2018 GA JEWEL 100: Changing The Past with The LORD's Blessing

Photo Credit: Bottom (2016 GJ), Top Right: Jobie Williams

THE REASON

"You can't change the past."

Yes, you can.

You can change the meaning of past failures by not giving up on your dreams.

In fact, the more we desire to grow in character the more evident our failures will be on our way to becoming what we idealize.

And with the help, power and blessing of the Lord, we can make the past mean something different.

Failures do not destroy our dreams unless we decide they have. Failures teach us what we need to know to succeed.

As James Allen said, "Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him to himself."

I finished my third 100 mile run on my second attempt at The Georgia Jewel 100 trail race on Sunday. A race I did not finish (DNF) two years ago dropping at mile 87.

Now, when I read my old race report, history has changed, because I trusted in the LORD to provide.

2016 Georgia Jewel Race Report (DNF, 87 Miles)

Every word in that report means something different now.

2018 TUPELO MARATHON: Lessons Learned From Ahithophel & Buddy Fox

First TVA City

I have a minor, special connection with Tupelo, MS that goes back nearly 20 years. 

Before I attended seminary/preaching school (2000-2002) in Memphis, TN, and before I was married, or had children, or knew any Bible whatsoever, my Mom and I visited the birth and final resting places of Elvis Presley.

Also, my backyard has 3 TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) monster, power towers that support high voltage power lines. Noticing on the sign that Tupelo was the "first TVA city," somewhat endears this race to me.

TVA is a daily part of my life.

Running is also part of my life, but I didn't begin running until the fear of getting old set in while expecting our first child at age 39 seven years ago. My first race was the Running of the Bulls 5K. My longest was Tunnel Hill 100 Miler.

Running has been such a blessing to me, but I didn't feel that way yesterday after 8 am, three hours into my race.

One of the primary appeals of the Tupelo Marathon is its 5 a.m. start time on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend every year. The others are the medal, finisher shirt, air conditioned arena finish with free BBQ. And up until mile 17, all was well. Then the back half of the double loop course felt as terrible as the first loop felt good.

I looked like "E" for the last 9 miles

This wouldn't matter so much if I didn't have a 100 miler in three weeks.

A 100 miler that I DNF'd two years ago, and will probably be my last 100 miler for a long time to come.

So, as I struggled to finish yesterday's marathon and to stay in the moment of only a handful of miles to go, in the forefront of my mind was that if my upcoming hundred miler were yesterday's race, I'd have 83 more miles to go--impossible to do the way I was feeling at the time. 

Needless to say I was overwhelmed by more than just finishing the 26.2.

I knew that I would need to review exactly what I did wrong yesterday, and correct those mistakes, if I plan to have a chance of finishing the 2018 Georgia Jewel, so here they are.

Maybe they will benefit you in some way:

The 2018 Fleet Feet ~ HTC Grand Slam of Huntsville

31.69 miles on November 18, 2017

2017 DIZZY FIFTIES 50K

Warm. Cloudy. Breezy.

Those were the conditions on Monte Sano Mountain at the 14th Annual Dizzy Fifties 50K: the first race of The Fleet Feet/ HTC Grand Slam of Huntsville (GSoH).

I published a race report three years ago introducing the series found here.

This year's Dizzy Fifties 50K (only) no longer offered the sparsely entered 40 and 50 mile distances of past years, and it introduced a new course.

My GARMIN Forerunner 910XT Dizzy Fifties 50K Data

The new course used many of the same trails used in past races, but this year they were run in different directions and instead of returning to the start-finish pavilion 6 times during the race, we returned only twice before finishing.

2017-18 Finisher Awards

The three 10.5 miles loops retained the hilly northern loop and flat southern loop and had one aid station at the halfway point. Owen Bradley from Birmingham, AL won the race with at time of 4:33:57 followed by Alex Clark, Timothy Pitt, and Will Crisp.

2017 Dizzy Fifties 50K Race Results

Dizzy is a guaranteed sell-out nowadays. You gotta be ready at the end of July to sign up August 1st or you'll be on the wait list. The race is better than ever with new RD Ryan Chaffin. The leaves are beautiful on the mountain and everyone is ready for the fall racing season to get under way, especially the Grand Slammers.

I published a report two years ago with pictures of the trails and leaves on a sunny day found here.

Huntsville Grand Slammers @ Dizzy Fifties

We take a Grand Slam photo before every race and I made it into three of them this year. I'm not sure if a picture was taken at the Rocket City Marathon. There is also a Facebook page for the Huntsville Grand Slam that we use to keep each other encouraged and to celebrate our finishes.

I have finished 3 Grand Slams (2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18).

When we sign up for the Grand Slam and each individual race, and after finishing them all, we receive our Grand Slam finishers jacket at Mountain Mist.

This year, YoungSu Hoy made a very special gift for each finisher (pic at bottom).

The second race of the GSoH is the Rocket City Marathon.

2017 MYSTERY MOUNTAIN MARATHON Race Report

Tough & Crazy Marathon (S. Taylor)

Some informative and entertaining race reports about the Mystery Mountain Marathon already exist from its ten year history:

Wilson Clemons (2012)

Trailcats (2013)

Ultra Kraut Running (2014)

I ran the MMM as a recon race for the Double Top 100 next April and to see what my big mouth had gotten me into. After running over 20 marathons, the MMM was a new experience for me in a few ways.

To take as long as it did (7h 25m), I never got down on myself. I stayed mentally strong the entire race, even after taking a wrong turn and running an extra 3/4 of a mile around mile seven.

Not losing my positive mindset was a boost of confidence that I would need, because this marathon course is no joke. It's a battle of technical and tight trails full of roots and rocks that rates among the best I've run.

Boasting 15,000 ft. of elevation change, my Garmin adjusted number was 6,035 ft. of gain, while my Relive Video came in at 5,784 ft of gain. Another Relive Video I saw had just over 5,000 ft. of gain. Needless to say, for a marathon distance run, that is a humbling workout in addition to the mileage.

TRAVEL & DESTINATION

At 2:39 a.m. Sunday morning I was east bound and down loaded up and hopeful I would be able to do what others said could be done and had done. I would have my doubts around mile 19, when the 2 mile climb I'd heard horror stories about reared it's ugly head. More on that later.

From Clemon's RR (above) GetGuts.com

The 3.5 hr. drive to Chatsworth, GA was typical of many long drives I've made before races: the unexpected fog and fear of deer darting across the road... Wondering if it was too early in the morning (or late at night) to be pumping gas and become a crime statistic.

I  did not, however, have a nagging feeling that I'd forgotten something, and that made for a good start to my 15 hour trip.

I felt ready for the race except in two minor areas: volume of training mileage and hill work; but, hey, that's part of becoming more of an experienced runner: Who needs race specific training, right?

Efficiency plays a helpful, but also harmful role before races. The never ending quest to see how few miles can I run and still get away with it?

There would be a lot of faking it in this marathon, and also drawing from years of experience to use my mental advantage to overcome my physical laziness.

"Flesh & Blood Cannot Inherit The Kingdom..." Does Not Equal Disembodiment

The acorn is not the oak tree, but both are physical.

In Corinthians 15:50-54, Paul writes:

"What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet."

"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and thus mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body put on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled. "Death has been swallowed up in victory.'"

Concerning this passage, N.T. Wright states:

"Here Paul states clearly and emphatically his belief in a body that is to be changed, not abandoned. The present physicality—in all its transience, its decay, and its subjection to weakness, sickness, and death—is not to go on forever, that is what Paul means by saying “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”

"The term “flesh” (sarx) is seldom if ever for Paul a merely neutral description of physicality; almost always it carries some hint both of the corruptibility and of the rebelliousness of present human existence. What is required for God’s future state of affairs is what we might call a “noncorruptible physicality”: the dead will be raised “imperishable” and we—that is, those who are left alive until the great day—will be “changed” (1 Cor. 15:52)."

"As the parallel with 2 Corinthians 5 makes clear, Paul envisages the present physical body “putting on” the new body as a new mode of physicality over and above what we presently know. It is not the mere resuscitation of a corpse, coming back into the same mode of physicality it had before, but equally and emphatically it is not disembodiment."

"[In] the most complex part of the chapter, verses, 35 to 49, Paul speaks of the different kinds of physicality between which there exists both continuity and discontinuity. In verses 36 to 38, he uses the analogy of the seed and the plant: there is both continuity and discontinuity between the one and the other. The oak is, and is not, the same thing as the acorn. Then, in verses 39 to 41, he points out that there are different sorts of physicality appropriate for different kinds of creatures each enjoying its peculiar “glory” (doxa)."

DIZZY FIFTIES 50K Race Report (2016)

Gregg Gelmis: We Run Huntsville

The 13th Annual Dizzy Fifties 50K, 40 & 50 Mile Race was sunny, breezy and colorful.

My first race since dropping at mile 87 of the Georgia Jewel 100, my main goals for the DF50K were to finish under 7 hours and make my latest race a finish instead of a DNF.

I took two months off from racing to recover and create a break between my running seasons of 2016 and 2017.

Fall of the year begins a new season for me mentally, since it's the best time of year to run in my view. 

By the time January rolls around, we're 3/4 of the way done with the Grand Slam and three months into the cold weather, so it's hard for me to think emotionally that January is the beginning of a new running year except for annual scheduling purposes.

Start/Finish Pavilion (G. Gelmis)

I get to the top of Monte Sano Mountain a little before 6 a.m. and ease into a parking spot on the side of the road next to the start/finish pavilion. Everything is going smoothly until I start removing my run backpack and bag chairs out of our CRV.  

I did not feel rushed, but I parked on a slant, so I'm trying to hold the heavy, rear swinging door open while I gather things and it puts a small strain on my back. 

"Why did I park on this slant?!" I should have relaxed and moved the car down a little to the flat, but Nooooo... I fight it and show that gravel bank who's boss for about a second and a half. I move away from the door, set some things down and take a deep breath.

Race Report: GEORGIA JEWEL 100 (DNF, 87 Miles)

Bitter & Sweet at the same time.

UPDATE! 2018 GEORGIA JEWEL 100 FINISH!

Bitter-sweet to title this post.

I did not finish what I started, nor get my coveted buckle, but it's hard to feel down about the hardest thing you've ever done. 

I ran 87 miles in 26 hours and 45 minutes on the Pinhoti Trail in my home state of Georgia. The high temperature was 91 degrees.

Congratulations to the finishers of the 2016 Georgia Jewel 100 mile footrace.

All six of them: a 75% Did-Not-Finish (DNF) rate. It was that hard. 

While running to the 51.8 mile turnaround,  I was greeted by the eventual 100 mile winner, Steven Carr (Huntsville, AL), making his way back.

Keown Falls Observation Deck

He said: "I'm spent..." And he still had a 45 mile night-time wilderness run ahead of him.

The Georgia Jewel 100, 50 & 35 mile races occurred the same weekend as IRONMAN Chattanooga which was 30 minutes to the north.

That event had a 25% DNF rate and a 15% DNS rate.

Over 1,100 people who signed up did not reach the finish line. I can relate.

As Georgia Jewel 50 MILE finisher Udo Bill Wooten said, "You can't spell Pinhoti without the word hot!"

Sixty-one runners finished the 50 miler. Ninety-one signed up. A 33% DNF/DNS rate.

The 35 mile race had a 26% unfinished business rate.

In spite of the heat and the toll that it took upon us, The 2016 Georgia Jewel was an awesome event.

TUPELO MARATHON 2016 Race Report

Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead!

Skull and Crossbones Medal.

Long sleeve tie-dyed, winter shirt.

5 a.m. start-time on Labor Day Weekend.

Air-conditioned finish line inside arena.

Dressing room showers & free BBQ.

These amenities await the finisher of the Tupelo Marathon. 

Not to mention an annual dose of running on the hallowed ground where the King of Rock n' Roll was born.  

I left Madison, Alabama @ 1:16 p.m. on Labor Day Saturday headed to Trails & Treads for packet pick-up between 1 and 5 p.m. CDT. 

Minor details can become major details when living in the Central Time Zone and close to the Eastern Time Zone running in Chattanooga or Atlanta as we did last week. Two to three hour drives quickly become 3-4 hour drives on the face of a clock and can make the difference between a relaxed, leisurely start or a panic filled drive. 

The Heart of Rock n' Roll is in Tupelo

I wouldn't have to worry about a time change this week like last week. Or about running until 3 a.m. in the morning. Or sleeping on gravel for two hours afterward. Or running in the dark. At least not running in the dark for very long.

I welcomed the rare 5 a.m. start, because I generally don't sleep well the night before a race, and being out of town alone, I prefer to get up super early instead of waiting around. 

The early start allows for a cooler overall run and the psychological advantage of being 10 miles into your race when the sun comes up. Since most races start at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., this unusual start time for marathons is an added bonus. 

I stayed at the Baymont Inn on North Gloster Rd. less than 3 miles from the start-finish at BancorpSouth Arena on Main Street. I would not stay there again, because there are too many other hotels close by to choose from. And at 3 a.m. there was a loud-talking couple in the hallway or in their room with the door open.

YETI Snakebite 50K Race Report (2016)

(L-R) Liz (photo credit), Allie, Lindsey, Megan
Rick, Cary, David & Ryan
Not Pictured: 2 Cool Guys Named Martin & Spencer

A romance novel best describes my race experience:

'Boy meets race. Boy treats race with indifference. Race finds boy contemptible, boy finds race contemptible--yet they cannot seem to stay away from each other. Boy and race fight the growing attraction. Boy ends up finishing race and hugging race director.'

I now realize the following race description was open to interpretation:

"50KM races designed to help runners achieve a new distance and allow veteran runners to run a speedy time or tune up for upcoming fall events. Both races utilize a variety of relatively easy trails, including weaving single-track and broad open fields, as well as narrow trails along the Chattahoochee River. With moderate hills and trails, the course is designed for fast times and for those looking to try their first trail ultra."

Not.

Should've known better when I saw that the cutoff for a 50K was 11 hours. I think the RD went to the Lazarus Lake School of Race Directing; therefore, believe nothing you hear or read. Just show up ready to run and overcome the mental obstacles.

I'm honored to be associated with the group of finishers, winners, and overcomers in the pic above.

First Major Hill on Loop One

This race was not a "new distance" or a "speedy time" for me, but it was a "tune up for my upcoming fall event," The Georgia Jewel 100 Miler.

My Garmin Data: Yeti Snakebite 50/50

They say it's where you end up in life, not how you get there.

Okay, maybe nobody says this. In fact, I believe the opposite, but it applies to my finish of the YSB50K. I came away from this race feeling great, but that's not how I felt the first 11 miles.

RACE REPORT: Native Jackal Trail Marathon

I ran only the last marathon

The fifth and final marathon of the Jackal Trail Marathons, near Jackson, TN, is the toughest of five marathons in five consecutive days from Saturday thru Wednesday, and it will certainly test the human heart.

I've run 20+ marathons, but yesterday's marathon was by far the hardest I've run. I've run 50Ks with more elevation gain over an hour faster. 

This marathon differed from all the rest based on one factor: HEAT. And horseflies. As if 26.53 miles is not enough, welcome to increasing heat and horseflies on every 2.65 mile loop that must be run 10 times.

One hundred and four degrees heat index by 3:13 p.m.

We started at 8:30 a.m. I finished at 4:00 p.m. 3 hours drive one way. Bananas and Ensure on the drive up. Hot wings, fries and coke on the way home. 6 hours of loud music. 7 hours & 30 minutes of testing. I passed. I resisted quitting for hours. A handful of times I thought I may get to the point of danger and quit out of fear for my health. 

It subsided. 

Photo: Karl Studtmann

I took pictures throughout the first loop when the course was shaded and spirits were high. Very few horseflies then. I took my pepper spray like I try to do now on every run. In a state park, what could happen?

Two loud-barking and charging dogs at the top of the longest hill. That's what could happen. Great! Only have to pass them 9 more times! I was ready. Each pass, I pulled out my spray and ran confidently by the house while my strength weakened in the heat of the day. 

So glad I had it.

Another thing I was glad I had by the end of the run was my frogg togg towel. Not necessarily because I could squeeze water out of it onto my head occasionally, which was helpful, but because I could swing it like a horse's tail to fight off the yellow jackets and biting flies. By the 8th loop, I really wondered if the bugs would not be the cause of me choosing to quit.

Our (Sin) Debt, Not The Old Testament, Was Nailed To The Cross

A popular phrase among Christians when describing the entire Bible is that “The OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed.”

Acknowledging this phrase means that one admits s/he is interpreting how the NT relates to the OT.

It means in some ways the OT & NT are the same, but in other ways “the two covenants,” as they are sometimes called, are different.

10 years ago, I believed and taught the word covenant was a better translation than the word testament, but now I realize how this contributed to my legalism back then.

By legalism, I mean a sincere attempt to keep all of God's commandments, but that unintentionally obligates God to save me, because I have kept all His commandments (in the NT). I  now realize that my previous interpretation of how the OT & NT relate was that the NT was basically "Old Testament Light."

Of course, keeping "all the commandments of God" even if only in the NT, is impossible, and so must be reduced to a handful of "steps" and especially  "acts of worship" that must be repeated perfectly every Sunday.

I believe that there are two major assumptions that contribute to this way of thinking.

One is that we are "under contract" with God and the second is that The Old Testament was nailed to the cross.

The OT was not "nailed to the cross" (Col. 2:14), so that the NT could be kept the exact same way with fewer laws to keep.

What was nailed to the cross was our sins or the record of our debt of sin to God. This is what the "handwriting of ordinances" and "written code" means. These phrases do not refer to the OT.

I believe translating the word "testament" as "covenant" is one reason some believe 5 steps and 5 acts must be kept meticulously in order to sustain this forgiveness, but that this actually hinders God's grace through an attempt to keep all of God's commandments in the NT.

2016 LAKE MARTIN 100 Mile Endurance Run

"When I saw the sun rise for the second time on the same run..."

I read this statement in a race report three years ago, and it symbolized for me the magnitude of running 100 miles.

THE PLAN

The Lake Martin 100 Mile Endurance Run was my second 100 mile finish.

My first 100 mile run (2015 Tunnel Hill) began after sunrise.

It had 2,500 feet of elevation gain, a rails-to-trails surface, and I enjoyed the company of a pacer for the last 24 miles.

This one would be different.

Originally, I planned in my annual schedule to run the Pinhoti 100 the first weekend in November, but I forgot that is when my wife usually plays in a tennis tournament in Gulf Shores. While researching other potential races like Thunder Rock (May) and Arkansas Traveler (Oct.), it became clear that Lake Martin was the one I needed to run.

I signed up on January 11th; ten weeks before the race. I ran my previous 100 miler last November, rested a month, then ran the Rocket City Marathon, Recover From the Holidays 50K, and Mountain Mist 50K in December and January.

Garmin Training Runs

Building on this, my plan was to run 50 miles per week for a total of 500 miles before the race. I made it to 310 averaging 38.75 miles/week for 8 weeks and rested for two weeks.

The second part of my plan was to average 1,000 feet of gain per 10 miles of running. I averaged 910 feet.

The third part was to reach my peak in training at the Black Warrior 50K and Mount Cheaha 50K on back to back weekends one month out.

These two 50Ks have 3,000+ and 5,000+ feet of gain, respectively. When I completed them, I felt Que Sera, Sera.

My last long run was 18 miles on the northern "loop" of the Lake Martin course a week after the 50Ks and two weeks before the race.

I did not run during the two weeks leading up to the race.

LAKE MARTIN 100 Elevation Profile

With 12,000 feet of elevation gain, I viewed it as an appropriate challenge and a gateway to the more technical trail races with higher gain that I may like to do in the future.

I could not be happier with my choice.

Does Christianity Teach Immortality of The Soul or Resurrection of The Body?

Jesus ate supper in a resurrected body

"As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, 

"Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have."

And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them" (Luke 24:36-43).

Immortality of the soul and resurrection of the body are separate historical beliefs.

Immortality of the soul is based on Plato's Greek dualism.

Resurrection of the body is based on Jesus' Jewish Christianity.

Most in Western Christianity have been taught to interpret certain passages in the NT with an assumed Greek dualism of the soul being more important than the body. This is not early Christianity. First-century Christianity involves the belief in the resurrection of the body, not the immortality of the soul escaping it.

Why does this matter?

Faith Is Not Absolute Certainty

Greg Boyd writes,

"I contend that certainty-seeking faith tends to inflict a selective learning phobia on those who hold to it. It’s no secret that, at least in America, evangelical Christians sort of have a reputation of being narrow-minded and intolerant. Deny it though we may, research has established it."

"There are a number of plausible explanations for this, but I believe one of the main reasons has to do with the widespread assumption that a person’s faith is as strong as they are certain."

"Imagine a Christian I’ll call Bob. Like most other conservative Christians, Bob believes that he is saved by believing the doctrines that are “necessary for salvation.” And, like most others, Bob assumes that his faith is as strong as he is free of doubt."

"It’s apparent that for Christians like Bob, one’s sense of security is anchored in their level of confidence that their beliefs are correct. If Bob were to lose confidence or change his mind about any of these things, his salvation, as well as his acceptance as a fellow “saved” believer in his church, would at least be thrown into question, if not absolutely denied. Not only this, but Bob’s sense of identity, purpose, and well-being is wrapped up in his remaining convinced his beliefs are correct. With so much at stake, how open do you really think Bob would be to seriously studying books and dialoguing with people who might pose strong challenges to his core convictions? And how capable do you suppose Bob would be at objectively assessing the merits of points of view that disagree with his own, were he to somehow muster the courage to examine them? The answer, I think, is obvious."

"Not only this, but neurological studies have shown that the pleasure centers of our brain are activated whenever we encounter facts or opinions that confirm beliefs that are important to us. Conversely, they also reveal that our amygdala, which controls our “fight or flight” reflex, is activated when we initially confront facts or opinions that conflict with these beliefs. And, as we noted in the previous chapter, most of us know firsthand, to one degree or another, how painful it is to doubt beliefs that are important to us. Cognitive dissonance over important matters can be excruciating!"

The Bible Does Not Interpret Itself

 "The Bible says..." "God's Teaching," etc.

 WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT

Tautology is "using different words to say the same thing even if the repetition does not provide clarity."

Tautology also means "a series of self-reinforcing statements that cannot be disproved because the statements depend on the assumption that they are already correct."

Even for those who claim to use the Bible to interpret the Bible, tautology is involved because the other verses that are used are assumed to have a self-evident meaning, too.

Why is this important for Americans to understand? Because American thinking is built on "self-evident truths."

In an excerpt well worth your time found here, Richard Hughes exposes five myths America lives by. One of the five myths is the myth of "Nature's Nation." I have included a quote from Hughes below that I use to show how a part of our worldview influences our interpretation of the Bible.

I believe that the ingrained myth of Nature's Nation in American minds hinders insightful and edifying Bible study, and therefore, it hinders commanded Christian maturity (2 Pet. 3:18).

There Are 5 Major Myths

Hughes writes:

"The myth of Nature’s Nation is rooted squarely in the principles of the American Creed. The creed proclaims that among all the truths one might encounter in a lifetime, there are certain truths that are simply 'self-evident,' and require no formal proof..."

"Those truths are 'self-evident,' the creed contends, because they are rooted in 'Nature and Nature’s God' and therefore reflect the way things are meant to be.... the notion of Nature’s Nation has often annulled America’s debt to history, tradition, and culture and led Americans to believe that the contours of American civilization—the way things actually are—simply reflect 'the way things are meant to be..'"

Imagine There's No Heaven

Jesus Ate Suppers With People

This post does not address the intermediate state of Paradise, only the final destination of Christians.

It is paramount to understand the difference between our 21st century concept of Heaven and the first century (Jewish) concept of Heaven in order to interpret the NT correctly. 

The NT does not contain abstract "eternal" truths and "principles" for "all time." The truth in the NT was recorded in specific contexts, and context determines meaning.

The first century Jews believed that "Heaven" was the Messianic Banquet, not a place where we go after the Earth is gone.

I believe that the Lord's Supper is that Banquet. I do not mean this as ushering in The Millennium, but that we are to live on earth as it is in "Heaven." What N.T. Wright calls a "now but not yet" reality that Jesus established.

Luke records,

"... When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, 'Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God...'" (Luke 14:15). 

And

Avoid Being Institutionalized

Christians should avoid being institutionalized.

What I mean by institutionalized can be illustrated by a conversation from the movie Shawshank Redemption (edited for explicit content) between Red (Morgan Freeman) and Heywood (Michael Sadler) and Floyd (Brian Libby).

If you recall in the movie, Brooks (James Whitmore) was let out of prison, but ended up hanging himself because he could not function outside the institution of prison.

The lesson is clear: institutionalization hinders a person's ability to mature and function outside their isolated community. The only way an institutionalized person can live is on the "inside."

The conversation is set in the prison yard...

Red: "Brooks ain't no bug. He's just... He's just institutionalized."

Heywood: "Institutionalized, my $@#."

Red: "The man's been in here 50 years, Heywood. 50 years. This is all he knows. In here, he's an important man. He's an educated man. Outside, he's nothing. Just a used-up con with arthritis in both hands. Probably couldn't get a library card if he tried. You know what I'm trying to say?"

Floyd: "Red, I do believe you're talking out of your $@#."

Red: "You believe whatever you want, Floyd. But I'm telling you, these walls are funny. First you hate 'em... then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes... you get so you depend on 'em. That's institutionalized."

HEBREWS 13:7-18 in Context

Being Questioned By Authorities

When Jesus was asked by the religious rulers,

"By what authority are you doing these things?"

In his article--Mark 11:27-33--The Question!

John Mark Hicks writes,

"Jesus does not deny he has authority. Indeed, he implicitly asserts it. Moreover, the previous day he had acted on that authority by cleansing the temple. He simply refuses to justify his authority to those who not only would not believe what he says but who are only interested in some pretense for executing him."

"Jesus exercises the authority of the kingdom of God against the authority of the temple priests and rulers who live in shocking compromise with Roman authorities."

Reading Hicks blog and watching an interview on The O' Reilly Factor discussing "corruption" and a lack of "oversight" as the main culprits for problems in our society caused me to want to examine Hebrews 13:7-18.

In conjunction with the article, the interview reminded me that "oversight" is not about controlling others as one man once told me oversight meant, but is leading by example, desiring to be involved in the lives of people where they live, caring selflessly, and having the courage to confront corruption.

The damage done by corruption among the few in the state who are in power over others, as depicted in Hicks article and O' Reilly's interview, results from the inaction of people (overseers) not wanting to be troubled for standing up to the status quo.

When those in power are challenged--they don't like it--and often seek to punish those they view as troublemakers for challenging their power. Often the powerful just want others to join them so the status quo may continue. This is certainly the easiest thing for anyone in any generation to do.

As A Man Thinks, So He Is...

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen (Free)

THOUGHT & ACHIEVEMENT

“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe...individual responsibility must be absolute. A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man’s; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is. As he continues to think, so he remains.”

“A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition. It has been usual for men to think and to say, "Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor." Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, "One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves."

“The truth is that oppressor and slave are co-operators in ignorance, and, while seeming to afflict each other, are in reality afflicting themselves. A perfect Knowledge perceives the action of law in the weakness of the oppressed and the misapplied power of the oppressor; a perfect Love, seeing the suffering, which both states entail, condemns neither; a perfect Compassion embraces both oppressor and oppressed. He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.”

Nadab & Abihu and The Terrorism of Pattern Theology

Leviticus 10:1-11

What if I said to you that I feel peace and comfort when I think of Nadab and Abihu?

If you've been taught a legalistic pattern theology, then you may respond with:

"What? Those dudes were put to death by fire from God Himself! Are you kidding me?"

No. I'm not. Bear with me.

In Philippians 4:4-8 Paul instructs Christians to think positive and healthy thoughts:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Painting by Noah Bradley

We can't follow Paul's instructions to rejoice and avoid living anxiously while thinking about God damning us to Hell if we disobey one command of God for worship like Nadab and Abihu. 

A while back, I came across three articles that I think, when all put together, will bring us some comfort as we better understand our blessings in Christ and that even Nadab and Abihu can bring in spite of the fact they have been used to terrorize faithful Christians for decades in Churches of Christ.

This peace and comfort comes from a better interpretation that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and excellent.
 

FIRST ARTICLE

The first article came up when I was searching for information on demonizing one's enemy. It had to do with jumping to conclusions why the Boston Marathon Bombers killed civilians. 

No one really knew at that time, and the article's point was to explain that not all acts of violence are "terrorism," and that many of our freedoms have been infringed upon because the media immediately characterizes every act of violence as "terrorism" based on the U.S. Government's definition "which often expands... to demonize violence originating from ideologies and movements that oppose U.S. hegemony."