Healing Peter’s mother-in-law by John Bridges, 19th century. Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-41 and Matthew 8:14-15.
The following are notes and Materials we used when teaching a class on January 7th, 2015 at Good Samaritan Ministries in Beaverton. The class was on the Healing Miracles of Jesus Recorded in Luke.
For setting, we set the class up with a row of seats back to back in the middle, with a perimeter of seats in the shape of a U around this row. It gave the class a feel that they were in a doctor’s waiting room and served to drive interaction.
We began the class by recounting a recent medical incident that involved a bit of drama. You can use a similar story of your own or borrow ours: Narrative of Medical Incident – Intro
We then handed out the following medical questionaire to the class. As you will see, it was a bit daunting (the attendees did come under the impression that they were attending a Bible class, after all): In Depth Medical History Form
In both cases, it is important to get the class thinking about their family as well, so a Family Medical History Questionnaire is in order: Family Medical History Form
As the class is filling these out, move through the outline, asking questions about recent experiences at the doctor, etc. Try to get people focused on the concept of healing. Key questions: What does healing look like? What form does it take? How do you know when you are healed or have healed someone?
Refer to the class outline “When the Silence Comes, the Healing Takes Place” for a full narrative where the facilitator plays the role of Luke for the audience, telling them about Jesus, the doctor. This outline also contains the key questions to the class for this teaching.
About halfway through this narrative, where Luke refers to the “Last Page” of the forms, direct them to this surprisingly simple and profound “Healing Eligibility Questionnaire.”
You can either have this form at the back of the other questionnaires you have handed them or pretend that you forgot to give it to them, and that it is really the only form that is required. In the class we taught, we pretended to forget it and people were as relieved to see it as they were shocked to recieve the first, exhaustive round of forms.
Raising of Jairus’ Daughter by Paolo Veronese, 1546. Mark 5:21–43, Matthew 9:18–26, Luke 8:40–56
You then will hand out a “Frequently Asked Questions” sheet to the class which will cause them to think deeply about healing in the Biblical context.
Now that the introduction to the material has taken place, the class is prepared to hear the miracles. We have identified the following passages in Luke as containing references to a healing miracle. The teacher is to read them, one by one aloud and allow the Lord to guide them in their teaching one another:
Luke 4:23-27, 31-37, 38-39, 40-41
Luke 5:12-16, 17-26
Luke 6:6-11, 17-19
Luke 7:1-10, 11-17, 21-30
Luke 8:26-39, 40-56
As you ask around the room, you will be astonished at how many people have witnessed a healing miracle. In our class, one women shared that she had seen her daughter raised from the dead in the 1980’s, and that her son, who had a severe developmental disorder, had been dead twice and both times was resuscitated.
Resurrection of the Widow’s son from Nain, altar panel by Lucas Cranach the Younger, c. 1569, in the Stadtkirche Wittenberg. Luke 7:11-17
Luke 9:1-6, 10-11, 37-43
Luke 10:1-12
Luke 13:10-17, 32-33
Luke 14:1-6
Luke 17:11-19
Luke 18:35-43
Luke 19:1-10
Luke 22:50-51
It is astonishing that Jesus healed even as he was being betrayed on the Mount of Olives.
In reviewing these miracles, you can see Luke, as a physician, gave a great deal of importance to the Healings Jesus performed.
Two key insights that were gained when we gave the class on the 7th were, first, that healing can be defined as the continuity/alignment of the spirit, mind, and body. Second, that physical death is a form of healing.
At the end of the class, return to the questions on the Healing Eligibility questionnaire. Ask them again.
To close, we prepared a PowerPoint presentation of artist’s depictions of the Healing Miracles found in Luke. The PowerPoint can be downloaded here: Healing Miracles of Jesus in Luke PowerPoint
You can see the PowerPoint put to music below:
Close the class in prayer.
We pray that this teaching will heal all those who teach and hear it, for it is the power of the Living God within us all to heal, if only we believe.
You can see how the teaching went on January 7th, 2015 at GSM in Beaverton in the video below. We didn’t get to the slideshow, but somehow it did not matter. The healing came to us.
Shana Tova! Today marks the beginning of the Jewish high holiday Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the new year, a celebration of the creation of the world. Once again, we pause and reflect on what has been, what is, and most importantly, what is to come.
With each new year comes a deeper understanding of what is occurring in the world. This understanding is a gift from God, as we have all been given a unique dose of both wisdom and perspective. As Rosh Hashanah 5775 is upon us, God is calling each and every one of us to use the wisdom and perspective he has given us to carry on in our unique calling.
This year it has been given to us to explore quantam physics, and its how it explains any number of phenomena, such as prayer and eternity, which are often dismissed by natural science. It is a call to believe and walk in faith and courage.
It has also been given to us to present the healing miracles of Jesus presented in the Gospel of Luke, during the first ten weeks of 2015 on the Gregorian calendar.
It is now time to remind ourselves why Rosh Hashanah is especially important for those of us who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah.
The Feast of Trumpets and the Messiah’s Return
We are convinced that the Messiah, Jesus, is returning. We are equally convinced that it has not been given to any man to know the exact time of his return.
What we do know is that we will know the season of his return. The interpretations which we have heard of Jesus’s declaration recorded in Matthew 24:36 generally center around the premise that some sort of series of great catastrophes will be unfolding and a series of signs will be in some stage of fulfillment, implying that these things will mark the season of Jesus’s return.
Here at The Mint, we subscribe to a much simpler and more profound understanding of this scripture, drawn from an understanding of the Jewish wedding ceremony. Jesus will arrive during the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.
In fact, based on the timing of His death and resurrection, the Passover, we believe that His triumphant return will logically take place over Rosh Hashanah. The celebrated Feast of Trumpets.
Feast of trumpets by Aleksander Gierymski (1850–1901): Painting of Hasidic Jews performing tashlikh (ritual washing away of sins) on Rosh Hashanah, placed on the banks of the Vistula River in Warsaw.
Not necessarily this fall, mind you. For it is impossible to know for certain. If one were to attempt to pick a specific year, the logical choices would be one of the upcoming Jubilee years, 2018 (starting on Rosh Hashanah 2017 on the Gregorian calendar) or 2068, or the final year of the 6000 year Jewish Calendar, 2240.
Yet it could be tomorrow, or the next day, as Rosh Hashanah has the element of uncertainty as to precisely when the new moon occurs. This detail fits nicely with Jesus’s declaration that we would not know the day or time.
With all of the things that are happening in the world, many have begun to speculate that the end is nigh.
Clearly, the end is always nigh, and calamities such as the ones humanity is currently suffering have always taken place to some degree ever since mankind chose to disobey God and turn their back on their Creator.
Today, with billions of us on the planet, these calamities are multiplied to a staggering degree. The good news is that God’s grace and mercy are experienced in abundance as well, and this will overcome all suffering and calamity as He daily establishes His Kingdom within and amongst us.
Rosh Hashanah may be the most important and least observed/understood holiday for anyone who is not Jewish. However, what occurs over the next nine days will set the tone for the coming year. They occurrences are of such magnitude that the Jewish title, the “days of awe,” may be the only appropriate descriptor.
Under these circumstances, Jesus announced that He would not attend the upcoming Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), or Sukkot, the Jewish Festival which follows Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, which was the holiest day of the year. Jesus’ initial reluctance to attend the Feast, and ultimate decision to attend, has great significance, both for our understanding of the sixth sign and for Jesus’ future second coming.
As you may recall, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, marks a new beginning. The Jews believe that on this day the fate of each person for the upcoming year is written by YHWH in theBook of Life. The days (approximately 9) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as the the days of awe, are spent in deep reflection, fasting, and prayer. It is a time of confession and repentance, it is a time of recognition that we are but dust, yet infinitely precious in YHWH’s sight.
The Jews believe that the fate which is written on Rosh Hashanah is then sealed by YHWH on Yom Kippur, at which point the Feast of Booths begins. It is our speculation that Jesus made the decision to ultimately attend the Feast of Booths to symbolically seal His fate. He would give His life for humanity on the upcoming Passover.
Yom Kippur is regarded as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, as such, it is only appropriate that the Jewish leaders who were looking for a reason to kill Him, would carefully observe Jesus in hopes of catching Him breaking their observance of the Sabbath.
As Rosh Hashanah begins, we hold fast to our faith, cleanse our minds and spirits, and resolve to love and forgive as God has loved and forgiven us. May this year be filled with a generous portion of wisdom and perspective, and the faith and courage to use it to fulfill our calling. The Messiah is coming, the trumpet is about to sound!
It is Christmas, God Created a Child – A Christmas Poem inspired by a revelation given to Bettie Mitchell regarding why God saved humankind in the most unusual manner that we celebrate during Christmas.
It is Christmas, God Created a Child
It is Christmas,
a babe in a manger lay,
Why has He come?
The reason of the mystery revealed.
“Adoration of the Shepherds” by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622
In the beginning,
God created them, man, then woman,
What would they do?
He walked with them in the garden.
Their betrayal,
broke His heart, and He sent them away,
with a gift of clothing,
the first sacrifice, but not the last.
God left them,
He pondered what went wrong,
and how to make it right again.
He watched them from afar, as a nervous parent.
He watched,
as they conceived and bore children,
outside of the garden,
the results were disastrous, murder, betrayal
He sent a flood,
to destroy them all, to wipe the earth clean,
for the earth was innocent,
He wrestled with the implications, and saw Noah.
He would allow them to live,
Abraham confirmed what he saw in Noah,
Humankind still loved Him,
Yet they were so evil, how could He come close?
Then it came to Him,
Like a muse from below, for in the beginning,
In the garden,
They were perfect, they were His, and they were adults.
He would create a child,
not cursed, as those outside of the garden,
but perfect,
As Adam and Eve were, in the beginning
He inhaled,
and breathed life into the darkness,
it was perfect,
They must see how to live, from cradle to grave, our perfect union
The perfect end,
The only way to blot out, the transgression in the garden,
We are settling in for a long, productive winter here at The Mint. While there is a whirlwind of activity outside, the key to maintaining one’s sanity is to maintain an internal balance, no matter what happens.
The best way we have found to do this is to maintain a state of constant rest, the eternal Sabbath, if you will, together with the creator in the very core of our being. Rather than experiencing God in one’s mind or even heart, true peace is found when you experience Him in the abdominal region, often referred to as the soul.
It was in the midst of this rest today that we had a profound revelation. While the revelation was centered on the present Bitcoin phenomenon, it has implications far beyond the Bitcoin, and, for those of us who are paying attention, may reveal something of the nature of the divine as well as that of humankind.
Longsuffering readers of The Mint know that our musings on Monetary Theory often lead us to dabble in Eschatology, the study of what are commonly called the end times in world religions that hold apocalyptic worldviews. Today’s revelation, as you will see, is a further dabble into this inherently speculative subject.
Before we dive into today’s revelation, we must provide a bit of context with regards to Bitcoin.
Bitcoin, an Unregulated Ponzi Scheme
We have watched the rise of the Bitcoin/USD ratio, which now stands near $909, ever since April. In this short time frame, we have observed that every time there is a surge in the Bitcoin price, it attracts an increasing amount of attention, both positive and negative. As it is with most things in life, the negative opinions are played at a higher volume. In the case of Bitcoin, those who hold it in disdain throw around two flavors of arguments:
1. It is a Ponzi scheme and, 2. There is no regulation of it.
The detractors are correct on both counts, however, what they fail to recognize is that the same is true for fiat currencies, equities, and all other indirect claims on wealth.
“But what about the FED, SEC, the Government, etc.? Don’t they regulate currencies and equities?” come the shrill voices from the public.
Again, this rebuttal is correct if one takes the narrow view of both of the unregulated Ponzi schemes in question. The Federal Reserve does attempt to regulate its Ponzi scheme within the framework of the IRS and Banking system, and the SEC attempts to regulate various Ponzi schemes within its purview on various stock exchanges.
However, the unregulated universe in both equities and currencies is much larger than most realize, and Bitcoin’s apparent lack of regulation stems from the fact that it is a mere four years in existence. Given time, sovereign governments and Bitcoin exchanges will begin to erect a regulatory framework for the Bitcoins that pass amongst their citizens or participants. Indeed, these efforts are already underway.
The narrow analysis of Bitcoin that its critics lean on is that Bitcoin is either an equity or a currency. In this faulty analysis, they point to the fact that as an equity or currency, there is nothing immediately recognizable within its framework that would lend it valuable. Therefore, they state smugly, Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme to be avoided and derided, case closed.
Yet supposedly educated, computer literate persons are willing to pay $900 USD per Bitcoin despite the risks. What gives? What the failed analyses of Bitcoin do not recognize is that Bitcoin is neither a currency or an equity, but rather the purest reflection to date of something that is pursued by nearly every person on the planet the world over on a daily basis in some form or another.
It may come as a shock to you, fellow taxpayer, and indeed much of humankind, that a great majority of humanity pursues what Bitcoin represents without even knowing how to articulate what they are pursuing.
While a portion of Bitcoin’s value stems from its functionality as an open source international money transfer channel, we believe that most of Bitcoin’s value stems from the fact that it is the purest reflection of what we call the Monetary Premium. In an academic sense, the Monetary Premium is the relative increased value attached to an item that is attributable to a specific, ephemeral part of the item’s value that is related to its function, no matter how minimal it may be, as money.
As the common person’s view of money is generally limited to fiat currencies, it is understandable that most would not know what makes a fiat currency act as money. It then follows that Bitcoin, which is the purest form of the Monetary Premium, would be widely misunderstood by most of humankind.
Bitcoin, The Monetary Premium, and Eschatology: The Revelation
With the lengthy but essential matter of defining what Bitcoin is out of the way, the revelation that follows should now be clear.
The revelation is best presented in the following bullet points:
1. Bitcoin may be the purest reflection of the Monetary Premium known to humankind.
2. The Monetary Premium is manmade and cannot be seen.
3. Pursuit of the Monetary Premium in some shape or form is what a majority of humans dedicate a large portion of their daily activities towards through the acts of producing, consuming, and investing.
4. When God warns of the choice between God and money, as He does in Matthew 6:24:
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.”
The Mammon (money) being referred to is not an inanimate object, but rather the Monetary Premium.
5. The Ultimate choice between full, dedicated worship to the invisible God and continuing to pursue the invisible manmade Monetary Premium will be presented to those who are still present on earth with the ultimatum presented to mankind described in Revelation chapter 13:16-18 (for those who are familiar with eschatology, this last statement makes it clear that we hold a pre tribulation rapture view):
16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 17 and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
Click the image above to read more on Eschatology and Money
What does it all mean?
The Bitcoin is not the Mark of the Beast or any such thing. However, Bitcoin’s unique reflection of the Monetary Premium is illustrative for purposes of understanding money in Biblical contexts where the worship of money is juxtaposed with the worship of God, as it is in Matthew 6:24, and the implications for such an understanding within the context of eschatological studies, specifically when pondering the events described in Revelation chapter 13.
Beyond the monetary realm, Trusting Jesus today is the single most important step that one can take in the search for inner peace. For chasing the fickle monetary premium around will never allow for rest, peace with God can be found in Jesus. He is closer than you think, waiting to commune with every one of us in the eternal Sabbath.
The financial world took a big step closer towards a new currency over the past week. First came revelations that the US Treasury increased its net debt by $1 Trillion in ONE MONTH, which, in and of itself is shocking. Perhaps not coincidentally, Bitcoin prices blew through the $200 mark once again. We have written extensively on why Bitcoin is likely to rise, you can purchase a copy of what is now our most popular ebook on a number of ereading platforms here:
Today, we turn our attention to the area of morality here at The Mint. We must warn you, however, that what you are about to read may turn everything that you once understood about ethics and morality on its head. Read on at your own risk.
Do the Right Thing
“Ask not what you are to do, for you are called to do the right thing, not the expedient thing, not the easy thing, but the right thing. You will know what the right thing to do is when you learn to see your neighbor not as a rival, but as a brother.”
From our youth, when we were confronted with a form of temptation or, perhaps more commonly, the opportunity to choose between selfish gain or pursuing the good of others, we were often exhorted by our elders with a phrase that is both etched in our memory and charged with meaning: “Do the right thing.”
The phrase is alive and well today and continues to drip with authority, for it implies that in the situation that is being confronted, there exists a common body of knowledge which, if consulted, would lead the person confronted with the opportunity to “Do the right thing,” with an obvious course of action.
When this phrase is uttered, more often than not it is uttered by a person whose good intentions are matched only by their complete lack of a direct interest in the outcome of whatever is transpiring. It is also often uttered by someone who, if they were to be in your shoes, would more often than not be completely incapable of “doing the right thing” that they benevolently have advised you to do.
Today, we hear the phrase in discourses by those charged with national government. In this context, even the feigned benevolence which is the hallmark of the way the phrase is delivered in political settings is overshadowed by the fact that by “doing the right thing,” the politician invariably means “submit to my will and ask no questions.”
Imperial governance, which is the form that the world labors under today, is paradoxically predicated on categoric refusal to “do the right thing,” as, at its base, modern governance results in the enslavement of men and women via a myriad of rules and threats in order to convince them to render tribute and allegiance. We have explored this phenomenon thoroughly in our volume entitled “What is Truth? On the Nature of Empire.” The inescapable irony which engulfs every utterance of the phrase by a public official means that, at this point, we cannot hold a straight face when we hear it.
To draw on a recent example, when the President states that Congress must “Do the right thing” and fund the government, the statement may have been the most presumptuous ever to escape human lips, for the underlying assumption is that whatever the government does is right, which is, from most rational and religious standpoints, absolutely incorrect.
Politics aside, at its base, even the seemingly disinterested “do the right thing” offered by a friend,a parent, or colleague is a thinly cloaked act of moral superiority on display, for the phrase is all too often offered as thinly veiled advice which, once decrypted, is read to imply “do what I want you to do.”
If the term has indeed been hijacked to lay claim to the moral high ground in a debate, shaky as it may be, humankind must strive to understand the noble origins of this seemingly important and universal saying.
Life is complicated, and, contrary to what many would say, it does not come with an instruction manual which tells humanity what is categorically right and wrong in all situations which we may encounter.
For this reason, the Bible, which we believe to be the closest thing to a users manual, reads not like a how to or self-help book, but a series of events where people, both individually and corporately, are thrown into unimaginably complex and dire situations (once one looks beyond the surface to understand the Biblical settings) ostensibly to see what they will do. The question that is being asked constantly of the Biblical characters as well as each and every human being today is this:
Will we do the right thing?
Doing the right thing is beyond important, it is imperative that anyone who is genuinely seeking God and His Kingdom Do the right Thing at all times that the circumstances demand them to choose a course of action.
However, what constitutes doing the right thing in any given circumstance is not a matter of democratic preference or legislative action, it is purely a mater left to God and the individual of whom the right thing is required, for it is they and they alone to whom the ability and intuition has been given to make these life and death determinations.
The right thing cannot be legislated or encouraged, it can only be done or not done. Each time it is done, the Kingdom of God draws near to us all. Each time it is neglected, we all suffer the consequences.
So Do the right thing and, more importantly, be close to God, for it is He who is the only judge of such matters. The logic can be carried further to imply that everyone who utters the phrase “do the right thing,” to someone who is faced with a difficult situation is, perhaps unknowingly, both usurping God’s role as well as inhibiting that person’s ability to learn for themselves how to choose the right thing, which is an ability that all of mankind must learn deeply and permanently. The right thing is a lesson that can only be learned through personal experience and exercise of one’s own decision-making processes.
This however, does not mean that the right thing must be learned on the field of battle. There are more often than not subtle clues which will guide us as to which situations demand us to respond by doing the right thing as well as what the right thing to do is. For instance, in our observation doing the right thing often involves an initial sacrifice to be made of time or resources. It is often a choice to pay the cost. While it is not universal, this minor detail is often a clue that one is doing the right thing.
Only those with a perfect knowledge of all of the circumstances involved are qualified to ultimately judge what is right or wrong. Even in the hypothetical case that the actors are in a position to understand all of the circumstances involved, the observation is limited by our über short human timelines which ignore the concept of eternal justice.
Doing the right thing is imperative, and all human judgement as to what the right thing is in any specific circumstance is null and void unless it is agreed upon by all parties who are directly (not indirectly) affected by a course of action.
Perhaps the distinction is best illustrated in the Gospels. While the religious leaders were left legislating the right thing, Jesus was doing it. It is a contrast that is emphasized for a reason, for the doing the right thing is deeply personal and immensely powerful.
There is one thing and one thing only that one can be absolutely certain that is always the right thing to do from an eternal perspective: Forgive
Today marks the beginning of the Jewish high holiday Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the new year, a celebration of the creation of the world.
We are convinced that the Messiah, Jesus, is returning. We are equally convinced that it has not been given to any man to know the exact time of his return.
What we do know is that we will know the season of his return. The interpretations which we have heard of Jesus’s declaration recorded in Matthew 24:36 generally center around the premise that some sort of series of great catastrophes will be unfolding and a series of signs will be in some stage of fulfillment, implying that these things will mark the season of Jesus’s return.
Here at The Mint, we subscribe to a much simpler and more profound understanding of this scripture, drawn from an understanding of the Jewish wedding ceremony. Jesus will arrive during the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.
In fact, based on the timing of His death and resurrection, the Passover, we believe that His triumphant return will logically take place over Rosh Hashanah. The celebrated Feast of Trumpets.
Feast of trumpets by Aleksander Gierymski (1850–1901): Painting of Hasidic Jews performing tashlikh (ritual washing away of sins) on Rosh Hashanah, placed on the banks of the Vistula River in Warsaw.
Not necessarily this fall, mind you. For it is impossible to know for certain. If one were to attempt to pick a specific year, the logical choices would be one of the upcoming Jubilee years, 2018 (starting on Rosh Hashanah 2017 on the Gregorian calendar) or 2068, or the final year of the 6000 year Jewish Calendar, 2240.
Yet it could be tomorrow, or the next day, as Rosh Hashanah has the element of uncertainty as to precisely when the new moon occurs. This detail fits nicely with Jesus’s declaration that we would not know the day or time.
With all of the things that are happening in the world, many have begun to speculate that the end is nigh.
Clearly, the end is always nigh, and calamities such as the ones humanity is currently suffering have always taken place to some degree ever since mankind chose to disobey God and turn their back on their Creator.
Today, with billions of us on the planet, these calamities are multiplied to a staggering degree. The good news is that God’s grace and mercy are experienced in abundance as well, and this will overcome all suffering and calamity as He daily establishes His Kingdom within and amongst us.
Rosh Hashanah may be the most important and least observed/understood holiday for anyone who is not Jewish. However, what occurs over the next nine days will set the tone for the coming year. They occurances are of such magnitude that the Jewish title, the “days of awe,” may be the only appropriate descriptor.
Under these circumstances, Jesus announced that He would not attend the upcoming Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), or Sukkot, the Jewish Festival which follows Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, which was the holiest day of the year. Jesus’ initial reluctance to attend the Feast, and ultimate decision to attend, has great significance, both for our understanding of the sixth sign and for Jesus’ future second coming.
As you may recall, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, marks a new beginning. The Jews believe that on this day the fate of each person for the upcoming year is written by YHWH in the Book of Life. The days (approximately 9) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as the the days of awe, are spent in deep reflection, fasting, and prayer. It is a time of confession and repentance, it is a time of recognition that we are but dust, yet infinitely precious in YHWH’s sight.
The Jews believe that the fate which is written on Rosh Hashanah is then sealed by YHWH on Yom Kippur, at which point the Feast of Booths begins. It is our speculation that Jesus made the decision to ultimately attend the Feast of Booths to symbolically seal His fate. He would give His life for humanity on the upcoming Passover.
Yom Kippur is regarded as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, as such, it is only appropriate that the Jewish leaders who were looking for a reason to kill Him, would carefully observe Jesus in hopes of catching Him breaking their observance of the Sabbath.
As Rosh Hashanah begins, we hold fast to our faith, cleanse our minds and spirits, and resolve to love and forgive as God has loved and forgiven us. The Messiah is coming, the trumpet is about to sound!
Our long awaited Treatise on Economy and Philosophy, Why What We Use as Money Matters, is now available in various digital formats at Smashwords.com and on Kindle at Amazon.com. With any luck, we will have a print version available before we leave for the Southern Hemisphere.
What kind of book is this? It is largely up to the reader to decide. For us, it is the fruit of two years of wrestling with some of life’s deeper questions with regards to Economics, Politics, and Philosophy. It has answered many of them and, in turn, has raised other issues, for in our exploration, as you will see, the current state of affairs is laid bare for all to examine, and our recommended courses of action may be unpalatable for many.
Nevertheless, there it is, altogether thick and challenging, yet refreshingly simple, the key to reversing the effects of climate change.
In a sense, it culminates the first phase of what we set out to do here at The Mint. There will be more to come, but for the time being, we leave you to ponder the following brief excerpt:
“The natural world strives daily to achieve a perfect state of balance. Events and occurrences that, taken by themselves, appear chaotic and devoid of meaning are together part of a constant rebalancing of the earth’s delicate state. Each event is a splash of color across an oppressive gray sky that hints at a rainbow that will soon appear. “
The summer is in full swing here in the Northwest. We have recently sent the manuscript for our mini treatise off to perhaps the only publisher that aligns ideologically with its many and varied themes; Laissez Faire Books.
As we await a response, we are directing our creative energies into the construction of a playground/deck/Gaudi-esque structure upon some otherwise idle ground near the back of the property. As someone who stares at screens for a living, wielding a circular saw and power screwdriver is nothing short of exhilarating.
There is something about creating something from nothing that brings with it a contentment only those who have done it can explain. It is to work outside the confines of time and space while at the same time yielding to their limitations. In the best of moments, it brings us closer to the divine.
In addition to our power tool therapy, we have been seeking funding for a number of projects that have come across our radar. While our efforts to this point have been categorically unsuccessful, we have a feeling that is about to change. We have had the feeling that things are about to break loose for some time now.
Yesterday, this feeling was confirmed in the most unexpected of settings, a Board Finance Committee. In the middle of the meeting, as we were punting around various ideas and cost savings measures, a prophet came in and declared a new season had come upon the world, a season in which the plans of Yahweh, those that have been stayed for various reasons, would now come to pass. That the righteous would have resources thrust into their hands. This season began in early July.
With that, all discussion ceased and we simply came into agreement in prayer over the matter as a Committee, and the meeting was adjourned. It was the most unique committee meeting we have ever attended.
It must be said that there is great relief in prayer. While simply praying is no guarantee that funds will appear or that plans will come to pass, it is a guarantee that the matter is firmly in Yahweh’s hands, leaving the outcome, whatever it may be, a victory for the Kingdom of Heaven.
In other words, prayer brings peace, and in this case the confirmation of a notion that The Lord has laid upon us for the past six months. A new season in the spiritual realm has arrived.
It is crucial that we open our eyes, or we shall remain blind. This was made clear to us in a vision we had yesterday (yes, visions are returning as well!) in which we saw a field and a man standing at the end of it. The man was looking through a field of vision that allowed him to see a mere 1% of the immense richness of the land in front of him.
This represented the blindness inherent in seeking answers in numbers, which provides one a viewpoint that is 1% reality and 99% fiction. If we can learn to see past the 1% and step forward into the field before us, the 99%, the abundance of Yahweh’s supply for us, appears as if out of nowhere…yet it has been there all along.
Such is the blindness of those who decide based on numbers alone, for the numbers are at best, a trailing indication of words, decisions, and actions long past. At worst, they are a stumbling block and a snare. For renewal an growth to take place, there must be a complete separation from the current concept of money and the reality of the natural world. This separation is just now beginning to take place.
Finally, we are also making preparations for our long delayed annual journey to Bolivia, where we hope to advance a project that has long been on our hearts:
Episode 4 in Craig Birchfield’s entertaining and informative series, An Agnostic Moment, brings to light a series of arguments which he dubs the Big Seven which are like flashing billboards on the highway of life constantly pointing us towards the divine. Enjoy!
Today we return with Episode 3 of Craig Birchfield‘s thought provoking series, An Agnostic Moment. In this episode, Birchfield explores the Gospels. Specifically, he explores the seeming contradiction contained in the first four books that form the basis of Christianity.
The contradiction is this; the Gospels, taken at face value, come across as an exercise in self-effacement by the church’s founders. Rather than a religious how to or self-help book, the Gospels portray a most unflattering picture of Jesus’s disciples.
It is hardly the type of propaganda that one would produce were they to set out to start a religious movement. The only plausible reason that the leaders of a religious movement would allow such an unflattering depiction of themselves to propagate is that perhaps they were not interested in starting a religious movement at all, but rather testifying with brutal accuracy to what they had seen and heard as they walked with the Messiah.
We continue today with Episode 2 of Craig Birchfield‘s thought provoking series, An Agnostic Moment. In this episode, Birchfield explores what he calls Sir Roger Penrose’s big number and its implications regarding the origin of the universe.
Craig Birchfield has launched a new series called “An Agnostic Moment,” which is entertaining food for thought when it comes to belief or non belief in God. Take a peek at the first episode, the introduction to the series and the presentation of the God shaped vacuum that is almost ubiquitous in both the individual human experience at both the individual and societal level.
The following is a guest post on a timely topic by David Bonner, a financial consultant with a passion for helping people find freedom by becoming good financial stewards. Enjoy and stay fresh!
There are many biblical principles when it comes to finance. Perhaps the most often cited is Jesus’s instruction to “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Like most of the times that Jesus is quoted in popular culture, this is taken out of context at least as often as not. While I am very much in favor of personal responsibility, good stewardship, and accountability to authority and government, the concept of rendering unto Caesar is not anywhere near so valuable as the biblical principle of Jubilee.
In the book of Leviticus, debts and enslavement are both addressed as coming to an end after fifty years. The Covenant Code, taken from Exodus, includes similar provisions after a period of seven years. This code adds a layer to the idea of rendering unto Caesar in that the debt or the term of slavery – note the biblical application as given to Moses’s audience would have been much more of a household servitude like an indentured servant than our modern interpretation of slavery – should be served out for a reasonable period but not leave people laboring their entire lives under its burden. Unfortunately, apart from bankruptcy, our modern society doesn’t have many allowances for this form of grace. And even bankruptcy does not extend the full protection that many believe it will.
The best time to be responsible with debt management is before taking it on. For this reason, tools like a home loan calculator are invaluable. A mortgage loan calculator or similar tool can help you determine what housing options you can reasonably undertake based on an in-depth understanding of your finances. However, with the soaring costs of education, the massive investment of establishing oneself in almost any career, and the instability of most markets, debt is a reality of modern American life.
The important thing is not to let debt overwhelm you. Part of avoiding this would be to utilize a good debt repayment calculator to determine what money you actually have available to work with. A debt consolidation calculator can help you view all of your debts, credit cards and mortgages, car payments and education loans, together in one focused picture.
This focused picture will enable you to see your finances in terms of available funds rather than seeing your monthly income as being available. A debt elimination calculator will help you select the repayment timeline that works for you, and commit to following through on it. Utilizing debt calculator(s) applications when considering undertaking a big financial step will allow you to make a clear headed and responsible strategy, enabling you to both render unto Caesar and celebrate your own Jubilee before too long.
Dave Bonner runs a small business in the Greater Philadelphia Area, where he lives with his wife and their one-year-old puppy. His consulting work includes applying sound Biblical principles in making economically sound business strategies, a subject on which he has also been privileged to teach. Debt consolidation has become something of a hobby, as he works to assist his friends and family in the pursuit of financial stability and good stewardship.
We were honored yesterday to be mentioned alongside a host of names with more weight and prestige than our own by a writer whom we greatly admire, Jason Hommel, on a list he has compiled of Christian Libertarian resources. We have often referred to Mr. Hommel’s vast trove of research into both the silver market and eschatology (specifically the scriptural and empirical support for a pre-tribulation rapture), which he has published at both the Silver Stock Report and bibleprophesy.org respectively, in our own investigation of these matters. Indeed, Mr. Hommel has performed the world a great service through much of what he shares.
While we do not know him personally, we appear to share similar interests and applaud his bold search for truth and, perhaps more importantly, the tenacity with which he defends it once discovered. Most who have tried find that truth is not often welcomed this side of heaven, at best it is ignored and then attacked as others come to know it. Well done Jason, we cheer you on from our corner of the world and wish you all the best!
The matter gave us pause to think about what it means to be a Christian Libertarian. Indeed, some who may be reading this site on Mr. Hommel’s may wonder where we stand on certain matters.
There two things that we we know. One, that the God of the Bible is the one true God, and that He is our friend. He revealed himself to us and, we believe to all of humanity, through the Messiah, commonly known as Jesus in our experience. In this revelation, he made it clear that we are to Forgive as He has forgiven us, it is his one simple requirement. Sacrifices are meaningless, what He desires is to be close to us. We know that we will live with Him for eternity, no matter what happens here and now.
If this makes us a Christian, so be it.
We also recognize that God has given all of us a free will, which is a logical precondition for His relationship with us. Some use this free will to liberate others, some use it to enslave them.
Yet it is clear that the whole mass of humanity is obligated to respond to the demands of an inherently anarchic world of our own devising because of our willful ignorance and defiance of God. For both those of us who know and love God and those who are either ignorant of or defiant towards Him, our only hope of survival lies in our willingness to peacefully cooperate with one another. This cooperation works best when it is done voluntarily without compulsion.
If this makes us a Libertarian, so be it.
Naturally, there is much more to say on both subjects, and we do pray that you will tune in from time to time. We have attempted to collect our stream of consciousness, for lack of a better term, in a series of ebooks. We are currently working on the last volume of what will be our mini treatise, “To Build up the Land,” which we hope to have on digital shelves by the end of May.
Shifting gears to the Money Supply, the M1 measurement clocked another steep week over week decline, this time on the order of 2.12%. Again, while the week to week shifts in base money are volatile by nature, this now constitutes an 8% + drop.
This is bad news on a number of levels, and the Central Bankers of the world are now moving into overdrive with respect to money creation. Will the succeed in holding off the coming depression?
Thanks again for reading and a special thanks to Mr. Hommel, we consider mention on your site to be a great honor. Be encouraged in your work, for it is extremely important.
In the Bitcoin/USD market, the world is getting a rare glimpse of the power of the monetary premium. Today those who watched witnessed the Bitcoin briefly race up to $147 USD before retreating to around $115, where it stood yesterday.
Over the past few days, we have been participating in a discussion of the merits of the Bitcoin over on Google+ with the Austrian Economics group. It has been interesting to see how we wrestle with the concept of what is money. Trying to pin it down to one thing in the physical world. For if money were just one thing and one thing only, one of the world’s great mysteries would be put to rest, and the rest of the mysteries may even become less mysterious.
However, the concept of money remains elusive. It will remain elusive, and it is good. Here is why.
For the many things that it purports to be, the Bitcoin may be best described as a decentralized digital currency. As such, the only value that can rationally be attributed to it consists entirely of what we call a monetary premium. In our worldview, money is a concept. As such, there is no physical thing or concept that can claim a divine right to being money. Not gold, silver, nor national currencies.
What fools man into clinging to these things and insisting on calling them money is the notion of a monetary premium, which we define as a set of characteristics when make something a chosen store of wealth, medium of trade, and unit of account. For more on this, please read our eBook “What is Money? A quest to answer the question of the ages.”
We return from this shameless plug to the Bitcoin. The Bitcoin is not a physical good. If anything, it boils down to an arbitrary string of the zeros and ones that form the basis of all computing. However, this non-thing is beginning to absorb a portion of the monetary premium.
This partial absorption of the monetary premium by a string of digital numbers serves a proof that money is a construct of man, and for all of man’s efforts to capture it, measure it, and make it his, the concept of money, or what is better understood as the monetary premium, is a fickle and fleeting thing.
For this reason, Jesus warned us,
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon”
Neither YHWH or the monetary premium can be seen, but man must choose to serve one or the other. One is fickle and fleeting, the other faithful and constant. One’s answer as to which is which will reveal whom they serve.
Choose wisely.
Yet the Bitcoin and the fickle and fleeting monetary premium that it is interacting with gives those of us who are paying attention a chance to examine our character. For our reaction to the fluctuations in the Bitcoin / USD ratio may help to reveal hat kind of man or woman we are.
Whether one finds themselves serving the monetary premium or YHWH, they are likely to find themselves identifying with one of three basic examples of behavior and motivations.
These examples were first presented to us in the summer of 2004 at a Kings Kids European summit in Tarragona. Far from the lush EU summits which are the hallmark of today’s famous Troika mismanagement, the Kings Kids operate on a wing and, most literally, a prayer.
With our Castilian Spanish skills still lacking, we spent a mid summer’s week in tents on a high school campus (naturally, school was out) with minimal bath and shower facilities with hundreds of adolescents, young adults, and not so young adults from across Europe and the UK (indeed, we were acquainted with a long lost cousin from Wales at the event). It is in these settings where YHWH moves and provides his most profound lessons and training.
It was in this setting, then, that the examples were presented by our Pastor Curtis Clewett of La Iglesia El Lokal in Barcelona. Each time we recount the impact of this teaching to him, he recalls it as something that he threw together at the last minute.
So it was, on a warm summers eve on the Mediterranean coast in a place which more or less resembled a gypsy camp, we gathered to hear el Reverendo impart the three examples of what we will call spiritual maturity. Read them carefully and please, take no offense at the blanket statements that the descriptions imply. We understand there are many shades of the following professions, and it will quickly become clear that it is the description that matters more than the professional title:
The Soldier: The soldier is in training. He is fit, well equipped, and he is at the ready. However, the soldier does not represent the ultimate in spiritual maturity, for he is lacking two things: Initiative and autonomy.
The soldier is trained to take orders. He does not dare act on his own for fear of retribution or failure. He is limited by not only the rules and regulations of his trade, but also in his physical movements and the ability to act independently of the orders given by his commanders. As such, he cannot act on his own initiative and, if he does, it is in a very small sphere of operations which is dependent upon others following similar orders.
Being a soldier is not a bad thing, indeed, it is admirable, but the path to spiritual maturity demands that he move past this necessary first jaunt down the neverending path towards spiritual maturity.
The Athlete: Unlike the soldier, the athlete is, by definition, acting on his or her own initiative. They may depend upon a coach for guidance and encouragement, but their motivation to obey the coach comes from a desire to improve, not fear, as was the case from time to time with the soldier.
The athlete desires to excel at a certain sport or event, and relies on set intervals of competitions or time trials by which to receive feedback and praise for his or her efforts.
Again, being an athlete is not a bad thing, and the emergence of personal initiative and the desire to train, as well as an increased degree of autonomy represent a further journey down the path to spiritual maturity, however, even if the athlete reach the pinnacle of their chosen field, they are still lacking in one very important aspect, an aspect that is fully embraced by the farmer.
The Farmer: The farmer does not have a drill sergeant yelling at him in the morning, nor is he told what to do and when to do it. The farmer is not restricted in his movements or daily activities.
The farmer does not train on a daily basis and is not accountable to a coach. Indeed, the farmer takes on responsibility not only for his own training regimen, but for understanding when and where to compete.
The farmer knows exactly what to do and waits for signals from his natural surroundings to tell him when to do it. He constantly looks after his surroundings and understands that both the land and the animals within his care have been entrusted to him. Indeed, so have his family and his neighbors. Even those whom he will never meet indirectly may rely upon the success of his efforts to be able to put food on their table.
The farmer’s efforts may appear volatile, oscillating between sloth and frenzies of chaotic activity. When there is nothing to be done, the farmer drives to the café to drink coffee and play cards all day. When there is work to be done, he awakens early and does not rest until his equipment or the lack of daylight put an end to the day’s efforts.
The farmer not only understands what needs to be done, he understands that all efforts, to be effective, must be put forth in their season. He can prepare, and often does, but he understands that the time to exert himself will become known in its due time, but it will not happen on a schedule which he can set.
Still, he accepts the responsibility of his post, both the long days and the stinging boredom, with joy, knowing that ultimately he is doing the work of a master, and is providing for many who live well beyond the county line who he may never personally meet. He may never be thanked by them, or recognized formally for his work, yet in the work itself, he finds life’s greatest contentment.
As you can see from the above examples, to understand one’s own character, it is as important to understand who we are serving as it is to understand how we are serving, for the key to contentment lies in choosing well on both accounts.
The monetary premium currently attributed to the Bitcoin will take wings. If one is a soldier or an athlete, they are likely to get burned by the sudden movements. However, the farmer, in a sloth like manner, will pick his spot and wait patiently for an opportunity to present itself.
Then, in a sudden, measured frenzy, he will then labor day and night until the work is finished.
Pastor Clewett is still in Barcelona. In the true spirit of the farmer, he continues to pastor in addition to his duties at Planting Together, where he is on the Executive team. Planting Together is an organization which organizes tree planting and pruning excursions, where they partner with the government of Senegal and many others to help build up the Great Green Wall, a wall of trees and foliage which is successfully fighting back the encroachment of the Sahara in northwestern Africa.
Thank you, Curtis! Many blessings on your head. May we all learn to sow and reap as you have.
As the Passover nears and we paint the blood of the lamb over our doorway (figuratively, of course, our better half just painted the doorway a gorgeous blue and let’s just say that literal blood would be frowned upon), we await, along with the rest of the world, the promises of our Lord, the I AM, revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
“Ce que voyait Notre-Seigneur sur la Croix” (What Our Lord Saw from the Cross) – by James Tissot
We will celebrate the New Year tomorrow at the GSM Good Friday service, where we step out of time for the three hours that our Lord hung on the cross, pouring Himself out to bring mankind the only thing it truly needs.
The forgiveness of sins.
Yes, on the Passover, our thoughts are Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. Not the forgiveness of just mine or yours, but the forgiveness of the sins of all of humanity.
For three holy hours tomorrow, we will remember, embrace, and look ahead without fear. For the blood of the lamb has washed away the sins of the world.
At 3pm Pacific time, the Shofar Horn will blow, ushering in the new year. There is much turmoil to come, as well as much opportunity. May the Lord’s will be done, and may His Kingdom come.
The following is an excerpt from our upcoming ebook release, “What is Truth? On the Nature of Empire” which is volume IV in our series “Why what we use as Money Matters.”
As we researched the book, we were joined unexpectedly by James Tissot by way of his astonishing artwork. His depiction of Joseph and His Brothers approaching Pharaoh adorns the cover, and his great works, such as this one entitled: “Ce que voyait Notre-Seigneur sur la Croix” or “What Our Lord Saw from the Cross” in English have moved and inspired us as we have toiled on this volume. We pray that they will move and inspire you as well.
“Ce que voyait Notre-Seigneur sur la Croix” (What Our Lord Saw from the Cross) – by James Tissot
What is Truth? On the Nature of Empire
As men and women go about their daily occupations, it is relatively common to stop and form an opinion on the benefits or detriments to society of a particular action taken by the government. While it is easy to form an opinion and then take sides of an issue, perhaps the most important question that can be asked is not, “What should the government do?” but rather, “Why is the government doing anything?”
The reason that the second question is rarely, if ever asked is that the concept of Empire, or a large scale government which is seen as the ultimately authority, has been part of the human experience for so long that it’s existence or utility are rarely, if ever, questioned. We pray that this volume has caused you to give it some thought.
The ignoble goal of all Imperial activities has been to establish and maintain primacy in the affairs of men and women throughout the entire known world. This demand for primacy and allegiance takes the form of the Empire claiming a monopoly on the use of force, which is invariably followed by demands for tribute. Ultimately, the head of Empire will make an appeal to divine right and declare him or herself a deity. As the Empire begins to fade out of existence, it tends to become more violent and intolerant, not conscious of the fact that its subjects are devoting a great deal of time and energy to escaping its grasp.
Those who remain are left to either perish at the hands of the Empire or at the hands of those who see no alternative save the use of the force of arms to overthrow the Imperial leadership, which has been necessarily populated by the members of society who are best able to suppress their conscience in blind pursuit of the Imperial imperative.
Such is the nature of Empire, and it is lethal to human progress. The existance of Empire on the earth ensures that all who inhabit it will take the side of Cain, who in the Biblical account related in Genesis chapter 4 lead his younger brother Abel to a field where he murdered him, or Abel, the innocent. Cain’s murderous act is born out of the mistaken belief that the removal of others from the earth will secure one’s place before God and man. It is an idea that is the driving force behind Imperial action, and it is death.
Cain leadeth Abel to Death by James Tissot
Fortunately, there is a better way. The better way lies neither in violently or peacefully resisting the Empire, it lies in the doctrine of non-resistance, which paradoxically is the best way to ensure one’s safety and security regardless of the state of Imperial degeneration that one finds themselves surrounded by.
However, the path of non-resistance is not without risk. Many of history’s most noted adherents are noted because they perished while clinging to this principle. It is not for the faint of heart, yet it is attainable.
The power to do this is found in the person of Jesus Christ, who replied to the Imperial lament, voiced by Pontius Pilate, an instrument of the Roman Empire, “What is truth?”
Jesus’ response, which is not recorded in the Biblical account but made clear by His subsequent actions, echoes through 2000 years of Imperial rule to guide our actions today:
“God Forgives”
In His reply, we find the power to embrace the doctrine of non-resistance, which is the only hope that mankind has to live in peace both here and now, regardless of the proximity of Imperial rule to his or her daily activities, and in eternity. For to forgive is to live in eternal peace with God himself.
Stay tuned in to The Mint for the upcoming ebook release!
You must be logged in to post a comment.