Natural Light Network

Enough is Enough! A Call for Action Against the Degradation of Women

By Milan Ford

This past Sunday evening, I struggled heavily with writing this devotional for today. The theme for this week, Generational Blessings, is such a great one for us to discuss, that I wanted to find just the right words to say to stress the importance for us (as believers) to pass the wisdom, statutes, and blessings of our God from generation to generation.

After hours of staring at a blank page, I decided to take a break and flip through a few TV channels. It wasn’t long till I discovered that BET (Black Entertainment Television) had scheduled a special Michael Jackson tribute during their 2009 music awards show. While not a fan of the network, I (along with millions of people across the world) was a huge fan of Jackson as a child.

Like many of you, I had been glued to the TV for three days straight in disbelief. While we all understand that indeed our days our numbered with the Lord, the passing of Michael Jackson still hit hard for many of us who grew up listening to his music. Despite the many personal challenges and character flaws he has often been attributed with, it is difficult to argue that his influence on today’s pop culture and music is immeasurable.

(I still have the glitter glove to prove it!!)

So despite my distaste for the network – my wife and I decided to endure it anyway to see how this generation would pay tribute to one who helped pave the way for so many. Towards the end of the program, one of this generation’s most popular artists, Lil Wayne, performed a song along with several others entitled, Every Girl.

{enter a frown here}

Without assuming every one reading this devotional today is aware of this song, Every Girl is basically about the desire of this artist, and those who accompanied him on the song, to have sexual intercourse with “every girl” in the world. The explicit lyrics of this song (I promise you) are unparalleled. And despite the implications of this song, BET allowed Lil Wayne and those with him to perform the song with what appeared to be several underage girls dancing on stage.

{enter another frown here}

My wife and I were frozen in shock. And our shock, quickly turned into tears. And with tears in my eyes, I walked back to that blank page I spoke to you about earlier and wrote these three words:

Enough Is Enough.

Family, please hear me: I am thoroughly convinced that there is a direct link between one’s ability to obtain and benefit from the GENERATIONAL blessings God has for them, with one’s inability to address and eliminate the GENERATIONAL curses that they are faced with.

For generations, African-Americans have endured pain and suffering at the hands of unjust racial discrimination. However, because of a desire to see the next generation experience the blessings of God, a decision was made to fight against the discrimination that had for so long cursed them.

However, there is one GENERATIONAL curse that has hindered our communities for far too long. Although we see it and know that it is there, we remain silent. However, interesting enough, our silence can be heard around the world every time you turn on the radio or television.

This curse must be addressed and broken for us to truly see the blessings God has for our people, regardless of race and creed. I am talking about the TREATMENT OF OUR WOMEN.

How can we continue to allow the very vehicle God created to bring forth and redeem mankind, be turned into a such an immoral and commercial commodity? How do we expect our nation, our churches, and our homes to be blessed when we curse the very creation of our God?

As a husband and father of three, I have come to understand that the manner in which I raise, protect, and pour into my family has GENERATIONAL implications, none greater than with my children. Church, we are the LIGHT of the world – and the SALT of the earth (Matt 5:13-14).

How can we continue to be fixated on receiving the blessings of God, when we are surrounded by curses that remain unbroken? Our voices must be heard. And our influence must be seen.

Today, I am serving our nation’s entertainment industry this final notice: Enough Is Enough. We are the people of God, and our women are not just EVERY GIRLS. They are a BLESSING.

A blessing that must be protected GENERATION after GENERATION.
Church, it is time to rise.

Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. A lover of Red Vines Licorice and all things pointing North, Milan is scheduled to release his first book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, later this fall (2009). You can find Milan blogging at ThePewView.com or follow him at Twitter.com/milanford

Passover: What Does it Really Mean?

                                                                                                      Photo by P.H. Nicholas

           

            The month of April is a glorious time of year. Fruit tree blossoms magically spring forth from branches that had pretended to be dead for months. Bees flitter among friendly flowers, bartering pollen for nectar. Butterflies soar over patches of land they once inhabited as crawlers. Birds celebrate the end of winter with jubilant chirps, coos and chatter. And the cycle of rebirth in the natural world begins anew.

            April also brings us two religious holidays that are of immense importance to Jews and Christians all over the world: Passover and Easter. The themes of these widely observed holy days are similar in that they both tell stories of new life made possible by brutal violence, i.e., the liberation of enslaved Jews after a massive slaughter of Egyptians, and the salvation of mankind following Jesus’ sacrificial crucifixion.

            Last year, Natural Light Network, in a piece entitled “The Truth About Good Friday,” looked into the meaning of Easter from a non-traditional perspective. (Click on "March 2008" under Archives.)

            This year, we will attempt to interpret the Passover story as it relates to a basic  understanding of God.

            Passover, or “Pesach” in Hebrew, was originally an agricultural festival celebrated in ancient Israel during the month of Nisan, the first month in the Jewish calendar. Over time, however, the focus of this holiday, also referred to as Chag he-Aviv (The Spring Festival), has shifted almost exclusively to the Jewish exodus from Egypt.

            The Old Testament of the Bible, as well as the Torah, describes the original Passover as a night of unprecedented terror and carnage that completed a series of plagues God unleashed against Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites.

            According to the 12^th chapter of Exodus, God decided to force the defiant Pharaoh into submission with a lethal display of shock and awe on a massive scale. To ensure that Jews would not be mistaken for Egyptians during the attack, God instructed Moses to have his people mark their dwellings with blood from a sacrificial lamb:

“And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:22-23 KJV)

 Continuing at Exodus 12:29, we read: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.”

Based on the Exodus author’s account, Pharaoh soon realized he was powerless against such a destructive force and surrendered:

“And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.” (Exodus 12:30-31 KJV) 

 At this point it would seem reasonable to assume that the story ended satisfactorily. The Jews were freed from bondage and Pharaoh had learned a very painful lesson about the consequences of defying God’s will. But, according to the 14^th chapter of Exodus, God devised a plan to inflict even more punishment on the devastated Egyptian King. In the 4^th verse of chapter 14 God tells Moses of His decision to manipulate Pharaoh’s attitude about setting the Jews free:

            “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord...”

            Pharaoh’s final act of defiance, as we read further in chapter 14 of Exodus, ends with the loss of his army, including six hundred chariots, when the Red Sea that had been parted for the Jews to escape suddenly closed in on the pursuing soldiers, drowning all the king’s horses and all the king’s men. 

            For those seeking to establish a meaningful relationship with our Heavenly Father, the Passover story is problematic in several areas. Would God, the most intelligent being in the universe, ever have to resort to the wholesale slaughter of innocent infants and animals in the dead of night to force His will? And if He did, would He need to be directed by human beings to determine which homes to invade and which to pass over?

            The most glaring question that arises from the Exodus author’s account of the methods God employed in subduing a defiant Egyptian King, however, is this: If civilized people routinely condemn the use of violence for personal gain, then why should imperfect human beings be held to a higher standard of conduct than Almighty God?

            To understand how the Passover legend came to be accepted as truth, it is important to re-examine religious history from a fresh perspective.

            Judaism is the foundation upon which Christianity and Islam were established.  Without Judaism, it is doubtful that either of these religions would have become the important caretakers of monotheism they are today.  The reason Judaism has played such an essential role in the spiritual development of mankind is that, for thousands of years following the Lucifer insurrection, the ancient Hebrews were the only group that retained any knowledge of the One True God. 

While other tribes created religions devoted to the worship of every imaginable idol, Jews remained, for the most part, steadfast in their allegiance to Almighty God.  Over time, however, due to the violent nature of primitive man, and the near-constant state of warfare in which he existed, the God of the Jews evolved into a Supreme Being more reflective of man’s environment. He became more like imperfect men: jealous, vengeful, and deadly if provoked.

As acceptance of this fearsome image grew, the once loving, benevolent Heavenly Father began to take on the attributes of a tyrannous warrior king, ready to smite the enemies of his people at a moment’s notice, or drown everybody that angered him, or slay the firstborn of every household in a nation that defied his orders.  And like a mighty warrior, he was to be feared first and foremost. 

This portrayal of God, however, totally contradicts the Generous, Gracious, and Good Father Jesus introduced us to at the beginning of his ministry on Earth; a Father that will always guide his children rather than drive them; a Father who moves us forward with promises of Heaven, not threats of hell.

The incompatibility of the two versions of God, mercurial king vs. Benevolent Father, in fact, eventually led to the total rejection of Jesus’ teachings by the Jewish ruling class during his sojourn on Earth. And, in spite of Jesus’ lasting message about the true nature of God, the fear of retribution still competes with the anticipation of reward as motivating factors for Jews, Christians, and Muslims in search of spiritual truths. Even in today’s world, religious people are honored to be referred to as “God fearing.” 

The use of fear to instill reverence for God, however, has proven to be counter-productive. The reason for this is that negative emotions, such as fear and anger, simply are not conducive to the formation of a healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

Consider the comparison of two human fathers, each attempting to motivate his young children to clean their rooms.  The first father tells his children that he will “tan their hides” if they don’t get the job done, while the second father promises his children a trip to the ice cream parlor when the task is completed.  The result is that all of the children do exactly what is expected of them.  But which group performs the work with a positive attitude?  And, as they mature, which group of children would be more inclined to love and respect their father? 

It is unfortunate that Jews, the people that have been so instrumental in preserving mankind’s link to the One True God of All Creation, cannot seem to free themselves from the shackles of a fear-based religion devoted to a mystical, temperamental, blood-thirsty God.  And it is truly revealing that the people responsible for creating this image of a violence-prone God have been subjected to more deadly attacks, both at home and abroad, than any other group in the history of the world. 

The scriptures say that we reap what we sow. If human beings are taught that violence is an acceptable means of achieving certain goals, and that God Himself has resorted to murder and mayhem on certain occasions to improve His position, then it would be naïve to expect our adversaries to be more patient or more tolerant than God. 

How would you react, for instance, if you were a 21^st century Egyptian diplomat making progress in peace talks with Israeli officials when, due to the approach of Passover, the meetings had to be interrupted so that your Jewish counterparts could join their families in celebrating the night their God killed untold thousands of your ancestors?

.  If mankind is to rise to the next level of spiritual enhancement, and if the challenges associated with ever escalating hostility toward Jews are to be adequately addressed, then the fictional image of a violent, brutal warrior god created by misguided writers must be replaced with an accurate representation of our wise, loving, and merciful Heavenly Father. 

To some, this may seem like an impossible goal.  But with God’s assistance, all things are possible.

 

© 2009 Paul Howard Nicholas

To read more about mankind's relationship with God, go to Extinguishing the Flames

The Christmas Tree: Christian Tradition or Pagan Icon?

         

            Photo by Malene Thyssen                                                                                     

 

        The custom of decorating a tree to celebrate Christmas, or Christ’s Mass, as it was originally called, is believed to have originated in 16^th Century Germany. Church records from 1539 in the Cathedral of Strasbourg contain the earliest known account of a tree being erected to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

       The use of decorated trees in religious rituals, however, according to the Old Testament of the Bible, predates Jesus’ arrival on Earth by at least 600 years.  The prophet Jeremiah, in condemning the practice, offered this message to his followers:

            "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (Jeremiah 10:2-4, KJV).

        As the tradition of celebrating the “return of the sun,” or winter solstice, with feasts, festivals, and decorated trees spread to pre-Christian Europe, the evergreen tree became the tree of choice to mark such an important event.

        Pagan worshipers believed that evergreen trees possessed supernatural powers because they did not die during winter like other trees and plants. And they believed that if they adorned an evergreen with precious metals and images of their gods, they could absorb the magical life force of the tree.

         With the emergence of Christianity, and the absolute failure of its leaders to deter converts from participating in certain winter solstice rituals, tree decoration eventually merged with Christian practice after the Church proclaimed December 25^th as the birth date of Christ.

        This year, as we prepare to celebrate another “return of the sun” with elaborate feasts and wild parties, Americans will cut down millions of perfectly healthy evergreens to help keep the customs of our ancient ancestors alive.

         The following “Parable of the Christmas Tree” is dedicated to a better understanding of what we’re actually doing.

            On a cold, windy December morning, a man set out to find the perfect Christmas tree for his family.  Trudging through the snow near his new mountain cabin, the man spotted a magnificent Douglas Fir, standing about seven feet tall, in a group of lesser trees.  With a well-practiced smile, the man approached the trees, and made a proposition to the Douglas Fir.

            “I’ve come to take you away from such a boring life and make you a star,” said the man confidently.  “You will live in my home, adorned with the finest decorations, and you will be cherished by my family.”

            The smaller, scrawnier trees looked on with suspicion.

            “And why would you do such a thing for me?” asked the curios Douglas Fir, its branches swaying away from the man in a sudden gust of wind.

            The man knew exactly what to say:  “Because any family would be honored to welcome a beautiful tree like you into their home.  Here…” he continued, retrieving a glossy magazine from his jacket pocket, “take a look.” 

            Standing next to the tall tree, the man flipped through the magazine’s Holiday issue filled with beautifully lighted trees in well-appointed homes.                                                   

           “But how would I live if I am separated from my roots?” inquired the Douglas Fir, obviously impressed by the healthy looking, gorgeously adorned trees in the photos, many of them standing over brightly wrapped packages, in the company of adoring men, women, and children.

            “Take a good look,” responded the man.  “Do these trees seem to be deprived of anything?  We have watering and nutrition systems that can provide you with everything you need.” 

            “Don’t do it, Doug!” one of the smaller trees blurted out.  “It doesn’t sound right!”

            The man shot a menacing glare in the direction of the other trees, but quickly regained his composure. He turned to a marked page in the magazine.  “Look at this one.  This is a picture of America’s first family with their tree,” he said, holding the magazine up to the big tree.  “Now you’re not as quite big as your cousin here, but then again, I’m not the President of the United States.  And you’d be just perfect for my home.”

            The Douglas Fir felt a flush of excitement as he pictured himself surrounded by adoring fans, living a glamorous new life.

             “Snap out of it, Doug!” another little tree yelled.  “There’s something wrong with this man’s story.  We need our roots to live.”

            The man moved in to close the deal.  “Are you going to listen to these losers, and miss out on a chance of a lifetime?  Look at your so-called friends.  Who would want to take pictures with them?  They’re jealous! Can’t you see what they’re doing?”

            Folding the magazine and stuffing it back into his pocket, the man started to walk away, but stopped after a few steps.  “If you’re not interested, I’m sure there’s another tree around here that will be happy to accept my offer.”  The man turned away from the trees and started walking again.

            “Wait!”  shouted the Douglas Fir over the roar of the wind. “I’ll go with you.”

            “That’s better,” the man replied.  He hastily pulled a wood saw from its sheath and started to cut the tree away from its base.

            The tingle of the saw blade as it sliced through his skin, awakened something in the Douglas Fir that made him wonder it he had made the right decision.

            Of course, we all know the ending of this fable.  The man, true to his word, did present this beautiful tree to his ecstatic family.  And together they did adorn and adore the tree, and place treasures at its feet.

            But what the tree didn’t know, and the man omitted, was that the tree, like all living things, would grow weaker by the day after being disconnected from its source of life, and that, following a brief period of being worshipped, the once magnificent Douglas Fir would be uncermoniously discarded as a needle-shedding nuisance and a dead pile of trash.           

            With the world losing trees at an unsustainable rate, and considering the enormous strides human beings have made in overcoming the spiritual misguidance of our pagan ancestors, perhaps the time has come for an honest evaluation of whether the preservation of an ancient tradition, based on a belief in magical evergreens, is more important than the health of our planet, and our freedom from superstition.

 

"The Parable of the Christmas  Tree" is an excerpt from Extinguishing the Flames of Hell: A Journey of Spiritual Evolution

 

To our subscribers, contributors, and visitors:  Natural Light Network wishes to extend to you our sincere appreciation for your continued interest, input, and support. And we do offer up, in your name, through Jesus Christ, this solemn holiday prayer for each and every man, woman, and child on Earth:

 

May your Guardian Angel always hover near

as you pursue your most cherished aspirations.

And may our Creator's smile

be the light upon your path.

 

Paul Howard Nicholas

 Natural Light Network

The Truth About "Good Friday"

        The observance of Easter is a time to honor the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the highest ranking Heavenly Messenger ever born into our world. It also presents an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the religious concept of blood sacrifice as it pertains to Jesus' mission on Earth.

        And it forces those who truly wish to establish a closer relationship with Jesus to ask this simple but important question: Why do so many people refer to the day he was crucified as "Good Friday"? 

Missionaries all over the world have converted millions to Christianity by employing the “Jesus died for our sins” mantra as an effective recruiting tool.  In essence, these messengers teach their students that at one point in the evil history of mankind, God became so angry and disgusted He decided to kill every man, woman, and child on Earth. But then, He came up with a better idea.  Instead of resorting to genocide again, as He allegedly had done during the time of Noah, He would send His only begotten son to absorb the sins of the world.  The son would then be subjected to persecution, torture, and a brutal death.  In the course of shedding his blood, the son would act as a sacrificial offering, and God would consent to give mankind a fresh start.

It is truly unfortunate that modern, “enlightened” religions would continue to associate our Heavenly Father and Jesus with such a primitive concept.  Surely it would be more logical to proclaim, as the foundation of true faith, Jesus’ many great contributions to the spiritual enhancement of mankind. 

Instead of focusing on the agonizing, humiliating final hours of his Earthly career, and his brutal execution by a pagan government at the height of his ministry, wouldn’t it make more sense to introduce non-believers to Jesus by celebrating his achievements? 

Jesus’ greatest gift to human beings was not the shedding of his blood.  His death, at the hands of murderers, has not changed the spiritual status of one Earthly soul.

Simply stated, Jesus’ most important contribution to the betterment of mankind was not the death he died, but the life he lived while on Earth.  He elevated man’s understanding of himself by teaching that all humans are the children of God.  And he introduced the revolutionary concept of a relationship with our Heavenly Father based on love, rather than fear.

Considering that Jesus also created the first “service ministry” by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and comforting the oppressed, it is most difficult to comprehend how the untimely execution of such an extraordinary benefactor ever became known as the best thing that could have happened to the human race. 

        And, in light of the fact that Jesus volunteered to trade his lofty position in Heaven for a challenging mission on a dangerous, barely civilized world, it is inconceivable that any clear thinking individual would refer to the day of his death as a  “Good Friday.” 

        How would the average person react if the day a beloved family member was brutally killed became known as a “good day?”  Even if the victim's heirs each received a million dollars following his death, would they ever use the word "good" in connection with his violent demise?

If we truly understand how much more Jesus could have contributed to the enlightenment of mankind had evil conspirators not cut short his sojourn on Earth, every human being should mourn his untimely departure, and pray for his promised return.  The day of his “sacrificial” crucifixion should be acknowledged as one of the darkest days in human existence, devoid of anything positive.

Jesus, himself, obviously disagreed with the practice of offering sacrifices to gain favor with God.  In the twelfth chapter of Mark, he makes it unmistakably clear that honoring God above all others, and loving your neighbor as you love yourself, “is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Additionally, according to several accounts in the New Testament, Jesus, in a rare display of anger, upon entering theTemple of Jerusalem, did forcefully evict, along with the moneychangers and other vendors, those who sold sacrificial doves.

What on Earth, one might ask, could have possibly driven the Prince of Peace to such an uncharacteristic outburst of anger?

The answer is simple:  First of all, the whole concept of blood sacrifice paints an inaccurate, disrespectful picture of our Father in Heaven.  He is not someone that can be bargained with, bribed, or influenced by savage customs.

Furthermore, the idea that the suffering of any living creature can atone for the misdeeds of others cannot coexist with the reality of free will and personal responsibility.  In other words, one person’s debts can never be assumed by another in God’s Kingdom, nor can the rewards reserved for one of God’s children be claimed by anyone else. 

While it is technically accurate to say that Jesus did die for us, his death should be compared with the battlefield death of a soldier who gives his life in service to his people, or the assassination of a human crusader for justice. 

        The true nature of the sacrifice Jesus made for his Earthly brothers and sisters was his willingness to leave the comforts of Heaven to come and experience life as one of us.  He was not required to come.  But he loved us enough to make the trip himself, instead of sending a representative.

        This would be similar, on a much smaller scale, to the President of the United States moving out of the White House and committing himself to living in an urban housing project without bodyguards in order to better understand the problems faced by residents, and to help them find solutions.  He fully understands the enormous threat such a mission might pose to his physical, mental, and spiritual health, but his love for this particular group of constituents motivates him to forge ahead.

        Viewed from this perspective, the incredible sacrifices made by Jesus on our behalf come into sharp focus. 

        Like most social and religious revolutionaries, however, Jesus incurred the wrath of the power elite. The rising popularity of his radical teachings about a loving, compassionate God, as opposed to a jealous, vengeful God; his willingness, as a spiritual teacher, to work for a living rather than obligate his followers to support him; and his disapproval of blood sacrifices and other pagan rituals were viewed by political and religious leaders of the day as a direct threat to their wealth and authority.

        To understand the vehement opposition to the growing influence of Jesus during his ministry on Earth, one need look no further than the economic implications of his teachings. 

        By the time Jesus stormed the Temple in Jerusalem and disrupted the operations of the moneychangers and animal vendors, the sacrificial slaughtering of animals had become a thriving business.  The doves, lambs, goats, and cattle offered to God had to be without blemish according to law.  So most worshippers, rather than risk the humiliation of having their sacrificial offerings rejected by the temple priests, simply purchased their animals from authorized Temple dealers.

        The priests also feared that if people accepted the notion that it is possible to worship God at any time and any place, such as the outdoor settings Jesus used, financial support for the Temple and its ruling members would be substantially diminished.         

        Political leaders, equally obsessed with maintaining the status quo, worried over the possibility of Jesus recruiting a large enough following to remove them from power.       

        Jesus fully comprehended the motives of those who worked to undermine his ministry.  And he accepted the probability that his enemies would resort to violence to silence him.  But he continued his courageous mission, undeterred, secure in the knowledge that his soul, the part of him that would return to God, would remain immune to the weapons of man.        

        This is an important message for all human beings: nothing built by man can destroy that which is created by God. The soul is bulletproof, bombproof, poison-proof, etc. As a matter of fact, it comes with an eternal warranty against any and every man-made weapon. The only being with the power to destroy the soul is the soul itself.

        Since his death, mankind has failed to fully understand the messages Jesus brought from Heaven.  After more than two thousand years since his untimely departure, the human race remains mired in spiritual stagnation. Empires have appeared and disappeared, crushed by rivals that value competition over cooperation. The only things that really change regarding cultural interaction are the weapons humans use to destroy each other. They become more lethal with every passing generation.

        And instead of helping man to rise above the primitive mindset of ever escalating violence, the most advanced monotheistic religions on Earth still teach that God Himself is more like a warrior than a negotiator, and that  fear is the most important element of man’s relationship with God.

        At this point in our history, it truly seems that mankind has reached a point where nothing short of Devine Intervention will save us from extinction. Left to our own devices, the human race would surely self-destruct in the not too distant future.

        And so, as we reflect on the recently observed annual Easter rituals, we should all recognize that, until Jesus puts God’s plans for the rescue of mankind into action, it is important that we  pray for a clearer understanding of our savior's message so that we will become more receptive to his instructions when he returns.

      

We end this installment with a poem dedicated to Jesus' departure from Earth:

Bad Friday

Weep not for the Teacher, slain by his students.

For even in the midst of the tragic,

untimely termination of his mission,

he forgave them all.

Cry your tears instead for the ears

and for the years that

would have benefited from

an extension of his tenure.

This message contains passages from Extinguishing the Flames of Hell, A Journey of Spiritual Evolution, Copyright 2006 Paul Howard Nicholas.

The next installment will feature an essay entitled Message to Young People.

Extinguishing the Flames of Hell is available at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com           

The Preacher and the Thief

This premier presentation from Natural Light Information Service is an excerpt from Extinguishing the Flames of Hell, A Journey of Spiritual Evolution, Copyright 2006 Paul Howard Nicholas.

To illustrate the odd relationship that exists today on Earth between the forces of good and evil, or positive and negative, consider the parable of The Preacher and the Thief:

As the sun slowly settled behind tall trees lining a well-kept street, the wealthy preacher turned his shiny new Mercedes into the long driveway leading to his mansion.  Driving past the perfectly manicured lawns and lush shrubbery, he smiled, thanking God for helping him to rise above poverty and the crowded trailer he shared as a boy with his parents and siblings in a mobile home park. 

He also thanked God for blessing him with another productive day of ministering to his huge flock: praying for the sick and misguided, coordinating a food drive, scheduling weddings and funerals, and putting the final touches on his next sermon. The preacher praised God for all that he had been given, and for inspiring him to give in return.

But suddenly his mood changed.  The closer he got to his home, the more he started to sense that something wasn’t right.  Gliding to a stop at the front entrance, the preacher noticed that the massive double door was slightly ajar.

“What’s going on?” he wondered aloud. 

The house should have been empty. His wife and children were out of town visiting relatives.  And he had given the servants the day off.

Cautiously, the preacher eased the door open and crept through the foyer into the huge living room.  On the far side of the room, he encountered a shocking sight!  A lone figure, his back to the preacher, busied himself loading framed photos, plaques and awards into a trash bag from a large walnut and glass trophy case.  The precious mementos had been accumulated at various ceremonies over the years, honoring the preacher for his many achievements and contributions to the community.

“What are you doing?” yelled the enraged reverend.

The startled figure dropped his bag and turned around. 

The preacher froze, transfixed by the creature before him.  It was his archenemy, non other than the devil himself!

Summoning courage, the man of God bolted across the room to the closet where he kept a special weapon for just such an occasion:  the golden shotgun with the sacred bullets!

The devil leaped toward the closet too, and managed to get a hand on the gun just as the preacher pulled it from its rack. As they stumbled out of the closet, each with a death grip on the gun, a mighty struggle ensued!  The two entities battled ferociously, turning over furniture, making a mess of the magnificently appointed home!

But the preacher would not give up.  Calling out to God, he gave one last heave and wrenched the weapon from the devil’s grip!  In a flash of motion, the preacher landed a powerful blow with the butt of the gun to the evil one’s head, knocking him to the floor! 

Stunned, the devil instinctively raised his hands to shield himself from the barrel of the golden gun now aimed at his face.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this day,” gasped the preacher.  He struggled to steady the gun in his trembling hands.

“You’d better think about what you’re doing, reverend!” The devil lay on his back, one hand still shielding his face, the other gently inspecting the bump starting to rise near his temple.

“Shut up!” yelled the preacher, backing up slightly.  “Don’t move!”

The devil again raised both palms toward the shaking man with the gun.  “Okay, okay!” he stammered.  “But at least hear me out.  You are about to make one of the biggest mistakes of your whole life.”

“You are a liar!  The worst liar the world has ever known!”  Salty sweat streamed down from the preacher’s frazzled hair into his eyes, blurring the image on the floor. “Getting rid of you will be the best thing I have ever accomplished. Every man, woman, and child will be so much better off without you.” The preacher wiped his jacket sleeve across his eyes, attempting to clear his vision.

“Do you really believe that?”  The evil one sat up slowly.  “What about you, Mr. Preacher?  Are you going to be better off when I’m gone?”

“Yes!” shouted the preacher.

The devil managed an uneasy smile.  “Don’t be naïve. Who is going to need you if nobody’s afraid of me?  Who’s going to show up at your church, bringing donations and tithes?  How will you pay for this beautiful lifestyle you have grown accustomed to without me around to scare people into your fold?  Will your wife still be able to afford the clothes and the vacations she loves so much?  And your kids.  Are you ready to forget about the plans you’ve made for their college educations?  You have been preaching since you were sixteen years old, and you really don’t know how to do anything else!”

The preacher wiped his eyes again, struggling to focus on his target.  “Shut up!  I don’t care about that!” he yelled, his hands starting to tremble more violently.  “I’ve got to get rid of you, once and for all!”

Sensing a tiny fracture in the man’s fortitude, the devil talked faster.  “If you don’t care about yourself and your own family, think about your friends, your golf buddies!

“What about the doctor?  Without me there will be no more sickness.  What’s he going to do? Would he forgive you if he knew you could have saved his career?

“And what will you tell the lawyer? With me out of the way, people won’t be inspired to commit crimes.  How will he take care of his family?”

The preacher tried to block out the words.

“Think about it.”  The devil sat upright on the floor, still facing the trembling man.  “You are going to cause a lot of grief if you shoot me.”

The preacher’s face was a mask of uncertainty.  And the golden gun was starting to feel like it weighed a hundred pounds.  “I can’t let you go,” he groaned.  “I just can’t!”

“Sure you can!”  Eyeing the man closely, the devil started to rise.  He remained in a slightly stooped, subservient position with his hands up.

The preacher took another step backward, still aiming the gun at the devil’s head.

“Look,” the devil continued, “nobody has to know what happened here. As far as I’m concerned, it never happened. You get to keep all your stuff, nothing got broken… And it’s dark outside now.  I can leave by the back door and slip into the woods.  Nobody has to know.”

The preacher’s eyes welled with tears as he glimpsed his front yard through a large living room window.  Daylight had indeed faded into the night. Without the automatic lights illuminating the estate, his home would be engulfed in darkness.  The preacher lowered the golden gun.  Tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped from his chin, disappearing into the plush carpet. 

The devil took a few tentative steps toward the rear of the house, still wary of the confused man.

“Wait!”  The preacher leveled the golden shotgun at the creature’s back. 

The devil stopped abruptly.

“I need to know something,” sobbed the preacher.  “Why would you steal things from my home that couldn’t possibly be of value to anyone except me and my family?”

“Because it’s what I do,” replied the devil.  “I steal things that can never be replaced.”

Again, the preacher lowered his weapon.  Then he walked over to the wall panel that controlled the exterior lights.  With the click of a switch, the area surrounding his home disappeared into the darkness.  “Go quickly,” he said, “ before I change my mind.”

Not wishing to press his luck, the intruder made a silent, hasty departure from the rear door of the mansion and escaped into the nearby woods.

The man stood quietly for a while, tears streaming down his face.  Gradually he regained his composure and placed the golden gun back in its special rack in the closet.  After a stiff shot of bourbon, he took off his jacket, and started straightening up his living room.

By the next day, both the preacher and the devil had resumed their respective careers.

 

Stay tuned... more to come. 

Wishing you Health, Peace, Prosperity, and Love,

Paul Howard Nicholas