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 out of 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

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. 

Abhorring Evil

Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. 

We must not only not do evil, but we must abhor that which is evil. We must hate sin with an utter and irreconcilable hatred, have an antipathy to it as the worst of evils, contrary to our new nature, and to our true interest - hating all the appearances of sin, even the garment spotted with the flesh, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 375.

Visceral - a nervous system response or; relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect

How is your reaction time, dear reader? Are you quick to sense and feel that which is good, and that which is of an evil nature? 

Detecting is a natural God given gift, and there is abundant evidence of this, when we observe infants and small children react to people, surroundings, animals, and objects. Animals too, give us clues, non-verbally, to what they do, and don't trust: or should I say, whom it is they will allow to come near, and who they prefer to keep at a distance. These are visceral reactions, rather than reactions of an intellectual nature. They can be trusted as a form of vetting. 

Inward feelings as first responders, give us insights. While an infant or child will react spontaneously and without guile, adults with their thoughts directing their actions, often override their gut feelings, putting them onto precarious paths that may lead to heartache and sorrow, further on down the road. Ignored instincts, disqualified foreknowledge, dismissed discernment, open a person to any and all kinds of mind, heart, and soul destruction. Even when we intellectually understand what is bad for us, and whose company injures our emotional, spiritual, psychological, and even physiological well-being, we can do ourselves an ill turn, by continuing to override with our choices, the thoughts that clearly indicate, to stop what we are doing, and refrain from doing those things with certain people!

All this to say, dear one, that we have two choices: abhor evil, or embrace it. 

If we travel to the top of this page, Matthew Henry alludes to the new nature. This new nature is given to those that are saved by the grace of God. The old nature loves sin and does not see it, hear it, touch it, feel it, or recognize it, as evil. The old nature seeks sinful activities and indulges them frequently, and is not repulsed by what is abhorrent to God. The old nature does not need too much convincing to do what is evil, and would not with the intellect, suggest there is any wrong doing at all. Lying, cheating, stealing, fornicating, gossiping, coveting, are all on the smorgasbord table to be feasted upon when discernment is dead, and evil is seen as good. 

Let us now look into the visceral reactions granted to those that have the new nature. There is this:

A desire to do good, and resist evil

Abhorrence of evil

Hatred for sin

Utter and irreconcilable hatred for sin

An antipathy to it as the worst of evils

A hatred for all appearances of sin

A hatred even for the spotting of our garments with sin

This is an inside out work, dear reader. The spirit of God resides in the new creature, and when this is the case, we simply cannot help but abhor evil, want to resist evil, hating sin and being utterly and completely disabled from reconciling with sin; having such a strong and irresistible repulsion and antipathy to sin as the worst of evils, that every fibre of our being wants to run from it, or vomit when it comes near. 

Those that love the Lord cannot, nor will we, willfully commit evil, or expose ourselves to it, or, suffer it without saying a word to contradict and counteract what we witness. Jesus spoke words of life and death. To those that had eyes open to his Kingship, his words were welcome balm for the soul: to those that hated him and wanted to kill the Lord of glory, his words were nails on a chalk board, and all they could think to do was harm to the point of murder. The old and new nature, are evident and observable in humanity, aren't they dear one?

I ask you these questions:

Do you abhor evil and cleave to good? 

Do you have a sincere affection for, and constant perseverance in, that which is good?

Acts 11:21-24:

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord

It is in our best interest, and true interest, to cleave unto the Lord, abhor evil, and resist sin at all costs. 

What, dear one, must you do, to rid yourself of soul sucking, death inducing, abhorrent sin, that in its vileness, opens you to evil? 

Holiness is an inside out work of grace. Cleave unto the Lord, and he will show you the Way. 

Pslam 104:33

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being

Spiritual Danger Pay

Today it crosses my mind, that self-blame sickness has infected the minds of some exceedingly accountable, and hyper-responsible, people. The concept of reciprocal is rarely introduced as an essential behavioural and attitudinal element in relationships, and yet, reciprocal is the thought and feeling glue, that can bond a couple, or an entire group, in healthy and helpful ways. 

The self-blame sick think they can never do enough, that they are responsible when relationships go sideways, or when relationships suffer demise. The self-blame sick need to learn to see, that it takes two to tango, four couples for a square dance, and a mass of up and down boppers, and side to side swayers, to fill a concert floor. The lopsidedness of relationship seems epidemic, with the hyper-responsible holding up the house of cards, while the self-servers blow hard, and knock everything down, without giving their destructo ways, a second thought. 

In the past year, I fell headlong into a sticky gooey gummy mess that I had a hard time extricating myself from, and scrubbing off. When I looked back at the start of this year, I recalled a couple I had worked with that were frequent users of drugs, inhalers of the smoke of weed and tobacco, and only one in the couple, cared a whit about the other. One was willing to do the work required to accomplish life and career goals, while the other engaged in frequent sabotage. The imbalance was painful to witness, but alas, this dynamic is common, and compensatory in a most unholy and unhealthy way. The weak one pulls the strong one down, holding them hostage to their lowly standards. The strong one acquiesces to the harassment and bullying of the belittler, giving up the fight in order to keep the peace. Adult temper tantrums effectively silence those that want to get along, and the cycle is perpetuated and reinforced. NOTE: Peace without purity is the peace of the devil's palace, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 374.

When I consider the concept of reciprocal, after having worked with these two individuals, I recognize that payment was not enough for me. The amount of money I made was not commensurate with the drama/trauma I heard instigated by the trouble maker in the couple: replaying the words and seeing the scenes in my minds eye after sessions, was repulsive. Spiritual danger pay wouldn't have me working with either of them ever again, because money can not remove the mark left, after hearing horrendous stories of a vulgar and reprobate nature. These people could not trust each other, and I could not help either of them. 

What I want as a coach, working with motivated clients, is some kind of reciprocal. I want to be energized and inspired by people that are purposeful, hard working, accountable, and make a marvellous difference in the world! Getting paid is not the be all end all, it is simply an exchange of cash for services rendered, but by God in heaven, it means a lot to me to earn my income, and do a good work for people that want to do good work in their own lives. 

Clients, and we are all clients for someone that provides us services, must recognize, that all relationships require reciprocal. I think it makes perfect sense for clients to expect the best from their service providers, and I believe that it is only fair and reasonable, for the service or product providers, to expect this to be true of clients. Clients must give their all, do what they say they will do, and make marked improvements, otherwise, the relationship is a dead thing, that cannot be resuscitated. 

I had four clients this year that smoke a lot of weed. I guess my open for nonsense sign was flashing on my forehead, and there was a part of me that wanted to rescue them from this thought and life altering unreality; the damage drugs do to the soul is bestial, transforming humans created in the image of God, to all sorts of savages ravaged by invisible demons. The spirit is stripped of significance, and the body is enslaved to an evaporating high that steals purpose, meaning, ambition, and the will to make concerted effort. The chains are heavy for pot smokers, and it is only when they realize they can never ever use drugs again because drugs destroy their soul, that they can start to break free. There is no such thing as harmless recreational use of mind and body altering drugs: that is a lie from the pit of hell. 

When I consider people that want to break free from unhealthy patterns, and that want to make choices that serve them and the people they love, I see how motivated they are to be accountable for their impact, and the consequences attached to all of their behaviours and activities. Self-control kicks in for those that want to make a wholesome difference in the world, and this is a trait that I can appreciate. 

Dear reader, if you have a druggie or an alcoholic in your life, and you feel as though you are responsible to help them out of their misery, you are dead wrong. Each person is accountable for their own choices, and the consequences of those choices. Do not steal this from them! Reward is attached to accomplishment, and the druggie, the alcoholic, must come to terms with the state they are in, and truly want a different life. Your pep talks and encouragement, are feel good moments in time, but they are not the stuff of change for those that must come clean of their own accord. 

If you have suffered along side this person for an extended and exhausting period of time, then perhaps you have a self-blame sickness that can only be cured by removing yourself from their slurred company. You cannot save anyone from themselves, only Jesus saves repentant and needy souls from self-destruction. 

Jesus empowers, we pray, that is how the system works!

Don't feel sorry for the abusers of drugs and alcohol, feel some compassion for yourself, for all the suffering you have endured in their company. Your peace is precious and hard won, and while you hold hands with a self-indulgent person, you give them your strength, and undoubtedly, your energy will be sucked right out of your soul and body. 

Living is one choice at a time, and reciprocal must be considered before we engage ourselves and invest, in relationship. 

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.