Earth Day, London Goes Baal

It's earth day today, and what better way to celebrate that than by setting up a life size replica of an arch, from the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, in Trafalgar Square.

Baal, meaning "Lord", was the fertility deity of the Canaanites and ranks first in the Goetic 72 spirits, or demons, of Solomon; he's said to satisfy sensual craving, confer knowledge and, curiously, impart invisibility. According to the Zohar, Baal is the demonic equal of Raphael in rank.

Baal's wife is the demon Astoreth, the infernal anti-type of the Virgin Mary. And before you breathe a collective sigh of so what, consider this. Baal was worshiped by sacrificing infants, with fire.

Odd, isn't it, how earth worship or our presently non-cultic modern equivalent, materialism, seems to demand that.

Will the arch in Trafalgar Square open up a portal to hell? Some argue that it's already there.

Mind how you go,

LSP

Palm Sunday

Listen up, you lot. It's Palm Sunday, time for some religion and none of your freakish liturgical dance Priestess of Baal religion, either:

Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together, and taking up the Cross we all say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!’

He who has heaven as his throne and earth his footstool, the Word and co-eternal Son of God the Father, having come to Bethany, showed his humility today on the colt of a dumb animal. Therefore the children of the Hebrews, holding branches in their hands, sang his praise and cried, ‘Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes, the King of Israel’.

Let us too, all the new Israel, the Church from the nations, come today and let us cry out, ‘Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion. Proclaim it, daughter of Jerusalem. For see, your King is coming to you, meek and bringing salvation, and mounted on the colt of an ass, offspring of a beast of burden. Celebrate with the Children. Holding branches in your hands shout his praise, ‘Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes, the King of Israel’.

Buried with you through Baptism, Christ our God, we have been granted immortal life by your Resurrection, and we sing your praises, crying: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Mounted on the throne in heaven, Christ God, and on the foal on earth, you accepted the praise of the Angels and the hymn of the children who cried to you: Blessed are you who come to call back Adam.

Have a blessed Holy Week,

LSP

Fire On The Mountain

One of the things some local Baptists do well here is a men's prayer breakfast. They meet every Friday and they're a good, straight-up group of guys who like to ride, shoot and fish and aren't ashamed of their faith.

I like to go for the prayer and fellowship and to hear a short, simple but direct message. Today's was on Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings. Elijah called down fire from heaven and confounded the evil prophets of an evil god. These met a grisly end, which serves as a warning to the idolatry of our dark and increasingly barbarous age. So be filled with the fire of God that is the fire of love, and repent.

Texas This Morning. Note Water

My mind went back from that to Exodus, the burning bush and the Divine Name, I AM THAT AM, or, in the Septuagint, He Who Is, and then forward in time to Pentecost and the tongues of fire that rested upon the Apostles.

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Some say that the episcopal mitre represents this fire. Others again point to the awkward bit in the Gospel about wolves in sheep's clothing, to say nothing of the demon Baal and its false prophets.

Make of that what you will.

LSP