Odious Sin

Sin is repulsive to God's people, and has them turning up their noses, while turning their heads away, from the stench. We don't like our own sin most of all, and can hardly stand the skin we are in, when we acknowledge how we have offended and disregarded, the Lord of glory, with pugnacious sin. 

The Book of God is akin to a cold cup of water being thrown in the face; with the sputtering that follows, a quiet dawning of Truth washes the smut from eyes, the lies that clog ears, and the mouth that needed a good clean out from filthy word particles clinging plague like to tastebuds, teeth, and gums. A speechlessness arrives quietly in the wake of the dawning, and with new clarity of vision, crystal clear hearing, and a non flapping tongue, a Christian can come to grips with their own conscience, their own waywardness and disobedience, and their own need to repent, be forgiven, and sin no more. 

When I am angry, I want to lash out. This morning I was reminded that God has the supreme ability to lash out, and with this acknowledgment, I was duly chastised. We are not to repay evil with evil, and we are taught that vengeance is the Lord's, and in our moments of desperation, when we can hardly restrain ourselves out of a desire to return fire for fire, we must remember, that God is long-suffering. The fighter in me is rent down the middle with these thoughts: my urge is great to retaliate, and my melty parts are grateful that God has not repaid me, for every egregious sin I have committed in his sight, in his hearing, in his Omnipresence. 

I know what frustration feels like, and the years that have matured me, have helped me be slightly more patient. I say slightly, because this morning I am like Jacob wrestling with the Lord. I cannot win, and I don't want to win, but the me that wants to take charge and change the direction of current circumstances, is feisty, and fist-y too. My gloves are metaphors, and my fists are fighting words, with written jabs and uppercuts, that land hit-hit-hit, knock-out punch powerful, when I am miffed. This is the part of me that I don't like, and this is the part of me that I find odious, since it is a sort of violence that I cannot condone because it truly is, retaliatory in nature. 

While sin is odious to me, it is far more odious to God. I feel ashamed before him, and ask him to purify my mind, and have the beauty of a clear conscience, shining forth from my eyes as windows to my soul. The wrestling is real to me, because we live in a world of smoke and mirrors, with liars and cheats stealing and thieving away what belongs to others without a hint of remorse, or a desire to recompense when called to account. What I want to do, and what I will do, are two different things. I want to tackle the enemy, pin him to the mat and make him pay, but I will not do this my way, since my way is the wrong way! 

God is gracious and kind, even to our enemies, and let us face the facts, we too have been enemies according to the stories people tell about us, and aren't we all, enemies of God, when we rebel against him and his commands? 

Recompense is an ominous promise. God repays us in kind for what we do when we do not repent and appreciate the Saviour, as our mediator, and sacrifice, for our odious sin. We cannot out give God in goodness, and we most certainly, cannot repay him for his gracious and righteous blessings. We can be like Jesus in a wicked world, and pray for our enemies, and for restoration from what has been stolen from us, and this is the prescribed way of the Lord of glory, that I will take, and I pray you do the same, with whatever situation you find yourself in. 

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses" law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:26-31). 

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God...

Boundary Breakers

Have you dealt with a boundary breaker recently?

A boundary breaker criss crosses invisible lines that ought to be respected. A boundary breaker enters space that ought to be prohibited, invitation only areas, with lots and lots of words, and grandiosity. 

The boundary breaker promises much, but when it is time to deliver, they have many reasons, otherwise known as excuses, for why they can not follow through, and usually, the circumstances are so far beyond their control, that the person hearing the reasons why, otherwise known as lies, for why a task cannot be completed on time, is put in a position of either sympathizing, or being seen as a callous and cruel person, for not displaying compassion. The boundary breaker activates the emotional crank, to spin their yarn, and their prey, into a knot of discomfiture. 

Dealing with someone like this is tedious, and time consuming, but the only way to handle them, is to stay calm, not engage in their shenanigans by becoming sensitive and emotional, and standing firm and strong on the foundation of facts. The boundary breaker, when he or she does not get the response they want, will start with slights and outright insults, in an attempt to establish a hierarchy of superiority, and your goal, when interacting with a person such as this, is to detach, and maintain your sense of autonomy, because let me tell you what, dear one, they want to absorb you into themselves if they can, and have you jello shaky on the inside, so that you cannot resist them on the outside. 

I have dealt with many a boundary breaker in my life time. I always feel like I haven't quite learnt my lesson, when I find I am dealing with yet another one. The boundary breaker has a way of weaselling that is rather admirable and artful... they have a tendency to talk and talk and talk, and I recall the expression, Bullsh*t baffles brains, and this is precisely the premise they count on, to get what they want, while pretending the party on the other side of the table, will also get, what was agreed upon and promised.

It takes me less time now, to reestablish boundaries, when someone crosses them. It takes me less time to call it, when I see it: some people seem trustworthy, but when they are discovered to be unworthy of trust, you and I must be honest with ourselves, and acknowledge we made an error choosing to interact with them at all, since there may very well have been, many clues and cues to their inner workings. Next, we must find a way to remain frank, and walk a straight line of holding strictly to the facts, with the hope that we will be made whole, after having time, energy, and perhaps money, being stolen from us by the boundary breaker.

Honesty has always been the best policy, and while I live by this rule in my personal and professional life, I accept that not everyone sees this policy as vital. Two people lose when one decides to deceive, but the person that lies, and excuses themselves when asked to be responsible for their promises, is in peril spiritually, since they have compromised their very soul, by misleading and manipulating, the one that believed they would deliver on an agreement. 

Relationship is paramount: this said, the boundary breaker thinks not of long term relationship, but only short term gain, at the expense of trust, friendship, and future agreements, that would benefit both parties.  

You know you are dealing with a boundary breaker when:

1. They lie 

2. They tell tall tales

3. They speak rapidly and contradict themselves

4. They insist on sympathy 

5. They blame other people, equipment, or circumstances 

6. They make excuses

7. They become enraged when challenged

8. They insult you

9. They have had one bad thing happen after another, and tell you about it

10. They give far more information then needed, given the circumstances

11. They disrupt, and do not do what they have promised they will do

12. You wish you had never met them, and look forward to never interacting with them again

I hope this was helpful for you, dear one. I know some people that are dealing with boundary breakers, and when married to one, it is a hellish situation to have to navigate. Know that God restores and remakes. Know that God is on your side and that he is the only One, that can make you whole, while you do your best to remain faithful to Christ, while extricating yourself from the entanglements of the boundary breaker.

Modern Day Husbands

Abram said his wife Sarai was his sister; Isaac followed in his father's crooked footsteps, and with forked tongue, lied by saying his wife Rebecca, was his sister. 

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house (Genesis 12:11-15). 

Sarai was sixty-five years old, and Abram was seventy-five, when this lying and misleading took place, and Sarai was taken from Abram to be folded into Pharaoh's bevy of beauties. 

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah (Genesis 20:2). 

And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon (Genesis 26:6-7). 

Abram and Isaac had good looking wives, and they knew it. Abram and Isaac were wimpy husbands, and I wonder, did Isaac hear the story of Sarai - his own beloved mother - being handed over by Abram, to Abimelech, king of Gerar? while he was a young boy, and as he grew into manhood, because while dwelling in Gerar, there is an eerie repeating of the scenario, with Isaac ditching his wife Rebekah, under the guise of her being his sister, to save his own skin too! 

Abram, renamed Abraham, was a stellar kind of guy, but this thing he did, with his wife, to save his own skin? And what about the example he set for his son Isaac? Sarai, renamed Sara, and Rebekah, were plucked from their men, to be placed into concubines, for the sexual pleasure of the ruling class of royals. Abram and Isaac, years later, in the same land, feared for their lives, and were willing to sacrifice their own precious wives, to preserve themselves... what the heckers? 

The accounting of these incidents is helpful for you and me, dear one, because we need to understand how fear of death, can wrangle a persons bravery, right out of their hands, and have them behaving in the confines of cowardice. Sarai and Rebekah were willing to become haram girls, for their lying husbands, and this is a violent breach of trust between husband and wife, and between God and his men. Did Abram not know the living God? and wasn't Isaac raised with the understanding, that God is Almighty, and our Deliver, no matter the enemy or circumstances we face? 

There is One GodMan that was willing to die for his Bride, and he did die, on the cross, and he rose again on the third day. 

Modern day husbands are much like Abram and Isaac - they are willing to throw over the wives God has blessed them with, to save their own skin, or at least, be more comfortable, without the responsibility, or accountability, that they ought to display, as men of God. When men leave their wives and children, to fend for themselves, they have effectively let in wolf packs; it is shameful each time I hear yet another story, of a man withholding his love, his care, his finances, and his protection, from his wife and children. A man is not a man, if he does not fend off enemies, and keep them at bay - men ought to defend their women, not mistreat them, and hand them over to other men, for more of the same. 

I wonder about Abram and whether or not he regretted the lying, and whether or not he fretted, while Sarai was in the custody of the local king. And what of Isaac after Rebekah was removed from him? was he beside himself with self-recrimination, and remorse? 

There are shocking retells of drama and trauma in The Bible, and if a camera were trained and focused on each of us in our lives, it would capture similar scenes and story lines... this is why we cannot count on one another as perfect humans, flawless and utterly trustworthy at all times. People are fickle and temperamental, but God, Jesus Christ, is infallible, and he was the perfect Lamb that was crucified and died, to take away the sins of the world, and he, dear one, will never ever leave you, nor forsake you, unlike the humans in your life. 

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). 

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready (Revelation 19:7). 

Covid & Flu Shots Normalized

Across the country, this month of November, Canadian children will be injected with what are considered, routine annual vaccines. 

The normalization of injections is very rarely questioned by parents; few of them think twice about getting exemption forms for their offspring. The fact that a parent must jump through hoops established by the Ministry of Health to keep needle wielders away from their child or children, is alarming, to say the least. So called Health Authorities enter into buildings, line children up, and push unspeakable things, into tiny arms, hundreds and hundreds of tiny arms. 

Covid and flu shots keep us ummm, healthy? and free from illness?

I know what authority means, and how calling oneself an expert, a professional, and an authority, can mislead the already misguided. Who, pray tell, do these people think they are, when they comfortably go where they do not belong, and risk the lives and limbs, of other people's children, under the guise of being in command over free citizens, in a supposedly, free country?

Socialism is evident in Canada as a dominating ideology. Socialists and Satan are best of friends, since they work hand in hand in their attempts to impose, dominate, infringe upon, commandeer, and thieve away freedom, where ever they can manage to slip in their grubby, filthy, greedy hands. Socialism is a deadly sin, that holds people captive to the concept that fairness equates with equal distribution of products, and services, but is this how the real world works? Doctors get paid more than nurses, and nurses get paid more than orderlies, and Presidents get paid more then Vice-Presidents, and daddies, generally speaking, get paid more than mommies... how would equalization work, and why would anyone want to work hard, if equal is equal in all things, and working more or harder, isn't worth the effort, since the ROI is the same for everyone, no matter the energy and brain power exerted.

What Satan wants is want Satan is currently getting; he wants parents to hand over their children's health and welfare, to authorities that follow his dissociative socializing orders. Thing is, Satan is greedy, and an equal opportunity killer: he is never satisfied with someone just dying without Christ, O no, he wants parents to play a role in the offing of their own offspring. Satan savours colluders, and by God in heaven, each time a parent signs off on things being done to their children in the name of feigned safety and maintenance of good health (and this, on the heels of the sick fallout we are witnessing from all the previous acquiescing), they truly do have the blood of their own children, on their hands. 

I heard about a man that took a photo of a couple that were sound asleep in a car that drove itself, on the highway. Satan has lulled the masses to sleep, and they no longer have a sense of responsibility, or obligation, to take care of themselves, or a sense of inherent duty, to look out for the well-being of others. 

My car is equipped with technology, with an onboard robotic voiced little helper, that has been anything but helpful, for several weeks. While listening to the radio, I decided I wanted quiet, so I instructed the darn thing, Turn radio off - the robotic voice then inquired, What would you like to listen to? After several rounds of this nonsense, I realized that no matter how I phrased my order or request, it was glitching, and incapable of doing what was asked. It wasn't just the radio it had trouble with: it could not seem to follow instructions when given directions. I grin as I type, because yesterday, my car got a recall software update, and a loose cable was reattached... now think with me, what those autonomous cars are incapable of, when they glitch, and lose their connections to ports! 

People have lost their connections to each other. Parents hand over their little ones to strangers, at extremely young ages, and these kids put in six to eight or nine hour days, depending on whether or not they are bused, or are in before and/or after school programs, Children are being indoctrinated in school, and they trust the people in charge of them almost implicitly, since their parents apparently do.

Many think covid is in the past, but it isn't. Covid has been added to the roster as yet another invisible terrorist, that must be fought before it intrudes, and demolishes humans by the dozens; and the erratic disharmonious beat goes on, and on...

I do not relish talking or writing about these things. It is not entertaining or fun to consider the devastation that awaits in our mutual future. It is disheartening to hear about how deathly ill people are, and how they are suffering. All I can ask here and now, is for you to consider, whether or not the health authorities, really have any authority at all, and by whom where they appointed as governors? 

How many injections are considered enough by these people?

Do your own research if you haven't done so already. You don't have to be a pincushion, and dear one, do you actually feel better, or worse, after getting yet another shot, in the arm?

Alcoholics are Never Anonymous

Everybody knows a drunk when they see one, and there is no such thing as anonymity when a person is an alcoholic. Evidence screams loudly, There's one, right over there! That person teetering, slurring their words, being overly emotional, and talking nonsensically, That one, is skunking drunk!  

Cucumbers, when soaked in water, salt, and vinegar to make a brine, become delightful pickles after absorbing the liquid, transforming the cucumber flavour from mild and subtle, to lip puckering tart and tasty - if only the same could be said for the excessive drinker, that soaks his or her brain and liver, to the point of making them mush. A brain can go from being sharp and attentive, to lack lustre and dull, over the soaking period, and when someone is an alcoholic, it becomes obvious to the people around them, that witness some odd behaviours that are quite unreasonable. 

Oxymoron - Alcoholics Anonymous

I go on little people watching kicks, and lately I have been watching videos of selfish characters, that get drunk, and then treat the people all around them, as their very own personal captive audience. When the police get involved due to the disorderly conduct of the drunk-o, I become enthralled at their patience. So many opportunities to co-operate are offered to the misdemeanour drunks, but they just don't seem to have it in them, to zip their lip, skulk away guilty, and remain, as it were, anonymous. 

Shameful behaviours captured on video after video have given me a glimpse into how horribly entitled alcohol and drug abusers can be - drinking and driving or being high while behind the wheel, is a great indicator, that life is not as precious to these people as it ought to be, and since they often make a habit of risky behaviours and in many cases, have arrived alive following a drunken tour, it surprises them to have anyone stop them in their tracks, and hold them accountable for their actions. Acclimating to wickedness, does not erase consequences and accountability, and while we may get away with "it"., whatever "it" may be, for a time, times many times, there is always a day of reckoning, just around the bend(er), 

Enough already (well, not really... ) about the disregarding and obvious alcoholics! Let us look closely at law enforcement, and how very kind and gentle, patient and long suffering, some of these men and woman can be. The drunks are obnoxiously repetitive, stuck on thinking loops, and verbal repeats, that eliminate any reasonable back and forth discussions - they resist, and object, they argue, but the pleading usually starts immediately after being handcuffed. Warnings prior to cuffing are abundant, but the petulant and persistent mind gone somewheres else trouble makers, are relentless, with almost inexhaustible energy to carry on with the lying, accusing, threatening, spitting, insulting, twisting, turning... they, dear one, have demonic strength and fearlessness, and it is alarming. Officers remain so calm, not because they have body cameras recording these incidents, but because they have committed to doing the work of being peaceful, even in the face of mistreatment via senseless humans, that clearly prefer playing the role of harasser, rather then correcting themselves, and taking the easier path laid out kindly for them. 

Filled with spirits, the drunk can be seen and heard as a lying schemer, with vile words flowing like disgusting waste from their mouths. There is a daring too, in their demeanour, that has them questioning the authority that detains them, and holds them accountable and eventually, captive. 

Perhaps you have done some abnormal psychology people watching too, and know what I am referring to? These people, as I suggested earlier, are obvious and anything but anonymous - body camera videos have captured them in action, and said videos are replayed over and over again on the internet. Now dear one, law enforcement do their jobs, protecting the population when they can, from dangerous behind the wheel people, or those that make scenes in public places and tend toward thievery and violence, but police officers are not everywhere at all times, and the criminally minded do indeed, get away with their slick plots and plans. The cocky believe they are uncatchable, will never be detained, never have their hands prayer fashion, held together behind their back, to be cuffed at the wrist, and it is much to their surprise, when the warnings end, and the containment begins. The warnings were for their sake, and ultimately, the containment, is for the sake of everyone else, that desire to live a peaceful and law abiding existence. 

I didn't do anything wrong

Why, why, why?

I didn't resist

I wasn't arguing

I didn't do anything wrong

I could turn this page blue with the swearing and insults that are spit aimed at police officers, but you have heard all the disgusting things people say, having you dear one? No need for me to repeat what ought never to be repeated...

Do recall, I indicated that the drunks have demonic spirits animating them, and giving them supernatural strength. When in handcuffs, there is escalation, and the cursing continues but changes too, with cursing using God's name frequently, and in vain. Does it not make perfect sense, for a demon occupied person, to indulge in alcohol to the point of drunkenness, to engage in vile behaviours and uttering, and then say, I did nothing wrong, and when detained, curse the God that made them to abide in his laws? 

All of the above is foreshadowing deluxe, dear one. Who we are and how we behave and what we say and do that impacts everyone around us, is being recorded, watched, replayed, repeated, and while we think we are entitled to freely do whatever we desire, and not pay the proverbial piper anytime soon, or ever, we are dead wrong. Despite getting away with waywardness perhaps all of our lives, there will come a time when warnings of peril stop, and an eternity of suffering as a captive in hell, will be our reward for fussing, fighting, resisting, twisting and turning, cursing God, and trying to escape his wrath. Judgment awaits the wicked, and the wise in their own eyes, and it is conforming to Christ, and Christ alone, that redeems a soul, retrieving it from the land of the lost, and placing it in the found category, of faithful servant. 

Children are taught not to play with fire; isn't it strange, how willing people are, to dabble with and dip, into hell fire, and believe they will not burn? 

But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away (Psalms 37:20).

The Resistance X Two

Judge me if you want, but...

Don't you judge me

Who do you think you are, judging me

I don't want to be judged

You are so judgmental 

The Lord will judge his people (Deuteronomy 32:36). 

We resist, we protest, we complain, we insist, we just plain old don't want anyone to tell us what to do, and when God is brought into the picture that represents a snapshot of our individual lives, we treat him like a photo bomber, and want to edit him out of the image; edit him right out of our consciences and consciousness. 

Here is what Matthew Henry has to say about Deuteronomy 32:36, in Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 754:

He will search and try his visible church, and will discover and detect those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan; and he will separate the precious from the vile, and will punish the sinners in Zion, with the greatest severity. 

Our global culture is grotesquely sinful, wanton in their ways, and totally oblivious to their obvious depravity. Christians sink down into their seats, scrunching low, when considering the judgment of righteous God, but the depraved proudly, publicly, display their wicked inward wares - they sell out their thinking, and their souls, to demon gods, and God forbid they acknowledge the Lord as Judge. 

Don't judge me isn't a request, it is a childish demand to others, to refrain from having an opinion and commenting, on choices being made, that not only impact a persons well-being, but the well-being of people in their immediate vicinity. Isn't it true, that the ripple effect is activated, when say, a person drinks and drives, hits a pedestrian, and sends them to hospital with life threatening injuries; the hospital staff attending spend their days monitoring; family visits with hope fading daily; and a whole community has lost a contributor, a person that was kind and loving. The driver of the vehicle cannot escape judgment of the most intense magnitude: life as the victim knew it, is lost forever, and the driver must replay that moment in time for the rest of their days, without escape. No matter how hard he tries to pretend it wasn't his fault, and that he didn't intend for it to happen, he will not be able to shake-off the guilty feeling that washes over him in waves of despair. Perhaps, he thinks, more alcohol will remedy the situation and alleviate some of the foreboding grief; alas, he is a prisoner in his own body, with blood coating his hands and soul for as long as he lives. 

I was twenty and two when the light of Christ's sacrifice for my sins dawned on my bleak and pessimistic soul. Christ is the answer to death; he is the redeemer that plucks us as brands from hell fire, and while I knew him as my Saviour in my early twenties, I remained a reprobate in many ways, for a very long time. No one corrected me, meaning, I didn't have anyone in my life that said things like, As a Christian, I must tell you, that you are sinning against the Lord with what you are doing. Dear one, I had heathens and believers in my life a plenty; the first set were drunks and fornicators, and the latter where mealy mouthed pretenders, paying lip service to faith in Christ, while living dirty godlessness, despite their feigned denouncing of all things pagan. I will be more precise: the church has mixed and mingled faith with pagan practices, and made innocent what is detestable in the eyes of the Lord. A perfect example of what I am speaking of, is Christians that celebrate halloween, with pumpkin craving, hideous and soul shuttering decorations in and outside of their homes, and playing dress up as a character for the day, or a scary party, where death is treated like a joke, and murder scene displays are just fun and games, and not to be taken seriously. I used to have halloween parties, and many a guest was invited from the church I attended. 

In the above paragraph, I indicated no one corrected, and therefore attempted to redirect me: this is not entirely true... there were hints and suggestions from caring friends along the way that gave sage advice that had me reconsider some of my choices, and while it was stingy to be scolded, I appreciated the efforts they made to set me back on a holy track, but dear one, it was The Bible that spoke volumes to my sickly soul; the book of God taught me how to label the yucky unavoidable feelings, that result from sin, in the sight of the ever present, all knowing God. 

When we acknowledge sin, we acknowledge wrong doing, and with these acknowledgements, a sense of being judged quickly follows: shame is a great indicator of sin committed and confessed, even if we do the confessing solo, with an audience of One. 

There are two types of resistance:

1. Resisting the Truth that leads to salvation

2. Resisting the lies that lead to damnation

Which category do you fall under? 

I like to boil subjects down to bare bones: The Lord will judge his people, and not only this, he will judge those that prefer not to be his people. God has the deed to your soul, dear one, and he is entitled to judge his handcrafted creatures. Silly little self-possessed humans, Who do you think you are? What makes you think you are entitled to freely come and go as you please, with nary a bit of judgment coming your way? 

The people in your life make a world of difference regarding what and how you think, and consequently, what and how you do, in your home, at work, and in your community. When I chose Christ over all other relationships, as my true love, I immersed myself in The Bible, and I quickly saw how sinfully ignorant I had been. It takes a lifetime to love the Lord with every ounce of our being, and at almost sixty, I want nothing more, than to obey him as I adore him. I do not resist his saving grace, and my hope is that you will not either, dear one. 

We will be judged, and we are currently being judged, even while we justify our sinful ways. This is why Jesus commands repentance, and why it is vitally important to feel the weight of sin as a hefty burden on the soul, that can be thrown off, never to be picked up again. If you have used the all too common verbiage, Don't judge me, then maybe you already are well aware, that God has his eye on you, and wants you to cut out whatever you are doing that he forbids. 

Today can be the first and best day of your new life. You can reckon yourself fortunate, that God loves you and wants you to feel the freedom of living to glorify him, and him alone. He is just, kind, and ever true, and he wants this for you too, through Christ the Lord, Amen. 

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

Sowers of Discord

Our spiritual enemies will do what they can to wrest our faith, hope, and holiness, and comfort, out of our hands, but we must hold fast our religion as our best treasure (2.) The manner in which we must do this - without wavering, without doubting, without disputing, without dallying with temptation to apostasy. Having once settled these great things between God and our souls, we must be stedfast and unmovable. Those that begin to waver in matters of Christian faith and practice are in danger of falling away, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 752. 

Let me tell you what, dear one, my faith, my hope, my holiness, my comfort, is stedfast, unwavering, and my best treasure... and, I have not always lived my faith, which directly impacted my hope, holiness, and comfort in Christ. Being a Christian has not perfected me as a human, what it has done, is made me realize how much I need to rely on God to gird me, when the enemies of my soul, are working to wrest my faith from me. 

I studied philosophy in university, and it was Christian philosophy studied in the same university, that saved me from the mental meanderings of pseudo intellectualism. Philosophers try to explain everything, and most miss the mark by a long shot, because they refuse to acknowledge Wisdom in the Word. Man tries to comprehend and define, what only God can make intelligible, and the argumentation is lack lustre at best, and a perturbance at worst, when the dog with a bone type fella, just cannot stop himself from trying to engage a believer, in his mental gymnastics regarding faith and religion, along with unauthorized by God, religious, superstitious practices. 

I do not waver; I do not doubt; I will not dispute; I refrain from dalliances with devilish temptations. My soul has settled on the Truth, and the Truth has made me free, and so, dear one, it is an annoyance to me, a petty pestering to me, when anyone attempts to wrest my hard won faith from me, and I say here, many have tried. The Devil endeavoured to work over the Saviour, attempting to fill him with in the flesh doubt, and woo him with sensual pleasures and power promised if he would bow down and worship him: this being the case, it must not surprise us, when Satan's demon army, in the form of human flesh, try the very same tactics on us. 

Most people when asked what they want, will answer, Peace. I just want peace. We can infer that it is peace they do not have, but rather, the lack thereof. Take this one step further, and we might also infer that they have anything but peace, and that it is angst that has them longing for peace. Where, pray tell, can you find peace? Is peace: 

1. In a bottle or can of alcohol

2. In a vape filled with scented nicotine

3. In the act of sex with multiple partners

4. Making money

5. Spending money

6. Eating

7. Talking

8. Scrolling on a phone

9. Exercising

10. Watching cat videos

11. Watching Dexter reruns

12. Playing video games 

There are sowers of discord in our midst, and some of them come in the form of the list of eleven distractions from peace, that you just read. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and faith in him comes with promises of provision, for the hungry and thirsty soul, that may feel ravenous and parched, for real sustenance for the spirit, that cannot be found or secured in a wicked and wayward world. 

God is gracious, and very good to us, even when we are jerks and deserve a bare bum spanking. God is kind, merciful, and forgiving, even when we act like know-it-alls, by mingling make-believe fiction with facts, to give ourselves a false sense of being clever, and a sense of being a little sharper than the average, mediocre person. The Truth cannot be tampered with and changed. People attempt to misalign Truth to accommodate their own needs and desires, but steely Truth cannot be bent with human hands, human desires and demands, or human ineptitude, along with human teeny tiny temper tantrum type willfullness. 

Spiritual error and superstition are now the norm, even within Christian circles. The Bible has a hard and fast way of humbling readers quickly, and debunking falsehoods that are often eagerly embraced, by truth deviants; and we are all truth deviants in some form or fashion, because we are inclined to sugar coat our sins to make them tasty, but man alive, sin sours the soul rapidly, when we are convicted by comparing ourselves to Christ's glorious example of purity, and his obedience to the perfect for us, will of the Father. 

I always direct wannabe faithfuls to the Father. I always tell them to pray and read The Bible. It is not up to me to cajole or convince a dissenter, or a sower of discord, to come to faith. I gave up apologetics long ago, in favour of speaking my love for Christ, and sharing gospel Truth when and where an opening is provided: I will not argue about the Word of God with anyone that tries to tear my faith and trust in God from me, and you must not either, dear one. It is not our job to save souls, or prove to anyone the veracity of the book of God; it is our work, to believe in the One whom God hath sent, and share the good news, with everyone that wants to hear it. 

Peace be with you, is a blessing, that can only be yours in Christ, the LORD of glory. I pray this Truth is one you embrace, and never ever let go of, no matter who tries to wrest your faith, your hope, your holiness, and your comfort, from you. 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

NOTE: Keeping the peace, often looks like ignoring dissenters and sowers of discord: it works, keep it up.