Platitudes & RIP

RIP (Rest In Peace) is a platitude that is incongruent with cause of death, if the deceased was murdered, and the weapon that killed passed through many colluding hands. 

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:10)

Since the first recorded murder, the blood of the innocent has cried out from the earth:

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers's blood crieth unto me from the ground (Genesis 4:10)

What hast thou done?

This ought to be the echoed refrain in our minds. What have we done? What put us in this predicament? 

As near as I can figure, we are under God's judgment, for being globally apostate. Humans have satisfied themselves with the pleasures of this world, and have bowed down to Baal in yoga poses and meditations, serving the god of this world wantonly. Now we have bodies piling sky high, or six feet deep, literally. The unsuspecting, the easily misled, the blatantly rebellious, deny the Sovereign, and their blood has been spilled, along with the blood of the offspring God blessed them to safeguard. 

For behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed and they shall bite you, saith the LORD (Jeremiah 8:17)

This piece of writing is an indictment, against the murderers, and against the willful apostates, that ought to have known that serpents, vipers, roam freely in a wicked world, and it is Truth and Truth alone, that protects us from venomous tooth delivered injections of deadly poison. 

• Are you apostate, dear reader?
• Do you deny the living God in favour of being your own teeny tiny sovereign?
• What is your conscience telling you?
• What sins do you need to confess?
• What do you need to stop doing, and start doing, in order to change your trajectory?
• Who will speak for you on your day of judgment?

I am confident we have been given time to reconcile ourselves with God. If you are reading this, perhaps this is your moment, the one when you drop to your knees and beg God to forgive you for being reprobate, a sinner, and damnable for your wicked ways. Yes, this is a harsh indictment, but you and I both know your secret life, the one you think is hidden from watching eyes. God sees you, and He can save you from your wretchedness ... His love covers your cares, and Jesus shed His blood for your sins, so you don't have to.

I will not use platitudes to pander to others. RIP is not possible when a person's life has been stolen from them. It is a lie, and incongruent with what we are witnessing daily, as the death toll from poison darts rises. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and anyone suggesting or promising peace without Him as the centre of your personal life, is deceived:

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 (John 14:27)

The snakes of this world will always attempt a strike. The wise servant of the living God, learns how to dodge and weave, like any well trained fighter. I pray you know the living God, and that you trust in Him as your blood purifier if you happen to find fang marks on your flesh, like the apostle Paul on the island of Malta:

And he shook off the creature into the fire and felt no harm (Acts 28:5)

Who Can & WHO Can't

The mall

The mall has become an ugly place, at least, the one nearest to me. It has been turned into a government funded medical centre, with rent payments coming directly from tax payer dollars. 

Yesterday I went to get my hair coloured. What used to be a spa experience, turned into something that has left me with a hurt heart hangover. Upon entering the mall, directly across from the salon, I saw people masked and lined up to take their turn in a hideous space, devoid of life. They were there to get yet another injection at a clinic, and when I asked my hairdresser if it was number four, she confirmed it was. The "clinic" has been there for three weeks: a reminder that what has been set in motion, stays in motion, unless a force acts upon it to stop it. This steady stream of people lining up to be injected with poison has not been interrupted, and my heart is rend, torn wide open with the image of humans holding their little injection-history cards, as though they were students looking for star stamps after being good little boys and girls, by getting their next grade of approval from a wicked instructor. They step one, wait, step two, wait, step three, wait, a slow march to their own suicide. I cannot imagine working day in and day out across from that scene. How repulsive and repugnant.

Dear reader, I wanted to say something, I wanted to do something. I wanted to shout STOP MURDERING PEOPLE ... to the nurses that believe they are doing the right thing? While I wanted to, I knew I could not; it was too late. This wasn't their first, nor would it be their last, if they survive long enough, trip around the ugly mall. Come to think of it, isn't that exactly what a mall is? A place filled with stuff, almost all of it completely useless and unnecessary. A waste of time and money, a waste of life when one immerses themselves in vain endeavours ... like trying to save your life but giving it up at the same time, one injection after the next: THAT is the definition of diseased dichotomy.

The gospel front

What has been set in motion will continue without stoppage on the gospel front, dear reader. Those that see through the monkey business, or as some like to call it, the money business, have their eyes trained on the Sovereign. While I weep for the lost, those that have misplaced their marbles, I have hope for many that have yet to hear that God so loved the world, He preplanned His Son as Saviour from our sins! 

I know I cannot save anyone: I know that is not my job. I know Who can, and WHO can't. I know the difference between the Giver, and the wannabe taker, of life. The devil gets his kicks from people killing themselves ... God gives people over to their wanton sins, their pride, their desire to control their own lives. Each human has encoded in their God stamped DNA, the knowledge of God:

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20)

Denying Him is the greatest sin committed, and the lining up for self-destruction, over and over again, is a sign that the god of this world reigns and rules in minds and hearts. While many of us watch, mouth agape, we have become wordless witnesses. We cannot stop the death march, and it would appear, God hasn't given us the orders to do so. He has told us to be like Christ.

🎯Christ knew WHO would betray Him

🎯Christ knew before the betrayers knew ... He is, after all, omnipresent and potent

🎯Christ knew some would turn a blind eye, and stop up their ears

🎯Christ knew too, that many would have love dove eyes, of purity, meekness, and mourning, upon seeing Him and hearing is healing words

While Christ loves the whole world and died for the sins of all, He knew not all would love Him in return

Let us love like Christ, praying for repentance for the currently mentally corrupt (those that deny God and follow the pied piper to the injection seat), and for hearts to turn homeward, before their bodies and spirits separate, as in the big D, for Death. We are currently living the judgment quoted in scripture below. But there is a remnant, and if you are reading this, perhaps you are one of His? I pray you are, and that you deny the god of this world, and glorify the Father that made you 💖

For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient. The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: In that day shall he swear saying, I will not be healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people. For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. 

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin in Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (Isaiah 3:1-11)

A Comparative Study

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets (Isaiah 10:5-6)

Skip verses 7-11 (or, dear reader, refer to them to fill in the blanks I leave here)

Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout of heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man ... (Isaiah 10:12-13)

Skip or read on your own, verse 14

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood (Isaiah 10:15)

We are painting a picture, dear one, of God's: 

• anger
• indignation
• acknowledging of hypocritical nations
• wrath
• righteous judgment
• punitive actions
• condemning of the rebellious and disobedient  
• duly rewarding arrogance 
• retrieving a remnant from ruin (this part of the picture is still in our dark room, processing)

In the bottom quarter of the painting we are envisioning, God arms the enemy to punish His wayward people, using the Assyrian as "the rod of mine anger, and the staff of mine indignation" as spoken in verses 5-6 above.

Think now about our own rebellion, yours and mine. 

• Do we say we love God, and act like the heathens that proudly profess their independence, while thumbing their noses at Him, and His out of date commandments?
• Who are our modern day Assyrians?
• How is God using the enemy today, as His rod of anger, and staff of indignation?

This next portion of our painting takes up the bottom middle section; our painting has four parts. 

What may once have belonged to us, is the spoil of the murderous thief, dear one. We feel the hot breath of the predator as he draws near, raising his weaponized arm to strike us as his prey. God has given charge to the enemy, using them to display His wrath. Once God is through with punishing His people for their hypocritical and abominably offensive ways, He will then, deal with the "stout of heart" ... with their "high looks". 

Perhaps you are wondering what Christians have done to put us in this perilous position with the Almighty; the very same situation the Israelites lived way back when, as written about in the Bible:

1. They engage in syncretism: the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought

2. Many have taken to the satanic belief that abortion is acceptable

3. They trust not God as their Great Physician

4. They lean on their own understanding, and that of their neighbours

5. They live for the world, and what it has to offer

6. They live in fear

7, 8, 9, 10 ... etcetera 

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, only suggestive. I am confident you can itemize your own sinful activities, and those you observe in others that call themselves Christ followers. We must be diligent, taking heed to having been put on notice. The Israelites did what most people do, they strove for their own independence, and ducked out from under the protective umbrella, or arm, of the living God. They went against Him by going along with the world, and we too, find ourselves in the same seductive scenario. 

Next, and third from the top of this image, let us take a look at the fate of the Assyrian king and his like minded people. God will:

• punish the fruit of the stout of heart of the king of Assyria

Why, you ask? 

1. They were arrogant and insolent

2. They were sinful

3. They were boastful, believing that in their strength, wisdom, and prudence, they robbed treasures, put down inhabitants, and did all this, as valiant men

It isn't at all difficult to summon the sinful grins on Assyrian faces ... we see them all the time now, on modern men, that appear to believe they are free to frolic, thieve, bewitch, beleaguer, and kill. They are kings of their own sand castle making, and God will give to them according to their works. 

When we compare men of yesteryear to the murderous men of today, we can see that in their veins runs an inherited cruelty that is counter to Christ's compassion for His created beings. God is long suffering, but does not tolerate wickedness. His desire to redeem is evident to those that trust in Him, but is counted as worthless to the ignoble. 

In Isaiah 10:15, we get a glimpse of the ridiculousness of manmade items being personified, and believing that they are in charge of the people that wield them for a purpose. 

• Can an axe actually believe he is able to chop, without being sharpened, raised, and dropped on a target? 
• Can a saw make himself a grand object, believing he is the one moving back and forth, without any assistance? 
• Does a staff forget that he is merely a piece of wood that lies dead on the ground, if no one cares to lift him up?

Does a man, an Assyrian, really believe that it is by his own strength, wisdom, prudence, that he is able to pilfer, punish, and persecute, his fellow human beings, without being armed by the living God, for HIS PURPOSES? Is the Assyrian certain of his valour and vigour? What will, pray tell, happen to the proud, the arrogant, the noble-in-their-own eyes? Dear reader, what do YOU think will happen to our modern day Assyrians?

We are axes, saws, or dead pieces of wood. We are what we are, where we are, because of God: and He will do with us what He wills, including teaching us Who is in charge. 

For the last portion of our painting, we set our sights on the heavens. God has a redemptive plan for a remnant, those that withstand the temptations we all encounter as humans living in a wicked world. We drop down to Isaiah 10:20 to put the last brush stokes in place. I highly encourage you read Isaiah in its fullness, to capture the essence of this imagery:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth (Isaiah 10:20)

The book of Isaiah is about Jesus Christ, as is the entire Bible. It serves us well to look at our ancestors, our bits of sand brothers and sisters that came before us. The Bible is a human history book that does not lie about our character flaws, and how we can overcome them by being made new, into wonderful walking talking replicas of the living God. 

While the Assyrians appear to be conquering as they collude, one with another, we can trust that Christ won our way home, on the cross of Calvary. 

Squirrel

While the world cries "Peace, Peace", they believe their confusion and sweet naïveté. We are promised tribulation is this world, and when we trust Jesus as our Saviour, we are also promised a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33)

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)

One of Jesus' tiles, is Prince of Peace: study notes quoted here are from my Bible

1. His work reconciles sinners into harmony with God and each other

2. He is the peaceful ruler over those who have known only conflict with God, others, and themselves 

The secular amongst us rely heavily on human heroes to swoop in and save the day. This is an echo from the past, when the Israelites wanted an earthly king to rule over them, just as their heathen neighbours had. They denied deity in favour of a hedonistic model of living life on planet earth, and by doing so, they effectively, wiped out for themselves, what is heavenly and beyond imagination. 

God didn't go away, the people stopped up their ears, turned their gaze elsewhere, and followed their hearts: translation, they followed the lust of their besmirched desires. 

When we consider Christ as the Prince of Peace, we see the impossibility of reconciling ourselves with worldly systems. He warned us that we would experience trials and tribulation, and isn't is so, dear one? Is this not truer than true, for me and you? Did it start in 2020? I think not: you have struggled for much longer than this, when relating to your spouse, your in-laws, your employer, your mother, father, sister, brother, neighbour, and friends. It is in the nature of humanity, to long for and commit to intimate relationships that require effort to stay harmonized, and even then, we find ourselves out of synch with one another.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18)

While the world turns, it's people spin one way while God watches and waits for us to "get it". I think of my friend Christine and her chocolate Labrador as a reminder of what we must be like as the heavenly host witness our shenanigans from above. Christine caught on video, her dog's rather rambunctious chasing of a squirrel. She had opened her front door, called out to Harlow to come in, and the dog came tearing around the corner of the house, went directly after a squirrel, did a quick about face to run to her owner, and all the while Christine calmly watched and then said "Are you done yet?"

Dear reader, are you done yet?

Are you done with believing wicked men that blatantly display signs and symbols of their commitment to Lucifer as their king, will suddenly change their ways and become noble in their intentions and begin to "rule" with integrity?

Are you done with believing that peace will be ours, if the masses continue to chant it, minus turning to the Prince of Peace as our soul/sole provider of a calm that is at odds with the storm all around us?

Are you done chasing a squirrel of distraction, believing that you can have what used to be ... by turning back to Egypt and longing for the onions and garlic, or fishy flesh you used to eat there?

The Bible delineates for us, what time we are in, Matthew 24:3-15

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

All the would be political heroes are dying as we figuratively speak, in this writing. They are fading weeds with withering roots, and yet humans look to them and their "influence" to rescue them from what Jesus the Saviour of the world, The Father of eternity, told us would come to pass. They, the ones that promise they will make things better, are pretend saviours with god complexes.

I call squirrel 🐿, dear one!

I will end on this note, dear reader ... Don't be a nut

Garbage Day

I hear the trucks, and I ask God to bless the workers. They are picking up the garbage left at the end of my driveway, and without these fellas showing up when they do, my whole neighbourhood would quickly become a wretched heap of waste. In no time, the entire city would stink with refuse rot.

I sit in my pretty backyard, in my pretty gazebo, with the pretty dotted with floaty clouds sky hanging over head. There is a threat, or is it a promise? of rain. Lately I have begged for rain: like baptism, it washes away the grime, the guilt, the dirt of yesterday. I long for the cleansing of my soiled soul.

I know contentment comes from being in relationship with God. I know that He is the spirit sanitizer. Today, my ears plug and unplug, muting the heavy metal sounds of the garbage truck as the mouth like gate opens and closes to swallow whole what is thrown in there. The cooing of doves and chirping of birds soothe ... a quiet still is welcome.

Is it garbage day for you too?

I no longer take things for granted. I think I have always been grateful, but not the way I ought to be. I have had a lot of time alone, sometimes by choice, but mostly, by circumstance. The used to be people in my life have evaporated, they are vaporous memories. Sometimes I wonder if the me and they ever really existed? it seemed real at the time. If king Solomon and I were to have a conversation, I would tell him, I concur, it is all, vanities of vanities, and chasing after the wind.

I didn't throw away people, did I? I didn't put them in the garbage pail and place them at the end of my driveway for pick-up, did I? Have you, dear reader?

One of the questions that jarred me this morning came from my study Bible: 

"What is one way that you could be mindful to treat every man, woman, and child as a person of dignity?"

What a question ... the only answer I could come up with is pray: I can pray for those that know not God. I can pray for the irksome that act like heathens. I can pray for God to give me His eyesight and hearing ... I can pray 

The grime, the guilt, the dirt of yesterday are the thinking, feeling, reacting patterns that I will to be washed away. I am well aware that I am a work in progress, and thankfully, this reminds me, that so is she, he, them, those guys and gals over there! God will remove what does not belong in us as His children, when we willingly commit to garbage removal and disposal. 

So, I ask you, dear reader, "What is one way that you could be mindful to treat every man, woman, and child as a person of dignity?"

I have some work to do, and maybe you do too. 

Bunnies and Burglars

Tall fence

We have us a liberal satanic socialism soaked society. A couple of years ago, the fella that put up part of a tall fence in my backyard said "I have skills they can use. As long as I can work, as long as I can eat pie every once in a while, and they leave me and my dogs alone, I am good: I will do what they tell me to do."

Interesting statements, made by a materialistic man that thinks only of his survival, his own creature comforts, and naively believes that "they" will be fair in trading service for service: he provides manual labour, they let him live to enjoy small pleasures. Hmmmm. Quite the concept, very mafiosa, and a dangerous outlook for not only this small minded man, but for those around him that will not feel an ounce of protective concern coming their way, if they need a helping hand of defence against encroachment from barbaric men. 

"They"

Years ago I spoke with a Christian teacher that works in the secular school system that shared she is a socialist. She is gainfully employed, admittedly overpaid, with a husband that makes a decent living. Her house and gardens are well kept in a nice neighbourhood. I know this because we live two streets apart. 

I would love to ask her if she would be okay with the "they" people, coming into her home, the one she and her husband pay exorbitant taxes on, the one where she has the freedom to lay around in her pj's and let it all hang out, if she would be okay if "they" entered in and took half the household items she and her husband had bought and paid for, giving them away to the less fortunate to even-steven the distribution of wealth. Would she also be okay if "they", take half the family income, including the money her children make at their part time jobs, to do with what "they" deemed appropriate? I do believe this educator has misconstrued the meaning of socialism, believing it a form of charity. In her desire to help others, to give so that they don't feel less than, she has lied to herself about what socialism truly is ... and it is far removed from anything remotely related to Christ and Christianity.  

What is mine is mine, what is yours is yours, unless of course, we decide we want to give what we have away. KEEP OUT signs used to be a warning to intruders, of private ownership, of property belonging to someone else: this is Biblical:

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set (Proverbs 22:28)

Wooden line

Tall fences, like the one the man I mentioned above, sweat to erect to keep bunnies and burglars out of my paid for backyard, make a statement as a wooden line of demarcation. Each piece of cut and nailed to its next of wooden kin plank, say one by one "I am here to let you know that on the other side of me, is private property." If someone decides to hop the fence, they know that they are ignoring a landmark, and crossing an established line: "they" know.

To underestimate evil

I am very grateful these days, dear reader. I have been given the gift of good company. Authors that know of human nature, the dark side that lurks and peers out with blood lust eyes at their fellow man, ready to pounce on and destroy what stands in the way of their desire to own all that they see. The murderous ones have bellies already full with the delicacies that they have stolen: hunting for pleasure, the thrill of the chase; catching and killing stupid prey, is what they enjoy the most. This way they can gloat over cocktails with their accomplices. To underestimate evil, to cloak it in thoughts and words that transform it into something angelic, is to deny the devil. And this, dear reader, is where we are: a liberal satanic socialism soaked society with bleeding hearts dripping artificial compassionate blood all over those of us that would prefer they stop pandering to the wicked. They are weaklings that have exposed us to danger by accepting the removal of their autonomy. 

Right now, my fence, the locks on my doors and the passwords for my bank accounts, are obvious reminders of a deep-seated appreciation for privacy, for separateness, for letting me and others know that we are uniquely and wonderfully different, and that while you respect my boundaries, I too, will not cross over yours. The thief that comes to destroy may present like a bunny, but make no mistake, he is a burglar, and cares not for what I have accomplished, savoured, and saved, for me and my family. He wants what he wants, at my expense, and unfortunately, my neighbours have decided that giving what I have away is okay with them, because they refuse to see the killer that has leapt their fence, and is breaking down their back door. 

Edged out

We are in peril, dear reader, because people have become accustomed to the darkness. They do not see it for what it is, and since they refuse to acknowledge what is evident to many of us, we have been edged out of our peaceful existence to the precipice edge, nudged by goats that care not for our sheepish nature. 

The burglar is wicked. This is true, but so is the neighbour that does not defend those that live next door. So is the moral reprobate that refuses to believe what God has clearly taught us about the devil. With or without Biblical teaching, we all know that stealing, lying, killing, are wrong: even a heart hardened narcissist knows this to be true, that is why they feign kindness, until of course, their teeth draw near to their victims pulsing with life blood throat.

Do we have to see fangs, dear one, before we believe evil exists?

Attracted To The Light

Brilliantly burning flame

Longing to be a Christian and living like one can seem an impossible task, as though the spirit and the psyche pull in opposite directions, like a soul wishbone. I observe moth like humans drawn to the flame of Truth that burns brightly in committed Christians, but they are afraid of being singed, so they flutter quickly to the cover of darkness, where their secret desire can remain hidden from searching eyes. Moths cannot resist a brilliantly burning flame, making it inevitable that they repeatedly fly low and close, to see what keeps the fire lit.

I write in metaphor, and yet I think of people that I used to know. They professed love for Jesus, calling Him their Saviour and wanting to call themselves Christians. Their intentions were very good, and they periodically spoke as though their lives had been turned around in a favourable way, with Jesus taking centre stage. Alas, these were verbalized ideals, easily displaced when skin in the faith game was required as part of their professed commitment: to anti up required risking what they clung to, and rather than seeing God as their provider, they thought being a Christian had become a crap shoot, too risky for their fear filled jaundiced blood. Martyrdom is not for the faint of heart ... God would forgive them their weaknesses: after all, once saved, always saved. When the real test is administered, THEN they will cling to Christ ... better yet, they will be taken up to heaven before being so severely challenged.

Idyllic: like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque

I-deal-ic: a purposefully misspelled word by the author to denote humans that want to make a deal with God, because they find themselves resistant to the ic of persecution from those that hate Christ

Sweating blood

Violence is repulsive, dear reader. It is ugly, vile: the combination of violence and vile is violation. To think of being beaten, tortured mercilessly, all because of a belief system, seems far too extreme for the average person to bear. It is inhumane and unjust, and it would appear to make far more sense, to hide in the shadows and keep silent, or go with the crowd flow, when questioning begins by those that are inclined to hate God. Seeing Jesus idyllically, as the figurehead of picturesque peace, happy to gently lead the flock of obedient sheep, is to deny His willingness to lay down His life, permitting wicked men to abuse Him violently, before taking His final God/man stand as Saviour while hanging from a cross. Prior to the cross, we see Jesus in agonized earnest prayer:

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44)

Christians know how all but one of the apostles died. They also know that infamous Judas, after turning against Jesus in favour of an earthly reward, took his own life for betraying "the innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4). Not many people want to end up like any of these fellas, me included ... and yet, denying Christ and then taking my own life for such a heinous crime against Him, is far less appealing, then being beheaded, hung upside-down, tortured before being murdered ... ic, it is all horrid, and happens all over the world to martyrs that will not debase their faith, no matter the threat to their well-being. They have skin in the faith game the devil wants us to play in. It isn't a game to God: our commitment to His commandments equates with life eternal in His glorious presence. 

Prolific pagans

My hope is that while flames of faith burn brilliantly all over the world, lit afire by the Holy Spirit represented in believers, that the moths that swoop and flutter close by, decide they would rather be consumed by the blaze then fly away once again in fright. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and saying one is a Christian without others knowing it because there is no evidence in the person's life, or worse yet, they behave exactly like prolific pagans, is a sad state of affairs. Intentions and actions ought not to be mutually exclusive: the two combined make for a magnificent pairing, and display commitment to God's commandments. 

So I call out to the moths that failed in their faithfulness and took the road most travelled by the masses these last couple of years and counting. You know who you are, and you also know that you too, will die one day. Your Bible tells you that you will meet your Maker ... what will He say to you, dear one, on your day of reckoning? 

Tsetse Fly

There is a teeny tiny insect, the Tsetse fly, that has a rather large proboscis, a tube like extension that they use to extract blood from their victims; think of it as a nasty little vampire that sucks life giving blood and in exchange, they "transmit disease", a sleeping disease "which results in swelling of the brain".

Deliciously inviting skin

Size is significant in my writing theory dear reader, because the infectious nibble from a pest can have long term debilitating and deadly effects: stealing ones wellness, health, the ability to stay awake, alert and lastly, the capability to think for themselves. 

A living being can be destroyed by a seemingly innocuous insect. Killing the Tsetse fly before it can kill you becomes mortal battle. Here is the problem: while you are huge in comparison, the Tsetse fly is microscopically small. It can attack and insert without your noticing it, until of course, the infectious affects take hold. Knowing the enemy and its capabilities is of vital importance: it is life and death combat prevented when you have foreknowledge. A pre-emptive strike may be required to save you from destruction. That menacing mite can be thwarted in its blood sucking efforts, with protective clothing: thickening the space between its probing blood thirsty proboscis, and your tender deliciously inviting skin.

Groundwork for big comparison

At this point, you may be wondering why you are still reading this and what the heck I am going on about? Well you know I love metaphors, dear reader, and that is what I am establishing here, the groundwork for the big comparison between Tsetse flies and humans.

Venomous sentences

Take the shot. Take another shot. The shots are words strung together to form venomous sentences aimed at making you feverishly sick, sleepy and unaware. The shot sentences are designed to take you down, dull thinking capabilities, and have you weakened and vulnerable: nowhere near the powerful you that you started out as. 

With each insertion of another's imposed proboscis, the venom takes over a little more of who you are, until all you are doing, is fighting infection, while life ebbs away. Your identity, the one that was given you upon your entrance into this world and prior to that, at the creation of time, is being stolen by a thief, one vicious word, thought, and intention sentence at a time.

Metaphor established

Unfortunately, I have compared Tsetse flies to humans, dear one. Unfortunately, the similarities between the two are real: blood suckers do what they do best ... they parasitically take health from their victims in exchange for sickness. They steal life in order to live. They weaken the strong because they cannot stand to compare themselves. In fact, they compare themselves so consistently, that they hate to the point of destruction. 

The tiny Tsetse fly has no conscience of course, and when it destroys a body and brain, it remains cognizant free: but the human, dear reader, he is a different entity: he is capable of full on frontal lobotomy attack by way of one shot at a time; one diminutive denigrating diatribe per conversation; one cruelly aimed at the heart and mind arrow that devastates the soul. The proboscis imposed, whether by fly or human, changes the infected one, causing damage. Imposition can result, in identity theft. But not forever, dear one ...

Awoken from the feverish infection

I am believing that we have all been imposed upon, or perhaps, have done the imposing? I believe that once we have been made aware, once we have awoken from the feverish sleep of infection, that we have choices to make. There is a you, an authentic genuinely uniquely wonderfully created you, that still exists, despite the thief's intention to steal who you are. 

There is a you, that God knows, that you have yet to discover, awaiting to emerge. There is a vaccine, called Truth, that can cool the fever and restore you to full strength and health. There is hope for healing and a return to your pre fabricated setting!

Identity hidden or misplaced

Tsetse flies have trouble getting through thick clothing. Blood sucking humans have trouble getting through the armour God asks us to don daily. Your identity has not been stolen, dear one, it has been hidden or misplaced. You can find it again or perhaps, for the very first time, by going to God through Jesus Christ.

He knows who you are, and wants you to know too! 

Go to Him