Pastor Wrinkles Quips & Quotes 11-15-15

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Hey there folks! Here is a new challenge for all my Sunday readers. Every Sunday I will post one quip or quote that struck me during the week. You can join along in the quipping and quoting. Here is what to do.

Publish a post of your own, using one quip or quote that grabbed you during the week. You can add a picture to it if you like or even photograph the quote from it’s source.

Link back to my post

You can include the Pastor Wrinkle’s Q& Q photo in your post if you think my mug worthy of your blog.

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“The opposite of a slave is not a free man. It’s a worshiper. The one who is most free is the one who turns the work of his hand into sacrament, into offering.”  Mark, Buchanan, The Rest Of God

Cee’s B&W Challenge: Life’s Little Patterns

Posted on by under Photography

This week Cee has challenged us to bring out THE PATTERNS in life. My three patterned black & white photos are below. But you can find a whole lot more by going to Cee’s site. Just click the underlined link above.

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Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern.

Alfred North Whitehead 

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Art is pattern informed by sensibility.

Herbert Read 

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The Road Through Romans: The Gospel According to Balaam

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

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We’ve been walking the Romans Road one small step at a time. We’ve gotten to verse two in chapter one and that has sent us careening back through the Old Testament to see how the gospel was preached before Jesus was even born. As Paul says it is…

 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

If you have missed any of the discussion it can be found on

THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE

So far we have talked about God preaching the gospel a little in Genesis and  about Moses revealing that the Messiah would be a game-changing prophet like himself. Yet, another prophetic contemporary of Moses added a very important piece to the Messianic puzzle.

You may recall a man named Balaam from the Book of Numbers. Balaam was not a game-changer like Moses. Truth be told, as prophets go he was not very faithful. Actually he only worked part time for God. He also worked part time for the enemies of Israel and full time for his own self interests. Still God gave him a pretty important piece of the Messianic prophecy. It is spoken in Numbers chapter  24.

Balaam had been hired by a general, named Balak, to curse Israel. Instead Balaam was forced by God to bless Israel at every turn much to Balak’s chagrin. In his fourth blessing of Israel Balaam shares this foresight.

“I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
    the skulls[b] of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]
18 Edom will be conquered;
    Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,
    but Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

It is important to note Balaam was not a Jewish prophet. He came from the area around Babylon. It is thought that his prophecies returned to that place, after his death in a battle against the Israelites, some years later. Further, it is thought that certain magicians probably referred to these prophecies thousands of years later when a certain star rose over the land of Israel. Following that star those very magicians made history when they approached a certain king of Israel proclaiming…

Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  Ma. 2:2

This means that even in the Old Testament God was preparing the Gentiles for the message of the gospel that would be preached through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, thousands of years later.

Just as an aside, there is a whole portion of this prophecy that was not fulfilled with Jesus’ first coming. This means it will be fulfilled with His second coming. Also interesting to note that star, “The Star of Bethlehem”,   may just have made another appearance over the Earth. If so what does that mean?

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What Does Victory Look Like

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Victory.”

Here are just a few reminders of victory from my family album.

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Where there is unity there is always victory.

Publilius Syrus 

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The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well.

Pierre de Coubertin 

Me before the Rocky Stairs

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Me after the Rocky Stairs, but I made it!

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We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. ~Marquise de Sévigné

Regarding Windshields, Bugs and the Cross

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My office has a seasonal issue with stink bugs. The thing that stinks the most about stink bugs is not that they stink. They are aggressive little suckers.

Tonight I was sitting in my office minding my own business writing a blog when suddenly I was under attack. I ducked his first dive bomb attack but the menacing little drone was on a mission. He just kept coming. Suddenly I was out of my chair swatting at the thing with a packet full of prayer requests.

Mr. Stink bug was undeterred by my warning salvo. He circled around at the entrance to my office door and made a stink-bug -line for my face. I held up my prayer shield and swatted. Prayer requests flew willy-nilly out of the packet as the bug connected with my weapon of mass destruction. When all the prayer requests had settled to the office floor like autumn leaves I found my tiny enemy wounded and trying to limp as fast as he could out of my sites.

“Oh no you don’t!” I cried and with three swift swats I dispatched the little terrorist to whatever hell bugs go to.

Satisfied I shut out the lights to my office and headed home.

On the ride home Holy Spirit began to talk to me, “You shouldn’t have killed the bug.”

“Oh come on Lord. It was a bug!” Was my swift retort.

“This isn’t about the bug. It is about your attitude.” He said.

The Mary Chapin Carpenter song started playing in my head almost instantly.

Then God said, “You always want to be the windshield. You want to be the Louisville Slugger. You always want to come out on top. How does that fit with my words ‘in humility esteem others greater than yourself.’ or ‘If a man strikes you on one cheek turn to him the other also’ ?”

As I have been meditating on that tonight the question comes to mind, “What if Jesus had insisted on being the windshield? What if he had called 10,000 angels to His side instead of going to the cross? Where would we bugs be then?”

Of course Jesus didn’t do that. He gave up his windshield moment to become the bug. He bore his cross. He calls us to bear ours.

I hope you understand this post isn’t really about bugs. It’s about those moments in life when we have the power to win but using the power is simply the wrong thing to do. It’s about those moments when we have the opportunity to be the windshield but God calls us to be the bug instead.

Jesus’ cross looked like a loss.

Your cross will look the same.

Jesus could have done something to get rid of His cross.

Chances are God is going to give you the same opportunity to get rid of yours.

In that moment as you consider your cross just remember, sometimes we need to lose a little to gain a lot. Sometimes we have to be the bug.

The Road Through Romans: The Gospel According To Moses

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We are currently working our way through Romans a verse (more like a word) at a time. If you have missed any of the discussion, it can be found on

THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

We have been discussing the truth that the Bible is a unified text, the theme of which is Jesus, from beginning to end. Specifically we have been discussing that the Old Testament writers were used step by step to unveil God’s plan to send a Savior from among men for men. As Paul says,

“…the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” Romans 1:2

I suppose the question can be asked, “Why did God not just reveal the whole plan at once?”

Paul offers us some insight when he says,

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:6-8

For God’s plan to work it had to be revealed in such a way that God’s enemies would not realize that they were undoing themselves by crucifying Christ. In some ways the cross was the greatest long con in history. By the time God’s plan was revealed it was too late to do anything about it. Still, the signs were there like puzzle pieces scattered across time just waiting for someone to put them all together. It strikes me that Jesus was the first one to do this on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection.

He (Jesus) said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24: 26-27

Jesus started his explanation of the gospel with Moses. Yes Moses was given a puzzle piece to share with the world too. In Deuteronomy 18 Moses shared these thoughts with the Israelites.

TheLord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

17The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name  Deut. 18:15-19

Like so many other Messianic prophecies this one lay hidden in between verses that seem to have little to do with Messiahship. Many probably looked at these verses and considered that they could speak of any prophet in general. Yet, the very words “like me” mark a certain prophet out from the rest of the prophets that crowd the annals of Israel’s history. Moses was a prophet of a different sort. He was the vessel that carried the ten plagues that brought low Egypt. He walked softly and carried a big stick that span ocean in two. Jeremiah was great but he was no Moses. Ezekiel? He was awesome. Moses rose above him. The prophet of Deuteronomy 18 would be like Moses. He would be a game-changer.

In preaching to the leaders of Israel after healing the crippled beggar Peter reveals the name of this prophet like Moses when he says, “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.”  Acts 3: 17-23

The Principle is this. The New Testament reality fulfills Old Testament Prophecy. What the Old Testament saints looked forward too we experience in full if wee believe.

How exciting is that?

Friday Fictioneers: A Place To Play

Posted on by under The Stories

It is time for another episode of Friday Fictioneers. My 100 word story taken from the photo prompt is found below the photo. You can see how others interpreted the prompt by clicking on the underlined link above. Once you are at the Fridays Fictioneers site follow the little blue frog. 🙂

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PHOTO BY: J Hardy Carroll

A Place To Play

By JE Lillie

Momma died in April. The whole village came out for the funeral. She was the Pastor’s wife after all.

The whispers started that day.

“Poor man. Left a widower at such a young age and with two daughters. How’s he going to raise them?”

Daddy did just fine. Some days he would pack up our tea set and bring us to the church with him.

While he worked on his sermon we were shuffled out to the graveyard alongside the church.

He would wink at us and say, “Go see if mommy wants to play tea party.”

She always did.

The Road Through Romans: Noah’s Promise Through Abraham’s Eyes Pt. 2

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Yesterday we mentioned that the good news regarding a Savior for mankind was preached thousands of years before Christ was even born, through the stories of Noah and Abraham. If you have missed any part of our discussion in Romans you can find it on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE

 We left off yesterday in this way,

So let’s ask, “What was going to happen in Abram’s life that would bless the whole world?

Many years after Genesis chapter twelve God would develop the promise a bit more and the promise of Messiah would begin to be seen more clearly than ever before.”

The story of that development is written in Genesis 22 and it goes like this,

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba”

In this chapter God promises that through Abraham’s (formerly Abram) offspring all nations on Earth will be blessed.

Paul explained that verse this way to the church in Galatia.

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i] meaning one person, who is Christ.   

Galatians 3:7-16

Abraham may not have had the particulars but he taught his children that someone was coming who would fix the human race.

That was good news almost four thousand years before Christ!