the knowledge of... by the journeyman

For the earth shall be filled...

Behold the earth is full!

But what is it full of? I’m not totally sure, but it smells a lot like manure!

In these days of trials, tribulations, and uncertainty people are being roused up. They have been shaken not stirred, like a 007 martini, and the mayhem is happening as a result. The individuals can’t coexist in the world that is. They are unwilling to be satisfied with the status quo. One man’s anarchist is another’s hero. But which is right?

A witness in a court case or trial has a unique responsibility to give an accurate account of something that has transpired in their base of knowledge. It is their attorney’s job to draw it out and another’s to cast doubt on it. But the witness has to stick to their story, one previously shared in a deposition.

In a distant past that has been commemorated on several occasions, there is a plaque in a certain part of a field at the first battle of Manassas quoting a chaplain from 1861: “Our regiment had emerged from the timber before a murderous fire was opened on us by the Yankees. Our brave boys marched steadily up the hill in the face of the shower of balls. We were then ordered to halt and lie down. It was a critical moment, and a fearful position, but the boys stood it with courage and coolness (Chaplain James G. Hudson 4th Alabama Infantry).” The boys stood it with courage and coolness, but were they in the right?

I remember standing there in the field thinking of what I just read and the onslaught that had happened already. It’s when I heard the voice of Holy Spirit whisper, “even the south had chaplains.” It blew my mind! I wrote it down and snapped the picture that is on this letter as a token of the moment. I figured more would be coming.

What drove the men to combat their own brethren those years in the 1860’s? What dividing lines couldn’t be withdrawn leading to 500,000 men and women being sacrificed to their causes. All creeds and colors were there. It was a bloodshed from within. One brought on by a difference of opinion and who would hold resolute to the end.

It was this month of April in 1865 where the war ceased. Proclamations were decreed and a new era had begun. It was also this same month that President Lincoln was assassinated. It led to a chase from DC to Maryland and finally to Virginia where Booth would breathe his last. It was a month of celebration, remorse, regret, solemness, and wonder.

One thing for certain, their world was filled with knowledge of what happened, the new found freedoms, and the rebuilding that would need to take place. America needed to heal spiritually and physically.

Today our knowledge comes from a variety of places, but most of it is owned by the same conglomerates. It just takes different forms. It is usually the same banter from TV, Internet, Social Media, Newspapers, or other chat sessions. All of it expressed to inform the viewer of the top talking points or so we are to believe.

But in reality, things are stirred so quickly that there is very little wisdom and understanding found in the knowledge being shared or expressed. They are feelings or characterizations that offer a person’s take with short clips to help enforce that perspective. They even call on a change or revolution. They occupy and demonstrate with force. They unleash their feelings in chaotic and destructive ways. And remember this has happened before!

But...

Habakkuk warns us of these days... a change will be coming!

“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth (1: 2-4 KJV).”

The LORD responds in verse 5: “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you (Habakkuk 1 KJV).”

Though it be told you, you will not believe it. Why?

Because the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4 KJV). To have faith one must have knowledge of something or someone. That is what we know. We hear it spoken and we believe... Paul talks of it in Romans 10. Faith comes by hearing. So what we hear we essentially believe. So what are we hearing?

Church has been banned, gatherings have been banned, even singing has had restraints placed on it. So what again, are you hearing?

Are you tuning in to the bible and reading on your own? Are you growing as a Christian? Are you praying, seeking, finding, worshipping, praising, helping? Are you there?

Hello Rangoon!

When we fall away from who we are we can be led astray. We can be duped into believing what is being spoken from the pulpits of media. We are fallible as humans, but we also have a gift... Holy Spirit. He will guide us into all truths. He’ll search out the hearts and let you and I know if we’ll just listen.

Today’s preachers have been silenced. Have you? Where are you filling up and what are you filling up with? Where is your knowledge increasing? When we feed it is more than just food we seek. We seek entertainment, music, movies, books, etc... all these add into our appetite. But to start off properly one needs to feast on the Lord. Just like communion, we feast with Him and on Him and through Him. Proverbs teaches us this: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge... (1:7 KJV)’ and later says ‘the knowledge of the holy is understanding (9:10 KJV).”

So to begin with the knowledge of God is our point of topic today. This world is being filled with what I call anti-matter! It doesn’t really matter, it is a distraction. If we seek Him first like Matthew 6:33 tells us to do then we are on our way to a fulfillment of the prophet Habakkuk: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (2:14 KJV).”

The knowledge of the glory of the LORD will cover the whole earth, but to do that the glory of the LORD must first be here. And what is the glory of the LORD? That is for another day... Today start with a simple read. Go to Proverbs 1 and each day of May read one chapter for the whole month. It is a pleasing beginning to the days ahead.

Godspeed, The JourneyMan

Ps. Today’s story comes with some resistance on my part. I’m careful where it goes because there is so much more to this than what is being stated. I try to choose the crux of it and keep it to a single meal. But eventually this may boil out of the pot. Happy Mother’s day to all the Mom’s out there! You are loved! Additional scriptures are provided below for your reading pleasure.

Proverbs 1: 7 KJV “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 2: 5 KJV “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 9:10 KJV “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

John 17: 3 KJV “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Acts 4:13 KJV “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

Romans 11:33 KJV “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Ephesians 1:17 KJV “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”

2 Peter 1: 2 KJV “grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,”

Habakkuk 1: 2-4 KJV “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”

Habakkuk 1: 5 KJV “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”

Habakkuk 2: 3 KJV “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: thou it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Habakkuk 2: 14-15 KJV “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him to drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness.”