Why do preachers wear all black clothing?

There’s a group of men and women that shoot real and replica guns from the late 19th Century. It’s called Cowboy Action Shooting. There are matches at one of the local ranges. The participants must wear replica clothing, to resemble cowboys, outlaws, lawmen, card sharks, and ladies of the west.

Some years ago I joined one of the associations that promotes this type of shooting, and when asked for a name to be known by at events, like Black Bart, or Trader Joe, I gave Montana Preacher. I did it out of respect for my great-grandfather. He and his wife owned and lived on a ranch in western Montana for a time around the turn of the 19th Century. On my first deer hunt I carried the Winchester he’d had on the ranch. Anyway, I finally got around to thinking about clothing to make my appearance at a Cowboy event at the range, and thought I’d cut the belt loops off of old dress trousers, wear my Ariat Roper boots, and trim the collar on a shirt that looked like it might fit in well. I have a hat and braces (some call them suspenders) that would work nicely, too. I did some research online to see what some western preachers wore. I found there were many circuit preachers that rode from town to town holding church services. The pictures showed them all wearing black, just like so many preachers and all Catholic priests. The problems is that my boots are light brown, the trousers dark brown, and the shirt beige.

So, why do preachers wear all black clothing? When I looked for an answer online, here’s what I found at answer.com:

im not sure, why anyone wears all black!
in the 70’s it was witch covens that wore black
in the 60’s it was beatniks
i heard sinbad (comedian) talk about people who wear black were vampires
i saw a show called “in search of” with leonard nemoy, about those witches and now HE wears all black.
one person told me its about “respect” which is a Sin in the bible.
i think people who wear all black are antichristian and christians wear black to go along with the secret combinations and do not know it is against christ.
others say wearing all black is a form of protection against evil. witch Paglini of the genisarian clans teaches this
ive heard that Judges wear black robes because of the worship of saturnia. even someone said that the earth used to orbit around saturn or jupiter and they could see saturns rings.

my simple opinion is that it is about power and witchcrafts or sorcery. i have never met a person that wears all black and at the same time be a saint or even trying to be a saint. to me they all look like terrorists and anarchists.

Got any ideas?

Have a lovely fall day! Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Present Truth

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2 Peter 1:12

“We must be established in the belief of the truth that we may not be shaken by every wind of doctrine, and especially in that which is the present truth, the truth more peculiarly necessary for us to know in our day, that which belongs to our peace and which is more especially opposed in our time. The great doctrines of the gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved, and all that believe in God must be careful to maintain good works. These are the truths the apostles insistend on in their day. These are faithful sayings and worth of all acceptation in every age of the Christian Church.” -Matthew Henry

It seems to me that one might easily write these “present truths” on a card, kept ready to refer to when anyone states anything regarding the maintenance of our religion. These are our Standards, by which all is to be judged. We will weed out deceptive thinking before it embeds in our souls. We may use this present truth to purge false and damaging ideas from our being.
Have a great day and weekend. Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Conflict

Brandy is our first dog. She’s a “sweetheart,” as most describe her, and is now nearly nine years old. We got her as a puppy from a group who rescues dogs. She’s a mixed breed: Golden Retriever and Shetland Sheepdog. At the same time we got Brandy, we got a kitten that is named Tabby. They’ve been raised together, but give each other plenty of room. Tabby hisses at Brandy once and a while, which scares Brandy. A year ago we picked up another rescued dog, Sina (pronounced SHE-NAH). Now Sina doesn’t give into Tabby at all, and from day one, Tabby gives Sina plenty of room. Hum. Guess Tabby got what was coming to her. Now, occasionally, Sina chases her around. Sina doesn’t hurt Tabby, just likes to sniff at her. Sina seems to understand Tabby is part of the household. Though they’re still not buddies, exactly.

Sina is a good hunter, and eats squirrels and rabbits she finds out back. She’ll see a rabbit on the other side of the fence, and has not problem heading over it to chase it. Brandy, on the other hand, chases squirrels and rabbits but doesn’t have a clue what to do with them. One day she chased one around the yard and it finally got stuck trying to get under the corral fence. Brandy just stood there looking at the poor thing until I came out to help it get away. Sina would have eaten it without a sidewards glance.

Brandy likes to talk tough, though. One day, barking up a storm after seeing something in the back, I let her out just to shut her up. She flew down the stairs then out through the garden to the fence that runs along a creek. It wasn’t two minutes and she was back at the door whining to get in. I opened the door and Brandy sulked in, tail between her legs, and went into hiding. I think she barked at a coyote hunting the creek.

This morning when I came into the kitchen, Brandy and Sina lay on a rug together. Tabby lay under a dining table about five feet away. They had a truce going, I suppose. What popped into my head was that there is a time coming when the lion lays with the lamb. To me it means there’s no longer conflict. And I’m just a little tired of conflict. It’s in all the soap opera-style television shows, especially the “reality” shows. And the traffic, whew! People cutting people off, and I’ve mentioned how frustrated and irritated I get, and how upset I am with myself when I participate myself. I should somehow be better than all that.

There’s the crime that seems so rampant in our “modern” society. It means we have built up our local sheriff to be a military operation ready for combat.

Israel-People003 — Israel Intifada 1986-87 photo by Wil Robinson

Which brings me to real combat, real conflict. The Earth is at war. World War III. It seems everyone is against someone. And being an American, if feels like every one is against the United States. Jealousy? I really think so. But it’s not just us. At one time there were 80 or so wars going on in different places around the globe. Most were not reported on in the world media: too small. For instance, While I was in Darjeeling a number of years ago the Gurkha “patriots” were fighting against India for their own place in the world. On the opposite border of India, in Kashmir, there were constant clashes with the Indian Army. And India and Pakistan have been at war seemingly forever. When lines were drawn by colonial powers, like the British, they lumped a lot of cats and dogs together, so to speak.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:19-21

And so we groan, too, to be set free. And through Lord Y’shuaJesus, Messiah, we have been spiritually set free and in time shall be physically free from the conflict of this world. Until then we Praise the Name of Y’shuaJesus, and say “Maranatha! Come, Lord, Come!”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

The Final, Final Warning

Here’s a very interesting article about G-d’s final, final, final warning that people haven’t taken His Word and His Mercy to heart, have fallen away from Him, and are in deep dodo.

The Warning at Understanding the Times

Time (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn_BE_BACK_on_10th_OCT)

As with all things, consider and pray that Mr. Oakland’s message is for you.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Col 4:2

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

As the Wonder of Fall. . .

The snowshoe hare is one animal that changes c... — The snowshoe hare is one animal that changes color in winter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

. . . turns to what can only be thought of as the desolation of winter, I trust that Spring is just beyond. Hope in spring makes winter more tolerable, even enjoyable. And fall means that winter is soon to come.

Trust is a gift of G-d for those who will believe in His Son, Y’shuaJesus. Trust. Faith. In the midst of winter, spring is yet unseen except through the eyes of faith. In the midst of seeming desolation, there is hope for those whose names are written in the book of life. In Messiah Y’shuaJesus, there is life.

There are other types of winters. One is the winter of disaster. It is not bound by a set number of months, and occurs often without warning. Earthquake is a great example. It affects regions of a country. And there is the winter faced by only one or more families when paychecks end after layoffs from jobs. To weather these calamities we must trust in the LORD.

The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Psalm 34:22

And:

Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment. . . . Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Matthew 6:25, 27

There are practical considerations to be made as winter approaches. I’ve written about these before. While we are to trust and have faith, we are also called to be prepared. Please check out From the Lighthouse blog for a very balanced article on this subject. Then visit our government’s preparedness website READY.GOV. It’s not too late to “Be Informed; Make a Plan; Build a Kit.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Fall Thoughts Continue

The temperature outside today reached into the low seventies. The chilly evenings we’ve had hit the bugs hard, and not one was around to bite me while I dug some holes. It’s fall so it’s time to plant some bushes. There’s an area in front of my house that grass has trouble growing. Over this area looms a large river birch. My wife and I cleared what grass remained and dumped in about three yards of top soil, building several mounds, and just raising the area to be even with the base of the birch tree. The bushes we plant out front are mostly inedible, unlike the variety in the garden that takes up most of the area behind the house.

As the day progressed, the wind picked up and more leaves fell from the trees. I hauled some rock and clay, removed from the holes I dug, around back and stood amazed at the contrast of a large Russian sage bush with red heads and bright green shoots against the brown leaves that collected all over it. And there are still many wild roses with bloom remaining. Thought the mint is thinned now, some is still available for harvest, as are a few cone flowers.

I thought with thanksgiving about the way our G-d provides such beauty amid the practicality of our natural surroundings. Thanks to the Spirit of G-d Who drew me to the Lord Y’shuaJesus, I can look at Creation with wonder and awe. Things didn’t just happen. I didn’t just happen. Like creation, I was created. I belong. I can hear the song from long ago flowing through my mind, “I am my Father’s and my Father is mine.” I am not an orphan. I am a son.

You are a son, a daughter, too.

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:29-31

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Judge expected to rule in Bible verse banner suit

In the Lone Star state trouble is brewing. Again. It seems some cheerleaders are making signs with Bible quotes written on them like:

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Who indeed is against them? Well, it seems that there is a group that wants America free from religion. The group, Freedom From Religion Foundation complained to the school district that the Kountze High School cheerleaders violated America’s First Amendment to its Constitution. This amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

The School District responded to the complaint by banning the signs. So, the cheerleaders sued, arguing that the ban violates their free speech rights, which are also guaranteed in the First Amendment. The Judge has allowed the cheerleaders to continue until he decides the case. The decision is expected today.

What struck me as fascinating is that this anti-religion group stated: “If the majority of the cheerleaders were atheists, would a court support their ‘right’ to hold up a banner insulting Christianity or all believers?”

Wait just minute. There’s a name for this type of argument. It’s a typical argument used by too many these days. It’s saying that apples are the same as oranges. I mean, really, are the cheerleaders insulting non-believers? No. But here’s the rub. There are people who will condemn the right of Christians to speak freely, while they continue to speak their way in public and in schools. [Evolution is a theory. It is one of many theories. But the schools teach it like it was Truth.]

And the cheerleaders didn’t even use the Name of our Lord. Oh, they wrote G-d with a capital letter. That’s the same thing, isn’t it? They’d have been heralded in the media if they’d just said something like, “Who can be against us if our higher power is for us?” But too often Christians, if not outrightly banned, are harrassed and jeered for their faith.

We live among a people of unclean lips. We live in a generation that has no regard for Messiah Y’shuaJesus. They speak about the mother earth, celebrate holidays like the upcoming satanic halloween [I will not capitalize either word, and yes, they go together.]. And cheerleaders in Austin, Texas, are banned from signs that use the word G-d. What would have happened if they’d have said “JESUS” in a sign? Would they have been arrested for a hate crime? [Oh, that’s right, America has not yet adopted such facist methods of control.]

But you know where all this is going, right? It is headed for a time when the world says conflict will end if we just have a world government and a world religion. Confict will end when those Jesus freaks stop their rantings and get with the program. Even the big-box churches are starting to come around and incorporate Eastern-style thought into their teachings. Meditation. Inviting New Age speakers to be on the same platform as their so-called preachers. I mean, isn’t Buddha a brother and equal to Y’shuaJesus, as is Mohammad. All propets right?

Yup, freedom of speech only applies to non-Believers. They won’t use the Name of the Lord Y’shuaJesus. Well, actually, often they do, but it is in vain. Hum. Isn’t that “hate speech” in itself?

I rant. Sorry. Check out the full article at CNSNews.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Seems like fall is here at last

It dropped into the lower fifties last night. The forecast for tomorrow and Friday is a drop into the mid-forties. Even now, mid-afternoon, it is only up to seventy. The humidity is down, too, having dropped into the mid-thirty percent range. More and more pine trees are shedding inner needles, that are now covering the ground. The sycamore has lost most of its leave now, and the elms and maples are rapidly turning reddish brown, and will soon fall too. The wind, which just last week, had been so very calm, is beginning to pick up. And that means nice sailing weather in the afternoons.

These fall days and most of the spring days are my favorite. There’s lots going on, and lots of clean up to do from leaves dropping and plants that need to be trimmed. But is also a time that is less intense, some how. It’s like rushing to get to winter, and now being about to just relax as it approaches.

Yet, I can’t help occasionally thinking about the upcoming winter. Last year we had a very mild, wet winter. I don’t think we had too many freezes, and the garden fared quite well, producing nicely in the spring. But we’ve also had some winters that were stormy and cold. One winter we were shut in for five days while we waited for the ice to melt. Schools and work places all stayed closed that winter week, too.

But, winter isn’t here yet, so there’s no need to be concerned. We’re prepared for whatever comes, believing the Lord Y’shuaJesus will be with us through the mild and the stormy times that may come. Now is the time to enjoy the mild and peaceful days, and give thanks to our Lord.

A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100

Oh, I enjoyed Gigi’s post “Impossible to Repurpose” at Grace is Messy. Check it out.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Asia Bibi; In Prison 1217 Days so far

Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, 2009. Asia (also called Asia Noreen) is the wife of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian families in a village of 1,500 families.

Many of the local women, including Asia, work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. During their work, many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.

On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for sins, then asked them what Mohammad had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammad is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”

Upon hearing this, the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia. Then some men took her and locked her in a room. They announced from the mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She was held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed they were under pressure from local Muslim leaders.

Seventeen months after Asia’s arrest, she was convicted of violating subsection C of Pakistan’s 295 blasphemy law – blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad – and was sentenced to death. No Christian in Pakistan has ever been executed under the blasphemy law, but in several cases,extremists have murdered Christians after their release from prison. Asia’s conviction and death sentence have brought international attention to the country’s blasphemy laws. Christians have called for Asia’s release and for a repeal of the laws, while extremists in Pakistan continue to demand that she be executed.

The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family.

Prison is Tough, Even for the Most Faithful

In April, Asia was going through a rough time. She had to celebrate yet another Easter away from her family. She told her husband, Ashiq, “I am fine, but to be alone and away from my family is frustrating to me. I want to run away from this imprisonment.”

Ashiq encouraged her, and said, “You have been steadfast in your faith so far; be patient and trust in God. He will surely guide you.”

In June, Ashiq reported that Asia was feeling better. She said another group had brought her some food and clothes, and she was thankful for them and for all her prayer supporters.

Monthly Visit With Family

Imprisoned Christian Asia Bibi was visited by her husband, Ashiq, on March 6, 2012. When Asia inquired after her two young daughters, Ashiq told her that the children were healthy and doing well in school. She told him she was feeling discouraged about ever being released.

He said, “Yesterday when we had family prayer, I asked the children what they were praying for. They said, ‘We are praying for those people who are helping us and who are trying to release our Mama.’

At that moment, Ashiq “felt God’s presence, and he said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am with you.'”

Courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs

Alireza Seyyedian

Alireza Seyyedian is a 37-year-old former Muslim who has been a Christian since 2006. Last year, security forces confiscated his computer during a raid on his apartment. Authorities then discovered video of Alireza’s baptism in Turkey on the computer. In December 2011 he was sentenced to six years in prison, for crimes against national security and propaganda against the regime.

The judge stated that since Alireza was baptized in Turkey, he was trying to express the lack of freedom in Iran and was therefore was propagating against the regime. He was also accused of holding regular meetings with former Muslims and distributing Bibles among youth. They also said he had communication with Zionist satellite TV channels such as Mohabat TV and Radio Mojde and shared worship hymns he had written with them. The verdict also falsely accused him of being a member of the Jesus Only cult.

On March 14, 2012, Alireza was caught seeking to flee Iran for Turkey. He was arrested and transported back to Tehran where he was imprisoned in Evin prison. He was put in Section 350 of the prison, which is where political prisoners are held. That part of the prison is run by VEVAK, the intelligence service that reports to Ayatollah Khameini and is beyond the control of Iran’s prison authorities. According to one report, the conditions of this section of the prison are unsanitary, and each cell is overcrowded with around 30 political prisoners.

Reposted from Voice of the Martyrs