Essential Prisoners

Essential Prisoners

10/21/13

Warfare has always been with the human race.  As far back as we can read war has touched so many lives within that period of time and even today that trend continues.  All aspects of war are horrendous no matter which side claims to be right or even wins the war.  Taking prisoners is a vital part of warfare and the amount of prisoners and the conditions in which they serve their captors plays an important part in the overall plan of an enemy.  Our lives are such prisoners and we need to understand just how important this concept and knowledge is to the freedom that we can obtain.

Wars always are fought with campaigns in which vast amounts of land are used by at least two opposing sides and square off against each other to see who wins the fighting for that day.  These battles can sometimes be a total victory within a few short hours or they can drag out for days or weeks at a time.  In the ancient times the number of men fighting each campaign or battle was significantly fewer than the modern battles that are fought.  This is not surprising since the methods of troop transport were much simpler and manual than today, plus the amount of available men within a certain society was less as well.  Yet, societies and nations continued their efforts to conquer each other and as a result many men, women and children were killed for these efforts.

In many occasions prisoners would be taken after the completion of a campaign or battle.  It was not uncommon for Rome to triumphantly parade their prisoners to the masses when they returned from battle.  Many souvenirs were brought back from these battles and varied greatly in number and specificity.  The captured generals and rulers were often put to death as a sign of final humiliation so that the newly captive prisoners fully understood that they were no longer considered a portion of their home identity.  As time progressed the treatment of prisoners of war improved but in other types of captivity the exchange between freedom and prisoner lifestyle stayed the same or even regressed exponentially.

Whatever the war we choose to study or society that promotes captivity we can always find common themes within the stories of why prisoners were taken.  During war the process of taking soldiers into prison camps serves as a demoralization of the fighting troops that are still able to fight.  It does not take too long for information to travel through the ranks of fighting men and women and one can include societies in this type of information transfer if needed.  The idea that soldiers or groups of people have been taken into captivity gets the person or people who have not been taken thinking about the possibilities of themselves losing their freedom, and what would become of their families if they were not around any longer.  This type of thought pattern spreads like wildfire and most of the time will cause some type of thought of capitulation from the soldier or society.  We have witnessed this scene over and over throughout history and as long as humans are alive and have the freedom of choice, this scenario will not change much.

A good example of this is when the German Army surrendered approximately 280,000 men after the Battle of the Rhineland was over. Over a ¼ million men gave up their fighting abilities and entered into prisoner of war status.  Now, stop and think for a moment as to what this type of news would do to another German soldier or fighting unit when they heard about this event.  Would you be willing to change your status in order to hope that your captors would be lenient on you for the actions of your past or current standing?  Do you grasp the concept of what prisoners and their publication to the enemy could render towards the war effort?  Place yourself into the spiritual confluences of this scene when it comes to our eternal creation and the true meaning of our existence upon this earth.

It is difficult for any of us to comprehend that we would ever voluntarily surrender our lives to another group that might have the idea of ending our existence without allowing us to continue to fight for our freedom.  But in order for us to fight back and to maintain our freedom, we must understand who the enemy is and what their job is that encourages their forces to fight against us.  Many of us know that certain human cultures have enemies and these cultures understand that it is impossible to let down their defenses and believe that their enemy will not attack.  However, when they do not have the ability to see who their enemy is and what the tactics are that will be used against them, they are sitting ducks and it will not be too long until their way of life is destroyed.

Is it a far-fetched idea that since human cultures can attack each other on a routine basis that we have an enemy that can do the same on an individual level?  We have read about wars and understand that there are two sides to a war.  We also have either witnessed or been involved in an accident where there are two sides to a story.  So why is it hard for us to understand and to keep in focus that if every aspect of our lives has two sides that there are two sides that are vying for our eternal being?  We have become so engrossed with trying to convince the world that our way of living is best for everyone that we have lost the drive to strengthen our spirits from the truth, the real eternal truth and not what the world has to offer as a temporary fix.

There is a battle ongoing for our lives and we need to understand that we are all born into the world of sin because of the choices that have been made before our time.  There is nothing that we humans can do about this, it is set in motion and it cannot be changed by our hands or any method we try to complete.  We are captives or slaves to this world and it is a natural stance that we have allowed to overtake our lives simply by not realizing that there is a way of escape.  As a soldier it was taught to us that there may be a chance that we might be taken captive.  This thought had to be placed into our minds because in truth it could be a reality during a wartime situation.  However, we were also taught to find any means possible to escape from our captors and to keep our minds sharp in order to see any weakness in our captive camp so that we can escape and take as many of our fellow prisoners with us as possible.  This was not an option according to our commanders and it was considered as a general order for everyone in combat operations to complete this task if taken captive.  In fact, if we did become prisoners of war and did not try to escape and it was proven that we did not try and escape, we could potentially face a courts marshal and be found guilty of treason; this is how serious the subject of captivity had been drilled into our minds.

So here we are, watching the world infiltrate our lives on every level.  Why do we allow this situation to occur and not try to escape from its grasps?  It is because we have lost our edge against the world and have begun to embrace its concepts as part of our own.  Another quick example before I move along.  During the Korean War there was news about some US soldiers that crossed the lines and defected to North Korea.  It was hard to imagine why someone would do this but it was the truth and it did occur.  North Korea loved to display these soldiers as people who decided to follow “their truth” and to see for themselves the “good life”.  Many years after their defection, western journalists were allowed to interview some of these soldiers and to hear their side of the story.  When the journalists asked if they understood what effects their actions had on their fellow soldiers, they knew what the ones that they left behind probably thought but they did not care about the morale of their fellow soldiers, just that they had left and started a new life.

No matter which situation you look at, the world has successfully captured our lives and we are continuously allowing the world to dictate our lives as a captor.  We serve the world as a prisoner and have voluntarily accepted this status as our own.  We have given up our will to fight against the world and have allowed our enemy’s home field advantage to be in play which has forced us to succumb to its laws.  It is ridiculous that we do not see what we are allowing to occur, not only on a personal level but also on a societal level as well.

We are using our voluntary choices to strengthen the world’s hold upon us instead of trying to shake it off of us.  And if the truth be known this should be a treasonable offense according to the military commanders that we have served.  To put into perspective, how would our founding fathers look upon our ways today and more specifically how does our Founding Father look at our actions of today?  Another aspect of our condition we must consider is that as long as we continue to live in the worldly state we are automatically subject to its laws and ways and everything that it demands from our lives we must comply with on every level of life.  This includes all aspects of our life including torture sessions from the world’s leader whose job it is to make sure we do not fulfill our destiny in life and what better way to complete this task than to have us as voluntary slaves to his cause.  We must give our enemy credit because he ahs done a fabulous job in creating an atmosphere that is to our liking, so much so that we routinely give up the truth in order to pursue worldly principles.

We have heavily relied upon our ability to choose in order to maintain the status quo in our lives and while this is not really a bad option to take, it can lead us down a horrid path if we continue to make bad choices.  Contrary to popular belief and demand we do not need to redefine or have the word “bad” defined for us once again.  This particular word has already been defined many times and when one reads its definition it clearly states in no uncertain terms what the word symbolizes, it actually falls into the same ridiculous category of defining the word “is” as one leader once demanded.

Mankind needs to wake up and realize that the world is not our friend and its ways and means will only bring us pain, agony, destruction and death.  For the world can only offer what its leader has to offer and it is imperative that we understand this chain of command.  Our eternal lives are at stake and we need to adhere to what is true and pure rather than flimsy and wavering at best.  Look at the options that the world has to offer with an honest heart and spirit and see what the results of those offerings have to give, then look at the other choice and see what God has to offer in return.  Being a prisoner or slave to the world and its issues actually advances its own selfish cause which in turn advances the leader of the world’s kingdom.  We have already established who the leader of the world is so that can mean only one thing and that is if we are committed to the world’s views then we are voluntarily surrendering to the enemy of life and thus advancing his own kingdom whose goal is to destroy our lives.  Kind of makes his job a bit easier now doesn’t it.

God is our liberator and the only One who can guarantee our freedom and eternal life.  Only He can provide an escape from the death grip of our captor and his ways of lies.  Our life is rough enough and if we continue to believe in the things of the world, then there is no real possibility of escape from the problems of the world that face us on a daily basis.  God has a plan for each and every one of our lives and we cannot complete this plan of life as long as we continue to live in captivity to our enemy.  We become ineffective in our responsibilities and duties in life while we serve our captor.  We become his slaves and are allowed to be traded amongst ourselves and across the worldly borders as long as we contend that the world is the only answer for our lives.  It is becoming clearer of the importance that we shed the ways of the world and not to embrace them, for it will only bring us into further captivity.  There is definitely no room for the Church in this world and if any church is dabbling in worldly archives, then it is doomed from its own foundations.

God stands with His arms wide open and offers us hope and freedom through Him.  He has provided a simple way based upon the gift of choice and all it takes is to choose His ways over the world and the separation from the world automatically begins to take place.  It will not be an overnight process but the notices of change within us when we allow God to come into our life will be visible to everyone that encounters our lives.  Restoration is a wonderful process and it soothes our spirits and heals us of the ways of the world that have beaten down our lives for a long time.  There is still time to allow God this access to our lives and to open our spiritual eyes to His love for us. God loves us and He is for us and not against us.  He wishes to bless our land and to heal it once again but as long as we embrace the world and its ways the gulf between man and God will continue its dark and ugly course and destruction will soon follow.  As the song writer has said, it is time that we speak life into the darkness instead of shooting out the light bulb.

DLB

Ignoring the Approaching Storm

Ignoring the Approaching Storm

10/14/13

For the past few decades our nation and other democratic societies there have had a few close encounters with other regions that do not share the same ideologies and concepts.  While this type of activity is not unusual it has raised a few questions about our priorities and what would actually occur if things really became reality.  It is familiar territory when leaders begin to use threatening tones towards each other but what if both domestic and foreign situations arise at once, are we as humans prepared to handle them all at once?  The signs are ever present within our world yet it seems like we would rather ignore them and place our trust in other humans to ensure our safety and lives.  This game of hide and seek has actually become a part of our thrill seeking demeanor to which could one day come back to haunt us if we do not seek the truth about what is approaching.

A popular genre on the television networks now-a-days is about the subject of storm chasing.  My parents always said that if you play with fire one time soon you will get burned, this is excellent advice yet we like to ignore it until something tragic occurs.  While chasing, photographing and documenting storm activities are exciting in theme everyone must understand that there is a reason why storms are dangerous to individuals and communities.  The thrill of the moment and capture of a monumental picture can bring some fame or talkative points but what looms in the distance will eventually bring to reality of those pictures into light within a short period of time.

This past spring I had the wonderful privilege of travelling to my home state to attend my niece’s college graduation.  I was a very fast trip with its completion taking only five days.  Four of the five days were hard travel and I had the opportunity to witness some of the unstable weather along the way, in fact it rained or snowed on me all five days of the trip, it was great.  As I pulled into north Texas and was clipping along my eyes were focused on the road ahead of me and I was not really paying much attention to what was behind me.  As I was listening to a local Christian radio station the National Weather Service Alert System interrupted the song that was playing to announce that a severe thunderstorm watch had been issued for certain counties of northern Texas.

Claiming Texas as my home I surrounded myself with as much information about Texas when I was in school and with this knowledge tucked away in my brain the alert message sent some unnerving waves through my body.   As soon as the alert message had ended I immediately knew that two of the counties that were mentioned in the message had significant meaning since one of them I was currently moving through and the other was the next county that I would enter.  I began to survey the clouds around me and noticed a few ominous ones to my left, towards the north, and a few in front of me as well.  These caught my eye because even though they did not look too threatening at that moment, I was familiar with the territory and fully understood why the area is referred to as “Tornado Alley.”  That area had the reputation of storms developing rapidly and hitting with devastating force.  As I continued forward my eyes continued their projection ahead of me and I did not even think to take a good look behind me and when I did I only looked at the road and not the sky.

A few short miles passed and the weather service screeched once again but this time they had changed the severe thunderstorm watch into a severe thunderstorm warning and included a few more counties while they were speaking.  Yes, the counties that were mentioned included the same two that I was in and going into.  As I drew closer to the county line the clouds in front of me began to darken further and it seemed like a black color developed within them in only a short few seconds, perfect ugly weather in the south.  The weather service came back on within a few seconds of its last words and issued a tornado watch for the county that I was currently in which got my attention quickly.

The sky darkened further and now the building storm was almost upon the cars that were headed almost due east along the highway.  Cars travelling west had their windshield wipers going and I could tell that they were wet.  Interestingly the cars moving west were not going very fast like they were gathering themselves after a tragic event; this I would soon realize.  About a mile later the rain drops began to fall and soon it was a nice heavy downpour.  This was not too bad I thought until the first of the hail balls landed on my windshield.  Then another and another and within a few seconds of the first hail ball they were falling all around me and in a heavy manner as well.  So heavy that all of us had no choice but to pull over to the side of the road and wait till it eased.

As I sat there and listened to the hail hit the car the weather service returned on the radio and notified us that damaging hail was falling in the area.  This was the only time that I made fun of the weather service but I could not help myself since they were a few minutes late with that information.  Anyway, I continued to sit there in that location for approximately ten minutes while the hail continued to pound away as it landed hard on the car surfaces.  Of course the only thought I had at that moment was if there would be any, or how extensive, damage would be on the car after this storm was over.

The storm eventually went to the south of me and all of the cars had the capability of returning to their travelling destinations, including myself.  The rain was still coming down at a fair clip but it did not hinder me any longer.  The weather service continued their messages and I continued my drive eastward towards my stopping place.  I could not get the thought about the possible damage to the car caused by the hail so I came to the conclusion that as soon as the rain stopped I would get out and survey the damage.  The rain continued for another ten to fifteen miles and then all of a sudden the sun appeared.  A welcome and relaxing site to me but then more dark clouds appeared in the distance as well.

At this point I realized that some cars that were headed west had stopped along the side of the road and people were walking around them kind of anxiously.  Of course my mind thought that with the clouds ahead and them coming from that direction that another hail storm was in my immediate future.  As I continued to try and find a dry and flat spot to pull over I noticed more and more cars stopped on the other side of the road and then a few appeared on my side of the road as well.  As I passed another car on the side of the road I noticed that one person was standing behind his vehicle and had a large camera mounted on a tri-pod which was pointed in the direction behind me.  At the same time I noticed that all of the people in those cars heading west were facing behind me and for a few seconds I could not figure out why, that is until I finally looked in my rear view mirror and looked in the sky this time and not at the cars on the road.

I have included a couple of pictures at the beginning of this article to give a detail of what I saw when I looked at the sky behind me.  Being in western Colorado for over 20 years I had almost forgotten what a wall cloud looked like but as soon as my brain processed its form I immediately understood exactly what it could form.  I pulled over and stopped the car.  I got out and took a quick survey of the car for hail damage and praise God there was no damage at all.  I quickly got back in the car and called my family to let them know that I was alright and I was only a few miles from my destination.  The sense of urgency to reach my destination as soon as possible hit me hard for I did not want to be caught in another storm or tornado if possible. 

I was amazed at just how many people had pulled off to the side of the road, ignoring the potential for dangerous conditions to watch the clouds form behind me.  I could not help but think about what would happen if that tornado had formed while they were standing there and caught then in a compromised position.  Their thrill to see the storm develop was greater than the sense and the need to find shelter, and this concept really disturbs me.  Being from the south I have witnessed many violent storms and while I find them fascinating to encounter their might and energy can destroy a human in an instant.  Yes, storms are part of nature and they are natural in form but we do have the “smarts” to do our best to stay out of their paths and to protect ourselves as much as possible.

I am also reminded about the old history story about Pompeii and how that city was totally annihilated by an eruption of Mt Vesuvius.  The people of Pompeii had received many warnings from the earth about the potential for the impending volcano a few weeks before the eruption and then again one week before the large explosion occurred, which rained down burning lava and molten rock upon their city.  The warnings were made clear to them and while some of the residents left the majority of the population decided not to leave and to continue business as usual.  Even though we are not living through that period of time we can imagine that many of the people within Pompeii looked up towards that mountain and stared at it for a long period of time and wondered about its potential and / or beauty.  How many people talked about what was occurring and sought advice about leaving or staying in the area, with this being part of our history we may never know exactly how many people thought about leaving but we are sure that thousands of people did not and everyone of them did not survive the result of that “storm”

When humans are involved one can assume that certain and common practices are adhered to and looking and gazing upon a storm can fall within that category.  I myself sat in front of a large window and watched a nasty thunderstorm pass over us while we lived in Arkansas.  My mother was furious with me because of what I was doing but I was enthralled with all of the lightning and thunder that was coming from above.  And if I was a boy and doing this back in the 1970s then I know that those young boys and other people within the limits of Pompeii did the exact same thing when the volcano erupted.  I was lucky that no damage was received on my car when I was travelling through the storm in Texas and I was glad that our house did not get struck by the many lightning bolts that danced around our city in Arkansas but what if those storms had the same effect on my life as it did when Mt Vesuvius erupted?  I had the choice of being a protected shelter but chose not to even though I had plenty of time to hide.  What made me stay?

Many of us have heard the story or watched the movie “The Wizard of Oz.”  We all know that sometimes storms come out of nowhere but for the most part we have some short amount of time before the storm hits.  Dorothy could not find her dog and thus was caught inside the house and not in the shelter with the other people in the area.  We all know what happened afterwards and even though the story had a happy ending it is not a guarantee that our storms will end up in this manner.  Storms can come in a vast amount of ways and each one is specific in nature and its timing.  One of the most important issues that we tend to ignore is that most of our storms of a human level come as a result of choices that we make.  These choices can be on a personal level or they can be on a societal level, it does not matter a storm is a storm and it represents hard times for everyone around us if we do not change our ways and prepare for the worst.

Our country and the way of life that we are used to is about to encounter a similar type of storm and it is imperative that we begin to prepare ourselves for its arrival.  It is apparent that the majority of this society does not care about the direction that we are headed in and the reason for this is because we have turned our eyes upon ourselves and have accepted the ways of the world and have pushed God out of our hearts.  It is ok for us to do this for God has placed within our lives the ability to choose, but know that He will allow things to occur and for us to go through until we change our ways back to Him.  It is also obvious that the minor or small warnings that have been thrown out to us that most of us are deliberately ignoring. 

The warnings have not only come from a Godly perspective but on a humanistic level as well.  And when the warnings are noticed by people who do not know God they must be pretty loud and clear in their messages.  The messages that I received from the weather service on my trip were bold, to the point and straight forward.  They had clear definition and it was made clear that everyone who heard them understood the potential for damage.  Yet, I witnessed many people seeking a thrill to watch a developing storm and not seek shelter as soon as possible.

In truth the most dangerous portion of a storm is not the one that is pounding away at you or your location but the portion of the storm that is in the distance that is developing and you have no idea of its strength or the potential the storm has.  It is at this time that we need to prepare ourselves for the impending impact of the storm or to get out of the way of its path, not to gawk at its beauty.  Right now, is the time that we must choose to make our decision for the storm will soon be upon us.  The time for watching its development is over and it is my advice to you that we turn and seek God’s face once again so that we may understand what to do, whether it is time to prepare for the storm or to find out we have time to go in another direction but we shall never know this advice unless we turn back to God.

If we are to face this storm then we must know where to be and how to be prepared.  If the storm can be bypassed then we need to understand in which direction we must travel to avoid the storm.  Whichever is the case we must have our spiritual eyes and ears fixed upon God so that we can know what to do for it is not our understanding that we can lean upon.  Read history and one will notice that when man does things on his own some good may arise but in hindsight another option would have been better.  God can provide that better option if we just listen for Him.  We also understand that life is full of storms and as we pass through one and look ahead of us we might see darkened skies once again.  No matter what the condition or how many storms we might have to face God will always give us the perfect path.

The warnings are clear and we can avoid devastation if we just listen to God once again.  Allow Him to restore what we have lost from the other storms that we have encountered and let us not have to face another one if at all possible.  God loves us and He understands our desire for progression for He is the one that instilled that gift within us, but it is our enemy who uses this gift to further our division from God and among mankind as well.  It is time we stop looking at the storm that is approaching and do what is necessary to avoid its sustaining damage.  God is the only way and if we turn towards Him with a pure, honest and humble heart He will grant us the knowledge to restore peace within our nations again.

DLB

Two Commands

Two Commands

10/12/13

As children we did not always want to listen to our parents.  No child can ever say that they obeyed every authoritative figure that was placed over them either.  So if this mentality and belief is present within our lives at a young age, then why do we continue to struggle with reasoning out what God has to say about His ways since we know what will happen if we continue in our humanistic ideologies?  God has provided a route so that we may skip all of the suffering that the world has to offer and when one understands this plan there will really be no real choice actually needed.  The question remains if we will ever come to the realization that human actions without God is a certain death sentence and docile at best.

There were many instances in my childhood that I could use as an example for this portion of the article and how I believed that my choice of actions were better suited for me instead of obeying my parents’ orders.  At that time I had no idea of the immediate consequences were going to manifest but I soon found this information out when my parents learned of the truth.  However, once I did understand what the consequences were it was up to me to adhere to their wishes in future situations, and with me being a typical kid I decided to choose to listen to my feelings instead of their rules. This is not an unfamiliar story to any parent and for those who are about to become parents themselves, all I have to say is understand and know what is coming for it will be a “glorious” experience.

The choices that I made while I was very young and along with all of my remaining growing up years continued the path of wanting to do things on my own and doing them in my time and by my rules.  While it took me a couple of decades to outgrow this rebellious state and began to have a family of my own, I eventually saw the same traits and patterns in my children as I had in my life when I was their age.  It dawned on me that I could really be in trouble if they continue this course and try and disobey as I did since some of the things that they were trying to get away with were now being completed at a much earlier age than I was when I tried them.  And with me understanding that the human mind likes to follow the pattern of doing things larger, bigger, or more exciting than previously attempted things could get real interesting for everyone in the household if things were not brought to light and dealt with immediately.  Now, my parents would say that this is a sign of paying for my raising, and I must admit that they are probably going to prove themselves correct.

The pattern of human behavior is summed up in those two previous paragraphs and it is obvious that no human being can escape this pattern.  The art of choice began its legacy in the beginning of man’s history and it has not subsided one iota since its conception.  It was a part of our life that God instilled into us to enable us to adequately function as a human being.  We would have the capacity of robots if we did not have this ability within our intellects to make decisions on a moment’s notice.  This does not mean that every split second decision we make will be the correct one, but this skill can prove to be a life saving quality that we all possess. 

While man was living within the garden of Eden God allowed man to have control over everything that was offered to him.  God had only one command and that was to stay away from one tree that was it.  Put yourself in their place for a moment, knowing yourself as you do would you be able to resist the urge to not touch that tree or to even go near it if asked?  All of us would have some type of difficulty in staying away and not even thinking about that tree and the wishes of God.  Our curiosity would kill us as the story of the cat is told.  It is not difficult for us to sit and wonder about the things that our parents tell us to stay away from for each of us have had some type of friend in our past that fits into this situational category.  But not knowing drives us nuts sometimes and it takes trust and perfect love to adhere to this instruction, but for many of us we have to find out for ourselves and then we are enlightened to why we were warned.  However, not all of us accept this new understanding as being bad and the decision to embrace this new setting can affect our lives for many years to come.

God did have this one law in place and it was administered to mankind in the form of a choice and all parties involved knew of this.  Eve at this point in our history our enemy knew us well enough to understand when it was the perfect time to begin to talk to us with words of doubt.  He also understood that eventually spreading his motives around would cause us to really think about if God was serious about His commands; this method exposes the real challenge of choice.  Then the final step of the act itself occurs and things are changed forever.  God knew of our actions as soon as they happened yet did not destroy us because of His love for our existence.  Yet He could no longer dwell in a place that as not holy so the separation process began and the veil that physically and spiritually separates us from God was installed.

Our enemy believed that our eternal lives would be finished by this act, just as his was.  However God had a different plan which included a restoration process in which man one day could have total access to God once more.  While God was passing judgment to all involved parties it became clear that God already had this figured out which infuriated Satan.  Adam and Eve had no idea that their personal actions in the garden actually began the restoration lineage to which mankind was going to have access to God again.  This personal access must be something so special that it has angered our enemy so much to wish all of human life to be destroyed.  These two people had no idea that their actions began anther supernatural war that would entangle all of humanity until God says “enough.”

This brings us to the second command that has come from a Holy figure that we have ignored and that is the command of Jesus when He told us to go into all parts of the world and to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God.  There is a reason that Jesus spoke this command to us and it is important that we understand why He gave us this command.  Since we have chosen to exercise our freedom of choice it is now our responsibility to spread the good news of restoration to the world.  The choice in the beginning and this choice go hand in hand when you place it into this perspective.  This is not a consequence of our past actions but it is an opportunity to rectify humanity’s death sentence that we brought upon ourselves and Jesus’ command to go into the entire world the means by which this will be accomplished.  However, we as humans have diverted our thought patterns and beliefs back to the selfish contingency that brought us to this place in the first place by placing the command of Jesus on the backburner and not the mission as it is designed to be.  This policy has been made sense to billions of people around the world and it breaks the heart of God at the same time we choose this option. 

Now there is no way possible that if we personally go to each person in the world and share the name of Jesus with them that this action will guarantee our restoration to God.  Jesus did not visit with everyone in the region and even some times when He encountered some of them, His message was not directly spoken to them, but His presence, meaning and reputation did.  It is by the acts of Jesus and our belief in these actions that allow us to pass under His covering which allows us to have access to God.  Our mortal bodies can never be “fixed” to live forever, something will cause our physical presence to break down and return to its original substances.  But it is the spiritual aspect of our lives that God now has direct contact with and it is through the blood of His Son that this process can occur.

It is the actions of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection that define the bridge that has been created to allow this access once again. This is where the choice of the hand in hand part comes back together in that the second command that is represented in this article restores the beginning of time and overrides the first choice of man.  By the entire life of Christ is the only way that this bridge could be formed and firmly established in order to restore this access.  Not many people see this saying of Jesus as being an example of restoration but when you place His ministry as a whole and place the bridge into place it makes perfect sense that His words in this passage is spoken in this capacity.  And if we do not let the people of the world know that there is a way to satisfy their longing of spiritual way out of eternal damnation, then we too should deserve this result due to our treasonous behavior of staying within our own boats.

Stop and think about this for a moment.  We as parents teach our children to do what is right and to be friends with one another, to look beyond our differences and live together in as much harmony as possible.  If we as parents have spoken this to our children wouldn’t you in turn expect our children to do their best in carrying out those requests?  Then why are we Christians refusing to obey God’s command once again by sitting back and allowing the world to die spiritually.  We blew it in the garden by not following through with God’s command which if we had obeyed would have set forth into motion a holy example to the remaining created world that God’s ways are truly in our best interests.

By sharing the gospel of Christ to the world we effectively and symbolically blind the results of the disobedience of the first command by God to us.  It does not save us by any means but it opens our spiritual eyes to what our destination is if we do not heed to God’s laws.  It is a simple plan that was put into place by a perfect sacrifice to provide us with this restoration to our creator.  The perfect sacrifice was just not whimsically established either, this creation begins with holy foundational blood combined with willing yet sinful flesh which ironically produces the only way that humans can access the holy again. 

Think about this concept for a bit, it makes perfect sense that this is the only way our first choice could be overridden.  If any one ingredient is left out of the equation then the entire process has to begin again.  We all know that it God that is Holy and cannot change from His perfect state, so that would mean that it is our ingredients that we bring to the table are faulty and inadequate. So, when both are combined it makes up the perfect combination in order to restore the true meaning of life, which is the basic definition of the birth and life of Christ.  Therefore, no human to human ingredients can ever make up the true way to God nor can any other method be substituted in order to regain access to God.  Then if this statement is the case, then the other side of the spectrum in which a divine and complete being is represented cannot be accepted from the flawed conditions because of its perfect status which means there is only one way true acceptance can be achieved and that is one mixture of holiness and humanity serves as the access to God no matter who says anything differently and this perfectly constructed covered bridge is our only way across the great divide to God.

When all of this information comes into light within our lives it is easy for us to comprehend why Jesus issued this statement as a command and not as a suggestion.  It is for everyone to hear and to grasp, not just for a select few.  If we do not adhere to this command we are actually robbing our fellow man of a given right to override an inherited past and it would be an utter disgrace if anyone is left out because of our selfish ways of understanding.

So, see it is imperative that we follow the one command that Jesus gave us to complete.  His command is not only for our eternal lives but it also serves as an auto correct for our bad choice in the garden as well.  The human flaws must be included in this process for it is through our actions that Jesus’ message is demonstrated throughout the world.  It is through our choice of Him that allows us to change our original choice and to choice eternal life over death and destruction.  Only through Jesus can we have the possibility of true life and by His blood do we have the opportunity to come before God for our eternal life.  Now when you place this concept within the confines of communion and its constituents, it really has the significant and symbolic picture of a covered bridge to which all of our past choices are rendered null and void.

DLB

Conventional Battle Lines

Conventional Battle Lines

10/10/13

When we read about conventional warfare most of us can understand that this involves two sides and hard battle lines that can be defined with forward or backward movements.  This type of war is easily constructed but difficulty fought due to the opposing powers struggling to make headway against the enemy.  It does not take a larger force to maintain these lines it just takes fighting personnel placed into strategic positions that can be the most effective when the enemy attacks.  As we portray our lives into this same setting we must understand that our lives are used in the fighting of this spiritual battle and that it is important that we know how to keep sight of the defined battle lines as well.

Of all the war stories and books that I have read concerning the birth and growth of modern warfare, they all have a few things in common.  One factor is that there will always be two sides fighting each other; another factor is that some portion of land will be fought over and it is certain that a large amount of material structures will be destroyed and an additional common factor is that there are defined lines that extend the limits to each side of the battle.  These lines are sometimes long but can be short in nature as well.  It all depends upon the participants and how they react when those lines are tested that will take count at the end of the battle.

I remember watching some of the old World War II films that portrayed some of the battles in which the major players of the war “duked” it out for days at a time.  Some of the campaigns lasted for months with many men on both sides losing their lives in the name of their countries.  War has always been around and people fighting over land, honor, and freedom has been the battle cries of each charge.  But what happens when the battle lines become obscured and the defined roll of the soldiers is lost and their effectiveness as a fighting unit stalls and eventually lose the will to fight?  What happens when this setting occurs and how can the soldiers regain their focus upon the cause of their country or even their existence?

Throughout military history we can read where the definition of battle lines is of the utmost importance and how those lines determine how the overall goal of success is being achieved.  I understand that not everyone likes war and for the majority of us it is safe to say that war should always be the last resort to any potential conflict with another human being or even philosophy for that matter.  However, we also know that sometimes the political garbage that is thrown our way, along with the same throwing process in our enemy’s direction, the shooting will eventually begin and certain conditions will be set into stone.  If we cannot define the battle lines then the battle is already lost and we have no chance of winning the war since we are not focused enough to recognize the simplest of war states.

The Zeigfried Line, the West Wall, the Atlantic Wall, Volturno Line and the Barbara Line are all examples of some of the defined lines of World War II battles.  Each line was represented in its own unique way and each had its own defensive measures in place to make sure that the enemy did not cross the barrier and have direct access to the land area behind it.  The defenses were made of the strongest known materials including the manpower that reinforced its material needs.  Both sides of these lines understood that it would be necessary to fight their way to up to this defined line and then would have to fight even harder in order to break the defenses and cross these lines.  Every inch of territory gained could easily be lost within the next few minutes so the highest amount of strength would have to be displayed at all times.  The job of each side was to advance their own lines in order to strengthen their hold of the territory in doubt, the lines had been set and the battle began and everyone involved knew that there could be only one winner.

The goals of each side were strictly defined as well and everyone involved knew exactly what the end destination was and they would give their all in helping to obtain this goal.  Sometimes this meant sacrificing good men in order to disrupt the enemy for the overall plan.  These types of actions actually kept the lines stabile sometimes but many of the times they were designed to inactivate certain areas of the line in order to advance the other side’s agenda.  This tactic proved to be highly successful and broke apart many defined lines all the while the overall goal of advancement continued.  The lines were broken but not lost in their definition and the fighting forces on both sides had to adjust to the new conditions of the battle.

This type of warfare is termed conventional warfare since both sides of the conflict have a defined setting and goal with the position of each fighting force known, so it is easy to draw a “line” and to know where the brunt of the fight will be concentrated.  It is easy to recognize the enemy since each side wears identifying uniforms and it is also common knowledge that if one that you do not know begins to fire upon you, they are the enemy. 

I was in the medical side of things when I was in the USAF and even though I was trained in combat maneuvers my job did not require me to be located within the front lines.  So my ears did not become trained in identifying the sounds of different artillery, tanks, etc.  However, those who are located up at the front or in positions that hear the active sounds of battle, can recognize the sounds of certain machinery and physical sounds of the projectile begin launched towards them.  The sounds of close combat also determine the site and the strength of the defined lines and it is necessary to test the qualities of the enemy’s lines in order to determine the positions that your side needs to take.  All of which paints an overall picture and complete definition of the battle lines to which each side is fighting to obtain or to hold.

It has also been noted that once the fall of a defined line has accomplished, all information and stability of the established line and the side that has built it will be in disarray.  As WWII drug along people throughout the world saw defined lines rise and fall, with both sides claiming victory with the demise of each line.  At the end of the war it seemed like that only one side of the war was claiming victory over these lines and everyone knows the ultimate outcome of that gruesome conflict.  The illusions of war can become devastating if reality is not kept within every person fighting the battle and once our focus is off or we are distracted in any way our enemy will pounce and do their best to disrupt our lines.  This is done for one purpose and for one purpose only and that is to gain access to our side and to break the lines for their advantage.

I know that I have touched on this subject before and that some of the concepts that I am writing about now are similar, but it is very important for us to understand what is actually transpiring around us no matter what our immediate surroundings suggest.  We do have an enemy and our enemy wants nothing more than to destroy us.  The Church has had the concept for centuries and God has had this concept even before our creation that our enemy will stop at nothing to deceive us so that he can end our lives forever, both physically and spiritually.  The Church has manipulated this concept for its own will and has personally destroyed millions of lives in the process, but God is not in the habit of destroying lives but only trying to get us to see the real battle that is ongoing and how we are being defeated simply because we do not understand or ignore the true battle lines that have been placed around us.

The Church itself had the idea and concept that it had the authority to draw the battle lines and to take stake in their creation.  The Church did this by establishing itself as the sole authority, in human terms, to control the human population by what it says and does rather than what God wishes for His people.  This is manipulating the battle lines with the help of our enemy with the Church’s blessings added to the mix.  The battle lines are not the Church’s to draw or to define because if it were our responsibility then there would have been no reason for Jesus to establish His Church in the first place and every aspect of the life of Jesus would have been totally different.  In addition, if the Church was responsible for this definition then the only way that we would accomplish this would be to place it on human terms and limitations, and this is exactly what the Church has done in the past and we are now reaping these benefits of our haughtiness.

This action by the Church has distorted the battle lines and has allowed the human nature effect to infiltrate behind the lines due to its limited and flawed concepts.  There is a reason why it is not our responsibility to draw these lines but to recognize them and to make sure that our lines are advanced instead of being drawn.  The battle lines for our lives have already been drawn and it since this has been achieved, there is no reason that we should redraw them.  The battle lines are between two kingdoms and both kingdoms are immortal enemies and cannot get along in any capacity.  We are the instruments that have been created, then deceived and now responsible for advancing one or the other kingdom.  In short words one is always advanced for good and the other one advances through the destruction of the players involved, which in truth is us.

Look at what we have done to people in our past when they have not conformed to the ways that we believe that they should follow.  Even our current history we have allowed this same content and desire to infiltrate our reasoning and then display it publically with boastful insight.  What deems us, a human being who is flawed in every manner the one who creates what is right or wrong?  We have even obscured these lines and with these actions too, destroyed millions of lives in the name of freedom.  God is the only one that can define what is good and what is evil because every time we try to do this act, we fail miserably.  I am glad it is not our responsibility to create these battle lines, for if it were my doings, one would find out pretty quick that I am no artist when it comes to drawing.

It is however, the responsibility of the Church to understand the battle lines and to find out what the battle lines are exactly.  We as the Church cannot do this if our eyes are on the world and what it has to offer.  The world is part of the enemy, plain and simple.  It may look fine to accept but in reality it brings nothing but shame and death to our side of the battle.  We cannot afford to thin out our defenses and allow the enemy to attack our lines when it is weakened.  For if we allow this penetration the world will gain its foothold within our doors and allow itself to grow, and then it will establish itself and grow further and eventually begin to dictate its message to the Church.  When this occurs the enemy has its foothold and will take every advantage in order to establish its authority behind our lines.

We must continually keep our eyes on God so that we may always understand the battle lines.  Keep His word close to our hearts and to understand the importance of every detail of His word, not just the rosy portions.  The Bible clearly defines this battle line and we must continually study this map in order to comprehend our weaknesses and how to defend against sneak attacks.  The Bible is filled with situations that occurred in people’s lives and if you read these examples, you will find correlation after correlation to our lives as well.  This means that the battle lines have not changed since before time so why would we wish to redefine them on a human level?  We have witnessed mankind trying its best to re-write history to satisfy the current thinking of the day and if we continue to try this with God’s Word we will fall prey to our enemy with devastating results being unleashed upon our lives.

When we allow our battle lines to become out of focus it is a guarantee that sometime in the near future that our defenses will soon fall.  It is not a matter of “if” but “when.”  Our enemy has one goal and he will use everything within his chain links to complete this mission.  The question that begs is why are we continuing to add links to his chain by our allowance of worldly standards within the confines of the Church?  It is our choice in this matter and our choices will have severe consequences if we do not realize what we are actually doing by choosing the world instead of God.  Do not allow pride to rule our day, for we all know what happens when pride becomes our savior and standard.  God wishes for us to live in peace and in harmony, with Him supplying every need that we might ever dream about, but He cannot do this if we do not place Him first in our society and personal lives.

It is obvious that the mankind has drawn a battle line so do you ever wonder why our enemy has not?  God and Satan did draw this line and it is not our place to redefine it according to our standards.  Trying to redraw this battle line is a perfect example of a bad idea and we must flush this concept out of our hearts immediately.  The Kingdom actions that we portray allow either God or our enemy to advance these lines, not redefine them.

God continues to send out His message of restoration and it is His desire that we hear what He is trying to tell us.  He knows the patterns of man and He understands that at some point man will fall upon his own sword because of our selfish ways.  There is a way that we can skip this pattern and turn our lives around but we must include God in this turning and to place Him first and above everything else in our lives.  Once we allow God to take control He will guide us back to the position of understanding and knowing about the defined battle lines.  He will lead us as we advance His Kingdom and push back our enemy but we must continue to not dictate our lives by our own accord.  God loves each and every one of us and it is His desire for each of us to live fully in Him and in His ways.  It is a simple process and if mankind would follow His ways what an exciting life we would live and witness each day as we rise out of our beds.  Turn and accept God’s ways once again and the problems that we are facing will be gone for God will grant us the wisdom to solve each arguing point within our world.  God is good and He loves us so much that He has provided a Holy and complete plan for each of us with no one left out, however all He asks is that you love Him in return and to keep His Word within your heart and seek Him in all of your ways.

DLB

The Eternal Gardens

The Eternal Gardens

9/30/13

Being an integral part of an overall plan takes quite a bit of planning on the one who is drawing the set in which the results are going to play out.  A great planner will have contingency plans or another way in which the overall goal is reached if something goes wrong after the project has been started.  The topic of this article is not going to be about the author of the two scenes but the decisions that were made in both settings, decisions which humans were directly involved and choices had been made.  It is the choice of relationship that is determined when we make the decision to do something.

The two main garden scenes in the Bible many of us would know right off hand if someone would ask.  The two scenes are the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane.  These two settings tell an enormous amount of information concerning the gift of human choice and the power and finality that each of our choices have after we have made them.  We know that humans were present in both of these settings but what we tend to not remember is that our enemy was present in both of these settings as well.  It is the final decisions of these instances that forego a relationship change between man and God and it explains just how important a relationship is between the same two parties.

I used to say that all of us know the story about the events in the Garden of Eden but I honestly have to admit that I cannot accurately make that statement any longer.  We as a society have intentionally blinded ourselves to what actually took place in the beginning and have dismissed the details of the acts that took place during that period of time.  We have also deliberately dropped the Bible on the ground beside us and we have allowed it to become a part of our dust instead of a light unto our feet.  We have also missed a great portion of the second important garden scene and that is what connection that the second garden scene had with the first garden scene.

The first garden scene had humans making a choice according to how they felt and what they believed to be right.  The gift of choice had been given to them and the Creator allowed this gift to be fulfilled, all part of the overall plan.  They did not come by this decision alone they had help from another created being that had already experienced this selfish decision making process and the price that it entails.  They believed a beautiful lie and swept themselves into another spiritual level with the intent to be something greater.  This decision was purely selfish in that the people involved had established a relationship with their Creator and also established another relationship with the creatures that looked pleasing to their eyes.  This scene is another example of how on cannot serve two masters, the choice must be made for one or the other.

The choice to be personally great began the process of separation from God and the consequences were immediate as soon as God addressed the problem.  Everyone involved had to face some consequences that included immediate, long lasting and eternal results.  With the option that man made to go our own way brought into play the end result and it presented another choice and that it is the eternal one.  Once again the concept of one cannot serve two masters comes into play in that a choice must be made for our personal life even though the relationship with God had been distanced and the relationship with trust of our liar strengthened.

Adam and Eve mad a personal choice based upon another created being’s word and not the one who created them.  With this door opened we have voluntarily allowed our enemy to have control over everything that this world accepts as life.  Humans giving a spiritual enemy the opportunity to rule over them and to dominate our dominion that we were instructed to have.  Now, given this setting something else had to be done to break this cycle yet man was still in control of their life and to inherit this life with the lies that we accepted and the truth of a separation between us and our Creator that cannot be bridged by ourselves.

The process of relationship had to then begin and God had no option in allowing man to understand that He still was in control of our lives and that only He could provide a safe and healthy life through His ways.  We have a long history of people in the Old Testament of how they tried their best to make their own laws and do their best to abide by limited rules and regulations, another prime example of mankind trying to do things on their own by choosing to live by their own selfish choices.  This process only continued the process of separation between God and man and did not close this gap by any measure.  Yet it continued the defiled nature of man and their trust in self and the enemy that gave them this option.

The gap became so intense that God even contemplated totally destroying man but knew that if He did He would Himself demonstrate to His creations to be a liar so life continued, but a new lineage had to be forged.  The pattern of selfishness in choices can lead in only one direction and that direction is the way that the creator of this idea of selfish choice can lead.  It is still fascinating that even though there were people that knew the history of the world and its watery destruction still continued to make decisions that continued the gap that existed between God and man.  But it is believable because even today we continue the same trend.  Most people in this time of human history became comfortable with this gap and followed in the ways of selfish desires and were rewarded with very destructive lives.  It was still their choice and everyone had to live with the consequences of their decisions.

It is evident that humans love to continue the legacy of the Garden of Eden even though we know that there is an alternative route that we can choose.  It is so easy to go opposite to what this garden legacy has to offer yet we embrace it with open arms and continue the personal gap of sin that clouds our view and relationship with our Creator.

The second example of a garden in the Bible is one that occurred thousands of years later.  The setting was in a modern city of that time frame and everything that an empire could offer its citizens was continually demonstrated on a regular basis.  Society had blossomed further across the globe and many more nations had been established and served as a foundation for conquering heroes to be crowned.  The world had gone way beyond the technology that past societies had to offer and the progress of the human mind had continued its pursuit of greatness amongst itself. 

Enter another garden scene that represents another decision that would mean everything to mankind.  Once again the created being that had so brilliantly deceived the first creations was present to make sure that he did everything that he could to ensure his kingdom would be advanced by the option of non death of the Son of God.  It is mentioned by Jesus during this setting for His disciples to stay awake and to resist temptation at this moment; with this statement it automatically places Satan and his forces in that area trying to work their activities against what was transpiring.

The second garden setting had just as much effect on our lives as did the first garden setting and all spiritual parties present understood this concept.  We cannot argue the fact that Jesus was a human and He recognized the weaknesses of humans hence all of the prodding that He gave the three disciples with Him to stay awake.  At this point it looks like Satan and his selfish kingdom had the advantage, or at least that was what he thought.  At NO time did Jesus ever doubt His mission to the world and at NO time would He ever go against what His Father deemed necessary.

Jesus understood the implications of His death to mankind and He also understood that there was no other way that this restoration could possibly be bridged.  Jesus also understand the other side of the story that if He followed the same pattern of choices that man had made that the total destruction of man would ultimately occur.  Jesus also understood that the legacy of this garden setting had to play out according to mankind in order for them to fully understand the implications and meaning of what His death means.  The only problem with this setting is that we have once again lost this example’s meaning and have allowed it to drop beside our feet and to become more dust behind us.

I had never really thought about the presence of Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane until the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was released.  I cannot deny this fact of mine and I know that many of us have done the same.  It makes sense that he would be present since his sole purpose is to destroy the human command from God to have dominion over the earth.  This means that the only way that this goal of his could be achieved would be for us to be out of our earthly settings and he included Jesus’ human figure in this goal.  It is also clear that Jesus’ human nature was on trial due to the fact that Jesus was aware of what His chosen men were not completing.

We have focused so much on what Jesus was praying and what the disciples were not doing, which there is nothing wrong with these thoughts, that we have forgotten that a huge spiritual battle was taking place in that garden for the eternal existence of all humanity.  If one places this concept into our forethoughts then we would truly understand why Jesus began to sweat blood.  The eternal legacy of mankind was once again at stake and a decision had to be made by another human being.

Satan was doing his best to persuade Jesus to practice what He had been preaching and that was to choose life.  See it does not matter how our enemy gets across his agenda or the plans that the world has for us as long as our dominion abilities are silenced and destroyed.  Jesus knew the demands of obedience and of selflessness towards His desires.  The legacy of the Garden of Gethsemane is one of hope, love and truth about what God intended for our lives to be.  The acts of Christ in this garden were one of absolute truth about why God created us in the first place and the epitome of how our lives should reflect towards others.  Jesus’ actions began the spiritual forces that would soon rip the veil that separated us from God and would restore direct access to God our Creator.  The participants are present in both gardens, the leaders of both kingdoms were represented and choices were made in both gardens.  The scenes were set and they played out as they were intended and now it is intended for you to choose your garden.

The legacy of both gardens is still present today and neither result can be hidden from the other.  It is still our choice which legacy we wish to pursue and to which result we wish to imbibe.  The world’s legacy is temporary and its legacy short yet it is the quickest to obtain but the hardest to maintain.  For the Garden of Eden’s legacy requires so much from us and gives back so little in return.  The Gethsemane legacy requires a simple truth concept and asks for an honest heart to pursue this truth and rewards eternally not physically.  The Garden of Eden provides heartache, pain and suffering with no feeling of success yet Gethsemane provides rest and the presence of true peace.  Eden provides lush promises that are backed up with further lies and Gethsemane provides restoration with our eternal Creator and a wealth of unfathomable knowledge about life itself.  It is clear that both eternal garden legacies are available, which one will you follow?

DLB

An Unlimited Love

An Unlimited Love

9/25/13

Ever wonder how hard it is to be a true father?  It is easy to contribute to the process of life but it is more difficult to be a part of that life in which guides and protects at all times yet allowing the creations to make their own choices.  We as humans see things on a limited basis whereas our heavenly father sees the complete picture of not only our present but our future as well.  How many times have we placed these facts into our hindbrains and allowed selfish ways to determine our children’s paths.  We trod upon this earthly rock in order to see fit for our own existence but how do we compare to the love that God has for His children in comparison.

Being a human I am automatically limited to what I can say or do in this life.  AS I have studied the human body for almost three decades now I have come to the conclusion that our physical forms were uniquely created in such a manner to which they should last forever, yet some inhibiting quality prevents us from obtaining this function.  My decisions and actions are based upon this limiting fact as well yet I try to understand the decisions that other humans make in order to provide a long as possible life.  The examples I am going to use in this article are very limiting but they are the only human ones that I can use that bring into light about how much more God loves us and wishes to guide our lives for a long and complete life.  But as my examples are given one will find that they fall way short in comparison to what God has provided for us.

I am almost forty six years old now and I have to admit that I have had a pretty good life.  My parents provided me with a good place to live, taught me to respect life and to be honest with everyone that I come in contact with, be decent with the planet and know that God loves me with every ounce of His heart.  There is nothing wrong with these concepts and in truth they are the core foundation that not only I enjoy but what the founding fathers of this country instilled into our lives through their hard work, sweat and blood while writing the beginnings of this great nation.  However, being in my forties that would mean that I had to be a teenager some time in my past and if one does the math they will quickly come to realize that this is a fact.

The personal example I am going to give occurred while my family and I were living in Hobbs, New Mexico.  There are many details about this specific incident that I am not going to go into but be aware that while this scene was unfolding a contract had been taken out for my life which I did not know about at the time, but my parents did however.  It was nothing special, just a voluntary gesture on my part to go to the store for mom to get a few items that she wanted.  There are not many parents in the USA that would say no to a teenager who actually wanted to do a small errand for them without having a huge argument beforehand.  I had volunteered to go and gladly waited for the few items to be mentioned and as soon as they were received I was out the door and headed for the car.  All was great and as I pulled out from the curb I headed in the direction of the store.

Now, being a normal teenager I just had to take the scenic route to the store and see who was wandering around the town so it actually took a few minutes for me to arrive as my destination.  As I stated above there had been a contract out for my life and it was quite well known that if anyone had the opportunity that they should complete the task and since my parents knew this they became suspicious about things fairly quickly and decided to tail me just to make sure I was not in any danger.  Of course I had no idea about the contract nor did I have a clue that mom and dad were following me either so it would be an awkward setting when our eyes met.

After a few trips around the drag of the town, I finally decided that I should complete my errand and go to the store as my mother wished.  I took the shortest route that I knew, from the place that I really had no business being in, to get to the store.  I pulled into the parking lot and parked as close to the store entrance as possible.  I got out and ritualistically locked the car door and began to walk towards the entrance.  Being a typical teenager my eyes were focused on the cars within the parking lot and I was trying to see if there was anyone there that I knew, in other words I really was not paying too much attention to my immediate surroundings on a security level.

As I continued my stroll towards the store I noticed a car that was coming up from behind so I moved out of the center of its path and allowed it to pass on my left.  As the car passed I noticed one of my parents in the passenger seat looking at me as they slowly passed by.  The car suddenly stopped and the window rolled down and I was asked if I was ok and of course my mad and embarrassed self curtly responded with a “yes.”  The window rolled back up and the car continued its path towards the entrance of the store and then made a turn towards the exit of the parking lot.  I momentarily stopped my course towards the store and watched as my parent’s car made its way out of the parking lot and headed back towards my house.

At this time I was hopping mad and had no idea why my parents were following me but all I could care about at that moment was that they had no trust in me to complete a simple task that they had given me, plus the fact that I had even volunteered to do this for them.  I felt violated, cheated and controlled but what I did not know was the real reason why they were concerned for my safety.  I was fuming in the moment and as soon as the tail lights had disappeared I went inside the store and completed the task and beat-fleeted it back to the house to release my anger at them and then to ignore their reasons why they were “spying” on me.

At this time my parents had no choice but to tell me a little bit about what they had been warned concerning my life.  They wanted to protect me from this information as long as possible and with any luck it never has to be made known to my ears.  But the perfect scenario had just burst and some disturbing information had to be detailed.  I really did not fully comprehend the severity of the situation for my eyes only had their focus upon living and having fun with as many people as I possibly could yet I did understand what was spoken to me but I still fought the truth and was a bit angry for them following me; a typical response to an stubborn and ignorant teenager.

My limited knowledge of my surroundings and the reality of these surroundings had a direct effect on my entire family until the day that we left that town.  But it was not until I fully comprehended what was occurring around me that I figured out that my parents were only trying to keep me safe and for me to have a long life.  And it was not until I stopped being so focused upon my wants that I realized the entire story about that time and just how close I came to my life ending that year.  The word had been written out for my life and my parents sensed something about this specific time in my life and at the time I did not like them for that but now that I understand about the responsibilities of being a parent I totally agree with their decision to follow me that night even though I was doing a good deed for them at that moment.

The roles are reversed in my second example of a limited nature as this example played out a couple of nights ago.  It was a typical Monday evening in Delta, Colorado in which my wife was working at her dispatch job and I was doing my best to relax for a while.  I read a bit and then surfed the net some but really did not have too many things planned in other words.  The girls had left at different times earlier that evening and were to meet at the local Monday evening youth service at around 7 pm.  Both girls were with friends and given the age differences between the two that meant one was walking and the other one was riding with a friend.

All was going great until about 7:15 pm when I had a thought to text my sixteen year old and ask her if she had made it to the meeting.  I got no response at that time which really did not mean too much to me since there have been numerous times that her mother and I have texted and received no immediate response.  So I waited for a few minutes and then gave her another text but the word I used in the second text was meant to grab her attention and when she would read the message she would understand the context.  I waited once again with no reply and after a few more moments I began to become a little miffed with what seemed like a no response of ignoring me.

The third text from my phone was sent and the same “no response” was received in return.  Now my anger turned into a sudden shock of fear so the next logical step was for me to call her phone in which I promptly did.  Her phone rang and then went to her voice mail and my fear then turned to sheer fright and the thought of something amiss entered into my mind.  I went upstairs to speak to my wife and to ask her if she had heard anything from our sixteen year old and when she replied with “no” my heart decided to jump a little bit higher in my throat.

My wife then said she would try and call her and it too provided with a session to the voice mail message.  I then said that I was headed to the place where the youth meeting was located and for my wife to call the friend that our sixteen year old was with when she left our house.  I shut the door behind me and mixed emotions swelled up within me one of anger and one of fright.  At that moment I had no idea which one was in first place inside me but the only thing that mattered to me was finding her safe and hopefully where she was supposed to be at.

As I got into the car and stared the engine I said a quick prayer for my daughter’s safety.  If her life was in danger I had not much confidence with those simple words but it was all I had at that moment; that is on the praying side of the issue.  If my daughter was not where she said she would be there would be prayers sent up to heaven but it would have been from a different nature and tone; one of mercy coming from an irate father.  As I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the place where the youth meeting was being held my phone rang and it was my wife with some information concerning my daughter’s whereabouts.  The information was not specific but it the girl stated that my daughter was at the youth meeting and that our other daughter was there as well.  So I had my wife text the girl that provided us with the information and told her to inform my daughter to meet me outside of the meeting house. 

As I approached the meeting place I received another phone call stating that the girl with the information had left the youth meeting due to a personal reason and that she had left my daughter there and was not with her.  This raised my parental suspicions higher and I was more determined to find out what was going on when I pulled up in front of the youth house.  I parked the car by the mailbox and began to look for any signs of my two daughters.  The kids were all headed inside to begin the service so my view of everyone was limited, but I saw no daughter of mine there.

As the music began to protrude from the garage area of the house I began to calm down a bit since a few minutes had passed without any cars passing by.  For I knew that if my daughter had a brain and was not there at the house she would eventually arrive there with some type of story but this never occurred because both of my daughters were actually inside and listening to the service as they said they were.  This was confirmed when my sixteen year old called me as she was walking out of the front door after the short service was completed.  I felt kind of stupid about the entire situation and I did not mention to them about my worries and concerns with them not responding to the texts and calls.  I was just relieved to see their faces walking towards the car.

The purpose of God’s love for us is directly related to these two examples that I have provided above, with one specific detail that separates them at the same time.  Where the two examples prove that the timing and actions of humans are of a current manner and the future cannot be revealed until the future becomes the present.  However, God has a different view and a relevant in all areas of our life since He is eternal, everlasting and all knowing.  While this concept is hard for us to comprehend God has left us with an excellent example of His knowledge concerning our lives.

God understands and has created within us the ability to choose, and this gift of choice can either make or break us depending upon which choice we make at that time.  That is why God has given us the Bible in order that we may understand the situations that we humans place ourselves in and how and why things occur within our lives after those choices have been made.  Where we cannot accurately predict every movement that we will make we can have knowledge of what might come our way if we decide one way or the other.  This pathway of choice can be kept on a personal level or it can be on the level of a community or even a nation.  Since we are all created equal and have the same opportunities in life all levels of choices are within our grasp and thus are subject for our taking.  Therefore, this means that all consequences are just and acceptable because everything has to be balanced on all sides of the equation.

God gave us examples in the Bible on every level.  God would be labeled as punitive if the Bible only contained stories and examples of bad results of human actions.  On the other hand God would be labeled as a sugar daddy if only stories with happy endings would be present within the contents of the Bible.  Since both sides of the coin is laid out for us to read about this means that the Bible and the people that are represented within these stories represent the situations of everyday life of a human being, which automatically makes the case for the Bible being relevant for us today.

God could not have made it any easier for us to follow these examples but as humans we have distorted these examples and have made them out to be fairy tales and watered them down enough to warrant them irrelevant. God can leave this type of human history book because He created us and He understands what the human mind and heart are capable of completing.  The Bible would have so many inconsistencies about human life if God was not the creator of all things.  The Bible would be labeled as a fraud if all sides of the issues of life were not addressed or if it did not have a central idea with a final outcome, all wrapped up into one end choice of the center pieces of creation.

The Bible would also be deemed as manipulative to humans if it included every detail about the people that were being portrayed in the stories within its contents.   The freedom of choice about life and everything that it has to offer would be skewed and forced upon our hearts in order to make the appropriate decision all the time.  God knew what He was doing by giving us certain details and leaving out others so that we can use the gifts of thought to make the choices for our lives.  Only a God who is eternal and all knowing could make such a work even while it was being written by the created centerpieces themselves.  This method of providing examples is brilliant above all other methods of examples; a pure example of a creator who has made a covenant of life with us as part of His unlimited love.

God would not write the perfect example and then leave out the final detail about the results of the choices that humans have made.  God understands the progressive mind and heart that He has placed within us and He fully comprehends what the choices that we make have upon our lives.  It would b a travesty if and a lie if He did not include the final results.  But it is good to know that we have not made it to those final results yet however, if we continue the course that we are presently accepting another step will be taken in bringing those final results into play.

It is our responsibility to study God’s Word and to think about what occurred in those people’s lives.  From the insane laws that some of the people passed to the killing of their own children must be thought about with a pure and objective heart so that the truth about those choices can be made without prejudice.  It is a fact that God will honor His creative gift of choice but let it be known that whatever comes our way is not God’s fault but a result of the choices that we humans have made.  We must always keep in mind to what is at stake and if we try to protect our children by following them in a car then why would an all knowing God provide any less for His children?

A common factor is that the world will offer every side of the issues which include the best and worst of these sides.  We still have the opportunity to go through life with some help and guidance.  Yet the world has commanded us to abandon this guidance and to forego with its plans for our lives.  The world cries for the Bible to become irrelevant and useless but God says that His Word is more relevant today than it ever has been.  While it is true that humans cannot understand the future we do have the ability to understand human behavior by the choices that we as mankind have made in the past.  The world will eventually shut this option down and declare it obsolete and threaten its usage as a traitor to the present.  That is why it is so vital to understand this concept because the choices of man will play out according to God’s knowledge of humanity.  It is time for us to repent and to allow God to restore in us the true knowledge and ways of His Word.  This is the only way that we can delay our complete downfall and to provide a true and reasonable way out of our convoluted ways.  The world has a contract out for your life and the information provided in the Word of God can overturn this contract.  The Bible is a book of guidance and not of a punitive or controlling nature.  I challenge you to open the Bible and to read it with these eyes and not the condemning ones of our past.

DLB