Materialism

• Babylonish woman - gross materialism destroyed

  In the reading from Revelation, the Babylonish woman is materialism and sensuality ripe for destruction, and it happens very quickly. In so many ways, it seems prophetic of what is ready to happen today in the world.  We would do well to listen, recognize the antidote, and embrace it. 

  {jumi [playerLink.php] [Wednesday Readings/Babylonish woman.mp3] [Babylonish woman typifying gross materialism and sensuality destroyed]} 

• Evolution of man a dangerous myth

  Based upon the earliest Bible records, the heart of man has not evolved one iota over thousands of years. Job’s pride, shame, fear, self-righteousness, as well as his capacity for redemption, the materialism and sensualism of Sodom and Gomorrah - are these not characteristic of the modern man’s heart? Take any ancient Bible character, and you will find the same human heart that we are quite familiar with.

• Ezekiel's prophecy for our time?

  Today, the Prince of Tyrus, as described in Ezekiel, is alive and prospering, it would seem. In technology, medicine, politics, commerce, religion, etc. very ofter the inference is "I am God." These readings address the issue, and explain why the prophecy is inevitable.

  {jumi [playerLink.php] [Wednesday Readings/Ezekiel - Judgement of Prince of Tyrus.mp3] [Ezekiel's Judgement of the Prince of Tyrus - the inspired Word]}

• Intangible less real is back-assward

  An idea or thought is intangible is it not? And yet it precedes an invention, an action, etc. 

  Our soul, our spirit, our love, clearly intangible - noone has ever found physical evidence for them, maybe for their effect, but not for them. We could go on and on about the very essence of our being...

• Is food really the problem?

  Is it not worth noticing that the more attention society gives to the food we eat, the more unhealthy society becomes? The statistics are staggering regarding increasing obesity and its effects.

  Why has the wisdom of Jesus' teaching been totally ignored? "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile a man."

• The status quo is always wrong

  Status quo is a locked-in position. It disposes of humility as it builds walls around its territory to defend itself. It is non-intelligent because it relies on prior thinking that has been deemed correct and simply parrots it. It is blasphemous in that it denies the Infinite, and denies His reflection (no room for reflection in state quo!!).

• Thumbs down to fashionable idolatry

  It is apparent that Jesus' audience was past the point of worshipping golden calves, but in the Sermon on the Mount he did address other forms of idolatry (placing more importance on material things than on the Principle of being): financial assets, obsessing about food and/or clothing.