Where Art Thou?
After services at President Street, I lined up for a cupcake. A large man in the kitchen picked up tongs, and I pointed out the one I wanted. He put it on a napkin, and, extended his hand;
“Hello! My name is _____and I am the Bishop!”
I tried to find out how he came by this title, without being rude. When I got home, I google it. I was amazed how like the Sanhedrin this position is. I then looked at Ephrim, and was……befuddled! What to do! I don’t want to make trouble, and thrown out of the church – before I am a recognized member! This happened when I asked Gary (my minister) at Bible study, this question;
“How come the disciples did not write down the “secret of the kingdon” so we would know it today, and thus, so much controversy would have been avoided?”
“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables”
Gary’s ears turned red. There was fury in his eyes, He leaned forward and said;
“You went over, and over this passage – just to trip me up!”
I leaned forward and said;
“No—I—-did—-not!”
There were about twelve of my Blue River neighbors, frozen, and not breathing. Gary was about 6 feet four. The Bishop was about that size. I asked him where he went to school. He said Sheldon. I went there with my homeless friends to see Herbert play.
Two weeks later, Gary takes me aside at another Bible study and says this;
“As a Christian, I am bid to love you, but, this does not mean I have – to like you!”
The night before I made up my mind to go to church, I slipped the battery operated votive candle I placed on Drew Benton’s box of ashes – that did not find their way into the ominous urn I bought for her. I showed it to the man next to me after the service. I told him I placed it on my nieces ashes on Christmas Eve, and, the light is still alive! I thought about the ‘light under a bushel’ parable – that I just discovered follows the revealing of the kingdom of God.
“This light was only supposed to last 200 hours !
There are 730.001 hours in a month. I just – did the math! Here is how many hours that votive has been – alit!
3650.005
There are 365 days in a year.
I had a yoing man unfold a chair so I could sit on it and eat my cupcake. My back was beginning to hurt. I called Oregon Taxi and they were coming in in ten minutes. I began to look at what I could have said, or, should have said after the Bishop spoke.
“My name is John, and I am the End Time Elijah. I took over Herbert Armstrongs church, and tried to save his radio station that had the dove of the Holy Spirit painted on the front. I am sure you recall it since you were a child.”
The most exciting part of the ritual, was when I refused the small drink. I did partake of the piece of bread. He was about nine years of age, and, he was about to move on, but he stopped, and gave me – a look! My look said, I am your elder. I own the answer to your question. And you will know it……in time!
I am a Nazarrite!” I told him, without moving my lips. And – he got it!
When I turned on my stove to heat water for coffee, I turned on the TV and saw Israel bombing Lebanon. Trump is going to China, but China wants no part of the Eternal Religious Crisis in the Mideast. For several days I have been studying how I can ne a……Negotiator For Peace! My search – For Lost Prestige, is the key!
Stay tuned!
As I lie in bed, I pondered how to do with Ephrim. I had much trouble believing he is – for real. Then it came to me…..God conceived him and the LDS church…..
IN SECRET
The LDS Church, was destine to meet…..
THE END TIME ELIJAH
Several time in this blog, I have claimed I AM a Futurian.
John ‘The Nazarite Judge’
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Judge in Israel – Members are interviewed by their bishop in order to receive a temple recommend. The bishop signs the recommend to indicate that the member is following basic tenets of the church and is worthy to enter the temple. Additionally, members seek guidance from the bishop in overcoming personal challenges. Serious sins must be confessed to the bishop who helps members through the repentance process. In some cases, the bishop presides over a church membership council where the outcome can include formal or informal membership restrictions or withdrawal of membership, depending on the severity of the sin and the attitude of the member. Additionally, the bishop also has the authority and duty to counsel members on spiritual matters, and sits as a “common judge” in the event of disputes between ward members. Bishops typically withdraw from involvement in matters which have been taken to the law.
730.001
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus himself identifies John as “Elijah who is to come”,[30] which is a direct reference to the Book of Malachi (Malachi 4:5),[31] as confirmed by the angel Gabriel, who announced John’s birth to his father Zechariah.[32] According to the Gospel of Luke, John and Jesus were relatives.[33][34]
Theory Number 1: John the Baptist asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” because his current situation caused him to doubt. John the Baptist was in prison when he asked this question via messengers. He had been thrown in prison by Herod, a wicked ruler (Matthew 11:2; Luke 3:20). John had perhaps been confined for over a year by the time he asked his question. He likely knew that he would eventually be executed (and he was, shortly after he sent the message to Jesus; see Matthew 14:1–12). Also, Jesus was not being received as the Messiah by the majority of Israelites. In fact, Jesus was meeting strong resistance from the leaders of Israel: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin.
Except it’s not unique. Over and over again in the historical record Jews have attained positions of prestige and power that seemed unshakable, but that were ultimately stripped away by legislative decrees or violent mobs. These two dynamics—accomplishment and devastation—are not incidental. For many royals of the medieval and early modern era, using a “Court Jew” as a firewall between them and an angry peasant class was sound strategy. Patrons would employ Jewish bailiffs as financiers, diplomats, and taxmen. Patronage was a path to Jewish social privileges, even sometimes noble titles, guaranteed by the grace of a patron. When that grace ran out, often because civil unrest needed a break-in-case-of-emergency Jewish scapegoat, all the associated social privilege ran out too.
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