Anti Trust

Anti Trust

2/2/13

Anti-trust is a concept that breaks up a sole provider of a product and makes sure that other companies or groups can provide the same product at a competitive price.  This is not a new concept and for the most part works but it does not solve the issues of price wars and other divisions within the business community.  The same can be said of the world trying to split our lives from God and all the while limiting us by not allowing us to have choices in this manner.  Anti-trust works for the world but it is an eternal disaster for us as spiritual individuals.

In the early 1800s the main mode of transportation was by horse.  Many methods of travel came before the horse but until that occurred there was no question that the horse was the best way to get to another community or even across a part of the country.  The horse proved that it could perform several duties in the field of labor, including travel to different communities.  However, the amount of space that could be covered in a specific day was limited due to the limited speed that a horse could travel.  A better way had to be made since the growth of the country was occurring with rapidity.

This was when a group of people designed a mechanical engine and machine that would run on a certain kind of fuel and would not have to stop for hours at a time for rest.  The engine could be re-supplied quickly and within a few minutes or so the locomotive, or the iron horse, would be able to be back on its way towards its destination.  As the development of this machine furthered it was found that the engine could produce so much more energy that it could pull more weight than ever imagined.  Soon it was possible that this invention could move thousands of pounds of supplies to the people all across the country and it was considered one of the greatest ideological concepts when this invention was involved in connecting the entire country together at one certain point within our country.

With the continued growth of the country the demand for the train and all of the riches that it brought to each community became almost overwhelming to the manufacturers that built them.  For quite some time it was hard for the production lines to keep up with the demand but somehow the required productivity was met and the success of the railroad became the highest method of transportation for the country.

With the demand still increasing this meant that more railroad and terminal companies were popping up almost every day.  Every aspect of the railroad provided a demand, which in turn provided the need for another company to supply the necessities of the railroad and reciprocating communities.  New towns sprang up all across the country and as soon as the inhabitants established the town as a permanent settlement they too needed to have the railroad in order to survive.  With the steady growth of the country it was evident that as more companies appeared on the map that the competition between these companies would become fierce to sustain their current business.  When certain companies would run short of cash or supplies, another larger company would approach the owner and offer to buy him / her out and with the huge amount of cash offered, many of these small companies were immediately sold and placed under new management.

Some of these larger companies began to control huge areas of territory and some of their lines stretched into other states and regions of the country which then included all of the accessories that accompanied the industry.  Prices were set at a fixed rate and there was nothing that the smaller companies could do but to succumb to the high demands of these large companies’ prices or give up their stakes to their own companies to the larger companies.  The competition between the companies turned into communal arguments with then led into territorial wars that began to cost people their lives.  It was evident that something needed to be done concerning these conditions so the people decided to turn towards the government when it was obvious that no further resolution could be made between the companies.

The government then in turn passed a set of laws that would limit the amount of control and power that one company could have within a specific industry.  The railroad was one of the first industries to experience these set of laws and it helped out tremendously for the smaller railroad companies but it nothing but anger the larger companies who had to give up control of portions of their empire.  The laws were made of stone and deemed necessary by the majority of the business world and these laws are still in effect today and have prevented hundreds of companies from controlling the entire modern industrial world.

Now, there are people out there who will argue that these laws are vile and need to be abolished.  On the other hand there are people out there with the complete opposite view and would defend the laws and their meanings until the day they die.  Both sides have legitimate arguments and it could be easily become a consuming matter for any one company or type of industry to be involved amongst.  But as I stated before these laws are here to stay as long as the United States has these laws on the books, companies within each industry have the opportunity to work together but we all know that there will always be a definitive dissection within and in between the corporate settings.

So, since the line of progression had to be dealt with on a physical level, then there must be an example of where this type of activity can be applied to the spiritual aspects of our lives.  If you have asked that question then your answer would be yes.  How many of us understand that it is the job of our enemy to incorporate this same concept within our lives where God is concerned?  Not many of us have probably thought about this situation but it is a reality and it is being pushed upon our lives moment by moment.  This process is now accepted as a standard of practice within western society and has risen to the level of racism if one does not accept this belief by each person. 

There should be people out there that understand that the church is almost at a standstill, in almost every capacity.  This lack of action is visible every day when we read the news.  It does not matter what part of the world you talk about, the church is in the same condition.  What is so concerning about this situation is that the Church is blind to the fact of the attacks that are being conducted against it.  The church is being attacked on every side of the aisle, which in all actuality is the way it is supposed to be if the church is doing what it was commissioned to do.   But when the attacks are for reasons that normally a person would see coming from the world, then one must realize real quick that there is a huge problem within the hierarchy of the Church.

Our problem is that we have allowed our enemy to penetrate our boundaries enough that he has gained access to our ways of being.  He has infiltrated our minds enough that he is able to dictate our responses to worldly conditions by accepting a softer stance against his divisive tendencies.  The world is going to be divided this is a given and it was the church that was supposed to bring the world together under God and His laws.  Instead we have been infatuated with worldly laws and have incorporated them into our existence and then have brought that philosophy into the church. 

The world is not ours and it never will be.  It has been said that the world belongs to the father of lies so why would be embrace the world or its policies in any form or fashion?  That does not mean we draw a hard line between the world and the church and point our fingers at the people on the other side of the line.  We have done a wonderful job in doing that all throughout church history, but this act has been a driving force of the divisive nature or the anti-trust nature that our enemy has provided and pushed against the church.

The more division that the enemy can place between us the more the Church becomes a weaker vessel of promoting Jesus’ command of going out into the world.  A divided church cannot fight against the issues of spiritual authority nor can its light penetrate the darkness of the world.  A divided church is a defeated church and a glorified lie according to Biblical principles.  The spiritual anti-trust laws that the world has pushed on the church are having a devastating effect upon us.  And what is so frustrating is that we are sitting back and arguing amongst ourselves about how our image looks within our community.  Kind of sounds just like the approach the leaders of the Synagogues in Biblical times stood for and allowed, which provided for a legalistic and popular acceptance to the world governments.

It is important for us to recognize the fact that the world and its allies shall never compliment the church, no matter if the church agrees with the policies of the world.  It is a part of the spiritual anti-trust laws that our enemy puts into place that prevent this from occurring.  The people may say thank you to the church or “accept” them for what they are currently defending or standing up for but as soon as any true spiritual concepts return or show themselves the true nature of the anti-trust laws will enforce their rights and restrictions.  It is a progression that we are ignoring and allowing to surround our spiritual necks and we need to wake up and realize just how tight the spiritual anti-trust hands are around our throats.

Our enemy will slowly but continually put his anti-trust policies into the minds and hearts of the people of the world.  As people of God we need to be grounded in the word enough that when these policies are presented that we realize what is occurring and immediately implement God’s plan for humanity and defeat this momentous policy.  The only way we can complete this action is to understand and believe that God has a plan for each of our lives and that this plan has an enemy that wishes to see us destroyed. 

We can no longer afford to bicker over our petty doctrinal difference or cower to the other forces that challenge the authority that Jesus gave to the church. Jesus never attacked people He always confronted the religious leaders of the church.  Why?  It was because the leaders had allowed the enemy to enforce the spiritual anti-trust laws within the church and everything that God deemed it to be was made awash.  Since we are the church we must have the decency to accept that we have failed in our capacity of an affective church and also accept the fact that we have a lot of work to do quickly or the life as the church knows it will be terminated.

We also do not realize that when we allow these anti-trust laws to function within our lives we lose our individuality within the world.  Even though the world may seem more likely to succeed in the anti-trust laws our spiritual lives do not need to be splintered in any form, shape or size.  We have only one source of life and we need to be complete in Him even in the things that we cannot see or hear.  God’s Word was written for us and it was written about us.  We should learn from the past and the mistakes that we have made due to the fact that we have listened to the world’s views on things.  It does not mean that we need to argue with people but we do need to confront the spirit that influences them. 

It is time that we restore the vision that Jesus gave to us and to repent to God for losing the sight of the cross and everything that it means to our lives.  We need to restore our faith and values and give our lives back to God once again.  For if we continue to allow the spiritual anti-trust laws to be in effect within our walls, our division and effectiveness as a church within the world that we live in will become nil and eventually die within all of us.  Spiritual anti-trust has enough people fooled already and we do not need to include the church in this category.  Jesus loves the church, God loves the church and I love the church and our enemy does not no matter how he presents himself. 

DLB

The Day My War Began

The Day My War Began

1/24/13

Many of us pose a question to God that goes something like this, God, why are these things happening to me or another question is will this trial ever end?  Any of those questions ring a bell to anyone?  Well, all of us know that being human brings adverse conditions at times and on a daily basis we are reminded that life is not always a bed of roses.  There is a reason for this type of activity that surrounds us and these conditions have their origin in history, ancient history to be exact.  But what many of these same people fail to realize that there is a reason for these trials and stressful conditions that we experience and each of us play a part in the role of Kingdom advancement and it does not matter if you believe in God or not, your potential is enough to war this war against you.

When you read history about war one will begin to understand that at some point in that period of time a certain event or chain of events actually point to the start of the conflict.  When you look at World War I and its time frame, it is generally recognized that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria as one of the main catalysts that began this conflict.  Many also see Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland as one of the main focal points of the beginning of World War II.  Those are two examples of two major catastrophes of world history that had profound effects upon millions of people both then and now.  None of us are exempt from war whether it is in a personal struggle against a fellow human being or in a spiritual setting in which eternal life is at stake.  Both are situations are real and both are devastating when the battles are fought, and it does not matter who wins the fight either.

We always question God and the things that He allows us to face in life.  Sometimes we do not ever understand the exact meaning of the things we have to go through and other times we figure it out after the fight is over.  Whichever way God chooses to walk through these battles with us, we must be relatively certain that for some reason we are worth His time and guidance through these fights and as the song states “sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms His child.”  But do we understand why we are subjected to these battles and what is it about us that our enemy desires most about us?  Our fight with the enemy goes back to the beginning of human history and it shall never change until the earth and our lives end as we know it.

Many people believe that our fight with the enemy begins when we are born.  This is a valid argument in the fact that when we leave the mother’s womb we are “then” considered to be alive and deemed worthy of life itself, so this could be a defining point of the war that we wage but why would our enemy pick on innocent life forms if the key was already not coded within us in some manner?  Being born into a cruel environment does not give enough definition either since here lies the inheritance of life is already set into motion, nor does being placed into a wonderful family gives justice for this motion either.

Other people will say that when you become a Christian is when the battle begins between you and your enemy.  I do not believe this to be the defining point either since if that were the case all the nonbelievers would be living normal, happy, peaceful, successful, healthy, and any other adjective that you could think about that would describe their life.  I remember when I gave my life to Christ back in 1982 in Cleveland, Texas but that evening was not the defining point or the beginning of my war with my enemy.

There are those that believe that their struggles against the enemy began when they got baptized, or married, or began teaching Sunday School, or being chosen to become an altar boy but the fact is none of these special moments in our life represent the beginning of our war.  And nothing that you can do in church or any position that you hold in the church can be the beginning of your war.  Now, receiving those positions and holding titles within your church can intensify your battles of course but it is not the reason why the enemy began his war with you.

See, the defining point of our war actually began long before you were even born, long before your parents and any portion of your family was present on this earth.  Your war with the enemy began at the same time my war with the enemy began and it was with the creation of the first human beings on earth.  It was at this time that the war began between Satan and humanity and it does not matter if you believe in the story or not, it is real and it is happening every moment of your life.  It does not matter what you do on earth but as long as you are on this earth and breathing the gift of life you have the potential to push back the enemy’s kingdom and prove to him that God was right all along.  It is for this purpose and this purpose only that your enemy, my enemy hates us so dearly that he will do anything in his might and power to keep you from the will of God and the plan that He has for your life.

Our enemy knows that God controls the playing field and says what can happen and cannot happen.  Our enemy knows the potential that you have in this playing field and it is his job to keep us from advancing in life.  See, God wants us to succeed in life, be healthy, have a sound mind, be productive in life, live life to the fullest at all times and understanding that God has given us this life in freedom, real freedom, but allowing us to realize this would be devastating to is cause, why do you think he tempted the first humans, why not start with the 10,000^th human or even the 1 millionth human?  The opportunity for his deception had to be at the beginning of humanity so that his access to future human natural laws would be intact for his manipulation.

These laws are still in effect within our lives today.  If you want examples then look at your children or in your siblings or find someone in your family and then watch them for a while.  Eventually, you will notice a similarity, and not in looks, that will remind you of someone in your family.  Listen to stories that your grandparents tell about their parents or grandparents, there will be a pattern that will show up at some point.  All of us have some similar pattern within our family that points back to a common thread and this is a result of our war and the things that we have to battle on a daily basis.  These reference points are the ones that open doors in our lives that we cannot understand why things happen but we sure do like to blame god when they arrive.  But it is not God who is responsible for these, the choice was made for us a very long time ago and we are made to clean up the mess, so to speak.

But here is the good news. J  There is a way around this scenario.  The battles cannot be avoided, they will come our way and we will have to stand our ground and fight them.  But when the choice was made for our lives a long time ago God did provide a way for us to be protected, which is another reason why your potential to humanity torments our enemy.  The protection is God and the blood of His Son Jesus.  God actually spoke of His plan while He was with the participants in the garden and from that moment on the war has been on for our lives. 

There are many things in our lives that are presented to us that we do not perceive as a hindrance or actually a part of our war that we are fighting.  But stop and think about it for a minute and really try and understand what some of the things that are in your life actually represent to you.  Are they a hindrance and an object that enables our enemy to gain access to us during our battles?  Do the things that we read, watch, say portray to others a sword of defeat in their lives?  How far have we allowed the enemy to penetrate into our beings that we do not even realize that he is maneuvering our actions in a detrimental way, to everyone and not just ourselves?

All of these things that we encounter have a certain meaning and plan for our life.  The things of the world only confound our problems with our enemy, we never truly benefit from them at all.  It is all part of our war that was waged against us many millennia ago and we are running to grab a hold of it as fast as we can all the while being blindly destroyed with each step we take.

This war will not end until you draw your last breath, and then our enemy does not care any longer you are physically off the planet and can no longer do any more damage, or have the potential to destroy his kingdom.  Your life is valuable and so important that God chose you over the angels as His messenger to the world and it is just as important for our enemy to shut you up and to hinder you from accomplishing your mission in life.  Each one of us has a purpose for our life and our enemy knows this and each purpose that has been given to us has the potential of pushing forward God’s Kingdom and pushing back Satan’s.  Our enemy has the home field advantage but we have the eternal manager that knows every detail about life and is willing to teach us everything that we can ever know the true meaning of life.  Our battles are tough, bloody and vicious in nature but the stakes are high and all sides involved know the end results.  You are worth fighting for and we all should know this by the battles that we constantly face each day.  So hold your head up high and watch out for those battle rocks and know that you are a child of the King.

DLB

Heads Up!

Heads Up!

1/13/13

Our bodies are equipped with a formation on the top of our structure called a head.  It is a fascinating object that sits there and basically controls every movement that we make.  We have many names for this object and while some of us see others that walk with their heads down most of the time we still have the capability to improve our posture and to raise up our heads and to see what is around us.  When are heads are down we blind ourselves to what is coming towards us and it is not until after we are hit with something that we tend to look up and see what just happened.  We need to change this habit of walking with our heads down so that we may have a fighting chance to defend ourselves with what our enemy is doing to us.

We have all heard of the phrase “head’s up!”  We all understand what that phrase means as well and if we ignore those words when they are spoken, or yelled, in our direction we increase our chances of being hit with some sort of flying object.  We also know that with everything that is going on around us it is physically impossible to always have our heads in the upright position and that we must rotate on a continual basis to grasp the full view of our surroundings.  However, if we continue to look in one direction, besides forward, in this type of manner we are surely going to have some type of problem in the very short future.  I guess that this type of human activity also falls into the same question as to why people at sea continually look up to the sky.

Now, with my sick sense of humor I have always found the statement of head’s up to be kind of funny.  In my opinion if you are not paying attention to what is going on around you and you hear this phrase the first thing that humans usually do is look up and find the person or people who are saying the warning phrase.  Then, by the time you locate that specific person and look up in the sky to see where the object is coming from most of the time it is already too late and you have just been hit or the object has landed close by the position that you are in at that moment.  So, because of that scene that I have in my head that should tell you that I have heard that phrase coming from someone but have never actually been hit with an object that I was not expecting and I shall not bring up any past experiences where I have been expecting objects to approach my position but have totally missed them and gotten hit anyway.

And all of us have witnessed or have wanted to witness someone walking along the street or sidewalk while reading a book or newspaper or with the new fad today with people texting away and then smacking into an object that if they only had their head up would have missed completely.  Even though this is funny this portion of the scene is not the best part.  The best part is that the people who accomplish this sometimes painful but hilarious act immediately begin to look around and to see if anyone saw what had just happened, dusts themselves off and continue on the street doing the exact same function that caused them the pain and embarrassment in the first place.  So all of you kids out there whose parents ask you if you have your head on straight there is a reason for this statement and it is only for your own good.

It is inevitable that if we continue to walk with our head down and refuse to look up and pay attention to what is coming and going around us, we will at some point run into trouble and pain will be inflicted on our lives, this is not a maybe this is a guarantee.  Humans also tend to forget that this type of activity occurs within our spiritual lives as well.  When we are travelling along our spiritual path of life these spiritual rocks become a part of our path and if we do not have our heads up and looking about, they will hit us and leave us to die.  These rocks may be spiritual ones but they also affect our physical lives as well and since we have to react to these circumstances it is a must that we understand that they exist.

There are three types of rocks that cause us to look down on this path.  The first type is the ones that are buried within our road in which we have no option of avoiding, these are a part of our lives that we inherit and we live with these our entire lives.  They are big enough that we have to stop and go around them as we pass their presence in our path.  These types of rocks are embedded within our path and cannot be removed but in certain instances we are reminded of their existence and that is when they become a distraction.  This type of rock was discussed in the Bible in the Book of John about a blind man but it was God who changed the inherited path of this person.  The person could not remove this rock from his life and even though he had lived with it for his entire life he inherited the rock and the man trusted God enough to change the “composition” of his rock. 

This type of rock will appear at any time along our road of life and we must understand that it is a product of man and not of God.  It is also a rock that we do not have an option to correct either and it is totally up to God and His healing power to correct.  This type of rock is a burden on our lives and many times we do not understand why God has allowed this type of rock to be developed within our lives but we do have the comfort that God does know what is happening within our lives and even though we have to bend down and maneuver around this rock He is right there to guide our steps as we pass the rock.  It is at this time when we are watching our rock passing our enemy that we like to believe will leave us alone with our inherited condition brings his own frustrations to a head within our lives and complicates our maneuvers around the rock.  Yes, our enemy is that cruel and this is when he shows the world his true colors. 

The second type of rock is the type that we voluntarily place on our path.  This type of rock is dangerous since we place it on our road.  We call them defensive mechanisms and we place them in strategic places within our lives (road) that we believe will protect us from going through similar circumstances in the future.  We may think that what we are doing is a security measure but in reality we are placing obstacles in our life that we will have to go back and remove in order for our road to be correctly travelled upon.  It is this type of rock that hurts the most since it is one that was not present our entire life and that we have built it well enough to that we incorporate these rocks as permanent structures within our lives.  They are built to last and since we dig into our lives and prepare the ground for the new protection it is our inner being that attaches to this rock and views it as a healing measure and mechanism when in fact that the rock becomes a source of decay and eventual death of our inner man.

It is while we are building this type of rock that we are looking down towards the ground and it is assured that some type of added circumstance will occur while we are constructing this rock within our life.  What is interesting about this type of rock is that is made of human origins.  The stones that we make come from the ground, our own composition which our inner beings accept as a natural replacement and therefore do not fight the building process.  Think about that statement for a bit and it will become clear of why the walls that we build serve as a natural barrier in our lives and are so easily built and very difficult to let o of when the time is needed.  I have a feeling that I will be dealing with type of rock in a future article. J

So at another point in our lives it never fails that we end up having to deal with these types of rocks in our path and when this time occurs it is a painful process and it is never easy.  This is true even if we allow God to take care of as well.  Yes, God will be glad to break this rock up and He has no problem with this but in this instance we will be reluctant in accepting this process and usually stand around and try and “help” with the rocks as He is breaking it up and some of us actually pick up the pieces and try to place them into our “pockets” for future remembrance.  It is difficult to rid ourselves of this type of rock since it is a part of our lives which has basically the same consistency as our composition and another reason is that we made it and we do not especially do not want to give up since the definition of mine is exemplified in the structure of the rock.  But God does have a plan for that rock and that plan does not include its presence on our path but we still have to deal with the scars that it leaves behind, but this is where the rocks become strangely dim after their proper removal from our lives.

The third rock is actually the rock that I had wanted to deal with in depth but after reading the previous two types of rocks I do not know how much more in depth I can get with this rock.  This type of rock is the ones that our enemy loves to throw at us along our road of life.  It is these types of rocks that are foreign to our lives since they are not of our knowledge and they are constructed of elements that are designed to inflict the most damage when they hit our lives during an unexpected attack. 

Our enemy loves to watch us as we proceed on the path of life, he even skips along with us and shows himself to us on a daily basis and in some instances stays with us for an extended period of time so that we becomes comfortable with his presence.  It is at this comfortable time in our lives that he decides to leave this position and to carry on his mission elsewhere but even though he is out of our sight we are never out of his mind.  His thoughts of us are always dedicated with a plan of action that is against us even though our path seems to be all roses at the moment.  This action by him is all part of his mind games that he plays with us, yes he knows that he is short on time but he also realizes that the events that have been foretold have not come into play as of yet so in that sense he has ample time to execute his plan to a gullible world and with the reality of him knowing that this type of scenario is being accepted by billions of people around the globe he has the opportunity to continue his plans of rock throwing almost unabated.   

Our path of life is a long one and we have no idea of what is hiding just around the corner.  We cannot even tell you what is ahead of us even when we are on an open portion of the path and have clear skies all around.  Life is an adventure and all of have experienced bumps in the road at some point in time.  Our enemy loves to gain access to our lives and then create a rock that will do as much damage as possible when it strikes us.  However, the enemy knows that at first if he stands in front of us and shows his hand at his plan we will stand up and know what is going on but as time advances and we continue our journey he then can gauge how to act when we are going fulfilling our daily patterns. 

Our enemy likes to hide behind bends in the road and wait till the time is right to hurl these rocks towards us direction.  So, he bides his time until we approach the bend.  To us the approaching bend looks like another ordinary curve in the road in which we are preparing to deal with.  We turn our heads for a moment to make sure everything is ok to encounter the bend and as soon as our eyes move from the forward direction our enemy is ready to launch the rock.  He throws this rock and its projectory is straight, fast and has no obstacles in between him and the target.  He does not care that you are not looking for the object and he is relieved that his plan is being completed without any hitches and he formulates a huge smile of satisfaction on his face when the rock hits its target.

The rock that he has thrown is made to have a meaningful impact on our lives and it is designed to have a profound effect not only to us but for those around us as well.  As a kid growing up in the south snowy winters were very rare and deep snow levels were nowhere to be found.  So when it was time to drive out to Colorado to visit family for Christmas or New Years it was a grand time to go play in the deep snow.  We would have awesome snowball fights and build huge snow forts and perfect snowmen.  But when the snowball fights would occur it would not be too long until someone had a cheap shot opportunity and when this would occur it was executed perfectly.  So, when the snowball hit what was the first thing that the person who just got nailed thought about?  Right, quickly make another snowball and find the culprit.  Even though it was all in fun and jest the same concept play out when we get hit with a rock thrown at us by our enemy.

Remember the old phrase Kill two birds with one stone?  This phrase actually comes into play when our enemy decides to throw a stone our way.  See, when he accomplishes his mission and nails us with a stone our immediate reaction is to bend over and pick up the stone and throw it back at him.  However, there is one problem that we tend to forget about and that is that the stones that he throws at us have no effect on him they just pass right through him and begin their trek towards the person or group of people that are in close proximity.  What happens?  Well, they are hit with the stone that you just threw at them so they decide to retaliate in return and the problem escalates from there.  It does not matter what type of stone that is thrown in your direction our enemy is counting on you reacting in the normal human fashion to the situation and launching the stone or another stone that has been strategically placed close to you into the direction of where the stone was thrown at you.  You are being baited and the majority of us fall for it every time.

We must remember that Satan is our enemy and that he has no desire for us to have any peace within our lives.  Look at the world and all of the conflicts that are presently ongoing.  Then turn to history and read about all of the civil and military actions that have occurred over the millennia.  This is all part of his plan to create division within the people of the world and we are falling for it right and left.  Even if the battles are justified and rights and liberties are being threatened this is still an opportunity to create division amongst people and when we really dig deep into history we will see that he has laughed at us for the same amount of time because we have missed the concept of his existence within our world and pathways of life.  And when you put this type of activity into our fore thinking it really brings home the concept that man will act according to what he believes is right.

The path of life will always bring encounters with the enemy.  The path of life will always have rocks within our path that we have to endure from time to time.  But the rocks that we chose to create for our lives do not have to be an issue if we choose to not create them because of past issues.  Our enemy will always throw rocks at us and it is our responsibility to be on the lookout for when they are heading in our direction.  We also must know, understand and believe that we do have a protection system in place that helps us against these thrown rocks.  But for a number of reasons most of the world chooses to ignore this protection system and then curse the system for not working when the rocks hit their mark.  Our enemy works in socialist capacities on this front and does not care if you believe in the protection system or not he is going to throw rocks at you because he knows and understands your potential against his kingdom.  Our enemy will not be derelict in his duty towards you so why don’t you decide to restore the beliefs in our holy protection once again?

DLB

The Loss of a Warrior

The Loss of a Warrior

1/5/13

Throughout history we have read where cities, countries, territories and nations have had many great names in each of these specific societies and that these names have stood out to everyone around those areas as an example that all others look up to.  These well known figures have stood the test of time and have proven themselves as leaders for their families and nations and provided an inner strength to those who admired their talents.  Yet most of these figures live their lives in a quiet manner trying not to direct attention towards them and keeping a humble approach to the conflicts in which they are involved.  These people are the warriors of their realm and serve to advance their countrymen’s defenses in order to preserve their way of life. 

A warrior’s presence is not always warranted just on the typical battlefield.  It is common place to believe that warriors are only needed during times of stress and conflict which only places their usage during wartime.  Their presence on the battlefield is priceless and can turn the tide of a battle with just a few words or strategic positioning and when the foot soldiers look to these leaders for guidance it comes with commanding authority.  It has been traditionally said that to die on the battlefield is of the greatest honor and having studied military history and general war history for some time I would tend to agree with this statement.

This conception of a battlefield warrior cannot be denied but one large portion of being a warrior is sometimes overlooked and that is their conduct within their community.  Their presence and authority within their own circles is just as important and valuable as on the typical battlefield, with some people arguing the point that this aspect of their lives is served as the face of the true warrior.  This type of presence is heartfelt and true to the family nature which instills balance and desire to know what is taught to the people of the group and it allows for these people to teach other the values that have been incorporated into them by these warriors.  A warrior’s ultimate goal is for the fight not to happen but to be avoided by decisions of their people and of others to prevent the fight to occur, but if it must be an active fight they too are prepared for the ensuing fight.

A warrior also knows when to mention things that have been placed upon their heart and they also know when to sit and listen to those around them during harsh times.  It is a warrior’s gift to hear what is being said and then to say it correctly to the needed individuals in the correct timing.  It does not matter if the information I favorable or not but the warrior understands that the truth needs to be told to whomever it is relevant.  A warrior does not make things personal unless it is warranted and when this time comes it is never against the person or people in general but an instruction for them to realize and to understand that the path that they are on is harmful to themselves and for those around them.

Warriors never like to see a fight or a battle take place nor do they revel in its glory after the battle is over.  A true warrior looks over the battlefield and realizes that lives were lost and that there could have been another way to solve this issue.  A warrior also will keep the battle into focus and try to resolve future issues in another way so that lives can be saved and brought home to their families instead of burying them as the sun sets for the day.  A warrior loves to defend life but he also enjoys living life to its utmost more and they revel in knowing the fact that things that can be avoided before they happen, through their anticipation of the situation at hand that leads to peace within everyone’s land.

So when a true warrior leaves this world a visible void occurs within the community and a state of mourning begins.  The community begins to understand the warrior’s code and desires for their lives in the loss but they also have the hope and strength to know that the warrior cared and loved for each one them that knew about the warrior.  The warriors knowledge, mentality, love and honor is automatically passed to those who knew and respected their message and in this death that message rings loud and true to everyone who has heard the words of the warrior.

Many of the world’s population do not recognize a special kind of warrior, one who does not portray a warlike spirit but a spirit of meekness and humility.  We also do not recognize that this type of warrior does see battles and has witnessed many atrocious results of these battles, not always in the physical realm but mostly in the spiritual realm.  It is these battles that we tend to ignore in our lives and place them as insignificant but God delivers these battles to the spiritual eyes of a prayer warrior and the battle begins with a single spoken word.  Not all battles and issues are known to the prayer warrior but God gives certain details to the warriors that allow them to understand what is going on and what needs to be prayed about.  It is a special calling that requires an extraordinary person to accept for the conditions of the battles are of great importance to another person or group of people.

Today we celebrate the life of one of those prayer warriors.  It has been a privilege to know this warrior for a good majority of my life.  This warrior loved life itself, loved God with all of her heart, loved her family to the highest degree, and the loved church with a servant’s heart.  There is no question about it that everyone that knew this warrior understood that her goals were not of this world but those of God.  Many times this warrior held her family together, her small community together and her church together.  I cannot even imagine how many hours that she has prayed for all of the above mentioned situations yet has time to complete her everyday necessities within her own household.

This warrior is the exemplary example of a true prayer warrior that no matter what her own circumstances were she understood that God had a better plan for someone else’s life and that He showed her what to pray for within their lives.  These prayers were never vengeful nor were they damning but they were always for the person, group or church to see what God has for their lives and to be aware of the dangers that they were following.  Ad when you stop and think about what her life meant, that is exactly what God has planned for our lives for all of us to be so in tune with God that we desire only Him within our personal lives so that we can avoid the rust of the earth.

A quick story about this warrior before I close and it has to do with me.  I remember many times when I lived in the same area as this warrior.  I was a young punk who thought that I knew everything and that I was in control of my life no matter what people said to or about me, boy have I learned things since then.  But I remember that this warrior would come up to me and look me in the eye and say absolutely nothing to me, and she would just stand there and smile at me.  At the time I had no idea of what she was doing or what she had prayed about for my life I just thought she wanted a hug from me.  While this was true I had no idea or clue of what was actually occurring within her realm of activity and I also had no idea of exactly what battle was begin waged for my life, soul or spirit at that moment or in my future, but she did.

I thank this warrior for listening to God and that she spent those minutes, hours and days praying for me and my family.  I know this prayerful activity of hers continued for decades and continued until the day she left us.  I also know and believe that she prayed for each and every one of you in the same manner no matter what your circumstances were and are.  She loved each and every one of you with a Godly love that cannot easily be understood based on human reasoning but rest assured that as you seek God further, as she would have wanted, her prayers for you will come into light and you too can one day understand the significance of this valuable warrior. 

We all shall miss your presence Shirley but we comfort in the fact that you are now in front of God’s throne continuing the interceding for our lives on the same spiritual plane.  Your life continues within the lessons that you have taught us and through us we will be allowed to pass the good news of Christ to others.  We love you and will miss you but we shall never forget you.

DLB

God Is Constant

God Is Constant

12/28/12

Human nature calls us to move around at times even if our movement is just next door to visit the neighbor.  Human nature also allows us to change our minds if we need to about certain or all types of conditions that we encounter and as humans we make choices on a minute by minute basis and most of the time we do not even bat an eyelash when we accomplish this measure.  It is difficult for us to understand a being that is constant and does not have the need for change, especially since this person has already figured out every circumstance that a human can encounter.  So, why do we struggle so much with God and His ability to stay constant, shouldn’t that be a positive for our daily lives?  I guess giving up the “self” portions of our lives do not come as natural as one may wish.

Growing up in a minister’s home brings many opportunities for plans and personal activities to be altered at any given moment.  That is part of the territory and it should not be questioned at all.  Some pastor’s kids resent this activity and others have no problems with it and readily accept the challenge of constant change within their walls.  But with all of the changes we are still human and we have to adapt to a new person in our home at 10 pm or we have to one day leave our friends and move across the state or maybe even across the country.  This type of activity can take a toll on our lives but for the most part humans have the capability of being mobile in our desires and it is no big deal.

When you look at society today one will notice that the living conditions are very similar to a pastor’s family, there are not many people these days that actually have the opportunity to stay in one town or area for their entire lives.  The communication options and easy travel methods have changed our sedentary lifestyle and made it a global one and as stated above this is really not a bad thing for our lives.  However, when we have been at work for a long time or have been on a long trip out of the country it is always nice to return back home or see familiar sights within our houses.

This type of change can happen within an individual as well and it very common as we get older and so called “wiser”  I have to admit that I fall into this category and in fact it was not too many days ago that my wife actually told me this when a certain moment occurred at the house.  I had no reason to disagree with her for she was right and if that circumstance had happened a few years back, I would have reacted totally different.  Wiser?  I do not know, but I would like to believe that this action of mine that I had a few days ago was a whole lot better than my actions would have been a while back.

If we stop and think about things for a bit we have to admit that everything that humans do will change in some shape, form or color at some time.  We color our hair or our hair changes color by itself.  Our food tastes change over time and so does what society considers to be “hip”.  The buildings that we build shift with time and their foundations are subject to cracking, yes the concrete on our roads even cracks at some point and has to be repaired.  Limbs on trees break off and birds migrate to another part of the land.  We are totally subject to changes around us and we could not leave out the changes in the environment including the seasons.  So if we can withstand all of these constant changes in our lives why is it so difficult for us to believe in a God that is constant, kind of ironic and puzzling don’t you think?

God cannot change and He has no reason to change since He has already provided humanity with all of the answers.  Our only problem is that we ignore or refuse to accept the liability of our vulnerability to our enemy.  We do not like to believe that there are unseen forces that control our decisions, motions, thoughts and actions but these forces are real and they influence us on a constant basis.  Now, if God was not constant and all knowing then the enemy would automatically have the advantage in the area of choices.  Think about this for a moment, if God did not have all things and situations covered beforehand then our enemy could actually block us from having any contact with God and then influence us to ignore God since He had not provided a direct connection to Him.  The choice to accept Him and to have a relationship with Him would be shut down and cut off from us and would force God to change His ways and if this would ever to happen our enemy would automatically say that God is fallible and made a mistake.

A while back I wrote a little bit about our minds and the capability that they have.  Our minds are fascinating structures and the abilities that it has are still being discovered.  But we are limited in how many things that we can comprehend even if we try and cram all of the information into the world our minds still cannot compose any logical meaning to some of these things, but we have the opportunity to learn more and more and as science, medicine, and other areas of study come into light our potential for learning continues to grow.  But with God this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to His knowledge and it is impossible for us to understand or comprehend this type of knowledge capacity.  And this type of knowledge explains why His path is one of he straight and narrow and not broad in stature.

A steady and consistent course is provided for those of us who accept that God is all knowing and in control of all things.  There is no need for the major changes that the world has to offer which we all know would lead to destruction since our enemy has control of this domain.  We cannot change the fact that we are in this world and that we have to walk on our paths while living in this world.  But we do not have to accept everything that the world has to offer especially if it separates us and demoralizes us from God. 

Many human laws have changed over the years but God’s laws have remained constant, why is this?  Well, it is because has already made His laws based upon the fact that He knows everything including the past, present and the future so why would He make an irrelevant law?  Our only problem is that we as humans try and interpret His laws in the human form and apply these laws to our own standards, which totally negates the reasoning for God’s laws in the first place.

We do not have the authority to override God’s laws and believe me humans in the past have tried their best to accomplish this feat and everyone who has tried has failed miserably.  So why is it so hard for us to accept this fact that God is constant for a reason and that if we look towards Him for our guidance that everything will be ok in the end?  Things may not always be easy and we must admit that while we are going through our messes that we have created for ourselves that we should learn from them and understand that we do not have to make the same mistake again if we choose not to.  This is a principle that God established a long time ago and it is called restoration and through this process we do not have to recreate the failures of our past all we have to do is to accept His laws and we will know in the future what is acceptable and what is not in our lives.  Is there a real problem with having this type of concept in our lives?

God’s plan for our redemption and restoration does not fall within the change category either.  From the fall of man it has been God’s desire and plan for humanity to be restored back unto Him.  It was OUR decision to break the perfect state of our lives way back when and it was OUR decision to play into the hands of our enemy and it OUR choice to accept that we have made these past mistakes and to accept the restoration process that God has provided for us.  All of us live within this world and the laws of the land and all of us have the choice to obey the laws that man has made or to break them, the same goes with God’s laws as well.  Man’s laws have up to a lifetime of consequences but God’s laws are eternal in nature and in stature. 

It is not God’s desire for us not to have the ability to change our minds or our philosophies concerning our lives and our world.  Changes are a part of nature but it is important for us to remember that God is the one that allows us to complete these changes to our lives d it is His desire that the changes that we decide upon would bring us back to Him and not further separate us from our true Father.  His ways are only present to protect us from all harm and against the enemy that wishes to destroy us.

God loves us very much and it His desire for us to be restored to our rightful place within is Kingdom but in order for this to occur we must accept the fact that nothing God has created cannot change and this inability of change is actually the initial means that provide for our restoration.  We will never understand or comprehend everything that God does or has done or even will do but if we accept that He is in control of everything, restoration is present within our lives and our ways will automatically begin to fall away.  This act is the definition of true freedom and it is a freedom from within first and then outward which is exactly the way God intended for us to live.

DLB

Christmas Tree in the Clouds

Christmas Tree in the Clouds

12/18/12

There are certain examples about God that we cannot understand and then there are those that God allows us to equate with Him.  Many people try to limit these sayings, phrases, stories and other symbols that remind us of God.  This is a constant battle that has occurred for many centuries just not now.  It is our duty as a human race to cling to these symbols as tightly as we can for our eternal gratitude of life itself will be washed away if we decide to give them up in any way.

This fall in Colorado has been a very unusual year with warm temperatures and no real measurable moister to speak about.  The days were shorter of course but for many of these days there were hardly any clouds in the sky which provided us with warm temperatures, so warm that some people were still cutting their lawns on a routine basis in mid November.  Usually in the fall we see a few storms that produce moisture and bring in colder temperatures as well.  It is these storms that serve as a foundation for our winter blanket of snow which will in turn serve as the water source for our crops in the spring and summer.

With this year being unusually dry and warm even the skeptics of cold weather have been wishing for storms to come in the area.  For the first time in a while a minor storm was approaching the area which gave us an opportunity to receive some badly needed moisture.  One of the people in the area said that one of our main reservoirs was about 45 feet low, which does not seem like much but one must consider that the reservoir that I am talking about is approximately 40 miles or more in length when you add in all of the branches and coves that is a part of its capacity.  So any precipitation that can begin our recovery would be surely welcome.  What we fail to recognize is that it is our lack of giving that is actually responsible for our dryness and our lack of the necessities of life, I am not talking about water now but the necessities of life itself, and our eternal life is what is at stake.

The other day I was walking around my work complex and I was looking at the clouds and as I was scanning the sky I saw a cloud that was lower than the other clouds and it was in the shape of a Christmas tree.  Now, I have always been one that had trouble with making out shapes of clouds unlike others that I have known.  They can look at a cloud and picture at least three different shapes that a single cloud can form, or so it would seem to form, but me I cannot do this.  So this was a shock to me when I looked up and immediately saw this cloud shape.  And of course it was not me that noticed the shape it was God who showed it to me because as soon as I got over the idea that I could see the Christmas tree shape God began to show me what He was saying.  Yes He had a message for you, that was a cloud in the shape of a Christmas tree.

First of all God wants us to know that He understands the meaning of the Christmas tree and that He knows that the Christmas tree is really not a true symbol of Him alone but it is a symbol that we as humans put up to remind us and others that our hearts are filled with cheer, thanksgiving and giving no matter what our circumstances have been for that year.  And it is through the gifts that we have received from Him that actually fill our hearts with gladness for everyone to share.

God also wants us to know that He sees and understands all of the troubles that we have faced over the past year.  He also sees and understands the tense times that we are facing right at this moment and He also sees and understands the future and all of the things that humanity will face then.  But most importantly God wants us to know that He loves us and that the only way that we can understand life and everything that it has to offer is if we continue to have the gift of giving residing within our hearts.  The gift of giving actually is a part of God and it this part of Him that is responsible for the spirit of the Christmas tree.  So, even though the Christmas tree is not a direct symbol of God in the physical sense, it does represent God in the spiritual sense when it comes to the act of giving.

The greatest gift that was ever given to humanity was the gift of Jesus Christ and everything that He represented to the concept of giving.  No God did not have to provide this way of life nor did He have to allow His Son to die a horrible death so that we might have an opportunity to be in contact with God the Father once again.  But because he loved us so much He gave His Son for us and it is through the gift of giving that we can receive true life as we have never known it before, even in bad or tough times.  It is for this reason that God desires for us to keep the concept of giving close to our hearts and for us never to lose the desire to give for when we have lost this gift then we have lost a direct connection to God.  The concept of giving should be a continual act within our lives and not just for one season, it is a privilege for a person to give something to another and it is not an obligation for an obligation is not an act of love but of selfishness.

The act of giving also recognizes that the person who loves to give has established a relationship with life itself and through this example there is no better way to express one’s caring for humanity.  The Christmas tree in a child’s eyes represents every hope that he or she will receive the one true gift that they desire, which is exactly what God the Father did for us many years ago, not only on the cross but also when He gave us life itself.  Everything that we know about life is a loving gift yet we sometimes forget this concept.

We forget this concept about giving because we have allowed ourselves to fall into the trap of receiving.  There is nothing wrong with receiving a gift or even multiple gifts from others but it is when the desire to receive these things becomes greater than the desire to give gifts to others that our lives take a tragic turn.  For when this event occurs in this order, our concept of living becomes selfish and it is in this state where our hearts become cold and distant from humanity.  If you look at our society today, this concept is exactly what is being filtered into our minds and the ideology of take, take and take is becoming our rule of law.  When people operate in a selfish manner no relationship no matter what the size or category cannot survive it will die a slow and steady death.  Why is this?  Because when self comes before others you are actually stealing from humanity and since you are part of humanity you are stealing from yourself first and then turning around and stealing from others, which provides you with a net of zero or nothing which is a very grim outlook on life.

God understands that dry times are coming and for some it has arrived now.  These dry times will test us and it will test our courage and strength to continue to have the willingness to give to others.  It is very important that during these times that we do not give up the desire to give and to actually water the Christmas tree spirit within others.  Not only do we need to continue this concept of giving but we need to continue to keep God in our lives as well.  We cannot rely on others to show us these ways, it is our responsibility and a necessity for our survival to follow this guideline.  For if we do not then our hopes and dreams of life itself will be dashed from our hearts and we will sink into a selfish society in which it will demand everything from us and then we will be in need for everything.

So please remember God wants us to live in happiness and with cheerful hearts and the only way that we can do this is if we continue to have the Christmas tree image within our hearts.  Ignore the worldly calls for abolishing the Christmas tree spirit and embrace its love of giving to everyone that you meet.  It will do wonders for you and your family when you defy the world’s listings of selfishness.  Everyone desires to have pure relationships and there is none better than having a relationship with others through the spirit of the Christmas tree.  The tree farmer grows trees so that one day a child can sit beside it and look at the gifts that he / she is about to receive and with a thankful heart open those gifts and proudly display them to everyone around the room.  As parents we glow in the expressions on our children’s faces when we see them open gifts so why should be deprive others from this same experience.  Give and give freely with a glad heart and many rewards will be given to you in return.

God is the ultimate symbol of the gift giver and we are modeled in His image so it is natural for us to have the same quality of giving within our lives.  I pray that we do not lose the meaning of the Christmas tree within our daily lives.  It is a statement of relationship when do and a sign of death when we do not.  If you have lost your Christmas tree, then there is time for you to restore it back into your life and when you do you will experience the gift of life forever more.  So when your eyes see clouds or when your eyes see clear blue skies remember the Christmas tree in the clouds and the gift that you have when you see it.

DLB

Do You Have A Lighthouse?

Do You Have A Lighthouse?

12/13/12

For those of us who live in a land locked state or country it is hard to imagine just how important a lighthouse is when the conditions of our world are not favorable.  Even living in these conditions we need to have a lighthouse present in order to make it through our own storm and it is just as important that we look for our lighthouse while we are going through our storm because we cannot make it on our own in good times much less in troubled times.

As most of you know the majority of my past articles have included some type of history or historical setting within their context.  Up until about two decades ago I really could have cared less about history especially maritime history.  I did not realize just how important this type of travel was in human history and as I embraced this portion of history the realization of its unpleasant parts appeared along with its advantages.  There were no airplanes or huge cargo ships to transport the goods necessary for human survival and their luxuries, only a large fleet of feeble ships that made dangerous journeys and at the mercy of the seas on a routine basis.

Given the fact that my country is a little over 300 yrs old it is a relatively new comer to the world stage yet we have become the most powerful nation on earth.  This fact still excites me but it scares me at the same time since the expectations are so high on a continual basis.  Yet, there are many people and nations throughout the world that do not approve of our positions and wish us some type of harm.  This is actually a normal position to be in when someone or in this example a nation is in this place.  Only in governmental controlled states is 100% satisfaction present and we all know what is occurring when this percentage of people are in agreement with the leadership.

There is an old song that some of us are familiar with and it has been sung in churches for decades now.  It was written in a prayer tower overlooking a valley and not the ocean.  The ocean is a few miles away but really cannot be seen from the tower but one has to remember that a lighthouse has a glass top that totally encompasses the lighthouse which allows the light to make a full 360 degree circle when the light, this is because storms do occur over land as well and people still look to the lighthouse for directions while on land.  The song continues and paints a beautiful picture of Jesus being the example of safety during the storm that is raging.  As one forms an image of Jesus in our minds as we sing this song we have to understand that the image that we have will be different than the person standing next to us, and even though the image may be slightly different the nature of Jesus is the same and His guidance and restoration shall never waiver o differ in any form.  There are many trials that our lives may encounter and we must remember that the lighthouse is strategically placed in a spot that will provide navigational support when things are not going as smoothly as possible.  

Yes, lighthouses actually help people that are on land as well.  Light will penetrate through the thickest of fog, driving rain, or any other natural conditions including thick smoke.  People on land need guidance just as much as ones on the water, the dangers are still as great.  So as the lighthouse is for everyone in its area so is Jesus to the entire world.  It is important for us to remember that if we go through storms that other people are going through storms as well and even though we do not know them it is still our duty to point them towards the light to help them along the way.  We may be alongside them in the storm or in their vicinity at the time it is not our responsibility to show them our light but the true light of protection and guidance that comes from the lighthouse.

The other day I was looking around some of my emails and I one of my groups that I am in is all about pictures of places, people, and things all around the world.  The majority of the emails within this group are of land scenes from countries around the world.  I have really enjoyed this group and the pictures that I have looked at over the past few years.  One of the emails jumped out at me as its title was simply lighthouses.  I instantly thought that this was unusual since the group does not post too many sea pictures.  So I clicked on the email and the pictures began to download onto my screen.

Lighthouses have always been a fascinating concept to me.  They are simple buildings that are strategically placed in areas that in time of need will provide a passing ship with the navigational support it needs to safely guide its way around and away from the dangers that are presented.  Lighthouses come in various sizes and shapes and have an array of colors that is spectacular to observe when the weather is good.  But in every case these physical features serve as a life saving beacon that stretches far and wide when the weather conditions are not favorable.  A sea faring person can tell you that it is always comforting to see a lighthouse as their ship approaches the harbor or a land surface, no matter how many times they have travelled that route.  One simple light going in one direction has the power to allow a huge ship with all of its cargo to pass safely without being damaged on the ground or shallow rocks as it approaches land.   And we all know that we cannot trust our compasses in every storm that we are facing, sometimes even they can guide us in the wrong direction, which serves as a perfect example of why a lighthouse is the essential guidance system for all ships that go through storms.

As the first picture opened on my screen I was amazed at the beauty of the lighthouse.  It was a simple structure that was white in color and it was relatively short in stature.  I sat in my chair and stared at the scenery for a few moments.  On top of the lighthouse was a Turkish flag and it was then that one of my so-called “duh” moments hit me.  Then I turned my eyes from the lighthouse itself and began to scan the other portions of the picture which included the surrounding coastal lands and of course a small shot of the water that was close by.  As I panned up into the upper left hand corner of the picture I was I saw the word “Turkey” which I knew that is where the picture was taken because of the flag but it served as some type of confirmation to me that the picture was real.

I continued my search of the pictures and I found out that all of them were pictures of lighthouses from around the world.  The “duh” moment came to me because for some reason I had never realized that lighthouses were present all around the world and have been for a very long time.  Now, one would think that a person seeing a lighthouse would believe that they would be present all over the place, but for some reason my head had isolated these countries from this life saving structure, even though I knew that the world was present and that their main international travel was by ship long before we arrived on the world’s scene.  So in other words my mind was locked into the fact that my setting was one of the few that were actually present in the world, yet my reading told me differently.  How many of us tend to forget this idea?  I know that in many areas of he church world we have done the exact same thing towards people and in showing them the true light that is out there for their protection and guidance for restoration.

I could not believe this oversight that I had of something so simple and basic.  It was shocking to me at the blindness that I had in this area, n short I felt foolish for my lack of realization and it was at this moment that God decided to place a thought into my head.  I continued my scrolling of the pictures and I noticed that all of them had many shapes, sizes and colors.  Not one of them had the same appearance as the previous picture.  None of the pictures were drawing they were all digital pictures that someone or some people had taken at some point in time.  It was this variety of structure shapes that God showed me what He wanted me to share.

Many of us that have been in the western world have at one time seen a picture of a lighthouse and it has been compared to God and that through His Son our lives could be protected in a manner of salvation especially in a huge storm.  At first I kind of told God that I already knew this and so did everyone else that had laid eyes upon one of these pictures.  But it was another detail that He was trying to get me to see and to understand.

We all know that humans come in different shapes, sizes and colors.  These patterns have been a part of us for a very long time and this fact will not change as long as humans walk this earth.  It does not matter what shape or size we are packaged and it is our need to understand that even our names cannot separate us from these physical traits.  God wants you to know that Jesus appears to us in the same manner as these pictures of lighthouses.  To some He might be a short, fat red lighthouse and to others He might appear to b a tall 200 foot white lighthouse.  Each of our storms will be unique to our lives and so must be the lighthouse that is present along the rocks to protect us from crashing up against them.

For a very long time we have placed the concept of a lighthouse as a tall, one shaped and sized structure which everyone should immediately recognize.  This is so not true, each one of us are individuals and we have just as individual recognition points within our lives.  God understands that since we are individuals that we will have different ideas about all things and the way that we approach these things will vary just as much.  Having a true relationship with God is an individual experience and for us to come to this realization we must first realize what sacrifice occurred to allow us to have a personal relationship with our creator once again.  So, why wouldn’t God set His example to us in different shapes, sizes and colors that we can relate with?

When you look back in our lives one can honestly say that while we are going through storms our enemy is not providing us with a security light.  The only thing that he is providing is a storm that is quickly becoming the perfect storm that will surely take us closer to the rocks of destruction if some guidance is not present.  That is why in all of the movies or stories that we have witnessed tell of a person or people on the ship in a storm looking out to see what dangers are present and to see if land is around.  We perform this act within our lives as well during these times.

It must be acknowledged that not everyone will follow the light that is being given for them.  It is a fact that some will ignore the warnings and will travel on their own way.  Each person no matter what the situation is in their lives has the personal choice to look at the light and choose whether or not to heed its instructions of safety.  We cannot force them to see or to follow the light for if we try then we actually become a part of their storm instead of an instrument showing the light that will guide them out of the storm.  As with a physical lighthouse Jesus will never lose His light for the world.  There are backup batteries in a lighthouse that will automatically kick in when the main power source is removed and so is the eternal power source that flows from God through Jesus on a continual basis that shall never be dimmed or shut off, no matter how hard some may try.

For those who have travelled a path many times have said that they look for landmarks that bring back some certain comfort and peace of mind when they are headed towards their destination.  These landmarks can be anything that he mind can process and a lighthouse is a wonderful setting for this type of attraction.  In these familiar paths the lighthouse is an anticipated sight that secures our sense of security and to the person who is on an uncertain path the lighthouse provides a welcomes sight for the weary and unsure mind that someone has been here before them and has provided a monument of guidance.

So for those of us who live close to the ocean and are privy to look at a lighthouse on occasion please do their structures are wonderful to look at and please remember that I am jealous of your setting.  For those of us who do not live close to a lighthouse, I suggest that you go to the internet or to the bookstore and locate some items on lighthouses and place them into your memory as a reminder of their presence in our world.  In whichever category you fall into always remember that there is a place of reference that we can access to remind us that God is in control and that He has provided a guiding light, the one true guiding light, for all mankind to follow.  It is a simple light that is not fancy or elaborate by any means.  It is simply a light that shines bright so that we all have an opportunity to understand the dangers that we are facing whether it be in good living conditions or bad ones, this light shall never fail.

DLB