Complications

Has life become too complicated? At one point in time, the telephone calls were a dime on the corner. Now there aren’t any. Milk came in glass containers, while vegetables were a summer end picking and shelling party with the grandparents. It was when swimming in the creek was acceptable. That was in a time that has past when the gas station attendant would “fill it up for $2.00.”

We now have to pay to see a garden of beautiful flowers or drive into affluent neighborhoods to view specially sculptured lawns. There is trash all around us. It is no longer healthy to swim in the creek or roll down the window to smell the fresh air that has long gone. Many of the foods we purchased are no longer healthy to eat. We play inside with the cable, the games, surf the net, and text. There is no kick-ball in the streets because they have become a ghostly past. The rabbits in the fields down the road are no longer. Letters are no longer composed and mail, they are typed and sent view unseen signals or cables in our walls. The bumper to bumper gets faster and it is passing us by. A full tank of gasoline is almost an entire day’s pay for many.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints…” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

We are a disease ridden society. We have taken money, materialism, and have made it the most important things. We are critical of just about every aspect and many are unhappy and do not know why. It is sometimes sad to reflect on what was when we are seeing what has become and what will be. It is very complicated.

“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)

I have spent many hours studying why and I realized that we do not want to recapture the past. We can only go forward to the future and improve with each step we take now. Make the most of yourself, make the most of every moment we have with those around us. Utilize all that we have at our disposal and make life simplistic. Set yourself free. That can only be done in the soul.

Always remember what I write is my opinion, my belief and I will defend it. However, I challenge all readers to check out the scripture of God. Study it, read it, and most of all pray over it. Again, I will warn you not to be a Christian lip service, harbor no hate toward anyone and defend your position as a committed Christian objectively without argument.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Pray for each other and be thankful for what we have. 

In defense of Christianity -- In Defense of your faith.

Can you defend your faith? This is an important question that we must ask ourselves.

I learned a few things [about me] when doing a really in depth study on apologetics (the defense of one’s faith.) I try to be as honest as possible with myself; I would be lying if I told you that I believe in every detail of the Bible. I do have problems believing and understanding some points in the letters of Paul (some books in the New Testament written by Paul; the Pauline Doctrine.) I have a strong faith in my belief of God and that Jesus is my personal savior who died for our sins to save humanity.  I will state this; there are a lot of good points that Paul does make, but I feel some points he makes are contradictory to Jesus’ work.

“Paul also told them that Jesus is the Messiah he was preaching about. Some of them believed what Paul had said, and they became followers with Paul and Silas. Some Gentiles and many important women also believed the message.” (Acts 17: 3-4) According to definition, Paul was defending the reason why Jesus was the Messiah to people in Thessalonica.

Sometimes, it upsets me when Christians place too much emphasis on Paul’s work. I sometimes would like to argue about it but I will not. Paul to me was just a man who had vision and converted to Christianity. Paul did not hang on the cross. Paul did not die for our sins to save humanity. Paul was just a missionary, a minister, a preacher; he was just a person like you and me—a sinner.

How far (though) will you take your argument in defense of your faith? Would you argue with someone and force the issue? Would you kill them like some instances in history (Christian Crusades 1095-1291 or Heretical burning during the Reformation 1517-1521 or preaching hate and the uttering of foul names-- 20^th and 21^st Century)?  

“Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble, and God’s servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient. Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:23-25)

Would you stand on the street corners and shout “Murderer!” toward a woman, thinking about abortion, or a member of the staff working at an abortion clinic? Would you stand at a funeral and shout “Queer! Fag! You’re going to hell!”? I still have yet to understand this statement, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.” If you take your faith and use it to show actions of hate to another human being, including name calling, then you are WRONG! Jesus would have never acted in this fashion. Hate and love are opposite but a very real with the commonality of those words being “emotion”.  Wisdom is not an emotion; wisdom is being wise enough to know when and the ability to have humility when not to.  

Furthermore, if any person uses their Christianity to further their political agenda in our ill gotten society is WRONG!

“They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That’s why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.” (Isaiah 9:16-17) 

“Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by what they do.” (Matthew 7: 15-16)

What is the definition of faith? For a Christian [only] it is a strong belief in God and Jesus (incarnate); their doctrines based on the spiritual self (the soul) rather than physical proof.  The last time I checked some of the actions of democracy, abortion, name calling, and abusive arguing were not part of the deal of Christianity. Look again if you do not believe me; abortion is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. It was applied to Biblical passages as of the late 19^th Century, redefined in the mid-20^th Century, and used in the 21^st Century by men and women in the world of political control and power in the name of “Christian Humanity”. 

“Remind your people to obey the rulers and authorities and not to be rebellious. They must always be ready to do something helpful and not say cruel things or argue. They should be gentle and kind to everyone. We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us and we hated everyone…warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don’t have anything else to do with them. You know that their minds are twisted and their own sins show how guilty they are.” (Titus 3: 1-3, 10-11)

When I read Titus (this part) I think of the Vietnam Era protesters and how many spit on returning soldiers and shouted horrible names at them. It also reminds me of many churches today. Sometimes there is great sadness to me in the history of my fellow man and their foolish actions of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries. People want to blame everyone for their problems without first addressing themselves.

I was not different. I had to become educated to find my voice of honesty and realism within myself. It will always be an on-going process for me until the day I die. I am just seeking what is real in my heart and soul; 

I am seeking the truth. I opened my eyes and saw exactly how dirty my life was and the how nasty the world was around me. 

I always wanted to get along with everyone, especially relatives like parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and great-nephews. I wanted to be accepted. I wanted to be needed. When you see some of these people (blood relations) who are mean spirited, fake in their Christianity, extremely materialistic, harboring ill will, and or even argumentative, then it is okay to walk away and put them out of your life. It is okay to walk away from friends or associates as well who display actions the same or behave less than honorable toward you. I have done this. I have walked away.  

Do not act like a Christian if you are not willing to take the time to be one. This also applies to political leaders.

“And he said unto them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honor me with their lips, bur their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. Yet they leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6-8)

Always remember what I write is my opinion, my belief and I will defend it. However, I challenge all readers to check out the scripture of God. Study it, read it, and most of all pray over it. Again, I will warn you not to be a Christian lip service, harbor no hate toward anyone and defend your position as a committed Christian objectively without argument.

Pray for each other.

May God bless you and keep you safe. 

Check everything out.

It is hard for me to say where I get the words to write from. Early this morning, starting at about 5 am, I was up doing my independent studies. I have been reading a book written by Richard Bauckham called “Gospel Women.” I really recommend it as a good study. On one of the pages (pg 25) he is quoting some information from Jeremiah. Of course, I have to check it out.

I ran across a passage, not really pertaining anything (that I was reading); I feel this passage applies to the leaders of our society, some ministers, printed pamphlets on political figures running for office, and self proclaimed “godly” people that state, “God has spoken to me.” 

“These unfaithful prophets claim that I have given them a dream or a vision, and they tell lies in my name. But everything they say comes from their own twisted minds. How long can this go on…My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks…These unfaithful prophets claim I give them their dreams it isn’t true. I didn’t choose them to be my prophets, and yet they babble on and on, speaking in my name, while stealing words from each other. And when my people hear these liars, they are led astray instead of being helped. (Jeremiah 23: 25-26, 29, 30-31) “You will never be free from your shame and disgrace.” (Jeremiah 23:40) 

The only contact that I have with God is in daily prayer. He hasn’t actually spoken to me; though, I feel he guides me by helping me make certain decisions and I feel he opens doors for me. If I pray over what I have read in the Holy Bible that I do not understand, he helps with my reasoning abilities. My prayer puts me at ease and takes away my worries. God sees to my needs.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

If anyone actually claims that he has actual spoken, I would be worried. God is like the shepherd, guiding his flock gently with his staff. The lamb has to be trained by his shepherd to follow his lead; which, brings up another question that has been asked and stated to me personally many times over by others.

“Is the end of time near, the second coming?” “All the signs are there just like in the Bible.”

History cannot repeat itself identically. The past is over with and can never be recreated; if it could be then we would actually have the time travel. There are, however, similarities in what we witness today in comparison to events in the Bible. I have to remind everyone that there is no way, no mathematical formula, no hidden text, or anything else that we can use to determine when the second coming. We all have theories and opinions of when it might happen. Again, yes there are similarities in what is written in the Bible.  

If we are totally committed to our faith in God (that means 100% commitment) then we will know without using the signs in the Bible. We will know and be absolutely sure in our souls. We will not need to use earthly time because God’s time is not man’s time. God’s time is something we know nothing about because it is not comprehendible to man. Always remember time was originally based on nature and the celestial which there are only theories in science as to how.  Of course the Bible answers how—God created it.

There are many who are not well, seasonal colds, allergies, some with the flu, and some who are spiritually dying or dead, others physically dying, and some fighting deadly diseases; please keep them in your prayers. 

Pray for each other as well as being thankful for your needs being met.

I encourage anyone that reads this to have an opinion and a voice. Look up the information. God wants us to question.  

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3) 

God bless you all and keep you safe as always and forever.

Our Future

Commercial advertised media is sometimes absolutely hilarious. There is a commercial of the two men in battle and then many soldiers dressed in ancient attire involved in a full frontal military assault exchange with an unknown enemy. The song playing is “Oh what a lucky day, it just keeps me moving on.”  The soldiers singing this song are just going around killing with smiles on their faces.  I view this commercial advertisement, justified killing, as psychotic behavior being glorified.

There are more young people where their neurons are not exactly wired right, and they are playing these types of games on their play stations or x-boxes.  

Our video games were not necessarily connected and easily accessible except in stores or game rooms. We had to leave our homes. These young people are in their rooms, doors, closed, and not necessarily being monitored by parents. When something happens and one of these young people gets a gun, just to experience the thrill of the kill, society blames it on the parents. I am not saying that these games cause psychotic breaks; but if there is an underlying issue it can very much be a contributing factor.

Wait just a cotton picking minute! Children ages 12 + do not necessarily need a baby-sitter. If both parents work, they come home around 5:30 – 6:30 pm. By then, the young people who have been at home in their rooms have been playing on these particular games for almost 2 hours. Single parents or both parents may be exhausted and they have to work doubly hard to see to the home and their children. They can’t be everywhere all the time.

I once substituted a class where the students were not really cutting it in average high school. I met a 17 year old freshman. He had no communication skills. I kept asking him to put his phone away during class. He wasn’t communicating with anyone, he was playing video games. I told him he wasn’t a good soldier and his commander would not put him on the front line because he was unable able to complete the assignment at hand. He perked up and looked at me, put his phone down and finished his work.  He was a fan of “Call of Duty-Special Ops.”  

This is not necessarily a parental problem but a problem that exists as an ill of society.

Many of us fail to see why we should even be concerned with this problem; because, your children are grown and out on their own. You think you raised your children and your job is done. Back up! You didn’t raise your children by yourself. If you think you did, well, you are wrong. Our children are raised in a society of people who are bums, doctors, drug addicts, homelessness, alcoholics, pedophiles, lawyers, teachers, parents, criminals, children, media, relatives, preachers, nurses, mechanics, police officers and so forth.

If you have dropped out of society and live on a deserted island – with no communication to the outside world, you are correct in saying, “Young people aren’t my problem.” If you are a member of an active society take interest in the young people of your community. Help them the best way you can.

***Warning: If you help young people, do not violate their trust and or take advantage of their innocence. Young people are our future.

“I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.” (Leviticus 26:22) Do not let these “animals” of society destroy our children. 

Who do you want to run the future of the society we live in?  “Your children will be the shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert.” (Numbers 14:33)

Make a difference.

There are many who are not well, seasonal colds, allergies, some with the flu, and some who are spiritually dying or dead, others physically dying, and some fighting deadly diseases; please keep them in your prayers. 

Pray for each other.

God bless you all and keep you safe as always and forever. 

Your choices

About a million years ago, when my children were little, I had begun to worry about whether or not I was doing them an injustice by not taking them to church. I have always been a believer in the Bible and talked to them often about just that; also, had tried to be one who wanted my children to be open as much as possible with proper communication. So I took them to church. “And the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Laughingly, when I walked into the sanctuary I looked up and around to see if the building was going to continually stand strong. The building was strong but like most churches the people were weak. How does one bond with an alleged Christian community that is lacking in the moving spirit with the exception of a few? “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)

Make no bones about it I am totally anti-establishment against organized religion. My personal opinion is that organized religion has gotten way too off the defined purpose of what it was originally intended. It is just not enough for people to attend church to listen to the word of God. It has gotten to the point people are actually confused thinking that God has supplied them with their material wants or wealth and properties. Unfortunately that is just not true. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) The last time I checked God’s glorious riches are not a new car, truck, boat, or a grand house full of expensive knick knacks.  

God only blesses us with our needs including and not limited to the supplication of special acts through answering prayers. I have stated this before that the only thing that anyone owns is what we came into the world with and what we are allowed to take with us. That is the spiritual soul in which God breathed into the womb of our mothers.  “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” (Matthew 6:31-32)

So ask yourself, why do you worship and go to church? “The body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26) What are you learning? What are you getting out of attending church spiritually? What are you doing in your life to keep your spiritual self alive? Just going to Church is not really a necessity or a requirement to being a Christian.

A Christian is one immersed in the soul with the strong belief that Christ is our personal savior who died for our sins to save humanity. It is the total 100% submission to God as the creator of all we know that is truthful in our hearts. It is a mind set of behavior in accordance with the personal interaction of the word of God and the teaching of Jesus. It is continual actions that one has to help spread the word of God and abide by his word physically. It is a faith based commitment to something far greater than anyone can truly understand but you. It is your gateway to life everlasting without fear of the unknown.   

There are many who are not well, seasonal colds, allergies, and some with the flu; please keep them in your prayers. Pray for each other.

God bless you all and keep you safe as always and forever. 

The possibilities are endless.

I have recently read articles where the Jews in Egypt never built the pyramids. These articles doubt and state that many Jewish events ever happened.

“Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.  But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.” (Exodus 1:11-14)
  

According to the Bible passage, this would have possibly been during the 19^th Dynasty 1292 BC-1290 BC which briefly marked the transition between the reign of Horemheb (who had stabilized Egypt in the late 18^th Dynasty and the rule of Ramessee I (and his son Seti I and grandson Ramessee II—who would bring Egypt up to the new heights of imperial power.)

I can honestly say that there is no physical evidence pointing to Jewish slaves building the Pyramids. According to Egyptian history it was all Egyptians that built the pyramids. Having studied ancient near east culture, the one word that is really impressed upon is “hermeticism” (writing with a personal view point mystically). I learned this when comparing information of cuneiforms pertaining to some wars of the Babylonians with information in 1 Kings. There are two different perceptions.

Why did Jews claim to build and why would the Egyptians deny the claims? This is where I get frustrated in the higher academic community. It is called perception. Yes there were Jews in Egypt but they had been there long enough to be considered Egyptians and it would have probably been documented as such. This is where everything gets tricky in the Bible as far as time is concerned. Moses, who led the people out of Egypt was born in 1391 BC and died 1272 BC. This means there were no Jews in Egypt because they had all left by the time of the 19^th Dynasty (if one were to follow the time frame of the Holy Bible.) These time frames were made by man through scientific means.

One thing I want to point out is that, man’s time is not God’s time. In all honesty we cannot fathom a time from yesterday other than what we know today, because we cannot recreate the true element of time when dealing with History. It is humanly impossible. If it was possible then we could travel back in time and find out beyond a reasonable doubt all we needed answered.

Here is the tough part; should this make any difference in one’s belief in God? It makes my belief stronger. These past occurrences are actually nothing more than memories or thin air passed from generations to generations. It is like God, we haven’t seen it but we know it is there and we know in our heart there is some truth.

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13-16)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

I would like a special prayer for Peggy Lindsay McDaniels and unborn Baby Reagan who is due in January.  ( http://www.gofundme.com/Helping-Reagan ) I am praying that her needs and prayers be met. Take a moment to read her needs and if you can help it would be greatly appreciated.

Keep each other in prayer.

May God bless each and every one. 

What are you going to do about it?

It is a new day, a new month, and a new year. Let’s say the past is over and the slate is wiped clean. Many people will not make a check list to follow. I like my check list, but they only go for a short time and help prioritize as to the greater importance. This is a new year, though, what are you going to build? What are you going to do about it? What will you improve? If we examine the inevitable then growing older and wiser is a given. What is the one important thing that will make a difference in your life? I personally do not know about anyone else but me. When the realization hits, as to what you really want to change then just do it! Do not be afraid of failure. Anything new that we try or do in our life can be very challenging and even scary. You know what you are made of, get up, shake the old off and make a difference in your life. Make those changes you want to see happen for yourself. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19) They all walked to the valley with the shadow of death and when they came to a specific spot as instructed by God, all their needs were met. Pray for each other. God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.