Speaking Ze Gibberush

The time was early and the place was ancient. There were native tongues and foreign ones too, and some people could speak many tongues; it was a gift, to speak to imports in the language they understood, in order to share the Good News. Imagine going to Russia, and telling Russians, Jesus is the Saviour, without ever having to be taught their syntax, pronunciation, or official terminology! What about Icelandic? Have you ever heard a citizen of Iceland speak? Try to replicate that, genius. Sometimes, when I am feeling clever, I will try out my south African accent, but I fall short of sounding anything like the people that were born and raised in south Africa. In all my trips to Italy, I preferred to communicate non-verbally when possible, knowing that I sounded like a simpleton, when I attempted to parlay Italiano vero: "It is better to be silent and thought the fool, than to speak, and remove all doubt."

In Corinth, many a Christian was given the gift of speaking in tongues, meaning they were able to communicate with visitors that did not speak Greek, or when travelling abroad, they were enabled to share the gospel with words understandable to the listener. This is a uniquely wonderful gift, meant to establish a firm foundation of faith, because dear reader:

Romans 10:17

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

Periodically, I speak Guacamolian, you know, avocado, red onion, cilantro, zest of lime, jalapeño, salt, cumin, sometimes tomato. When I speak Guacaomlian, people lick their lips, and start thinking along the lines of salsa and corn chips: that is when I know we speak the same language!

Here is what the apostle Paul taught the cocky Corinthians about speaking in tongues: 

Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine:? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that epeaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful (1 Corinthians 14:5-14).

Oooga booga, ooooooga booga! 

One of the reasons I did not attempt to speak Italian while in Italy, was my fear of sounding like an idiot. My proficiency in the English language, even if I decide to fabricate, may give me an air of intelligence to a listener. When attempting to speak another language in a land filled with speakers of that language, most of us will shy away from deep and meaningful conversation; the self-conscious among us may decide to simply learn the basics, as in, Where is the bathroom? and, May I have sugar for my cappuccino? The majority of travellers, most certainly do not feel comfortable speaking on subjects that require the use of ten or twenty five cent words, like existentialism. The Corinthians, on the other hand, were bright and shiny new Christians, and God gave them the ability to speak Kingdom and Christ language, to teach, to preach, to edify, for the saving of souls, and the glorification of God, without them having to use a translator, a dictionary, or be taught in a classroom. The gift was bestowed, and how marvellous a gift this would be, wouldn't you agree?

Now this brings us to what I do believe happened long ago... and far away. There are charlatans that weave their way in and amongst Christian circles, and there always will be. The apostle Paul pointed out that it is useless, and unfruitful, if you and I speak our foreign tongue to a stranger, while they look at us, head half cocked, listening without comprehending the meaning of a single word. How foolish is it, dear one, to talk and talk, without making sense? What sort of gibberish is this, a listener may ask, that sounds like mumbo jumbo, oooga booga, but does nothing for my mind, heart, or soul? 

The speaking in tongues gift has been distorted, and turned into a mockery of the official biblical meaning of the ability. Words have significance, and are meant to convey messages; gibberish is not a language, and neither is speaking in tongues if the one making the sounds, hasn't a clue what they are saying, and if anyone nearby, is also clueless when listening. 

I think a smartie pants sneaky person, came up with the brilliant idea, to pretend to speak a heavenly foreign language, that supposedly only God and angels could understand, to bamboozle people hearing them into believing, that they had a special gift bestowed from the Almighty, making them a favourite of heaven. Reading scripture simplifies the matter: speaking in tongues isn't senseless muttering, it is the ability to speak languages foreign to you and I, to speak the gospel, for the salvation of souls. 

God is not weird or silly. God condescends to us, we do not rise to him. God speaks clearly from his word, and it behooves each Christian to study scripture daily to ensure they understand what God is teaching us, so that we can be stewards of his word, and forward the learning to budding Christians. 

Words, do recall, have significance:

Romans 10:17

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

Racist Translator

Snow Glitters

Snow glitters and glows, tiny specks reflect light. The gleam is a happy surprise for the eyes. I see out my front window, how the sun brightens the snow on the garage roof. How very delightful. 

I saw a brown and black caterpillar yesterday, crawling ever so slowly on the Springbank Park path. Where O where, was he going? I picked a stick and placed it before him, and waited for him to climb aboard. He did, and once I knew he had a good grip, I air-lifted him to the grass. What was he doing out and about? It was 1 degree, the last day of February, and he was strolling through the park with the rest of us! 

The caterpillar doesn't have a calendar, and I see as I type that I haven't a clue about caterpillars, or their cycle of life; how pray tell, are they sustained in the harshest of winters, the coldest of days, and even the days when you and I can leave our winter coats and boots in the closet, and wear lighter gear for a brisk walk, when the weather is kind and welcoming. The caterpillars fur coat, is clearly warm enough to have him brave the chill, but what he could not see as a threat to his existence, were all the feet and wheels that could trample or roll over him, squishing life from his hairy frame. 

How many times have you and I been air-lifted out of harms way? How many times have we seen the glory of God displayed in his creation, and passed them by without noticing their God glow; the spectacular on display, to brighten the flames in our own hearts? 

A bunny made me cheerful the other day. He was nibbling on something just below the snow on the front lawn. Have you ever wondered where bunnies and squirrels go for shelter, when the skies open, sending sleet and hail to pummel the earth? How do they keep warm, and what food can they find? Surely, I can internet search the answers to these questions, but dear reader, some of us cower in our homes when lightning threatens to strike, and in the meanwhile, furries haven't a choice about where to lay up, until storms pass. We are "smarter than" animals, and yet, God has gifted them with life that endures, come what may, while living out of doors! 

I guess it is all marvellous. 

God is marvellous! 

When you go walking today, look for caterpillars on the path of life... they are vulnerable to heavy feet, and could benefit from a little air-lifting to safety! 

When searching for an image of this adorable thick and furry crawler, I found this wonder inspiring information: 

Fat, furry, and rumoured to be able to predict the weather: that’s the woolly bear caterpillar in a nutshell.

Rust-and-black banded woolly bears are the larvae of Isabella tiger moths. They’re born completely black. Their orange-brown middle sections appear as they get older and grow longer (up to 5 cm)

So how do these caterpillars foresee the future? Allegedly, a caterpillar with a wide rust-coloured midsection and narrow black bands at either end of its body forecasts a mild winter; a caterpillar with the opposite colouration predicts a long, harsh winter. In reality, the thickness of the caterpillar’s rust or black bands has to do with its age and growth rate. Each time a woolly bear moults, the rust-coloured portion of its body gets longer.

Woolly bears are most noticeable in fall, around the time that we’re hit with the first frosts. Look for them inching across roads and driveways, on their way to find a spot to overwinter in the leaf litter or under rocks and rotting logs. Look, but don’t touch—unless you’re willing to risk a rash. Woolly bears may appear fluffy, but their coats have tiny barbs at the tips that can break off and irritate your skin.

Rapacious

I accuse this morning, one member of the body, as rapacious. This one member has far too much say, and indeed, usually has the very last say, in all that starts and sometimes ends, a domino effect of disaster. I speak of the mouth as rapacious. Aggressively greedy and grasping, I tell you the mouth must not have the first and last say, and today we address this culprit.

Think with me about your habits. If you take a moment to look down at the area below and above your belly button, you may instantly spot evidence there, of your mouth having had far too much say in how your midsection presents itself. Conversely, your flat and fit looking upper and lower abdomen, may be reflective of what happens upstairs, in your brain department. My point, is this: the mouth must not be the one that makes all of the decisions for the rest of the body; the mouth must not be permitted to pleasure itself, at the expense of insulting and injuring all the members that make up the rest of the system, that ought to run like a well oiled flesh and blood creation, of the most high God. 

I take you to Egypt, and Pharaoh, incensed when asked by Moses, to let God's people go. Not wanting to give up power, Pharaoh demanded that the enslaved Israelites make more bricks, without the provision of necessary straw: in other words, work harder, make more, and come up with your own materials. The mouth can be like Pharaoh, a cruel dictator that shouts to the rest of the crew, Stop your moaning and groaning. Deal with the suffering, and get the job done, you ingrates. I am in charge here.  

Food is treated like a plaything, a form of entertainment, a way to reward, and then distract from and dodge, the responsibility of being accountable for the havoc it wreaks in the body. Drink is treated similarly, and I ask you, What makes the mouth the most important member? Why does it have free rein, as though it is sovereignly speaking for the entire creature, that often times suffers for the mouths indulgences? Who gave the mouth the right to speak for all the members, disregarding their input, dismissing their complaints, and degrading them by throwing them on mute, in favour of instant and short lived gratification, that must be repeated often, because do recall, that the mouth is rapacious. 

Think with me of all the big bass (the fish) loud mouths that speak for entire countries. When I consider some of the governmental leaders that talk on behalf of Canadians, I draw back and recoil. They do not speak as my representatives to the world; they do not think or behave in ways that would have me be proud of them as agents that I can relate to. I didn't vote for them, I don't want to know them or hear what ushers from their mouths, and yet, they have taken the helm, and they steer the ship toward jagged rocks, that surely will tear the bottom out of the boat they presume to captain. 

The mouth is either a primitive partner that hasn't been trained in the ways of the Lord, or a profoundly brilliant professor of all that is good and true, speaking Holy Love for the sake of itself and its members. The mouth when fed mind or food nonsense, is like a petulant demanding child, never truly satiated, always wanting more, and forever dissatisfied, with greedy green eyes that look for their next fix. 

There was a garden, and a snake, and a naked lady that had many a tree to sample. The words from the serpents mouth, matched the curiosity and craving in the ladies soul, and with a quick and dirty verbal exchange of twisted words and meaning, an agreement was struck. The mouth corrupted, and the mouth has continued to rule with impunity, at the expense of all its members, ever since. 

The Word became flesh, and dear reader, what we say and eat, becomes flesh too, sometimes too much flesh, because the body asks for one thing, and the mouth says, I want it all, whenever and however I want. Shut up stomach, shut up eyes, ears, nose, temples, fingers knees and toes. I don't care how this hurts, I will have my demands met, and to hell with you bellyachers. 

There comes a point in time when it no longer suffices to complain about an issue that prevails in our thinking, and takes up space in our physical world. There comes a point in time when what we say we want, matters more than what the mouth says it wants. The mouth must not be permitted to take liberties at the expense of all the other members of the body; whether it be individual you and me, or whether it be global leaders that shoot out words like darts aimed at heads and hearts, there must be accountability for outcomes, and that requires a significant investment of time in thinking, and thinking some more, to stop mindless activities that maim mercilessly.  

Your mouth must not be the boss of you. You have a working brain, that processes information rapidly, and can assess, what is good for you, and what is hazardous: reason must rule the day, so that your night time is restful and restorative. What we eat affects how we think. What we think affects what ushers out of our mouths, and shows up on our bodies. If your body is burdened, then might I suggest to you, that it is time for you to have a sit down honest conversation with yourself or a trusted confidante, and address what hasn't been spoken of that needs to be aired? 

Solutions:

1. Read scripture

2. Pray

3. Journal

4. Go for a walk

5. Lift weights, dance, do pilates, get physical

6. Eat food you have prepared

7. Resolve to refrain from the consumption of fake fast "food"

8. Drink water all the live long day

9. Weigh yourself daily, and journal your calories

10. Eat most of your calories early in the day, and be done with food by 5 p.m

Know you will not starve to death as you take the reins from your mouth and placed them where they belong, in your more than capable thinking centre, known as the thought generator, your mind. You owe it to yourself to do things that work for you to keep you bright and shiny like a brassy penny! 

It makes cents (a little play on words here), dear reader, to take very good care of yourself, and I sure hope that today is the first day of the rest of a most healthy and wholesome life for you, and all your members. 

False Conception

I am a Christian 

There is a false conception, a standard applied to professing Christians, that turning the other cheek requires us, the professors, to take a beating. Not so, not so. 

There is an abundance of room for forgiveness. Forgiveness is spacious, awe inspiriting, love embracing, and soulful. Forgiveness is especially edifying following requests of the like, that sound something like this: I have done you wrong. I am so sorry for causing you pain, for being a source of your suffering. I ask that you forgive me. 

As a Christian, there is nothing I appreciate more than sincere apologies, except for sincere forgiveness! I love to forgive! It is one of my all time favourite experiences. Misunderstandings are marvellous opportunities for heart to heart exchanges that can lead to clarifying conversations, and confirmation too, that love remains, when two are willing to own the role they played in the misalignment. This having been said, it is quite a drastically different story, when someone purposefully, and repeatedly offends, maligns, and injures another, and expects to be treated as a loved and trusted person. 

I have apologized many a time over the years. There are some people I have thought about tracking down and asking for forgiveness. The idea makes me happy, but last names escape my memory, making it difficult to accomplish this duty. How about you, dear reader, are there people you would like to reconnect with so that you can speak these words: I am sorry; please forgive me?

God forgives, yes indeed he does, and so should you and I. The trouble starts with the person that refuses to own their badness, refuses to confess their sinful words and activities, and refuses to acknowledge the pain and suffering they cause when they cling to their ways, at the cost of relationship. God doesn't tolerate nonsense, and neither do professing Christians - a repeat offender that does not feel the sting of regret, ought to be put in jail, or, in the case of those that are petty thought criminals that we sometimes have to suffer, put in a timeout, away from the general population, cuz they just cannot be trusted. 

Distrust destroys relationship, now that there is a fact. Christians are entitled to choose their company, and bad company, according to scripture, does this: 

1 Corinthians 

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 

Psalm 1:1-4

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

God forbid we do not forgive the repentant: that would be ungodly. The question is, Do I/Do you, forgive someone that isn't sorry, that does what they do, regardless of the impact their doings have on others? My answer, is yes, I forgive them, even if they aren't sorry, even if they never speak the words, Please forgive me, but dear reader, it does not mean I white wash the situation, and pretend all is good between us; it means I acknowledge how things have been, how they are, and how they will most likely continue, if this person refuses to see the harm they cause, and if they continue to be unwilling to humble themselves, ask God for strength to change their ways, and seek forgiveness. 

I know that if a person prefers their pet sin in favour of relationship, then their pride prevents them from being meek before God and their fellow man. Pride is a preservative for the boastful, it shields them from ever admitting wrongdoing, and sets their heart in an encasement of concrete. If they will not bow down before the living God, what makes you and I think that they will be meek and mild enough to try to make amends with us, by admitting guilt? 

Not a chance, I tell you. 

Christian. you don't have to take a beating from abusive people that show no signs of conscience. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, and, he will judge the quick and the dead, and separate out, the repentant and saved, from the reprobates and self-obsessed. He knows who is sorry and who is not, and so do you and I. Sorry people stop saying and doing terrible things : the proud in our midst continue to embrace their pet sins, and are none the wiser all the days of their lives. 

My last note while we are together. You know you encounter a difficult sin soaked person if in your mind you start to hate them, have terrible thoughts about them, mutter and complain about them throughout the day. This type of person temps us to sin and be similar to them, and this is the challenge faced: to remain holy no matter the people we deal with, and regardless of the circumstances. 

Jesus did not repay evil with evil, and we must ask for his strength, to bless those that curse us, and continue to pray for their salvation and redemption, through Christ our LORD. 

A Fate Worse Than Hate

What could possibly be worse than being hated, dear reader? What is your answer? Here are some possibilities for your consideration: despised, disregarded, displaced, demeaned, dismissed. I say hatred, as compared to the sentiments discovered in the five d words I used, is preferable, because with hate, there is passion, and with passion, love co-exists. 

To not care, to be detached and disabled from being disturbed by, or inclined toward, interacting with someone, is a sign of complete and utter... freedom, from the ties and holds and used to be's of another. Freedom, from a grip they had, that is no longer.

I think of the abuse cycle and the honeymoon phase. Abusers blanket blame their victims, and when the victim reproaches the abuser by standing up for themselves, the abuser resorts to insinuating it was the victims fault in the first place, and that while the victim "asked for it", the villain will try their best to not meed out punishment earned. The villain has been here before, with the old trick of bait and switch, and in the victims weakened state, they want to win over the approval of the haranguer and alas, they agree once again, to forget what has gone before. A fresh start... Or a sad and sick repeat of a repeat?

Patterns are immensely helpful. It behooves us to discover our own auto-pilot unconscious patterns, in order to break them, and remake new ones that are helpful and healthy, for us. We can, I am sure you have heard repeatedly, only change ourselves, and when someone pretends to promise change in order to re-initiate their own sick and perverse patterns, it is vitally important for the new you, to recognize their well worn and travelled tracks, and make new ones for yourself. In other words, don't fall in line once again, thinking somehow this time will be different, because the sicko in your life suggests, without committing, that it will be so. 

I have had people in my life that I wish I had never met: some were completely unavoidable, but that does not mean I am without choices. Relationship is always chosen: does this sound accusatory to you, dear reader? For instance, if a man or woman suffers emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, or physically, at the hands of someone they are in relationship with, is it their choosing, and therefore their fault when they are mistreated? 

How do you, answer this question?

I knew a woman that left her violent husband. She stated once, He said he is going to kill me. He did, he shot her dead on the front lawn of her house, and then shot himself, leaving their two children orphaned. What say you? Did she do the right thing leaving him? even though in the end, he stole her life, and left their offspring bereft and brutalized in the aftermath, of homicide and self-murder. She could not live with him, and he made sure she would not live without him. This case is the extreme, and chances are high that you and I are dealing with different, and perhaps petty crime, kinds of criminally minded creeps. 

Here is my driving point: We either complain, or we do something about the situations we find ourselves in. There comes a point in time when the mistreated, decide they will care more about their own well-being, their own important goals and mission in life, than subsisting and constantly trying to navigate a sicko that could care less about others, because they lack empathy, feel no pain for the suffering one, and do nothing to alleviate the burdens they impose so casually, so caustically, so so... criminally! I use this word often in this writing because it is criminal to be mistreated by another, and dear reader, if I am describing what you have experienced, or you are currently experiencing, you get to choose to not care anymore about the thoughts, feelings, and fate, of the one that mistreats maliciously. 

What, is a fate, worse than hate for the wrongdoer? 

It is this: No one cares for them anymore... no one wants to hear them, see them, relate to them... caring is killed and with a spin of the table, they become the ones that act like victims, and wonder how others can be so so very cruel to them...

What a twisted world we live in, dear one. Walking the straight path is a choice. Being honest and sincere is a choice. Wanting the best for others and living with integrity are choices. And breaking free from a brutalizer is a choice. 

The woman I mentioned earlier was a brave soul. She would not cower in her home, afraid of a murderous husband. People that utter threats must be taken seriously, and unfortunately, this man did what he said he would do, because he just could not stand her freedom. Isn't this a horrifying thought, dear one? Some people cannot stand your freedom, and they work hard to steal it from you. Let this idea sink in, and act as a warning for you, when next, your patterned oppressor, attempts to malign and manipulate you, into being their little play thing puppet. 

The villain will not change, dear one, but it is a must, that you do some things differently, otherwise, you will suffer the regret of letting someone else manage your inner world, all of your live long, or short, life.

Spare the Bulldozer

Spare the bulldozer, bloat the conceited: this is my version of spare the rod, spoil the child. 

There is a certain amount of soul shattering humiliation that rattles the mind and races the heart, when a man or woman of conscience is caught, in wrong doing. The shame filled become red faced in embarrassment, even when all alone, at the thought of having committed moral and ethical crimes. The intrinsic value of being alright before God and man, gets dinged when we do what ought not to be done. 

Does God have the right to chasten, dear reader? 

The shameless do not feel humiliated before God or man; the shameless transgress, injuring others, without the sense that it is God's laws they bend and break when they inflict pain. 

Sin, when acknowledged, invites conscience to speak, and when conscience informs the misbehaved, it acts like a bulldozer, rolling over the guilty, flattening them out, while squishing every bit of pride, self-aggrandizement, arrogance, and conceit, right out of the rotter. The end result, you ask? the degenerate is red faced, humiliated, and embarrassed before God, and willing to make amends with man. Sounds painful, doesn't it?

Yes, it is painful to see ourselves as not good humans, fallen from any semblance of grace and dignity, as troublemakers too selfish to see past our own needs and desires, to the wants and necessities of others. It is a horror to watch our own video tape play backs, and hear in our heads our own soundbites, that rub abrasively like hot sand and burning salt, onto souls. I cover my eyes with long strands of hair, not wanting to see or hear my own major faux pas. Alas, they are inescapable, when I want to be forgiven and blessed by God, as a penitent sinner redeemed.  

Self worship is idolatry, and dare I say that when a person decides to go against God's will, it is their own spirit, their own mind and heart, that they hold nearer and dearer, then the God that made them. It is a simple formula of Me first, rather than God Always. Now where o where does this mentality get the self-obsessed, I ask you?

Look no further than yourself for the answer to the question above. Where, o where, have you found yourself, after breaking God's code, his rules to live by, his honour system, his command over you and all creation? We can break the laws, but ultimately, we never really get away without being charged as offenders. Think with me, about being an offender before the living God, each time we willfully sin. Willful sin is always a choice... and nothing gets past God dear reader!

When looking up bulldozer images, I got a little frightened, seeing how huge some of them are... now picture Almighty, ever present, all knowing, everywhere God, the creator of the unfathomable universe, and you will see teeny tiny you and me as little itty bitty ants that can be flicked, crushed, flattened, and buried with the batting of his all seeing eye. 

Hebrews 4:13

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

The following verse makes a lot of sense to the humble hearted:

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Only the stubbornly stupid among us, are fearless before the Sovereign. 

Reprobates & Regulars

Reprobates & Regulars, and how to tell them apart.

A reprobate hasn't an ounce of regret

A regular gets that I am a low-down-dirty-rat feeling

A reprobate does as they please

A regular thinks of consequences

A reprobate blanket blames others

A regular is responsible 

A reprobate cries alligator tears

A regular weeps with remorse

A reprobate can't stir up compassion

A regular feels the pain they witness in others

A reprobate and empathy are oil and water; they don't mix

A regular cries salty tears for the injured and mistreated

A reprobate is beyond reach

A regular can be pulled near

A reprobate loves to hate

A regular loves to love

A reprobate will not concede

A regular always admits

A reprobate wants, demands, insists on being honoured

A regular shrinks from selfish-desire, imposing, and shies away in humility

A reprobate just can't do it; they just cannot give in and give way. The price of pride demolished is too costly.

A regular must do it; they must try and try again, extending the olive branch, making repair bids, hoping for unity and resolution. The regular looks the reprobate in the eyes, and states, There is a way, if you are willing...

Nah, says the reprobate, I am fine the way things are. The regular responds, in resignation, So be it. You have sealed our mutual fate, and we part ways, here, and now. 

The reprobate sets their steely eyes on the horizon of time. They mark their own way on a path that is never deviated from, no matter the who or the what or the how of their encounters. 

The regular has tender eyes, softened by the Saviour. Their way is marked by a path that winds in and around and back again, engaging with reprobates and eventually, finding a way to circumvent them, and their friends liars, cheats, thieves, and murderers. The regular spots other regulars, and they exchange looks that speak volumes without a single syllable spoken. 

Reprobates cannot see or hear the regulars. Reprobates only see themselves, and think themselves very, very good...

2 Corinthians 17:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Reprobates have not Christ; there is no room for him in all their bigness.

Regulars prefer Christ over anyone and any one thing; there is no room for a regular when Christ is the be all, end all, centre of all of life. 

Examine yourselves : This we must do.

Just As Capable

Maybe they can't

Maybe they aren't capable 

They had it hard

Life wasn't easy for them

Broken, rotto, no fixi, she no worka no more

We are capable, dear reader. We have the capacity to help, to heal, to hold; to hit, to hurt, to hurl. We are capable. I am able to be of assistance, and I can destroy too. 

I worked with young offenders in my twenties. My shift partner was a wise man, and taught me a little something about choices. I repeat his story (more on his story in a moment) whenever I hear someone make excuses for the criminally minded. The criminally minded are those that superimpose themselves, wherever they go, and onto whomever they are closest to. The criminally minded haven't a care about autonomy, boundaries, established borders; the criminally minded cross lines of demarcation, and mark territory like dogs do, leaving their scent in the most despicable and obvious ways - they may never get arrested for their indecencies, but the fact remains, they are the insidiously sneaking ones that delight in insulting the intelligence and sensibilities of the righteous and godly, aiming to agitate and rile the saintly, to behave in unbecoming retaliatory ways. Back to my shift partners story.

David grew up in a rough neighbourhood in Hamilton Ontario; his mother solo parented him, and his older brother. While other boys in his area took to criminal activities, he and his brother participated in sports, and paid attention in school. While his cohorts negatively gained criminal records, he and his sibling became positively responsible citizens. One set of boys to men are a burden on society, while the other set, are contributors to the general population. Same neighbourhood, same circumstances, same opportunities, different selection process. Interestingly, David had great insights into the mindset of the young male offenders housed in the open custody facility we worked in; ironically, he earned money that in turn, supplied them with their physical needs, through the paying of taxes, with a place to live, and food to eat, after breaking hearts and laws along the way. Someone has to pay, dear reader. Someone has to foot the bill, isn't that right?

With my bleeding heart, I would say to David things like, They had a rough childhood. David would respond, They choose; it is all about choices. The part of me that felt anguish for what these young men had experienced in their baby and childhoods, had me not wanting to face the cold hard facts, that they willfully injured, insulted, irreparably wounded and or killed, other people, not because they had been wounded first, but because they chose so horribly, that the ramifications were extreme and irreversible. 

The roster of young offenders I met covered a full range of law breakers. Many had committed heinous crimes, all before the age of seventeen. I met a young man that drank and drove and killed; there was a violent seventeen year old that assured me he would murder in his future. I met young rich kids that enjoyed breaking and entering, and destroying for the fun of it. I met drug addicts and dealers, and pedlars of contraband; there was a paedophile in our midst, and this information was kept from the staff, but leaked to us somehow - the truth always comes out - and I can see in hindsight how one might want to keep this information out of the minds of those that may be outraged in the knowing. As I type I feel anger welling inside and tears, tingling my nose, at the thought of the little children that were marred and maimed, their innocence stolen from them by a wicked, depraved, and dirty violator. Funny, isn't it dear reader, that the paedophile had to be protected from the other offenders, and from the staff too - his law breaking was of such a vulgar and violent nature, that souls scream out, Kill him, kill him... This type of indecent assault assails the very essence of those that deeply love people, especially children. No matter the criminal, paedophiles are the most despised and hated naturally, by one and all. Where is the protection for innocent and vulnerable children, I ask you?

Someone has to pay, and here I suggest, that we all pay in one way or another, when laws are broken, autonomy is disregarded, and liberties are taken where there ought to be a sweet appreciation for each person as an individual, with rights to choose, without being imposed upon. 

Dear one, we are each one of us, capable, of choosing. We have all suffered injury, loss, disappointment, heartache, wounds that felt like they may never heal, and yet, it is how we proceed from there that determines whether or not we get our pound of flesh from others in retaliation, or decide to be kind, thoughtful, other focused, and generous, no matter what we have gone through or experienced in our distant or recent past. Here is what I really mean:

You are not broken, beyond repair, or without the capability to make good of your life. You are just as capable to spin things around to the positive, as anyone else you encounter. You choose, and you choose again, and often, we all do. What makes you think you aren't capable of choosing rightly, righteously even? What excuse do you have, to explain why you aren't a contributing member of society, if this is the case?

I could, if I wanted to, choose very badly. I could be mean and nasty, steal and disrupt. I could insinuate and suggest, and cause distress and angst. I have lots of reasons I can quickly tabulate to reassure myself that I am right in the doing to even a score, but man alive, just the thought of being that wicked, makes my nose tingle once more, with the start of tears. 

Why o why, would I want to give in to hate? 

With every choice we make there are attached therein, consequences, conceding, and a sort of confession! Your conscience confesses what is happening within, with every choice you make, and that is telltale! We are what we say and do, dear one, and this is important for us to take note of, when next we are ready to choose in significant ways. 

Luke 12:2-3

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 

Competing With God

Competing with God is never a wise choice. 

When I look around, I see tiny king and queendoms; perhaps they ought to be referred to as king-dumbs & queen-dumbs instead, considering the fact that the only King, unmatched and unrivalled, cannot be dethroned by conceited and puffed up humans, pretending to be greater than they are.  

The would-be kings and queens of this world see things as theirs, and they also see people as their subjects. To off with your head kings and queens, things and subjects are objects to be toyed with, used, manipulated, and disposed of when usefulness and utility are no more. To reiterate: things and subjects are made the same in the minds of royal wannabes, subjected to their whims and wills, so that their desires, wishes, and commands, are granted by servants at their beck and call. What I find most alarming and embarrassing too, is their commitment to steal top billing from God; they willfully attempt to usurp the Sovereign, and as I stated above, competing with God is never a wise choice. It is an exercise in futility when someone thinks their conniving and controlling ways, will eventually grant them that perfect place of commander, over things and people within their reach: that thinking, is criminal insanity in its demonic nature.  

Look at me, honour me, glorify me, deify me, bow to me, do as I say, or off with your head. Do you know a self-important person living in an empty castle constructed with cans, that wants to be worshipped as your god? Have you encountered a tiny heart in a small minded person, that would have you as their subject, obeying their every command, and threatening your safety when you do not submit? These dumb-dumbs are everywhere, and they strut their stuff, brag when lent an ear, assess, critique and criticize, with impunity, since after all, they are, royalty, and it is their due to condescend and comment.  

It is an abuse of power to employ it against the very ends for which it is given, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 444. 

Mothers and fathers are given children to raise to be servants and good citizens of this world, with the goal of being family members in Christ's heavenly community. Our work is to glorify the God that made us, and yet, and yet, the tiny hearted and small minded among us, manage to twist the significance of sacred life, when they insinuate themselves onto their own self-appointed throne, as ruler of their domicile. While it is our duty to honour our fathers and mothers, it is never our duty to bow to them as our king, our queen, our liege. We become aristocratic when we belong, by God's grace, to his family, as adopted sons and daughters; it is our bowing to the King of kings that lifts us from the mucky mire of life on planet earth. There is much blundering, in those that refuse to submit to God's Lordship, and when they expect others to bask in their sullied man or woman made "glory". 

Matthew 12:46-50

While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 

Do you, dear reader, do the will of Jesus' Father, which is in heaven? If so, you can be sure you are considered family by Jesus! What a wonderful concept to consider! Unfortunately, there are members of your family that are the seed of Satan. It is our duty, we are commanded, to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and to live our lives pledging our allegiance to him and him alone: and yet, so many people are self-committed to their own arrogant aggrandizement, and they would have you and I, equally committed as either their replicas, or their underlings. Imagine worshipping the image of God, and not God himself... now thats downright silly, isn't it?

Isaiah 43:10

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I end with an observation I feel compelled to share: It is cruel and unjust for parents to attempt to displace God in the minds and hearts of their own children. It is an abuse of the power given them, as stewards of God's created in his image, beings. 

How dare you, mother or father, try to kill God, so that you are the king or queen in your son or daughters life... 

How very dare you. 

Fornication & Soul Ties

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:15-17)

Consider with me this concept: Two bodies, after intimately connecting, impacts their souls. When two become one, there is a physical body fluid exchange, and more significantly, there is something that happens to each of their beings. Let us call it an infection, shall we? when the two have shared themselves, without the benefit of being called husband and wife; they have infected one another with the uncleanness of harlotry via fornication. 

When I first heard the idea of soul ties needing to be cut or broken, I was uncertain what the person was referring to. I learned, that people have a hard time disengaging emotionally, psychologically, and clearly, spiritually, when they have had intercourse with someone that is not their spouse, thus the terminology soul tie, emerged. There is something dirty that clings to the person in the aftermath of intercourse outside of marriage, and in secular speak, the soul tie bonding of two that were never meant to be one, can cause an internal struggle for an individual, that is left with a feeling of still being connected. The infection, if we follow it to an outcome, can fester, perhaps eventually healing over, while leaving scar tissue on the heart, in the mind, and on the soul, that periodically throbs and aches, as a reminder of the unfortunate event. One of the two may have thought there would be more, perhaps a relationship, perhaps a permanent commitment, perhaps marriage and family life... 

So far we are tracking a secular understanding of what can feel like a permanent bond that must be cut or broken, between two people that have fornicated. To save you from scrolling, I have pasted below the paragraph that started our time together, Paul's admonishment to the fornicating Christians in Corinth: 

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall  be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit

With this scripture in mind, I was stunned, and did a whole lot of closing one eye while I read cringing, when I absorbed the magnitude of this sin. Read below Matthew Henry's Commentary on the apostle Paul's sharp edged rebuke regarding fornication:

Nothing can stand in greater opposition to the honourable relations and alliances of a Christian man than this sin. He is joined to the Lord in union with Christ, and made partaker by faith of his Spirit. One spirit lives and breathes and moves in the head and members. Christ and his faithful disciples are one. 

Now shall one in so close a union with Christ as to be one spirit with him yet be so united to a harlot as to become one flesh with her? Were not this a vile attempt to make a union between Christ and harlots? And can a greater indignity be offered to him or ourselves? 

Dear reader, the very act of fornication has a lasting effect on the spirit, within each party engaging in the activity. Since Christians are one in the spirit with the Lord, fornication violates Christ, as though he too, is fornicating. The adulterous nature of this riddled with wickedness behaviour, deeply offends the Spirit of the Lord, since Christians belong, mind, body, and spirit, to him: we were bought and paid for with his sacrificial blood, shed for our sins on the cross.

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord. This means that each and every Christian has the Holy Spirit within, and we must not violate our bodies, since the soul belongs to God: it is impossible to separate the two, when we are alive and walking the earth. What we do with and to our bodies, impacts every other part of us, including the essence of who we are. 

Soul ties are the lasting and residual side effects, of sins committed; that lingering feeling, is a form of suffering loss, for having shared far too much, with someone that should never have been know so well, and so intimately. 

NOTE: I dare to refer to fornication in terms of whoredom and harlotry for all that indulge their fleshly desires via intercourse with someone that is not their spouse, because it is a selling of self, a denigrating and forsaking, of each person's worth. God values his creatures greatly, and set in motion a plan, in the beginning: one man, one woman, becoming one in all ways, calling them husband and wife. Less than this for each man, and each woman, is a violation of natural order, and disobedience to God's commands. 

Christian, you betray the Lord when you fornicate, and as the apostle Paul states and I echo, God forbid. 

Were not this a vile attempt to make a union between Christ and harlots?

Flee from temptation and this sin in particular. 

No One Can See Us

Now. We goes in now. We have the all clear. No one can see us. This one first. We goes into this one first. 

Open the doors and look for her favourite things, the things she loves to wear, the things she likes the most. There they are, take them. She is stupid and will not notice right away, if at all. When she notices she will be stunned. Be prepared, she may say something, she may question us. She knows it's us, she does. She has accused us before, and we knows what to do if she dares to test us. Why would I? I don't know what you are talking about. I can't remember. Why would I do such a thing? Confuse her, that will shut her up. We raise our voices to terrify her if she insists. 

We have lots of time. Go to the drawers. What are these things in here? Tiny scrolls. What do they say? Why is the writing minuscule, infinitesimal? No matter, we empty the drawer, all of it. We leave it empty. Empty. Imagine her surprise when her little notes and tiny keepsakes are gone! She will know it is us! She will know we touch and take whenever we pleases. Nothing is hers, nothing. 

Now straighten the covers on her bed. Pretty pretty bedcover - we have such good taste, don't we? Everything is neat now. We takes what we tooks, and dispose. No one will know it was us, except she will know. She will know. We have time still, they won't be back for hours and hours. We goes to this next one.

What is this? Why does she have this? When did she get this? How did she get it? I wants it, I do. I will take it and tell her I likes it and it fits me. She won't want to disappoint. I can see her face already. Shocked, she will be shocked! O yes, this will stun her into silence. How could she deny me? I do so much for her. All she has is mine. I touch, I take. Mine. I likes it, I takes it. 

Pretty pretty. This matches the other. we takes it too, and wear it. Her face! It is laughable to see her face! Why does she act this way? She knows I can do what I want, when I want, and she can do no thing to stop me. When will she learn? Stupid stupid girl without a brain. I am her brain, when will she learn?

This one isn't as easy. I must do all I can to break her. She cannot get away from us, we will tell her she is stupid in so many ways, she will begin to question everything and come back to us for reassurance. Then we will give her what we thinks she needs to hear, or what she needs to fix her mistakes - she comes back, she must, we are her everything. She is nothing without us. She is like me, she is one of ours. We will make her just like me. 

Touch touch, turn, throw away, excuse, deny, dodge, pretend, act, fawn, fake, artifice. We are clever, we are cunning, we are. They can't stop us. Fools, all of them. Don't they know I am in charge? Do they not see that me is more than them? There is time, I will go into the other rooms now. They will all know that it is all mine. There is no theirs - fools they are and fools they will remain. I will make sure they do not communicate with one another, by telling them what they have said about each other. Doubt is the best weapon of all, and they are idiots and do not know our devices. 

Fools. 

Dear Christian, it behooves us to understand the nature of sin, and to comprehend too, that dark forces communicate and collude, with humans that indulge their own carnal nature. It is a desperate mistake to believe that we can get away with sin, and stay in relationship with other humans. Trust is built on truth - truth is an essential element in healthy relating. 

The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Sin committed deliberately and not repented of, shuts a person out of the kingdom of heaven. 

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Here is a quote from Matthew Henry regarding the above:

Those who knew any thing of religion must know that heaven could never be intended for these. The scum of the earth are no ways fit to fill the heavenly mansions. Those who do the devil's work can never receive God's wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin, Rom. 6:23. An excerpt from Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 430. 

I mix my thoughts, generated from reading Matthew Henry's commentary, with his:

We cannot live in sin and die in Christ. 

We cannot say we love the Lord and do the works of the devil.

We cannot hope to sow in the flesh and yet reap everlasting life.

To crucify the flesh is to die to carnal lusts, to kill everything in ourselves that is not of God. We deceive ourselves when we think God will indulge our sin and let us get away with it, because we have some redeeming traits. It doesn't matter, dear reader, if you are kind periodically to the person you have cheated on, stolen from, lied to, abandoned. It makes no difference if you say you are sorry and then do as you have done before, pretending you are innocent when all evidence points directly to you as unquestionably guilty. 

I heard once, Don't ruin a perfectly good apology with an excuse. We, dear one, cannot excuse our wicked vile ways, before a righteous and just God, wouldn't you agree? What explanation or excuse is passable before the Ruler of the universe? Just as a naughty child must be corrected early when he begins to tell lies, we must be correctable, when we learn, that we affront Holy God, with our sins. 

Self-deception, is no excuse for lying... let that thought bounce back and forth like a steel pinball, in your head. God does not excuse sin, he forgives repentant sinners, through Christ the Redeemer. 

Love Principles

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:7-10)

Brilliant, this passage in scripture is blindingly brilliant. Consider with me the alpha and omega and the omega alpha of the above quotation from Romans. As we work our way through each sentence, whether from the first to the last, or in reverse from bottom to top, there is a dramatic erecting of a stunning structure built upon the principles of love. Love is the law, dear reader, can you see this too? Our mandate as humans, as friends, as relatives and neighbours, co-workers, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and even strangers, is to love. We fulfill God's law when we love. If we take the quotation in the negative, we see a series of Thou shalt nots, but the Thou shalt nots serve as guidelines on How to's, How to love your neighbour, as yourself.

Thou shalt render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom. In other words, pay those you owe, whether it be the tax man, a friend, a relative, a neighbour, a creditor. 

Have you experienced the injury of not being remunerated for your work? Does someone owe you money, that you will never see in your hand, or in your bank account? How is that for you? Does it cause you some irritation and angst? Now think with me, about what you owe: Thou shalt render dues, tribute, custom. Is there someone you owe? Do right by them, and pay your dues; paying what we owe is a love principle; and our responsibility as future citizens of heaven. 

Thou shalt render fear and honour to whom fear and honour are due: Obey the law of the land, and fear those that can judge and punish wrong doers. God has placed humans in positions of authority to maintain order, this includes work superiors and parents. The fear referred to must be reverential, respectful, and obediential. 

What is your work and home life like? Is there order or chaos? Do underlings undermine the authority of their superiors? Do children obey parents? Are work and home environments sanctuaries, or places that you would prefer to avoid if possible? Something is amiss when a person does not want to go to work, or return home when their workday is done. NOTE: I do understand that many in authority misuse their positions of power. It behooves us to do our best to stay within the confines of our own positions, even as inferiors, while we trust in God as Judge and Sovereign over all. This is the point, dear reader, we are to behave in such a way as to honour the Righteous Judge. The people given positions of power must answer to him; we all, must answer to him. The love principle of honouring those that are in positions of authority, must be in place, as a sign of reverence, respect, and obedience to God Almighty.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Thou shalt not commit adultery, kill, steal, bear false witness, covet.

Love is faithful and loyal. Love nurtures. Love touches only what belongs, to love. Love is honest, and love, admires without wanting to take away from another. 

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Dear reader, Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Do you see the stunning beauty in this gradual progression? All that we must do, and all that we are instructed to not do, when obeyed, render us loving, and dare I say, Christ like. There is no room for ill will for our neighbour, when we live God's love principals. Fulfilling the law of God, becomes us, when we commit to his commandments. 

I leave you now with this breathtaking truth:

God's law is Love... because, dear one,  

God is love