Being True to You and It's affect on You and Your World.

I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.

 Frederick Douglass

If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it.

Epictetus

Wayne Dyer, a psychologist and lecturer of positive thinking, once stated, “When you go into a room with 100 people you have 100 reputations. You cannot control what others may think of you. But what you can control is your character and who you chose to be.”

Mohandas Gandhi said, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." To me, this is talking about integrity -- one of the most noble virtues a person can have. Being who you are ALL THE TIME. Not painting a face on in an opportunistic way that presents yourself in the most favorable light for whatever benefit you may see. The thing is we all seem to have a side we don’t want everyone to see. Inside we know it is flawed and not favorable when we carefully examine ourselves. That is our fleshly persona and the aspect of ourselves that operates minus the Spirit within. Romans 12:2 Tells us how to react to this self that battles the Spirit.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Be true to yourself and be truthful to yourself. Realize your own shortfalls and mistakes. The only way to improve yourself is by admitting your errors. Be humble with your abilities; realize what you need to improve on. I believe this falls into being a good Christian, or for that matter, just a good person.

 

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.

If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Rudyard Kipling ~

 

 

 

 

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius is giving his son advice on how he should live. The advice ends with “this above all; to thine own self be true and it follows as the night the day thou canst not then be false to any man”.

There is the story during the civil war of the man who wore a blue (Union) jacket and grey (Confederate) trousers so he would be safe. Unfortunately, he was shot at by both sides.

 

 The advice so often given “be yourself” is just as often misunderstood or ignored. The reason being is that we really don’t know our self. Call it confidence that allows some to readily speak to groups and the lack thereof for some to be paralyzed with fear.

           

 Being true to you is simply being honest with yourself. Introspection is the process of looking inward and seeing what’s there. No one knows what he or she will do in a given situation but a good person will usually rise to the occasion. The reason the Christian is better equipped to deal with the world is that they have an inner strength to call on. Believing in something bigger than ourselves makes us stronger.

 

 Most often, when we look in the mirror we see our face, hair, lips but seldom look deeply into our eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the soul. Look deeply into them to catch a glimpse of yourself.

 

 According to Charlie Brown, 'Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

 

2Timothy 2:15 says

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Introspection is a something we must constantly be undertaking within almost simultaneously as we act in our everyday lives. It gives us a window into who we are and who we desire to be and how to direct ourselves to that end. It is the Spirit that guides and convicts and the more we live in the Spirit the more we will find our lives in harmony to what God has in store for us. It is when we rarely give pause to what we do, say, and act on impulse and at our base instincts that the flesh becomes who we are and we pay the consequences of those acts in profound and life changing ways. Ways in which we find ourselves overcome with regret and self-loathing. To avoid that we seek the Spirit and Jesus spoke of that when we hunger for the truth.

Matthew 5:5-10

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ...”

1Timothy 4:16 tells us it will not only be to our benefit to stay in the Spirit as a protector of our own testimony but also for the affect it has on others around us.

“Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”

Going to church does not make you a Christian; nor does saying a prayer, going down an aisle, passing a catechism, telling yourself that you are, or trying to be a decent person. You can only be a Christian if Christ is in you, which can be tested and proven according to the scriptures.

 

Test Yourself

2Cor 13:5 (NIV) Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?

1Cor 11:28,31 (NAS) But a man must examine himself... If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.

Lamentations 3:4

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

Our actions are a reflection of who we really are and who demonstrate ourselves to be. Scripture can also help us in understanding this about those who witness our behavior.

Mat 7:16-23 (NIV) [Jesus:] "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Also, Gal 5:22-23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

In addition, the words of Jesus say it all and give us the best answer in how to be that person we seek to be. That person who is our true self as God intended. That person who represents a Spirit centered life rather than one guided by impulse, self-gratification, and the flesh.

John 15:4-5, 8, 16 [Jesus:] "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples... You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last..."

The Golden Goose

I said my piece
and my side lost
Now we sit
and assess the cost

Fifty percent
Said "I want him."
Now they get their way
as hopes soon dim.

The other fifty
Opposed his plan
But lost the vote
As it all hits the fan

Just how much longer
Can the private man keep up
His supporting the ones
Who hold out their cup?

Eventually more
Will rely on the goose
Whose golden eggs
They'll never set loose

But kill it they will
By demanding too much
And they will not find another
To come through in the clutch

Then the whole of the nation
Will look to the man
They put into office
To do what he can

He did what he wanted
He achieved all he tried
To take our great nation
And destroy all it's pride

We deserve what we get
We made our own bed
So sleep in it we must
The goose is now dead.

The Spirit within and how it gets us through

James 1:12-18 ESV

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Romans 5:3-4 ESV

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

How to Not Give up - How to Persevere In Hard Times

Faithful Christians Persevere Through Obstacles and Tests.

There are many inspiring true stories of men and women throughout time who have accomplished fantastic and impressive things. However, they were not always great athletes, business people or military personnel, but sometimes-average people, people who were highly motivated by a cause they deemed greater than their own lives. With perseverance, they were able to achieve astonishing successes, and sometimes-stunning victories against seemingly insurmountable odds. In addition, perseverance was the key ingredient in every success story.

 

After more than 10,000 attempts at inventing the incandescent light bulb before he was successful, Thomas Alva Edison said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

Perseverance is steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, especially in spite of difficulties or discouragement. Determination, tenacity and patience also are closely related qualities.

Many examples of this kind of resolve can be found in the Bible. Genesis gives the account of Noah who built the ark over the course of 120 years, surrounded by corrupt and contemptuous unbelievers. Moses led the hardhearted Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness. The Apostle Paul, however, serves as a superstar example of perseverance.

 

Paul's ministry, from his unique conversion to his tragic execution spanned about 30 years. During that time, he took three missionary journeys. According to Christian History Magazine, he covered about 14,000 miles, mostly on foot. In two years and three months, under the ministry of Paul, all Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord Jesus, according to Acts 19:8-10. Throughout his travels, Paul was constantly dealing with obstacles. Some scholars say he was stoned to death, but was revived and continued to preach.

 

Second Corinthians 11:24-27 describes in vivid detail the hardships that Paul endured: "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness." In addition to all of this, Paul always had in mind a concern for all of the churches and the people he had won to the Lord.

Paul spoke often of fighting the good fight. His fight was against the flesh. That aspect of us that is weak, that gives in to pain, to discomfort, to pessimism, to discouragement, to rejection, to loss, to loneliness, to anything the adversary or the Satan puts before us. That fight was the faith within him that there is something greater, something his misfortunes were grooming him for that God was waiting for him to fulfill. He wanted more than anything to please his lord. To please the messiah that met him on the road to Damascus and blinded Saul, giving birth to a man who saw the world most differently after a symbolic removal of the scales in three days. This man was no stranger to crisis. No stranger to strife, to discouraging events, to hatred, to threats, to the struggles he endured to create the very church Jesus would need to make his salvation for the world a reality for all who accept him.

 

No one on the face of the earth has had to endure all the things that Job endured at one time. He lost everything in one fell swoop, his children, his livestock, his servants, his livelihood and his health. All he was left with was a bitter wife who added to this poor man's misery. One day he had it all and the next, nothing. Job's reaction was not to curse God, but to worship him and the first words out of his mouth, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:21 What incredible faith this saint of old had! There are not many who would echo Job's words given the same scenario in their lives. If all this was not enough for poor Job to suffer, he had a wife who wanted him to curse God and die and friends who were sure Job had sinned greatly to bring such devastation upon himself. While those around him tried to "help" by pulling him down, his faith remained sure. He trusted God to see him through and he knew the outcome would be gold! Job knew that if gold was put into the fire, not only would it come out still gold, but it would come out purer and more luminous. Job went into this furnace of affliction an innocent, righteous man and he came out the same, only better, more pure, stronger. In the end, despite the sad treatment of his "friends", he came out stronger, more sure of God and His faithfulness. Fire does that; it burns off all the dross and makes the gold purer, more valuable. Job's trials did have a clarifying effect on his life and in the end made him even more valuable to His God. So with us; when the fire seems to consume us, let us not lose heart, for we will come out purer and more valuable to Him. Let us, like Job, praise the

name of LORD for all He places in our lives, both the good and bad, for if we allow Him to have his way in our lives, we, like Job, will come forth as gold.

I have heard individuals say that God will not test us by his own intent and action. However, we may ask God to test us (which is a testy situation in itself). The Psalm is a demonstration of this. Psalms 26:2 (NIV)

 Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

Also, it seems that God allows us to be tested:

Job 1:12 (NIV)

 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Another verse that shows that God allows temptation:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. In addition, God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Nevertheless, when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

A favorite verse of mine and one I have used on numerous occasions in this class

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

It lets me know that every moment in our life is an opportunity to see just where we are in our relationship with God. We should all know at this stage of our Christian walk that we are two beings in one body. The Spirit and the Flesh. The Spirit is God in his image with in you. It is that individualized expression of God that when we are functioning in this form we are in perfect tune with the grand scheme of things no matter how chaotic, happenstance, and random they may appear to us. But when we are living in the spirit our soul is at peace with what we are going through and somehow knows just how to react when faced with hostility, negativity, trials, misfortune, the wrath of nature upon the earth, and any other opportunity to reflect God with in.

The other half, the flesh, gives us our most trying and difficult times because we are poorly prepared to react to anything we did not expect, plan for, or agree with. It makes us feel depressed and hopeless. It diminishes our faith and at times makes us question the very existence of God. We see it all around us as people lash out at one another, act in selfish ways, and behave in a self-serving way. The scriptures warn us about the flesh. The flesh after all, is a very temporal aspect of who we are and it, like the earth, will become dust and fall away, leaving no trace that it was ever here.

I ask you to say a prayer for those who live in the flesh today. In New York and New Jersey as frustration mounts and desperation reveals itself. I ask that God remind us in an internal way. In a prodding of the heart of who we are. I pray he convicts us of our sin and compels us to repent and return to the Lord. Our lives would be so much more meaningful and permanent if we realize this before we ever take that

first action. He is with you now at this very moment. Take advantage of this time to realign your soul with God.

Thank God For Friends

It's a prayer
a simple request
to ask a friend
not just our best

But friends we know
who care and hope
who give us words
that help us cope

That call out to powers
we can't comprehend
that hear the prayers
these people send

The creator feels faith
and knows when it's strong
a little is all
to right every wrong

When we are in need
we call to the one
who gave us our purpose
who sent us his son

He knows every hair
that sits on our head
he made everything
both living and dead

The Alpha and Omega
the beginning and the end
the one who hears our prayers
from family and friend

Grace is his gift
and sufficient his love
he is always around us
flowing through from above

In ways we can't see
our ever understand
he touches our pain
and heals with his hand

Thank God for his blessings
Thank God for his care
Thank God for our friends
and the love that they share
 

God's Purpose and our acceptence of it over the flesh.

If you would permit me, please allow me to share with you what I believe is the truth concerning our purpose. Our purpose, I believe is found in the Word of God, the Scriptures, what humanity has termed "The Bible". This compilation of 66 books is the textbook of truth, which our Teacher the Holy Spirit teaches us from. If we would endeavor to understand what purpose is, we must open our hearts to the great Teacher, the Holy Spirit and have our ears open to what the Spirit has to say. If you will look at our scripture heading listed above, you will see a few words stand out. What this scripture here in 2 Timothy 1:9 says is that God has called us according to His own purpose. Right off the bat, from the very get go, we must understand that our purpose is God's purposes.

2Tim 1:9

 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," KJV

 The word purpose as defined by the Greek scholars is: "The setting forth of a thing", Vine, Thayer, and Strong all agree essentially with one another on this word as being defined this way: "A setting forth of a thing." Uniquely enough, the word for purpose in the Greek is prothesin and it is generally translated in conjunction with the "shewbread". This is because the bread was laid out before the tabernacle at every Sabbath, thus it is bread laid out or bread shown. The purpose of God is laid out or shown in Christ Jesus, the "Bread of Heaven" or the Shewbread. My friend, Jesus is the purpose of God. God's own purpose is revealed in Jesus Christ. This statement is supported by the Scriptures:

Walking in the Spirit. That is, walking in the realm and sphere of the Spirit. That means letting the Spirit of God be your teacher, leader, guide, counselor, etc.

To walk in the Spirit is simply to be led of the Spirit in your life. One must cultivate a relationship with God and begin to respond to the Spirit's beckoning. The Spirit of God will lead and guide us. All we have to do is respond. It is when we try to get ahead of the Spirit of God, we stumble and fail.

 

We live in the Spirit - See Galatians 5 ,The sense of this verse probably is, "We who are Christians profess to be under the influences of the Holy Spirit. By his influences and agency is our spiritual life. We profess not to be under the dominion of the flesh; not to be controlled by its appetites and desires. Let us then act in this manner, and as if we believed this. Let us yield ourselves to his influences, and show that we are controlled by that Spirit." It is an earnest exhortation to Christians to yield wholly to the agency of the Holy Spirit on their hearts, and to submit to his guidance; Roman's 8:5-11

5"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful mane is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. "

9"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. In addition, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

Furthermore, we must accept that the things that happen to us when we walk in the Spirit are things that are part of Gods plan for us. This is because when we find ourselves in the Spirit, we in the flow of God’s love and grace.

I always thought if it were possible to become strictly an observer at the most maximum macro level, we would find all is on purpose and very connected. I was once asked about the human condition and how that condition makes it so difficult for us to understand the will of the "creator" or God as so many of us refer to him. I say Gods will is a Rube Goldberg Machine. Those of us in our late to mid forties are familiar with the Looney Tunes Cartoon that has a machine that begins with a rolling marble that lands into a groove that rolls to a switch that lights a match that pops a balloon that moves a domino to fall that begins a chain reaction ........and so on and so on........until we have a toaster activated and POP!! We have Toast. Well, with all of the above being said, we look at this from a very limited perspective. We may see the marble or perhaps only the balloon popping along with its "catastrophic noise" and from there we have no idea what the purpose of this "contrived event" can be. Well, if we step back from the most advantageous perspective we come to understand...GOD WANTED TOAST...........we are but Spiritual beings having a human experience.

God is not a cosmic Santa Claus or ATM catering to our every whim, and Jesus did not come to eradicate poverty or show people a path to financial success. He came to right relationships: our relationship with God, our relationship with each other and our relationship with the material creation that God set up for us as a home. That naturally touches on our attitudes and behaviors concerning wealth and power, possession and consumption, and the Christian gospel calls for restraint in how we pursue and handle them. Jesus warns us that life is about more than food and clothes the rich have a hard time entering God's kingdom, and we are not to store up treasures for ourselves on earth, which only rot or get stolen . He says we cannot serve both God and money. His apostles warn us that riches are not lastin we are not to put our hope in wealth, and pursuit of money is a danger leading to ruin and destruction, even loss of faith.

 After all, nothing really ever "belongs" to us: "The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it" -- and during our short stay as his guests here, "we bring nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it".

 

We’ve been taught to believe that dissatisfaction is a bad thing, and that we should do everything possible to avoid it. Shove it down. Ignore it. Act like it doesn’t bother us. Take a pill. Plaster on a smile. Buy something new, or decide that misery is part of “bearing our cross.” But above all, don’t consider that God might be using it to make us uncomfortable so we’ll want to swim in another ocean where our gifts can shine.

 Ephesians 6

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Don’t get me wrong; dissatisfaction can be a result of spiritual warfare and not an indication that we are out of God’s will. However, it can also be a road sign that He has another purpose for us. So if you are miserable in your current career or job, (and you have been for a long time), you have prayed, sought counsel from others, looked for guidance through Scripture, and you are still miserable, consider that God may have another plan.

 

But the key in all of this is to maintain a spiritual perspective. Stay away from the flesh at all costs. The flesh, much like the Devil is flawed and is our adversary, separates us from God. The Spirit is after all, who we are. The flesh is but a vessel so that we may dwell here on earth. The people who worry about what others have or that the rich has too much or that they deserve the fruit of another man’s sweat as the judge those whom they do not know are very much in the flesh the entire time they spout their hateful rhetoric. Galatians confirms it by describing the flesh and the sinful nature, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions as found in chapter 5 verse 20 are but a mirror image of what we are seeing in the occupiers. In some instances we get the full menu, the acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery.

We see all of this in one owned by his or her own flesh, they claim to love and care but they cannot yet they do not realize it because as Jesus said they have ears and do not hear and eyes and do not see. They are blind to the Spirit because they are in the dark.

God’s purpose involves grace and a peace of mind that only comes with walking in his Spirit. That is the key to any Christian journey. To be in the Spirit.

We must constantly examine ourselves to see if our walk is in the spirit, if our faith is strong in Christ, if our demonstration is one in concordance with God’s will. Certain verses for me bring those examinations to light.

2Corinthians 13:5

     *Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? 2

*Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

   *Psalm 139

23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24See if there is any offensive way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

1Thessolonians 5:21

..... Test everything. ... but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.

 

We should always test everything we do to see if it is guided by the spirit and not by the flesh. The flesh will work to deceive us and at times it is hard to discern. We must always be vigilant.

Jeremiah 17:9

   "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

To live in the spirit is a constant struggle and work within ourselves. It is a demand from the spirit to be every vigilant and ever conscious of the conflict with in. Prayer and constant communion with God is essential and required to maintain a path of living that is pleasing to God.

It’s kinda like when you cut out fatty food from your diet and over and extended period of  time you find that even trying a fatty portion of anything is like eating something your body no longer agrees with.

We need to spiritually change our diet. Spiritually avoid those things we know are of the flesh. It will not happen over night but it will grow upon our soul to the point we no longer want what the flesh has to offer and the struggle is no longer there. We have become men and women of the spirit and to me, that is a moment I will strive for consistently through out my days until my flesh has little effect on who I am. That is because I am defined by my walk with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Not a bad thing for a man who still struggle with the flesh within.

The Turning Away From That which we were intended to be and how to save ourselves from it

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we wont understand
Don't accept that whats happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away

Its a sin that somehow
...

Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
Its not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away

This off Pink Floyd's album A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

 

I have thought about the lyrics and not so much what they meant to the band because so many times we think we have them pegged and we find it was a totally different vein they were traveling in.

I see it as a calling for man to come back to himself and leave the dependence of things outside of himself to gain assistance or help. Over the years, in this country especially, our society has come to lean on the government and other faceless organizations for the needs of the downtrodden and needy. We donate to charities without seeing where our money goes. We are taxed and told our money is going to this assistance program or that. We see someone in need and direct them to organizations that have red tape and over head and financial troubles of their own. We give a quarter to a beggar and feel we have exceeded our giving because we just gave to this or that club that helps others. We give to our church and don't show for the food drive or to distribute it to those.

We have become detached and it has been a long time ingraining into our very being both culturally and individually.

Politically, I can say it began with Lyndon Baines Johnson and his "Great Society". In actuality it served as the point of beginning for everything self defeating and oppressive regarding those who were disadvantaged. It may have been well intended and I'll give the benefit of the doubt to LBJ but I know through research that he was a man of ulterior motives and great ego. Not quite the humble and self sacrificing man you would think of when you are told how much his programs meant to the under privileged. It was supposed to be a hand up but instead it made an entire generation as well as the one after it largely dependant upon the very government seeking to ironically help. People who were deep into the utilization of these "benefits" found themselves unmotivated to do anything on their own volition because the government was going to do it. Johnson was not ignorant to this and was quoted as saying "This (the Great Society) will keep the blacks voting democrat for the next 40 years.". You see, the perception is that the left of the democrat party is one of good will and compassion and on the lower tiers this may be the case. But in the power hungry realm of keeping the office and holding the majority, these programs are nothing more than bribery for votes while taking personal responsibility away from the man who needs it most. Some have realized this and broke free but others still use the welfare and entitlement state as a chain of their own that holds back any motivation to take the initiative in ones life. These people have turned away from helping themselves with the belief that the help will come from some where outside themselves. What a lie to believe.

If you are Christian or Spiritual, the words of God speak about taking that initiative to help your brother in so many verses and pages.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."Galatians 6:2

And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”Zechariah 7:8-10

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. "Deuteronomy 16:17

Also the Word speaks on such things as self sufficiency and independence. Where we are encouraged not to be dependant upon the good will of others or most certainly not the government.

^" But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."1 Timothy 5:8

^11" and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

 

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.” Thomas Jefferson.

"Let the pulpit resound with the doctrines and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us hear the dangers of thralldom to our consciences from ignorance, extreme poverty, and dependence; in short, from civil and political slavery. Let us see delineated before us the true map of man. Let us hear the dignity of his nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God-that consenting to slavery is a sacrilegious breach of trust, as offensive in the sight of God as it is derogatory from our own honor or interest or happiness-and that God Almighty has promulgated from heaven liberty, peace, and goodwill to man!"

John Adams.

“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.” Buddha

Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." George Washington.

The Constitution limits the government and if followed would never have allowed the birth of the welfare state and the systematic destruction of a generations will to succeed.

Lincoln valued not only what the Constitution itself said but also what the original framers said. He came to his conclusion in the Cooper Union Address based upon the actions of each of the thirty-nine signers. Lincoln always looked to the Constitution for important decisions he made; the clear, guiding force behind the American government, in Lincoln's eyes, was the Constitution. Because he believed every determination he made would effect the American people for generations to come, Lincoln second-guessed himself on the issue of emancipation. His final decision, as based upon many of his speeches and writings of late 1862, was made because he believed the original framers of the Constitution would have deemed the preservation of the Union a greater priority than the preservation of slavery. He did what was necessary to save the Union.

"The legitimate object of government is to do for people what needs to be done." Lincoln made these comments on what role the government should play on July 1, 1854. Lincoln asked why government exists. "Why not each individual," he said, "take himself the whole fruit of his labor, without having any of it taxed away , , , ?" He answered saying that government should do what people cannot do by individual effort. Lincoln cited many examples of things that people cannot do on their own: making and maintaining roads and bridges, providing for the helpless, providing schools, and dispos- ing of the deceased property. Other responsibilities of government, Lincoln pointed out, are because of the "injustice of men." These responsibilities include the forming and maintaining of the military, police, and civil departments. Lincoln said the government should protect its citizens and prevent them from committing wrongs. He said it was not the government's place to redress the wrongs of the world, but it "may, and ought to, redress all wrongs which are wrongs to the nation itself.".

So, there is a place for government but not a place for it to be the one we look to for our own survival and prosperity. It should be a servant, not a master. A means of protecting Liberty and Independence. Not a means of Dependence and Oppression under the guise of compassion.

Our government has become a vacuum. A black hole of sorts that diminishes our own humanity and places us in collectives and classes. I groups us into socioeconomic classes where the haves and the have not grow more and more animus towards one another. The government seek to separate and divide when left to grow out of control and out of check. It takes from us to feed itself and in turn leaves an impersonal waste land behind. To be an American is not to be a class, a group, a collective. It is to be the independent individual who is free to make his way, win or lose, while having the compassion in his heart to take it upon himself to help his brother when he deems it a necessary thing. Freedom to help. To succeed. To be who God intended us to be.

The opportunity to have civil debate and open discussion is one of those things in life we should never neglect.

I have been thinking on the Presidential election and the contrasts between our two candidates. Many people tend to use Romney's strong affiliation with the Mormon faith as a means to denegrate his character. But aside from school yard teasing and paranoid assumptions I see no threat what so ever from what Romney proclaims to be his faith and the welfare of our country. If one looks at the tenets of social behavior demanded from the doctrine of faith in Mormonism we see a plethora of virtue. No drinking of alcohol. No smoking (pot included). No cussing or similar foul language. No caffiene. An emphasis is placed on helping the poor and the needy. All of these if followed cannot be detrimental but instead demonstrate strong and devoted character to those things which are physically beneficial. I feel to be of this kind of character, you most likely are likewise in how you conduct business and social interactions.

Above the fray

Someone comes
and imposes their will
it isn't right
but even still

they move along
and still persist
and your first reaction
is to resist

this thing you did
you know it's wrong
they've heard before
a familiar song

so they sing right back
and make you feel
they're either dumb
or cold as steel

You explain to them
just what they did
but they never listen
oh God forbid

So after a while
you come to see
you're wasting time
and time ain't free

So you handle the mess
and do your thing
that's when they call
and your cell phone rings

They state their case
and resemble a fool
but argue you won't
it isn't cool

to be drawn in
and act as they
because self control
will have it's say

Always act
like you did before
with calmness and reason
and not much more

It elevates you
above the fray
and things work out
in God's own way.

The friend unmet

We haven't met

Not face to face

But that doesn't mean

It's not my place

To be your friend

Just like I'm real

A guy who tries

to really feel

The things you say

The words you share

The hurts and joys

and all your cares

So when you say

your night's been rough

and the hurt you feel

has been enough

I want to say

Hey don't feel bad

because what you feel

I've also had

It's not unusual

To feel this way

It's how emotions

sometimes play

They come and go

and disappear

but they should never be

a thing you fear

You let it come

then let it go

then you carry on

with life and it's flow

I thought of you

and wrote this down

to make you smile

instead of frown

I'm no Prince Charming

or sexy hunk

but I want to help

you lose this funk

You know you're special

to so many called friends

and at this keyboard

it doesn't end

I'll say hello

out on the street

and someday soon

I hope we meet

But as of now

I want to share

that my friendships real

because I care

Now, please cheer up and let the negativity go. Have a day with smiles because you have friends who value you.

Obama Observations scratching the surface

Quick thoughts from a lover of individual liberty.

-How did Obama get into an IVY league school when his own biography claims he spent his junior and senior year in a drug induced haze?
-Why can't we access his transcripts as we did for Bill Clinton and his Rhodes Scholarship?
-How does Obama avoid scrutiny for admitting to using marijuana and cocaine? In addition he implied that he also sold it at times.
-How did he maintain good standing in the Chicago BAR when he perjured himself by claiming to have had no other aliases. He also went bu his Indonesian step fathers name. Soetoro. Obama went by the name Barry Soetoro while studying in Indonesia and never formerly changed his name back.
-Here's the passage from his book, Dreams from My Father, where he discusses his drug use:
"I had learned not to care. I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it.
How does this slide past critics when Romney, who has never drank, smoked, or snorted, is raked of the proverbial coals. His Mormon faith has kept him clean with it's mandates against partaking of any drugs, alcohol, coffee, soda, cigarettes, and cursing. Ironic eh.
-Obama began his luxury lifestyle as President with a helicopter ride for a "date" with Michelle on Broadway. Today he demands his wife be fairly compensated monetarily as First lady during her travels. His continuous golf rounds and fund raising have shown him to be more on a 4 year vacation than dedicated to the welfare of this country.
-During every tragedy he attempts to bring the story back to him as he says he thinks hs son would look like Travon Martin and his daughters could have been at that movie in Aurora. It once again detracts from the real victims and focuses on himself in a very narcissistic way.

-How can a man who claims to be a Constitutional lawyer demonstrate so very little about his knowledge of the document? His most egregious act and breach, fully defended by his AG, was in endorsing an illegal Government Run Entitlement Health Care program that mandated the purchase of this insurance by every single man, women and child, whether they wanted it or not. His endorsement was knowingly an absolute violation of both the Constitution and the peoples individual right to freedom of choice, self determination or freedom from governments invasion of our privacy.
Other breaches include Their first breach was when the Justice Department had seen fit to drop voter intimidation charges against Malik Shabazz’ New Black Panther Party’s involvement in the now infamous events at a polling place in Philadelphia on November 4, 2008. In light of the recent testimony by former DOJ attorney J. Christian Adams before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, the recommendations from within the DOJ to prosecute and the admission of voter intimidation by Black Panther President itself, Obama and Holder decided that the law was intended to protect black people not whites and therefore was unnecessary to prosecute.
Their most recent act of defiance and breach of their oath, and most likely not their last, came on the Obama Administration's decision to abandon and stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1990's measure that outlaws the federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Obama and Holder's refusal to defend marriage undermines our nation's strength. The Defense of Marriage Act is the law of the land and the President's administration hasn't challenged its constitutionality as they have Arizona's immigration law or the unconstitutional health care law. There is no rule that requires the Justice Department to apply any higher standard of proof in these cases nor has anyone appointed or elected them as our Supreme Court. They have but one choice, uphold the law or be held in contempt.

This is just on the surface observations by myself. I see our President as a charlatan and a fraud. A man with no verifiable history regarding his education. A man who is an admitted drug user to the point that he would not qualify for a secret clearance were he in the military. A man who seems bent on creating a government funded entitlement state while bankrupting the nation with faulty investments and overseas dealings that have no merit.

Although he is no Ronald Reagan, Mitt Romney is a man of far greater character and ethics than the man currently in office. I will vote for him in November.

I flick the tick
as it crawls my arm
I wish it gone
I wish it harm

The parasite
who probes his head
into my flesh
I want it dead

So thin he is
he's hard to crush
so I pull out my Gerber
with pliers I mush

His legs stick out
He's now so flat
Never to bother
a dog or a cat

As a man of the woods
the swamp and the thick
I am so familiar
with the bothersome tick

I come home to demands
to undress on the porch
to head to the shower
to light up a torch

I

Where are you in the Spirit in relation to those you see?

Romans 14

The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Compassion for the Weak

The “strong” Christian must exercise patience so as to understand that the “weak” have not reached the level of knowledge that is possessed by the more mature (vv. 2-3). Therefore, the strong must extend compassion and longsuffering, allowing the weak time to grow, thus reaching a level of comprehension wherein he can move forward in Christ without violating his conscience (vv. 5-6, 13, 15-16).

Paul’s Example

Paul was a Jew in the supreme sense of that term. His loyalty to the Mosaic system was beyond reproach. As he instructed his Jewish brethren in the more advanced elements of the gospel, he acknowledged the temporary design in the Law. His letters are filled with affirmations of the Law’s abolition. The Mosaic code provided no means of ultimate justification. One has only to read the argumentation in several of his epistles, e.g., Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, 2 Corinthians, and Colossians, to see the clear picture regarding this matter.

Yet the great apostle was ever sensitive to the spiritual needs of his Jewish brothers, exerting himself to accommodate their misunderstandings until they were able to access a richer comprehension of truth.

Though Paul knew there was no salvation associated with circumcision (Galatians 5:2, 6), he nonetheless had Timothy, a preaching companion whose father was a Gentile, circumcised so as to not be offensive to potential Hebrew converts (Acts 16:3).

He knew there was no redemptive virtue in temple ceremonialism, yet he yielded to a purification ceremony in order to defuse a volatile situation in Jerusalem (Acts 21:26). That selfless act cost him four years in prison (Acts 24:27; cf. 28:30). The apostle openly affirmed his willingness to subordinate himself to those of lesser knowledge for the sake of their souls (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). What a man Paul was for this Church. He had wisdom in areas we currently lack today or at least fail to recognize within ourselves. It is clear in the scripture what he expects from us if we walk the walk and talk the talk so to speak.

Nevertheless, this church itself has had its run of biblical ignorance or spiritual absence. We see others in their walk and their walk is different from our own. Immediately we internalize their situation or circumstance or behavior and deem it as unworthy to God or the church as an organization. In turn, conflict, back biting, insult, emotions, and infighting appear and are reinforced by more and more ignorance upon more and more ignorance. Then one or the other in the conflict excuses themselves or is removed only to go out and commit more rumor and innuendo that serves to take away from true Christian behavior and intent. Epworth has suffered from this cycle of events more than once and is scarred by it today. Oh, how healing it would be to this building and ourselves if only we would do some simple research scripturally and see what is really a spirit driven or God guided life.

I was involved in a debate over human nature contrasted by spiritual requirements given to us by the scripture. I had mentioned that the best way to get past this horrible episode in Aurora, Colorado, was to pray to God in order to find a way to forgive the murderer.

I was met with disbelief and opposition. “You can’t be serious?”, “Would you say that to the families?”, and “What if it was you or Jordan, or Ryan, or Amy?”  I responded by saying my understanding of God’s grace in our lives and how forgiveness is a prerequisite to experiencing it. We must forgive others before we can expect to experience the benefit of God’s grace in whatever troubles we are currently experiencing. It cannot be a trifling forgiveness either. I remember telling my boys to stop fighting and I asked one to tell the other he was sorry. As if he was following my instruction, he looked stubbornly at his brother and remarked. “You’re sorry.” you see, my son was not feeling contrite in the very least. He was in the flesh and the spirit was not convicting him on his own behavior as Paul spoke of.

I am not a Buddhist but there is one proverb of Tao that struck me as very valid and very enlightening. It says “You will not be punished FOR your anger, you will be punished BY your anger.”, meaning the torture, anguish, and pain of unforgiveness is not an expressed or shared condition. It is a lonely and solitary thing that sits within those who choose to feel it. It becomes this kind of intellectual and emotional hell on earth. This pain is self induced and the object we cannot forgive is guided by his or her own conscience and is not affected by how we feel one way or the other. We in essence are allowing another to unknowingly live rent free within our own mind because we are the ones with the problem.

We should not concern ourselves with whether a person runs on and on during joys and concerns in the sanctuary. We certainly should not let it dictate our enjoyment of the service. We should let things that are trivial remain so and things that are of important matters be addressed as scripture sees fit.

There are those of us who have not cracked a bible or studied the word in years let alone put it into practice. Some of us merely go through the Christian motions and put up a façade without having the spirit within to demonstrate our faith. Do we pray? Are we sincere? Do we show love and tolerance in our respect for God, Jesus, and the Spirit? Do we have the train of thought to put ourselves in check when we begin to sound or behave vindictive, superior, or condescending? Are we our own and this churches worst enemy? Would we rather demonstrate our own politics, influence, power, rather than restraint, slow-pulsed reason, and fairness? Are we accepting of others and welcoming to a fault? Are we forgiving? Do we argue over trivial matters and turn them into things that are not in proportion to their significance?

Proverbs 26:4-5

"When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are.

When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments or you will become as foolish as they are."

Some people will try to pull you into foolish arguments and in our own perception of self-importance; we join in and give it fuel until it is witnessed by those on the outside who instead of a debate see two children at a playground acting out.

Always strive to rise above matters of contention that have no significance to doctrine or the faith of others. We must not put stumbling blocks in front of the young believer no matter how long they have been members of this church.

2 Timothy 2:23-24

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

We must always exhibit a slow pulsed and rational means of reasoning when confronted with anger or conflict. We are representing God’s business as Christians. It could be as if he left us in charge of the store while he was out and a customer comes in with a complaint. We should be as much about adhering to God’s policy involving customers as if our own job depended on it. We need to show proof we are qualified to represent the church and God alike.  Jesus gave his example. The Golden rule is the one commandment we need adhere to.

Matthew 7:8-13

New International Version (NIV)

8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Be giving to those you come in contact with. Be forgiving. Be calm. Be understanding. Be tolerant. Be about the word. Be vigilant of your own behavior. Be your biggest critic yet be your best friend here on earth. Forgive yourself of your faults and always seek to make the next moment a better representation of God in your life. Struggle against the flesh and grow in the Spirit. Don’t be a shallow Christian but a deep believer of the word and way of God.