Ziklag W9.29 - No Fellowship

Suffering and Incompetence, Reactionary Fear, and Daniel had a Dream

SOS Discipline - Daily Proverb and Red Letter Reader

There is no fellowship of light with darkness. cf Pr. 29:27

With wisdom comes much suffering. cf Mt. 8.14

Do not seek accomplishment from among the incompetent. cf Sun Tzu 5.22

From Today’s Stack

from The Book of Dead Shepherds

In the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon

550 Before the Christian Era

Daniel had a dream

And visions of the mind while resting. He wrote it down, all that he could remember:

I traveled afar by night, and behold, the four spirits of the heavens stirred over the storming EverSea. From it emerged four awesome beasts, aberrations.

Primevally, a fearsome Gryphon. But then its wings were torn asunder. Yet, it ascended, on two feet, a man, with a man’s heart.

Suddenly, a duplicitous beast, bearlike. All was distorted, with three ribs between its teeth and the prejudice to, ‘Waken! Devour much flesh!’

After this, I looked, and there was another. A panther, with four wings and four heads, for dominion was given it.

After this, I traveled afar by night, and behold, a fourth, dreadful and shocking, unlike all the beasts that came before it, exceedingly brazen. It had ten horns. It’s teeth were iron, and it devoured, and shattered, and trampled the wreckage underfoot.

As I considered these, a new horn rose up, small at first, till it rooted out three and took their place. And, in this horn, there were the eyes of a man, a pompous mouth speaking many words. I watched, and thrones were put in place.

The Ancient of Days was seated, His garment white as snow, His hair pure wool. His throne was a roaring flame, its wheels burning fire, and jets of fire strew forth before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and myriads by myriads stood before Him. The court was seated, and books were opened.

From the Archive

from Without Flesh

Maybe reactionary fear-mongering and growth-minded fad-peddling might not be the solution. Maybe they’re the problem.

Certainly, only a fool would board a ship who’s crew throws all the food overboard at the first sign of a storm.

Only the same kind of fool would join a religion filled with adherents willing to jettison their most cherished beliefs at the first sign of people not believing them.

Only a narcissist would join a movement more concerned with getting him to join them than with moving him in their direction before he does.

Only mania explains self-proclaimed followers of Jesus believing that they can convert people to his Spirit by ***hiding*** Jesus, by minimizing both His words and His most public works from all polite conversations.