Wound Collector

Recently I heard a descriptor for people that are offended often and easily; the man I was listening to, called them wound collectors. 

I have two questions for you: 

1. Do you have one of these people in your life?

2. Are you one of these people, a wound collector?

I take a liberty here by taking the concept of wound collecting, and describing three different types of people and their inner workings, as we navigate this topic together. 

Quick recovery 

When this person has been insulted, they feel the sting, but it does not penetrate the skin, and while they may feel slightly injured, there aren't long lasting feelings of anger, resentment, or a desire to replay and repeat the scenario in their heads, or out loud as a form of venting. They do not want to seek revenge, nor are they inclined toward vengeful mental meandering. Think duck, with insults rolling like droplets of water, right off the back. 

Indignant & Incensed Processor

When this person has been insulted, they react strongly and instantly, and may lash out, or feel like retaliating, to return the favour of having been wounded. Given time, and wise council, or even someone trustworthy to hear them express their irritation, upset, hurt, and any other emotion that goes along with feeling attacked, they will more than likely be defused, by sorting out what got them red hot mad. This person will attempt to make sense of the situation that agitated, but they do not re-feel the experience when replaying what occurred. Over the next couple of weeks, or even days, depending on the event that ignited their fury, they will continue to process until they feel satisfied with a sense of resolution, and after a cooling down period, they can recall what upset them, but the feverish feelings have faded, and they are disinclined to retell or relive the story. Think sponge, that absorbs, but can be wrung out to dry. 

Wound Collector

When this person perceives a slight, which can be a frequent occurrence for such a one, they have a tendency to memorize whole conversations, often displaying the talent of verbatim reiteration. The wound collector can he said she said until all the cows come home to roost (sometimes I mix me metaphors, just to see if you are paying attention), and it disturbs them to no end, when they share how offended they were by what so and so did to them. They believe in malice and that people are out to get them, and that bad intentions are hidden in the hearts of family, friends, neighbours, colleagues. Everyone is a potential enemy, and it is with passionate fervour, that they retell their injury stories, over and over again, even if their listening audience has heard these tales before, and perhaps, have heard them repeated for decades! This kind of person is forever collecting wounds that cut them to the quick, and they reopen the soul gashes, via actively reliving the scenarios in which they were affronted. Rumination and perseveration, have them obsessing over perceived insults that may, or may not, have been intentionally inflicted. It is a rather difficult feat, to maintain intimate relationship with the wound collector, because one might at any given moment, say, or do, precisely the right thing, to set them off, and turn you into a monster in their mind. Think walking wounded, with festering lacerations, salted with words so that the opening never heals. You may be featured in the wound collectors stories, so beware of their tendency to backbite. 

Now after reading what you have just read or perhaps during, did you see yourself in any of the descriptions? or perhaps, did you recognize some people in your life that you think fit into one, or two, of the categories?

I am inclined to being an indignant and incensed processor that picks up a quick recovery kind of feeling as time passes; as unpleasant incidents take their place in the past. I do not hold grudges or wish anyone ill, and details fade, so that I sometimes do not at all recall, exchanges with others that caused me angst, heartache, sorrow, sadness, anger, irritation, and the like. More often then not, I get agitated with my own attitudes and behaviours that need some correcting, but I do not think too long or hard, on the missteps of others, and wouldn't it be grand, if they too, held lightly, any affronts they experienced while relating to me? 

And perhaps, dear one, that is my driving point in sharing with you. It is a sweet gift from me to you, or you to me, if we have crossed over a pain threshold, and offer each other forgiveness when wounded. We have all suffered slights, insults, and soulful injuries, and we have all inflicted pain too: no one is innocent, in fact, look at children interacting with one another - sometimes they bite, swat, punch, trip, trick one another, just for the thrill of getting a reaction, or retaliating when they deem it necessary to settle a score. When children mature after being taught empathy, they know to be conscientious about their impact, and to hopefully, forgive, because they have been forgiven. 

I will end our time together with the heart of God instructions, found in Ephesians: 

Ephesians 4:31-31

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Hubris - Dumpy Trumpy

I nicknamed Donald Trump, Dumpy Trumpy, quite a while ago, without knowing that he is allegedly, incapable of controlling the evacuation of his bowels, and that he wears diapers. 

Donald runs off at the mouth - verbal diarrhoea - and it is not surprising that with his massive ego, we see that he must flex his mandible muscles constantly, in order to distract from his detractors. Donald talks a massive game of greatness, and it is far too common, for common folk, to admire giant loud mouths that brag about their accomplishments and finances: isn't it so, that the boys with the biggest toys, believe they are the winners in the game of life, and everyone else, is just a loser? Losssser... Can you hear Dumpy Trumpy saying this word while dragging it out to emphasize his condescending and demeaning view, of anyone that hasn't amassed a fortune? I recall hearing him calling many people names, including loser, because that is what self-absorbed people do, when they are challenged, or when someone disagrees with them - they toss out insults as though they are hand grenades, with the intention of annihilating opposers that point out their lying, cheating, immoral, and despicable ways. 

Incontinence is a terrible condition to live with, so are STD's, and excessive attachments to alcohol and any type of drug. There are heavy tolls to pay when a person inclines themselves toward self-injury, by physically abusing and overusing their own body. If it is indeed true, that Dumpy Trumpy has to wear diapers, then the question follows, How come? What happened to his ability to restrain release of his bowel contents, forcing him to resort to nappies? 

I do not think it funny at all if Donnie has an issue as described by so many on the internet, and yet, it is apropos on so many levels, that this deranged person, that does not filter, or think before he speaks, this megalomaniac that threatens and accuses and is infamously litigious, is physically in a very humbling state of lack of control over his bodily functions. 

And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost (Acts 12:21-23). 

Don just cannot see himself through the lens of humility, and yet, he is being publicly humiliated on a daily basis. There isn't an ounce of innocence in him, and vainglory is his very best companion and friend. His hubris is killing him, not softly, not subtly, but openly, and honestly. 

The MAGA man has said too much, and he has fouled himself, too many times, and in too many ways to count. 

Hubris will be his demise, but not before he is laughed off of the stage, by those that can no longer stand his vile stench. Herod took the praise offered him by adoring pea-ons that wanted the favour of a mean spirited man, and since he could not resist the compliment of being compared to a god, and did not correct the people, and because he rather liked thinking of himself similarly, an angel of the Lord smote Herod for denying the God of glory the praise he is due, and his innards were eaten by worms, and he gave up the ghost... Herod rotted from the inside out, nibbled to death by consuming, wiggling worms. 

Donald may very well, be suffering the very same fate, as his predecessor, Herod, right before our very eyes.  

Who, pray tell, is your king?

Philippians 2:1-11

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Doctored Constantly - Medical Intrusion

We know them, and what they have done, in fact, they have been outed, as the saying goes, not by detectives and police that charge them with heinous crimes, but by their master that insists, they tell on themselves. Satan demands his hirelings tell the world, what his murderous plans are, and the weaklings must do his bidding, because they rely on his favours to line their pockets, and provide the prestige that accompanies their criminality. 

The likes of Bill Gates and Fauci have had their day, or many days, in public court. I grimace, as I think about the nonsense - injured and grieving people want someone to hold the likes of these two to some kind of accounting, a form of justice, for the role they played in rolling out the blood red carpet that so many walked, before taking their turn, or many turns as it were, in a seat, to receive what was referred to as their shots. Notice the ownership placed on the naive participant, as responsibility is passed from culprit to would be victim - this is despicably manipulative. 

As a child, and into adulthood, I was injected many times, and I am sad to say, my son when young, was injected too, before I knew what was really in the vile vials. When we don't know any better, or have been lied to perpetually without anyone standing up and shouting, Hey, wait a minute, what is in there?, or when it has taken some time for us to get our hands on the facts, we are misled and innocent in some respects, but when we know better, we do better, or at least, that is how the saying goes, and that is the hope within the statement. 

Wrapping the mind around what has occurred feels strenuous and emotionally draining. The media had Fauci in what was feigned as the hot seat, and Gates is known worldwide as a man on a de-population mission, and yet, these fellas roam freely. With all the shenanigans and pretend trials, I haven't seen or heard of any arrests? Fauci wasn't shackled and sent to the penitentiary for his crimes against humanity, and that, dear one, is because he was a pretend defender of his own crimes. We all heard him ad nauseam during the covid craze, and Gates has full on shamelessly shared his plans to remove a chunk of humanity from off the earth, and yet, there just doesn't seem to be a soul willing to grab them and put them in cuffs, followed by sentencing, with the death penalty attached for each one. 

We have come to a point in our lifetime, that is marked by utter corruption, with colluders that rub their hands together, anticipating the gleeful rush they will delight in, by duping their fellow man, into doing and saying things that are contrary and confusing. Think with me, how very strange it is, to be told to wear a mask, when oxygen is a vital life force we must inhale in order to survive. Think with me, how odd, to be told to keep apart, no hugs, no affection, no human contact, when we know, that relationship is the reason we exist at all. Let us look together, at being doctored constantly, to the point of being a regular on a physician's calendar... if only people would make as many appointments with their fitness partners, walking partners, nutritionists, coaches and trainers. If only...

One of the reasons Bill and Anthony haven't been arrested, is a general feeling of despair, mingled with self-recrimination: a second reason would be, that the players that pretend to accuse them, are part of the second act of this sick and macabre play. Fauci and Gates did not inject you, your aunt Sally, or the little kid next door - your doctor injected you, or perhaps one of the nurses that works in his office, pushed the plunger, and these are the people that you trusted with your health. Maybe your pharmacist did the deed, the very person that fills medical prescriptions, that have in the past, helped you feel better (or notI I learned in a sick way, that reactions to antibiotics can be severe, and take time to recover from); all this to say, that you may feel as though you and the drug pusher, had an agreement. A medical intrusion agreement sounds like: This is what I think will make you feel better, or protect you from some deadly invisible disease, but listen, there may very well be side effects, up to and including death... and then what? 

And then what? People go along with the plan. 

And then what? People are dying in the streets, in parks, on beaches, and on roadways; they are dropping dead without warning and without previous health issues to speak of, and they are leaving this earth without ever asking God's pardon, for refusing his healing, his wisdom, his love; the balm for soul gashes, cuts, and wounds. 

Fauci and Gates can be seen as two out of many maniacs that promoted and pushed poison, and dear one, perhaps you too, were a pusher? Did you wear a mask, keep your distance, get injected repeatedly, and insist that the people in your life do the same, or you would excommunicate them? I ask again: 

And then what? You get to choose, dear one. You get to have a heart to heart with your Maker and ask him to redeem what has been lost, or stolen, or injured. You get to go to the Great Physician and confess, I am responsible for being irresponsible in so many areas of my life. You get to come clean, and be honest, about the role you played, in getting yourself into trouble that causes turmoil and unrest. You get to reconcile with the One that knows you, heal your heart and mind, and perhaps even your body with his care, and maybe, you will find the strength to admit you were wrong, dead wrong, about the embracing of all things carnal, including covid, and how you treated those that loved you, before the world went wonky and tipped permanently, to a point of vertigo like imbalance. 

While there is breath, there is hope of reconciliation. Relationship is all that matters in any lifetime, and you can take steps to reconcile first with God and self, and next, with others. It isn't too late today, but dear one, tomorrow isn't promised, so waste no time. 

God awaits you. 

Post Script One: The Alison inquiry was necessary on so many levels, however, there is a missing piece that ought to be put in place. It would give me great satisfaction to witness law enforcement actually doing their jobs, along with judges, by arresting and charging Justin Trudeau and all his co-minions, for all the foul and wicked activities they engaged in as co-conspirators, and slaves of Satan before, during, and after the covid craze. 

Post Script Two: God is long suffering and he sees all. He has permitted what we are experiencing. He gives the wicked and the naive and the somewhere in-between among us, time to repent. Those that publicly sinned, must publicly confess their sins with regret and remorse being evident. The apostle Paul is a perfect example as a man that was willing to be humble and fully acknowledge his own sins. Each human will be held to account for the life they lived, by the righteous Judge, Jesus Christ. 

Deceitfulness in Sin

Listen with me, to the discerning thoughts composed into statements, written for our benefit, by Matthew Henry. Here is an excerpt from his Commentary on The Bible, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 727: 

[1.] There is a great deal of deceitfulness in sin; it appears fair, but is filthy; it appears pleasant, but is pernicious; it promises much, but performs nothing. [2.] The deceitfulness of sin is of a hardening nature to the soul; one sin allowed prepares for another; every act of sin confirms the habit; sinning against conscience is the way to sear the conscience; and therefore it should be the great concern of every one to exhort himself and others to beware of sin.

God was grieved forty years with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:17). 

I don't know how old you are, but what ever your age, you are known by God, because he made you. You have a relationship with him, and perhaps you are adoring of your Maker, and conversely, perhaps you are reprehensibly rude to him. Some, not all, of the ancient Israelites, were heinously, egregiously, profoundly, and willfully disobedient, and while this was grievous to God and he suffered the ingrates for an extended period of time, there came a point in time, when he would suffer them no more. 

I think we are reliving history, yet again, dear one. I believe covid is the curse we brought upon ourselves, en masse, as sinners, with our cumulative decade after human debauchery decade, of wicked wantonness. God is suffering our sins no more at this point, and while he continues to be merciful in countless ways, we are experiencing a mutual comeuppance, and the evidence is mounting, how very wayward we have been, and how far from him, so many have travelled. 

Listen and hear again with me, the discerning words from Matthew Henry, pertaining to the apostle Paul's rhetorical query, and straightforward answer to his own question, in Hebrews 3:17:

But with whom was he grieved forty years? With those that sinned. And to whom did he swear? etc. (we will pick-up the verse starting with And at the end of our time together). Whence observe: 

(1.) God is grieved and provoked only with those of his people who sin against him, and continue to sin.

(2.) God is grieved and provoked most by sins publicly committed by the generality of a nation; when sin becomes epidemic, it is most provoking.

(3.) Though God grieves long, and bears long, when pressed with the weight of general and prevailing wickedness, yet he will at length ease himself of public offenders by public judgments.

(4.) Unbelief (with rebellion which is the consequent of it) is the great damning sin of the world, especially of those who have a revelation of the mind and will of God. This sin shuts up the heart of God, and shuts up the gate of heaven, against them; it lays them under the wrath and curse of God, and leaves them there; so that in truth and justice to himself he is obliged to cast them off for ever. 

Now we pick-up the promised verse starting with the word And, along with the proceeding verses, to give us a fuller picture, Hebrews 3:17-19:

But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 

(2.) God is grieved and provoked most by sins publicly committed by the generality of a nation; when sin becomes epidemic, it is most provoking.

Sin has become epidemic, and sin is publicly, shamelessly committed by the generality of not just one nation, but of all the nations, where believing in and living for, the will of God, is optional, and rather unappealing to the majority. Unbelief is the great damning sin that instigates rebellion, and this in turn, shuts up the heart of God, and dear one, shuts up the gate of heaven, against those that turn and twist, away from him. 

God is just, and he does, despite the desire of most to believe otherwise, cast off the insulant, forever. There is no room in heaven for an unbelieving, reprobate, that denies God's right to sovereign reign and rule, over his creation and creatures. The put on pandemic was prime time perfect. The people were ready to display their unbelief in God, in fact, there is an epidemic of unbelief in Jesus as Saviour and God as Almighty, and we are living the consequences of amassed sin...

God is easing himself of public offenders by public judgments.

If you have been in the dark and are now seeing glimmers of light, recognizing that the heavy hood that was thrown over head to blind you, must be removed, then I pray you comprehend in your very soul, that God if merciful toward those that have rebelled against him (and this, we have all done at one point or another), when they repent, and soulfully plead for forgiveness, knowing that Jesus Christ is the one that paid the price for their sins. 

An epidemic of sin, dear one, leads the masses astray, and you can break away from the pack, and walk toward the One, that with open arms, waits to embrace you, and welcome you home.

Fiery Serpent Imagery

As Jesus, our Saviour, our healer, the great physician of souls, typified by the brazen serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness, that those who were stung by fiery serpents might look to him, and be saved, Matthew Henry's Commentary, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 725. 

Do you know the story referenced by Matthew Henry in the above paragraph, of Moses lifting up the brazen serpent in the wilderness? 

Have you read about the rebellion of the Israelites, with their railing against God, the very God that had delivered them from slavery via signs, wonders, and miraculous events? 

Have a listen to their grumbling, in Numbers, chapter 21, verse 5:

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 

It makes me nervous when I hear people complain about God, or suggest things like, Why does God let bad things happen to people? The blame game, where a created creature, accuses their Maker, is a dangerous playground to occupy. If I imply that everything I do that has consequences of an unholy nature attached, is someone else's fault, and worse yet, is God's responsibility, and that they, or he specifically, is accountable for the outcomes for my choices, then I am quite simply, a childish impish ingrate, refusing to acknowledge my role in my own destruction and demise. Let us go back into The Bible, to hear and see God's response to the grumbling Israelites: 

Numbers 21:6

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 

The Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for forty years, and don't think for one moment, that they were not provided with water and food, O no, they had all they needed not only to survive, but to be fruitful and multiply! But isn't it so, with humans that indulge their base nature, to want and want some more, even at the expense of their souls, and their relationship with God? 

The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and venomous bites wiped many of them out. God is long suffering, and there comes a point in time, where his patience runs dry, and just desserts are served up to the impertinent complainers that have the gall, to not only speak against God, but brazenly accuse him of neglect. 

Imagine the desert littered with poisoned people, dropped to the ground with venom coursing through their veins. What is one to do when they see their family members dying before their eyes? What would you do, in these circumstances? Would you, like the Israelites, do as follows?

Numbers 21:7

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 

God and Moses were spoken against repeatedly whilst the Israelites wandered the desert. God, and Moses as his representative and mediator to the people, were merciful over and over again. God and God's people, do not delight in the ruin of others, rather, it pains us, and we want none to be lost. God foreshadows the ultimate resolution and cure for our sins, by giving us a glimpse of the cross of Christ. Here are his instructions to Moses:

Numbers 21:8, 9

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 

The antidote, the anti-venom, the healing solution, given by God, was symbolic, and effective too, when instructions were taken to heart and followed. As I indicated earlier, this was a foreshadowing of Christ, and modern society must look to Jesus on the cross, dying for our sins, and the venom of the serpent that courses through our veins will not harm or kill, but rather, will be cleared, so that we might live. The message is, Repent, and sin no more; stop accusing God of misconduct, when you are the one that deviates from his commands, denying his care and blessings, making you the responsible one, for the dire straights you may find yourself in. 

Are we any different from the ancient Israelites? any less cocky and self-absorbed as a global society? Snake venom courses through the veins of modern men, soaking their souls in the sin of rebellion against the God that made them, provides for them, and loves them, even while they choose to accuse him and speak what ought never, to be spoken, against him. 

Look with me at the symbol in this piece of writing that we all recognize, and see so often, that it goes almost unnoticed, when our eyes happen to pass it by. It is pharmakeia, which is the use of drugs, potions, and spells, and is the root of the modern English word pharmacy, that people look to, for their wellness. Doctor visits are imbedded in schedules, with regular check-ups and testing, and along with these face-to-face encounters, prescriptions are doled out as though the medications are useful, and to be taken mindlessly, consumed like a Smartie, M&M, Skiddle, Gummie, or any other bit of candy. 

Satan, that clever snake, bastardizes everything to his advantage, and covid was an almost perfect performance for the wicked one and his slithering seed; but let us not give him too much credit. Let us be very conscientious about the wages of sin being death: it was the LORD that sent fiery serpents among the people, that bit them, because they spoke against him, and it is the LORD that has permitted the biting by fiery serpents via pharmakeia, for those that looked not to Jesus, but rather, embraced the snake they knew well, via modern "science" often called "medicine". 

The LORD saves, dear one. The LORD redeems, and if your mind has been poisoned against him in a world that hates him and denies him as the Sovereign, you can turn your gaze in his direction, and see the brilliance of Christ's saving grace, and plead for not only forgiveness, but for healing for your wounded and wobbling soul. 

Here again, are Matthew Henry's words:

As Jesus, our Saviour, our healer, the great physician of souls, typified by the brazen serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness, that those who were stung by fiery serpents might look to him, and be saved. 

Brethren

Believers are children of God, and so brethren of Christ. 

It is good, very good indeed, to think. Thinking on deep and mysterious things, are pause worthy, and when reading Matthew Henry's commentary on verses in scripture, I cannot skim the surface of understanding, and glaze over the wisdom richly flourishing there, rather, I must mull the ideas over in my mind, have them percolate in my soul, so that they make sense to me; this happens some times days later, when I feel compelled to reread what had me stop in my tracks and ask: What kind of wonder is this? How do I capture the essence of the concept and have it soak into my being? 

I have sisters and brothers in Christ. I call them this without hesitation, because when we are in each other's company, it feels like a reunion of family members. There is this rare and wonderful feeling that warms my spirit when I am with them, and each time I am with them, the bonds strengthen and solidify. When I am in God's brilliant presence, while reading his Word, I am overcome with a sense of blessed bliss - Can you relate, dear one? 

Now here is what caught my attention recently. This is an excerpt from Matthew Henry Commentary on The Bible, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 724. 

The devil was the first sinner, and the first tempter to sin. and sin was the procuring cause of death; and he may be said to have the power of death; as he draws men into sin, the ways whereof are death, as he is often permitted to terrify the consciences of men with the fear of death, and as he is the executioner of divine justice, haling their souls from their bodies to the tribunal of God, there to receive their doom, and then being their tormentor, as he was before their tempter. In these respects he may be said to have had the power of death. But now Christ has so far destroyed him who had the power of spiritual death; nor can he draw any into sin (the procuring cause of death), nor require the soul of any from the body, nor execute the sentence upon any but those who choose and continue to be his willing slaves, and persist in their enmity to God. 

Let us break this paragraph into bite sized morsels: 

The devil is described thusly:

The first sinner

The first tempter

Draws men into sin

Terrifies the consciences of men with the fear of death

The executioner of divine justice

Hales souls to the tribunal of God where they receive their doom

A tormentor

May be said to have the power of death

The sentence portion that states, sin was the procuring cause of death, reverberates in my thoughts, bouncing off my skull walls. 

To procure means to obtain or acquire something, especially through special means, extra effort, or when it is difficult to get...

Imagine with me, how sin procures death. Sin acquires, with extra effort and special means, death. Could it be that death is difficult to procure, because dear one, the grace of God, his long-suffering, and his merciful and majestic omnipotence, give us ample latitude, permitting us time and space to come to our senses, and choose not to sin? The God of glory came in the flesh to save us from slavish sin that leads to eternal death: Jesus conquered death and the grave, because we simply, cannot. 

The covid craze revealed and accentuated how terrified the masses are of death. I asked one of my best friends back in 2020, that tried insisting I follow protocols, If it isn't fear, what is it? If, dear one, it isn't fear, that drives people to think and behave in frightened ways, what, pray tell, is it? 

FOMO was a trendy thing to talk about starting in 2004. Fear Of Missing Out can be the undertow undertone, that has people saying and doing things that help them procure death via their sinful choices. It was a grave error in judgment, and a fatal blow sin, for thousands and thousands of people, that wore masks, kept their distance, obsessively wiped down everything they touched with chemically soaked towels, used hand sanitizer, and lastly, got injected with substances that the human body understands naturally, is toxic and deadly. Their behaviour was evidence of their enmity with God, because deep down, and then fully revealed, they did not trust in the Sovereigns providential care, but rather, decided to make their own way in the world... this has proven to be fatal in countless ways. 

The massive sin of self-possession and pride, in believing that we are in charge of our own health and can secure, or procure it, in unnatural and chemical ways, is the sin that procures death. 

Christians, perhaps you have noticed, think and behaved in unique ways; they are: 

Tempted, but ask for God's strength to resist sin

Do not fear death

Welcome the Just Judge

Willing receive correction and rebuke from the Lord

Feel the peace, joy, and love of God, even when facing trials and tribulations

Let us return to Matthew Henry's commentary, referring to Jesus, the Conqueror:

That he might deliver his own people from the slavish fear of death to which they are often subject. This may refer to the Old-Testament saints, who were more under a spirit of bondage, because life and immortality were not so fully brought to light as now they are by the gospel. Or it may refer to all the people of God, whether under the Old Testament or the New, whose minds are often in perplexing fears about death and eternity. Christ became man, and died, to deliver them from those perplexities of soul, by letting them know that death is not only a conquered enemy, but a reconciled friend, not sent to hurt the soul, or separate it from the love of God, but to put an end to all their grievances and complaints, and to give them a passage to eternal life and blessedness; so that to them death is not now in the hand of Satan, but in the hand of Christ - not Satans's servant, but Christ's servant - has not hell following it, but heaven to all who are in Christ. 

The above paragraph is the one that had me awestruck in wonder. When you and I see Jesus as the Lord of glory, as the Soother of souls, the One that sets us free from our slavish sin, and the perplexities that trouble our spirit, we cannot help but look forward to an eternity in his perfect presence. 

How can I possibly see other humans as ruling over me, demanding my compliance and acceptance of a fate that they want to impose based on the Devil's demonic demands, when I have the Saviour speaking powerfully to my mind, to my heart, to my soul, to my eternal spirit? 

Sin procures death, because it is egregious to deny God's right to reign and rule in the minds and hearts and lives of mere men, his created creatures. We do not bite or slap away the hand the feeds us, or attempt to steal from the one that provides and say, I do not need you... to do so is perilous. Covid taught us all a huge lesson, and it has been a vulgar one indeed: the suffering, the quick and sudden deaths, the agony of watching people we love maimed and stumbling, shows us just how dependant upon God we are; now is a very good time to admit that we are at all times, reliant upon him. Men cause harm and injury to other men, but God, never ever, for the fun of it, or for any other reason, hurts his creatures. 

While there is breath, there is healing hope. The body may be breaking down and beyond repair, but the soul is made of a sturdier substance, and with the grace of God, is resilient. God reconciles with sinners when they repent, and it is Christ the Mediator that prays for his brethren before his Father at all times. Go to Jesus for the comfort that only he can supply, and procure for yourself salvation: do and say all you can to secure this, dear one, and God will hear, and answer, your fervent prayers. 

Psalm 107: 1-14

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. O that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisifieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 

Managing Expectations

Managing expectations is an interesting concept, and I wonder if it means:

1. Not expecting anything at all

2. Hoping for the best while expecting the worst

3. Desire dashed with bruised feelings and a hurt heart

4. Accepting that what a person wants and what comes their way, may not be the very same thing; which leaves one disappointed and disillusioned 

5. Knowing that a wish list is probably out of sync with real time possibilities

It took me to write out 5. to get to the starting point. of where we are headed in this piece of writing. 

As a Christian, reading The Bible has always filled me with awestruck wonder. Christ is magnificent and when I read of him, how merciful, kind, and powerful he was in human form, representing his kingdom, while walking the earth, I have been filled with longing. To meet a man like Jesus, would take my breath away, and yet, they are few and far between. I met one elderly gentleman long ago, that seemed to touch heaven with his words, and the thought of him makes me teary every time I revisit the brief encounter. The only other times I have had the astounding pleasure of meeting godly men, is in the pages of books, written by the likes of Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, C. S Lewis, and of course, the Holy Spirit filled men that were divinely inspired to write scripture, apostles and disciples, like Paul, John, and one of my favourites, the half brother of Jesus in the flesh, James.  

I haven't any expectations now, when I meet other humans: I do not anticipate people loving the truth, openly and joyfully proclaiming their love for God, nor do I think them likely, to live in a manner that shouts, I am wholly dependent upon God, for all of his blessings and benevolence. I don't believe that when someone calls themselves a Christian, that they actually are Bible reading, follow in Christ's footsteps, lovers of the Almighty... real Christians are few and far between, and each one, must do the work, of reconciling self, with the Lord of glory on a daily basis, since we all fall short of said glory, more often then not. 

All this to say, that to attribute Christ like character traits to other humans, is an err in judgment at this point, because there truly are, expectations hitched to our beliefs, that can lead us down a weedy garden path, to misery and perpetual unrest. Christ is the ideal, not only because he was perfect while in human form, but because he was God incarnate while in the body, and it is virtually impossible to be created in his image, and not feel as though we are far from the archetype, and yet...

And yet... there is hope, always hope, dear one! The expression, When you know better, you do better, is such a sweet source of encouragement. Humanity is indelibly stamped with the Makers water mark, and we are capable, we are capable I say, of living like Jesus! Being like Jesus! Loving like Jesus! Men and women of God have dotted history, that lived and loved like Jesus to the point of being persecuted and having their blood shed for their faith, and this is happening still, and will of course, continue until this world is rolled up like a scroll and all stand before The Lord of glory, on judgment day. 

I know I will be found wanting. I am confident many will find themselves condemnable. I also know that God is longsuffering and merciful toward the repentant, and there isn't a soul living or dead, that will be spared his righteous judgment. 

You know yourself, dear one. You know all about your own twisted, wicked, nasty character traits and flaws. You know when you are being kind and generous, thoughtful and honest. You are capable of being a horrible person, and you are more than capable, of being loving and sweet. You choose the demonic or choose the saintly side, and it is up to you, to be honest with yourself:

Are you, or are you not, like Jesus?

If you are like him, how will any of us know this to be true?

Do you expect to be like Jesus anytime soon?

How will you ensure that your life, looks like his did, while he walked the earth?

I don't expect much anymore, when I meet a new person. I am not attached to them behaving a certain way, or believing certain things, but I will tell you this: I am delighted each time I meet a sweet and sincere human, that says what they mean, means what they say, and follows through each time they make a promise. This type of person can be counted on, and when I meet someone of this calibre, I get a glimpse of God's glory, and a little taste of heaven on earth. 

Soul brushing and embracing, enriches both parties. Expectations do not have to be managed, when we meet our others, because love closed and fills in the gaps that separate. Your others, dear one, are few and far between, and when you meet a kindred, you will know it, because your spirit will sore heavenward, and your heart will fill with gladness. 

Listen now, to the godly wisdom, of Paul the apostle to the gentiles: 

Romans 12:10-18

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulations; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

Crooked Root

Infection had set in, and an extraction was the only solution. The dentist explained what she planned to do, to remove a molar that was compromised, with sick tissue surrounding it, causing pain. Three roots imbedded the tooth, and one root in particular, was curved - the hooked root may pose a problem, she explained, but her hope was that the tooth would come out whole, with each root, intact. 

With finessed strength, the good doc managed to draw out the tooth. That tooth did not want to leave the mouth it had known for almost eight decades, but with concerted effort, the dentist managed to coax it to leave its post; that hook though, in its twisted state, resisted, and broke off from the rest of the structure. The curve, the part that ensured remaining in place for year after chewing year, was useful for a very long time, and I cannot help but go into the metaphor that came to mind as I watched the procedure, that crooked roots are difficult to extract, and resistant to letting go, because they serve a purpose in manifold and often duplicitous ways. 

Hidden from sight, buried in gum tissue and founded in jaw bone, a crooked root is beyond detection, until x-rays reveal its nature. So too, dear one, with the twisted of heart, that present as pleasantly appealing, whilst infection has taken root in their thinking, in their heart, in their being. I find it fascinating how dangerous an infected mouth can be to a human when untreated. I summarize here what I learned from a quick internet search: bacteria that infects gums, cause gingivitis and periodontitis, and the very same bacteria also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body... blood vessel damage, tiny blood clots, heart attack and stroke may follow. 

Think with me, what a twisted and perverse heart that has been infected with the roots of jealousy, avarice, covetousness, deception, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, looks like to an all seeing, all knowing, benevolent God. When deeply rooted and untreated, these soul rotters, damage the entirety of the person, and show up as character flaws that infect relationships, and destroy entire families, and communities. Can God uproot these infectious bacteria, and remove them from a person and family? Yes, he can, but a person must be willing to be subject to the remedy he proposes: a person must go to the Great Physician for what may be, a rather painful extraction, that takes time and effort, in the submitting to the cure. 

Resistant hooks, persistent clinging to our own ways, deeply rooted beliefs and ways of life, can keep us stubbornly imbedded in our own badness. Perhaps a major part of you would like to be reformed, but there remains a tiny bit, that prefers your perverted, and crookedly rooted ways. God sees this, and he doesn't need to take x-rays - he gave you a conscience so that you would tell on yourself, come clean, and give way to the Sovereign hand that removes what injures, and heals what causes infection. 

Jesus, dear one, is the Cure, and he straightens what is twisted, and makes honest people of those that previously, were crooked. All we need do, is hear truth, love truth, speak and live, truth, and trust in him to heal what ails us, in a soulful and satisfying way. 

The root of bitterness, the very one that resists God's goodness, must be extracted, dear one, to save not only the body, but the soul, housed therein. It is corruption that temporarily serves in what I hinted, were manifold and duplicitous ways, but this is precisely what damages rapport, trust, and intimate sharing with those we profess to love. 

You and I both know when we are being crooked and self-serving. We also know precisely, the where and the why of what we do, even if we try to pretend that we are being thoughtful, generous, or altruistic. We know the difference between serving others and thinking of them first, over putting ourselves first in line, at life's pleasure store. It is humility and being willing to be vulnerable, that soften us from the inside out, and man alive, it is a great wonder, to see how quickly relief comes, when soul infection is treated, and crooked roots are removed. 

Ezekiel 36:26

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

Enemies of Christ

It is insane really, to be counted as an enemy of God Almighty. It is ludicrous, truly, to turn heel and walk away from the One that made you. It is beyond the pale, meaning: a person's behaviour is completely unacceptable, improper, or outside the bounds of good judgment and morality, to present a back, when face to the ground bowing, is apropos.  

Enemies of Christ among men, include: enemies to his sovereignty, to his cause, to his people; such as will not have him to reign over him, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 719. 

Maugre is a word I picked up while reading Matthew Henry's Commentary on The Bible: here is the word used in context:

... God declares the eternal duration of the dominion and divinity of his person: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting, through all the ages of time, maugre all the attempts of earth and hell to undermine and overthrow it, and through all the endless ages of eternity, when time shall be no more. This distinguishes Christ's throne from all earthly thrones, which are tottering, and will at length tumble down; but the throne of Christ shall be as the days of heaven, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 718. 

Maugre means in spite of, notwithstanding. Dear one, the enemies of Christ can try with what little might they have, to spitefully shake their tiny fists at the living God, and trick themselves into believing that their efforts matter, make a difference, or will some how thwart God in all his majesty - but they are shamelessly mistaken, and this grand delusion is what keeps them obstinately ignorant, and willfully disobedient too. 

And what of you and I, dear one? Do we, as subjects of The King, actually believe we can run counter to his claims on us, and get away with our prideful self-indulgences? I know how things turn out for me, when I do not heed biblical warnings and wisdom. I know the price I have paid in the flesh, for doing as I will, and not as he commands. What about you? What price have you paid for being an enemy of God, and are you paying it still?

Maugre is in spite of. The enemies of God are spiteful toward him, and their evil ways influence and impact others, destroying lives. Quote: Christ never did any thing to make men his enemies; he has done a great deal to make them all his friends and his Father's friends, and yet he has his enemies, Matthew Henry. 

We can point fingers in multiple directions and say, Him/Her, over there, they act like enemies of God, but this is counterproductive, when what each person must needs do, is look at themselves, assess their own heart and fleshly inclinations, and ask, Where do I need cleansing, and God, please purify me, a lowly servant, subject to your will. 

Christ's throne is distinguished from all earthly thrones. All the would-be kings and queens of this world are facing their demise, date stamped with inevitable decay and death, but God is the forever and ever, Amen. 

There are enemies in the flesh, and there are enemies in the spiritual realm, and maugre their attempts, they will one day, be footstools of Christ. 

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Faith is built on a foundation God provides, and is beyond reasonable argument or controversy, meaning: anyone arguing against God is unreasonable, since proof of him is everywhere. Christ in the flesh performed signs, wonders, and miracles, and it is by his power, his authority, his might, that his disciples and apostles were enabled to do the very same. It matters not to followers of Christ, what comes their way in the form of persecution: their indestructible faith in him as their King holds them stedfast, not because the path of suffering is an easy one, and the faithful feel no physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, but rather, it is in the knowing of the Saviour as the Redeemer of souls, that forsaking him would feel like a persistent and wanton soul sickness, that can not be escaped, and is without remedy or cure. 

Look with me again to the top of this page...

Enemies of Christ, deny, ignore, disregard, his Sovereignty

Enemies of Christ, denigrate his cause, by living as heathens and haters

Enemies of Christ, mistreat, maliciously attack, and kill his people

Enemies of Christ, will not have him reign over them

Dear one, we have a simple picture painted for everyone to understand, when they find themselves confronted by an enemy of Christ. We also have a quick view, of the horns down ramming of the wicked, that dare to attempt to take out God (this is a laughable concept to indulge), or his people. The great divide is evident and obvious, and the gap between God's people, and Christ's enemies, is widening daily: perhaps you see this too? 

Your faith must not be built on stilts that are easily snapped when a gentle breeze or hard wind blows. You need not suffer the insecurity of lack of confidence in Christ, as you walk this world. You can fortify your faith daily, with daily doses of the Word of God, where he is revealed, and undeniably so. We cannot know God without knowing his Son first, and it is off to The Bible we must go, to learn of the Sovereign, that rules and reigns in the hearts of his heirs, and in the running of the entire world, on which we depend currently, for our aliveness. 

Be not an enemy of God, dear one. See him for who he is, and you will start to see, what he has done for you, that no other, can or has done before. The Author of life will one day demand what so many were unwilling to give: he will have them bow down, and it is perilous to wait until judgment day, to do so.  

True Love Resurrects

There, in the middle of the pot, sat a clump of tiny bulbs, sprouting white tips of newness. Beneath the surface, life was resurrecting, and to me, a miracle that had previously been hidden out of sight, was taking place.

I am an ignorant suburban, city dweller. I was never taught the ways of the earth, and if I was, perhaps in grade and high school, it meant nothing to me, because food wasn't something my family grew in the garden, food was something served up to me on a plate, that I didn't have to think about, or contribute to in any way. Plate, knife, fork, food in mouth - what a sad state of affairs, when I think about it now. 

I am a budding human being, learning to grow. I am an accidental gardener, schooled as I go. Some people grasp concepts by reading about a subject, I understand experientially, and as I stated a sentence ago, accidentally. Those lily bulbs sprouting threw me for a happy loop, when I discovered them protruding, and readying themselves for their next gorgeous, winter display of purple splendour.

The bulbs were dormant for a time, and I know I risk sounding like a citiot (this word is a combination of city and idiot: put the two together and you get what country folk, call citiots - people that haven't a clue about nature) when I type this way, but hear me out, dear one. Lately, I feel like I am autumn dormant; lately, I feel as though the quiet of nature outside my kitchen sliding doors, wants me to comprehend, that when the cold infiltrates the house, it doesn't mean all growing stops, it means I get to embrace a different pace with less urgency: in other words, dominant doesn't mean dead. 

It is a strange thing that with the fall, we feel more sleepy, and lazy like the dying bees that land listlessly, losing their flight strength, and children are made to get up early without the presence of the sun, to go off to school and sit still, or listen attentively, for hours on end. September is a time of cooling, and our bodies respond in kind, but we go against nature in so many ways, that we feel utterly guilty for not being "productive" continually. 

What about being fallow? Here is the biblical meaning of the word fallow:

Fallow refers to unplowed, uncultivated, or idle land that has become hard and overgrown, yet holds the potential for a rich harvest once it is broken up and prepared. 

The formula can look like this:

1 Rest

2 Break up dry ground that can become hard and packed tightly with weeds

3 Prepare the earth by ploughing

The Bible talks about having childlike faith, and as an adult, I feel as though all that I am learning, is delightfully happening via discovery of the natural world. No one could have prepared me for the ugly truth, that iridescent, stunningly beautiful Japanese beetles, were the life force sucking enemy, for a variety of my precious trees, plants, and garden flowers. Ahhh, the Devil in disguise, showing up as a creature of de-light, makes sense to me in so many ways! I drown hundreds of those beetles this year, seeing them as a detestable, useless nuisance. and annoyance. Die buggy die, is something an old friend said once, when she killed a creepy crawler with a shoe slam, on a hotel wall in Mexico... but I digress. 

All of the above, is to say this: true love, always resurrects. The calla lily that was given to me by my childhood best friend at Valentine's last year, went limp and lifeless, and I thought I had somehow killed it with my ignorance. The pot I had replanted it in remained as I had left it, outside, without water, without care. When I decided to plant something new in the very same pot, imagine my surprise to see the sprouting. It makes me weepy to write the metaphor, that while my friendship with my childhood bestie had remained dormant for over a decade, it was resurrected a couple of years ago - it hadn't died, it was just sleeping. 

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).  

Awake, thou that sleepest

Arise from the dead

Christ shall give thee light

Dormant isn't dead... sleepy isn't half gone... love, dear one, always resurrects, with the newness of life everlasting.

May the light that is Christ, awaken your sleepy soul.