answers in the Book and believe what we read and not read what we believe. Because we have been led to believe wrong! I am now convinced of it! How do I know, listen to these words that come from the others in both groups. I’m compiling a list, so if you have others to add, please e mail me:
“What I was taught….”
“What I was led to believe…”
“I believe…..”
“I just gotta believe…”
“What I think it means…”
“I was told…”
“I was always told…”
“I was taught…”
“I’ve been taught all my life…”
“I always heard…”
“To Me….”
“According to (fill in pastor or teachers name here)…”
“I don’t think I’m sinning…”
“I just thought…”
“Everything I’ve been taught since I was a child…”
“In my heart of hearts I believe…”
Compare all the above with what The Author/The Creator/The One who Knows better/Father actually wrote! The Bereans did! (Acts 17:11)
The wonderful thing about digging, learning, Un-learning is that you find out more and more of just Who He Really is! So much so, that I hope when I’m at least 94, I will be requesting His Word because I have to look up 2 more thing 2 days before I expire! He who hungers and thirsts after righteous will be satisfied! Guess what the satisfaction will be? More Hunger and more thirst for more righteousness! "As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number (Job 5:8-9). ‘Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Rom 11:33). ‘To me, the very least of all the set-apart ones, this favour was given, to bring the Good News of the unsearchable riches of Messiah among the gentiles, (Eph 3:8) Keep diggin! Share any gallimaufries you find: Rick@GodleyWorks.com

Journey to the Center of the Origins of Your Beliefs! By Rick Godley March 2012

Journey to the Center of the Origins of Your Beliefs! By Rick Godley March 2012
Do you still wonder? I mean in a healthy way, do you wonder at The Word (call it Scriptures, your bible if you want, God’s Word), do you still wonder at His Word? I mean actually ask questions, like I wonder what that means. Opposed to some sacrosanct wonderment of Him and His proverbial awesomeness? (Which sounds good by the way yet most of us don’t have a clue to what we think or even say, when we say those kinds of words about: wonder… I mean please… try to actually listen to the words that come out of our mouths. Listen to every word you speak during a given day, and then ask yourself, do I actually understand what I just said?)
For me, I began ‘deeper rut’ wonderment about 4 years ago when I realized that I was going around in Scriptural Circles and not going deeper. Just a superficial walking on the waves if you will, or should I say; floating there with baby floaties under my arms all the while bobbing and praising God. Yet, not getting anywhere nor going nowhere. Just superficial, (man; why does that word keep coming to my mind? Let’s look it up!) Here ya go: superficial means not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually or of little substance or significance.’ Isn’t that interesting, not deep,…little significance… hmmm, do you think Abba-Father-THE Creator of THE Universe wants a ‘not deep, little significance in our lives’ type relationship? I would venture to say that you told yourself, No! Dad doesn’t want that! Then why are you and I sit stalled in a shallow same ole-same ole? I can tell you why, He wants you and me to dig deeper and find Him. Pro 25:2 ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.’
Are you digging deeper?
He’s there! And He said so from The Beginning! He wants you to Understand.
I spent many a year water skiing over His Word bouncing from this life experience to that all the while thinking this way IT! HalleluYah! Little did I know, there are deeper things He wants us to know, because THE ENEMY doesn’t want US to know it! Don’t believe me? Read DaniEl 2:22-23, ‘He reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light is with him. To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks, and I praise thee, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known to me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known to us the king's matter.’
Ok, so what? What’s this got to do with anything? Well, if you have read thus far, you too are tired to ‘stale bread religion’ and want to ‘know’ more of Him! Do you know what ‘know’ means? According to your Bible? To ‘Know’ actually means to reveal oneself, to know by experience, as in an intimate carnal way. Up close and really personal! No wonder, ‘Jesus’ told some who were in The Kingdom, depart from me I never knew you. (Matt 7:23). I used to think, those poor folks, man they went to hell. Yet, it doesn’t say that at all. Read it close, it talks about how they actually were doing Kingdom works in His Name and setting captives free, yet they obviously didn’t go deeper. Maybe a superficial relationship was fine by them, don’t really know for sure.
So the question remains, how does one go deeper? Only if one wants to! If we would read His Word and believe what we read and don’t read what we believe, He tells us! For a long time in my ‘faith walk’ ( read Christianity), I was frustrated because what I read didn’t quite line up with reality. I write verses on index cards, always have. I also date everything, kind of like memorial markers, so you’ll know where you’ve been and why you were there at the time. See Gilgal, Jordan river, Joshua 4: 20-24 . There is one index card I wrote on 11/2/03, Jeremiah 6:16, ‘This is what the Lord say: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’ (but that’s not the whole verse, it goes on to say, ‘but they said we will not walk in them.’ Woah!)
So I wrote on the top of my index card, ‘Lord I ask you where you where the good way is?’ On 11/15/06 I wrote the following: ‘answered: The Torah!’ Of course the substance of The Torah is The Messiah Col 2:17, yet Torah are the guidelines, the instructions for the ancient paths, the good way, the one that leads to rest! Rest stop ahead!!!! Yee haw!
Reminded me of the old Jules Verne novel from 1864 called, ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ as they ventured to the deeper regions, someone had gone before them, by the name of Arnie Saccnuson who had been there done that, and literally left signs pointing to The Way when others got lost or off the path. These were signs of a finger pointing with the letters A.S. underneath. Friends, Our Father is pointing us back as well! John the Baptist preached the same message Repent (Return), so did ‘Jesus’, same message, Repent! (Return). Don’t confuse ‘Jesus’ message with His Mission. He did a LOT more than we have been told!
So if we are returning, where we going? Is it a coincidence that another fictitious movie character who citied Jules Verne and ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ as his inspiration for his lifelong works to the extent he name his two fictional sons, Jules and Verne, I’m referring to Dr. Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in the movie ‘Back to the Future’. Do you think it a coincidence that maybe, just maybe, your future and my future is going back? The ancient paths?
I encourage you to go on the journey to the center of your beliefs to find out what’s there! Confirm it with the One who’s been there and has left signs pointing us to The Way, Home!
Rest area ahead!!!!! Troublesome times are near, don’t be one of the ones who say, ‘But we will NOT walk in them’. Dig deeper ruts, find deeper wisdom and understanding.
Need help; reach out to us, that’s what where here for. No one has arrived yet.
Rick@godleyworks.com

‘Say Now, Shibboleth’; or modern day ‘Christian-speak

‘Say Now, Shibboleth’; or modern day ‘Christian-speak’ February 2012

Ever notice we say words or phrases that we just accept and not bother to think deeper about? ‘You doing Ok?’ ‘Yeah, I’m good’, ‘I hear ya man’, ‘Whadayuhgonnadoboutit?’ , ‘Who Dat?’. The inspiration for this month’s article came from a ‘Christian-speak’ phrase I heard and reheard so much so, that I had to ‘Selah’-Stop and question it. (Sheeesh, beware when you decide to ask a Brother about what they said! ‘My brother’ was going to call the police because I initiated a dialogue on his phraseology). The phrase went something like this, ‘I’m expecting a might move of God …. I cannot wait to see what God is about to do now in this hour’.
I pondered the expression: ‘I’m expecting; we’re expecting God to show up and do something etc’, you know we’re expecting God. Have to say that one worked on me for a little while. It’s kind of like, when radio stations do manipulative ‘beg-a-thons’, that implore you to ‘pray what the Lord would have you to give’. Say what?! Try that in a court room, talk about leading the witness! Objection! Sustained! Or how about this one, ‘We’re just believing God to come through and exceed our goals’. Say What?! So because you just believe, then God has to do something?!
So I questioned, ‘I’m/we’re expecting God to do something’ and was met with some heat. I quoted: 2Ch 16:9: ‘For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shall have wars.’ I asked my ‘friend’, don’t you think Our Father is waiting for us = His children to act? That’s when I was met with my rebuke he threatened me about calling the police and having me arrested! (So, much for Philadelphia, my Brotherly Love; in His Kingdom)
Thus the inspiration of this month’s article was birthed. Why do we speak in such Spiritual Phraseology that sounds so ‘holy’ and ‘set a part’ yet is so shallow that when asked to show some substance, (read Scripture or Fruit to these words), one is threatened with imprisonment.
However!!!! When I began to look up words that sound nice and ‘religious’ even ‘spiritual’ I remembered the word ‘Bromide’. So I looked that one up. Here’s what I found on, Wicked-pedia: ‘Bromide compounds, especially potassium bromide, were frequently used as sedatives in the 19th and early 20th century. Their use in over-the-counter sedatives and headache remedies (such as Bromo-Seltzer) in the United States extended to 1975, when these bromides were withdrawn as ingredients, due to chronic toxicity. This use gave the word "bromide" its colloquial connotation of a boring cliché, a bit of conventional wisdom overused as a calming phrase, or verbal sedative.’
A verbal sedative? That sounded about right, you know, the phrases we use in ‘Christian Speak’. If we say it and make is sound Scriptural we imply others to please, just don’t dig any deeper! Ya Dig? (Tongue in cheek) After all aren’t we supposed to examine our foundations? (2 Cor. 13:5?)
Man, talk about Scripture being fulfilled, didn’t Peter and John get in big time trouble when the healing-deliverance-manifestation of health and wholeness went forth from them when they had no money to give to the BEGGAR? (Acts 3 1-8) and got ‘SLAPPED’ with a lawsuit in Acts 4? You know what a ‘SLAPP’ lawsuit is, don’t you? Look it up on Wicked-pedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation
Which says a SLAPP stands for: ‘A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.’ Interesting to say the least… Didn’t someone we know get ‘slapped’ around?
Point of the article is this: we say stuff and give consent to stuff said without going deeper, just staying satisfied with what was said. Speak bromides = Verbal sedatives. (I’m ok, you’re ok, let’s leave it at that ok?) All the while when Our Abba Father=The Creator has SOOOOO much more if we want to go deeper! The Rich stuff is under the surface, it ain’t the Rich stuff on the surface! Remember where the pearl of great price was?
Those that know me, when asked ‘How am I doing?’ I usually reply ‘How am I doing what?’ or when they call they say, ‘What are you up to, and I reply 5’8” why?’… Bromide stuff. (I know they are sincere to the best of their beliefs and love me, except for the ones that want to call the police on me).
So I did some research on ‘Bromide Phrases’ and found a synonym for the word bromide: Shibboleth. Ever hear of it? For those of you who ‘read their bible from cover to cover every year’ (Big Deal!). You’ve read this word, but water=skied right over it! (As I have done, so don’t feel condemned). This might share some insight as to why we are accosted when we speak when we have Understanding of THE Way, the TRUTH and THE Life!!!!
Before I go to His word, I’ll go to Widked-pedia and its definition: shibboleth noun 1. a peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons. 2. a slogan; catchword. 3. a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.
So Bromide is the same as a shibboleth is the same as ‘christian speak’? Let’s see.
‘The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand. Judges 12 5-6
Shibboleth. which signifies a stream, or flood Ps 69:2,15 Isa 27:12 Shibboleth. also means an ear of corn Job 24:24 and shibboleth signifies a burden. Ex 6:6
Why Slay Clichés? They're uncreative. They're unnecessary. They're meaningless They're distracting. They're a lazy way to communicate. They're wordy. They're ugly. We don't like them.
Words mean things! Know the Words you speak! It’s vital! His Words are LIFE!!!! Don’t count on bromide you have been told! They might get you killed! (2Tim 2:15)
Hopefully, (James 4:15) we’ll talk more about ‘The Cliché Slayer’ e mail me, rick@godleyworks.com

Say Ahh! Rick Godley January 2012

What’s your Scriptural discipline? What do you do, frequently in a consistent manner that gets you into The Word, and thus The Word seeps back into you? For me, one discipline has been to read 5 Psalms and 1 Proverb every morning. The reasoning behind this pattern is simple, if you want to know ‘the heart of God’, read what ‘the man after God’s own heart’ wrote! David wrote most of the Psalms. Then, if you want to know the Wisdom of God, read what ‘the wisest man who ever lived’ wrote! Solomon wrote most of the Proverbs. Repeat each month. This is one way of studying to show yourself a workman approved unto The Author, rightly dividing His Word.
I love the 1st day of any month, because that’s the day I will read Psalms 1 and Proverbs 1, (by the way the other 4 Psalms of the day are 31, 61, 91, 121). May I suggest you stop and read Psalm 1 and Proverb 1 before this day is over? Read and read very slowly, I think you see some neat things. Likewise, I also recommend that you get yourself a free copy of E-Sword from Clint@awakenedchurch.com. It’s neat to see the original language of Hebrew/Paleo Hebrew that our English words came from.
‘A wise man will hear and increase in learning’, Proverbs 1:5. How much wisdom do you have? How much do you want? Doesn’t ‘James’ say, ‘if any of you lacks wisdom , let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.’ So you obviously gotta open your mouth and ask! Say Ahhhh!
The purpose of Proverbs according to Proverbs is: ‘To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the knowledge and discretion…to understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.’ Pvb. 1 2-6 Who wouldn’t want any of these? Oh, that’s right, Proverbs goes on to describe 5 different types of fools! 3 of which, we are to stay away from. (see March ’11 Article, ‘I Pithy The Fool)
This past year I have incorporated a morning standing prayer, The Amidah to my discipline, I mean if it’s said of ‘Jesus’, He prayed in a certain place (Luke 11:1) and ‘as was His custom’ Luke 22:39, and if He specifically says ‘Whenever you (insert your name here) stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in the heavelies will also forgive you (insert your name here) your transgressions.’ (Mark 11:25) So I too now have a custom and certain place and stand and pray the Amidah. (By the way Rico Cortes has an excellent teaching on this and I exhort you to listen to it, find it @ www.wisdomintorah.com)
In this Amidah there is one section entitled understanding, ‘You bestow wisdom to man and teach understanding to mortals. Bestow upon us, wisdom, understanding and discernment from you. Blessed are you O Yahweh who bestows wisdom!’ Reminds me of what James is telling us. So I ask everyday! I may be a wise guy (after all I’m from Jersey) but I know I’m not a guy that’s wise!
Psalm 81:10, ‘Open your mouth wide and I will fill it’ Say Ahhh!
Here’s the Hebrew words for:
Wisdom = Chokmah; Understanding = Tobunah; Discernment = Biynah; and Prudence = Ormah
Pretty neat, huh? Add to that, the word found in Psalms quite a bit Selah! Which means to stop, pause and think about what you just read!
I’ll share one of my ‘Ahh’ moments from one of the Ah words.
I always wondered what ‘Jesus’ meant when He said, in Matt. 10:16, ‘to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves’. After all in that very same verse He’s telling us that we are being sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. Until I looked up in the Hebrew, the word Prudence from Proverbs 1:4. Ormah which means shrewdness, craftiness, to be subtle. Hmmmmm. Who was described as more subtle than any beast in the field which THE Lord God had made? (Gen. 3:1) Say Ahh!
So here was Our Master, telling us to be wise as that snake, yet harmless as a dove. Keep in mind our adversary is NOT a Creator, he is an imitator. He watches what Abba Father, THE Creator does to bring and sustain Life and corrupts it ever so subtly, leading us to death and destruction. So if ever you want to know where The Father is, just take a page from the adversary’s’ play book and be prudent and subtle yourself. Quit casting His pearls before swine. Open your mouth wide and say Ahhh, and ask for this kid of Ah, Ormah, prudence. Especially in this hour and the coming hours. Selah!!!
One more closing Scripture for you in this ‘New Year’ from Jeremiah 6:16, ‘Thus says THE Creator: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ So to be prudent on this, is it fair that the Corruptor would phrase this verse, ‘Thus says the ADVERSARY: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the new testament paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ Say Ahhh!!!!!