The Great Toilet Paper Shortage

During the Great Toilet Paper Shortage, many a person panicked and made a run for their local Costco, grocery store, or neighbourhood convenience shop, trying to ensure their own butts were covered, even at the expense of other bums in town that didn't have memberships, personal vehicles to rush them to purchase, or a big enough trunk in which to place multi-packs of paper. Alarmingly, and suddenly, there simply weren't enough trees to fell, and factories had to grind to a halt in production, due to insufficiency, and lack of useable toiletry raw materials. 

The very same thing is happening with oil... they find some, then they loose the vein, or well, or whatever it is that they draw the black gooey stuff up and out of: running out of oil and then finding it, means the prices of gasoline drop a little, skyrocket some, then drop a little, and again, rise like a shooting star. Speaking of skyrocketing and shooting stars, the NASA and spacey projects continue to thrive! I wonder if astronauts, during The Great Toilet Paper Shortage, were taught to spare a square, share the Charmin, conserve on usage, be conscientious about just how much they use each time they have needed of the stuff. 

I myself (I like referring to myself twice, as in, I myself), am working my darndest to conserve on oxygen consumption. I do not want to be responsible for The Great Oxygen Depression, so I play my part, with half breaths in, and quarter breaths out. My reduced intake, over time, will save lives, I myself, am very certain that my contribution to air conversation, will positively impact many generations to come! 

I know, I know, the global ruler guys and gals tell us how things are going to go and what we can do to be in this together, like one big global team of goodfellas, but sometimes I eat red meat, and I confess, I don't use that green compost box my city generously gave me, and my neighbours, a couple of years ago. I am no longer Catholic, but I do know confession is good for the soul, so I am telling you right now, that I don't always follow the suggestions that sound kind of like orders from the top guys down. I am what they call, a rebel, of sorts. They don't know me, and I am confident they never will, so I feel safe working the edges over here, just living under the wire and out of their suspicious gaze, ya know?

Anyhow, going green is the way to go nowadays. I did see a funny documentary featuring Melania Trump the other day, and man alive, she sure does have pretty places to go when she is transported in Trump planes by private pilots, and when on the road, by motorcades, a whole battalion of shiny black cars with flashing lights announcing her important presence as important first lady for time number two! Of course, she deserves to live the finest life ever, she is the presidents wife for goodness sakes! She is only one person, making a difference in her own way, and you and me, we have to follow suit, and make a difference too - she is such an excellent example of ambassadorship. 

Well, I have to go lie down now... this part-time, half-time kind of breathing makes me myself a little dizzy and tired. I will check back in on you later, ciao for now, fellow concerned for the world citizen, 

Remember now, we are all in this together. Don't forget to thank your local pharmacists, doctors and nurses, for having your back, by continuing to offer you shots against the viruses men make in the factories next door to the toilet paper producers. We all must do our part, and me, myself, will do what I can, to stay on the right side, of doing good in our world.

How about, you, yourself? 

Braggart Becomes Inert Dirt

Of all flattery, self-flattery is the worst, and self-applause is seldom any better than self-flattery and self-deceit. At the best, self-commendation is no praise, and it is often times as foolish and vain as it is proud; therefore, instead of praising or commending ourselves, we should strive to approve ourselves to God, and his approbation will be our best commendation, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 513. 

I couldn't help myself from thinking immediately of Donald Trump, when I read Matthew Henry's description above, with regard to vanity and bragging. DJ (Donald John), has a one track mind. All paths lead to him, and how very important he is, how very proud as a peacock he is, of all his accomplishments, his family, his ability to do all things better than anyone else ever has, and ever will. He has erected a golden calf in his mind, and it is shaped in his image, for the purpose of self-adoration, and of course, he wants to be worshipped by all the people that admire him ever so. 

How very dreamy a life he leads... lots of money, prestige, and the power to push the button. He says what he wants about himself in all kinds of complimentary ways, in all kinds of company, and regardless of the circumstances, knowing full well that many in his audience, eat-up the vomitrocious chunks of self-promotion he spews. Jesus humbled himself by taking on flesh, condescending to walk amongst mankind, forsaking for a time, his heavenly throne to make right, all that we have done wrongly. DJT will one day soon (life is short, dear reader, and we all must die) be inert dirt - just like all the foolish men that came before him, believing they had super powers, and with dominating and arrogant over-confidence, could get away with being self-serving, instigating hatred, and causing fights so big they are called wars... The Bible is rife with men like DJT, and they all met the same demise - the grave yawned wide open to receive them, taking them where they never thought they would go, pulling them down to a lowly state of nothingness, with no approving applause, no good job, or atta boy. Golden coffins drop six feet deep, and not a living soul, wants to follow a dead man to his eternal demise. Jesus, dear reader, rose from the grave, by the power of God, since he is God, and his Father would not leave him where he lay. 

Jesus has the power over life and death, and yet humans believe it is their prerogative to arm wrestle with God, vainly convinced that he will not shatter their bones at the wrist, elbow and shoulder, for taking liberties in their arrogance. Man can force man against their will, this is true. A man with a missile can launch it into a building filled with human adults, children and babies, and the subjected persons, can do nothing to stop the violence from destroying their abode, and snuffing them of life. Anyone and everyone that condones this murderous conduct, fails in the extreme, in understanding, that this life isn't the end of the road of existence... there is a life eternal that follows the one of the flesh, and it is the after life that matters the most. 

Self-flattery

Self-applause

Self-deceit

Self-commendation

Self-praise

Look at the list, dear reader! Are you cringing, or do you think these self-bragging traits are admirable in others, or yourself, as signs of confidence earned by goal accomplishments? Do you wish you could be a braggart too? 

Foolish

Vain

Proud

God Almighty does not approve of people like DJT, in fact, all you and I need do, is read the Beatitudes, to clarify the matter, on the point I am making. DJ is nothing like Jesus, and he is no where near a saint on his way to heaven after this earthly existence. 

Look at the man, and do not compare him to other men. Look at the person, and compare him to Christ as the ultimate measure and standard of perfection. Christian, do you dare approve a braggart that speaks murder with his mouth, and think of the Saviour in the same moment, without feeling the weight of truth, that Jesus loved to the point of death, and wicked men like Donald John Trump, hate to the point of eliminating anyone and everyone that gets in his way, irritates him, draws his distain, questions his authority, disapproved his messages and mentality? 

Do you confuse and conjoin the two?

Do you dare ignore the evidence, in favour of politically motivated manipulative ploys of arrogance, that exploit the populace?

If you fawn over Trump and those that are like him, and call yourself a Christian, I implore you to read the Beatitudes, and pray to God for recalibration to Christ. 

Paying For Honesty

To be honest... 

A door to door salesman spoke these words during an exchange with me recently: To be honest. This refrain was repeated perhaps four to five times in the short stint of him pitching a telephone company as a replacement, for my current service provider. 

1. Was this young man feeling guilty about selling something he knew was subpar?

2. Was this young man nervous about being perceived as a dishonest sales man, or about perceived as a potentially slimy salesman?

3. Was the young man somehow compromising his integrity, and feared that his dishonoured values, were on display?

4. By using the term, To be honest, was he trying to convince me of something, or himself?

Lately I have been considering the price I have paid for being honest, and just as I turned the idea over in my mind once or twice, it occurred to me that it is the hearer, or receiver of honesty, that must pay a hefty price, because once the truth be told, and once it has been heard, it hangs around, becoming a sometimes unwelcome but constant companion, poking at conscience, niggling self-awareness, prodding the person to fess up, and be honest about intentions and perhaps unspoken, self-deceptions that are hard to face. 

Jesus paid the ultimate price for truth told, truth beheld, truth in action as promised, when he was crucified for the sins of the world as an innocent lamb. When I compare my truth telling to myself and to others, and how much it has cost me, I shrink into myself, when I consider Christ's ultimate sacrifice of life itself, for the guilty.  It is my initial sin of lying that takes me away from God, and it is my confessing of sin that screams of my deceptions. 

Let us expound together on this concept. 

A lie considered, a lie rationalized, a lie then spoken that leads to a self-promised reward when action is taken, adds insult to injury in the soul. Tracing backward on the tracks of accountability, you and I can take apart the life of sinful choices we have made based on the lies we have told ourselves and others over the years, throughout the decades... or even just looking back at our yesterday. 

There is a price demanded of us that ought not be too expensive, if honesty is highly valued. Telling the truth may seem an exorbitant levy for freedom, but it is an entrance fee to relationship with the King of kings, Lord of lords. Without honesty, without truth telling, without devotion to righteous living, we cannot be in relationship with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost - and dear reader, since when is it possible to build a firm and faithful foundation of sincere relationship with others, when undertones are deceptive, and when we are sneaky with our intentions? 

To be honest is an oft used term currently, and it belies self-deception for the speaker, and perhaps, a fear of being a liar. If someone speaks truth, they need not try to convince themselves, or others, of this. 

James 5:12

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 

Lest ye fall into condemnation. 

This warning is for each living breathing potentially self and other deceiving human being. The scripture above is plain in its instructions, that we speak yes, or no, without saying things like, I swear to God, or on my mother's grave, or on the life of my son or daughter. Man alive, if a person has to go to these lengths, to prove they mean what they say, can they be trusted as a person of integrity? 

Dear one, there is a price tag invisibly attached to lies, and to truth telling too, that becomes apparent over time. There is potential loss after the investing in truthful exchanges, and at the same time, it is worth the cost when the reward, is honest to goodness relationship, that can be trusted as tried and true. 

Be not condemned by the one that judges righteously. Tell yourself truth, and then speak and live it before God and man, and you will receive a heavenly, priceless recompense from your Saviour, Christ the King. 

Repent, confess yours sins, receive forgiveness, and sin no more. I pray God rules and reigns in your mind, heart, and spirit, dear one. 

What Was That You Said?

Sorry, I can't hear you, I ate ice cream, oh, and had milk in my coffee! 

My knowing has been with me for most of my adult years; I am painfully aware of how dairy anything, and everything, clogs up my sinuses, giving me a stuffed-full-with-cotton feeling in my head, itchy ears, and a concomitant dullness in my thinking processes. Sugar does me wrong in a number of ways too, but it isn't nearly as rude to me as delicious iced cream, coffee cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese of any and all varieties... in other words, delicious cow milk products make me unwell in my head. 

It starts with a stuffy nose, shortly after consumption. I get congested, and when in company, it becomes obvious to others that something weird, and not wonderful, is happening. Before you think I am looking for sympathy, I tell you, I am not! 

Sure, I love me some ice cream, and cheese is such a lovely taste bud satisfying substance, but these things do not like me, and I am well aware. I have tried to befriend dairy, and pretend we can have an amicable relationship, and that a little bit of indulgence won't hurt me, but alas, these lies have lost all of their short legs, and I am left with the harsh reality, that I just can't be cheesy with my choices! Back to looking for sympathy... I have too good a life to feel too great a loss over such a simple thing, that I can easily refrain from ingesting. 

Confession time - I do periodically indulge in dairy, like an idiot that chooses poison, chooses headaches, and dullness, when in full strength and health. When I say things like, Pardon, I can't hear you, everyone in my life knows I have done the deed, by committing the crime of self-harm with my food choices, and they in turn suffer the results of my self-induced deafness, when they have to repeat themselves, or cover their ears because my voice is raised when speaking. I am giggling a little at the scenario I describe, having lived it repeatedly. It used to be that people would make curative suggestions in attempts to heal my impairments, but now they just ask, What did you eat? 

Sounds so silly, doesn't it, dear reader? You may be rolling your eyes and thinking to yourself, Just don't eat dairy dumb-dumb! And wouldn't you know it, I would agree with you whole-heartedly and say similar things to someone in the same situation, but you and I both know, how very attached, stubborn, and full on stupid we can be, when we want what we want, when and how, we want it. 

Human nature is naturally self-indulgent. Self-discipline is a learned ability, and the moral of the story is this: While we walk the earth in these earthen ware God crafted vessels known as bodies, we will not only be tempted, but we will often, and to our detriment, indulge ourselves, when saying No would work better for us in the long run. Sometimes, we behave in an asinine fashion, despite our intelligence! 

Today I was talking to a sweet friend and while we were sharing, my left ear allowed in a little extra sound, delighting me. Dear one, we don't know what we are missing until we become more sensitive to what is happening all around us. In my self-indulgence via not-good-for-me food choices, I enfeeble my abilities to be attentive to God, and my fellow man. When I can't hear, I notice less, pick-up fewer cues, and have to retrace steps in an attempt to retrieve what was said the first time around. I focus less on what is immediately in front of me when the dullness incapacitates, and I have often wondered, if this is my way of not wanting to hear, not wanting to be available, not wanting to have to notice - in other words, my way of checking out. 

If you and I know what the effects will be on us shortly after we do what we know is harmful, then we must ask ourselves, 

Why am I doing this? and; 

What am I trying to get out of? if getting out of a situation is the unspoken, underlying intention. 

I recall an occasion when my former husband and I had been invited to a birthday party. As the day grew long, I still hadn't started the process of getting ready for the event. I was lounging on the couch, and when he asked me, Aren't you getting ready? I responded, Ya, and started to get up, when my lower back screamed at me with a shooting pain. He witnessed what I am describing to you now, and looking me in the eye, he stated, You don't have to go to the party. Sweet relief to my ears and mind, You don't have to go to the party. As he made his way upstairs, I sat back down on the couch. To my surprise, the pain in my back left as quickly as it had arrived. Here one moment, gone the next: psychosomatic or perfect timing?

Dear reader, there are things you don't have to do, that may feel obligatory. There are people you don't have to see or spend time with, that you may feel need you or want you, but that you are not, beholden to. There are places you could go, conversations you could have, but none of them are must do's or have to's. You don't have to make yourself sick to eliminate foisted upon you impositions that you have a hard time saying no to... 

What was that you said? I don't have to?

Yes, that is correct, there are lots of things you do not have to do and;  You must do the work of distinguishing what your real life obligations are, when compared to what you sense are guilty feeling imposters, that will steal your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. 

Lastly, and with this, we will end our time together, you are entitled to sort through your thoughts and feelings as they relate to the people in your life and the situations you find yourself in. You have the right to exercise your Yes and No powers of decision making. You don't have to make yourself sick to get out of imposed or perceived responsibility. 

You always, get to choose. That is the gift, of freedom of will.

Godly Sorrow

An arrow to the heart, that is sorrow. A scrunched up face, shoulders lifting and falling with shortness of breath as tears stream past the chin, this is godly sorrow for wrongdoing, in the sight of the Lord. 

Remorse, how bittersweet you are to my soul. Blessed repentance, how you lead me to the feet of my Saviour. Mercy, how kind? Can it be that you forgive me, wash away my sin, and remember it against me no more? 

We cannot have godly sorrow without God. You know that deep down and dirty feeling you get sometimes dear reader, that you are bad, very bad indeed - that what you think and want to do, are precisely what you ought not do, but you do it anyway. And anyway, you do it again, and again, and again, and... 

Sin is cement to the soul. Imagine driving about town, getting your business and errands done, and while in rush hour traffic, you slow down to stop at a red light. Of a sudden, you hear a crashing sound. The cement truck next to your car has been slammed into by a transport truck, and the cracked barrel holding the churned cement, gives vent to the substance, and it dumps, heaping on top of your car. Your windows are open, the cement pours in, and it happens so quickly, and fills the car so rapidly, that you haven't got time to escape the heavy mixture, and free yourself from the deadly mess. Sin, as I said above, is cement to the soul. 

The more a person sins, the heavier the weight they carry with them, and the harder it is to escape its deadly cumbersomeness. Cement like, a person gets hardened to their own wickedness, moving further and further away from God's will, God's way, and God's commands. Sin repeated, solidifies the heart, encasing it to the point of impenetrability. Sorrow, godly sorrow, for disobedience to God's will, can and does, break the heart of stone: 

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 

God ignored is risky business. Sin isn't happenstance, something that happens to you, it is a choice added to other choices, and sinful living can, and often does, become a way of life. And yet! We can choose not to sin, we can choose to obey God's Word, and repent, sinning no more. This is the beauty of freedom of will, dear reader. We can decide to have a tender heart toward our Maker, or harden it against his wisdom and will for us. How exciting for God's creatures, made in his image, to have freedom of choice. 

I have lately met with the uninformed that have sorrow in their heart for sin committed, but they have not the words to label their unlawful deeds. It behooves Christians to speak biblical truth to the would-be repentant, so that they know the wrongs they have committed, and with remorse, and sorrowful godly pleading, can ask God to forgive them of grievous and heinous sin. 

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the word of God, so, dear one, does remorse, repentance, and a deeply felt need to be forgiven by God. If a person does not know that they have sinned against God Almighty, or they sense they have sinned in a vague, and yet secularly acceptable way, then how can they come clean before God? 

Christian: You have been given a ministry of reconciliation. You must speak God's Word in love, and faithfully, to those he has put in your life, his little wayward lambs, that need the Good Shepherd to lead them to safe and green, eternal pastures!  

While you walk the earth Christian, your work must be to love people to the Lord, and you can do this by:

1. Reading the Word of God

2. Praying

3. Speaking the Word of God to those that long to know him

4. Living a godly life

5. Publicly declaring Christ as your Saviour: this opens the door to discussion

6. Pleading for the salvation of souls

7. Speaking truth about sin, forgiveness, and salvation

If you are saved, truly saved, dear one, you know that marvellous feeling of affinity with Christ, and with his people. If you are saved, truly saved, you, dear one, want this blessing, this perfect gift from above, for everyone you have ever known, everyone you interact with, everyone you will ever meet. You, like God, will want none, to be lost... 

If you are redeemed, you will speak life to souls that need to be set free, in Christ, the cement smasher! 

Forms Of Deception

What would you think if I told you, that loops in handwriting, are indicators of deception, when formed in circle letters, namely a, d, g, o and q?

What if loopy loops are informative? 

I will list forms of deception, and you can check off each one you recognize in yourself, and in those that you interact with regularly. We get to study a bit of human nature together, this day, dear reader. Isn't this exciting?

Let's foray into the art of human deceptiveness: 

1. There is self-deception, as a defence mechanism for the ego; this emotional and psychological protection from the truth can be useful, or hurtful, depending on circumstance.

2. We have us some intentional deception of others, when we want to keep a secret, and perhaps lie to keep people from learning what we do not want them to know.

3. Evasiveness is used by those that are after something, and they tend to evade issues in an attempt to get it. There may be a holding back of truth to get what they want.

4. Deceptive manipulation is a grasping, lying, scheming sort of endeavour, for those in our midst that are willing to trick others, to get what they want.

5. Lastly, there is the cover-up, and this way of being shows itself when someone does not want to be fully responsible and accountable, and will use someone else as a form of cover, for instance, they may state their opinion, but then suggest, that they heard so-and-so say it first: i.e War is terrible, at least, that is what I read in a news article yesterday. This person will not stand on their own convicted opinions. and they seem to need the backup of others. 

The very interesting thing about handwriting that I learned yesterday, from my Graphonanalysis Level 1 textbook, is this, and I quote:

It is when the inclination to deceive becomes a habit that it appears in the writing; a trait is a mental habit. 

Dear reader, let us consider soberly, the implications of the statement above: 

Inclination to deceive

Becomes a habit

Appears in writing

A trait

A mental habit

Geez Louise! Look at us humans, when we give into our inclinations to self-deceive, to be secretive and mislead, to intentionally trick to get our own way, to avoid and evade truth in part or whole, to mislead others to have what we want, to grasp, lie and scheme to defraud others of what we covet, and lastly, our ability to cover our own tracks, by hiding under someone else's stated opinions, in order to escape liability, and distribute responsibility if necessary, so that we are not held solely accountable. 

When we are inclined to deceive and it becomes a habit, it shows up, not only in handwriting, but in conversations, in behind the scenes choices, in upfront and personal decisions that impact ourselves and others. Deception of self and other becomes habitual when indulged! 

Chronic liars habitually lie. Am I the only one that is stunned by this simple truth? Can you feel the gravity of the damage deception causes, as it works its way into all facets of human existence? Is it any wonder Satan is known as the father of lies, given the destruction that matches the crimes of forgoing truth, in favour of trickery of self and others? 

Facing facts, facing the truth, may at times, feel like a threat to existence, an existential threat, and yet it was said by Jesus, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). 

It is our thinking that has us behaving and from there, habits are formed. We are known by our behaviour, because while the mouth and body betray deceivers, behaviour is a tattletale tell all informant! Behaviour never lies...

I have been watching The Commish, an old show from the 90's. Here I quote Commissioner Scali, the main character in the series:

The best evidence is the guilty man's fear of being caught ~ Police Commissioner Scali.

Those that live lives of deception, have to work exceptionally hard to cover the evidence of their deviousness; one lie leads to another, and over time, lying becomes a natural tendency, far removed from the initial inclination to trick self or other. This is why we see certain people lie without batting an eye when they speak. Lying becomes them. 

Dear reader, giving up the habit of lying requires conscientious and concerted effort. Liars must self-analyse, and admit why they started lying in the first place, and what they hoped to get out of being deceptive. The lie must be pinned down for questioning, held responsible for its negative effects, and sent to a permanent time out cell, locked away forever, to prevent it from wreaking havoc in relationship. If the truth makes us free, then lies must be imprisoned without parole. 

If lying becomes the deceiver and the deceiver becomes known as a liar, closely related to the father of lies, the Devil, then consider with me, how marvellous, how wonderfully becoming and radiant, truth tellers are, when they are closely associated with the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ! 

Speak truth to yourself, even if it is painful truth, and God will reward you with a peace in your soul that surpasses all understanding. 

Arrogant Ignorance

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18).

Consider with me, what bad company has done to your potentially good character. Think with me of the corruption of your soul and resultant corrosion, when you have spent time with wrong doers, people that sneak about and play under the cover of darkness; those that toy with the things of this world, that they believe with further them on the path that lays ahead.

Dear reader, the concern isn't what the worldly can do for you and I, the concern is the impact the unrighteous have in their rubbing off abilities - it is what they do to us, when we have been exposed to their wicked ways.

Have you ever been around someone that swears a lot, and not long afterward, you have gutter mouth, with cuss words imposing themselves into your thoughts, and then ushering like a filthy flow of sewer sludge, from your mouth? How about being around someone that smokes (cigarettes or weed, the substance isn't the issue), and drinks copious amounts of alcohol, or coffee, or energy drinks - do you find that you want to do as they do? Or when in company, do you have an overeating tendency, because it feels like a free for all when socializing with certain people? What happened to your discipline, your self-control, your ability to resist and say, No. Where did your resolve go, and how did the slippery slop sliding happen so quickly?

To level the playing field, I assure you, you are not the weakest most self-indulgent link in the chain of humanity. Here is what The Bible warns us as easily tempted humans:

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

While Christians may want to honour, obey, and glorify the Lord Almighty, we live in clay cottages (a phrase I lifted from Matthew Henry), and we are breakable. Our will is fragile and easily fragmented, and for this reason, we are instructed on the ways of safeguarding our well-being. Let us compare and contrast the godly and the worldly. based on God's standards in the scripture above. that started our time together:

Heading 1 Heading 2

Believers Unbelievers

Righteous Unrighteous

Light Darkness

Christ Belial

Believer Infidel

Temple of God Idols

Dear reader, if you call yourself a Christian, you are commanded by God thusly:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.

The columns above simplify much for us. We either belong to the God of heaven, or the god of this world. Those that profess Christ while aliens on this plain, are promised by the Lord Almighty:

God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

I will dwell in them and walk in them

I will be their God

They shall be my people

Come out from among them, and be ye separate

Touch not the unclean thing

I will receive you

Be a Father unto you

Ye shall be my sons and daughters

The most powerful question in the scripture we are working from, for me, and perhaps for you too? is:

And what concord hath Christ with Belial?

Christian! How can it be that we mix and mingle with those that hate the Lord and expect that they can do anything good for us, ever? How can it be that we believe it is a small price to pay to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, if they promise us some kind of reward in the flesh? It is not what they can do for us, it is what they potentially can do to us.

I know a sweet little boy, several of them, but this one that I am thinking of, told me he wanted to be the Mayor, but what he really meant, was the Prime Minister of Canada. I told him, You cannot possibly be the Prime Minister because you love the Lord. Politicians lie and cheat, and throw people under the bus, to get and hold those positions. Now I know, my take on politicians is not a popular one. There are many professing Christians that put all their hope in the politicians they believe will save the day: this is not biblically sound in the least. The Jews of Jesus' day wanted him to overthrow the Romans, and cast off from the Israelites, the heavy yoke of taxation and restriction, but that is not why he came as God incarnate. He came to set us free from death, not governmental imposition!

I dare declare, there isn't a politician currently in power that is a Christ follower, and isn't it alarming to know, that many a professing Christian, takes the path carved by unbelievers, the unrighteous, men of darkness; infidels that worship money, prestige, and power, and fall head first at the feet of Belial.

You cannot love the Lord as your God, and the world equally at the very same time. It is an impossibility. You cannot put your faith in God, and believe that humanity will save itself, with the right leaders in place. It is, an impossibility. You cannot read your Bible and believe it as the Word of God, and not realize, if you truly belong to him, that your mission is one of reconciliation, not campaigning for the current big mouth that speaks vile things, cursing people, and committing mass murder before a viewing audience, by ordering war with missiles, and uttering nuclear threats, that wipe out whole populations.

God wants all to be saved. If people die in war without knowing the Lord as their Redeemer, how is it that a person can celebrated as the one that gives orders of violence and killing? How can they be considered men of integrity and decency, when so many are dying, without knowing the God of The Bible?

Can credit be given to men that live far from their victims, for pushing the red button of mass destruction? Is this, Christ like, in the least?

We humans love flexing our muscles. We the people, believe in our own abilities and strengths, and we give credence to the talkers, that have managed to make their way to the top of the devil's totem pole. It is when we are chopped down at the knees, weak and disabled, that we cry out to God to give us strength, and until then, arrogant ignorance fuels us to our own distraction and sometimes destruction.

Here I combine two strips of scripture, a question and an answer:

And what concord hath Christ with Belial?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.

Need I say more, Christian?