Saturday, June 04, 2016

THE ACE OF SPADES-
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph.

ON VIDEO-
.The ace in the ‘deck’
.Buffalo coin
.Did I call- Pops?
.Did he answer?
.Witchcraft and the occult
.Kingsville- Texas
.Gay lovers?
.Drive by shooting- at the fire house!
.The Captain shut the blinds [funny]
. ‘Make sure it’s a head shot’!
.The fire starter
.Meet Pastor Don- at McDonalds
.Rapture?
.Soren Kierkegaard
.Existentialism
.To all me enemies- you sure you want me to pray for you?
[verses- past posts- links below]
On today’s video I talk about a ‘strange’ incident that happened many years ago.
I started a church in Kingsville in 1987- and the church was mostly made up of the families of the guys I worked with from a jail ministry I did.
So- lots of the congregation were the wives- kids- of ex-cons.
But- we were of course open to anyone.
I knew a person who was just getting into ministry- his name was Manuel Garza.
Manuel was a friend- but struggled [dabbled] in witchcraft and the occult- he was also gay [bi].
I was warned ‘John- he has a history of causing trouble- in churches’.
Maybe so?
Over time the church members told me he was doing bad stuff- and eventually I told him he had to leave.
Manuel began targeting me- and my family [as you know- I’m not good with stuff like that].
My wife told me that some people came to the house- at 2 am- rang the bell [I was at work] and said they had a flat on the highway- and wanted to come in.
Of course the highway was not near our house in Kingsville.
Manual [had someone] brake the window on my car while it was parked at the Fire House- outside.
We had calls of house fires [vacant homes] and when I got to the scene- he was there.
This went on for a few years.
Then one day Emmet- a church member- told me ‘John- Manuel is going around saying you and him are gay lovers’.
It was a lie- I don’t like liars.
So- I had Emmet get in the car- we drove to Manuals house.
Emmet sat in the back with the window down [it was at night].
So he could hear.
I rang the bell- and Manuel answered ‘Hey Manuel- I heard you were telling people we were gay lovers’.
He vehemently denied it.
Then Emmet got out of the car.
Manuel was busted.
So- this was one of the reasons we moved to Corpus Christi- it was nerve racking- not so much for me- but knowing my family was home- and I was on duty.
Now- I went after Manuel- even copied his car License number in my bible.
Yes- the ‘kingdom of heaven suffers violence- and the violent take it by force’ [Ok- that’s a true verse- but it’s not talking about this- I know].
So- over time Manual apologized- I forgave him.
He used to come by the fire house and I would pray for him and his son Joey.
After about 25 years- one day [4 years ago?] I walked to a McDonalds here in Corpus.
I had that old bible with me- and as I opened it- a funny thing happened.
I wrote a note [back in 1991] that said ‘Me pastor Don- at 10 am’.
I wrote that note many years ago- and the place we were supposed to meet- was the exact McDonalds I was sitting in [one I never go to- I went this day- but have not been in it for many years].
Hmm?
A sign?
Then- I saw another note- it was Manuals license plate.
I wrote that many years before- but it reminded me- ‘I need to ask forgiveness- from God- for targeting Manuel’.
I did.
About 2 weeks later- me and my wife were driving back to the house and she said ‘Oh- that guy in Kingsville- that gave you all that trouble- he died’.
Tony Barbour- Manuals gay lover- slit his throat.
‘John- did you ‘kill’ Manuel by praying’?
No- But the bible says when you pray for your enemies- and forgive them- you ‘heap coals of judgment’ on their head.
It releases them into the judgment of God.
I talk about Manuel on today’s video.
Then I will go and pray- for all my enemies- God bless.
PAST POSTS-
SOCRATES
Socrates was born around 469-470 BCE.
He is famous for introducing a way of learning that engaged the students in a dialogue- the question would be put on the table- and thru rigorous debate- you would come to an understanding thru the process of questioning.

This is referred to as the Socratic Method.
Socrates came on the scene during the famous Spartan wars.

The other day I watched the movie 300- which depicts the battle between the city state of Athens against the city/state of Sparta.
As you know- the Athenians suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Spartans.
The Spartans were outmanned by the Athenians- but their motto was ‘come back with your shields- or on them’.

They were a true warrior nation- trained to fight from their youth- and this defeat sent the people of Athens into a time of disillusionment.

They questioned the power of their gods- and a sort of malaise fell over Athens after the defeat.

This was when Socrates entered the fray- when the people had many questions about life.

He was called the Gadfly of Athens- a title that would also be given to the 19th century Danish father of existentialism- Soren Kierkegaard.

They were called Gadfly’s- because they were like flies that would pester you- and elicit a response.

The leadership of Athens saw Socrates as one that was stirring up the youth of his day- and creating discontent among the populace.

He rejected the many god’s of the day- but did have a belief in a single deity- he- like the Christians 4 centuries later- would be accused of atheism- because of his rejection of multiple god’s.

He was sentenced to death in 399 BCE- and his form of execution was drinking Hemlock.

His most famous student- Plato- spoke with him before his death.

Many were surprised at how willingly Socrates faced his demise- and this willingness had a great impact on those who witnessed it.

Socrates never wrote anything- but most of what we do know about him comes from the writing of others- most notably from Plato’s Dialogues.
Plato wrote down what Socrates taught- In his writings we see Socrates engaging in this method with various people- thus the name of Plato’s works- Dialogues.

There is a debate about how much of what was written about him was actually true- Plato did add his own ideas into these debates- and the controversy about this is so strong that we actually have a name for it- the ‘Socratic Problem’.
During the time of the disillusionment of the Athenians- there were a group of philosophers known as the Sophists.

The word comes from Sophia- meaning wisdom.

Philosophy itself means The Love of Wisdom.
In our day the words Sophomore- Sophistry and Sophisticated are derived from this root word.

The Sophists were the original Pragmatists.

Pragmatism is a form of belief that says ‘do what works- regardless of the ethical implications’.
We will get to Pragmatism at the end of this whole series on Philosophy.

But for now- we see the division between what Socrates taught- and the Sophists.

Socrates did indeed teach a form of Ethics- which contrasted with the Sophists.
He said that the pursuit of virtue was better than the pursuit of wealth- much like the words of Jesus ‘what does it profit a man if he gain the world- and lose his soul’.

His most famous saying is ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’.

He emphasized the importance of mind over body- which inspired Plato’s philosophy of dividing reality into 2 separate realms- the world of senses and the world of ideas.

Socrates actually challenged the Democratic process- he believed it better for the wise men- the Philosopher Kings- to run the show.
Athens did have a form of Democracy at the time- and because of the rise of the Sophists- and the itinerant teachers- you had sort of an election process- much like in our day- where those who would attain office were those who spoke the best- and made the best public argument.

We elect judges and stuff in our day- and even presidents- not because they are the most capable- but because they ran the best campaign.

So- in a way I agree with Socrates- at times I think we need a better process of electing those to higher office- then the one we have now.

It’s important to note that even though we started this study with Thales- and in the study of Western philosophy it’s commonly understood to have started with Thales.

Yet- Socrates seems to be the Father of philosophy in many ways.
He probably has had the most influence in the field philosophy- and the 2 great philosophers that we’ll get to next come right out from the heels of Socrates [Plato and Aristotle].

Why is this important to note?
As we progress in this study- and get closer to the 19th/20th century philosophers- we will see a trend- away from the idea that there are actually any ethical values- moral virtues- or ‘right or wrong’.

These philosophers dabbled with the idea that values themselves are the cause of man’s problems [Freud].

So- keep in mind- one of the main streams of thought in the early stages of philosophy was that values were indeed the main thing- Socrates challenged the Sophists of his day- he said that moral virtue was very important- that to live life with the values of courage- honesty- self-denial- these were the things that made men good- noble.

The bible says ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ ‘those that seek the Lord understand all things’.

Christian tradition would agree with Socrates in many ways- Jesus showed us that the virtue of service to others- to love your fellow man- to honor God- that these were indeed the heart of the matter.

Socrates feared the loss of virtue in society- that if we simply lived for the present time- with no higher values [a form of hedonism] then the foundations of society will erode.
He also believed that it was good to question things- not to simply believe a thing for the sake of believing.

Over time- thru debate and the discourse of other people- he believed you would get to the truth.

The bible says ‘in the multitude of counselors there is safety’.

Yeah- as people have a conversation- as they dialogue- often times they themselves come up with the answer to the question.

The apostle Paul penned the letter to young Timothy- he said ‘preach the word- in doing this you will save yourself- and those that hear you’.

Yeah- when you engage- and even try and teach others- this will have an effect on you too- the actual act of engaging- of teaching- often brings more insight to the one doing the communicating- then the ones who hear.

Yeah- I like Socrates- he believed in what he taught- he drank the Hemlock- knowing full well that his life would pass- but he had belief- faith- that after death man would pass over into another realm- a much better one.

No- he was not ‘Christian’ in the traditional sense of the word- but he was about as close as you could get- for his time.


VERSES [links below]
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Romans
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. Proverbs
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Jesus
1Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
1Corinthians 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Corinthians 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Corinthians 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Acts 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Acts 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Acts 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
Acts 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Acts 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.  Zech.
Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Joel 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Joel 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.


LINKS-
 Look at this headline [above link] - these were the worst jobs numbers in 5 years- 35,000- a shock to be honest [you should have about 250,000 for the month]. Yet- the headline makes it sound like ‘the numbers are in- great!’
How can they also report unemployment down? Because they don’t count the 600 thousand who ‘dropped out’- meaning- they gave up looking for jobs.
So- ‘unemployment WENT DOWN’.
That’s insulting to the average American.

Another one. Rahm Emanuel was covering up the shooting of the Black kid- himself.
He should resign.


facebook.com/john.chiarello.5 
Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. I deal with issues at times that it would be beneficial for some of you to download and save the file from the Word Press link. This creates a permanent record. The on-line videos are only good if sites are not hacked- which has happened in the past. Thanks- John.#



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