Government of God

Well of course most people hate God! Follow with me, the logic of the worldly, the global governors of this world. 

The take over the world megalomaniacs lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, froth at the mouth over food, drink, and beautiful bodies. Megalomaniacs want all the property they see to be mine, all mine, and they move border stones to thieve away what belongs to others, all others. Megalomaniacs are fuelled by their avarice and use violence to take what does not belong to them, but belongs to you, and me, and those that cannot defend themselves against monster strength greed, gluttony, and grotesque covetousness. The desire for power over all they see, is the sickness the megalomaniac enjoys suffering. 

The Government of God is lawful and fair. Imagine that: what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. When I buy from you and you sell to me, there is an exchange that is satisfactory to both, having us walk away whole, and happy for the transaction. Imagine too, eyes that track and adore one mate, one partner, one spouse: eyes that light up at the sight of one true love. Imagine with me, a respect and appreciation for the property of others, where we touch with our eyes in admiration, and do not want to grab with our dirty demanding digits. How about truth telling with kindness, and the ultimate goal being edifying, and praising others, so that their hearts glow with affection as recipients of sweetness bestowed. 

The Government of God is lawful I say, and The Bible is ultra clear regarding his laws; when we transgress the codified laws, we criminalize ourselves. I will be direct: the breaking of law is chosen by those that disregard God, hate Jesus, and could care less, about consequences, because the ultimate goal for a criminal, is to grab all he can while he can, from whomever he can, without an ounce of remorse or regret. Does this describe you? Have you ever considered yourself to be a criminal?

• Do you lie?
• Do you steal?
• Do you look at your neighbours spouse with lust?
• Are you fornicating?
• Do you pay for what you have purchased?
• Do you imbibe to the point of intoxication?
• How about taking care of your children? Do you spend all you have leaving them zero for their inheritance?
• Are you raising your children in the admonishment of the Lord?
• What about your elderly parents? Are you a source of comfort and care for them?
• How do you contribute to society? 
• How are you helping those in need?

Eavesdrop now, on conversations had, with you as the topic. What do you hear? How are you spoken of by those that know you the best? Are you cringing at what is being said about you? 

Would you be known, as a man/woman of God, honouring him, obeying his laws, gratefully granting him governance in your life? Abiding: would you be described as abiding, in Christ as your King? Would others call you kind and thoughtful, merciful and gracious. Do you resemble Jesus?

Facebook informed me that when I use pictures of celebrities, I get more traction with my posts, meaning more people view what I have placed on social media. This made me grin, because I used a picture of Sylvester, a cartoon cat and apparently, this made me more popular as a poster! Today, I use a picture of Pinky & the Brain, to suggest, that the megalomaniacs are cartoon ridiculous and make fools of themselves in their attempts to take over the world, a world that does not belong to them, no matter how much lying, cheating, stealing, and murder they commit, to have it all. We are worm meat in the end, and each person will face their earthly, very humbling I would hope, demise, since our lives are held by the Governor of the universe. 

It really doesn't matter if you are a megalomaniac or a minor player that breaks the law of God. You are accountable, and counted as a criminal, each time you choose to go against the rules that are meant to protect each of us from each other! It is the Christ followers that can be trusted to live according to his principles, precepts, and example. Those that live and love Truth, are loath to go against God's government... and the rest, well, what can I say that you aren't already thinking at the end of this piece of writing? Need I fill in the blanks, or can you do this yourself?

Read The Bible if you fear you are a criminal in the eyes of God's government. Ask God to help you break your pattern of sin so that you can abide in him, and him in you. Repent, and see Christ on the cross, dying for your sins and paying the price for your wicked ways. Be new and sin no more: this is not only possible, it is promised, to those that ask God to be their strength when tempted. 

Think of The Bible as The Book that will be thrown at you on the day of judgment. You have access to The Book of life now, why not read it, and ask God to give you wisdom and understanding, and a desire, to have him govern your life? 

Revelation 20:12

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works

Liars

Liars, you can't trust 'em, and you can't change 'em

Liars are hard to like, and almost impossible to love

Liars break bonds of trust, and then lie about the breach

Liars are cowards, comparable to crawl on the belly snakes

Liars are selfish, manipulative, and users

Liars can't see past themselves, and don't believe in consequences

Liars entertain themselves at the expense of others, and then lie about it

Liars are empty headed, cold hearted, void of essence

Liars dim the light, and darken a room

Liars are despicable in countless, and countable ways

Liars like themselves, and what they like, excluding what others like

Liars feel entitled and take, or do, what they want, disregarding impact

Liars feign interest, ignorance, kindness, as a cover so they can lie undetected

Liars are subtle, obvious, oblivious, mischievous, self-approving, dismissive 

Liars think they are smarter and better than everyone else

Liars lie for sport, for fun, for financial gain, for support, for their own benefit

Liars are cowards and con-artists

Liars break rules and backs without a second thought

Liars hate, hold grudges, seek revenge, and execute their plans on the sly

Liars are black hearted and vapid

Liars.. who needs them, who wants them?

If, dear reader, I describe someone you know, perhaps you will do your very best to get away from this person as soon as you can. 

Do liars go to heaven? No, they don't. Liars don't go to heaven, unless of course, they repent, and lie/sin, no more, turning them into honest people. Let us face the facts together, shall we? Each of us have spoken selfishly, or perhaps manipulatively, for our own gain. There isn't a human that hasn't taken action that benefited them, and left the other person with less than what they deserved as their fair share. It is the conscience that cannot be lived with when we do wrongly, that helps us admit when we have lied, stolen, cheated, mistreated, manipulated. It is the spirit that shutters in regret, remorse, and shame, when we acknowledge that we have taken advantage of someone and harmed them via deception. 

Jesus is the Truth. Imagine, dear reader, a human being that cannot lie. Dare I say, this can be you, this is possible for me... that we have the capacity to be so honest, that we do not lie, or practice deception in any form or manner? 

God cannot lie, making him completely honourable and worthy of trust immeasurable. If you and I cannot stand the liars in our lives and want them out, how would Almighty God tolerate them in heaven for eternity? The thought is laughable and incongruous. 

Proverbs 12:22

Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight

Abomination is defined as: a thing that causes disgust or loathing

Proverbs 10:9

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known

Pervert: distort or corrupt the original course or state of something, ie: He was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. 

Dishonest people corrupt and pervert the course of justice, for their own gain. This is disgusting and loathsome to the LORD. 

Notice in Proverbs 10:9, he that pervertheth his ways shall be known. Liars don't think they will get caught in their deceptiveness. Chances are fair to good, that they have gotten away with thousands and thousands of lies without being held to account. What they don't realize, is that their reputation as a liar is confirmed, each time they twist truth; and whether or not they get called out, or to the bar, people know them for who they are. They haven't gotten away with their lies, they have been tolerated, given grace, and been shown mercy, for a time. 

On a happy note, we can reflect on the second half of Proverbs 12:22, they that deal truly are his delight

The LORD of glory detests lying lips and delights in truth tellers. 

God is not fooled or mocked by mischief makers that without a show of repentance, continue in their wicked ways. God wants none to be lost and gives each of us oodles of time to self-assess and course correct, calibrating to Christ! 

If you are a chronic liar, you can't hide from God, just so you know; and by the way, you are fooling fewer and fewer people by the day... 

What we say and do is witnessed by many, including the host of heaven. 

Links In The Chain

The heaviness keeps me in place. I can not lift, shift, pull, push, the weight. My standstill immobility is a state I struggle to comprehend. What is keeping me here, and how long will I be without freedom of movement?

Looking down, I see a sturdy steel link. Following with my eyes, I observe yet another, interlocking with the first; there are many links, forming a chain, each with their own shape, and differing weightiness; they disappear into the distance, untraceable with my limited vision. I try, one at a time, to lift my feet - it is impossible; the links, forming the chain, are invisibly attached to my ankle's, preventing movement. 

Taking a steadying breath, I decide to wait. In the waiting, I start to wondering. How the heck did this thing attach itself to me? When did this happen, and how is it, that I did not notice the weightiness, until a moment ago?

I soon learn, that each link in the cumbersome chain has an instruction for me, or a story to tell, and in my held prisoner captivity, I am meant to stand and listen. Closing my eyes, I place one hand over the other and fit them both, over my left collar bone. In silence, I anticipate and then I startle, at the sound of a voice, coming directly from a link in the chain. 

In a deeply resonant voice, Link One informs me, You are free to leave. 

What? Are you kidding me? I am free to leave? Do you see how you hold me here, captive, a prisoner, held in place, you and your heaviness friends preventing me from even lifting one foot? You must be kidding me? 

Link One continues: You heard me correctly. I tell you again, You are free to leave. 

In irritation, I want to berate Link One. I curl my lip in derision but I don't know how to address the link. Free to leave, free to leave: this echos in my mind, disturbing and disrupting my thoughts. I scratch my head and start to consider this concept of freedom and leaving combined. 

I hear a crackle, followed by a subtle shattering sound: this glass like fragmenting, has me tilting my head, trying to discern its whereabouts. Turning back to Link One, with a fresh desire to enable untethered movement, I ask, How am I free to leave? Placing my hands criss-cross over my throat, I await Link One's response. 

I am surprised to hear Link Two's answer to my question; its suggestively sweet voice draws my eyes to its considerable incommodiousness. How could something as weighty as Link Two, have such a lilting and encouraging voice? 

Take a step backward. Lift your left foot, and place it behind you, then your right foot. You need to retrace: there are many remembrances behind you, that you must not leave there. Go find them, and bring them here, Link Two orders. 

Dumbfounded, I feel my nose tingling with the start of tears. Go back, you say? Retrace and retrieve, you insist? Isn't the past the past? Am I to relive what was? How is this at all helpful? How will bringing my memories here, to now, give me freedom to leave? 

There it is again, the shattering sound, only this time, it is louder, and reverberates for countless minutes, filling the air with tremendous tumult. Alarmed, I unwittingly move backward and away from the noise, and find myself in a memory, frozen in time, touchable with my thoughts and tangible for brief moments only. Lost in what was that is no longer, I look up. A barely perceptible voice is whispering to me and it takes effort to turn my gaze toward the whisper. Try as I might, I cannot make out the words, understand their meaning, or comprehend the message. What, I ask, What is that you are saying? I can't hear you, please speak up.

What holds you in the past?

Pardon? Please speak louder. 

What holds you captive?

I still cannot hear you, or maybe I am misunderstanding? Please repeat.

Look at what hurts. Notice how you feel. What pulls you back in time and then, holds you in place?

Link Three is speaking, and I have had to strain to hear. I do not want to hear what Link Three is saying, nor do I have the desire to do as I am instructed, and yet, I have moved backward, and it is a relief to be able to move at all. Smashing, I hear a smashing sound, and it is so close, I am afraid to be impaled by the glassy shards. I notice a sharp object flying fast in my direction, and I dodge the weapon thrown by an unseen hand. I see that my feet have moved in unison, and I am now standing to the right of where I first stood immobilized. 

Astounding. This is astounding. I can lift my feet, I can move, in fact, I am going to run! I tell myself this, but as soon as the words are out, and I try to raise my left to leave, I feel the ground beneath me, holding me fast. I am stuck, both feet glued to the ground, and it strikes me, that as much as I want to get out of this holding place, I am not done with the chain links, because they still cling and keep me captive. 

Eyes closed, I throw my head back in consternation. What now? Progress is so elusive. Will I ever be free, and what about those shards of glass coming my way, wanting to kill me? Am I fast enough to dodge them all? In my ruminating, I neglect to notice how thin and fragile the links attached to Links One, Two, and Three, have become; if they were people, they would positively be considered skeletal and anemic! 

In a weak and accusatory voice, I hear Link Four telling me, You can't walk, let alone run. You will stay where you are. 

I am immediately suspicious of Link Four. Link Four is not nice, is not helpful, and certainly does not make me feel as though it is on my side. Link Four, is rude, and I decide to shout at Link Four, You don't know me!

The bust into tiny pieces explosion is deafening, and I cover my ears in an attempt to protect my hearing. I duck low to the ground, crouching, to keep from being smattered with sharp bits of steel and glass. This was a close call, so close in fact, that at my feet lay remnants of what looks like a former link... in a chain?

I slowly unfurl and return to standing. It is quiet, and I do not want to disturb the peace. Looking down, I see Links One, Two, and Three. They lay silently gleaming, still attached, but not to me. I bend down and pick them up, their lightness feeling pleasant in the palms of my hands, then I remember. I peel my eyes away from the fit in my hands chain links, and look toward where the rest of the chain lay. Grinning, I realize, I am truly free to leave, to go where I please, untethered, unhindered, not a captive, but a conqueror, set free. 

Those heavy links are gone, smashed to smithereens, and their cumbersomeness is no longer my heaviness. 

You too, are free to leave, dear one. You are more than a conqueror in Christ, the One that sets captives free. This world is cumbersome and chain link heavy, but the freedom that awaits you, will have you walking, then running, unhindered, right into the arms of the One that made you. 

Now, hear the words of the Lord, Jesus Christ

Luke 4:18-20

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him

Answer the Whisper

What is the whisper you have been ignoring? This question came at me like a cloaked in silence stealth ninja; I felt the silky subtlety in the word whisper.

• What kind of question is this?
• How much time must I invest to search my soul on this one?

I immediately dropped the inquiry as a too much to manage in that moment hot potato. When I snuck back to the question, I had some questions of my own. The suggestion that I had indeed, been ignoring a whisper, had me wondering: 

• What I am not doing. that I ought to be doing? next, I asked myself: 
• Why are you evading and avoiding answering the whisper?  

Of course, this type of question is meant to stir up some soul searching trouble, with the hope that the one that actually answers the question, hears their calling, and heeds it too.  

• What is a whisper you have been ignoring, dear reader?
• Are you trying to squirm and run from the small and still voice that aims to inform and instruct you? 
• Have you heard the whisper, and ignored it repeatedly? 

When did you first hear the whisper, and tell it, Not now; Go away, or; Never, I will never listen to you? and yet, like a persistent child, or adamant adult, you could hear it, soto voce, the pay attention to me whisper, insisting you turn your eyes and attune your ears and senses, to what it has to say. 

The whisper I have been ignoring has been acknowledged, and I continue to explore what it means to live according to what I have been called to do. In the past, I resisted the devotion of my calling, but there is always a hefty price to pay when we do not listen to God, and what he asks of us. My calling, is to serve the remnant, to write for and to the remnant; to speak life and God's love as a Christian communication and relationship coach, to the remnant. I am a Christian, edifying Christians, and glory be to God, it is freeing to hear and heed that whisper, the very one that has become a strong and powerful voice. I want to abide and feel I must abide. These are my instructions:  

Be my ambassador for the remnant. 

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation

Matthew Henry wrote this: 

Faith is the soul's confidence in Christ, and dependence on him. 

These wise words speak to my favourite of all favourites in scripture: 

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

We cannot touch, taste, sniff, a whisper: it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, and yet, once we listen to and in turn, respond to the whisper, it actualizes, and gives us the confidence to live our calling. 

Now the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Romans 15:13)

Hope is a gift from God. Joy and peace are blessings bestowed on believers in Christ as Lord and Master of our souls. The Holy Ghost's power fills us with hope, and this is astounding to contemplate. Just like the whisper, we can ignore these life altering mercies from the Almighty, but by doing so, we forfeit all the good God wants us to experience while we walk the earth.  

• What, dear one, is the whisper you are ignoring? 
• What will it take for you to hear, and heed?
• What are you missing out on, by avoiding and evading your calling?
• What price do you pay, for your disobedience, for your denying deity, and his right to your life as servant of the living God?

Soul stirring questions are meant to have you consider what your purpose is, and what you are called to do. I hope you take the time today to hear, and then plan how, to heed the whisper. 

Your future freedom depends upon it. 

Grief - A Strange Animal

Grief is a strange animal. Grief is a wild beast, writhing in excruciating pain with an arrow through the heart. Grief is a silent assasin, lurking in the darkest of corners, waiting for a moment to silently strangle. Grief distorts reality, twisting perception and warping the world, and the wounded one, so that nothing is touchable and tender, no one is comforting as a companion, nothing smells or tastes enticing, and the greyness of sorrow supersedes and overruns all senses that would suggest brightness, happiness, delight, and hopeful possibilities. Grief, in short, is cruel and dictatorial. 

I read a facebook post about a woman's fiancé dying, and her son being still born nine months later. The anguish and anger she expressed was tangible, and it is a challenge to think of her daily grief and sorrow. When we say to someone, I can't even imagine what you are going through, perhaps what we really mean is, I don't want to imagine, or think too long and hard, about what you are going through. Comprehending the pain of another requires emotional investment, and few are willing to go to such great lengths, to feel another person's deep and unrelenting agony. 

Grief is an unseen affliction, that surfaces at the oddest of moments, and submerges too, when least expected. One cannot just get rid of grief: it cannot be told, Go away, Push off, Off with your head. Grief lingers and lounges and states: I will go when i am good and ready... and I will show up in ways you cannot control. 

Grief has a way of leading the sorrowful by the proverbial invisible nose ring. Emotions are not easily regulated, perceptions misinform and mislead, and the grief stricken cannot trust themselves to make life altering decisions. The wise advise, do not sell your home immediately after your spouse dies, and do not attempt to replace that spouse with another, any time soon. Act in haste, repent at your leisure: in other words, it may feel good to take massive action and to engage with others as a form of distraction from the subtle and not so subtle sorrow, but in the long run, you may regret your hasty decisions, and discover, you have a whole other set of grievances to contend with. 

I understand grief, and perhaps you do too? Perhaps you are in the throes of grief, and feel as though it wants to take you down in a headlock, pin you to a mat, and destroy you. Grief can feel murderous and act like a joy and hope thief, and it is, in so many ways. I think of the anger expressed on facebook, and how people need and want to be understood. The women I mentioned wants people to acknowledge her suffering and validate her... that is another element of grief, it has no friends, no real confidants, it is a lonely emotionally draining entity. that does not like company. It repels others while the one that cries out, wants them somehow to draw near. Grief cannot be trusted and is duplicitous as a house divided against itself. Grief is misery. 

While I can and will, describe grief, I will not suggest ways to abate the sadness and sorrow. It is an injustice to the heart to imply there is a solution. or a way of easing what aches. The hurt can heal, but there is no quick fix, or an EXIT door to point out, that will take you to the great outdoors, with clear skies overhead. Grief casts shadows, clouds thinking, throws a wet blanket on the spirit, and the only way I know to make the sorrow bearable, is to weep, feel the pain, and pray for the strength to carry-on with the hope, that one day, the sun will again shine, and the sorrowful will notice the warmth and brightness of its rays. 

Psalm 30:5

For his anger endureth but a moment, and in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning 

It may feel as though you will never again be joyful, and perhaps you will never get over your losses. God knows what you are going through, and he is the one that will pick you up from that mat, dust you off, and prepare you to live again. I don't know how long this will take for you, and since grief is an unwelcome guest that cannot be shoved out the door, you may be doing yourself a favour by spending time with grief, and allowing yourself to feel the sorrow of loss. Tears are curative, and besides, you cannot stop them when they start, why not allow the salty flow to wash your wounded heart? 

God will comfort you when you ask and so will others if you let them come near, when you are ready...

Likeminded

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6)

These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast (Revelation 17:13)

Likemindedness makes sense, does it not, dear reader, as an explanation for why and how, some humans build others up, and conversely, how some humans claw and rip to tear people down. Both are builders, the one set of humans build the kingdom of God, to glorify their Master, while the other set builds for the beast and king of this world, Satan, to praise and worship this fallen angel. Do I over simplify? Absolutely not! In fact, I will be bold and state that you, yes you, and I, belong to one set of humans or the other. We either love Jesus Christ, the Saviour of souls, and detest and hate Lucifer the murderer of souls, or by default, (more on this in the paragraph following this one) or conscious choice, love Lucifer the murderer of souls, and hate the one for whom we were created to adore, Jesus Christ. 

To which camp do you belong? God knows your heart, and this question must be answered by you; and by the way, there is no middle ground of, I am a good person. Fealty to God matters to him, and if he is not your God, then you are a child of the world, made an orphan without a Father. You may not be a Luciferian, in fact, you may be a marvellous human being, kind and giving, and helpful too, but when your numbered days are up and your expiry date arrives, your spirit will go somewhere, once your soul leaves behind the shell of your body. If you have lived your life by default and never acknowledged God as your creator and Christ as your Saviour, you belong to the fallen ones. There is heaven, and there is hell, and when a person dies, they go to one, or the other. Jesus is the only way to the Father and to heaven. Do I over simplify? Again I answer, Absolutely not! 

Below are excerpts from Matthew Henry's commentary on The Bible, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 391:

Let Christ Jesus be the centre of your unity. Agree in the truth not in error.

It was a cursed concord and harmony of those who were of one mind to give their power and strength to the beast (Revelation 17:13); this was not a like-mindedness according to Christ, but against Christ, like the Babel-builders, who were one in their rebellion, Gen. 11:6. The method of our prayer must be first for truth, and then for peace, for such is the method of the wisdom that is from above: it is first pure, then peaceable. This is to be like-minded according to Christ Jesus. 

The Lord's prayer, taught to the disciples of Jesus Christ, has contained within, this request: Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 

Now track with me, dear one: if you and I pray, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, because we profess Christ as our King and want to glorify him while we reside here, what do you suppose the followers of Lucifer want on earth? Are the Luciferian's not the very ones that rebel against God, and wreak havoc on earth? Earth is teaming with demons that stir-up strife and discord at every turn, bringing hell to earth and ruin to the people: there is a like-mindedness, an of one accord unity, between those that belong to Satan in human form, and the demons that fell from heaven when they decided to join forces with Lucifer, forsaking themselves and displacing themselves forever, putting themselves out of the favour of God Almighty. Humans that hate God do the very same thing: they forsake their own future and displace themselves forever, when they put themselves out of the favour of God.

Rebelling is natural, but repentance is a gift from a holy God that is patient with his children. God consoles us when we confess our sins and he strengths us too, when we are tempted, so that we are fortified. to sin no more. The likemindedness, the unity amongst the brethren, must be in truth, and must be peaceable, so that we can glorify God in accordance with his wisdom, and will, for his people. 

This is why The Bible is so important for Christians to read on a daily basis, on an hourly basis even, if a child of God is struggling and unsure, about what to do when facing difficulties. The Bible does not lie, in fact, it is so honest, that we see ourselves in it, and God's Sovereignty is never watered down to accommodate humanities desires to fishtail with the slipperiness of wanting to condone our own sinful ways. There is a black and whiteness in scripture that can be counted on, and it confronts us when we are wayward; when we are going the way of the world, rather than becoming more holy and saintly. 

There is One Holy Ghost, and Christians are to be one in the Spirit. If Truth prevails in your thinking, in your heart, and informs your soul, you will find likemindedness with your kin, your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Ephesians 4:4-15

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ

This piece of writing feels somewhat unfinished. I leave you to contemplate what you have read, and perhaps to pray for your own soul. Default is not a state of being that will aid you, or advance your faith. Ask God for guidance, and know that he never leaves, nor forsakes, those that belong to him.

God is the God of promise, through Christ our Lord, Amen. 

Reciprocal

Reciprocal is that wonderful something that has you and I humming a tune, grinning broadly, and happily going about our daily business, following an exchange with a person that enjoys co-operative interactions that are mutually beneficial.

With reciprocal, relationships buzz with playful possibilities: one may feel confident that exchanges of a similar nature await, and isn't it grand, when we discover our others, and we experience the delight of back-and-forth interplay, that makes us feel sharper, brighter, more capable, more alive? 

It is rare to have reciprocal taught to us. A person must be intentional and conscientious about living reciprocal, let alone teach it to their offspring. The Bible refers to the female in marriage as a help meet:

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him

The LORD God saw fit to make man a help meet. The Lord saw that being alone, is not good. Eve was Adam's help meet, but there was trouble in paradise, and once trouble starts, trust can and often does, erode and disintegrate. This is when reciprocal is displaced by its evil twin, resentment. Behaviour goes from I help you, you help me, to a you-owe-me tit-for-tat economy, of who can get what and the most of out this thing, that is no longer a relationship, but more a battle of the wills. 

• Do you have reciprocal with anyone dear reader? How is that for you?
• Was it a natural process between you two, or something you worked hard on to accomplish?
• What did you have to do to get to this happy place with this person?
• Are you aware of some perceptions, attitudes, established tendencies and reactions, that you had to work on, resolve, and perhaps give up, in order to become synergistic with this other person?
• Did you observe the other person softening and being willing to co-operate, when tensions arose, and when you initially started relating?
• What advice would you give to someone, that is struggling to find that sweet spot in their relationships?
• What do you do when you recognize that reciprocal is not possible with certain people?  How do you navigate relationship with them?

I can think of some people with whom I experience reciprocal. There are some components that they have plugged into that make relating easily with them, possible. 

1. They are self-aware

2. They are observant

3. They want to serve others

4. They ask questions out of curiosity

5. They spend time speaking, and an equal amount of time listening

Reciprocal is marvellous and based on a give and take that is not greedy, selfish, lopsided, or based on one person winning. Reciprocal  is a mutually beneficial agreement established between people, based on caring and sharing. There will of course, be times when one person has greater need, and selflessness is required on the part of their reciprocal partner, but there is always the sense that in the relationship, each person takes a turn at giving, and receiving, without a score being kept. 

There are so many elements to reciprocal, and dear reader, you and I both know when we are not experiencing reciprocal; signs of drainage are observable when we have been taken from, and not filled back up:

Anxiousness

Irritation 

Frustration

Sadness

Grief

Disappointment

Resentment

Anger

Loneliness

Feeling misunderstood

Exhaustion

Weeping

If you are experiencing any of the above listed emotional responses, then perhaps it is time for you to take a close look at your relationships, and plan on making some adjustments and changes, for your own sense of well-being, and perhaps to salvage the relationship too, and work on the possibility of reciprocal. 

Communication is the key, and it starts with an honest conversation with yourself, and with God, and then with the other person. You may be surprised to learn they are experiencing similar sentiments, and want to do the work necessary to connect, and feel that marvellous sensation of synergy. 

You won't know unless you start asking questions

Nothing will change, unless of course, you are willing to investigate and discuss

You can have satisfying relationships; they are possible

What are you willing to do to have reciprocal, dear one?

Erroneous Conscience

It is my understanding that I am wrong periodically. I know this, because when I hear or learn that I have been wrong in my perceptions, opinions, ideas, thoughts, understanding, a metaphorical ding ding bell goes off in my head (a clarifying sound that rings out truth), and I must acknowledge with my thoughts, then with my mouth, that I was in error. Matters that are material in nature, like getting garbage day wrong, is no big deal, unless of course you have bags a plenty cluttering up your garage: matters of a spiritual nature, on the other hand, can be a very big deal, as in, sinning egregiously, and believing what you do, is good, rather than evil in the sight of God; accumulated sin can stink up your entire spirit, and the more sin piled high, the greater the stench of wasting and rotting soul. 

Some of the sneak attack, weapons of spiritual warfare, is to say things like, Let your conscience dictate your actions; If it is right for you, and you feel good about it, then, you be you. This approach to choice making has nothing whatsoever to do with conscience, and everything to do with condoning sin. If each person does what feels right for them, it can and often does, put those that share their living environment, at risk of loss and injury. I think of the city of Sodom, rife with rapists, giving us the reference and association to the homosexually of sodomites, going to Lot's door and demanding he send out the angels they saw entering his abode. They were insistent to the point of threatening to rape Lot, that they have their way with the men (angels) they saw. Even the young men of the city, were deliriously desirous of gratifying their disturbing lust. 

Genesis 19:1-11

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house, and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, and said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. 

And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Unnatural ungodly lust is evident in the account of Lot, the angels, and the Sodomites. Rape was a common occurrence in Sodom; the old and young men of the city were outrageously insistent and bold, as though it were their right to do wickedly unto these travellers, by having their vile physical way with them. These Sodomites were violent men and unwilling to take no for an answer. Look too, dear reader, at the sickeningly sad state of affairs for the house of Lot. Lot lived in Sodom, a city saturated with sin, and he offered up his virgin daughters as replacements for the angels, to be brutalized by the deranged rapists: clearly, our environment and the people with whom we keep company, can corrupt our thoughts and decision making. To go back to the concept of garbage accumulating mentioned above, and missing garbage day... garbage in, garbage out... if we don't get rid of what stinks up our thinking, we guarantee ourselves that dirty choices and a filthy life, will be our lot, in life! 

Here is my driving point: we can't make what is good, evil, and what is evil, good, by thinking it so. We do not have the power to convert the two and make them interchangeable: they each have essence and they are made of different stuffs. Just like bone is not muscle, nor is fat sinew, righteousness cannot be confused with wickedness, to accommodate error, and then call it my conscience or your conscience. Conscience is conviction, of what is righteous, what fallenness looks like, what constitutes good and alternatively, what evil consists of. Conscience is a tattletale for the misled soul that craves correction. It is a You are bad, and I am telling Dad on you, voice in the head, that impacts the tender heart, when something is amiss. 

The Sodomites were hell bent on satisfying themselves and were of one accord in their mob mentality to rape angels they thought were men. The angels blinded them and they still strove to enter in and violate... see with me, how spiritually blind the men of Sodom were, and dear reader, need I say much on how very blind, our global society is; how very godless and erroneous their mutual "conscience"? 

The city of Sodom was destroyed, and the land was cursed. Lot's daughters, the two he offered to be violated as replacements for the angels, raped their own father to produce children, and it is quite a warning to parents to be diligent in their duties as godly parents, to be protective of the minds, hearts, bodies, and sweet souls, of their offspring. 

Truth cannot be confused and convoluted to accommodate falsehood or a desire to do whatever we want. We help or hurt one another, and we are accountable to God firstly, and to one another secondly. 

If you fear your conscience is dirty and needs cleansing, you can go to Christ and he will speak Truth that will wash you of your wicked ways, once you repent. From there, sinning no more becomes o so appealing. 

Aspiration Vacation

Dear reader, what happens to your aspirations when you go on vacation? I am thinking along the lines of New Year resolutions, and the joke I made with a friend I have had since childhood: My resolution, is to be exactly the same as last year: NO changes! We both laughed, but it simply was not true, I was jesting with her, mocking the fact that each year, at the end of the year, we have an opportunity to look back on what occurred that we wish hadn't, what we said we wanted to accomplish but didn't, and perhaps, more poignantly, to be honest about what we really want for the year ahead, without making nice or pretending piety. This year will be different, I tell you... but will it?

I came to terms the other day with some world altering events that impacted each and every one of us. Global effect sounds like such a significant earthquake like wallop, and yet, global effect is accurate; let us not underestimate the residual ripples that you and I are riding like waves returning to shore. When covert covid operations made themselves overt, with globalists attempting to conquer the world, I promised myself that it would not take over my thoughts and reactions; the co-lateral damage, however, spoke to me daily, and had me alternating between quake and aftershock reactions, grief, anger, disappointment, concern, and any number of other sentiments. It has taken some time for me to look at our mutual history, and my personal history too, in order to sort and put into place, what we are looking at as a society, and as individuals. 

The title of this piece of writing is aspiration vacation. Here are the lines I am thinking along, with questions and a scenario included: 

What happens when you go on vacation? Consider an all inclusive resort, where food and drink a plenty is available for your periodic, or constant consumption. What do you do in this case, when you have stated your goal is to get fit and feel fantastic? Do you abandon your plan, "temporarily", for your time away? What kind of mind and body damage is acceptable, during that short stint, when you are displaced from everyday reality and responsibility? 

Is accountability a, sometimes when I feel like it occurrence, or a constant in your life? Do your aspirations go to hell in a hand basket, when you give your mind, body, and lackadaisical spirit, a vacation from duty?

While the world and its global society does what worldling's do, God instructs his people to behave differently, and yet, each human is subject to being influenced, and sometimes, we are pushed and shoved in one direction and another, until of course, we stop the jostling, silence the noise, and read what God has to say. It is when the Word of God speaks volumes to the soul, that clarity around next steps can resound and reverberate in the spirit. 

Listen now to the godly instructions from the apostle Paul:

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof (Romans 13:11-14)

There isn't a day that goes by that you and I are not responsible and accountable for our time. We are not our own, and we are always on duty, dear reader, whether we like it, or believe this is true, we are always and forever, answerable for the things we think, our utterances, and our choice of activities. I don't know about you, but I do not want my aspirations to slip away, while I let my mind wander in the desert of desperation of no man's land. Nihilism has many gripped by the throat, with end of days doom looming, and giving the impression that time is so short, we all better take what we can get now. This is precisely the mindset Satan attempts to engender in the lost, that know not the God that made them. Lucifer suggests: 

Sleep and rest

You have all night

Tomorrow is a long way off

Raise a little hell

Get drunk

Stay in bed

Indulge your sexual urges

Engage in strife and envy

Enjoy your flesh 

Give in to your lusts for food, drink, and sex

When we compare what Satan wants, and what the apostle Paul instructs, we have highlighted, and low lighted, light and darkness!

Knowing the time

It is high time

To awake out of sleep

Salvation is nearer than when we first believed

Night is spent

Day is at hand

Cast off the works of darkness

Put on the armour of light

Walk honestly in the daylight

Do not riot or get drunk

Do not spend your time in bed, indulging your lusts

Do not give way to strife and envy

Put on Jesus Christ

Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof

You and I, do not know the day of our departure, but God sure does. Perhaps you have sensed that time is sped up, that the sand in your hourglass is rushing from top to bottom at an accelerated rate? If this is true, good! My hope is that you feel the urgency that the apostle Paul is accentuating, in scripture, found in the book of Romans. He speaks of duty, of being wide awake with awareness of the times we are in, and what we must do with ourselves while we are here. 

Armour of light... when I first read this short phrase, I was mesmerized. When I read it again the other day, I was delighted for the reminder of dichotomy. Light and darkness are the extremes. Jesus is the light of the world, and Lucifer wants to snuff out the flickering flame of life placed by God, in each soul, sending them into forever darkness. Satan will take you as is, and attempt to twist you out of the image of God, and work on making you unrecognizable and repugnant to your Creator. God cannot look upon sin and abide it, and Lucifer knows this, because he lives with the understanding, that most certainly, the sand in his hourglass drops grain by grain so rapidly, that he desperately tries to devastate whenever, however, with whoever, as often, as he can. 

Each generation must face the calamitous fact, that evil not only exists, but is an active, powerful player, that does indeed, push and shove humans as best he can, away from wisdom, away from Godly instructions, away from the Saviour of souls, and toward the inky blackness of the abyss. 

Stay the course God has placed you on. Do not deviate, looking to the left, gazing to the right, to see what others are doing. You track the plan you set for yourself under God's guidance, and you will achieve what you aspire to accomplish. 

Praise be to God for new beginnings too, dear one:

Lamentations 3:22-23

It is the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness

God is Love

God is love (1 John 4:16), and love is his image upon the soul: where it is, the soul is well moulded, and the heart fitted for every good work, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 379.

No truer words were written, read, and spoken, God is love. 

You and I do not have the liberty of defining love, God does though:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; joiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things

Charity, an archaic term, means: love of mankind

When applied to the scripture placed above, we see this: 

For the love of mankind, we must be long suffering, and kind

Love of mankind envies not

Love does not boast

Love does not puff up with pride

Love is not unseemly (improper or inappropriate)

Love does not seek her own (Love is not selfish)

Love is not easily provoked (to anger or retaliation) 

Love does not think evilly 

Love does not rejoice in iniquity (sin and wickedness)

Love rejoices in truth

Love bears all things

Love believes all things

Love endures all things

Do you, love like the Lord of glory? I sure don't; but I want to. The Bible is the single best source of instruction for life and course correction. If we take what love is, and Love is God, we see opposing ways in those that hath not love, or Love.

Perhaps you can see yourself in the list above, or in the next list below, or a combination therein - each of us has some work to do when it comes to being godly in our love: 

Hate for mankind is impatient, and unkind

Hate of mankind is envious

Hate boasts

Hate is arrogantly filled with pride

Hate is improper (immoral and dishonest), and inappropriate

Hate is selfish and self-satisfying at the expense of others

Hate is easily provoked and eager to retaliate

Hate thinks evil thoughts

Hate rejoices in sin and wickedness

Hate rejoices in deception

Hate suffers nothing; is intolerant

Hate believes not in God or mankind

Hate endures nothing; is unyielding

God is love; Satan is hate: we belong to One, or the other, and it is what resides in the heart and shows up in the world, that helps us understand, to which camp a person belongs. 

Let us return to Matthew Henry and the quote above, placed here for your convenience: 

God is love (1 John 4:16), and love is his image upon the soul: where it is, the soul is well moulded, and the heart fitted for every good work.

Imagine your heart as a mould, filled with the Love of God! Imagine next, that you have been fitted for every good work he has for you - if these images delight you, then might I suggest and point out, that you belong, to him? 

We can look at the lists and see there, where we fall short, where there is work to be done. Humbling ourselves before God, confessing our sins, asking for forgiveness, and then asking for his love to fill our hearts, is a great place to start. 

Love of mankind is the work of each Christian, and an arduous bit of work it is, because we are not always patient, kind, long-suffering, sometimes we are the opposite. This is when the conscience does his best work in us: the Holy Ghost convicts us of our own iniquity, and has us wanting to try again, to live the image of God, impressed upon the soul. 

God is love, dear reader, and it is a very good thing for you and I to know.