Larry Who

Even if you are stone-cold atheist, you probably know the words to the Our Father prayer. It’s the most popular prayer in the history of the world and millions pray it everyday.

But have you ever really paid attention to just these seven words: “…on earth as it is in heaven…?”

What was Jesus thinking? Or was He just stirring up the pot with a pie in the sky concept which we can never hope to attain here on earth?

These thoughts ran through my mind recently after I read a post by a blogger friend who wrote about her disagreements with Obamacare, excessive government debt and big government. She tied her opinions to a few scriptures. Although I didn’t necessarily disagree with her opinions,  I did disagree with her choice of scriptures.

Afterward, I thought, “Okay smarty pants! Just what verses would you use for these issues?”

I searched the Bible and found no answers one way or another. I then concluded there are no scriptures which explicitly state it is sinful for a nation to have an all inclusive health care plan or to increase government debt or to even enlarge the government system.

In fact, if you take some of Jesus’ words out of context, you might even be able to make a good case that the Lord supports the three issues for various reasons.

But, of course, what about the seven words – on earth as it is in heaven?

Stay with me now, okay?

Until just the other day, I believed Satan modeled his governmental system, as outlined in Ephesians 6:12, upon what he saw in heaven when he was the anointed cherub. My belief was based totally on logic and figuring that Satan would try to follow a system which he already knew.

Ephesians 6:12 and other scriptures reveal Satan’s government as a hierarchy with Satan at the top, various demonic rulers just below him and then levels of demons below the demonic rulers on down to the least demon. (Think of Satan’s hierarchical government system as a corporate management flow chart from the CEO down to the lowest underlings with management levels in between or as a chain of command for the military.)

To be honest, I really thought heaven was set up in a similar manner. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the top, various archangels such as Michael, Gabriel, and others just under the Trinity, and then other angels under the archangels, on and on, all the way down to the least angelic beings.

Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones [children], for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10 Amplified Bible)

Somehow, the above scripture came to mind as I meditated on scriptures. When it did, I realized the total error of my logic. You see, if a child’s guardian angel does not have to go through a middle management system of angels, then no other angels would have to do so either.

A light blinked on and I realized that God is God. He doesn’t need middle management to help Him out. He Himself can lead and guide every angel from the greatest to the least without ever being overtaxed. After all, angels heed the voice of His word…not another angel’s voice.

So, why didn’t Satan copy God’s government? Satan couldn’t. He is a created being with a certain amount of wisdom, intelligence, and anointing. He is not an all-powerful, all-knowing god like our heavenly Father is.

Therefore, Satan came up with a hierarchical system for his kingdom. Each level watches over the level below them. And because of this, Satan controls his underlings, much like slaves, to do his commands. He is a brutal task master.

God’s government gives freedom and is backed with love. Satan’s government enslaves his underlings and is backed with fear.

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave. (Proverbs 22:7)

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

Now, look at Obamacare, increasing government debt, and ever-growing government systems and then compare these issues to either God’s government or Satan’s government. Next, you decide whether the three issues offer freedom to America’s citizens or do they enslave them? And what about our children and our grandchildren?

“…on earth as it is in heaven…”

“Nor do I hear in my imagination the parts successively, but I hear them, as it were, all at once.  What a delight this is! All this inventing, this producing, takes place in a pleasing lively dream.” (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) composed over 600 classical works – symphonies, operas, choral and chamber music, piano etudes and so forth. Yet, unlike most creative geniuses, Mozart’s amazing abilities were recognized during his lifetime. A contemporary of Mozart, Joseph Haydn, who was called the “Father of the symphony,” wrote: “Posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years.”

Haydn was wrong. So far, 220 years later, no one has stepped forward as an equal to Mozart.

Now, when we consider composers, we usually think of a person sitting at a piano. A pencil in one hand, his other hand playing a few notes, his hair all frazzled and his eyes glazed over from lack of sleep. After a while, the composer turns and quickly jots down notes in his notebook. He then returns to play a few more notes on the piano, shakes his head in disgust, turns to erase what he wrote earlier in his notebook and writes new notes on the paper. His notebook paper resembles a smudged and scribbled kindergarten fire-drill.

The composer continues this tedious process over and over until he has finished the musical work on the piano. If it’s a symphony or chamber music, he then has to arrange the music for other instruments.

Composing is a time consuming, laborious task. That is, unless you’re Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart would sit down, with an ink pen in hand, and write the whole musical piece as if he were copying it from a book. He could carry a conversation or get up and walk away and then return to finish it later. It mattered not if it were a piano solo, a complete symphony or an opera, he wrote it all without a struggle. His first copy was his last copy, no matter how many instruments or arias were involved.

Okay, when it comes to writing, I’d prefer to be a Mozart, but sadly, I’m not. I’m that bedraggled, frazzled composer with glazed over eyes who struggles through every sentence, dangling participle and verb tense.

And when I’m finally done writing my article or novel or whatever, I’d like to finish it off by writing: THE END.  And never, ever look at it again.

Yet, that’s not how God works with me.

After I’ve finished writing, and it’s been rewritten ad nauseum times, along comes a new revelation which forces me to rewrite the whole piece again. Does this happen often?

My novel, Jonah, has been rewritten almost 60 times. New Wind Blowing is nearing 40 times. Then, if you toss in the four other works I’ve been writing and rewriting for years,  you get a good glimpse of who I really am: God’s hack.

Guess what?

I have just received a new revelation which has to be dealt with in a few of my so-called finished works, the ones which I thought were ready to be published. So, it’s back to the keyboard.

I will continue on with Part 7 of You Can’t Go Home Again in late January. See you then, okay?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.