Lopped Off Ear

I invite you to come with me, dear reader, into the garden of Gethsemane.

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall parish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:48-54).

And one of those who stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear (Mark 14:47). 

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him (Luke 22:47-51).

Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then Jesus said unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him (John 18: 10-12).

We now leave the garden of Gethsemane, and follow Jesus to the house  of Caiaphas, the high priest: 

One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsmen whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? (John 18:26).

Dear reader, I have a smirky attitude right now, about an ear lopped off, and healed immediately by the hand of Jesus, after the severing. Listen with me to how ridiculous it is to hear this story repeated, and consider, that all the eye witnesses to the event, didn't think it wild, wonderful, miraculous, and Godly, to know that in Peter's haste to violence, Christ healed in an instant. 

I laugh a little each time I think about Peter being accused of being with Jesus in the garden as a follower, and him denying it, despite being seen with him for a full three and a half years of the Lord's ministry. And what of the servant of the high priest, having his ear chopped off, and then having the same ear, restored lickety-split, with the touch of Jesus? he must have marvelled for his entire life, don't you think? The Bible doesn't tell us what became of Malchus after this dramatic scene in the garden, but if I were that guy, my weakened knees would have had me falling at the feet of Jesus! And the relative of Malchus, that in the gospel of John is reported to have questioned Peter about him having been in the garden with Jesus, didn't he have a jaw dropping experience, knowing his kinsmen had been assaulted and restored, in the self-same moment?

Gee whiz people, if miracles were performed by Jesus in front of multitudes, and they carried on with their regular business as though there was nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to take note of that is fascinating and interesting and heavenly in nature, then what chance do regular old boring folk have, of getting to heaven, through Christ the King? Killing was the plan, and no matter what God incarnate did, the murderers had their marching, arresting, and slaying orders. And the witnesses, for shame! Nothing could change their minds about who Jesus really was... blind, deaf, dumb, retrograde in their thinking and being, these people are a joke in the annals of history, for being foolish enough to accuse the God of glory as though he were a common criminal, and for daring to demand his life publicly. 

Man alive, denying Jesus as God is a happy pass time for the multitudes still. They haven't a clue that his is the kingdom, and that he is the Lord of glory. I cannot read scripture and remain unmoved. I know that Jesus has healed my wounded heart, and many a body part too for that matter! Dear reader, I do not write to you about dulled and dumbed down senses, we are considering together, souls that are so darkened and dusty with coal soot like sin, that they refuse to see past themselves. 

Picture yourself as an eye witness to what is described in the four gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. An ear was lopped off for goodness sakes, and Jesus made the man well with his touch, in front of multitudes. I love this account so much, I had to highlight it for me, and for you, today. There is rich material to discuss in the scripture quoted above, but I leave you to deeply contemplate the scene painted for us by disciples, that had their own unique perspectives, and yet, shared the same reportable, congruent and cogently interwoven experiences, of events in the life of Jesus. We get a full picture with each man, sharing what he saw and heard, when in the presence of God Almighty, manifest in the Man/God, Jesus, the Christ. 

Do you, believe in miracles? Miracles are occurrences that behave contrary to nature: would it be a miracle for Jesus to break your stony heart, for what breaks his? Jesus could have smote the multitude of unbelievers with the batting of one eye. Jesus could have requested his own angel armies to cut off ears, gouge out eyes, lop off limbs, and drop his enemies before they saw the flash of swords, but he came to fulfill prophecy as the Saviour, he didn't come to kill and destroy, he came to save... 

Satan roams, killing and destroying, and he uses the willing that hate Jesus, to do his bidding. He wants you and I dead: do you believe this to be true? See now, with me, once again, the multitudes coming against Jesus, wanting to eliminate him, despite the miracles and wonders he performed.

Are you, one of the multitude?

Trump Towers

In his grandeur, Trump towers over the little people that paved as stones, his way to the top. Daily, he makes himself great, again and again. His highness regally looks down his nose, condescending to listen to some, while waiting to assail others with insults, when they dare insolence. King of his castle, the Don is master over all he sees, near or far, and as overseer, the great one, will command and demand, fearful devotion, admiration, and respect from all. 

Bigger than life itself, we see the man of the hour, taking to the cameras, soaking up the rays of artificial light that brighten his countenance. From his mouth come opposites in pairs, confirming the condemning of his fellow man, while praising his efforts as the judge and jury, of all those he deems demean-able. 

Ahh, to be The Don, the one to call the shots, and pull the triggers that release deadly bullets, or give the order, Send missiles now, They must die, all of them. They must be wiped from the face of the earth forever, with none remaining. God did this with flood waters, and eight were spared. The Don will spare his own, not his own countrymen, oh no, they are the ones ordered, to do his diabolical bidding - he will spare his spawn, for a time - perhaps he will disown and detach from them too, if they threaten to break their obligatory obedience to Da Man. 

As demigod, Trump towers in his self-appointed magisterial magnificence. Donald leaves nothing unsaid, giving his audience material to inform them of his unstable murderous mental state, his concrete hardened heart, and the atrophying of his vapid self-absorbed and self-obsessed soul. 

The crowds are going wild with nervous agitation over Trump. They didn't mind Da Man, when they thought him boyishly randy, a shamelessly and unabashedly successful business man. short of information due to lack of intel, when injections of a deadly nature, were promoted as a life saving measure. He was excused as just not knowing back then, despite his presidency. Now people are getting anxiously edgy, and isn't that just about right, albeit, a little late, a lot late? It is in the aftermath, when the final sands of time drop from the hour glass, that people come to their senses, saying things like, Why didn't we see and know this sooner? 

Why didn't someone remove Hitler from existence sooner, before - before atrocities were committed? One might ask a similar question: Why permit a mad man to continue to reign and rule wickedly?

I will tell you why, dear reader. The Don is the man for right now, to get the dirty deals of the Devil done. Satan, as I have stated numerous times in other pieces of writing, is an equal opportunity killer, and he uses the compromised, the committed ones of this world that like to live larger than life, to do his dastardly deeds. Trump is one man, backed by a population of worldling's and heathens, that hate the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot serve two masters, oh no, you must bow your knee to one or the other, and all those that profess Christ as King, cannot, will not, accept this man as their current saviour and protector, from the big bad wolves in other countries, or their own country, for that matter. 

MAGA really represents, make Trump Tower over all. MAGA was never about restoring America to its former greatness and glory, and look now with me dear reader, how America is besmirched, how the world grimaces at the name of Trump, and at the citizens he lords over, seeing them as guilty, just as he is guilty. Think with me, about being a German after the demise of Hitler... the citizens of America must feel a certain shame and embarrassment, regarding Trump as pandered to selected leader. As a Canadian, I disown the governors of my country - they do not represent me. I do not support those that oppose the commands of God. I am confident this is true for many an American, that cannot stand Trump as president. 

Do not misunderstand me, dear reader. Trump is a pawn on Satan's chessboard, a piece moved about that is currently useful. NOTE: I repeat, Satan is an equal opportunity killer, and Trump means about as much to Lucifer as a clump of unearth dirt. Everyone is disposable to the devil. Pawns don't make decisions, they take orders, and there are plenteous people that have colluded to make America terrible, to ruin whole populations of people, to steal from, and kill, other humans, for wicked sport, and rob them of their resources. If you do not believe this, I wonder about your concern for your fellow man, and your lack of knowledge regarding the covetous nature, of those that believe they are entitled to impose, infringe, and insinuate themselves, to have what they want, that does not lawfully, belong to them. 

Before I go, I will say this. I write commentary on current events. The current events we are living are repeats of history. As Solomon said, There is nothing new under the sun. Dear reader, you are not living history, you are living your choices, and Christian, you must ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear, so that deception and the wiles of the worldly, do not compromise and then, corrupt your spirit. 

We end our time here together, with the soundness of scripture: 

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way: and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Isaiah 13:12

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 

Proverbs 27:2

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

It's Never Too Late

• It is never too late to be sorry and say so 
• It is never too late to ask for forgiveness
• The timing cannot be wrong, and you displaced, by feeling regret and remorse
• The timing can be just right, for reconciling
• Do the peace work for the sake of your soul, and for the sake of others

I am sorry may not change the relationship, or return it to its former pleasantness, but hearing. I am sorry. can be balm for the spirit of an injured party. I am sorry is an acknowledgment of pain caused willfully, or with absence of intention. Telling someone you are sorry for what you have said and done, lifts the burden of self-doubt and self-recrimination, for the person suffering in the throes of loss. 

Was it me? Something I said? Something I did?

Was it them? How did things go so wrong, and so quickly?

What must I do, to right this listing ship of a relationship?

Chasing down thoughts, putting them in a straight jacket, and forcing them to explain themselves, can help us understand the when, the where, the how, the why, of waywardness. It is crazy making when we do not hold ourselves to account, and it is insanity, when we go about our business without comprehending why we do what we do, and how it impacts the people in our lives, whether near or far. 

Guilt is an informant, a first-class snitch for a conscience that needs to come clean with a good mind and mouth washing. Guilt indicates sin has been committed in our thinking and or our doing, and usually, dear reader, we aren't the only ones hurt when we have done wrongly. Guilt lets us know that a culprit lurks in our being; when a search light is shone on our sins, we have a choice of admittance, which brings a certain bitter sweet relief in its wake, or we can pretend we have done nothing to be ashamed of, and carry on with our bad selves. 

Do you mostly, carry on with your bad self? What is it like when truth slaps you hard across the face and says, Snap out of it. Stop being dodgy. You can't avoid me, I have you by the tail. 

• Truth is gentle when we are willing to be corrected
• Truth is a cruel task master when we will not relent
• It is always wise to seek truth, where it can be found
• It is always senseless to pretend
• Do the work of truth telling, for the sake of your soul, and the sake of others

It is never too late, until it is. Death has a way of ensuring that we go to the grave with all that we have left undone. Death hollows out the body and deprives the spirit, of the possibility of reconciliation with God, and our fellow man. This one life you and I have been given, is spent, when we take that last breath, and when I am sorry, please forgive me, have not been spoken and heard, the loss of opportunity to mend what was broken, is eternal. 

Christ reconciles his own to our Father in heaven. He leads the way toward holiness and away from, waywardness. Forgive them Father was his request for us while he suffered the agonies of the cross, and wouldn't it be marvellous, wouldn't it be wonderful, if we asked for forgiveness for ourselves, and for others too? 

Start with your sins in confession. You might be on your knees for a while. Confession is truly good for the soul, and when you are done there, perhaps forgive, even if you never hear the words, I am sorry, please forgive me, from the humans that have hurt you. You need not have them in your life ever again, but this bit of hard work, will serve you as a saint, and servant of the living God. 

It is never too late, while you continue to inhale and exhale. Breathe in peace, and exhale love, with words that heal. 

Hebrews 13: 20-21

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

Hate Bombing

Accept, accept for, with acceptance, accepting: accept the truth, the facts, the reality...

Love, loving, loveable, love bombing

Hate, hateful, hate filled, hate bombing

Matthew 5: 1-11

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

The Beatitudes speak gentility to the soul of mankind. The words of Jesus inspire humility, encourage kindness and mercy, and a meekness rarely observed in the western world. I am appalled often by the brashness of global governors that have arrogantly taken the reins of leadership, and driven their countrymen into destruction. 

If a man, let us say, Donald John Trump, promoted the injection of millions and millions of citizens in his own country, why pray tell, is it surprising to see him hate bombing, and quite literally, ordering the bombing, of citizens in a country far from the shores of America? From the same mouth has come destruction, murderous and true to the man himself, that does not honour and obey God, does not consider the Word to be the ultimate and final say...

Christian, examine yourself now: Is there a man that stands between you and your Saviour? Do politicians rule your world and govern your thoughts? Do the words of Jesus, reverberate in your being, or are you inclined to cling to humans to make the world right for you and yours? The world isn't right, or righteous, and never will be, because it never has been, but mankind has always lived on a slant, preferring to believe in one another, rather than acknowledge, that the Christ came to rescue us from ourselves. 

The turbulent tides are turning once again. Those that discern the spirits see through the guise, see through the posers and pretenders, and keep their eyes trained on the King. Donald John Trump is a wicked man, and his hateful speech ought to be a powerful indicator of his desire to destroy other human beings, and yet, and yet, he is seen and heard as a man with righteous intentions by people that admire a power suit and privileged prestige, rather than a man whose soul is draped in filthy rags. That tide I mentioned, is turning on DJT. He talks too much, too often, and his hate bombing is starting to grate on his supporters, but a little too late, for my liking. Dictators, braggarts, and murderers, get worse over time, because they use grooming techniques to inculcate followers and admirers. Speaking lies that sound like hopefilled promises of prosperity, are insidious snakes that eventually, slithery and seduce to the point of mind and soul poisoning, and just when a person sees the serpent, they realize they have been in a nest of vipers for far too long. 

This is Resurrection Sunday, and dear reader, I cannot help but hope almost against hope, that people will finally accept the love that God alone offers us. Who but God, speaks the words found in scripture, in the Beatitudes, as instructions for believers that are inclined to temptation, in a world where success is marked by money, position, and power? We must examine ourselves, and do this frequently, to hold ourselves accountable to the King, that died, and rose again on the third day, by the power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 

Who can compare to Christ? And to whom must we look for our righteous guidance?

Are you willing to forsake all for the Saviour of your soul? Are you willing to forgo believing that loud talking, obnoxiously arrogant murderous men, will save society and right the ship that is sinking so that all is made "great again"? 

Christian: Your allegiance is in question each time you think and speak highly of humans, that hate bomb and literally, order the bombing of citizens in another country. The callousness of these words, and commands, directly oppose who Jesus wants us to be, and what he spoke in the Beatitudes. 

Might I suggest that you have been won and wooed by a wicked man if you defend Donald John Trump and people like him, and that your salvation was bought and paid for by the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, when he died on a cross for your sins, willingly brutalized, meek as a gentle lamb that did not bleat a word of complaint but rather, willingly gave up his spirit for the sake of souls? 

Must I remind you to whom you belong, not as a citizen of this world, but as a future citizen of heaven? 

The blood red tide has turned, and DJT will be held to account for all he says and all he does. He is not beyond the reach of the law of God, no matter what he has seemingly gotten away with thus far as a domineeringly insufferable talk too much proud man of this world. He does the deeds of his daddy the Devil when he speaks cavalierly about killing, with warp speed injections for his countrymen, countrywomen, and country-children, or bombing people in a country far off; he delights in bragging about the destruction he orders wantonly.

Do, I insist now, take note of what comes from the mouth of the men and women that perpetually take the stage, and spew violence into microphones, while being videotaped. What comes from the mouth is an overflow of the heart, and behaviour, dear reader, never lies. 

Behaviour, and outcomes, go consequentially, hand in hand. 

NOTE: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

If you are a child of God, you will grieve the loss of life, especially in a country that knows not Christ as Saviour. Life is our greatest God given gift, and it ought to make us mournful to see the destruction of life, for the sake of financial gain. Oil and resources, stolen from a people, a population, is the goal for Donald John Trump, and there must be a twisted way of thinking to justify any, and all, of his actions. 

Relationship Assassination

We have reason to bewail those who sin and do not repent, to bewail many that have sinned, and have not repented. If they have not, as yet, grace to mourn and lament their own case, their case is the more lamentable; and those who love God, and love them, should mourn for them, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 518. 

Christ crucified for the sins of the world. The sins of the world, include your sins, my sins, your grandparents, your father's and mother's, your sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, the neighbour next door and the citizens all around the world, both living and dead, and yet to be born: can you comprehend the magnitude of this concept? Does the thought of mankind turning against their Maker to the point of wanting to kill him, crucifying him for their own wickedness, shock your sensibilities? 

Christians cannot help feel ashamed when they consider how against God they have gone: Christians cannot help but weep when they consider Christ on the cross, and before this, him brutalized for their transgressions. It pains us to think of our Lord, suffering and dying because of our disobedience. He planned a way of redemption for us before the foundation of the earth, and in an embarrassing comparison, I suppose you and I try to plan too, contingencies in case of emergencies, an insurance policy so to speak. 

If this then that... 

Last night I had a dream. I was reunited with some of my favourite people, people I considered close enough to call family. They were my friends, and I was included in some of their family trips. When I close my eyes and think of each of them, the dream images return. Some of them were speaking realization - they realized that they had been deceived regarding covid, and while I did not bring up the topic, they willingly spoke of the choices they had made, and how detrimental the outcomes have been. The one person I really wanted to speak to and connect with, was hidden from view, with a family member sitting next to them, and sitting a little too far forward. The one I wanted to reconnect with, remained tensely silent - I could feel the tautness. She sat back purposefully, not wanting to make eye contact or share. She was one of my all time favourite people, and I miss her tremendously. 

Matthew Henry stated profoundly, that we have good reason to bewail those who sin and do not repent. Many sinned egregiously during the covid era. We live the aftershocks of disobedience, of men and women choosing to reject Christ in favour of a contingency plan. Employment was preferable to relying on God's provision, when the wicked governments of the new world order, aligned to use psychological warfare, and spiritual attack, to disarm a naive and gullible populace. Golden handcuffs made with fools gold, held many a captive in place, while governors raped and pillaged, removing dignity, by insisting on mask wearing, distancing from loved ones, hand-sanitizing and lastly, lethal injections that neuter and nullify: all the while the wicked ones suggested that the non-compliant were a threat to humanity, punishable for their wanton disregard for the health and safety of their fellow man. The good boys and girls that unwittingly went along with the years in the making scheme, were rewarded with approval, and continued entrance into social settings, albeit with some demeaning restrictions in place. It was subtly and forcibly implied in nausea inducing messages, that freedom to choose was the sacrifice caring people made for others. The very thing that God grants each human, is freedom of choice, and is it any wonder, this is precisely what Satan insinuates, is forsake-able? All that we saw and heard, became a horrendous, cumulative pile, of destructive deceptions. Alas, while many have come out of the thought comas induced by the spells cast over them, so many more, will never awaken to the nightmarish reality, that they not only took a payoff for disobeying God, but they are suffering the long term consequences in countless, and countable ways, for doing the dirty deeds they have done. They chose, and chose wrongly, badly, and not for the good of themselves or humanity, in the long, or even the short, run. 

Let us look together at consequences:

1. Relationship assassination - covid killed relationships and relatives. Covid murdered the you and the me of being in unity. I think of my family and friends, my formerly forever ones, the people I continue to long for, and the great divide between us, the chasm that I cannot close. Today I weep the losses, once more. 

2. Death and destruction - people are sick and dying suddenly, slowly, painfully, without reasonable cause, according to medical explanation or understanding. They were well but either immediately, or years after injections, they suffer and while they suffer, those of us that did not go the way of covid, weep as we watch. We wait and we see, with sadness and sorrow, as our companions. Our joy is in the Lord, and our hurt is in knowing how very few know him: will they repent, of their covidic activities, and be redeemed by the Saviour? This is the heart cry of believers, of the faith filled that like God, want none to be lost. 

3. The fabric of society is frayed - there is a tension that is tangible. Those in the know anticipate death of loved ones, and fear for their eternal souls, while the unrepentant and seemingly unaware, or self-deluded, become fragile, and susceptible to the terrors of death. 

I have to explain number three. A close friend of mine has lost, meaning they have died, four relatives, in a short span of time, Each relative was prayed over extensively, because they did not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, they knew only the Catholic religion, and prayer to Mary. These relatives were frightened of death. Christians are not afraid to die - they may admit to fear of suffering in the throes of death, but they do not fear death itself, because those that are in Christ, look forward to life eternal in his heavenly, glorious presence! 

There is a disunity between believers and what I comfortably call, pagans. Dear reader, if you are not a Christian, you are a pagan, a heathen, a barbarian of sorts. God civilizes his people as citizens of his world with rules, regulations, laws, principles, precepts, conditions of acceptability for the Lord of Glory. We obey when we belong to Christ, empowered by his strength to resist temptation, and if this is not the case for you, then you are as I stated earlier, a pagan, heathen and barbarian, all words that can be considered anachronistic, given our current time frame. 

God gave many a person the will and way to escape, when imposers and imposters, insisted that we do as they demanded. Godly people obeyed him, when others easily, systematically, went with the flow of the herd, running themselves into the pens erected for them, before they knew they were prey. And this is the sharpened point I must cut through the lies with: We are prey to those that belong to Satan and do his bidding. They care not about your well-being, let alone your precious and paid for by the blood of Christ, soul. 

You, dear reader, are precious to God

You, dear reader, are prey to the Devil

The Devil does his dastardly best to assassinate God in the minds of men and when he wins his point, when he has cut and slashed ties between us and our Creator, he has managed to grimly reap, to cull and kill, and steal away souls, that were not meant to burn eternally in damnation. 

Christian, do you weep and mourn for those that have not repented of their sins and do not weep and mourn for themselves, before righteous God? Sin is lamentable, and who, pray tell, will plead with God for souls, if not you? 

Christ has died, hallelujah 

Christ is risen, hallelujah 

Christ will come again, hallelujah alleluia 

Hope springs eternal and while this is true, we face bravely the facts, that souls are in peril, and if we truly love God, we will love people to the feet of Jesus for Christ's sake, and for their salvation. 

The Great Toilet Paper Shortage

During the Great Toilet Paper Shortage, many a person panicked and made a run for their local Costco, grocery store, or neighbourhood convenience shop, trying to ensure their own butts were covered, even at the expense of other bums in town that didn't have memberships, personal vehicles to rush them to purchase, or a big enough trunk in which to place multi-packs of paper. Alarmingly, and suddenly, there simply weren't enough trees to fell, and factories had to grind to a halt in production, due to insufficiency, and lack of useable toiletry raw materials. 

The very same thing is happening with oil... they find some, then they loose the vein, or well, or whatever it is that they draw the black gooey stuff up and out of: running out of oil and then finding it, means the prices of gasoline drop a little, skyrocket some, then drop a little, and again, rise like a shooting star. Speaking of skyrocketing and shooting stars, the NASA and spacey projects continue to thrive! I wonder if astronauts, during The Great Toilet Paper Shortage, were taught to spare a square, share the Charmin, conserve on usage, be conscientious about just how much they use each time they have need of the stuff. 

I myself (I like referring to myself twice, as in, I myself), am working my darndest to conserve on oxygen consumption. I do not want to be responsible for The Great Oxygen Depression, so I play my part, with half breaths in, and quarter breaths out. My reduced intake, over time, will save lives, I myself, am very certain that my contribution to air conversation, will positively impact many generations to come! 

I know, I know, the global ruler guys and gals tell us how things are going to go and what we can do to be in this together, like one big global team of goodfellas, but sometimes I eat red meat, and I confess, I don't use that green compost box my city generously gave me, and my neighbours, a couple of years ago. I am no longer Catholic, but I do know confession is good for the soul, so I am telling you right now, that I don't always follow the suggestions that sound kind of like orders from the top guys down. I am what they call, a rebel, of sorts. They don't know me, and I am confident they never will, so I feel safe working the edges over here, just living under the wire and out of their suspicious gaze, ya know?

Anyhow, going green is the way to go nowadays. I did see a funny documentary featuring Melania Trump the other day, and man alive, she sure does have pretty places to go when she is transported in Trump planes by private pilots, and when on the road, by motorcades, a whole battalion of shiny black cars with flashing lights announcing her important presence as important first lady for time number two! Of course, she deserves to live the finest life ever, she is the presidents wife for goodness sakes! She is only one person, making a difference in her own way, and you and me, we have to follow suit, and make a difference too - she is such an excellent example of ambassadorship. 

Well, I have to go lie down now... this part-time, half-time kind of breathing makes me myself a little dizzy and tired. I will check back in on you later, ciao for now, fellow concerned for the world citizen, 

Remember now, we are all in this together. Don't forget to thank your local pharmacists, doctors and nurses, for having your back, by continuing to offer you shots against the viruses men make in the factories next door to the toilet paper producers. We all must do our part, and me, myself, will do what I can, to stay on the right side, of doing good in our world.

How about, you, yourself? 

Braggart Becomes Inert Dirt

Of all flattery, self-flattery is the worst, and self-applause is seldom any better than self-flattery and self-deceit. At the best, self-commendation is no praise, and it is often times as foolish and vain as it is proud; therefore, instead of praising or commending ourselves, we should strive to approve ourselves to God, and his approbation will be our best commendation, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 513. 

I couldn't help myself from thinking immediately of Donald Trump, when I read Matthew Henry's description above, with regard to vanity and bragging. DJ (Donald John), has a one track mind. All paths lead to him, and how very important he is, how very proud as a peacock he is, of all his accomplishments, his family, his ability to do all things better than anyone else ever has, and ever will. He has erected a golden calf in his mind, and it is shaped in his image, for the purpose of self-adoration, and of course, he wants to be worshipped by all the people that admire him ever so. 

How very dreamy a life he leads... lots of money, prestige, and the power to push the button. He says what he wants about himself in all kinds of complimentary ways, in all kinds of company, and regardless of the circumstances, knowing full well that many in his audience, eat-up the vomitrocious chunks of self-promotion he spews. Jesus humbled himself by taking on flesh, condescending to walk amongst mankind, forsaking for a time, his heavenly throne to make right, all that we have done wrongly. DJT will one day soon (life is short, dear reader, and we all must die) be inert dirt - just like all the foolish men that came before him, believing they had super powers, and with dominating and arrogant over-confidence, could get away with being self-serving, instigating hatred, and causing fights so big they are called wars... The Bible is rife with men like DJT, and they all met the same demise - the grave yawned wide open to receive them, taking them where they never thought they would go, pulling them down to a lowly state of nothingness, with no approving applause, no good job, or atta boy. Golden coffins drop six feet deep, and not a living soul, wants to follow a dead man to his eternal demise. Jesus, dear reader, rose from the grave, by the power of God, since he is God, and his Father would not leave him where he lay. 

Jesus has the power over life and death, and yet humans believe it is their prerogative to arm wrestle with God, vainly convinced that he will not shatter their bones at the wrist, elbow and shoulder, for taking liberties in their arrogance. Man can force man against their will, this is true. A man with a missile can launch it into a building filled with human adults, children and babies, and the subjected persons, can do nothing to stop the violence from destroying their abode, and snuffing them of life. Anyone and everyone that condones this murderous conduct, fails in the extreme, in understanding, that this life isn't the end of the road of existence... there is a life eternal that follows the one of the flesh, and it is the after life that matters the most. 

Self-flattery

Self-applause

Self-deceit

Self-commendation

Self-praise

Look at the list, dear reader! Are you cringing, or do you think these self-bragging traits are admirable in others, or yourself, as signs of confidence earned by goal accomplishments? Do you wish you could be a braggart too? 

Foolish

Vain

Proud

God Almighty does not approve of people like DJT, in fact, all you and I need do, is read the Beatitudes, to clarify the matter, on the point I am making. DJ is nothing like Jesus, and he is no where near a saint on his way to heaven after this earthly existence. 

Look at the man, and do not compare him to other men. Look at the person, and compare him to Christ as the ultimate measure and standard of perfection. Christian, do you dare approve a braggart that speaks murder with his mouth, and think of the Saviour in the same moment, without feeling the weight of truth, that Jesus loved to the point of death, and wicked men like Donald John Trump, hate to the point of eliminating anyone and everyone that gets in his way, irritates him, draws his distain, questions his authority, disapproved his messages and mentality? 

Do you confuse and conjoin the two?

Do you dare ignore the evidence, in favour of politically motivated manipulative ploys of arrogance, that exploit the populace?

If you fawn over Trump and those that are like him, and call yourself a Christian, I implore you to read the Beatitudes, and pray to God for recalibration to Christ.