As Halloween approaches, I can’t help but think of Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist and magician, Harry Houdini.  I saw the movie as a kid and fell in love with magic!   While many of us are feeling economically entrapped these days, perhaps you can find a way to be your own Houdini.

            Growing up, we all believed in magic. Magical thinking is a natural aspect of children’s cognitive development. And while there is no magic wand per se to wave over Wall Street or the War Department right now, we can all create a little magic in our own lives.

 Mindset.   Keeping a positive mental attitude is crucial during challenging times.  No matter what is happening, things can always be worse….and will be, if we focus on that instead of creating solutions.  Successful people see the situation clearly as it is, not catastrophizing it or minimizing it. They constantly visualize a desired, realistic outcome, especially when it is easier to give up.  Good questions to ask yourself at this time is: “Who do I know that has been through something like this before? How would he/she advise me? What resources are available that I can utilize?”

 Action.  Stay in it! There is a great Japanese proverb that says: “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a waste.”   Tony Robbins calls it “massive action.”  There is a direct correlation between your output and income.

 Greatness /Green.  We are all born to win.  Perhaps we are not winners of Oscars or Heismans, but we all have the capacity for our own greatness in us.  Be the best cook, teacher, parent, car repairman, executive, salesperson, actor, lawyer, horse trainer you can be.  We all have the choice to be the best we can be with what we’ve got, or not.  Your greatness should come relatively easily to you. Oh, you’ll probably have to work at it, but it won’t seem like work.  Plus, your greatness is a green thing.  Imagine what it could do for our ecology if everyone were doing what they were great at?

 Integrity.  Magical things seem to happen when you live in integrity. Opportunities seem up open up, and abundance flows when you act in line with your highest self. It’s been said that character is who we really are when we think no one is watching.  Might there be more ways that you can walk your talk?

 Choice.  The best thing about choice, is that we can almost always make a new one!  Moment to moment, day to day, year to year, we can review the choices we’ve made and either re-commit or create a new one.  Whether it is relationships, career, actions, beliefs or thoughts, each moment offers the freedom for a new choice.

 Now go our and make some magic in your life…and Happy Halloween!

“Who am I not to follow greatness?”
– Lil Wayne

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

- Lucius  Seneca

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Fanklin

My jaw dropped a little. I wanted to be upset…problem is…he was right. He had just told me a truth about my life and I had to seek the reality of it. Sitting for lunch with a good friend is often how these moments take place and this time…it would change my life…and my goals.

“Jesse, you have so much natural and raw talent…but you take it for granted. If you were to actually set your mind to this and put in some effort…you would have a bunch of friends willing to jump on board…but I’m not sure you are willing to work hard enough.” Yeah…maybe you can understand now why my jaw dropped…just a little.

We were talking about a CD project and I was offering up my many excuses as to why I haven’t done one in a while. Problem is…he wasn’t so far off in many aspects of my life. In school…I hardly ever did homework…never really had to work at it because it just came naturally. With music…I never dug deep enough or worked through all the theory because it wasn’t all that important to me…besides, music theory is rough.

There are many areas of my life where my preparation did not meet my dreams. I had always been hoping that someone would take a large stake in my life and drive me towards doing something great. I hardly picked up the guitar unless I needed to. I sang without practicing correct breathing and strained my neck. I hoped my experience would be preparation enough even when I knew it would not be. I never wanted to work hard enough to achieve something great.

I have come to understand just how important it is to prepare. Working diligently through chord progressions, scales and applying discipline to my writing. I want to make another Live CD…I want to write a book…I would love to teach or lead at a conference someday…and none of these things will be handed to me. I have to prepare for them…so that when opportunities do arise…I am ready.

Do you prepare each week or even each day for something great? The amazing talent Michelangelo said this of his art: “If the people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.” It takes hard work and practice. Michelangelo most certainly had a gift…he did not rely on it simply as a rite of passage…he prepared.

Jerry Rice is one of the greatest receivers in NFL history and most could not keep up with his workout routine. Karl Malone and John Stockton would stay after practice to run extra miles on the treadmills. Eric Clapton even talks about spending hours at a time with his guitar…just going through the licks.

Big or small…are you preparing yourself for something great? Do you work hard to be ready? After this conversation with a great friend…I know my perspective has changed quite a bit.  I pray God gives you the tools and the desire to prepare…so that next time you are presented with an opportunity…you might just be…a little better.

Blessings. Jesse.

यशोऽधिगंतुं सुखलिप्सया वा
    मनुष्यसंख्यामतिवर्तितुं वा |
निरुत्साकानामभियोगभाजां
    समुत्सुकेवांकमुपैति सिद्धिः ||

- किरातार्जुनीय

Greatness like fame, happiness and ability to rise above human mediocrity comes naturally (as if coincidental) to people who have trained themselves not to react to joy and sadness and believe in action

- Kiratarjuniya

Finally.  I am getting my website redone and updated.  About time, you say?

As I fell into a funk about the “bigger room” I also fell into a funk about my “business”.  As usual, ol’ fault-finding herself, raised up, and tried to ruin my holidays as well as my peace of mind.  Sales have been bad, the economy you know, and I of course, took it all personal and went on a “I am so sorry for myself” binge.  Again, I say, be patient Lord.

But the new stuff is good.  God gave me great inspiration as usual, I love doing this, and so….I updated.  It is a work in progress like everything else, and may never be complete.  You like my style?….you see things you like?….then you need to contact me and work with me to make you  and your gift recipients something special.   www.quietheartscardsonline.com

Physc’ed…upbeat…in love with paper again…in love with Jesus again….hopefull….you get the picture.

In life we draw many conclusions when we talk about success and failure.  We look at our peers and others around us and we judge these people by the results we see or the results we don’t see.  Just think about a celebrity that we admire or someone in your community that you look up too.  Perhaps there is someone in your life that has overcome circumstances and still achieved greatness. 

Now spin the wheel.  There are people who we know that have habits or perhaps we have habits.  Life has a way of knocking us down sometimes and it is really hard to get back up.  Maybe these habits have ripple effects like damaged relationships or financial shortfalls.  Some of us have seen people in hardship and wondered how that person got there.  Others are sitting in our chair reading this and wondering why we’re at that place.  All in all life has it’s ups and downs and sometimes we think it’s more down than up.  So, what can we do so spring up from our chair?  What can we do to stop sitting down in our problems and start walking through them? Where can we turn when life’s paths are hindering us?

I can relate to these feelings and emotions.  I confess that at times I get pushed back and feel like just complaining about life’s wrong turns and upsets.  I’ve sad in my misery at times and I’ve wallowed about my upsets.  I have also been discouraged at the actions of others.  A little story from my life may be very relatable to you.  I have for nearly 10 years been a landlord.  I’ve owned many properties and have rented to hundreds of different tenants.  Through this time I’ve experienced the heights of disrespect as people have left my houses in huge repair and damage.  I’ve had tenants take pellet guns and shoot holes in the walls, Tear up carpets, smash down doors, break windows and stain carpets beyond cleaning.  this week a tenant failed to pay rent and left my house with a broken window.  When this happens you do feel taken advantage of.  Later in this column I will use these set backs as an example of how to apply one amazing secret to success.

In these same ways you may have some situation in your life that’s left you deflated, disrespected or taken advantage of.  Identify with these feelings and emotions and taken a few moments to be real about them.  And now! Practise a “ONE VERY POWERFUL TOOL FOR SUCCESS!”

IT’S A VERY SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, YET VERY PROFOUND.  SO MUCH SO THAT IF YOU HARNESSED IT YOU WOULD BE LIVING WITH MORE ABUNDANCE AND SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE. HERE IT IS, ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

ONE AMAZING SECRET TO SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, GET BACK UP AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

In life we’re all going to be knocked to the ground.  We’re all going to get beat up by life sometimes.  We’re all going to get knocked down.  We’re all going to feel the hurt of other people’s choices as they come crashing down on us.  Some of these bombs will be dropped on us unexpectedly and knock us to the ground in an instant.  Marriage can be hard, career choices can be hard, knowing which way to turn can be hard, friendships can be hard, losing loved ones is hard, longing o be with someone and have it not happen is hard, getting out from under a desolate cloud of despair and defeat is hard, recovering from addictions is hard, finding out how to make ends meet is hard…  The ache of life may be more than you’re able.  Hold on, don’t give up.  Don’t close your eyes.  The light will break through the clouds.  When we step out from under defeat and bounce back from life’s hard blows we come back stronger than before.  Stronger than ever.  I petition you to hold on, don’t give up.  Get back up when you get knocked down.  Keep moving forward.  Move forward and steady yourself for your next hit because it will come.  The next hit may not  knock you to the ground because you’ll have a stronger fortitude from hits you’ve already taken.  Now if you get knocked down the next time.  Don’t despair.  Get back up, life is always worth fighting for.  There is always hope and there is always light.  After all our reward is not really here on earth.

In a previous job I was required to make a lot of cold calls to businesses.  At times it was difficult to pick the phone back up and make another call after a series of hang ups or calls with little result.  A friend at this job (and Rocky when you read this you know who you are) and I would quote Rocky Balboa when we got knocked down.  We’d quote Rocky VI ”The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Click the following link to view the expanded version of this inspirational speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

Relating this amazing secret to success with my disappointments with tenants I derive these new perspectives.  First I have accepted that the prize of having rental properties being paid off and the reward of income out weighs the negatives that do come from some tenants disrespect.  Second I like to think of these types of situations as riding a roller coaster.  I bought a ticket for a roller coaster ride when I purchased my first rental property.  I may be afraid of the spins and turns on that ride at times but I remind myself that I bought the ticket for the ride and I’ve got to ride it.  There’s no getting off half way.  I might as well enjoy the ride.  Thirdly, I can always learn from the challenges that knocked me down to minimize the change of another set back.  Fourthly I Will Get back up and move forward.  The faster I get back up and move forward the stronger I’ll be and the better I’ll feel about my situation.  Additionally I’ve learnt through all types of set backs that it’s best to get back up as fast as you can and move forward.  The people who have become the most successful at things in life have suffered many set backs.  Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Mozart and Mother Theresa all took hits but they never gave up.  The got back up and kept on moving forward.  The faster you get back up when you take a hit the more you’ll be able to take the next time and the more you move forward and learn from your past hits the more you’ll avoid future hits. “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

This weeks Reflect and Apply

Reflect on the hits that life is giving you.  Now think of what it would be like if you stayed down for a minute longer… an hour longer… a day longer… a month longer…  What would you life be like if you stayed down that long?

Now Reflect on the hits that life is giving you again.  Now think of what it would be like if you got up from your current hit.  Then you got hit again, and again and again but each time you got stronger and you keeped on getting up and moving forward.  Then you relatized one day that that it didn’t really matter how many times life hit you, it only mattered that you got back up and kept moving forward.

I’ve always longed to be the featured champion on a box of Wheaties. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh, but when I was a small kid, I possessed an incredible degree of power and strength. I beat every kid in my class in callisthenic, strength and endurance tests in nearly every event, especially those involving running and jumping. And learning dance only provided me with greater agility and breakaway speed—handy when you’re playing Wide Receiver BTW. [Yes, of course! Tomboy here.] In 1984, I even beat Gold Medalist, Evelyn Ashford’s time by a hair in a 100-meter dash with 10.63 versus her Gold Medal/World Record time of 10.76.

But all that greatness and potential is lost. No Wheaties box for me. Other than an occasional moment of playtime, I’m not really as sporty as I once was. I certainly can’t Jazzercize my way into the champion-seeking hearts at General Mills. And hills STILL own me in my running, sometimes wiping me out more than another two more miles would. Even if I breeze up those monsters with ease, running won’t get me there. I’m slower than a slug now, not even close to the blazing flash of lightning I once was. I don’t know what happened.

No…I do know.

I never really strove to develop and hone my skills, to increase my strength, to improve. Because it all came naturally, I didn’t feel the need to practice or pressure to get better. I beat everyone who ever dared to race me, boy or girl. I WAS a winner…a champion, owning a slightly better time than a World Record holder and Olympic Gold Medalist “Eeee-ven”…sans Snagglepuss from Laff-A-Lympics. “Heavens to Murgatroyd!”

To become a champion, and remain one—in whatever your passion may be—, you need to bring your A-Game every time, carrying the certainty that you can attain your dream and also have it snatched away at any moment by someone else. If you don’t act as though you have heat on your heels, it can all be lost. Writers should approach their passion for words with the same intensity athletes do their games, races, matches, meets and competitions. So, what can you do to be Wheaties-worthy?

LEARN THE RULES: As rules exist in sports, there are many in writing beyond grammar and we hear them plenty: show don’t tell, no head-hopping, no passive voice, no abundance of adverbs or adjectives, no be-verbs, no huge blocks of internalization, no breaking the fourth wall, no stopping action for long blocks of description…

Once you understand what the rules are and why they’re important, you can learn to break them according to your story’s needs.  If you know what you are doing and why, then you can demonstrate this deliberateness.

Like with passive voice, let’s say you’re in First Person and your character IS passive or sees everything as a martyr or victim or is unreliable, then a sense of detachment and distance might be appropriate.  Or if you understand that hanging three adjectives on every noun creates drag over pretty language, you can then choose to use this technique when you do want to slow things down, maybe increase suspense, like describing a room where everything looks creepy to the observer.

Familiarize yourself with the rules, particularly those regarding narratives and structure. If you don’t have a firm grasp of narratives, how will you be able to spot head-hopping when it creeps into your story or know if your work would present better in Omniscience? You need to know the difference.

No matter what your story calls for, you can then demonstrate you’re a true player in the game and not just flying by the seat of your pants, doing whatever you want.

PRACTICE, TRAIN & STRETCH: To become excellent, you need to keep working. Push yourself in uncomfortable directions and attempt things you never thought you would. I tried a celebrity vampire story when I didn’t think I could do it, and the story came out great. It didn’t win the contest I entered, but I’m so glad I got it done. Choose a difficult task or goal for your character or a crazy outcome and wrestle your way there. Practice and try something new and different like a villanelle or flash fiction. The more you stretch, the better you will become.

GET IN THE GAME: Once you have the playbook in hand, get in the game, what are you waiting for!? You can comb over it again and again, but you’re never gonna know your story’s worth or what you’re capable of if you don’t put yourself out there. Find some critters, adopt a thicker skin and let your baby be ripped to shreds. I know exposure is scary and that it’s painful because writing is so soul-baring, but you need to get in the game and risk some injury if you want to become a champion.

When you’re aware of your weaknesses, you can adapt your methods, rid your bad habits and make your work indubitably stronger. Even becoming aware of a little thing like repeat words—“huffed” for me—and fixing that will improve a work. You likely wouldn’t notice such a thing on your own. You need feedback, desperately, so get it. Once your work is polished and shiny, you’re ready to seek expert opinion and publication. Go! Get in the game.

PLAY WITH SPIRIT: In order to enjoy writing and make it as engaging as possible, you need to find your own style and voice. People can help you along, give you guidance, offer suggestions, but only you can tell the story brewing inside you and innately know the best way to tell it. You may need to work and wrestle and dig deep to find your voice, but once you do, your words will string together much more smoothly, your characters will come to life much more easily and your plot turns will surprise you. If you’re just writing to get words down or meet a contractual obligation, it will show. Don’t lose your soul’s fire. It’s normal to have down days, to get disheartened and discouraged, but stay in the game, maintain your energy and excitement, stay focused and be true to yourself.

HAVE A VISION OF SUCCESS: Where do you want to be as a writer? What do you hope to achieve? Visualize that. Don’t just picture it in your mind; learn what you need to do in order to make that happen, set goals and work at getting there. There are tons of books and online resources, including agents’ blogs, that give you the tools you need to write well and get attention. Seeing yourself as the champion of your dream will help you maintain a positive attitude even when all hope seems lost. Your vision of success may need to change, and that’s fine; adapt as you go along.

DON’T QUIT: If your work ends up being not as wonderful or as well-received as you assumed, that’s okay. Start over, change things up or write something else. The first novel I wrote has great elements, especially the romance between the adorable characters, but it depends too much on coincidence, and taking out one thing would collapse the whole rickety thing. It’s in a purple folder somewhere and that’s likely the only binding it will ever be in. If you write something that isn’t suitable for mass consumption, that’s okay. Try again. Very few people are fabulous on their first go. It can take several efforts before you have a winner. Stay tenacious. Even if you don’t get validation in the publishing world or never sell one self-published book beyond your family members and friends, don’t stifle your creative breath, don’t quiet those characters crying out for birth, don’t put down the pen. Keep doing your best for YOU.

Will I ever be on Wheaties everywhere? Doubt it. Not unless General Mills considers plume athleticism worthy of their boxes. Maybe then I’ll land up there for my most awesome excellence. It takes just as much, if not more, determination, wits and skill to be a master of words—words that can stir laughter, draw tears, sooth a soul, infuse hope, empower, change a life—as it does to catch a 4th-and-goal touchdown pass from the 2 to win the Super Bowl.

Don’t just write; become a champion, great enough to be on Wheaties.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

That sums it up….

Sunday Morning message – November 15th

Text:  Matthew 20:17-28

Title:  True Greatness

So, I was listening to a sermon by Mark Driscoll the other day.  The sermon was on John the Baptist.  In Luke 7:28, Jesus claimed that John was the greatest man to ever live.  Well, I figured that if Jesus said that, I better be paying a little more attention to this guy.

Driscoll’s sermon impacted me in quite a profound way.  I could write pages on what the Lord taught me through his message, but I figured it would be best to focus on one point at a time.

Driscoll was outlining the keys to John’s greatness.  The last “key” that he identified was that he “avoided adolescence”.

John spent the first 25 years of his life preparing (“growing and becoming strong in the Spirit”) for his ministry.

Lets contrast this with the first 25 years of the American man: well, we’ve got this thing called “adolescence”.  It is actually a relatively new idea in history.  It is this time in life between childhood and manhood when a guy can just be an idiot.  He can spend the majority of his time playing video games, watching TV, going to the movies, buying his way into debt.  He can spend 8 years getting his undergrad only to move back into his mom’s house after he graduates.  Then we’ve got a 20-something-year-old “man” who has no distinguishable differences from a child.  Our society is really good at turn out guys who are childish consumers, defined by what they consume, not by what they create (and furthermore, cultivate).

Now, put this into the church context.  If there is one thing that the Church is lacking, it is young men who are courageous and full of vision.  Most of the young men in the American Church are cowards and complainers; they are really good at criticizing the efforts/vision/passion of other people but have none of their own.

The reality is, I see many of these tendencies in my life.  The laziness, the lack of vision, the dependance.  I am so critical, but I’m rarely going for it and actually creating anything of significance on my own volition.  I wait for the vision of others, and don’t pray enough for God to give me my own, unique vision.  Furthermore, when I do create, I rarely ever follow through and cultivate what the Lord is doing through me and those around me.

We need our young men to stand up in firm leadership, opposing our culture’s alluring message of a carefree adolescence.  We simply don’t have the time for it.  We’ve got a generation to lead, an entire world that is crying out under the weight of depravity and injustice, and such a heavy restoration cannot be carried in the hands of a lazy adolescent.

YEAH. Did you see that?

Manny Pacquiao just won his 7th title today.

I love how Manny’s victories bring together people here in the Philippines. No matter what their age is, their background and their job. Because of his achievements, manong taxi driver and I had a very good chat about how Manny is a man who’s a great source of inspiration for his countrymen.

Aw… binigyan ko si manong taxi driver tuloy ng dalawang cheese tarts.

GO MANNY!! You never cease to amaze me!
(wish ko lang nababasa niya to no.. haha)

The “two witnesses” are somewhat of a mystery. There are many theories, but the point that is often missed by the speculators is the call and example to be faithful in dire times. Some commentators say that a literal, new Moses and Elijah will come, but the word meanings and context clearly point to the Church. Again, this misses the greater point of faithfulness (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). 

The controversies that arise in Revelation are exemplified in this text. As many commentators and speculators focus on who these two witnesses can be, the conjectures abound. The good, prevailing theories are that these are two humans who are faithful and God empowers them as courageous examples to the Church. They can be ordinary Christians, perhaps prophets in the Old Testament sense. The next controversy is about when they do appear; will it have been had been at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. or will it be just before Jesus comes back. It is more probable, because of the Lamp stands, that they  are symbolic representatives of the two good, faithful churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia seen or given as a model for us to follow and not necessarily literal. But the defining is not as important as the actuality of their mission, which is faithfulness, and which means more and applies further and deeper than any theories that could all possibly be wrong (Deut. 17:6; 19:15).  

Questions to Ponder: 

1. What does it mean to you to be a witness? What needs to happen for you and people in your church to be better witnesses?

1. God is omniscient, which means He is all knowing; this also refers to His power and ability, in which all things are under His control and plan. In addition, He cares for and is active and involved in our lives personally and collectively as a Church. So, how does this fact affect your faith and plans in your life and church? (Because God is omniscient, I will….)

1. The goal of pagans and people who hate God is to get rid of anything that convicts them and points to truth. How do you feel about this? How does knowing this give you confidence in faith?

1. Have you ever considered your actions as ripples in a pond caused by throwing in a small stone? How so?

1. What can you do to be sure you have no reason or need to fear our Lord for the future? How can this help your reverence and trust in His protection and provision?

1. What does greatness in faith mean to you and your church? What would happen if your church took more seriously its call to model “greatness” or become people who exemplify true stature and character? In so doing, what would your church look like? How would it be impacting to its members and neighborhood?

1. If God showed you two great witnesses of faith, perseverance, and courage, what would they look like? What could you do to be like them?

© 2006 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org

The Preterist view: They see this passage as a reference to Ezekiel. To measure is seen from Ezekiel, chaps 40-47, to divide from what is holy from what is profane and corrupt as what defines a true Temple of God; the results from the examination mean judgment and destruction. The call to remain pure and reform was rejected by the Jews and thus the Temple was destroyed (Is. 1:12; Jer. 10:16; 51:19; Ezek. 22:26; 40-43; Zech. 2:1-5; Dan. 7:25; Luke 21:24; Rev. 21:15-16). (Forty-two) 42 months is seen as the length of Nero’s war with the Christians and/or the siege of Jerusalem. The two witnesses seem to have baffled many in this camp, as it seems to point to a hole in their theory. (All these views have holes because our reasoning is limited and we tend to look to our own education and agendas, not at the big picture, and do not do all of the inductive research to see what the text is really saying.) Many see them as symbolic of a testimony to corrupt Judaism, as two literal people or prophets who are lost to history, as the “lamp stands” and “olive trees” from Zechariah 4:11-14, or as representative of the witnesses of Christ. Some have said they were Peter and James. 

The Futurist view: They see to “measure” as representing God’s ownership of his faithful during the tribulation and/or His preservation and protection of them. The “Temple of God” is seen as a new one, yet to be rebuilt, which, citing examples from Ezekiel, people in this camp see as an even essential prior to Christ’s return. However, a major exegetical, textual problem occurs with this view as the Temple had already been destroyed, then rebut twice, once right after Ezekiel’s prophecy and again under Herod. It was destroyed in 70 AD. The Temple represents faithfulness and/or the Church: the people of God and the “outer court” are seen as representing apostasy and/or the distinction of people remaining faithful or not during the tribulation. The “two witnesses” are viewed as literal forerunners to Christ’s return, those faithful ones who preach and prophecy during the tribulation, or that Moses or Enoch and Elijah actually come back to do that. The “42 months” and “1260” days are seen as the first half of the great Tribulation, the last half, or a time after the tribulation. 

The Idealist view: They see to “measure” as God’s awareness of His worshipers—those who are true and those who are not as referenced by the “outer court.” Also, this refers to apostasy invading the Church such as liberality and worldliness. (It is ironic that most who hold this view are mainline liberals.) The “Temple of God” is seen as the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies where the high priest entered once a year to dust, which to this view refers to those who are true worshipers of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5). (Forty-two) “42 months” is seen as grace, limiting the time of persecution (Dan. 7:25). The “two witnesses” refer to the church as a witness to the world from mission movements. “Sackcloth” refers to bringing the message of repentance. The “olive trees” refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua who were agents of restoration. “Fire from mouths” means those who bring harm to the Church will be judged. 

The Historicist view: They see to “measure” as to look over and examine the church and see what is real, true, and devout, and what is distorted from God’s call and God’s authority given to those who are to reform the Church. The “Temple of God” is seen as the church of true, devout believers drawing from other N.T. passages (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Thess. 2:4). The “outer court” or Court of the Gentiles is seen as the visible Church that becomes a corrupt institution, devoid of real, heartfelt worshipers, such as the Roman Catholic Church or liberalism. These were the indicators that gave the Reformers the vision and reassessment to reform the Church back to God and away from corruption which led to the Reformation. (Forty-two) “42 months” is seen as 1260 years, the duration of the Catholic Church and its persecution of true believers up to the Reformation. The “two witnesses” are representative of the faithful Christians who tried to reform and stand against the Catholic Church such as Huss and Wycliffe. The miraculous power given is seen as an instrument and reason for God’s judgments and/or clothed in God’s power (Deut. 32:2; Is. 55:10). “Fire from mouths” means the power of preaching and the power of the Spirit and/or from Jeremiah 5:14. The plagues are seen as the evils resulting from the corruption of the Church, such as wars and the inquisitions. 

• Measuring rod/Reed was a surveyors tool, made from cane plant, a type of bamboo that grew beside the Jordan river, and grew to a consistent 20 feet (Ezek. 40:3; Zech. 2:1-2).

• Measure. The Jewish mindset then believed that saying how vast and magnificent was the Temple was a way of praising God (Psalm 48:12-13; Ezek. 40:3-42:20; Zech 2:1-5). This term also refers to God’s omniscience, (that He is all knowing) that He cares and is active and involved in our lives personally and collectively as a Church. This also refers to God’s power and ability, and that all things are under His control and plan (Ezek. 40:1-43:17; Rev. 21:15).

• Go and measure. In ancient times to measure something meant you owned it or were claiming ownership of the item being measured, usually property. This meant that what was measured was claimed; it is mine and I have responsibility and direction over it. Here, it appears that John is claiming the Temple in the Lord’s Name, measuring and pointing to the rights to it for the Lord. 

• Temple of God. This represents God’s presence on Earth. This is not where He lives, as He is omnipresent and thus cannot be confined; rather, it is His representative and a place where people can worship Him. For those who feel Revelation was written after the Temple’s destruction around 90 A.D., this may refer to those who are left, His “remnant,” God’s chosen people. (Rev. 4:1-5:14). 

• Altar. The context is worship; this may imply that this is the “great altar.”

• Count the worshipers indicates those who are faithful and who have not bowed to idolatry, committed adultery with God, or given up their faith in tough times, but who have persevered. These are the people He seals and protects (Rev. 7:1-17). 

• Exclude. God is not the One who excludes; it is we who reject and fight against Him (Is. 56:3-7; 66:5).

• Outer court refers to The Court of the Gentiles which is the large outer section of the Temple (26 acres in Jesus’ Time) where the Gentiles were allowed to gather, this also denotes a form of evangelism (Gen. 12).

• Given to the Gentiles refers to the attacks on God’s people by those who hate God, who are “outsiders” who refuse His grace and call. God freely gives to the Temple’s oppressors what is theirs—the courtyard, the gathering point for those who are not His Chosen People. But they, the Romans, take it all and destroy it in 70 A.D.

• Trample. The goal of pagans was to get rid of anything that convicted them or pointed to truth; the Temple represented both. Thus, it was an object of wrath and a prime objective of destruction to many. The Temple has been vandalized, broken down many times, and destroyed completely at least three times by its enemies (Psalm 79:1; Is. 63:1-18; 1 Macc. 3:45; 6:40; Luke 21:24).

• Holy city. Most likely it is Jerusalem that is in view. Some say it is Rome, but that would be like telling people who live in New York, NY that Los Angeles or Paris was the great holy city, and that would be absurd. Nothing of Rome was considered great or holy to a first century Jew.

• (Forty-two) 42 months was a metaphor for a limited time of unrestrained impiety, evil, and/or oppressions, possibly meaning the symbolic timeframe of the Temples destruction or the Syrian dictator, Antiochus Epiphanes (168-165 B.C.) who instigated great suffering to the Jews and defiled the Temple and shut it down for over three years. Not necessarily a literal number, “42 months” is symbolic, referring to grace, “a time, times and a half time” or 3 ½ years, which means half of seven years. This is pointing to grace as God cuts the suffering in half. The context denotes an intense time of conflict and stress as evil people fight against God’s people; yet, He is still there and sets His limits of what persecution will take place by His grace (Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 12:7-12; Rev. 11-13).

• Give power refers to God’s control as He uses His servants as His instruments; their impact is like a ripple in a pond caused by throwing in a small stone. In addition, we have no reason or need to fear our Lord for the future; rather, we can reverence and trust in His protection and provision.

• Two witnesses are two people (either angelic or human) who are God’s representatives. They possibly represent some sort of Moses and Elijah. Their call is to stand against the beast and testify to the believers to stand for the faith, possibly in the final days before Christ returns. 

• Prophesy for 1,260 days. Not necessary literal, some view this as denoting the Great Tribulation (from Daniel,) which really means enduring great troubles. Three and a half years is the same meaning as 42 months—42 months of 30 days each x 30 days = 1,260 days. (Dan. 9:2-24; Rev. 12:6). 

• Clothed in sackcloth meant being remorseful and repentant. It referred to a coarse burlap type of material woven from goat hair to signify one’s mourning or repentance. This also denotes, as Zechariah states, a promise for a full restoration and blessing for God’s people (Joel 1:13; Jonah 3:5-6; Matt. 11:21).

• Two olive trees. Olive Trees in combination with Lamp stands usually refers to the two anointed ones, such as Moses and Elijah, or the ruling class of priests and kings. In Zechariah, this meant presenting two ruling houses—“the king” and “the priest,” possibly referring to Zerubbabel and Joshua (Zech. 4:2-14). Many Jewish thinkers see this as futuristic, pointing to a messianic figure, either a priest or a king. Both were fulfilled in Christ.

• Two lampstands refers to reverence to God. Also, in Revelation, it refers to the Church as the body of believers whose duty it was to be a light as a witness for Christ. The objects possibly point to the two good of the seven churches. The description in this passage calls attention to the scope and power that God gives for us to remain faithful and give an effectual testimony (Rev. 1:12-20).

• Stand before the Lord refers to those who are His representatives and/or His Church (Matt. 18:10; Rev. 4:4). It could also have referred to O.T figures that did not die, such as Enoch and Elijah, the power and impact of Moses, or to the Zechariah passage. Most probably, it was all of the above.

• Fire comes from their mouths possibly refers to some supernatural spiritual gifting that God gives these beings (Lev. 9:24-10:02; 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41). In the Jewish culture then, it meant to stare back at someone spitefully who was being disrespectful. But, because of the mouth usage, this is also a metaphor for prophesying Judgments; these events could happen literally, be metaphorical, or both (1 Kings 1:10-12; Jer. 5:10-14).

• Power to shut up the sky refers to drought that was used as punishment for disobedience (1 Kings 17:1; 18; Luke 4:25; James 5:17). Elijah was a miracle worker. He is not an esoteric figure but an inspiration and incentive for the power and prominence we have available to us. Elijah also represents the “everyman,” who, by his prayer life, was powerfully used by God (1 Kings 17:1; 18: 1, 41-46; 1 Sam. 12:17-18)! 

• Turn the waters into blood. This is reminiscent of Moses and the miracles God used through him to convince Pharaoh and the Israelites of God’s purpose and power (Ex. 7:14-25). John may be using this part of the passage also as a slap in the face to the arrogant Jew who refused to see Christ—who still wanted for a messiah when one had already come (Deut. 18:15-18; Mal 4:5).

Introduction 

The Two Witnesses 

This passage is our introduction of the two witnesses and another interlude to show us in greater detail what God is doing and how it applies to us. John is given the task of measuring the Temple to see its dimensions as well as to see who is really worshiping God and who is not—those who are His in word and deed versus those who are the pretenders and manipulators. He is given parameters of what to measure and what not to count. And then, John is given the reason; this great Temple would be trampled upon, defiled, and destroyed. God’s great Temple, His witness to the earth, a place of worship, and the cultural identity to His people will be gone, wiped away, leaving the Jews without their sacred rituals or their cultural identity, except the most important identity—the one that is in Him, the one we typically ignore. John is even given some specifics on time and place; this will be no surprise; the warning is given and the judgment looms. 

This passage is also a description of faithfulness shown by the two great witnesses of faith, of great perseverance and courage, who have amazing powers, and who walk like Moses and Elijah. We are not told specifics of who they are, but they are models of greatness who exemplify, in stature and character, whom we should seek to be like. That ought is faithfulness of faith and character so we can stand in Christ with an authentic consistent testimony from our relationship with Him that is reflected in our behaviors and words (2 Kings 2:1-12; Ezek. 37; Zachariah 4:1-14; Daniel 8; Matt. 17:3-4; Luke 10:1). 

When something is measured, it is usually by the owner, meaning there is an aspect of responsibility and direction over it. So, what is your responsibility and direction over your spiritual growth or your church? 

What can you and your church do to be great? What is the plan? When will you do it?

The information war is a war that has been raging for atleast 100 – 200 years, or I like to believe since the beginning of time. We all know how in ancient history when man brought war to civilizations, man would destroy the culture and histroy, and in return rewrite the history. That is what the information war is about, the society reality makers know that if they control the media and all the information they will always be able to run the plantation workers minds correctly. Don’t question authority and be a good little slave is the preferred standard of most peoples lines of thinking, well atleast thats how it USE to be.

Today there is an emergence of infowarriors, indigo, starseeds, religons of all kinds becomming aware that there is even more to it than what our current outletts could ever explain to us. I explained it to my friend this way ” you know how carl sagan explains the 4th dimension and how we can’t perceive it, well the human race is evolving and at some point we are going to make a leap and be able to intertwine with this 4th dimension and peoples minds power, perception, and awareness are going to bring this great leap ”

The establishment knows the power we yeild and has always throughout history used it against the natural will of people to just harmonize and live peaceably, and have manifested this great energy into war, faminine, disease, and endless other atrocities. This is why we fight the information war, and why I find the time to write these articles and direct some of you to better information than what possibly could be presented anywhere else. We also have to remember to keep a good character in terms of laughter, sometimes with all the harshness in this world it is easy to become so deeply concerned and involved that it can become bothersome. Don’t let the big issue’s of today get you down little warrior’s, for tomorrow is our day.

We all have within us the potential for greatness or for failure. Both possibilities are an innate part of our character. Whether we reach for the stars or plunge to the depths of despair depends in large measure on how we manage our positive and negative potential. It is doubtful that, if left unchecked, your virtues will rage out of control. Unfortunately, the reverse is not true about your faults. Left unattended, faults have a way of multiplying until they eventually choke out your good qualities. The surest way to control your faults is to attack them the moment they appear.

I’ve gone through a lot of keyboards over the years. Most of those I’ve encountered have been cheap and flimsy pieces of junk. The OEM keyboards supplied by the likes of Dell and HP are nothing but rubbish unless you opt for the “Premium” keyboard, in which case they’re slightly less rubbishy, but still a joke.

My current go-to keyboard for serious work is a trusty IBM Model M keyboard made in 1994. It’s beautifully crafted: solid as a rock, proper mechanical key switches that feel good, and decent feedback.

Ever since I heard about Das Keyboard (maybe 9 months ago?) I’ve been interested in them. They have the same design philosophy as the model M: solid build, gold plated mechanical keys and beautifully finished. The dollar has been getting better and better, and I finally decided to get one.

They have two models: a professional and an ultimate. They’re the same price and have exactly the same features with one subtle difference. The Ultimate is blank.

Yes, completely blank. No labels. Nada.

I’ve spent 30 years touch typing so I never look at the keys. After using my new Ultimate all day I didn’t have a problem.

What I bought this keyboard for is the keystroke, however, and I have to say that the feel of this keyboard is heavenly. It is without doubt the nicest keyboard I have ever, ever used. The feedback and the feel of each keystroke is sublime. Beautifully weighted, each keystroke has the perfect amount of feedback and a well balanced ‘click’ as the keystroke registers.

This keyboard is that good that I’m actually looking forward to getting back to work on Monday so I can start typing again.

It’s a beautifully crafted piece of hardware that stands head and shoulders above the junk that people sell as keyboards these days. A truly great product. 10/10.