Where are Your Gifts?

Where are Your Gifts?

10/28/14

Ever wonder what goes on while we are busy tending to our own business?  Most of us do not even think about what actually is occurring even though our immediate surroundings seem like all is normal.  But what seems like a normal setting could later prove that something devious has actually taken place even when we believe that all is well.  How many times have we been robbed by our physical enemies and not known exactly what has transpired?  And the more important question bears to light on the spiritual level as well and poses a more serious issue which could affect our eternal life.

It is always a special deal when a person or group has the opportunity to own their own store.  It does not matter what types of service they provide, owning an individual place of business can provide a great service to a community.  While we all understand that similar companies within the local area can perform some pretty sneaky endeavors to derail their rivals, most would never stoop to stealing or other types of thievery in order to grab an advantage.  So when this type of activity occurs it must come from someone else with a sinister plan of robbing the establishment and at the same time do their best not to get caught ever or at least not recognized until after the perpetrators have left the premises.  This is exactly what happened to one of my friends the other day and it also serves as an important lesson as to how we are robbed spiritually as well, all because of the people who we come into contact with and do not recognize their harmful intentions.

How many times when we are in a store ordering something and after we place our order watch the person serving us move around trying to fulfill our request as soon as possible?  This site is a common theme when one stands at any counter in a sandwich shop, deli or butcher shop and for the most part each just waits their turn until our requests are completed.  Then what do we do?  We pay for the item or items that we have requested and then leave the establishment with our goods.  Seems pretty simple and legit, right? 

Most of you who know me know that I study the human and how their minds operate.  This process of the human and what they can dream up really intrigues me and while many people are fussing about how thing have transpired between two people or within a group of people I am usually taking the setting all in and probably smirking about how things transpired, all because it fascinated me how the human mind works and to what lengths it will go to in order to complete an idea.  I know that seems kind of warped but it is a pattern that God has chosen to see fit for me to have in order to understand many things that He has shown me about our one true eternal enemy and in this case God has shown up again and given me an insight of how that even though we may believe that things are going as planned and that everything is ok, we are actually being robbed blind by our enemy.

The person who owns their own place of business cannot be in any higher position within a community.  They represent the epitome of a working person who’s desire to provide a certain service to a specific community far outweighs the coward’s heart for public service.  It has been stated over and over that the small business owner is the backbone of the country and serves as an example to everyone in the world that if someone puts their mind into a project they can be successful.  I agree with this practice and continue to dream of completing this type of setting myself one day.  I honor those people who have the guts enough to stand out without compromise and take the challenge of this type of adventure, so it really pains me when I read or hear about someone getting robbed without them even knowing about it until the culprits are long gone.

I have a close friend who is a proud owner of a shop here in our small town.  The shop is not large at all and serves a specific talent to its customers.  The store has not been in operation long but is providing great legs within the community and their reputation is steadily growing.  While there are similar stores like hers within the city limits the store provides a unique setting, one that is relaxing and friendly enough to sit a spell and read a book if desired.  And everyone has to admit that having such a place to relax in such a manner is an asset to any village, town, community or city.

The other day she was going along her normal business working away and serving the customers as they ordered.  In front of the counter there is a small bucket that is there for tips, just in case some of the customers enjoy the service enough to leave a little bit extra for the store.  I and my family have continually placed money into this bucket because we thoroughly enjoy the business and atmosphere that is present in her store and shall continue to do so as we wish.  We have never had bad service and do not expect to ever have, but I guess some people have different agendas within their brains which brings me to the meat of this example.

A good example of how businesses run in western societies is something they have called “a good faith” policy, which means when a customer orders a meal, clothes, or almost any other item they will not be required to pay for such items until the item is ready for pickup or fixed.  In this case some customers requested a certain product that my friend supplied who in turn immediately began to prepare their request.  As my friend was preparing their request the customers stood there waiting for her to complete their order.  The shop was not really busy at that time which added to the ideas that these customers had in their heads for as my friend was preparing their orders they were quietly sneaking money out of the tips bucket and were intending to use this money to pay for their orders.

So as she completed their orders she promptly gave them their products and tallied up the bill.  She politely told them exactly how much their total was and they immediately pulled out the cash and paid her the amount owed.  They exchanged a few parting compliments and departed out the door like many other customers do each and every day that the store is open.  My friend has always been so appreciative of all business that she and her co-owner have and are so thankful for each transaction that occurs within their store.

An unspecific amount of time must have passed by before she glanced at the tips bucket and noticed that something was not right.  The amount of money inside the bucket had decreased instead of stayed the same or even increased.  Knowing how many customers that had been in the store since the last time she had noticed what was in the bucket until this very moment was few, her attention turned towards the only ones that she could not account for and it was the ones that had the small order but was not in total and direct contact with at all times.  She remembers their faces and will recognize them if she ever sees them again, but the damage has been done even though she honestly believed that she was making a profit off of the sale.  And this is the point where we lose so much of our focus of our surroundings and allow our true enemy to take advantage of us and to fool us in believing that everything is actually ok when in truth it is very wrong.

The people that committed this atrocity had some specific details in mind when they eventually pulled off their caper.  They understood the surroundings within the shop and they understood the process of making the products that they wanted, along with where the instruments to make the products and how long it would take to complete the orders.  The right amount of money had to be in the bucket in order to ensure correct payment without drawing attention to the tips bucket as well.  All they had to do was to keep calm and “pay” for the orders and walk out like nothing ever happened.  Essentially they received a free service without having to earn the money to pay for their orders; all at the expense of others who had been generous with their money before them.  Does that sound like a certain situation within our country that many of us deal with on a daily basis? 

My friends technically did not lose money for a true transaction did take place but it was the added bonus that others contributed to that was taken from her.  In other words, even though she was paid for the services that she completed, it was not from those customers but from someone else.  Her added bonuses for her hard work and dedication were used instead.  She was robbed and legally paid all at the same time.  Think about this for a moment and it will become clear of exactly how this type of thievery occurs each and every day throughout our world, and many are getting away with it legitimately.

So how does this situation apply to our spiritual lives?  My friend provided a service to the community and through her reputation her business has steadily grown over the past few months.  Whether you wish to acknowledge this detail or not people around you are watching your movements or someone else’s movements and are learning tricks of the trade in order to apply these tricks at that location or some other one down the road.  It is commonly known that if a crime is committed silently enough and subtly enough that the ones who are committing the crime can be more successful at their endeavors, rather than having a large crowd being drawn into the plan with shouting and gun pointing; yet both still occur frequently.

If an act of crime can be committed with the least amount of attention drawn to it is possible, you bet your life that this is the way that the criminals desire it to play out.  How many times have we found out at a later time that we have been played a fool by some circumstance that we had ourselves in?  How do we feel about ourselves when the truth is found out and brought into light?  Of course we are going to be angry, ticked off, mad and want revenge.  These reactions are normal for humans and play a vital part in these types of reactions when the truth is told.  So if this type of activity occurs in the physical world why wouldn’t our spiritual enemy, who has a higher game plan than our physical enemies, try this same tactic as one of our physical enemies?  The answer to this is this: he does do this and he gets away with this type of tactic every second of every day of our lives and we never notice it because of the “normalcy” of our lives that he so operates in.  And with our busy schedules that we all try to keep we are missing the important details that allow him to rob us blind all the while still allowing us to believe that we are receiving every bounty that we deserve.

For those of us who work in some type of business that receive tips from customers, it is a common practice not to publicly recognize a person just upon what items they buy, how much they spend or how much extra they leave on top of the bill.  I wish I could say that every person in these fields believed this way but we all know that if I claimed that to be the truth I would be lying.  Customers who do not frequent and establishment often or ones who are not acquainted with the owners or workers in the store would not be known about spending habits and therefore would not set forth an expectation from the ones behind the counter.  This type of setting would also have to be included in the “normal” setting of a small business and activity of the customers as well.

On the other hand, an owner or worker who puts forth the extra effort to provide great customer service could form a basis that justifies an added benefit in the form of a tip from those who recognize their extraordinary abilities or service towards others. My parents always taught me to watch the environment within a restaurant and notice just how busy the waitress or waiter is before shorting them on tips, for if a single server is waiting on 20 full tables their attention may not be “adequate” for everyone.  However, that server is fully aware of each person at every table in that establishment is wants to do their best with the utmost accuracy.

My Point here is that a tip from a customer is considered an act of approval and acknowledgment from that customer telling to the employee that they approve of the job that they are giving to them.  It is a gift from an unknown source that allows us to know from the public that we are doing a good job and even though we do not know those people, they approve as well.  This is the exact same type of concept that God allows us to have on this earth and it is reflected through our lives with each passing moment that we have to inhale and exhale. 

God gives us so many gifts each day that we fail to recognize them which means that we do not appreciate them either yet we soak in the benefits of these gifts then use them accordingly.  We have been richly blessed with these gifts that we hardly notice them any longer and we casually notice them on occasion, in other words they have become part of the regular fixtures of our personal store and even though they are sitting right in plain sight we pay little or no attention to them.  This is the perfect time for our enemy to take notice by watching our personal movements and then spring his plan into action.

The blessings that we here in the West have enjoyed for centuries have been placed up high enough on our walls that we rarely even consider them as gifts.  They are a part of our normalcy that we have neglected instead of nourished and invested them as a gift should be.  Even though we have shelved these gifts of ours our enemy still recognizes the potentials that each one of our gifts has not only for our own life but also to the many lives that each gift would mean to others. 

Satan understands that each gift that God gives us has a purpose for His Kingdom and if we use this gift, no matter what that gift may be, that His Kingdom will be pushed forward and Satan’s kingdom backwards.  That is the sole purpose of the gifts that God gives us, no matter if it deals in money, jobs, the ability to speak clearly, or even writing, it does not matter the gifts that He gives us is for a specific reason and it is these gifts that we store up on a shelf and allow to become dust covered.  Eventually we will forget them and as we saunter about our business we will allow ourselves to be robbed one gift at a time without our even knowing it, until it is down the road sometime.

It took a while for my friend to realize that the tip money had decreased but by then there was no way to prove that those people, or any one else for that matter had taken it from the bucket.  A blessing was stolen and while it was still a benefit for her store, the added gift was used up and stolen before she knew what had transpired.  Another portion of this example comes into play here and that is the act itself.

Those people stood there and paid for the products without letting on about what was going on.  Because of the timing and the circumstances those people got away with a perfect crime all because my friend was doing what she was supposed to be doing as a business owner.  It did not matter to those people that what they were doing was wrong, they were accomplishing their own agenda and getting what they wanted at the same time.  It is imperative that we understand that this is the exact same way our enemy steals from us and it is even more imperative that we take notice of this event and apply it to our physical world and to our spiritual world because if we do not our lives will be changed so dramatically in the near future that we will turn around one day and realize that we have nothing left – both physically and spiritually!

The gift of the freedom of worshiping within a church building at least three times a week is now threatened in many parts of the world.  Reading of the Word of God is basically now forbidden in our own public schools.  Idol worship and pagan rituals are accepted as educational history about cultures and any mention of God within those contexts are immediately deemed as offensive.  The teaching that God created the earth and that we were formed in His image is quickly dismissed as a lie and not credible as a teaching cycle.  And to top off things a formal group whose fundamental beliefs is to proclaim that there is no God demand that Christians take down articles of religious faith, which is something that they do not even believe in anyway.  How can you want someone to take things down that one says offends them if it deals with something that they do not believe in anyway?

If one stops and thinks about this example I hope that they would understand exactly what is going on here.  God gives us things that He sees fit for us to use throughout our lives as a tool of help.  It is strictly up to us to use these gifts in order that we witness to others about God.  It is ok to work in the soup kitchen that the Catholic Church conducts every week, but if we do not witness to those people while they are eating, then our gift is being wasted in the manner to which it was originally ordained.  If we are not suggesting to a hurting person that there is a person who loves them so much that He sent His Son to die for their eternal lives, then our priorities are in the wrong place.

It is important that we dust off our tips and gifts that God has given us and begin to use them as they were meant to be.  Sitting on a shelf or placed in front of the spiritual cash register without proper instructions is an invitation for our enemy to rob us blind while paying for our given existence to peacefully continue for that moment.  We have plenty of examples where the Church has placed many of its spiritual gifts upon high places within the confines of their walls.  I am not talking about the church buildings and all of the icons that are present, I am talking about all of the personal and spiritual ones that God has given you!  See, the Church is not represented by church buildings, the Church is YOU!  Satan can care less if you have a two acre church building or not, but if your heart represents a two acre place for hurting people you can bet your boots that he is very interested in the gifts and tips that God has given you.

I have written many times before that you are special in every way known and unknown to mankind.  Each life has a purpose for something and God wants us to understand this concept.  God has given us the ability to understand our lives and our surroundings on a second by second grasping, yet we tend to stray from this observation status to pursue other “more important” details that are presented to us.  If we live in this manner for any amount of time the focus of our immediate surroundings will fade and become vulnerable to thievery; all items, gifts and tips to be included.  And there must be a reason as to why God is trying to wake us up to this fact and I have a sure feeling that if we do not, we will soon understand exactly what it means to have absolutely nothing of value left within our lives.

God has given these gifts and tips to you as an added bonus for your life.  In turn we must understand that those gifts and tips are to be used for others so that they may understand the gospel of Christ.  They are not complacent gifts by any means, but ones that are full of life specifically made for you and me to share with others.  For if we allow these gifts to become complacent within our possessions and surroundings, then it is a guarantee that our enemy will swipe them from our proprietorships and destroy them so that they shall never be used again, which so happens to be the same goal that our enemy has for our lives themselves.

The Bible says to study to show thyself approved.  It does not say to read about yourself or even to scan over your contents.  It says to study yourself and to find out things about you and your surroundings that God has provided for you and given to you. Studying about yourself is essential for one’s spiritual survival and when done correctly will throw away the selfish tendencies and promote a full and healthy spiritual life through God.  A spiritual life that will sense when the gifts from God are not being used properly and are being taken from us through the hands of our enemy, not freely given through the name of God.

We must never forget that our physical is not the most important aspect about our lives.  While many of us are defined by this physical realm we must never forget about the spiritual aspect which holds our eternal future.  It is this spiritual aspect that carries our lifeline and it is through the spiritual gifts from God that allow us to survive this onslaught from our enemy and at the same time show others the true meaning of God and His purpose for each life on this earth.  If we allow our enemy to cut or to steal this lifeline from us we will have no opportunity to complete our mission to the dying world, and more importantly we will not know how to defend ourselves when we finally realize that we have been robbed blind.  Our enemy does a fabulous job in convincing us that everything in our world is ok and that there is nothing to worry about.  But he knows the truth about the conditions and he also understands that at some point God will have to step in and enough is enough and then the laughing will begin for our enemy knows that he has defeated God’s prized creations into an eternal death.

DLB

Compartmentalization

Compartmentalization

10/24/14

Nice big word as the topic of this article eh.  But it is a word that we like to use in terms our life and our presumptive organizational structure.  We have used this word in every situation that we can think of and will continuing to do so until we come to the conclusion that we have “figured” it out.  Well, truth be told we need to look no further than the book of Genesis to figure this one out yet we continue to try and do so.  Yet we ignore this principle so much that we voluntarily create further compartments in order for us to prove ourselves correct in our beliefs all the while blockading the truth behind the Word of God.  It is time that we break down these compartments and work together as one Church in order to complete our mission to the world.

The book of Genesis is the story about how mankind came into being.  While some of the previous historical details are slim the account of man and our creation is pretty well detailed out.  Of course this raises many questions about the earth and if there were other inhabitants, creatures, etc but for all intense purposes the creation of man is the focus of many theological and religious orders and how we came into our own practices today stems from this creation setting.

We must remember that God created mankind from a perfect state and that there was no blemish in this setting at that time which means God had to create mankind with a substance that could adjust and adapt to the coming physical changes that mankind would impose upon itself.  The Garden of Eden was placed into a certain spot and man placed into this perfect place as well.  God had a communal and personal relationship with Adam and came to visit him each day, just to keep the relationship growing.  Our minds can only imagine what they talked about and what they discussed, and what kind of questions Adam had for God concerning His history and the things that could and would affect Adam in the future.

At this time there were no compartments between mankind and God for everything was perfect and without sin according to the standards of man and his life.  Everything about mankind functioned in perfect harmony without any physical breakdowns to mention.  And it was not until sometime later that God introduced man to his bride Eve, which came out of a completed creation which means all laws from God are subject equally to both man and woman.  At this time God pointed out everything about the Garden to man and told him that everything was his to have dominion over, with the exception of one tree that they were not supposed to eat from.  This was the first and only law that God gave to man at this time.  We had only one thing that we could not eat from and through this one law from God it was not too long down the road that we broke it because of our own liking.

Mankind flat blew it with this one law that God had put into place.  This one law that was told to us was not a complicated or complex law nor was it so twisted with unfamiliar words that it became uneasy to follow or to understand, and ever since this time mankind has struggled to obey any laws that have been set before us whether they be from God or manmade.  It was through our choices that brought this iniquity upon our lives and even through today we are still reaping the consequences of our choices.  It should not be too difficult for us to see this and it should bring into play our ability to determine good laws from bad ones as well, yet we continue to plod our own course without recognizing our true destiny through God.

This one law that we broke placed a compartment between God and mankind.  God did not do this it was us who placed this compartment there; the results of our choices installed this barrier, not God.  Yes, God had to separate Himself from us because of our choice but it was our fault that He had to complete this step.  On human terms this is the foundation that our enemy uses in order for us to further compartmentalize God and to try and give reasoning that we are correct instead of God.  I realize that this is a complicated subject to digest but it is one that we need to understand in order to provide the truth to those who have not been raised in church or to those who want to understand further our mission in Christ.

I am not referring to the law itself as a compartmental issue but I am bringing into light that it was our action towards that law that sets the compartment into place.  It was through this single act that things changed for us forever and we lost our perfect status in life due to our choice to disobey this one law.  If Adam had truly known, trusted God and kept this one law intact there would have been no further need for any future laws; that one law would still be in place and things would have been totally different.  Now, here is where we get things a little confused about the compartments and who actually puts them in place.  After God separated Himself from us He did not abandon us for one second.  He has always been here for us and has done His best to show us the way of peace, love and prosperity with one simple request from Him, to choose to obey Him and His ways.

Let me ask you a question: who do you think allowed the Catholic Church to be established?  What about the Methodist Church, Nazarene Church, or the Greek Orthodox Church?  I will include every denomination that one can imagine into this question and then throw in all of the religions as well.  Who do you think gave us the ideas to create these organizations and institutions? It definitely was not God.  Yes, He allowed them to be in existence but it was not His doing.  God is a unifier through Himself so there is no possible way that He would ever cause a path of confusion or division in order to make our choices harder to make.  If God did not do this then it must have been our enemy that planted this ideology into our heads and hearts.  But why would this being do such a thing?

If there were no compartments between God and man before sin entered into the world and then at some point one was created, then the next logical question and answer to be understood is this: if this process worked once then why wouldn’t it work again and again? How many times have we witnessed friends or family members fall into the same type of traps that ensnare them into trouble? Or how many times have we watched a loved one fall for the same type of guy or girl and afterwards watch things fall apart wonder why they went back into the same type of living conditions?  It is because we try and make things better for our lives before we have recognized the compartments around us that our enemy has placed before us or that we have voluntarily built around others. This brings into light the concept that if we fall for something once we will do it again and it has worked so effectively for millennia so why would our enemy have to change course?  I have given a few examples here but you place yourself into any category in order to understand this concept.

Do we realize that all of our petty differences that actually define us we use to continue our separation from God?  Look at the concepts to which some of the denominations were created and one shall see this statement to be true.  Why did Martin Luther create the Lutheran denomination?  Because he had serious issues with the Catholic Church that instead of trying to correct through God he took measures into his own hands and went another direction.  Why was the Church of England created? Because a certain king wanted to marry another woman and since the Catholic Church would not grant him his wishes, he began his own religion; and to think about how many people lost their lives as a result of this selfish act.  These two small examples are excellent to demonstrate how mankind compartmentalizes God into an isolated chamber all in the name of being “right”. 

The most important thing we must remember about our compartmentalization techniques is this: who do they serve and how does it affect your life in return?  When we place ourselves into the “race” issue one cannot help but isolate themselves into a specific category.  It does not matter how one deems race to be played if we look upon this category as such then we fall into this compartmentalization and only have a dim light to find our way out.  Compartmentalization can be placed into any category or life and easily lived through its confined walls.  The confusion becomes a stigma when we fail to see the implications that this way of living and belief produce and thus will produce a terrible, distorted and grotesque result that will have implications on our future generations.  The common good will even be changed and what is moral and just shall be eventually overthrown while living in this divided lifestyle; a pattern that we are so clearly witnessing today.  We must keep in mind that it is we who initiate these compartments into our lives and it is through our actions that we either place more around us or institutes God abilities to destroy them and bring us back to Him.

None of this was designed by God and it is not His intentions for us to live in this manner.  But we can only further divide ourselves if we continue to push Him out of our personal lives and from our society.  It is a guarantee that these denominations or compartments will continue to grow and be enhanced until we suffocate ourselves within our own generated confinement. Look at how society is responding to God right at the moment.  It is almost intolerable to have a different view from what is popular?  How divisive is this and can any good come from this thinking?  The Church herself has used this tactic for centuries and look at where it has gotten us; in fact, the Church is now actually embracing her own compartments from the One who established her, and the results can only be devastating.

We can no longer afford to place God in a compartment or build walls up around our lives in order to keep Him away.  Our society desperately needs us to wake up and to see what is happening around us.  There is a true answer to our problems and it shall only come from God.  Of all the examples of good deeds that humans have tried to accomplish over the millennia, none have been truly effective in pushing us together; someone always has other plans and executes their own ideas accordingly. 

It was our choice to begin this vicious cycle of compartments and it needs to be our choice to end it as well.  Yes, everything that God has created is from Him and is part of His divine plan, but He knows us so much more than we know ourselves and He has provided the necessary corrections that we need in order to live a true and fulfilled life.  It is not necessary for us to be right about everything and to be truthful each one of us could not understand each and every concept in life even if we tried.  We also cannot understand God completely either and that is why we must be humble enough to admit that we have divisions within our lives that inhibit our relationships with man and more importantly with God.  Put our enemy into his place instead of him being allowed to be put into our place of residence.

Until we recognize that it was through our choice that the first compartment was established we shall continue to fall into the traps that our enemy lays for us.  Until we recognize that it is our enemy who is pulling our compartmental strings within our hearts to make these choices against God, we shall have no hope for a better future.  Until we turn our eyes and hearts back to God and allow Him to tear down these compartmental walls of division, we shall never know any good concerning our lives and we forfeit our destiny and will live out the remaining of our physical existence in poverty.  The question remains as to why anyone would want to set up compartments that would keep them from understanding their Creator and to provide them with the necessary concepts of life itself.

DLB

How to Act

How to Act

10/22/14

There has been an ongoing debate about how Christians should act towards those who are in direct conflict with the Word of God and to be honest we have not handled these types of situations with the greatest of care.  To be honest, we have acted terribly and through these actions we have driven a wedge in between God and mankind.  I am not going to make a huge opening statement here but I am giving two examples from the Bible that support my claim and then I will end the article with a few supporting words.  Read this article with an open heart and one that acts like Jesus instead of our own predetermined attitudes and actions towards those who we deem caught within their truths; and it asks the question of where you fit in this setting as well.

There is a famous passage in the New Testament where a group of scribes and Pharisees are about ready to pass judgment upon a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and they bring her unto where Jesus was teaching some people at the temple. The key phrase here is not concerning the law that they were invoking nor was it the conduct of the woman herself, it was the way that the religious leaders were going about executing the law that is the focus point here.  Yes, the other points of the setting are important and will be addressed slightly.  However, it is this inherited behavioral trait from the scribes and Pharisees by the Church that needs to be addressed.

Evidently this lady had been physically caught in the act of adultery.  It is not really clear how she was caught or by whom she was caught but it is true that she had been turned over to the “religious police” for immediate action.  According to the Jewish laws of Moses which the Pharisees operated through obviously enabled her to be eligible for a specific punishment and from the scene that is mentioned in this passage, the Pharisees were ready to carry out that punishment as soon as possible.  Would they have been wrong in carrying out this practice?  I guess it was how they looked at it within their hearts that placed them into their own categories of judgment.

From the setting it is clear that the crowd that the Pharisees brought with them into the area was a hostile one and that wanted to see the right punishment done in order to set an example to others that may have the same intentions.  This was in stark contrast to the people that Jesus was teaching at the time so one could understand that the area went from a peaceful setting to a tense one pretty quickly.  If the law and keeping within its limits was the number one issue that life centered around and upon I could see how the actions of the scribes and Pharisees would be justified, but God placed the laws into effect for our protection not to hold over us in passionate punishment for the choices they chose. Everything on the surface that is represented in this passage points to the woman’s guilt and according to the law she needed to be punished; this setting also shows just how “important” the laws were to the Jewish people and it also states where their hearts actually were concerning life and the way that Jewish people lived it.

The next portion of the passage introduces Jesus into the picture and the attention of the leaders is quickly drawn towards him. As they throw the woman close to Him, the leaders turn to Him and immediately ask Jesus a pointed question obviously trying to get Him to agree or to disagree with their opinions. Jesus does not immediately answer them, but kneels down and begins to draw in the dirt as to make them believe that He did not hear them.  What He was actually doing was giving them an opportunity to save face and leave before He spoke concerning the real meaning of the laws that God gave to Moses.  But, like all good Pharisees, and many Christians, they stood there demanding an answer, so Jesus gave them one.  Jesus’ answer infuriates them for He states to them that whoever has no sin could be the first castor of the stones onto the woman and then went back to drawing in the dirt.  What a profound statement that is made here and one that takes everyone involved by surprise, and it forces them look at their publicly unknown secrets and answer the question individually, fully knowing that if they threw one pebble they themselves would be guilty of lying.

Jesus and His disciples were walking through some unfriendly territory when He became thirsty.  He saw the setting of Jacob’s well and approached it while a Samaritan woman was there.  Some type of conversation began between the two and eventually Jesus began to minister to her.  He brought up some intricate details about her life specifically about the man that she was living with at the time and her many other husbands from her past.  How embarrassing this must have been for the woman to have a complete stranger come up to her and give her details about her life that she might not have wanted made public.  Furthermore, this man that was speaking to her was a Jew and considered an enemy to her people, so why was this man even associating with her in the first place?  Which this interaction, setting and testimony could have instilled further hostilities between the two cultures.

Jesus also addressed about the reasoning of which the Jews worship and how they should worship as well, which must have been known enough that even their enemies knew about their religious ideals and practices and how the Jews felt towards others who did not follow the same practices.  Once again Jesus touches upon the religious laws of the land yet bypasses them and accepts her for who she is and tells her that there is another way, one that is through spirit and truth.  Yet, Jesus did not condemn her in any fashion but talked with her and told her that all was ok and that she should change her settings both in the physical and in the spiritual and then do not do things like this again.  Jesus took a potential hostile setting and placed it into a loving and forgiving setting and then allowed the woman to accept God into her life.  What was her response?  She ran off and told everyone about the one who had said these things to her and how this man accepted her faults without recourse against her and that He also proclaimed that He was the One who had come to save the world from their iniquities. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the disciples were actually appalled at Jesus’ actions for His actions probably would have been perceived as blasphemous and would have them subject to disciplinary action with the religious and sanctimonious misfits called the high priests.  See it was not popular at all for people to talk to those that they believed to be lower in status than the Jews.  The Samaritans were considered a lower created being and should not even be given the opportunity to be treated as an equal.  Also, since Jesus was considered to be a Rabbi, it was strictly forbidden that a Rabbi talk with any woman in public. This was a severe no-no and could land each party involved into hot water, but as we can see Jesus did not care about the so-called restrictions of the man made laws and spoke to this woman from His heart and showed her the Kingdom of God.

Recently I was scrolling through one of my social media groups and the discussion of same sex marriage came up.  We all know that this is a highly contested issue right at the moment and with the recent tide of acceptance the issues can become pretty heated.  This was the case when some Christian believers had stated their opinions and were taking a stand.  However, when others began to challenge their opinions arguments ensued and eventually name games and blame began to fly.

I continued to scroll through the entire thread and read most of the messages back and forth.  What I found was totally heart breaking yet proves this point to which I have just written about.  All of the Christians or those opposed to this topic were quoting scripture left and right and condemning these people for having opposing ideas and beliefs.  The people who differed wanted proof of why it was wrong and some even wanted proof that God even existed.  Yet not one of these people included in this thread never mentioned anything about the proof and existence about God nor did they refer to any direct biblical references as to why this setting is wrong. 

This was not the worst of the messages, the so-called Christians even resorted to name calling and were using hateful language against these people for their beliefs.  Now, as I have recently written it is our responsibility to understand where the people who believe in this activity are coming from and it is just as important for us to ensure this group of people that God loves them and wants to free them from this sin.

The question I pose to you now is this: with the tactics used by these two examples will anything ever get across to these people and will they have a greater or lesser possibility of accepting God into their lives because of these encounters?  The answer is obvious and I am going to make a statement that might not set well with some of you but it is the truth and it needs to be shared. We have all witnessed how much division has been present within our country over the past two decades or so, and our current course does not bode any fairer either.  It is commonly known that this division has forced deep and dark lines between people and even families in some instances and it is all because we have forgotten to accept and to talk with one another about how we believe.  What good does this tactic present?

Another question that I have concerning this topic is that from a Christian point of view and it is: do you think that arguing a specific point in a harsh manner will change their minds and hearts in any way towards Christ or God?  The answer to that question is this: more division.  When the religious leaders of the biblical story with the woman that was caught in adultery, what is the difference from that scene to the one that I just read about?  Not much besides the physical timeline!!  The attitude of the so called religious people were acting terribly and through their actions gave the ones in question no opportunity to think about their beliefs nor were they given the opportunity to try and understand the truth of the situation either.

What other areas of our world have we Christians trounced upon when we have encountered those who do not believe as we do? I can name several off the top of my head and for the most part the manner in which we have responded to those situations have been atrocious.  We love to dictate our godly laws to people without even taking the time to know why someone has gone against them.  We become blind to the fact that they are in our congregations for a reason and that we need to find out why these people are there.  Then we shake our fingers at them and shout at them that they are wrong and wonder why they shut up, sit there and never return.  Jesus actually has the perfect example for this reason and even though His actions mad the “religious” people upset it was the proper and correct way to handle them.

We have many instances where Jesus was out and about talking, milling and teaching the general public.  It is interesting to me that the majority of the time crowds followed Jesus as He continued this course of public appearances.  This means that what He was saying had effects upon the people and they were curious of what He was saying to others.  It is well known that humans do not like to be yelled at or outwardly condemned for how they believe or which direction that they have chosen to proceed with their lives; however, if they are willing to listen to what others have to say they will contend so on the basis that whoever they are listening to will treat them with respect and dignity.

The leaders of that time had every right to facilitate the moral obligation of Jewish law and to stone the woman for her actions. But what good would this have done to her, her family and others around who have had thoughts of committing the same sin or any other sin for that matter?  When pressed for an answer Jesus never once took into question of the woman’s guilt but answered their questions by placing their burden of sin upon their shoulders.  Yes, Jesus understood that a wrong was committed and that everyone knew what had occurred broke the law, but Jesus also understood a greater purpose here in that if He responded harshly and sided with the law, blood would flow freely and unnecessarily.  The greater purpose here was that everyone has done things wrong before the eyes of God and should be punished for these acts yet the division it would have created between the law and the hearts of the people around this scene would have been deeper and far more reaching than the lesson that the priests and leaders were so ignorantly trying to promote.  What about us and how we believe, do we place ourselves into that same category as Pharisees?  You bet we do and it is deepening and widening the gap between God and mankind.

This is evident through the ways that the leaders left the area and their actions that followed.  All of the people dropped their stones of punishment and abandoned the scene.  How righteous were these people?  How sacred were these people?  Jesus’ answer forced them to choose to be truthful with themselves and by the way that they dispersed none of them wanted anyone around to question their next moves; so they left.  Remember even though there were no cell phones, televisions or modern communication devices humans had eyes and ears at that time that worked just as well as ours do today and that means that certain acts of people could be witnessed at any given moment; which explains Jewish law concerning a chargeable act having to be witnessed by two people.

Jesus placed the proverbial ball back into their courts instead of the woman’s and this did not settle well with everyone.  There is no question in my mind that this type of “ religious justice” took place quite often and was basically not questioned or challenged by many, in fact from how this story unfolds it would seem like there was quite a bit of support for this type of justice.  Jesus’ answer proclaimed that there was another answer for this setting and that He understood what would progress if this act was allowed to proceed unabated.  It is also clear that Jesus did not care how the leaders would react to His answer which means His authority and truth overrode their quirks about quick judgment, another thorn in their side.

It really does not say what happened after Jesus talked to the woman about what had just transpired but you know that the leaders were watching from a side street or behind a curtain somewhere trying to catch Jesus in some mischievous act or compromising setting.  This never happened of course and through Jesus’ answer and actions kept the bridge for the woman and God intact, it pushed the Kingdom of God forward and our enemy’s backwards.  It also provided the religious leaders an opportunity to see their errors and to change their methods of thinking, but it turns out that they chose to have the same hardening effect on their hearts as Pharaoh had in Exodus.  The question that we have to answer today is the same how would we act if we were placed into a similar situation where we know that a sinful act is about to be committed, being committed or just finished being committed?

It has been proven time and time again that Jesus never treated any person who had the heart to listen in any other manner but with respect.  This did not mean that Jesus did not address the issues at hand for Jesus never backed down from advancing the Kingdom of God.  Yet He did so in a matter that proved that God was a loving and forgiving God as long as those who chose to listen and to change their ways did so and not as the high priests and the religious lawyers deemed God out to be.

How many times have we done the same type of acts towards those who differ from our beliefs and God’s?  It does not take me long to think of a few examples from my past that fall into this harsh category and one does not need to look too hard in order to find Christians acting in like manner today.  The Church has become famous for this type of attitude towards those who do not believe and many are ready to “stone” these people for their actions.  I pray every day that we allow God to open our spiritual eyes and even our physical ones to our actions and how they are hurting people instead of bringing them into God’s realm.  It pains me to think that some Christians actually believe that this method of harshness is from God and that what they are doing is correct and biblical.

In no way am I advocating acceptance of sin into the Church walls and allowing it to sit there unabated and festering until its policies are accepted as Church guidelines and by-laws.  This act would be considered treason and would allow the kingdom of Satan to advance instead of God’s Kingdom.  Yet we do not need to condemn others who are willing to listen to God’s commands and are looking for the truth.  Jesus loved humanity and He loved being alive on this earth, but He also understood that He had a mission to fulfill by being the perfect example of how to advance His Father’s Kingdom.

This is exactly what we need to be doing as a Church body and as the future bride of Christ.  Jesus never said it would be easy and there is a reason for that saying; when you fight against the home team it shall always be a tough road.  Jesus accomplished more for the Kingdom in the two examples that I have shared with you than most people do in their entire lives.  Many of us have blown it throughout our Christian walks but we still have an opportunity to change lives and to advance the Kingdom.  Use Jesus’ examples of witnessing as a guide and a tool to complete our mission that He commanded.

So the challenge we have is to thoroughly ask our hearts to which category do we operate through, is it as the high priests did or is it as Jesus did?  I know that I still have many areas within my life that must be absolutely appalling to God and I continually ask Him to show me these ways so that I may allow Him to rid myself of these faults so that I may be more like Jesus.  Is this your personal prayer and desire and is it the prayer of the Church herself?  These are perilous times and they shall continue to get worse and since this is a fact we must be totally prepared to endure such treatment yet keep our spiritual eyes, ears and hearts open to those who are hurting.  See, even though we may be feeling some uneasiness it only means that those who do not know God are going through excruciating pain and agony.  It is these people who are looking for answers and it is our job to not pay the wounded animal but to talk with them about the truth.

DLB

Historical Accuracy

Historical Accuracy

10/9/14

This is an interesting topic when it comes to questioning the Bible and its authenticity and at the edge of most debates when the Bible is used as a reference.  But is it fair to say that the Bible is an accurate historical document and should it be used in this capacity?  The question should also be addressed if the Bible is being used accurately when it is being used as such reference.  So many doubts have been raised about this issue and so many intellectuals have discredited its usage as a result.  However, we have totally missed what the Bible is really about and how much definition and accuracy it gives the center subjects.  And when we place into context the real issues within the Bible, its contents cannot get any more accurate and defined.

Archaeologists have argued against using the Bible for a reference for centuries, yet every once-in-a-while they uncover a site that follows what has already been proclaimed in the Bible.  It is well known that many exact dates may never be accurately defined through the remnants that past humans have left behind.  It is also understood that when these objects are located it places another piece of the human puzzle together no matter which side of the park one tends to be on.  If one is fair and truthful about the past of humans they will not be discouraged to find such artifacts but rejoice in their retrieval; yet in many of the cases this is not true and the finds are hidden and kept amiss from the world.

Why is this hiding so important when it comes to the archaeological finds?  And is it really that important of finds that they must keep them hidden, and why are they so focused upon this aspect of human history only?  Why is this process the only one being recognized on a worldwide scale and published accordingly?  The truth is that we are deliberately missing the real historical value of the Bible and everything that it has to do with our lives.  It is not a coincidence however, for as long as we continue to ignore this specific and important detail and focus upon the clothes, modes of travel, houses and other articles of industrial conditioning, our failure for our future will continue.

I am in no way saying that these areas of research and development are not important, for they place a great deal of information at our hands so that we can understand how people lived millennia ago.  What I am saying is that we are missing the true calling of studying our past in that we are not truly studying ourselves, just the materials that we used at that time.  The reason that it is easy for human researchers to discredit the Bible as an archaeological source is that they are looking in the wrong area, or barking up the wrong tree if you choose to put it in those terms.

This notion of trying to explain how people lived in our past is a good thing and we must agree that it is important for us to know just how far humanity has developed over time, but we shall never find out these details in the Bible no matter how hard we look for them; and there is a reason for this and it all points back to one specific item of importance and that item is us.  There are literally millions of books that have been published that deal with hundreds of subjects of human history.  There are some general survey books in which the author covers many topics but for the most part those history books deal with one aspect of history. While other interesting topics may be broadly recognized the author, he / she stays on task and ignores those rabbits for that particular book.  While these topics may produce other minds and hearts of questions, the general idea of the book is reached and followed until the end of said work.

God does recognize the fact that humans need things in order to survive and He also knows that it is a great deal of importance to us in order for our survival.  God also understands that while these items are important they are not the focus of His ways nor are they so vital that He would continually mention them in His Constitution.  The one thing that is mentioned from the beginning of Genesis and until the last verses of Revelation is the human.  The human dominates every story within the entire context of the Bible.

Yes there are instances where weather patterns are mentioned and even earthquakes which swallow people alive.  Wars, starvation, births and deaths of all kinds are recorded as well.  Laws and how they are kept and broken are even mentioned but most of these are noted towards a small scale with the human being the main attraction in each of these stories.  Is this another coincidence that humans are the center piece of each story or is it the reason why God mentions us so much in His Word.  The answer is clear, humans are the centerpiece of these stories for a reason and that reason is because God cares so much about us that we are His focus and it is through our lives that He gives us an infinite amount of examples for us to look at and to study.

It is clear that God loves us and has provided our lives with every opportunity to ensure our survival as a race.  It is through the human that everything we know is alive so why would God focus His detailed attention to anything else but His prize possession and ultimate creation?  The answer to that question is that He would not and He does not.  So, if you hear of further debates about how inaccurate the Bible is when it comes to being referred to as a reference, you can rest assure that once again they are wrong and are looking at the wrong area for their truth.

Humans are the ultimate idea in God’s Constitution and the most important reason of why He gave us this bit of information.  He gave us this source as a guide and as a learning tool for our futures; our futures could mean for any timeframe not just currently. When you place the human in the center of God’s Word one can then have a grasp of how important we actually are to God.  We also can figure out just how much we are hated by our enemy as well and how important that we keep a controlled and godly heart while walking on this earth.  The Bible is very accurate in this physical sense but it also represents something of greater importance.

Where human history stops with the death of a person, group, or civilization the Bible foretells us of what lies beyond our physical life.  It also explains how our enemy is out to deceive us not just in the physical world but in the spiritual world as well. The Bible teaches us that we have a spirit that was given to each one of us and that entity within us cannot die but lives for eternity.  We are also taught that our enemy is composed of that same spirit and is bound for spiritual separation from his Creator as well and that it is his goal to separate us from our Creator in like manner. 

The Bible and its human history detailed should spawn us to take a more concerted direction towards understanding just what our actions and choices create for our lives.  It should place more emphasis on doing what is correct for humanity instead of placing our selfish whims first in line when the opportunity arises.  The Bible certainly details how important it is to make sure that every option for our future is taken care of and it also provides distinct consequences of our choices when we fail to heed God’s warnings.  I find it so amusing that while my own country is still considered to be “Christian” the leaders are so blind to their actions that they are steadily proving the Bible correct once again through the ideas and concepts that they believe are right.  This process is ever so visible today and we are choosing to ignore the real future of our world for our own complacency and is a perfect example of looking in the wrong area of human history for answers.

It is a fact that God gave each and every one of us a mind and heart to use as we see fit.  It is our choice to use these gifts for our own purpose or for understanding what God has to offer us through our life.  However, it must be known that one day God will be proven correct to every heart and spirit that has ever been created.  Since He shall never force Himself on anyone, it is strictly up to us to figure out this truth before it is too late.  The path for our continued development and survival as a race has been carefully outlined and detailed out and is easy for us to understand if we only look in the right area and in the correct source.

So if a person reads the story about the walls falling down at Jericho but does not find a specific time that this event occurred do not discredit its authenticity because the importance of that event was not that the walls fell down but what the humans did before, during and after that setting that is important.  The relevance of that city is important but its place in history has no comparison to your place in history and shall never take your place on any pedestal higher than your existence.  Your history and life are the real detailed portions of the Bible and the real reason that God shared His Constitution with the world.  You want answers about the important things about life itself, I cannot recommend any better source of information than the Bible and I shall stand on my decision for as long as I hold breath in my lungs, for we all must remember that history is not just about dates and stones.

DLB

God Cannot Lie Nor Change His Laws

God Cannot Lie Nor Change His Laws

10/7/14

While the title of this article may be a tad off from what the topic deals with, it remains true.  Once God establishes a system He cannot change it no matter what we as humans try to believe.  The topic of this article is a tough one for some but in light of God’s commands and laws it should not even be a matter for the Church to be debating.  However, the concepts of acceptance there here and the entertainment of this sin is taking a hold of the Church by storm and it needs to be understood just how dangerous this issue is to our lives.  The concepts of this article will come strictly from God’s Constitution, not from me.  We must understand that we cannot budge God’s laws one bit no matter how hard we try, for God cannot lie.

As I have stated in my opening that there is a huge problem within the confines of the Church today.  It is important that we keep in mind that the Old Testament scriptures are just as important as the New Testament ones and neither can be complete without the other.  Christians have a tendency to forget, diminish or even take away from the legitimacy of the Old Testament scriptures simply because of the importance we place on the New Testament.  Anyone who serves God must realize that each word that is in the entire Bible is the written Word of God and cannot be changed for any reason.  I am not saying that various translations of the Bible are wrong, what I am speaking of is the fact that we try and manipulate God’s words in order to satisfy our own habits and choices and it is this process that is entirely wrong.

The origins of this article come from the Old Testament and more specifically from the book of Genesis.  The topic of the article concerns the acceptance of homosexuality within the Church and what the Church does with this concept afterwards.  Right up front I will remind you that everything that I present to you concerning the foundations of man and woman come strictly from God’s Word and not me.  So if you have any qualms about what God is saying to us through this article, do like you are supposed to and with a clean and pure heart ask Him, for it is He who wrote this. 

This article is for everyone who has questions about the origins of our creation and how it supports 100% the relationship between a man and a woman and nothing less, it will also explain the differences from our lives and the lives of animals which some use as a defense of homosexuality; all of this is in the Bible and it is strictly spelled out, but like most of us we have missed it. 

First off I want to state once again that I believe that God’s Word is His Constitution and that what is in this book has come straight from the heart of God.  I also believe that this book cannot be changed or altered in ANY way that man deems necessary. However, through the gift of choice God will allow humans to try and add to His word or choose to live by certain issues within His Word, but on that token we as humans must also understand that when we choose to do this, it is our lives that shall fall into a deep darkness and until we recognize that God is God and that He and His Word cannot change nor changed, we will live in complete misery and subject to any attack from our true enemy.

With the declarations out of the way I refer you to the book of Genesis, Chapter 2.  I know that the majority of people have read this passage over and over, I have to include myself in this category but it took God to showing me just what was transpiring when He gave us this verse for me to understand how important of a foundation it is for our relationship status with others.  Verse 7 states that god made man of the ground, breathed into his nostrils life and then became a living soul.  God stops here and continues on with His description of the Garden of Eden which means that God was through with the creation process of man.  In other words, man was complete and the creation process of man had begun, formed and was completed.  God did not make any adjustments in the creation of man after He completed the process, it was finished.  This means that if God begins something He must complete it in order for His process to be authentic and since God cannot lie, everything that He does must have a beginning and an ending.

In this passage we also find that God has already established a relationship with Adam, for He gives Adam the one law to follow and it deals with the tree of life.  One command or law was what Adam had to obey, that was it and through an unknown amount of time we find that humans could not follow that simple one law.

Verse 19 brings up another very important part of creation yet it has a great deal of information in it that many of us have overlooked, myself included.  But when we understand this principle not only does it bring to light how the lives of animals differ from us it also stands in direct conflict with the theory of evolution simply of how the animals were created.  As scientists will tell you there are many similarities between man and animal and some will defend this same origin concept till the day they die but according to God, our creations were similar but totally different.

Verse 19 of Chapter 2 states that God made the animals each to their own from the ground and it is this part of our creation that is similar to the animals.  It states that God made every beast of the field and every fowl of the air from the ground and brought them to Adam for him to name.  Here is the key to the portion of the animal creation that separates us from them.  This verse says that God made the animals from the ground, just as Adam was.  There is only one species of human mentioned here and there are thousands of species of animals present. 

Both are created from the ground which would explain how we are similar to the animals in nature and composition but the key to mankind is a little different.  It states that each animal was created which means God made the animals to their own kind individually.  That means a cow is different from a pig or a horse or even a caterpillar, yet they were made from the same ground.  This means that each animal will have their own markings and reproductive processes.  Therefore, if it is intended for a certain animal to reproduce in a certain manner then God has authorized this manner through the way in which He created that animal. 

It is known that some animals have to have a female in order to reproduce while others self reproduce and likewise other processes in between.  It is because God created these animals individually that their processes are different, due to the completeness of God and the choice of God.  Also, this order and manner of creation does not restrict a reproductive status into one category, it can vary accordingly to each species through the way that it was created.  Therefore, God may have created the entire Animal Kingdom all at once, but did so each to its own through individual steps of formation using a base foundation. Simply ingenious!!!

What further demonstrates God’s status is how He finishes the creation of mankind and it is contained in the same chapter but in verses 21 – 22.  It is said that God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and while he was in this state God took a portion of his body and then formed it into the female, commonly known as Eve, thus the human species as we know it has been created in two steps but through one origin and this is the difference that separates us from the animals and marks the foundation for the complete union between a male and a female, only.

Earlier in this article I stated that God had completed His creation of man and that He made no adjustments to him.  This means that God was pleased with His creation and that He had set into motion human method of reproduction in which it probably did not take too long to figure things out how that process occurred.  The difference in mankind’s creation is that man was already complete and woman was created out of man which makes the female’s laws equal to those of the man’s.  My father has placed this text in a beautiful context when he explains how the woman is the man’s equal and according to how she was made man should recognize the importance of this concept and treat her in such manner.

Since man was created as an individual and woman was created out of him, this places the correct order for reproduction which we all know can only happen when a man and a woman are involved.  It is not God who made man’s desires to like other men (intimately) nor was it God’s ways to make women like other women intimately.  God cannot change His ways in any shape or fashion and since this is a true statement that means some other force must control this same sex sexual attraction.  The lifestyle of being homosexual does not come from God but because God shall never force Himself upon anyone, He allows us to make this choice in our lives.  If anyone believes that God is the Creator of everything, they must come to this conclusion and then take a harder look at why this “phenomenon” is so popular.

Through God’s creation of our existence and through the manner in which He created us His laws of intimate relationships have been set in eternity.  And since He cannot lie nor can He change, this means that the law of male and female reproduction cannot change and it is mankind’s choice to try and alter this law.  Since god cannot change His laws this means He cannot change the structure and the basic concepts of His creation, the human.  This also means that since we cannot change our real stature we must be influenced by some other force in believing that we should; hence of which the laws of this world and our enemy come into play.

If God would have chosen to create the female in the same manner as He did the animals, from the dirt and separate from each other, then there would be legal grounds for mankind to vary in their sexual behavior without it being an abomination to God. But God did not create the female in such a manner as the animals, He created her from the male which means she is subject to the same physical and spiritual laws as man is and thus explains why it is such a reprehensible sin in God’s eyes.  No where is it mentioned that the animals were created by God and then their mates or identical creations came from them; only from the ground.

While this example demonstrates only the reproductive issues of humanity, on the surface, it does define the overall relationship between man and woman along the same lines of intimacy.  The process of reproduction includes the act of sex no matter how one looks at it.  Sex is the highest form of pleasure and the only time that a man and woman are joined as one, just as the example of Eve’s creation was stated.  Man provides the bloodline and thus the initial life process just as God kept this pattern in order when He created Eve.  This process also solidifies the union of man and woman and as long as this union is intact, oneness can be achieved.  It is when this process is interrupted by another, or by another process that damages are done and bring upon the human unmentionable pain.

It is clear that God has given us the direct information needed in order to understand our sexual orientations.  But because God shall never force Himself upon any of us, it is strictly up to us to believe this truth and then apply it into our lives.  There are no varying factors that play into this setting, there is only one and that factor is choice.  It is the choice of the human to allow this type of activity to be held either as sacred or in contempt with our lives.  We must remember another thing as well as we make up our minds about this truth, what we choose to do today shall affect our future generations down the road and we all know that since the human likes to do things bigger and better than previous standards, it cannot be a pretty sight if the wrong choice is made.

It is not my intention to beat anyone down or to condemn them for the choices that they have made, for it is their choice. However, if anyone reads this article they then have no excuses that they did not know the truth about how God established the intimate relationship between man and woman.  God shall always choose life no matter what the circumstances may be, but to place new life into a basic lie can only produce fear, hurt, pain and death even if the choice feels good at the moment. 

It is however our responsibility to ensure that everyone that has sin be allowed to be a part of a church congregation.  It is also our responsibility to ensure that each sin is addressed completely and thoroughly so that the people who voluntarily come into the congregation understand the true position of that church.  If a church is going to be biblically accurate she must teach that homosexuality is wrong and that there is proof of this in God’s Word.  There cannot be any wavering in this truth for if there is then that church and the entire congregation will be subject to the consequences of that sin. 

It is also our deep responsibility to love these people and to show them that God loves them, but at the same time be gentle enough with them that when we show them that their sin is sin, that they will take that into their lives as the truth.  We cannot beat into their heads or scream at them and condemn their actions.  This tactic has been tried for centuries and the consequences of those actions are alive and well today.  If the Church is aware enough as to what is going on around her, then she shall understand how to pray and what to say to these people, along with how to accomplish this task.  If the Church is in complete spiritual authority then when she prays the spirit will move accordingly and the people’s motives shall be made clear.  This concept does not stop with this area either, but it includes all areas and aspects of our lives.  When one kingdom is pushed forward the other is automatically pushed back, there is no sharing of spaces.

God loves each and every one of us and it is His desire to see us live in perfect peace and happiness but if we continue to progress by our own mannerisms and ideologies, that peace and happiness will soon be turned into the same fear, hurt, pain and death as I mentioned in the previous paragraph.  God CANNOT change His ways no matter what we think of them and we CANNOT change His Constitution either no matter how much we may believe we can.  Look at the turns that western society has made away from God in the past two decades and then take a look at our overall living conditions and it will not take very much to realize that within those 20 years or so our living standards and conditions have changed dramatically.  This trend shall continue as long as we continue our current progression track.

There is still time for this country and the other societies of the world to turn their spiritual living conditions around, but the chance of that happening looks very slim.  That is ok and God shall allow it, but please do not blame God when things really hit the fan for it is not His fault it is our own.  Remember these things as you close this article: God cannot change and we cannot change Him in any way.  God loves you and desires that you have an abundant life through Him and His ways.  There is still time for us to restore our country and our hearts before Him and lastly understand that if we do not turn from our ways He shall not heal our land but take it away from us and it is of dire importance that we understand exactly what our land constitutes.

DLB

A Simple Stream

A Simple Stream

10/5/14

Many of us love to sit beside a stream and take in everything that the scene offers.  Picnics, reading or listening to relaxing music dominate some of these settings and what do we think about while we are gracing the presence of such a magnificent body of life and on a different level, do we even understand the power that this small amount of moving water has?  How does a small stream reflect our lives in such a manner that we can contribute to a higher cause and how can we learn about life through this setting?  There are many considerations that must be accounted for when living the small stream of life and it has been proven many times over that unless we know our true source of life, we shall never come into contact with the ultimate goal that we desperately strive towards.

I have included a picture of a small stream at the top of this article and I want to ask if anyone recognizes this stream and where its location is at?  I know it does not look like much of a force but it represents a very significant event that leads to a great ending.  The beginning of this stream is only approximately a few feet wide and only a couple of inches deep and runs through a dense grassy area.  Small springs run into this small stream which force it to take a windy path to seek out more ground as its content grows.  While there may be some arguments concerning the true source of this stream, it is not hard to agree upon that the beginnings of this stream were small and unique which could never be re-created again. 

The picture represents a part of the origin of the Mississippi River system, which is the third largest river system in the world and it basically drew its life from a small humbling of a setting.  This small stream has its own life and feels free to flow with all of its might in a direction that would suit its drainage and even though this pathway at the beginning is small and if water had knowledge, it would so proud of what it was to become.  But one drop of water does not reach the mouth of the Mississippi Delta in one twenty four hour period but it takes time and encounters so many more “adventures” along the way.

As the water molecules continue their path along the current they encounter many different places and things.  Not every drop of water will make it to the mouth of the Mississippi but a good portion of them will, all the while performing a duty along the way.  The stream has become a small river because of other tributaries that have joined the system and their contents have forced the stream to increase in its size.  The strength of the river has grown and is beginning to mold parts of the earth according to its patterns and strength.

As the pathway of the river continues to move along it passes many sceneries and a vast number of landscapes pass by as the water runs its course.  The meadows give way to the small towns and gigantic cities which provide a change in atmosphere as it courses through its defined streets.  The river then leaves the city which turns into high cliffs which provide further assistance for guidance as the river continues its course.  Other rivers bodies join this main body of water along these cliffs which persuades the surrounding land to make a larger area for more water which she freely does, all the while this passive force struggles to stay within its boundaries.

As the miles crept along the small stream has become one of the most powerful rivers in the world and can even accommodate large barges heavily filled with materials going to other cities located on the river.  What a majestic scene this river holds as it winds its way down the country cutting the entire nation into two halves.  The end of the river is so vast that its delta actually covers miles in length, which is a hard thing to comprehend since the river’s beginnings were a small stream only about a couple of feet wide and a few inches deep.  But how this river has grown and how great are its resources that are vital to a needy society.  Many opportunities lie within reach of this river’s boundaries both to mankind and to nature itself.  The river comes alive with each bend and turn of its course and as long as there is a source of its feeding, it shall always run freely and gracefully until destination of the water has been reached.

It is true that not every molecule of water that is included along the way makes it to the mouth and the destination of the river.  It is virtually impossible for us to track a single molecule’s progress down the river, but if one could study this progression, it would be fascinating to watch unfold.  It is possible to watch these rivers and their contents to merge with the main river Mississippi and while I have not been able to see this phenomenon happen too often I do understand it is a wonder to witness.  In some cases the color of the water is different from the water into which it is merging and a line is formed that is quite visible and in other settings there may not be much visible change.  Whatever the case may be the waters do merge and begin working together to move down river to the common destination.

As with the origins of the Mississippi River the ending of this great waterway has a specific destination.  While the origins of this river are very small and minute the delta of the Mississippi is a vast system of drainage systems that flow into the Gulf of Mexico.  The delta of the Mississippi itself is not one single opening but actually spans miles along the coast of Louisiana and forms an entire ecosystem separate from the land that the river just finished crossing.  Sometimes the river is so full of water that it leaves it banks due to the many different weather conditions upstream.  Then there are certain weather patterns that also affect the flow of water from the Mississippi and these patterns are strong enough that the flow of the river is actually slowed enough to flow the surrounding areas as well.  It fascinates me that a river so powerful is still at the mercy of other patterns that affect its flow, in other words even a mighty river cannot control everything that it wishes.

The course of our human life follows a similar pattern as the origins and the destination of the Mississippi River.  From a humble and weak beginning our lives can go in almost any direction and take several turns at a moment’s notice.  We are dependent upon many things in order to survive our initial hours, days, months and years all-the-while we are hopelessly entrusting our parents for the vital support we need to grow and thrive.  Just as the small stream winds through the marsh and wetlands, so too do our steps when we are learning our new boundaries and horizons that present themselves.  We continue our growth process by encountering many different settings within our lives and when a change of season occurs, at first we do not know how to adjust to the environment either.  This growth and development does not come without challenges, bumps and bruises and it is the new learning curve that each one of us experiences every day.

After a while we begin to understand that our lives are not as fragile as we once believed, and more situational circumstances present themselves as we venture out into an unknown world.  Our movements are further expanded and are judged by how we respond to the new demands of our growth.  Our youth cannot be summed up with one paragraph but can be explained in short detail with the expansion of our hearts through the new adventures that we experience.  Love, life and liberty are the basics that many of the youth walk through on a daily basis and their struggles vary from incident to incident, yet as the Mississippi River gained power and strength through its new twists and turns the additions to its body increased its girth and stability to forge ahead into its fullness.

Our adult lives become enriched with many of the blessings that are allowed to humans.  A family, kids, jobs, friends, education and a happy fulfilled environment are just some of the rewards that our existence can bring.  It is understandable that not every second of our lives bring this much happiness and contentment but even through the tough learning times of adulthood provide us with an added stability and foundation that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren when the opportunity arises.  This vastness and briskness of life is also a common theme noticed with rivers and can be witnessed when a powerful boat within the center of the river struggles to make headway against the flowing current.  Even with our strong physical currents we still struggle within our lives as to who we are and what our definition and legacy will be in the future.  All of these settings can be wrapped up in one single word and that word is life.

As we continue our course our destiny soon comes a calling and we enter into another stage of preparedness.  The Mississippi River has a huge delta system that feeds many miles of land with a mixture of water, silt and other forms of natural minerals from all parts of the country that are vital for the new products of the area and so should our life produce the same as our last days arrive.  We can look back from our humble beginnings and watch our progress grow as our lives followed suit and adhere to the ethics of our growth as a cornerstone for our children to adhere to.  As we review our lives we tend to be discreet about some areas and wide open with others judging ourselves with due course.  We look at our failings and short comings as greater than our achievements which should never be the case.  If a river could think I wonder what it would believe about its course including all of the misguidings and losses along its path instead of the great achievements of supplies along its path.

The next portion of our lives is when we draw our last physical breath and enter into another completely different “time” zone.  None of us alive have had this experience as of yet and none of know when this time shall come.  We all understand, and many fear, that this time will arrive sooner rather than later and that we will miss out on many things according to what we can see and know.  I have idea if a water molecule knows that it is reaching the end of its river journey or not or even if it realizes when it is drawn upon the side of the bank to dry up and cease to exist, but I do know that there are billions and billions of these water molecules that reach their final destination and know that there is some other job waiting for them in another place.  Our last breath has been taken and we see a new world coming into focus, but none of us can know what it is until we all reach this destination.

Our lives have a planned destination and for us to reach this destination we must live our life one day at a time.  None of us knows when our live will end but we were never created to live in this fashion anyway.  We were created to be a thriving being, full of life and adventure so that we may know the entire meaning of our creation.  In order for us to know this truth we first must know our Creator and the reasons as to why He made us in this way.  As the water molecule has a simple structure yet represents a huge bond when pulled together so is humanity if we truly know our origins.  It is tough when our lives become rocky but we must realize that as long as we have the truth within our hearts we will get through that mess and come out stronger than when it started.  All of the trials that we encounter throughout our lives should strengthen us for our future, not only for our own personal lives but also so we can teach our children and leave a better legacy behind.

To understand our Creator is not an overnight process, nor is our entire life either.  We should grow in physical stature and we should grow in spiritual truth as well.  It is easy to compare our growth to a stream and then to a mighty river but we really do not understand what kind of driving forces we have within us until we place a tugboat in our center and it tries to go upstream.  It is at this time when we must understand our reasons for life for if we do not we may force ourselves to take a wrong turn and give into that boat.  A divided life is a devastated life and if we do not understand the forces that are against us, this division is only a matter of when and not if.

It does not take very long to witness this type of activity within a person.  Just sit on a bench somewhere and casually watch people as they pass by you.  In no time you will see people in different walks of their lives and every aspect of a human’s life will also be represented.  Pain and suffering will soon present themselves to your eyes and if you listen close enough you may even hear their cries of agony calling out.  Many reading this will be quick to point out that I am talking about the physical, but I am not.  I am talking about the spiritual because it is the spiritual aspect that serves our lives according to our Creator.  Yes, our physical lives may be in this manner and this type of physical condition is serious and important to Him as well, but our eternal lives represent the truth of our creation.

We may live a strong and fulfilling physical life but be totally defenseless when it comes to our spiritual well-being.  As the molecules of water leave the center of the river or stream and wash up on the banks, it dries out due to the surroundings, or they can encounter animals or other obstacles that would inhibit or prohibit its continued journey our spiritual journeys may fall subject to the same recourse.  It is the job of our enemy to ensure that our lives become so divided that we fail to see the difference between our spiritual life and our physical life.  There is a reason as to why it is stated within the Bible that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God and it is because that person fails to understand that both aspects of our life are important enough to be kept strong at all times.

The foundations of our physical life are drawn up in the book of Genesis and this beginning represents a small stream in the history of man.  As we progress with all of our selfish ways and means we build our girth on finite details which eventually cloud both the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives.  It was God who formed us and it was God who made woman out of man and not separate; there is a reason for this.  God does not expect us to understand all of His creation overnight it takes diligence and perseverance in order for us to know HIM, not man.  It is not fair that we place our understanding in God through the works of mankind.  Our understanding of God comes through spiritual growth and daily communications with God.  Our physical growth is independent from our spiritual growth yet both can be just was weak or just as strong as the other.

It is God’s ultimate desire that when it is time that we reach our physical delta, that our spiritual legacy will spread across many miles not just a few feet.  The physical is limited on what it can do and how long it will be around, but the spiritual is eternal and will have everlasting effects on one of the two spiritual kingdoms.  Everyone starts out the same but it is our delta that makes all of the difference.  How is your spiritual delta and how will it reflect your spiritual legacy, the physical notwithstanding.  If you are reading this article then you still have time to change your spiritual delta content and I ask you to take a hard look at your life, both the physical and the spiritual but mainly the spiritual and see how it has been developed.

The pictures that I have included are of two sources one is the beginning of the Mississippi River and the other is a picture that my youngest daughter drew for this article.  Both are beautiful representations of what this article topic was created for and that is your origins, beginnings, growth and destination; both the spiritual and the physical.

DLB