What does it mean to abide in him?

As God's first born children left Egypt, the Egyptians were moved by the spirit of God to give them Gold,  and Jewels, and precious things. The Chosen's hearts became inflamed.  So instead of worshiping God, they turned towards a New God: the Golden Calf.  Working with their newly acquired Gold they attempted to supplant God with a God they could see and worship in their newly formed.  They deemed the Golden Calf more worthy than a God they could not envision.

 Jesus received a blessing of anointment from his father when John baptized him in the Jordan.  Jesus was tempted right afterwards for forty days in the desert by the Devil.  But instead of creating food from stone, or throwing himself off of the top of the temple, or claiming what was already his; he abide in the LORD.
Jesus walked under the shadow of God to illustrate God's enduring Love: love that does not change,  lasts forever, and  provides enough to eat when times are tough.

We are chosen to be stewards of a kingdom that is not yet complete but has already been redeemed.  We must turn to the LORD and repent for a Heavenly Kingdom is near.

Building Prestigious Sand Castles

A Person's prestige is built on good and bad events in their lives. A person will defend their position as a hero or a victim with a profound sacredness.

31-41 AD: Crisis under "Little Boots" Gaius

August 21, AD 38

Gaius
101 Empire Drive
Rome, Roman Empire, 00120

Herod Agrippa
1211 Camel Jockey Way
Jerusalem City, Jerusalem, 72080

Dear Herod Agrippa,

How are things in Jerusalem? I hope they are peaceful. How is the little Fox? How is your family? I hope the world finds you well. I treasure the friendship we have had through out all the years.

We were saddened to hear about the Gentiles who parodied you. We heard that "they seized a local idiot named Carabas, dressed him up with mock robe, diadem, and scepter, and paid homage to you in the gymnasium with loud cried of mari or was it maran. ("my lord' or "Our Lord" in Aramaic") (Bruce 251)

You have been a loyal servant to the Roman Empire. We are so thankful for your services your have rendered in the name of Rome. You have ruled the Provence of Jerusalem adequately.
We have rewarded you with your release from our prisons, endowment of Kingship, and a mighty fine salary.

We ask that you continue erecting statues of me in your synagogues and holy temples. We ask that you dedicate these temples, in order to bring a full blessing from our Empire. I am prepared to convert the Jerusalem Temple into a sanctuary bearing my mighty name, under the designation of Zeus Epiphanes Neos "The young Zeus made manifest." (Bruce 256) These stiff necked jews are not criminals but pitible fools, for they would have recognied my divine nature by now.

We also ask that you keep the peace between the Greeks and the Jews. We would hate to see what an uprising of those stiff necked Jews would bring to your stability. We hope you keep your territory under control, or else we might need to rethink your position.

In Hopes of Restoration,

Gaius "Little Boots"

Read More at the Ancient Jewish Text Center

Resources:

Bruce F.F. New Testament History. Garden City, York: Anchor Books, 1972. (234-246)
Illustration: Marvel Comics

Prayer for the Day: YHWH you are never changing, never corruptable by earthly sacrifices, never desiring a Golden Calf. I at times attempt to justify my lack of faith by my earthly goodness. But acts done outside of love are not what you require. Thank you LORD for continuing your renewal in my mind, for the old ways are slipping away and the new ways are blossoming. LORD I ask that you continue to renew my mind, continue to show how to be a pleasing servant in your kingdom, continue to use my life as a witness to others, and continue to keep me on the track back home to you.

Stepping Lightly on the Path

James 1
(My interpretation) We walked away from our protection. We decided to rebel. We caused a great strain. God was sad. He desired to have us walk gently on the tundra. He did not want us to waver on the walk. He wanted what was best for us. 'For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:6 He did not deceive us. But we were deceived by the cunning alluring ways of the beautiful witch holding the apple. A good witch is never ugly. In fact witches are beautiful, because our perception of beauty creates an easy trap. We (us guys) loved the boobies and the booty. But did not see the strain pictures have on our relationships. As the prophet Nahum wrote, "And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms who betrays nations with her whorings, and people with her charms." Nahum 3:4 So are we bound by the moral decay? No! We do not need to add more to the lines on our face. We do not need to walk hard. Because, Jesus walked into it for us. He helped us uproot our weeds. He burned the clippings in a great pile, a smell pleasing to the LORD. "Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold." Nahum 3:15 As Matthew Henry said, "He is a strong hold for every believer in times of trouble, that cannot be stormed or taken; and he knoweth those that trust in Him."
Or as the Dashboard Confessional wrote:

"You throw yourself
Into their arms
Mistresses have all the fun
But no one's ever there to take you home

Box up your gloves and your
Down coats
Bound for the sun and the
West coast
Where upper crust tragedies abound

A tip for the girl at the
Coat check
The guy at the door and the
Bar back
They know your face
Oh so well

But movies never made you famous
All your dreams got lost or traded
And all you ever cared about got lost

But you were surely still an actress
Older men would find attractive
And all you ever dreamed of was the cost

Where there's gold, there's a gold digger

Who is Polycorps 863

Pagan. Jew. Wanderer of information overload.

I am proud of my Jewish upbringing. I hope those that read this blog understand that I am not against Judaism in any way. I attempt to look at the Cross from a variety of angles. I plan to use my blog as a space to write: poetry, drama, prose, and all sorts of 'any-space-what-ever."

All I know is that the LORD has providence in my life: I would never be the Christian Deli Clerk Living in Florida, loving greatly my Community. My wife. And my home. I would never be writing everyday on my blog.

I got my teaching degree for Elementary Education from Metro State College of Denver. I was so determined to be a teacher that I failed to look. I failed to pay attention to warning signs. I pushed really hard with my own energy. I taught for three years in Denver and one year in Florida. I ended up at my own end.

My own end shattered my reality. I started to see how broken I was. I realized I was a Monkey that Threw Pooh, a Muddy Monkey. I realized that I was wearing a sh#*t T-SHIRT. I was at a place where I could be at the feet of my LORD.

(Marriage)

I met Jessica, my wife, in my teaching position here in Florida. She stood with me when I was at my worst. Her Art classroom was an oasis of creativity. She has loved me greatly.
We got married in Maui Hawaii, March 22, 2007. It was the most wonderful moment. The dolphins, fishermen, and blue waters radiated the blinding light of God.
The Holy Spirit is working great things in my life: I am enjoying my writing on the blog and find that it has emerged. I look forward to writing on it for years to come. I am glad for any feedback. I also know that I do not have all my theology down, so any input is greatly welcomed. I look forward to hearing from you. For now I say Shalom Alechiem from the Swampy Confines of Lakeland Florida.