Little Names.

The scripture says in many places;
" For their is no other name in heaven by which a man must be saved "
I am very particulaly concerned here at the 'brandbuster' blogsite about all the elements of our modern life which divert us as a kind further and further from our Fathers kingdom. A particularly uriksome phenomonen is that of brand names, trademarks and "logos". The fruit of markerting industry.
These's things have really only become intrenched in western culture during my life time and you might ask why worry about them whats the big deal?

logo is a greek word for the written word and this bothers me because 'The word' is how we know about Yahweh and His Kingdom, Yahushua His Son is 'The Word' in the gospel of because He is the full final revealation of Yahweh to mankind. God's name is the only name that ort to be lifted up and glorified and trusted in for salvation of any lasting kind ( the kind where you stay saved!).

Through their marketing stratagies company's and small operaters attempt to lift up a name. A little name. And through this name offer salvation. Salvation from hunger 'McDonald's' salvation from unnoticable footwear 'Nike'
Salvation from an average sex life 'Viagra'.

I have read some of the jargin that companys put out talking about 'providing a throughly comprensive and positive brand experience from the moment a client walks through the door'. They seem to want to walk beside you through your life from the cradle to the grave The actual product is it seems only a part of this.

The problem I have with this is that this is a false salvation. All these things will perish and burn up or rust. And these people don't really care about people all they care about is money. How to get more of it and creating an image thats right IMAGE that draws more people to give more money. This is dehumanising because it reduces people (God's images) to a loaf of bread( or some other thing).

Whats in a brand?

A brand is a oldtime method of marking cattle to identify its owner. It uses a uniquely shaped iron which when heated in a fire is used to sear the animals hide creating a permanent scar in the shape of the iron. Its very effective but somewhat brutal method that is still used but has now been largely replaced by the use of eartagging because in these days where people love animals more than their fellow human's branding is not very politically correct.

At least if we're talking about marking cattle that is. If you want to brand people to show that you own them thats fine! Quite ironic. But that is just what marketers are after. They love these people who for instance are known to love Holden cars, If you were going to buy a present you would know that anything with a Holden brand is going to be a sure bet. You've seen them. People that have the car, the T-shirt , coffee mug , pen, hat , even golf bag. They are a Holden Man. (even women now love Holden's).
These folks are like Gold to marketers because their lives are just a living advertising medium, for which they willing part with large amounts of cash!

This reminds me of the Gods description of unfaithful Israel,


Eze 16:31
"When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot.
You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!
Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries.
Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different."

Denomainization - The Splintering of the Body

I have retired from an evangelical denomianation. I did this because of (one of a few reasons) the wholesale importantion of not just ideas but programs (for example Rick Warren Product) from other places wholly unconected with our life in this small corner of Gods green earth. These cookie cutter solutions to lack of vision just dont fit with me and I believe we where made for more than this.
Any body must have leaders but if these people have no vision let them stand down and give others in the congregation a chance to release what God has made them for instead of holding tight to the reigns of power and borrowing or buying the vision of others.let each body take the shape of the people who are there and make it up instead of making a cheap copy of another body . This I believe is idolitry and mechandising christ. Idols and false gods really do abound especially in the denominational church.

Not made with Hands

2Cr 5:1
For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

This is a phrase that repeats in the bible why is it significant?
I believe that the third commandment has two parts you shouldn't make and you shouldn't bow down to graven images.

Exd 20:4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

or to connect the thought, ' To make, is to bow down'.

The things that God has made are Good but man made things are like us faulty. that is why we should stick to making useful things like houses and not images of animals etc. to fill them. God did tell the isrealites to make images like the snake in the wilderness and the temple included graven animals and trees also the ark of the covenent had angels and maybe other stuff on it to. But these things have been taken away now because God knows that they would have been worshiped in his stead. Worship God not the things he has made and definately not the things man has made.

One out of the mold.

God makes every living thing different with a unique one off original style. Even identical twins have small noticeable differences. His works are perfect and all his ways are just. Man is not like God (unless redeemed) man wants money and power so He can get ahead of his fellows his heart is sold and bound to the dead things it lusts for. God on the other hand just ozzes Life. He creates it supports it provides for it nurtures it loves it and does everthing possible so that the life he gives can go on living and never see death . Blessed be His name forever.