Monday, December 20, 2004

6, 7, 8!



"Everything you know is wrong."

Evolution is a lie. We're not billions of years old. We're thousands of years old. Can you say "worldwide cataclysm" and "frozen munching mammoths" and "super silly geologists"? This planet has been around for 6 THOUSAND years! Period. Adjust your thinking. You've been thinking wrong.

We're heading towards the 7th millennium (see Psalm 90:4 - 2nd Peter 3:8 - Revelation 20:2-7) and the Millennial Reign of the God in Messiah Yeshua who made it all! And that "7" is there for a reason. It's not coincidence. It's not overtly mystical. It's just a fact of perfection, completion and maturity - the essence of the "7th day!"

Isaiah 2:3 - And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And after the 7th millennium is the 7000th year and the dawn of the 8th Day Reign. (Year 0000 - 1000, being the first Millenium)

The Jews understand the "8th day" very well. They look forward to the "eternal day" when all is summed up in God. The number 8 has such extreme significance for eternity and the infinite nature of the Creator of the Universe and what He wants to ultimately impart to humanity.

Us humans feel deep inside we are meant for so much more - more emotion - more understanding - better living conditions - better stewardship of the world around us. And what we're MEANT for - our ETERNAL NATURE - will come to pass! We are eternal in the ETERNAL ONE who MADE us "in His image" (male and female)! And we're being brought tenderly and relentlessly into that eternal perspective, wisdom, and nature.

And, friend, this eternal nature, in it's very essence, is not sprinkled with evil or tainted with defiling, deprecating features. Our destructive choices and lifestyle will be put aside as boring, passe and quite a ridiculous waste of time! We're not meant to bring destructiveness ("sin") upon ourselves in ANY capacity. And God's eternal nature unveiled and patiently taught by Yeshua, the Prince of Peace ((as it's scope reaches ALL ASPECTS of our humanity) will COMPLETELY DELETE that destructive thinking and behavior! Because we are meant to be a people filled with INVENTING and CREATING - unhindered by exploitative, selfish and oppressive corporations and individuals - with no more need for war!

Isaiah 2:4 - And He hath judged between the nations, And hath given a decision to many peoples, And they have beat their swords to ploughshares, And their spears to pruning-hooks, Nation doth not lift up sword unto nation, Nor do they learn any more--war.

So "sin" (that perennially misunderstood concept) is destructive and God is teaching us now and will teach us exponentially more in the 7th day how we ultimately and completely LIVE OUTSIDE of destructive thoughts and behavior and live in the VAST, OPENNESS AND WONDER OF INFINITE CREATIVITY AND INVENTION - ALL SEEDED, INCUBATED AND HARVESTED IN LOVE!

So, thinking about where we're at at now - the END of the 6th millennium (due in 245 years by the uncorrected Jewish calendar) - we're seeing an era of "666, a number representing mankind's will. But it's very symbolism indicates there is a 667... and a 7th millennium of wonder and maturity and fulfillment just around the corner!!! The ignorant and proud, fallen nature of mankind is passing. God's full original intention is coming and will be manifest here on Terra Firma in a neighborhood near you!

And beyond that 7th epoch, the thousand years of tutoring and "higher education" by the Maker of Everything... there is the 8th Millennium!

The 8000th year will bring the new beginning - having unlearned everything that was WRONG with our thinking and living, we will begin anew, being fully trained and fully READY for the PERMANENT, NON-EXPLOITATIVE TRUTH that lays ahead of us!

No more exploiting women... No more exploiting children... No more exploiting the earth's resources... No more exploiting the tender biological balance of the animals and plants... and no more exploiting the naivete of humanity to achieve the above!

I'm just so fascinated to explore the aspects of this new beginning, this 8th, eternal DAY. What will we do when technology and humanity have reached their pinnacle in perfection of maturity and, truly, not even the sky will limit us! Neither the sky of the earth nor the sky of the soul...

To infinity and beyond! Boldly going where no one has gone before!

Not only is OUTER SPACE and it's innumerable stars the "final frontier," but the space within us - our unlimited ability of inventiveness as restored humanity - is the means to get us into that final frontier!

And WHO will guide us? Who will restore us to "original concept design"?

The same One who has inspired "EVERY good and perfect gift" -

Yeshua, the Son of God, from above!

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Worship Him alone and not yourself (or your local inventor!)!

REST ASSURED, these things WILL come to pass... Isaiah 28:15 says, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone , a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Original material © 2004 by Tom "Toma" Chaffer and AtomSoundMedia

Monday, December 13, 2004

Why a menorah in the window on Chanukah?



.. because it is the Jews' proudest moment of declaration .. "This house dedicates itself to God alone! In the spirit of Matithius!"

Quick! Name ONE thing Alexander the Great believed in! Ok, ok... name one thing believed in by the tiny band of strange devotees numbering only to only a few million and largely confined to a meditteranean country the size of most large cities...

they're usually known as Jews.

Ah... lot's of things spring to mind - "One God." "Thou shalt not commit murder..." "And God said, 'Let their be light..' " And you didn't even have to go to Yeshiva to learn all that, did you?

The tiny nation of Jews has shaped the world we live in.

And this is the season of Chanukah - Kislev 25 - Tevet 3, 5765 (December 8th - December 15th, 2004, on the Greek Calendar). You may have heard of it... but what is it all about?

In brief, Alexander strolled over to Israel and bowed (according to historian, Josephus, and unrelated Jewish accounts) before the High Priest of the temple in Jerusalem... and bowing wasn't something Alexander was prone to do!!! The reason he did this, the accounts state...

"I did not bow before him, but before that God who has honored him with the high Priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very apparel."

But that strange introduction began a unique relationship which began with both parties being enamored with each others brilliance and resolve... the Jew with the Greek and the Greek with the Jew... until, that is, one named Matithius changed the affair!

Matithius basically said, "No." We won't allow you to CHANGE our TEMPLE for your zeus-god! And he proceeded, with a comparitively TINY band of warriors to defeat 3 Greek armies and reclaim the temple.

The temple was defiled by greek occupation, so the priests had to re-dedicate it according to scripural directives. One requriement being purified, blessed and sanctified (set-apart) oil for lamps inside the temple. Most of the oil had been ransacked by the greeks except one small flask - enough for 1 day of temple service.

And yet it burned 8 days... just long enough to properly sanctify more oil for the ongoing service.

Jesus (Yeshuah) celebrated this "temple-re-dedication day" -

John 10:22 "And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch."

The comparitively larger miracle is that such a small band of priest-soldiers fought off the Greek Empire, though. And it is with the same spirit that Jews today, all over the world set their Chanukah menorahs in plainly visible places in front of or in the front window of their houses. Timidity causes many (like my family) to light them inside away from the window. But it is for this cause that Chanukah is celebrated! And that cause is this alone -

FREEDOM TO WORSHIP THE ONE TRUE GOD AS HE DESIRES WE DO - WITHOUT FEAR AND WITH COMPLETE SANCTITY AND DEVOTION ... AND JOY!

So, I'm learning...

And perhaps tonight (Night #7) I'll get it right and you'll see the Chanukah candles in our window.