The message that the world’s greatest religions and cultures taught young people: Seek the truth, do your duty to your family, eat healthy, don’t drink your youth away, honour the gods and your ancestors, marry and have children, and serve your people. The message that social media and pop music teaches young people today: live for yourself, don’t settle or sacrifice, drink, smoke, party, sleep with whoever you want, God is an interpretation, family is a farce, you don’t need a man, you go girl! If young people do not live a life with purpose, mental health is bound to suffer. The consequences of poor decisions cannot be fixed with pharmacological solutions. Of course, it goes without saying that not everyone who has poor mental health is doing something wrong. Many of the codes to a well-lived life, a life of meaning and purpose, are actually quite simple. Religious and cultural values taught us ways to achieve good ‘mental health’ before science had even taken its first steps. It has more to do with what we offer others, and less to do with embracing oneself unconditionally. The most popular value today among the young, educated urban population is ‘self-love’. As a concept, this one has had many proponents on its side, ranging from counsellors to hippies, from philosophers to third wave feminists. Each group of supporters have expanded the application of the notion, sometimes to distorted proportions. Consequently, (one of) the most unpopular values of today is the antithesis of self-love. That is, loving someone else as much, or even more than yourself. The most unforgivable is when one loves one’s romantic partner more than oneself. Fewer people want to get married or have children, and even if they do, they delay it as much as they possibly can. Even fewer have more than two children. An extended bachelorhood is all anyone wishes for any more. Meeting or spending time with one’s parents, siblings or grandparents has become less frequent for adults. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews are no better than strangers. Neighbours do not even exchange smiles. Of course, one might replace these invaluable relationships with friendships or colleagues, but there is far less responsibility to be taken there. Long-term, serious, monogamous romantic relationships “scare” people, so that has been replaced with hookups, one-night stands, friends with benefits, and all manner of why-label-anything pseudoships. This incompetence to handle anything with commitment, responsibility or obligation also looks better disguised as “self love”. “Love yourself. Focus on your own needs first. Whatever you do: work, dress, write, earn, travel, it should be for yourself and not for others.” But what’s wrong with putting someone else first? What’s wrong with working a job that may not be your dream, if it helps you to provide for your aged parents? What’s wrong with doing what your boyfriend wants once in a while? Or your parents? Or your brother? What’s wrong with choosing to leave your job to take care of your kids? What’s wrong with making sacrifices for those you love? Are they even sacrifices if they further your own people’s interests? Are we so insecure about our independence that we feel threatened if someone else tells us what to do or what’s good for us? Is the assertion of the self (its needs, desires, rights, freedoms) the only way we feel we love ourselves? Does ‘self love’ mean mindless indulgence of every whim and fantasy? Does it entail prioritising one’s dreams or hobbies or grooming no matter the cost? Does it involve chasing hedonistic pleasures? Self love should be redefined to include love for our loved ones. It includes teaching your son to fix a faulty shower head, helping your wife do the dishes or your nephew with his math homework. Sometimes, these tasks call for sacrifices like missing a career-altering work conference, failing to meet your monthly salon appointment, or losing your place in a beloved novel because you didn’t get weeks to pick it up. What’s wrong with that? Some of this has to do with Western culture. In India, we have what we call a “joint family” system (although family structures in urban India are becoming increasingly nuclear). I grew up in such a family. Typically, this would consist of a man and his wife (with or without kids), who live with his parents under the same roof. Or maybe the parents live with their son. It doesn’t really matter who lives with whom. If the man has a brother, he too lives in the same house with his wife and kids. It might sound outlandish, but it has its benefits. Festivals and special occasions are celebrated together. Children inherit a diverse collection of values from the lived experiences of multiple parental figures. The women go to work at greater ease, leaving their children at home to be watched by the grandparents. The kids grow up listening to stories told by their grandfather, and enjoying sweetmeats cooked by their grandmother. They do not see much difference between their siblings and their cousins. They not only learn to cooperate and share, but also to depend. The man provides for his parents in their old age, and he may even share some household expenses with his brother(s). I do not advocate returning to the joint family system. Times have changed, and logistical problems arise. What I advocate is, returning home. Home to family. Home to cultural roots. Home to sanity. The concept of ‘self’ is also different from that in the West. It may not be carved in stone, but I’d daresay that the definition of ‘self’ includes the family in almost every context. And the working definition of family includes not just wife and kids, but also parents and siblings and nieces and nephews. This working definition matters when one makes decisions. But ‘self love’ as it is understood to be today, has outlived its worth. “Love yourself. Make sure you forgive yourself for everything. You are valid. You are valuable.” How can it be so absolute? You are valuable, period. No conditions whatsoever. Who decides this value? ‘Self love’ would say you do. But isn’t value also decided by the role we play in the lives of others, or how well we play it? How valuable are you if you bring nothing to the table? How about if you have a drug problem? Or if you drink and drive and kill someone in the process? Or if you never bothered to fix your strained relationship with your parents? Even if it is not as extreme as all that. How can you forgive yourself for everything you say or do? If forgiveness is inevitable, then all actions are equal, whether it is as egregious as walking out on your wife and kids or as harmless as passing notes in class. If I ask my grandparents, relatives, or even some of my friends as to how they could redefine self love, they would say: Love yourself, sure. But terms and conditions apply. Love yourself. But only when you deserve it. Dislike yourself when you don’t. Live with that discomfort long enough to make amends for your mistakes.Love yourself. So accept no freebies. Take yourself seriously enough so as not to congratulate yourself just for existing.Love yourself. You don’t deserve everything, simply because you exist. That’s entitlement.Love yourself. But even better, get over yourself. Identity is not only what you decide by yourself. If someone asks you: who are you? You are a person. You can attach adjectives, what you do for a living, what you do for leisure, your political affiliations, a list of books you read, movies you watch, music you listen to, the art you appreciate, whether you like tea or coffee, whether you are a cat or a dog person, morning or night person, or anything else you choose. But more than those individual embellishments, you are someone’s son or daughter, someone’s brother or sister, someone’s husband or wife, someone’s father or mother, someone’s employee, the citizen of a country, the participant in a community. This is where identity is to be found; this is where character is forged. You love yourself when you play these roles well. This is where you derive your confidence. Not by sending flowers to yourself on Valentine’s Day because no man is good enough.
“If we get to choose our pronouns, why can’t I choose my adjectives? I demand to be called mighty and wonderful. And if you don’t comply, you’re prejudiced.” How long before people begin to demand such changes next? If the sanctity of language breaks down for individual whims, some of the greatest advances of civilised society, such as marriage certificates, country constitutions, peace treaties, employee contracts, will break down. It will be the end of dialogue as we know it. Peace was never the default state of man’s societies. It was negotiated, often after long periods of war and violence. The stability (relative) of our times is hard-won. And by no means, is it irrevocable. The pages of history are bespattered with blood, and the good times of today are erected upon the corpses of lives lost in the process of reaching where we stand today. Are we so accustomed to it that we take it for granted and hack away at the very foundations that made this peace possible? Or do we knowingly seek chaos because we’ve had too much of order? Indeed, so much is dependent on words that it escapes our notice. Our economic, legal and sociocultural systems work the way they do, because the meanings of the words do not change too quickly or too drastically. It is the reason why constitution amendments require a long-drawn out procedure, and why refusing to read a document before signing it is frowned upon. On a more individual level, we use language to describe the world. If the meanings of words change too fast or too much, how do we describe reality? Will not reality change too much or too fast too? Has it begun happening already? Are we to be caught between competing narratives, a tussle in which actual reality is soon to be lost, or worse, unrecognisable? Negotiation (through words) is humanity’s greatest achievement, at par with the invention of the wheel and the discovery of fire. This is because of its ability to prevent or stop violence. It is an invaluable tool that enables people who are as diverse as they can be, to cooperate and work on an agreed-upon goal for an agreed-upon time. We throw it out of the window like last night’s leftovers. An attack upon language is an attack upon thought. Since thought shapes identity, it is an attack upon identity itself. Your individual identity is under attack. Not only will words soon be put in your mouth, but a new voice will soon be put in your head too. Some ideas will become inexpressible, some unthinkable. If it hasn’t reached you yet, it will. Speak, if you can, until you can. Be not fooled by those who want to “fix” you, even when, especially when, they assume the moral high ground. This war will bring no spoils, for any of us. If this sounds like doomsday discourse, know that this doom is upon us, and the day is today.
As the world becomes ever more dystopian why do so many of us sit on our hands? Western governments, media and institutions have changed dramatically over recent years, likely not for the better. The majority of us don’t appear to care. Why? Maybe you do care, perhaps I’ve put your back up already? Perhaps you have taken the red pill and unplugged yourself from the faux reality of modern life and struck back. But what have you actually done? Shared some memes? Posted a pithy tweet aimed at some haloed celebrity in the hope that it makes them think? It didn’t though did it? You may be one step closer to enlightenment than the majority of us centrist dads who have done precisely nothing, but thats one small step on a towering staircase at the top of which is something that few of us can envisage. Myself included. Why have we done nothing? I have a theory that the answer likes in our immutable characteristics, our personality traits. Those on the political right, the small ‘c’ conservatives, tend to be higher in trait conscientiousness, those on the left lower on that metric. These traits impact our decision making and how we lead our lives. Conscientiousness matters, it’s what gets things done, it’s why the light comes on when you flick the switch. It’s also boring, and thats why we’re not particularly interested in conscientious people. Openness on then other hand.. Open people are the life and soul, they make us laugh, they make us cry, their chaotic lives are fascinating to us. They aren’t very good at keeping the lights on though. We need all types of personality to have a successful society, the open types have more ideas, they drive change, and sometimes change is good. Without change we’d still be living in caves. It’s almost as though we were designed this way. Just as the ants in a colony have evolved to be workers, nurses and soldiers so have we evolved with individual traits that when blended together in just the right proportions drive our species forward. Mankind is more complicated than ant-kind though, sometimes things go wrong, sometimes ideas take hold of us and drive us to destroy what we have built. It has happened before and will happen again. Is it happening now? I suspect many of us have pondered this question and whilst some have come to the conclusion that we are staring into the pit, many more appear to have concluded ‘meh’. Please continue reading on my Substack. Its free to access.. https://open.substack.com/pub/dixont/p/the-cabin-in-the-woods-problem?r=1ecai1&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Do Elections Make A Difference? Posted on November 26, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the US election of 2020 proved the truth of the phrase, often attributed to Mark Twain, “If elections made any difference, they wouldn’t let us have them.” While this paradigm is increasingly true in the US, with mail in voting, ballot harvesting and outright fraud by officials, elections are becoming merely the chiffon nighty covering our elite’s naked tyranny. Meanwhile, in other places, where the democratic element hasn’t been tamed by such measures, the will of the people is becoming apparent. In Argentina, a man was elected that appears to embody all the virtues of the International Capitalist Party. In The Netherlands, of all places, a Euro skeptic party has received a literal majority of votes. Along with other sane parties gaining ground across the planet… like Reform in Britain. Of course, to the global elites, anyone who doesn’t zealously believe in a world government, run by a totalitarian despot with unlimited power, accountable to no one… is a radical right winger. Someone to whom no one should pay any heed. Because only a crazy person would think regular people should be allowed any freedom at all… especially the freedom to think for themselves! Like when Darius I discovered Smerdis was actually a Magi and murdered the impostor. Then argued for arbitrary rule for Persia… and was rewarded kingship, after cheating in the contest for the throne. That’s the caliber of man that typically ascends to power… a murderer, cheat and narcissist. Today, that’s the cut of the jib of our elites, they all epitomize corruption, psychopathy and thirst for power. Anyone else is a radical. Democracy is the buzzword of all would be tyrants, who immediately suspend elections once they have power. How many elections have there been in the West Bank or Gaza since the first? How many vibrant democracies did Obama’s Arab Spring birth into the world? None. How many tyrannies did it raise from the corpse of democracies it killed? Several. The reality is, the elite like democracy, only as a legitimization mechanism. If it stops legitimizing their usurpations, corruption and oppressions, with the appearance of popularity, they’ll drop democracy like a hot potato. I already see it in the mockingbird media. They’re discrediting election outcomes they disagree with, with propaganda, claiming only the elections of globalist Marxists are legitimate. If we measure failure as a declining standard of living, war and rising crime, and success in a rising standard of living, peace and a lowering crime rate… by those measures, our elites are failing miserably. Trump had the US and part of the world turning around and getting on the right track, so the elite released the Kraken, Covid 19, to upend the success. Because the elite in the UN, Europe, China, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and especially the US, are selling us poverty. They want us to get used to a declining standard of living, high crime, and constant war. Generational poverty driven by the welfare state is a feature, not a bug, in their new world order. That’s why examples of success are to be stopped at all costs. Even a pandemic. Because failures can’t allow the example of success. If Geert Wilders gets a coalition government together, and stops immigration, sends back the terrorist element, NEXITs from the EU, lowers taxes and cuts regulation… Wilders will be wildly successful. That can’t be allowed. His majority party will be shut out, politically or by the court. Even as Javier Milei’s policies, if he’s telling the truth, will result in amazing economic prosperity in Argentina. Which will get him framed and arrested. The example of Argentina abandoning the fascist corporatist rent seeking system, for a free market one, can’t be tolerated by the rent seekers. There is the chilling possibility they could change the paradigm though. Despite the forces that’ll be arrayed against them. We’ll see if Wilders, Milei, and Meloni’s elections actually make a difference. I hope and pray they do. Sincerely, John Pepin
Do you have a ‘job’?
I have a ‘job’. Basically, the ‘job’ is series of
requirements. I show up on time (these days it’s more like login
on-time). I open all my applications like email, Teams, and our
ticket queues. Sometimes I have to reboot my laptop due to all of the
new software that was loaded while I simulated sleep the night
before. Many times, I have to reboot just to reset things. It’s
software you know. That takes time. Then, I read my emails; follow up
on the Teams chat I missed and start looking into the queue for some
emergency issues. Otherwise, I play catch up. That takes time.
Sometimes I just stare at the screen. It looks like I’m working.
Then I space out for about 15 minutes. Oh wait. That’s ‘Office
Space’. Lol But I think you get the picture. That’s the mundane
stuff. The work I love to do is dig into the performance data and
look for patterns, trouble spots, changes and the lot. One of my
strengths is that I can see things that don’t belong. I’m pretty
good at it. I’m better at it with a clear mind. I see patterns that
most people simply do not see. My brain is just built that way. One
time, years ago, while driving I saw a dollar bill fluttering in the
wind. It was at least 1/3 of a mile ahead on a straightaway. I told
my wife, who was with me, that I saw a dollar bill. She was
perplexed. I pulled over and picked it up. My wife was shocked that I
saw it that far back. Anyway, I see what most don’t. The pattern I
recognized and why I’m writing this article is that I realized I
was getting paid for my opinion. Yup. That’s right. My opinion.
See, I figured out that the part of the brain that solves problems is
the same that forms opinions. When I’m digging
through data, I see the emergence of many patterns. Many cascade
within each other. Sometimes like the idea of what came first, the
chicken or the egg. In the world of web-based applications, there
usually is no directed-flow. It’s a series of events. In this case,
a series of click this and click that. You can generally move
multi-directionally in an application. But in the performance data,
you see metrics that show you the response time of a call or the
latency of a database query. I won’t get into the details of what I
do with this since it’s the not context I’m discussing. But
rather, while I’m looking into the why something happens, I’m
forming an opinion. Being right → left brained, I actually create a
story of what I think is happening. It’s no different than you
describing an event you saw on TV (the flat panel or a video). You
invariably, build a story line. It’s an opinion, it is what I think
is happening. At work, I get paid
for creating this story. That’s what they pay me for. (yes, I ended
in a preposition). And then I thought, why am I not getting paid for
my opinions outside of work? Maybe, someone can pay me for this
article. I suppose I can write a book over the subject, but that will
take too long. Besides, books are antiquated. Even though I like
books and I have many, reading takes a lot of time. In this world of
technology, the speed of information traversal is critical. Once you
receive information, the speed in understanding it, is another
variable. Like I said, I’m right → left brained. Again, I create
a story with this data. One of the things I
thought about very deeply is the question “should I say something?”
Do I want to tell somebody what I think and have it wasted or
discarded? Nice thing about the internet, is that my audience is
anyone willing to read this. I figure, my ‘opinion’ is in goods
hands and readily available. So as I wrote this,
another ‘opinion’ is emerging, in question form. Should I even
reveal this idea, opinion? Will I get paid for it?
I sent out links and notes on two of the presentations that were recently given in London associated with the Alliance For Responsible Citizenship (ARC): The First Day of ARC 2023 | Why do we need a better story for our time?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ih8crOO16w American corporations spend over 2 billion dollars a year lobbying in DC.European corporations spend over 1 billion euros a year lobbying in Brussels. -infinite value of every human being -love humanity; something our opponents are unable to do WATCH: Fighting the 3 Mutant Capitalisms | Paul Marshall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2DIEzdJLaA This talk is from the first day of the ARC Conference 2023 where Paul Marshall launched the 'Free Markets and Good Governance' stream. To protect true free market Capitalism, which has brought untold prosperity to the world, we might fight against its mutant siblings - Monopolies, Cronyism, and Woke Capitalism. Sir Paul Marshall is CIO and Chairman of Marshall Wace LLP, founder and owner of UnHerd Media, and an investor in GB News Ltd. He is a founding Trustee of Ark, the children’s charity, and Chairman of Ark Schools. -from 1600 to 1800, human standards of living more or less flatlined -then GDP per person rose as much in 50 years as it had in the previous 1800 years; scientific innovation combined with free markets= industrial revolution -in the last 75 years, extreme poverty has fallen from 90% to 10% -free markets only flourish/prosper in societies where there is a proper shared understanding of virtue and mutual honor -London thrived under the principle that "my word is my bond" -corrupt societies rely on tribalism and cronyism; think Somalia or Sicily or Davos -when virtue breaks down, you start to observe mutant strains of capitalism: (1) monopoly capitalism (Google and Meta control most of the world's digital advertising; 80-90% of health care in most us states is controlled by 1 or 2 entities) (2) crony capitalism = corporatism, not so different than socialism itself. Corporatism is not free enterprise, but the nightmare end game for free enterprise -East India Company had a standing army of 20K soldiers -2/3 of US Congress gets money from big pharma -1/2 of US Congress gets money from gun manufacturers -European corporations spend over 1 billion euros a year lobbying in Brussels. -American corporations spend over 2 billion dollars a year lobbying in DC. -lobbyists and donors and recipients meet once a year in Davos -privatized their gains, and socialized their losses (3) woke capitalism: imposition of a top-down ideology onto the free market system by politically motivated bureaucrats, either from the public or private sector. Their ideology is framed through ESG, although there might also be a garnish of DEI as well. Should instead install the type of governance Adam Smith would have been proud of. -creative destruction: successful new businesses disrupt legacy businesses and destroy jobs at rivals; free trade does this at scale -decision makers no longer live near their own factories, and this creates a problem -need free markets that operate in the interests of the whole of society and not just a small elite So I was asked, by one of my friends who I had sent these two links to, who are the opponents, mentioned above? That is a good question, and I think discussing it might bring a bit more clarity to the situation that is confronting us. Here is my response: I believe he is referring to the "new left", or neoleft; the woke, the social justice warriors etc. They PROFESS that they care for humans and the downtrodden, very loudly. But if you pay attention in detail, carefully, this excludes huge swaths of people; white people, families, conservatives, capitalists, religious people, all males, people who exercise, heterosexuals, and so on. In fact, they LOATHE people who fall into these categories, and their targets actually constitute most of humanity. Which is sort of astounding, actually. Another group they loathe are the Jews, clearly, as one can tell from recent events. But the list of people the social justice warrior types, or critical social justice ideologues find reprehensible and beneath contempt is very long indeed. Just listen to what the people from Davos/WEF say about us, the "little people", the "common people". Listen to what the protesters say in their marches and demonstrations and speeches. People like you and me, and your family, are NOT respected, for numerous reasons. We are heterosexual, we believe in families, we are nominally white, we are educated in STEM, we are capitalists, we believe in mathematics and reason and science, we try to follow the law, we believe in merit and competence, and so on. So you and me are among those that the "opponents" dislike, intensely. Another group that they dislike would be "workers", or manual laborers. Another group they dislike would be those who believe in democracy. The tactics these critical social justice types use has been called "weaponized compassion". They PRETEND to care, but actually, they do not. Now this would seem sort of minor and unimportant, except that this ideology has taken over most universities and now most grade schools and law schools and medical schools and HR departments, and it is being embedded in laws and legislation and regulations throughout the West and many practitioners are in government bureaucracies and in elected office. So this sort of fringe kooky movement is threatening to take down all of Western Culture imminently unless we start to push back a little bit. For example, Hillary Clinton has announced (for about the 10th time) that concentration camps and re-education camps need to be set up to destroy anyone that is not a critical social justice type. Immediately dozens of pundits and news figures and media figures leaped onto the bandwagon to agree with Hillary. The US military cannot meet their recruiting quotas because of it. Even the service academies like West Point and Annapolis cannot meet their quotas. It was proposed a couple of years ago by the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that the US military be expunged of all people who had ever voted for conservatives or Republicans or Trump, and these people imprisoned in military camps. He backed off once there was some push back. The FBI has created documents about plans to try to weed out "nonAmericans" and "disloyal agents". How do they find them? Signs someone is a "right wing radical" and therefore "disloyal to the USA" are that they do not wear a face mask, they served in the military, particularly the Marine Corps, they did not get vaccinated, ever participated in a religious ceremony and so on. Anyone who believes in the US constitution is a "nonAmerican" and "disloyal". People in the NYC public school system who refused to get vaccinated were not only fired, but their fingerprints and files sent to the FBI where they were put in the same classification as child molesters (child molesters are now viewed as "upstanding citizens"; people who oppose them are not). Kelly Jean Kay in the UK was visited by the UK police and threatened with prison because she was "untoward about pedophiles". The FBI has classified parents who attend school board meetings and anyone who attends a Catholic Mass in Latin as "domestic terrorists". So, as crazy as it sounds, we might be facing a bit of a problem. And ARC and others are starting to push back. And the critical social justice types do not like it one bit and want to put everyone who is not on their side in prison, or execute them. The critical justice types are against anyone who displays a US or a UK flag. They also demand uniformity and conformity, in the name of fairness and diversity. They have banned books like Animal Farm and Orwell's 1984 (probably because they are too much like what they are trying to create). They also forbid anyone to disagree with them, under any circumstances, or else be sent to prison, or worse. They are a lovely bunch, for sure... One of their ideas is to implement a permanent lockdown on us, the "little people" forever. And another is to ban all car and train and plane travel, forever. And to make gardening and farming illegal. And to make wealth accumulation illegal. They want to be able to empty your bank accounts and investment accounts at the push of a button for any reason or no reason. And to make private property illegal. And to ban free speech. And to allow criminals and the mentally ill and addicted to roam freely. And to mandate injections that would make people allergic to meat. And to forbid anyone of ethnicity X to eat anything associated with ethnicity Y, or to wear anything associated with ethnicity Z, or to sing any songs associated with ethnicity A, or even to listen to music associated with ethnicity B, and so on and so forth. This is called "cultural appropriation" and it has to be made completely illegal, at all costs. Of course, the "elites" making these rules do not have to follow any of these rules. The rules are just for people like you and me, the "little people". Something else these critical social justice types oppose is "self defense". No one is allowed to defend themselves, except for them, the elites. Another example of books they want to ban would be all Dr. Seuss books. They are supposedly racist or something. And there are lots more. What they are in favor of is kiddie porn; stuff that I would be arrested for possessing has to be available in school libraries and public libraries for kids to see and check out. So, we are fighting a bit of a culture war at the moment. Things have gone completely crazy. I never could have imagined that the world would take such an odd turn. As a final indication of what these elites are in favor of, consider the latest furore that erupted on social media over a letter of Osama bin Laden. A large fraction of the population, particularly the young, is apparently in favor of bin Laden and al Quaeda: 'You morons!': Gen Z'ers praise bin Laden's 9/11 letter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3j5e4PMwHA FOX News' William La Jeunesse reports the latest on young Americans agreeing with Usama bin Laden's post-9/11 letter. The 'Outnumbered' panel discuss the influence social media has on younger generations. 'Idiocy’: Douglas Murray on TikTok users praising Osama bin Laden's ‘Letter to America’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzIfkAV_tz4 Author Douglas Murray has blasted young social media users for sharing and praising Osama bin Laden’s 2002 ‘Letter to America’. The ‘Letter to America’ detailing the former Al Qaeda leader's justifications for the 9/11 attacks was shared millions of times on TikTok. “The parents of these kids of young people have completely failed, they’ve completely failed to educate their children in any way whatsoever,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “These children have become these empty-headed, empty vessels in which any ignorance it seems can pour. “I’m amazed by this like there aren’t many things I feel like I can still be amazed by. “The staggering idiocy of these people is just legion.”
One of the subjects I've taught for many years is "Leadership". One book on leadership that has made a lasting impression on me is John Maxwell's "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". John devotes the last chapter, the last irrefutable law, to legacy. A recent post on this topic presented two conflicting views on whether leaving a legacy is important. One day toward the end of a class period, one of my students asked me, "So what does this all mean? Why are we here?" Because I was teaching in a public school, I decided not to wade into the religious answers to the student's question. I simply said, "If nothing else, try to leave the world a better place than the one you were born into." Leaving a legacy (a good one) is one of my life's goals. That is why I get my extended family together every other year. I want to leave a legacy of a tightly knit family that is always mutually supportive. I want to leave a legacy of love and kindness, of care and goodness. If I can accomplish just that, I will consider my life a success. Having accepted Christ as my personal savior, I know where I'll be after my body dies and I want to make certain that I will see my children and grandchildren there. Following an event at my school last spring, a small group of students had gathered around me, trying to convince me that I shouldn't retire. It was a very touching moment, but one student made a statement that caused me to give pause to my retirement decision. She said, "You taught us about life". That is the only time I ever had second thoughts about my retirement. For me, that was a powerful moment. And it is times like that that convince me that "legacy" is critically important.
The Scent of Rain Glorious yet
ominous wispy clouds summon the scent before and after rain. Engulfed days
of misty, foggy, melodramatic haze. Oh, mighty winds
of Father Time, Blowing and whispering
warnings of yesteryear, an omen of grave portent. The biblical
flood a requisite, emblematic of barbaric earthly sin. Cleansing,
replenishing, rebirthing humans, beasts, and land. White dove descends
offering an olive branch to all tribes of man. Present
state of grace for human species to evolve, likewise plants anthesis. Forgiving
all sinful acts, everything abhorrent. Yet, indifference
to redemption, flesh enticed, excessive earthly temptation, Humanity’s free
will determines its destination. Dated cliché
relentless phoenix rising out of its ashes, a rebirth for truth, justice, or
revenge, thirst for blood never quenched, never satisfied, never content. Perhaps courageous
or caviler, shamelessly unrepentant, persistent in errors, doubling down on moral
failings and decay nowadays, is unequivocal especially among those political. Regard yourselves
supreme, nine crooked court jesters in black robes bought and paid for by one
Harlan Crow. Not to be
outdone by one who sits in Peter’s Chair at Vatican City, in a jeweled
accessory white robe. A new beginnings
end, unpredictable behaviors, repeating transgressions akin to Cain and Abel. A generation
born for such a time as this, the foolish MAGA hypocrites, worshiping an antisemitic
deceitful grifter, a traitor, and the vile woke delusional crowd denying basic
truths and biology, arrogantly walking on the wide path theatrically in full
display carry lamps as props lacking oil. Even with nuclear
WWIII staring you directly in the face you continue to debase yourselves, stiff-necked,
living in unimaginable disgrace. Too late in
the game to pretend, we have eyes to see, and ears to hear, we all know full
well how this will end, who will be the victor, who will take the spoils. Nothing new
under the sun, history repeats itself, betrayal, and revenge empty equal endeavors.
Labor lost, fruitless toils. The few wise
not deceived bear their cross walking down the narrow path carry lamps rich in oil
poised to meet the Bridegroom. Diligent in duty so to hear heavenly Father say,
“Well done, good and faithful servant; Enter into the joy of your lord.” I would walk
to the ends of the earth barefoot, in the rain, without sleep, or sustenance, just
to meet Jesus Christ, greatest advocate, my savior, my mentor. I would
throw myself on the ground becoming a human footstool for Yeshua Hamashiach’s feet,
The Beloved, Rose of Sharon, but be that as it may, such an honor, I cannot
portray, I am not worthy. It’s equitable
to convey as I attest, my entire being is jealous of the ground Messiah,
Immanuel, The Bright Morning Star, walked on. He is the
way, the truth, and the life. Most heavenly, righteous, and holy, above all flesh
and everything earthly. The things
we do for those we love goes without saying. A gentleman I
used to date once carried me across a mud puddle so that I would not get my
shoes dirty. To this very day, I will always treasure that special moment and his
genuine undying love for me. A beautiful
memory from a mud puddle, a remnant stemmed from the rain. Life’s
surprising simple pleasures of love, caring, serving and respect are most profound,
nothing lost and all to gain. It bears
repeating and cannot be evangelized enough not to lose hope, keep hold of love and
faith in Father God, family, and loved ones especially in turbulent times. The full
measure of vitriolic aggression from all over the world is overwhelming, loudly in full display. Babylon will
be forced to drink the full serving of God’s justified fierce wrath. Unfurling
before our eyes and in our path, all foretold in biblical prophecy. People
becoming lovers of self and money. Arrogantly mocking God, turning against one
another, father, mother, sister, brother. Wars and
rumors of wars. An eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth, unquenched revengeful thirst. Going
against the descendants of Ishmael, your older brother from another mother. Jews, a people
viciously hunted and slaughtered, now too few, once felt unwelcomed and now it’s
the Palestinian refugees everyone loathes. There is no
room for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. Not in Egypt, Turkey, Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Iran, or Iraq. Iran financially
supports, supply’s weapons and combat training to Hamas and Hezbollah yet the
innocent refugees are left to pick up the pieces and are in utter shock. Heinous crimes
committed against Jews. Terrorist
leadership knew their intentions. Civilians
are not Hamas or Hezbollah. We recognized the international humanitarian protection
to civilians including occupied territories in the Geneva Convention. In 1951
Israel signed the oath. Does
Netanyahu also suffer from amnesia? What two
state solution? Politicians need to stop all the pretention. Live by the
sword, die by the sword. The simple obvious
duality throughout life, the first will be last and the last will be first. A bloody
reckoning, genocidal horrors reshaping the land, Gaza’s massive graveyard of innocent
civilians, the ghosts of women and children will forever haunt the desolate terrain.
The Abraham
Accords was like building an arch without a keystone. It is collapsing from
lack of support and legitimacy. There is only one Chief Cornerstone who can bring
credence and authentic peace to the Middle East. Trump, you deceitful
greedy serpent, traitor to all and friend to none disguised your lips with
flattery, double talk, filled your pockets full of money only to betray the
Holy City. You gave Russia Israeli Intelligence. Trump, you hypocritic, you menace! Government leaders’
footprint of utter betrayal and bitter revenge, ignoring the warnings and mishandling
the brutal terrorism acts at the cost of innocent defenseless lives on both
sides, raining endless waterfalls of tears drowning in sorrow. Nonetheless,
to some extent, we have hope in our fellowmen, to a greater extent, faith in
Almighty God’s guidance for future tomorrows. Jews, long
suffering, oppressed, and exiled, you are the apple of His eye. “The bricks are
fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down,
but we will change them into cedars.” – KJV Isaiah 9:10 Twice the Holy
Temple was destroyed, a third will arise with a false ringleader. No doubt,
Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are to blame in equal measure. The entire
world is left with the impression that it’s perilous to cross the fine line
between justice and revenge. Netanyahu did not blow the shofar, does not have a
strategic plan to stop Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran. He showed
the terrorists all the cards in his hand. A great leader protects its people first
and foremost through prevention by listening to the pre-warnings. A great
leader knows how to methodically recalibrate and free the hostages without
losing the war or their values, by self-preservation that binds its people and its
Holy Land. Because we are God’s people. We are above the fray. Recently, his
far-right nutty minister called for using nuclear weapons in Gaza as an option.
Israeli people are not to blame for their incompetent leadership. Netanyahu has
lost all credibility. Thus far, 90%
of those killed by Israeli IDF are all civilians. Is this justice or pure
bloody revenge? Justice is
honorably seeking closure by obliterating the disgusting terrorists of Hamas
and Hezbollah, but there is no honor in killing thousands of civilians, the innocent
women, and children. There is never a right way to do the wrong thing. Under the
Geneva Convention, civilians in the realm of war and occupied territories are
protected by 159 articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention adopted in 1949 after
WWII. Civilians must be protected from murder, torture, or brutality,
especially from discrimination because of race, nationality, religion, or
political opinion. In 1951, the
newly established state of Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions along with
196 countries. This is documented international humanitarian law. Are you now divorced
from reality, seeking a disunion? Why does
anyone need to be reminded that it is wrong to kill innocent defenseless
civilians? We are not Hamas or Hezbollah. We are above such animalistic
behaviors. No one can
deny the barbaric horrific crimes against Israel and it has a right to defend its
people and integrity. Every human has a right to exist. It is a fact that Jews
are an endangered people. No human horrors can ever compare to the Holocaust.
That being sad, no form of genocide is ever justified. We are to
forgive so we can be forgiven, love our neighbors as ourselves. The loss of
human life and all hate afflicts the heart and soul. Love must prevail, if only
for the sake of love itself, because that is what it means to be human, created
in the image of God. God is love, therefore, be persistent. Don’t become
the monster you yourselves set out to destroy. The world is
watching in horror and the majority will hold you accountable as well as Hamas
and Hezbollah. Global onlookers won’t hold back, they won’t be coy. Justice is
always warranted but revenge never brings satisfaction, it hardens the heart,
destroys the soul, fills one with regret, nightmares, and misery. Revenge is the
continued destruction to self and others, going full circle to no avail. You dig
your own grave and create your own living hell. If a man seeks
to ruthlessly and unmercifully kill all his enemies including innocent defenseless
women and children, than he too becomes the monster he set out to destroy. Romans
12:19 “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath for
it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. The demographic
in the Middle East is much more complicated to say the least. Wars cannot kill
the ancient ideologies of many tribes. The only mathematical certainty is that nuclear
weapons WILL destroy all of mankind. Many
countries have nuclear weapons attempting to play Russian Roulette. Our own
country is now advocating building a mega 10-billion-dollar nuclear weapon. At
the same time, we are supporting two wars and face another government shutdown.
We cannot pass bills to feed our children, but we can build a 10-billion-dollar
bomb. Where does any of this make sense? Where’s the
logic to such absurdity? What’s the rhyme or reason? Government committing the
ultimate crimes against humanity, final execution, ultimate treason. While others
like Iran, with evil intent, and Saudi Arabia, both having realistic nuclear
ambitions. At the end of the day, all Muslim countries, including Russia,
China, and South America will come against Israel and America. It will be a
killing season. We are in a
dangerous point in history where the entire world is on fire. If nuclear
weapons are used everyone loses. Have we reached
a point of no return? We are
created to handle hardships but cannot survive the rains of nuclear bombs. Human flesh
will melt, eyes will disintegrate in their sockets, people microwaved, horribly burned alive. All will
lose, no one will survive. Is the next
phase for humanity one of blistering scorching heat? Fire, brimstone and hail,
everything all at once. From men’s own free will, going nuclear, and from the
heavens above. Volcanoes
erupting, fires spreading, earthquakes penetrating the thickness of earth’s
atmosphere dividing the oceans and lands. Being
Christian, and part Jew, I stand with the people of Israel, but my heart breaks
for all of humanity. The world
impatiently waits for the conflict to subside, for some sort of resolution,
perhaps a realistic two-state solution avoiding a nuclear holocaust which would
most certainly be the last war fought and all will be lost and nothing gained. If this
isn’t the continued beginnings of WWIII then let’s hope it’s all just a nightmare instead of our now upside-down
reality that no one should become accustomed to. Cooler heads
must prevail unless mankind has a death wish, to which I want no part of. I
want a continued wonderful happy future for my children. Maybe God will bless
me with grandchildren one fine day. Is it wrong to want a chance at love again,
to dance and sing in the rain? If we go
nuclear, there will no longer be sunrises or sunsets, no more baby’s smiles, no
puppy dogs, no more children laughing and playing, no music, no singing, no
dancing, no laughter, no sunny days at the beach, no Grand Canyon, no
waterfalls, no birds chirping, no flowers blooming, no breathtaking nights sky,
roses or butterflies amongst the most beautiful things of nature and life.
Never to experience the gift of the scent before and after the rain ever again.
First, to simplify, we will build from examples and hope to imagine what we have not yet imagined. Parent to child- faculty of giving When a child is born- the infant- it is a bag of needs. It needs to be fed. Burped. Kept warm. Slept. Kept from falling or hurting itself. It needs to be watched when awake and when asleep- observed that it keeps breathing and doesn't die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). You need to wake up in the middle of the night to feed it. And it gives back nothing in return. It doesn't say, "Thank you". It doesn't even smile. Spontaneous smiles don't happen until about 3 months. In the beginning, after birth, the infant isn't even cute. It is a pruned up alien looking thing. So it doesn't even give, initially, in that way. It does cry and those cries are the demands of a distressed infant in immediate need. You have no choice but to drop everything and attend to the baby. All the parents are doing is giving to this baby. And they become attached. It seems that love follows giving. Chemistry Oxytocin. This hormone is the one associated with love. It is released in the milk let down response in the mother that allows for breast feeding. Oxytocin also forms an immediate emotional connection. It is also released in males and in females with hugs. When hugging or receiving a hug, there is release of oxytocin and feeling the generation of love (hugging) and the feeling of being loved (hugged back). This mechanism explains the feeling of love and connection that a breast feeding mother has towards the infant. But I would suggest that oxytocin may also be released when the simple act of giving itself occurs. Mothers who do not breast feed and fathers experience a deep sense of love for the infant. To tell them that they do not is silly. So, it seems that love and giving are connected. Furthermore it seems that the order of operations is that love follows giving. If this is the case, then does love stop when giving stops? Separations In the Holocaust, many atrocities occurred. One that comes to mind that is "mild" in comparison to so many others was an example of a family that was taken to the concentration camps. They were a mother, father and young boy. Measuring love The boy and his mother were strongly attached in a normal, typical and healthy way, prior to being taken to the camp. When they arrived to the camp, they were forced to be separated. The boy went with the father and the mother went with the other females. I do not recall the details or the source of this story so please bear with me. After some significant period of time, by a miracle, all 3 survived. When the mother was re-united with her child and husband she became aware that she did not have the feeling of love that she had had previously. This was not the case for the father who, during the war, had continued having a close relationship with their son because they were together the whole time. It may be that in an effort to protect herself from the pain of loss of her son she built up an emotional wall. But that didn't happen in her love for her husband (who she did not give to in the same way and has a different component to it as we will explore). It can be speculated that there is a possibility that the mother's feeling of love for their son became less because she was unable to give to their son during those years of incarceration in contrast to the father who was able to continue to be able to give to their son and had a strong or even stronger relationship as a result. So, it seems that love follows giving. Hebrew: Love = AHAVA (apologies for all caps- Hebrew doesn't have capital/ lower case so I just left it as all caps as a way to recognize the code more easily) The root word- the root is the part that the word is based on- is HAV. HAV = to give. AHAVA = Love HAV = To Give Love is the feeling and giving is the action- the manifestation of the feeling IRL. And Actions are more powerful than thoughts or feelings in a way because they are tangible. This kind of love isn't "Romantic". It may be more basic and powerful than romantic love. We will explore romantic love, of course. Question Order of operations. Does love follow giving or does giving follow love? And is there a virtuous circle where one then facilitates the other? Romantic example. First date. The young man sees a picture of a woman, has a conversation, feels very good about it- elated, in fact, and on the way he picks up a dozen roses to give to her. If you ask him about the order of operations, he will probably tell you that giving follows love. Even if he wouldn't call it, "love at first sight", he would still tell you that first he had a feeling, if not love, something he considered to be love, and bought her the flowers as a result of the feeling. 2 thoughts. 1. That is conditional "love". Whereas the love for the baby is unconditional, the giving of the flowers was conditional upon the feeling of love. If her appearance deteriorates or she is mean that may impact the man in the relationship where he no longer feels love for her. He stops giving to the woman/ relationship in the various ways one gives and then she immediately starts to feel unloved. This forms an un-virtuous circle whose end point is dissolution of the relationship. 2. Love at first sight is illusory. If someone feels love and a sense of optimism and excitement for the future which is the way I can think to explain that feeling at this moment, it seems that as quickly as it came it can go. The only way for it to survive would be to quickly come into the scenario with giving. If you love her and you start giving to her in the form that works for both of you, i.e. time, attention, effort, then that is a good start. However, after awhile, if she doesn't give back to you, the relationship is also doomed to failure. You cannot have love without giving (and you cannot have giving without love). The romantic feeling, including the feeling of attraction to beauty or sexual attraction, (although sexual attraction requires another chapter unto itself)- that kind of love is also dependent, ultimately on giving. If there is no mutual giving, there may be some kind of addictive relationship going on- a so called, "use-use" relationship, which is more dopamine dependent than oxytocin dependent, but that won't last as long or be as happiness inducing as relationship based on giving. In fact, a relationship of convenience is not characterized by the word, "love". That feeling is conspicuously absent. Furthermore, to the extent that a user relationship is true to its definition, it isn't based on the faculty of giving but rather it is based on the faculty of taking. "What's in it for me?" Although we all do come to the table with some needs, if that is the main or only focus, the relationship will not have legs. Furthermore, in order to have a relationship with a foundation that will support a family, each party must be devoted to the faculty of giving. The idea of 50-50, meaning that you come into the arrangement with the idea of "fairness" where you are responsible for giving half the time and that entitles you to take half the time, the math won't work. Because when the babies come and they need an amazing amount of giving, both parents must be capable of that. If love at first sight then leads to both people dedicating themselves fully and over the long haul, then it can certainly work. If, however, the initial feeling is not followed quickly with giving in its various forms, the feeling will pass as feelings often do, like another cloud passing in the sky. On the other hand, if there is no initial feeling of love but, most importantly, there is no negative feeling- repulsion- and both parties are motivated to dedicate themselves, each to the other, then the feeling of love will inevitably occur. And the feeling of love that would follow giving could be expected to be as strong as the giving that went into it, and continues to go into it, without stopping until now. This form of love- based on giving- is what we can call "mature" love. In opposition, there is a form of love, very strong and immediate- and may be experienced as stronger in fact, than what I have defined as "mature love". This is "infantile love". Infantile love is the feeling that we can speculate an infant experiences towards its caregivers. It is not based on giving but on having its needs met on the spot. Distress --> Satisfaction. Suffering --> Pleasure. This works well for an infant but would be pathological in an adult's approach to love and relationships. Over the course of childhood, as the child acquires abilities to self-soothe and then, to help others, he/she will be able to develop into a giver and love in a mature love way. Infantile love is based on actual dependency. Infantile love some time after infancy is based on the FEELING of dependency, which is different from ACTUAL dependency. Infantile love after infancy can be called, "immature love". Many people's happiness is conditional- it is dependent on something, an expectation. When we create an expectation then that puts us into a state of dependency. For example, if in order for me to be happy I must get a 100% on the test, a 99% will ruin my day or, in certain situations, ruin my life. Immature love is similar. In the case of immature love one must satisfy the other's needs, which are extensive, time consuming and draining. The one that comes to the table with needs galore is "high maintenance" or "needy" and bodes poorly for most relationships where both parties must be strong givers most of the time. One can speculate that a young child who did not get all of his/her actual needs met will not be able to be a giver his/herself as an adult. For example, if a mother and father did not get along and the mother took over/had the role of sole caregiver, the young child will know that he/she did not have a father and that hole will be real and palpable, despite anyone's protestations that it doesn't matter. This young child will develop pathology as has been studied extensively. Young men without fathers have an enormously disproportionate representation in prisons and young women without fathers have a much higher likelihood to engage in sex and pregnancy at significantly earlier ages. It can be speculated that the girls are looking for love and safety from a male to substitute the hole in their relationship with their fathers and the males may benefit from having their needs met by a provider in the form of "three hots and a cot", as awful a solution as that seems. There is a lot more nuance to this as well. Role Fluidity in a loving relationship The way loving relationships work among 2 adults isn't that each person does 50% of everything all the time. That would be what we can call a sibling-sibling model. Rather, there is a rotation that occurs. That is, in one instance, one parents the other and then there is reciprocity. When I use the term parent, I do not mean that one tells the other what to do. I mean that one takes care of the other. Example. (These are traditional and need not be- but I chose these as it is most simple and expedient). Day 1. The husband takes his wife out to dinner. They enjoy the experience and the man pays the bill. In this example, the man has taken care of the woman. He has been the provider, the daddy, and she, the child. Day 2. The wife cooks dinner for the husband at home. They enjoy the experience together. In this example the woman has been the provider, the mommy, and the man, the child. The point- each had the opportunity to parent the other. This was not based on demands. If the man demanded the woman make him dinner, then he was "king baby" where he forces her to serve him like an infant needs to be attended to. On the other hand, if she demands that he take her out for dinner or anything else for that matter, then she is "queen baby" as well. One particular example that comes to mind is the diamond commercial I remember as a child, "Isn't she worth it?" was the tagline. This stayed on TV for years, presumably because it worked. Presumably, this appealed to many women who wanted a ring and had that exact feeling. Again, this is based on the faculty of taking, "Queen baby". And if the relationship is overly one way, where one party is the uber-giver and one is the uber-taker, eventually, eventually, the giver will become exhausted because eventually the uber-giver will wake up and realize how it feels to not be loved. It is quite painful and sad. Need based adult relationships There are these kinds of relationships that tend to be more dramatic. They may make for good movies but they can be painful to participate in as a parent and emotionally torturous for the child. Need based relationships will also often be referred to as, "dependence" or "codependence". When you need the other, you are high maintenance. They must drop everything for you, regardless of what good they may be doing for the world, for themselves or for your and your relationship, ironically. People stay in a need based relationship not because they are better or happier overall. They are willing to trade off some basic necessity for their happiness in order to get something else that they need in the moment. For example, foundational characteristics like truth and basic respect might be traded away for immediate attention or breadcrumb offered to your ego. When one or both parties are loving the other in the "immature love" model, we see one party forcing the other to give to them. Giving of free will choice, voluntary giving is the manifestation of mature love. Being forced to give doesn't lead to love in the giver but rather it leads to a feeling of resentment. The feeling of love, to the extent that it is felt, is experienced in the receiver of the giving only. Immature love model. Furthermore, the feeling of love experienced by the king or queen baby is evanescent whereas the feeling of love experienced by the voluntary giver in the mature love model- that feeling has long tails. Relationship vs. Situationship I asked someone 2 days ago if he was in a relationship. He said, "Well, not really. I'm in a situationship." A "situationship" is when there is a situation. If there isn't one, there is no relationship. So, a situation will always be manufactured. If you cannot have a relationship based on foundational mechanisms that work, then, if one party wants it, nonetheless, he/she will force it by manufacturing a crisis that then compels you/forces you to stay and fix it. As soon as that is resolved you will then be pulled in, ad infinitum to the next problem. Often/generally these have to do with threats to you in some way that you simply cannot ignore. Or, to be prost- (prost means vulgar) "If she can't f*ck you, she'll f*ck you." Someone said this to me recently. He was trying to get out of a relationship. He was saying that if she can't get what she perceives as love and attention and sexual gratification from him, she will do her best to take whatever else he has, his money, his reputation, anything, to destroy him in the process. Need vs. no need It is said that no man is an island. (Source seems to be biblical- Christian- thank you to my Christian neighbors). So, we understand that none of us are able to be need free. That said, the more we can reduce our wants if possible, the happier (and healthier) we will be. A relatively non-need based relationship generally has a simple arc of pleasure. Generally we go from neutral to a certain level above neutral. You can go from neutral to good or neutral to great. And that's a great deal of distance to traverse- from neutral to great. However, when it is a need based relationship, you go from crisis to resolution. You can go from intense emotional pain/ distress to neutral. If that distance traversed is equal to going from neutral to great, just the relief of the crisis averted is more pleasurable than going from neutral to great. But wait, there's more. What often happens in a need based relationship is that you not only go from the depths of awfulness to neutral but you go from the depths of the lowest low to Great. The relief that occurs can result in a rubber band effect where you then become closer than you could have ever imagined just a few minutes ago. Yelling and screaming can be foreplay to passionate sex. So therein lies the payoff. The intensity of those relationships can be confused for the feeling of love and can be more powerful. This keeps these kinds of relationships based on a series of situationships going forward. However, eventually this burns up people's bandwidth. And, going back to the idea of the fight being preamble to connection (or foreplay to sex), what if ultimately it is the reverse? What if sex is the foreplay to the fight? Some people get more pleasure out of winning a fight than out of a loving sexual connection. Those that do are the ones that do not have the emotional bandwidth to love another in a mature way. These personality types are often referred to as narcissistic, borderline or antisocial, the cluster B personality disorders. They are confined to the territory of love as it is experienced selfishly. Sentence Structure "I want you." "I need you." In the first sentence, "I want you", the object is the item that is wanted. Want is specific to "you". In the second sentence, "I need you", the item of focus is the subject, "I". It reflexive. I need is not about you, it is about me. Although need is more intense than want, it also means that you, yourself, are not worth anything, except for what you can provide to me. And as soon as you can't, either I'll make you or I'll just find somebody else. This reminds me of a sentence, "I'm going to get pregnant, and if it's not with you, it will be with somebody else!" Hearing that wouldn't make you feel loved, or special, in my estimation. I think that we all function on a continuum of selfish-selflessness. However, I think that we all start out as selfish. Even before we have an identity as an infant the only identity is, "I'm hungry!". It isn't, "I have hunger" like in Spanish. It is exactly as it sounds in English. But as we mature we become more selfless. I think it is more likely that we can go from selfish to selfless, not so much the other way around. The question is whether we are becoming more selfish societally than in previous generations. And, if so, why? Chapter 2- the legal system and its impact on families and our culture.
Those three words are more than the name of this story. It is forever more my life song. God taught me the meaning of those three words during the
weeks of and the week after leading my last Himalaya trek.
His time with me is a two-part harmony, with each with a resounding chorus
on opposite sides of the world. On November 3rd in Nepal (November 2nd
in the USA), the group I was leading experienced a magnitude six earthquake
during the night at the base camp to Machapuchere (Fishtail). We were in bed at an altitude of 12,000 or so
feet when we felt the earth move. It
lasted less than a minute, but when I went outside to see what had happened, I
could hear boulders coming down the sides of the mountain and coming to rest in
the valley. The sides of the Annapurna
valley are famous and ridiculously steep. None were close enough to make me
think I needed to run for my life, but they were certainly loud enough to
warrant my attention. Perhaps two hours later, my group woke up before sunrise to
complete our weeklong trek to reach the Annapurna Basecamp. Only eight of the ten people were able to go,
as one young woman was sick and experiencing AMS (Acute Mountain
Sickness). AMS kills people, and the remedy
I am trained to use because it works consistently is to descend quickly. While the rest of the group went up to
Annapurna, I needed to prioritize taking her down. Two hours later, when it was light enough for me to escort
her down the valley, I looked at the task in front of me. There was audible evidence
that the valley in front of me was experiencing rockslides as part of the
aftermath of the quake. The valley would take me roughly a day and a half to navigate, and I had everything I needed for the task ahead of me. As we stood at the entrance to the only trail out of
the Annapurna Valley, I took a moment to listen to God. “I got this.” I heard nothing else.
God repeatedly told me that he had this situation in his hands. I had no uncertainty at any point over those
next hours, as God repeatedly told me that he had every part of this situation in
the palm of his hand. He showed me that I
was part of that palm. He told me that the
young woman was also in His palm. When
we reached the end of the valley and safety, I closed my eyes and said a
prayer. “Thank you, Lord, for taking us through the valley of the
shadow of death. Thank you for your rod and your staff. Indeed, they comforted me. Thank you that I did not fear any evil.” Of course, some of my conclusions were not correct. I had assumed that once I left the valley, I
would be out of the shadow of death.
That was woefully inaccurate. On the other side of the world, there was a symphonic
response occurring that was also full of evil, like the one that killed over
150 Nepalis in a matter of moments. But
I wouldn’t know about it until I returned home.
The evidence was equally undeniable.
On November 2nd, the bank that held my and my
wife’s joint assets that came from the sale of my business years ago showed
that 50% of the assets had been transferred out. First, to our checking account. Then, via a cashier’s check so as to make
their whereabouts untraceable. Literally,
twenty years of labor, and in a matter of moments, half of it was laundered into
the unknown. Throughout my journey home,
I texted my wife, letting her know where I was during my global commute and
when I would be coming home. When I
walked into my house at the end of a very long series of flights, the other
part of the earthquake took center stage. My wife’s clothing was missing. Furniture and wall decorations were
gone. In the mail was a change of
address notification for my wife, but it failed to list where her address had
been transferred to. There was a note
from her saying the pool was broken, but she had made no effort to get any
professional help to fix it. I later learned this point about not seeking
professional help was to be thematic. The
next day, my inbox had messages from our cell phone provider that her cell number
was being transferred from the account. And upon the counter was the proverbial “Dear John” letter. It had my name on it, and I knew that the
heart of the matter was inside. I knew
better than to open it. I had no clue. I
didn’t see any of this coming. A week removed, I still failed to see that this
event was on the horizon. This was the second earthquake. My wife played me like a violin, knowing how
I would react, and she hit me when I was jetlagged and exhausted. Well done on her behalf.
If the goal were to create shock and hurt of the sort she was experiencing,
she would get the highest marks. Yet, my
hurt and sense of victimhood were secondary in my mind. I was spiritually taken back to Annapurna and
the Earthquake. I stared at the envelope and the partially emptied house, and I
heard God. “I got this.” His words immediately provided me with peace. I knew that
the valley of the shadow of death was again upon me, and I knew he would get me
through it. He was still sovereign in
marital uncertainty as he was during the hours after a deadly earthquake. He was in control of all of this. He knew this was happening, and he knew the
intentions to put asunder what God had joined together was brewing in my wife’s
heart long before the earthquake happened in Nepal. Even now, I see that the earthquake was
preparation for my return home. I was
wrong in concluding that I had passed through the valley of the shadow of
death. Indeed, I am still in it. A few days later, I met with my wife in the presence of our
paster, and she read out loud the contents of her note in the presence of a man
of god. Her shame was evident as she
straddled between living the word of God and following the darker ways of
man. Her last sentence contained
ambiguities that made the pastor, and I pressed her for what she meant. She spoke out loud that the next step was to dissolve
the marriage, and she notified the pastor and me that she had engaged a lawyer
to help her. Over the next 20 minutes,
she quoted passages of scripture often, and the pastor and I made eye contact
briefly. We both knew that this dance between a secular response and passages from the bible was not the
will of God at any level. When pressed if
she would be willing to meet again with the hopes of reconciliation, she wouldn’t
commit. When asked what she meant by next steps, she said to dissolve the marriage. No ambiguity. She asked permission to leave
ahead of me, and the pastor and I spoke for a few moments afterward. “I got this.” God
still had me in the palm of his hand. She admitted that her plan started months earlier, and she had
already notified both of the children of her intentions literally weeks before
she told me. And, from what everyone I have talked to has said, the implementation
strategy at subsequent was not overseen by a licensed, professional Christian counselor. It
is sort of like the pool repairs that didn’t happen. “I got this.” W My marital outcome is uncertain, but I also know that this
is under God’s jurisdiction. For sure,
there are things I need to do to get healthy, but even if I get healthy and
somehow get my wife, I will need to stay close to him as I navigate my way
through the Valley. He orders our ways;
I am responsible for taking the steps. “I got this.” He will be there as we reconstruct our lives together, or he
will be there as I watch her bulldoze her way into aloneness. Either way, I have my faith in him. He gave me a laboratory environment in which
to trust him before I came home and faced the real earthquake. I remain in the valley and still require his
rod and his staff to comfort me. I
probably need to be here more often. On the last morning before we left the Annapurna region, we
had to cross a very long and very high footbridge to get to the place where a
jeep could pick us up and take us back to Pokhara. I had walked on it many times in the
past. Below us was a river that flowed through
the valley for perhaps thousands of years.
However, this time, the impact of the earthquake was visible. There had been a major landslide above the
river. Now, there was a lake in the
place where only a river flowed. A river
remained, but it was only a fraction of what it used to be. The irrigation that the river used to provide
will no longer be as it was. However, a
beautiful new lake was forming, and the waters were already taking shape. It lacked a name, but it needed one. It would be a new name and be in a new place
where none had ever been. Exactly like my relationship with my wife.
Your home is where your heart is. Your home is your refuge from the storm. Your home is the place of protection from which you can anchor yourself and find strength to go out and face the world. Your home is the foundation from which your life and the lives of your children will grow. I cannot possibly do justice to the importance of the home in this meager article, but without getting too hyperbolic- the home is crucial. A home is more than simply a house, or an apartment, or a place where you sleep. A home is the network of grounded and central relationships from which you orient yourself in the world. It informs how you are going to interact with everything else in life and existence. I have been pondering how easy it is to know how important a home life is, and at the same time deeply puzzled about how everything from consumer culture to government incentives conspires to belittle, demean, shame, and otherwise ostracize people for being stay at home Moms and Dads. The social programming is in fact so pervasive that most stay home parents engage in shaming themselves. I even found myself in a conversation saying, “I am just a stay at home Dad.” As if that is something to be ashamed of. When the kind listener pointed this out to me I realized that I was even demeaning myself in my own words. I was taken aback because it made me realize that throughout my tenure as the primary care-giver in my household I have struggled with this uneasy reality that I am so busy that I have no free time to myself, and yet somehow I ought to be doing more. As if there is some unspoken responsibility to be met, some unearned debt to be paid, some cosmic guilt to atone for, for having the audacity to make taking care of your home and family your primary responsibility. Try as I might to ignore, suppress, or make light of this feeling of shame at being a stay at home parent, it is very real. It is palpable, and reinforced through the unconscious actions and words of almost everyone in our busy western society. The automatic picture of stay at home parent is even the stereotypical housewife sitting on the couch eating chocolates and watching soap operas. As if taking care of your home life is a wonton luxury and a sin of the most egregious type. Perhaps it is a sin- not a sin in the eyes of God, but a sin in the eyes of mammon. A sin in the eyes of mass consumerism, a slap in the face to the gods of materialism and the hamster-wheel existence… finish reading the entire article here: https://johnlaubach.substack.com/p/in-defense-of-homemaking
Australia's constitutional referendum to recognise Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as the first peoples of the country and to appoint a body of elected indigenous people -- the Voice -- to advise parliament and government on indigenous matters, has now been roundly defeated. In this essay for Quillette from before the vote Andrew Gleeson considers the Voice from both a symbolic and a practical perspective. Does it represent an inherent threat to racial equality before the law? And what are the prospects of its delivering the economic and health benefits its advocates promise? Hanging over the Voice is the prospect of encouraging what Gleeson calls 'the politics of disappointment': the already wide-spread resentment at the failure of formal equality to translate automatically into material equality. The Voice can only amount to what Australians make of it.
A Voice from the Heart
Legal equality and the politics of disappointment.
quillette.com
Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the greatest philosophers whose works are still impactful today, the author of oft-quoted works like Beyond Good and Evil, The Antichrist and Thus Spake Zarathustra, is also perhaps the most misread author of the 19th century, some would even say, of all time. The ideas of geniuses are so original, that it is understandably tempting for a reader to fit them into pre-formed templates through which he has learned to see the world. This calls for slicing them up where necessary, distorting their shape or intent, and even breathing ideological fervour into them. “It is difficult and painful for the ear to listen to anything new; we hear strange music badly.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil. In order to be able to reach somewhere, one must run the risk of thinking freely no matter where it may lead you. Conclusions are to be drawn out of the observations, rather than the other way round. Observations are not to be shaped to substantiate pre-existing conceptions or conclusions. Of course, this means that one may not always like the conclusions, especially if they stand in contradiction to one’s political principles. Nietzsche took this risk knowingly. Of course, the misappropriation of Nietzsche’s ideas has been argued to have been carried out on a historical scale by the Nazis. But what I’m interested in is how today’s world, in which sophistication and nuance is a matter of modern pride, is party to the misinterpreting and misappropriating of Nietzsche. The Death of God Let’s begin with the most obvious one. The most notorious example is Nietzsche’s realisation: “God is dead.” A simple-minded reader who hasn’t outgrown the atheistic charm of our younger, rational(?) years (let’s face it, we’ve all been there) might mistake this claim to be a triumphant one. Far from being an optimistic proclamation, it was, instead, a lament. The madman in The Gay Science (the work in which the proclamation first appears) expresses grief about the consequences little understood by the modern man who rushes to crown rational thought as the highest ideal after the death of God. Perhaps the full quote captures Nietzsche’s sentiment better than the synecdoche: ‘“Where is God gone?” he called out. "I mean to tell you! We have killed him,—you and I! We are all his murderers! But how have we done it? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the whole horizon? What did we do when we loosened this earth from its sun? Whither does it now move? Whither do we move? Away from all suns? Do we not dash on unceasingly? Backwards, sideways, forwards, in all directions? Is there still an above and below? Do we not stray, as through infinite nothingness? Does not empty space breathe upon us? Has it not become colder? Does not night come on continually, darker and darker? Shall we not have to light lanterns in the morning? Do we not hear the noise of the grave-diggers who are burying God? Do we not smell the divine putrefaction?—for even Gods putrefy! God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him! How shall we console ourselves, the most murderous of all murderers? The holiest and the mightiest that the world has hitherto possessed, has bled to death under our knife,—who will wipe the blood from us? With what water could we cleanse ourselves? What lustrums, what sacred games shall we have to devise? Is not the magnitude of this deed too great for us? Shall we not ourselves have to become Gods, merely to seem worthy of it?”’ Now, one might say: “Finally, we can put aside the oppressive indoctrination that religion carried out on little children to turn them into soldiers who would fight wars in the name of religion if it came to that. Nietzsche was a strong critic of religion, especially of Catholicism, I’ll give you that. But he wasn’t the conspiracy theorist that the misreader makes him out to be. I’m fond of playing the devil’s advocate. Looking on the brighter side of things, Nietzsche did say that the death of God had the potential to usher in an age where the Übermensch could come forth - strong, independent and with the capacity to transcend himself - and this would perhaps give meaning to the inevitably disillusioned generation deprived of the transcendental. A misreader (especially one with progressive leanings) might say: “Now that God is dead, we can focus on human values like liberty and equality from a more rational perspective instead of chasing illusions of Heaven promised by an invisible deity in the sky.” But how? Many of these values had roots in religion essentially. Equality before law came from the idea of every man made in His image. How do we expect great humanitarian ideals to manifest in the societies all the while hacking away at the foundations of morality itself? The moral and the rational choice are not necessarily the same. In fact, I would go so far as to say they may even be opposite. Even a scientific field of medicine requires scientists and practitioners to make everyday moral (not rational) choices. Why not let tuberculosis kill man? Is the bacterium not “equal” to the man in its innate need and right to survive? Even as the most hardened, fact-concerned doctor administers the penicillin, he makes a moral choice - to save man. Master-slave Morality A second example would be the master-slave morality on which Nietzsche wrote extensively in several of his works. Had Nietzsche lived and published in today’s time, his works would have been cancelled over and over again, for he dares not only to make distinctions between master and slave identities, but also to openly advocate in favour of master morality and show disdain for slave morality. Somewhere in the outrage of it all, his message got lost. A master morality is a kind of identity, in which various values and behaviours are bundled together. For instance, the Masters are strong-willed, noble, independent and nonconforming. The Slaves are weak-willed, timid and resentful. The Masters create values - they judge for themselves what is good or bad. The Slaves conform to this hierarchy of values, albeit resentfully. Inevitably, the Slaves assert their will to power by subversion, and redefine their choices as the more moral position. The misreader would argue that Nietzsche is in favour of the more powerful oppressing the less powerful. But Nietzsche is not necessarily talking of actual masters and slaves. It would be useful to see the master-slave moralities as mindsets rather than lived experiences. The category of masters do not only contain the powerful or wealthy; Nietzsche would place artists, writers and thinkers here too. Another point that is overlooked by the misreader is that even the Slaves have a stake in power. They simply assert it differently. (Nietzsche believed the Will to Power as being the main driving force of humans.) When Nietzsche expresses contempt for slave morality, and praises master morality, he does so because he believed that the former was the precursor of nihilism due to its insistence on pulling down competing values, levelling the playing field and making mice out of men. People willing to question their precious worldviews and entertain controversial, but thought-provoking ideas like these, in a sense, people wishing to look beyond good and evil might belong to the noble temperament that Nietzsche considered distinctive of master morality, which might have been his own playful motive behind making his meaning elusive. Nietzsche, the Nihilist People may differ far and wide when it comes to the specifics of Nietzsche’s works, but one thing they all agree on, one thing that is apparent even after reading just a few pages - Nietzsche is ruthless. Whatever topic he chose to write on (he is famous for his non-specialisation), his take is trenchant, and often emphatic. Reading a work like The Gay Science, in which he covers a vast range of topics, a misreader may be inclined to think that Nietzsche denounces everything and strips everything of meaning. In that, he may term Nietzsche as a nihilist. Nietzsche’s caustic tone, his repudiation of the tables of values and critique of Christianity are all taken to be arguments cited when seeking to establish his “supposed” nihilism. Without going into an interminable discussion on the many meanings of nihilism, it is clear that for Nietzsche, nihilism was more than a contemplative ‘what’s the point of life’ utterance followed by a collective sigh reverberating in the confines of day to day life. Rather, it was the negation of life itself. It was the ultimate “nay” as Nietzsche would say. Nietzsche affirms life, despite everything. The concept of the Übermensch flies in the face of nihilism. What else could a strong, free-thinking individual that strives forward to create new values, posited by Nietzsche as the very goal for the scoffing, God-deprived human race, be, except a solution to nihilism itself?
Energy And Our Standard Of Living Posted on November 15, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the reason thorium is not explored as an energy source, is the same reason if cheap, safe and efficient nuclear fusion came to the market today, tomorrow a trillion dollars would be mobilized to stop it… because it’s not about pollution, it’s about keeping us down. Cheap safe energy is acid in the face of the elite. That’s why they can’t allow it. Shutting down the Keystone pipeline wasn’t about lowering greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas is one of the lowest green house gas emitters per megawatt produced, it was about raising the cost of energy, to lower our standard of living. Everything the elite do lowers our standard of living. Any other reason provided is simply theater. It’s the snake mesmerizing its prey before the attack. Thorium is essentially an inexhaustible energy supply. The brainiacs that run the world could mobilize the trillions at their disposal to build thorium reactors around the world and end our dependence on fossil fuels. We have the technology, and the ability, but lack the will. Why? It would lower the cost of energy so much the lot of man would be raised accordingly. There are thousands of years of natural gas under the oceans in the form of methane hydrates. Not that we need to tap them anytime soon. What with directional drilling, and fracking, the supply of accessible natural gas in North America dramatically increased. The biggest problem with getting at it is, the government. Why? Because lower energy costs translates to a lower costs for everything, and that’s not acceptable. There is a claim a company has broken the break even fusion barrier and can produce 5 times the energy taken to initiate the reaction. I’m a bit dubious but hopeful. Nevertheless, the moment a company does breach the break even point, lawyers will crawl out of every crevice and crotch in the legal system, to fight its implementation. Billions of dollars will disappear into the legal mire that will have been created to stop it. Many attorneys will become rich in the process, even as innovators will be bankrupted, for trying to improve the lot of Man. Pollyanna would think investing in a company that created safe, cheap efficient nuclear fusion would be a good idea. A wise person knows better. Because if it succeeded, the standard of living of the hoi polloi would be improved. None of these energy supplies will be tapped… because it’s not about improving the lot of man, it’s about lowering our standard of living. Why else do they want us to eat bugs? The reason the elite want to keep us down is multi fold. The utility of wealth depends on wealth being able to buy that which the grazing masses can’t afford. A high and raising standard of living diminishes the utility of wealth. Poor people struggling to feed themselves are not prone to political machinations. North Korea charted the waters in that world. The people’s impoverishment can be exploited as a tool of manipulation. “Your poor because this or that group keeps you poor! So whatever you do, don’t try to get ahead… Because if you do, we’ll break yours…” is the chant of every demagogue. Every action of the elite in the last few decades has been to lower our standard of living. From the unending wars, importation of an anti American ideology and enough supporters of it to cause decades of problems, to lowering our access and increasing the cost of energy. Increasing the costs of energy has the add on effect of increasing the cost of everything. Since everything is created by energy. Somethings, like fertilizer, is made from natural gas as a feed stock. Intentions can be judged by actions. You reach for food when your hungry. Since our elites do everything in their power to lower our standard of living, to keep us hungry, ductile and angry, it’s clear they want us that way. That’s why thorium will never be implemented and fusion will be sued to oblivion. Sincerely, John Pepin
Problems and suggestions need to be reported in the ts.Support Conversation Room. Please ONE PROBLEM per conversation. How to: Left menu, find Support (at the bottom of the menu list) Click that. You will land on the ts.Support account home page. On the right side of this page you will see "Conversation Rooms" heading, and under that "ts Support". Click on "ts Support" and you will be in their Conversation room. Now you can "Start conversation." Helpful information for the support team in addition to describing the problem:Your platform OS.Your BrowserYour device type (laptop/desktop/tablet/phone) Hope this helps!
Culture, Society and Law Posted onNovember 8, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the elite are using the culture to create problems, they then pretend to try to fix with law. Drug abuse, school shootings, crime, homelessness, hopelessness, unemployment, lack of family formation, etc… are examples of problems created by the cultural elite. Then the State elite pass laws and regulations to “solve” those same problems. Law is a poor means to solve a societal or cultural problem, and so they fail. Often making things worse. Which plays into the hands of the elites. More problems require more government to solve them. Since, if government and law fails, then you need more government and law, obviously. Meanwhile the cultural elite are creating ever more problems for the State to solve with the misapplication of law. All of our local problems are caused by the social and cultural elite. How? By the negative messages they emit into the zeitgeist. Drugs are largely a result of hopelessness. Hopelessness inculcated into the youth by our opulently expensive education system. Why’s the climate change narrative taught in schools if not to discourage kids about their futures? How dare you! Why do you suppose almost all small businesses are started by immigrants to the US? Because the schools don’t teach children to be entrepreneurs, they teach kids to be entitled, self indulgent, ants. Americans know better than to try to run the gauntlet of regulations, taxes and potential criminal action should we start a business. It’s much easier to take drugs, get on welfare and play video games. Then there’s our demonic culture. The failed war on drugs is proof enough that trying to solve a cultural problem with legal solutions is a non starter. Because law is a poor solution for cultural problems. More often than not, the application of law to solve a societal or cultural problem only makes the problem worse. The problem of poverty was to be solved by the “Great Society.” Since then, the government has taxed, printed and borrowed trillions of dollars to spend on it… making poverty far worse and cloying than before the program started. A failure by any account. Now we’ve coined a phrase to label the new poverty… generational poverty. There is no more upward mobility. Government took a societal problem, applied law, and made it far worse. Just like they did with gangs, grift and drugs. Many people think the State’s goal is to improve the standard of living, help us make our lives better and lift up the downtrodden. They’re wrong. The role of government is to protect its power and grow that power. Those other things are a means to that end… as long as they serve that end. The moment benevolence hinders the elite’s thirst for power, is the moment they’re thrown off. Examples abound of governments that came into power, sometimes democratically, often at the barrel of a gun, that immediately turn against everything they stood for during the revolution. Cuba, China, the Soviet Union, Cambodia, Uganda, Venezuela, the EU, etc… Otherwise, why would the CCP and Trudeau’s Canada effectively kill the handicapped? While calling capitalists evil for not helping them enough? The worse the elite make things for the rest of us, the more power, privilege and profit there is for them. Talk about a pernicious incentive. Maybe that’s why the elite all work to make the world worse. The cultural elite by creating cultural problems like school shootings, then the State elites can exploit the people’s emotions to pass laws that won’t solve the problem, they’ll make it worse, but the power of the elite will be enhanced. The more they fail, at making things better, the better they have it. They must believe its best to ride out a dying world than to toil in an ascending one. So they’ve diligently worked to poison this one, culturally, socially and legally… to make their lives better, how post modernist of them! Maybe, instead, we should keep law, culture and society in their place? Sincerely, John Pepin
Have you ever had an impression of someone, simply from what other
people have said about them, but then found out later that they were not
what you had thought? In some cases, the person you meet came as a high
recommendation from someone you trust, but you find out after meeting
them that they are not as great as you imagined. In other cases, the rumor mill has run wild and someone has a
horrible reputation – whether it is because of their occupation, their
friends, or simply because they are in the spotlight – when in reality,
they are a much better person than their reputation suggests. When I read this story of Zacchaeus, I am presented with two sides of
a coin. On one side, we have the traditional view, which Zacchaeus
being the stereotypical cheat – the reputation that tax collectors had
in those parts of the Roman empire. Looking at Zacchaeus from this view
is easy and it is what people have done for years. On the other side of the coin, I am presented with a different
picture – one that will take a little bit of math to explain. One
morning, as I was reading and studying this passage, this other view
changed how I saw Zacchaeus from that point forward. To begin this shift in thinking, I began with the logical assumption
that Zacchaeus was good at math. As someone who was the head tax
collector in the region, he would have had ample experience crunching
the numbers – whether it was “creatively” doing the math or accurately
doing the math. Next, I looked at Jesus’ positive response, which affirmed Zacchaeus’
response and generosity, and concluded that in Zacchaeus was being
genuine and honest in his promise to give his money away. Jesus would
not have reacted positively if Zacchaeus did not mean what he was
saying, or if the promise was empty. Then, I crunched the numbers of what Zacchaeus promised. First he
starts by allocating half his wealth to go straight to the poor, and
then secondly, he promises to repay anyone he cheated four times the
amount that was cheated. Let’s do the math:We start at 100% and give 50% away to the poor. We now have 50% left. That is the easy part.With the 50% left, Zacchaeus then promises to repay 4x the
amount anyone was cheated by him. Leaving investments and other ways of
growing money aside, we must divide the remaining 50% by 4 which leaves
us with 12.5%. The conclusion is that no greater than 12.5% of Zacchaeus’ money was
gained through cheating – otherwise he would have bankrupted himself in
this request. If Zacchaeus was exaggerating and over-promising in this
declaration, I don’t believe Jesus would have responded positively. If
Zacchaeus was bad at math, he probably wouldn’t have acquired/kept the
money in the first place. So what does this mean? Where was Zacchaeus spiritually before this
encounter – since Jesus’ response implies that salvation was not a part
of Zacchaeus’ life before that night? What I came to realize after doing the math, and analyzing what happened, is that this event is less about the numbers, or even about the generosity, and more about the focus and the heart.
The Zacchaeus event was not recorded as a statement that warrants all
“rich” people must give away their money, or that all “rich” people
obtained their riches dishonestly. The Zacchaeus event was recorded because it amplifies a temptation we all face: Do we place accumulating (i.e. saving) ahead of giving when it comes to our resources? Zacchaeus was an excellent saver and investor, but a horrible giver.
When his heart changed, his focus changed, and salvation came to his
house that very day. When we let Jesus change our heart, and when we change our
focus from what we can get to what we can give, salvation knocks at the
door of our hearts as well. Zacchaeus is a model of where we are before
Jesus and how our lives and focus change after encountering Him as our
Savior. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
There is a growing tendency towards the embracing of communism and neo-Marxism, and the casual disregard of systems and institutions, among the young, educated people of modern societies. Especially in universities. Of course, endless debate has been carried out on the whys and hows of this phenomenon, and endless solutions offered by personages wiser than I am. However, I offer a wild solution, with absolutely zero data on whether it will achieve the desired outcome. I think there is a lot of emphasis on the teaching of modern history in schools. That is, history of wars and nations, and economic history post the 1800s era. What happened before that is generally covered in very little detail and usually not beyond elementary school. (Of course, I speak from the point of view of education in my own country, and I’m aware that the structure would be different in every country.) Here’s a wild idea - teach young children about the economic history of our civilisation in much greater detail, (especially the pre-industrial era). Teach them about the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age. About the advent of paper currency and the history of the banking system. About the Northmen, the Mongols, and what it was like to live in fear and insecurity, how the prevalence of that sentiment led to the yearning towards establishment of stabler systems. About the richer Asian economies of China, India and the Middle East. About how maritime trade developed, about the domination of trade routes by bandits and by conquerors. About the textile and spice industry. About explorers and their expeditions. About how nations achieved self-sufficiency in the production of grain, the invention of the loom, tubewell, threshing machines and the printing press. About the history of the plumbing system and important advances in medicine. About the history of labour laws. The boons of the modern era are often taken as granted by young people today. Discussions on capitalism versus communism, the failure of economic systems, financial crises and their (mis)handling, etc. are predicated with far too many presumptions. Some of the brilliant ideas of the past came to become modern presumptions, that we take as given in our discussions. How and what came to be given, and who gave it, is glossed over in the process of education. I have a sneaking suspicion that teaching these things might inculcate more gratitude about the gifts of civilisation and the painful journey undertaken by our ancestors to get us here, and young people would not carelessly and arrogantly denigrate the institutions that they stand to benefit from. After all, an economic history of the world, is nothing other than a history of privation and human efforts to overcome it.
Are You A Superman? Posted on November 22, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, one thing January 6 has taught us, is that the cost for a pro constitutional conservative to protest… is exponentially higher than for a Marxist, Islamist or any other anti American. The recent attack on DC by pro Palestinian forces, necessitating the evacuation of the House, Senate, and DNC headquarters, where the rioters won’t be charged with insurrection, despite calling for the replacement of our government with a sharia compliant one. In fact, since they’re anti American, using barbarism to get their way, our government will treat them with kit gloves. It would be just wrong to treat them as harshly as an American, ushered into the House chambers on the arm of a Capital police officer. Americans must mind their P’s and Q’s, while barbarians don’t have to… their barbarians. One could argue this higher standard of enforced conduct is a racist throwback. Racist because the people allowed to get away with anything, are being told, “You’re too stupid, weak and barbaric to be held to the standard of a civilized human being… you’re subhuman, a lesser, untermenschen.” In most circles, calling someone a subhuman, in so many words, or by insinuation, is a great insult. Often resulting in barbaric actions. When the slight is subtle, the person offended stupid and the culture dumbed down, the person who should be offended, thinks he or she is being elevated. They don’t know any better. They’re after all, subhuman barbarians, in the eyes of our elites. So they are treated like people without self control, who the elite want to continue to be, out of control. An American is assumed to be civilized to the Nth degree. An American then who steps the least bit out of line is acting in a way the elite find utterly despicable. If a subhuman tries to burn down a church, that’s to be expected, but if an American marches peacefully between velvet ropes to protest a stolen election, now, that’s out of control. Judged through the lens of the expectations of the elite’s view of civilized people versus uncivilized barbarians. You would never allow an American to get away with the things you would a barbarian, otherwise Americans would become barbarians! We can’t have that. The economy would well and truly collapse, in no time, and who would the elite rob then? There has to be some civilized people, if for no other reason, than to keep the trains running on time. The elite are willing to tolerate barbarism, in order to have barbarians enhance our culture, but find any protest by civilized people, who should know better, to be beyond the pale. The elite want to live among barbarians, as long as their barbarism is applied to regular people. Who shouldn’t speak up if we’re the least bit civilized. If not, then we should be treated like barbarians, to keep us in line. They consider us supermen. Geniuses, rhetoricians and machine like in our ability to accomplish. No matter how hard they make it for us, we’re so smart we can thrive. Those poor barbarians, on the other hand, are so inept they couldn’t make it in a welfare state. The elite then must believe mankind is two tiered, with us wunderkind conservative Americans, and the subhuman barbarian progressives and Islamists. When put in this context, the elite’s disparate treatment of conservatives and anyone else protesting makes perfect sense. The elite are telling Islamists, Antifa and BLM, they’re subhuman barbarians, and civilized behavior from them is impossible, so they can be barbarians. Even as they’re telling conservatives, You’re supermen with super human capabilities, able to do the impossible, pay double the cost for everything even as you take a cut in pay, maintaining our economy, even if you have to go into credit card debt to pay for it. They think pretty highly of us… and pretty low of themselves and their charges the Islamists. I would be pretty offended if I realized the elite in Europe and America was calling me a subhuman barbarian incapable of self control, but then again, they think I’m a superman. Sincerely, John Pepin
Consequences And Limits Posted onNovember 10, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, when there are no consequences, there are no limits. This applies to all human beings. The baby unlimited with consequences, lives a short, crime ridden life. Just as the politician unlimited with consequences for abuse of authority, corruption and rent seeking, will abuse their authority, be corrupt and rent seek. Given enough time, a lack of consequences would corrupt anyone. Because even the most benevolent of us, given free reign to his or her id, sooner or later, and probably sooner, will become a demon. Since that’s the case, how much more so, psychopaths addicted to power? That’s why I think our world is a latrine fire. The people invested with the most power to do damage, are unlimited, while the weak are crushed under law. Because the elite suffer no consequences for corruption. The child unchecked by discipline will first be a brat, then become an out of control teenager, and finally blossom into a criminal. This pattern has been repeated throughout history, in every culture and by every ethnic group, with the same results. Because at heart, we are all the same. Psychologists call them unsocialized children. They weren’t socialized at the critical point in their lives and so they’re doomed to a miserable life. This is a societal cultural problem and is best addressed with social and cultural solutions. The point is though, a child unchecked with punishments will grow into a criminal adult. This is a well documented fact. It’s due to human nature. People who can get away with anything, will sooner or later, do everything. A saint give free reign to his or her id will soon become a demon. No matter how well controlled someone thinks their id is, the reality is, our ids control us. The subconscious has been described as an elephant, and our conscious selves as the rider. We control it to some extent, but the id does all the real work, and if it gets out of hand, we have no effective control. Now, take away consequences for letting that elephant get out of control, and anyone will let it get out of hand ever more often. Since controlling it takes so much effort. The lazy will give in first but even the strong will capitulate eventually. Look at Kim Jong Un. He was born into a family that could do anything… and he’s grown into a mortal demon. But would he be as despicable, had he been born elsewhere, into a Baptist, Jewish or Mormon family? Then there is the example of Robespierre. He was born into a Christian family and was raised to be a pacifist. He wanted only equanimity between the elite and people… until he came into power. Upon being stymied, and knowing there would be no consequences for his actions, he ordered his political foes beheaded. Becoming the spring of a river of blood. A mortal demon. Until he himself was executed by guillotine. History is nothing but examples of people corrupted by lack of consequences or born into an elite without consequences for their actions. In every example, the consequences to the state, people and society have been devastating. Every great empire, civilization and society has been felled by their own elite, once they become utterly corrupted by a lack of consequences. Today we live in a situation where the elite are above, not only the law, but the constitution’s that were written to reign them in. Why? Because those contracts between the governed and the governors, lack consequences for abuse. With only political consequences, far removed from action, and those don’t apply at all to the bureaucracy… there are effectively no consequences for corruption, abuse of authority or even pedophilia. As the Epstein murder called suicide proves. Without consequences… there are no limits. This is the natural order of things, and will remain the natural order, until we limit our elites with consequences for their actions, and the outcomes of their policies. No document with a binding pinky swear will limit people without consequences for their actions. Only consequences will. Sincerely, John Pepin
Be Careful What You Wish For… Posted on November 19, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for…” is being lived by the CCP, the deep state and Europe. They all wanted Trump out and Biden in. The deep state had to win. So they manipulated the 2020 election to get their way. Biden’s in, and the world is melting down because of it. The CCP could have weathered quite a mess had Trump’s raging economy kept on… but their release of Covid and the democrat’s election fraud stopped that. The deep state was terrified their crimes would be exposed, and they might have to face consequences for their pedophilia, corruption and bribery. So they murdered Epstein. Fortunately, they managed to get mail in election fraud going, so they got what they wanted, Trump gone. Now the results are in, and the elite are suffering for their stupidity. The CCP is near buckling due to their stupidity. Despite Biden bailing out Xi last week, China is in a world of economic hurt. Their export driven economy suffers when demand for their exports crumble, and Biden’s economy is entirely State driven. The consumer has been ravaged by inflation, job insecurity and our crime ridden streets are unsafe at any speed. All this suffering by the American people translates into less demand for Chinese stuff. With every federal Reserve interest rate increase, to stem government spending driven inflation, wealth was wrung from the consumer and transferred to the government. So, China’s economy is being hit with at least three simultaneous disasters. The housing price crash, the implosion of their housing sector and a collapse in exports. Because they won. The deep state has been exposed far more than Trump could have, and now there are calls for their being charged, tried and punished. With the release of the Jan 6 videos and the resulting exposure of the outright criminality of the government, in that false flag, the criminals are being shown in a whole new light. Like Nixon once said, It wasn’t the break in, it was the cover up… The Russian collusion fraud has gone down in the history books and no one will be punished for it. The 2020 election was rife with fraud, open and hidden, and some on video exposed to the courts, then suppressed by those courts. The elite went all in to get Trump out, because he was an existential threat to their perversions and power. Now their fraud won, and their crimes are undeniable, they’re looking at criminal charges. European leaders were glad to be rid of Trump, demanding they pay for their own defense, pointing out their stupidity and cutting them off the American teat. Europe’s economy was humming along under Trump and his surplus in energy. Especially Germany, with their demand for natural gas, as a feed stock for their industry. The cheers went through the European elites like electricity through a wire when Trump was defrauded out of office. The elites were ecstatic. In only a few years of their total control, backed by the Biden administration’s wise leadership, Europe is in a world war, their economy is devastated and their elites are looking at losing their elections in landslides across Europe, to Reform, The AFD and other Euro skeptic parties. Not what they hoped for I’ll bet. The elites got what they wished for and are regretting it, but they’re way too stupid to back down. The stupid only advance. The suffering their policies are inflicting on mankind, are only a down payment on the real suffering it’ll take to pay off the debt, economic, societal and cultural, of their stupidity. The really stupid though, never learn. That’s why the elite, stupid as a rock, double down on all their failed policies. In their fevered delirium, they believe, if it doesn’t work this time, we’ll try again with more money, power and oppression… then it has to work. Results be damned, progressives aren’t pragmatic, they’re idealists who call themselves pragmatic, to manipulate others to thinking their open minded. Well, the elite may have got what they wanted, and God willing, soon they’ll get what they deserve. Sincerely, John Pepin
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Emotional Channelization and Political Power Posted onNovember 12, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, woke, political correctness and the ostracism, are channelization devices. They steer our emotions in the direction that the elite want. Are you outraged? At what? Whatever the elite tell you to be outraged at. That’s what. The elite want us livid at Make America Great Again, Christianity, and white people. Those are the enemies as defined by our elites today. Islamists slaughtering people at a peace concert, whole villages in Africa and the continuing Armenian genocide, are nothing to be alarmed at. Our elites fret about Islamophobia instead. As protesting a stolen election is the greatest threat to democracy since Solon established the Athenian system. Our outrage is channeled by political correctness, outrage and fear of social ostracism, to serve the elite’s desire for unlimited power. The media is the propaganda arm of the ruling elites. They tell us what to hate, love and be outraged at. Those things that the elite don’t want us justly angry about, are covered up with censorship, distracted from and lied about. People would be justifiably outraged if the media reported accurately about the deaths and side effects of the Covid vaccine. That they haven’t, shows the elite don’t want us outraged at those deaths. The deaths of Hamas terrorists however, are of great concern to the international elites, so their deaths are front and center in the propaganda machine. Heck, reporters were embedded in the Nov 7 terror attacks. Abetting the beheadings, rapes and torture… very progressive! Yet your not outraged by that, because you haven’t been told its okay to be outraged, by the elite. We are largely controlled by our emotions. Those who can channel our emotions, control us. To a degree we would never believe possible. Add the innovation of mass media, and you have the perfect recipe for despotism, masquerading as democracy. All the elite need do is channel us to feel whatever they want. Ostracism is crushing. People need to feel included. So, the mere threat of ostracism is enough to hold most people in line, with even the most absurd thought rules. Because to be ostracized is to be cast out, alone and without friends. A state of affairs that’s intolerable to all but the most introverted, independent and disagreeable. That’s why the ostracism is so effective at controlling people. The emotional toll is so great folks will do almost anything to avoid it. Then there’s that wonderful tool of manipulation… demagoguery. High unemployment? Blame employers. High inflation? Blame retailers. Demagoguery is a form of political correctness. The politically correct… the in crowd, the right kind of people, or the “woke,” are above reproach. While those not in the group are incapable of virtue. The incorrect are all racists, filthy, slave material, etc… No one wants to be one of those people. The west’s version of Dalits. Untouchables. To stay out of that group, people will do anything asked of them. How many Jews are “self loathing,” and despise Zionists because of this? How many white Christian’s hate white supremacists, maga people and the basic tenets of Christianity? Notions imposed by demagoguery, the threat of ostracism and political correctness. It’s not possible to disconnect from our emotions. The solution to political correctness and ostracism then, is to point them out, and ridicule the people who use them. Turn the tables on elites who would manipulate us with our emotions. Be outraged at political correctness, censorship and ostracism. Use your emotion to the opposite of what the elite want. Instead of hating the vilified group, call out the demagogues. Keep your eyes open, and don’t rely on a single source of information… they’re all biased, all trying to manipulate you in some way, and so untrustworthy. That being said, some are better than others, legacy media being the worse. If you find yourself in a channel of the elite’s making, climb out, look around and act accordingly. Let’s stop being patsies to their manipulation. Sincerely, John Pepin
Who Normalizes Pedophilia? Posted on November 29, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the same people who demand your children see a grown man dressed up as a harlot, wagging his bare rear end in their face, would freak out if you showed their kid… a Holy Bible. You know it’s true. How many hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in the legal system to eradicate the Holy Bible from society? Untold wealth has been mobilized to silence prayer in the public. As the same people zealously defending their right not to see a Holy Bible… are spending even more in the legal system, to force your kid to watch a drag show. The hypocrites demand from us, things they would become violent over, then justify their violence as a rational response. Meanwhile we aren’t even allowed to be outraged. Creepy weirdo hypocrites will hypocritically normalize pedophilia I suppose. Hypocrisy used to be the most discrediting thing a person could do. Hypocrites were considered less than human. Because they acted less than human. In the classical era to the very recent past, hypocrisy, even the moniker hypocrite, was to be shunned at all costs. Someone who demanded from others that which they wouldn’t tolerate, ordered others refrain from doing that which they are doing, and the demagogues who point a finger at another while three point back… once discovered, were permanently discredited. No one would take a hypocrite any more seriously than they would a hamster, gold fish or snake. Today the elite have manufactured a paradigm shift, in that hypocrisy is not only acceptable, it’s to be lauded, as the ability to hold two distinctly opposing ideas and consider them equally valid. I have to wonder what’s the goal of showing children adult men’s rear ends? It must be pretty important for someone to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, in the legal system, to insure it happens. Most regular people don’t have the extra money, especially today, to donate to political law. Apparently someone does. I don’t know who, but the legal costs must be astronomical. Those top legal firms don’t give their time away. An attorney you or I might get could cost 200 to 500 an hour. Those top firms make that look like chump change. So, the people pushing through the legal system, the right for adult men with deep psychological trauma, so profound they’re confused as to their sex, can display themselves dressed up as prostitutes, to children. Kind of like normalizing pedophilia? Even more money, measured in today’s worthless dollars, has been spent to keep the holy Bible from children’s eyes. The threat of seeing moral stories is so great that hundreds of millions of dollars has been spent, and continue to be spent, to insure no child need see or hear the story of Moses, Jesus or heaven forbid, a saint… like the story of the real Saint Nicholas. Such examples are for adult eyes only and only those adult eyes that were perverted by them in their early years. Ideas like the Golden Rule are acid in the face of a hypocrite. The Golden Rule is the opposite of hypocrisy. A hypocrite can’t follow the golden rule, and someone who follows the golden rule, can’t be a hypocrite. The one makes the other impossible. Apparently, the people spending the money in the legal system, want hypocrites. Men with deep psychological issues don’t have the wealth to pay a lawyer 200 an hour, let alone buy the top legal firms in the nation… to drive their perversions through the legal system. Welfare recipients, people on SSDI, and those addicted to fentanyl, generally aren’t in the top 50% of the wealth bracket. Someone, or group, in the top 1% of wealth must be the ones paying for the legal panzer division. Rich pedophiles pushing hypocrisy as a virtue. No wonder they’re so afraid of the Holy Bible. Anything that teaches the Golden Rule undermines everything they stand for. Perhaps spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the legal system, to stop the spread of biblical morality, and normalize pedophilia, is worth more than that money could otherwise buy… to rich pedophiles. Sincerely, John Pepin
A strange conversation got me thinking on the idea of envy, so I hope that my readers would bear with me as I begin with a personal anecdote. Not too long ago, I took the decision to leave life in the big city, and shift for a year or so to a village in the Himalayan foothills, where the neighbours knew each other and shopkeepers felt secure in merely pulling down the shutters on their shops at night without locking them up. I was a regular customer at a small grocery store, and one day, I realised I had forgotten to pay for some milk I had purchased a few days back. Of course I had meant to, but I didn’t have change then, and the grocer smiled at me and told me to pay for it the next time. As expected, neither of us had remembered it, and about a week or so passed before I recalled the incident. After I sent the money to his account, I told the story to a group of my friends, and asked them what they would have done in this scenario. I was expecting most of them to say that they would pay back the money as soon as they remembered, or else say that they wouldn’t, unless explicitly asked to by the grocer. You’d think there are only two options to act here, and most of them answered one way or another. One response, however, surprised me. “Well, if it’s a small grocery store or I know that the grocer is a poor man, I would pay him back,” said one of my friends. “But if it’s one of those big supermarket chains, I wouldn’t,” she finished. “Why would that matter?” I said, humouring her. I knew why, of course, but I wanted to hear it from her. I wanted to know the words she would use to justify herself. “The poor man obviously needs the money,” she said. “And the big store owner doesn’t? What if the owner of the big store is an honest and hard-working man too?” I asked. “He’s richer, or he wouldn’t have a big store. Even if I didn’t pay him twenty rupees for the milk, it’s not like he would be ruined. His business hurts the smaller shop owners,” she said, shrugging. Her answer bothered me, but I wasn’t able to articulate exactly why at that time. In retrospect of course, I know exactly what I would have liked to say: “If someone is richer than others, why do you assume his wealth is acquired by theft, or otherwise unearned, rather than by honest or hard work? What about your own act of stealing? Even if his business hurts smaller shop owners, how do you justify your own act of stealing by making it look moral? And even if there is an inequality in the amount of money shop owners make, who made you the final arbiter of justice?” Unfortunately, my friend is not alone in thinking in such ways. This is the symptom of a problem on a larger scale. A hatred towards the rich or the successful often disguises as compassion towards the poor and the dispossessed. Success reminds people that hierarchies exist. More so, it reminds them of their own failings. We are envious of winners. I have another friend who has a really weird habit of hiding things. Not secrets, or things he is ashamed of, but good things. The news of a salary raise. Or a new phone he bought. At first, I thought it was out of some distorted sense of humility. You know how some people feel awkward at receiving compliments, I thought it was something like that. But I was wrong. He said that his parents taught him at a young age to hide things from others: anything that was a sign of wealth (a new toy, a new computer, a cell phone, etc.) or success (good grades, news of a promotion, etc.). It took me several conversations to get him to tweak it just the teensiest bit. “There’s nothing wrong with winning. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating that victory with your friends and family,” I would say to him again and again. Of course, one must not show off one’s achievements or possessions. One must not rub one’s own good fortune in someone else’s face, or make them feel bad about what they have. But one must be proud of the right things, of success, of victory, or else we run the risk of forgetting that victory is worth chasing after. Good things happen to us as a consequence of prayer or perseverance, and neither deserve to be hidden out of sight as something to be ashamed of. Should one feel reluctant in sharing good news with one’s friends, an introspection into the character of those assembled within one's sphere becomes imperative. Envy is, perhaps, the most ubiquitous emotion, as well as being the least spoken about. Joy is shown: by the throw of hands in the air, by concealed smiles, by applause, by feasts and by celebration. Rage is vented: by passive aggressive remarks, in yells and threats, through profanity and streetfights. Even sorrow is expressed: with tears, or without, and most often in pregnant silences. As for fear, it makes itself known without the consent of its bearer. But envy? No, we are too ashamed of envy to let it show on our face or in our words. But we are also protective of it; we guard it and feed it until it consumes us, one covetous longing at a time. Just like a parasite grows fat and strong by feeding on its own host. Envy doesn’t want to be seen, no. So it uses disguise. It is a shape-shifter, and takes on many forms, some that transcend the individual and manifest on a social or political scale. Sometimes, it does betray itself, but it has walked cloaked among the ranks of morality, charity and compassion so long that we do not recognise it. In others, and especially in ourselves. Even if we do, we scarcely perceive it as dangerous. Among the plethora of Indian superstitions, there's a star performer known as "nazar" – the evil eye that walks in uninvited to everyone’s success buffet. Indians have mastered the art of "nazar lagna" evasion techniques – from strategically drawing a black dot in kohl on a baby's forehead to hanging lemon-and-chilli combos on our car’s rear view mirror to ward off envy attacks, so ingrained is the belief that envy stalks every one of us all like a relentless enemy, but befriends no man. You would think envy hurts others more by creating an atmosphere of negativity, and driving a wedge between friends and kin. But envy also has a peculiar talent for turning people into performers in the grand circus of self-sabotage. Picture this: you're scrolling through social media, and suddenly, envy sneaks in like the discontented fairy at Sleeping Beauty’s christening party. One minute, you are lying in your pyjamas all comfy, sipping hot chocolate, and the next minute, you have a full-blown fashion crisis because your neighbour apparently owns a wardrobe straight out of a magazine cover or because everyone except you seems to be going on week-long beach vacations. And let's not forget envy's magical touch on your inner monologue, convincing you that your colleague's promotion is the universe's way of confirming your secret identity as the office's unsung hero. As we navigate this cosmic odyssey of life, weaving through its unpredictable twists of triumph and disappointment, riding the roller coaster of fortune's highs and lows, making unforeseen pit stops at the station of regret, and ultimately aiming for the serene destination of contentment, do you really want Envy as an unwelcome hitchhiker, comfortably settled in your passenger seat, incessantly grumbling about the entire journey? Surely, on such an expedition as this, a more satisfying companion can be found to share the ride.
Hidden in plain sight within this passage from Matthew’s gospel are
two phrases that we may be tempted to skip over while reading. The first
phrase directly relates to Jesus, and it focuses on something He has
received from God. Matthew tells us that following one of Jesus’ prayers, He says that “My Father has given all things to me.” (v. 27a) This statement is a little perplexing if we think about it deeper, because what does Jesus mean by “all things”?Does “all things” mean everything organic and inorganic in the universe?Does “all things” mean all people, animals, and life?Does “all things” mean remove an individual’s free will or free choice? While we could answer yes to some or all of these questions, a more
important and deeper question for us to ask is what caused God to choose
to give Jesus “all things”? Aside from being His own Son, what made
Jesus worthy to be entrusted with everything? The clue we have comes from an unlikely place – which is the other
phrase we may be quick to gloss over. Several verses earlier, prior
while describing the cities where He had been rejected, Jesus says that “the people there had not turned away from their sins.” (v. 20b) In these cities where Jesus spent much of His time, and where a good
percentage of His miracles had happened, the people had not changed.
Perhaps they believed Jesus to be special, significant, and maybe even
sent from God, but it was not enough to convince them to give up the sin
in their lives and/or their sinful lifestyles. These people are condemned because they chose not to give up something when Jesus came offering something better. In contrast, it seems as though Jesus continually gives things up.
Jesus gave up heaven and He came down to earth to be with us. Jesus gave
up fame and popularity numerous times by intentionally challenging
those present about their lives and their focus. Jesus gave up His life
so that others could be saved. It is in Jesus’ nature to give up, and because Jesus is more
other-focused than self-focused, He can be trusted with everything. God
gave Jesus “all things” and that includes you and me. We didn’t have a
choice in this matter. But the first thing Jesus did following receiving
us as a gift is return our freedom of choice. We cannot change the
scope of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but we can choose whether we
will accept it and let God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit work in and through our
lives. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Have you seen the
average picture? It’s the usual head shot with a smile. Then there
are the posers. The ones who pose as if they are a famous movie star.
Some have themselves in situational environments like a Getty Image.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing, just observing. On my
gmail account, I have a picture of Fabio as my picture. Funny, right?
But why a fictitious
character like Yoda? How about Darth Vader? I like the redeemed
father image, but Darth Vader is not a good representation of myself.
My own looks are ho-hum, average. Certainly nothing to write home
about if you saw me walking down the street. Genetics didn’t bless
me with the looks like Fabio. Somehow, my dad’s good looks didn’t
make the final cut neither. I have what I have and that’s it. Over the years, I
have met many souls. Many different faces. All unique. I never really
thought too much as to what looks were good or not so good. It
doesn’t really matter. When we interact with others, it’s a name
we see, more than the face. Secondarily, we hear the voice. My image
of people is a combination of the voice and what they write. You can
tell a lot about someone by these. Think about the radio personality
you listen to. You would think behind that voice would be a
sophisticated man dressed in a suit that everyone would want to talk
to. And then real-life shows you, he’s a nerdy looking and sounding
guy, wears flip-flops and shorts in the winter with a “scruffy
nerf-herder” look. Actually, that’s me. I joke to myself that I
dress like this purposefully to ensure that I am as unassuming and
unattractive as possible. It works. And yes, I’m laughing. Of
course, when I go out in public with my wife especially, I look much
more presentable. Not bad actually. My wife is pleased and that’s
good enough for me. Enough of that. I
suppose we all have an image of ourselves, of what we want to be. My
personality, which is still a work in progress is not that of an
Alpha, but I’m neither a Beta. I incorporated silence and stoicism
in my list of attributes. If one insists on some form of
categorization, I would fall into the “Sigma” category. These are
just labels and don’t have solid psychological definitions but they
are somewhat helpful. My image of myself is that of the Singularity;
that shining light that is bright and regardless of how close you
get, still has no shape or form. I think that image is a good
representation that I am still being formed. You know, work in
progress; that there is room for improvement, room for better
thoughts. Much like a fictitious character. So, I picked “Yoda with
Sunglasses”. I like the idea of being wise with an edge. That’s
what Sun-glasses depict. And of course, Yoda is the wise Jedi Master
that everyone holds in high regard. I’m getting there if not there
yet, but I like to think that a wise soul is a form to aspire to. So, that’s why I
have the ‘Yoda with Sunglasses’ as my picture.
MAKING YOUR HOME A HAPPLY PLACE Romans 14:9 INTRODUCTION: 1. Family being attacked. Discover God’s plan, principles, and promises. 2. If you have failed it doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in the future. We must try. 3. Let us look at some guiding truths. I need the message on 7 things you can do to build up your mate. (BE A BUILDER UPPER!) 4. ILL>Sheep herder in Wyoming observing behavior of wild animals during the winter. How horses respond- ed from attack from pack of wolves and how donkeys responded. 5. We have a choice. Anybody can tear down. It is absolutely stupid to tear, claw, and gnaw at your mate. *Many are catching attitudes from TV. *Takes no brains, no self-control, no learning from mistakes *Degrading character assassinations *We need to be participators in the Mutual Admiration Society...I Thess. 5:11, Edify means to build each other 6. There is no one who cannot, with Christ’s help, become a builder-upper instead of a downer. I. EDIFY TREATMENT...Rom. 14:9 A. Regret...Eph. 4:29 (Verbal Abuse) B. Rehearse...I John 3:18 (Listen to yourself-how you talk to your mate) C. Respect...(Disagree yes, but Disrespect no) D. Refuse...Rom. 14:13; Gal. 6:1 (To blame or criticize your mate. Overcome evil with good...Rom. 12:21) ----------------------------------- II. EXTEND TREATMENT...I Cor. 13:4-5 A. Rule...(#1 for getting along with anyone is treat with courtesy) 1. Good for preparation for marriage and strong preservative of marriage 2. ILL>John and wife talking with Jane, a beautiful 28 year old single woman. Jane drops something. Immediately John reaches down and picks it up for her. Later, wife drops baby’s diaper bag, and he didn’t even attempt to pick it up. B. Remember...Courtesy costs so little and means so much that you can’t afford to be without it. 1. Honor wife as weaker vessel. 2. Prayers could be hindered...I Pet. 3:7 3. Little things - “Hearts, like doors, will open with ease to very, very little keys; and don’t forget that two of these are ‘I thank you’ and ‘If you please.” ----------------------------------- III. EXCHANGE TREATMENT...Luke 6:31 (Golden Rule Treatment) A. Point...Every person has feelings. Each has worth and value. B. Problem...Easy to take advantage of those closest to us. Take our frustrations out on them or take them for granted. C. Practice...Mutual admiration society, Consideration --------------------------------- IV. EXPRESS TREATMENT...Phil. 2:3 A. The Amazement...One word of praise can kindle new warmth. It’s amazing what praising can do! B. The Awareness...Praise may be the only pay check a wife gets. How would you like to work and not get a paycheck? When was the last time you verbally praised someone in the family for a job well done? ----------------------- V. EXTRACT TREATMENT...I Pet. 3:1-12 A. Wives bring out the best in your husband by OBEYING HIM. B. Husbands bring out the best in wife by HONORING HER. Have compassion. Don’t whittle your mate down. ---------------------------- VI. ENFORCE TREATMENT...Luke 11:17 A. The Confusion...Division 1. Never allow anyone to come between 2. Never allow anything to come between. ***House divided against itself will fall. B. The Choice...Stick together like glue... “cleave.” ------------------------------- VII. ENDURE TREATMENT...I Cor. 13:7 A. We all make mistakes. 1. Every man has his good points and bad points. 2. Every woman has her good points and bad points. 3. Center on other person’s faults and you are going to be miserable. ILL>Young mother left her small child unattended while she was doing the laundry in basement. Child found some adult medicine, drank it all, and was DOA. Mother sat stunned and stricken waiting for husband to come. What would he say? He idolized the child. Took wife in his arms and said, “Darling, I love you.” B. We all can make much ILL>Notes from Nancy to me in annual ------------------------------ CONCLUSION: BE A BUILDER UPPER!!!!! -----------------------------------
Mastering Reading Habits & Applying What You Learn - Nick Hutchison | Something For Everybody 201
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Have you ever received something you needed, but it was not what you expected? If so, you may have something in common with the crowd at the opening
of this passage. While Jesus is walking in the temple, the crowd asks
Him, “Tell us the plain truth: are you the Messiah?” (John 10:24 GNT) Instead of answering them “plainly”, Jesus tells them that He already
told them, and then goes on describing how He is the One who God the
Father sent. Jesus is trying to expand their minds about what the
Messiah’s role is, and that it is not at all what their culture was
expecting. In His response, Jesus makes a clear distinction between
those who truly hear His voice, and those who are listening through a
filter – and hearing only what they want to hear. This makes me wonder in my own life, how many times do I truly keep
my ears (and/or eyes) open to God? Am I someone who listens through a
filter, or do I allow all of God’s messages through? In this passage, most of those in the crowd were listening through a
filter. Their filter said that the Messiah was political, that God was
distant, and that those who claimed to be God should be stoned. These filters kept them from seeing or hearing Jesus’ message that
God elevates us to higher than we can imagine when we acknowledge Him as
our Father, Lord, and Savior. I believe that God is currently active in the creation process,
creating things all around us. This makes it easy for me to call Him
Father. However, even if He decided to take a vacation, it still would
be easy for me to call Him Father because He started it all. Jesus was not the Messiah the Jews expected. Jesus came to fulfill
the promise given to Adam and Eve when they were thrown out of the
garden. This promise said that one of Adam and Eve’s offspring would
crush the serpent’s head. Satan was the serpent deceiver, and before
Jesus, no one was able to truly fulfill this promise. Jesus came as a Messiah to all of humanity who has ever sinned, not to one specific nation or race. Jesus was not the Messiah the crowd, the Jews, or the world expected; but He was the Messiah that the world needed. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Fundamental Imbalance’s Of Power Posted on November 17, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, fundamental imbalances of power can only lead to tyranny, oppression and unreasonable demands. Why? Because of human nature. “People, like animals, all seek their own best interest.” -Carneades. Self interest is only balanced by consequences for actions. Without consequences almost everyone would become a predator. When the weak are silenced the oppressors don’t even know they’re causing pain. Ignorance of the suffering only increases the powerful’s willingness to increase suffering… for their own benefit. This paradigm holds true on the small scale as well as the large. A husband who beats his wife with impunity, will continue to beat her until she dies, a corporation with a captured bureaucracy can get away with anything, and a government unlimited creates Hell on Earth. Maturity is the ability to recognize the humanity in others, subvert one’s own interests for greater interests, when it makes sense, and put off instant gratification. When someone has all the power in a relationship, there’s no need to learn any of those things. So the powerful never grow up. Even mature people, given out sized power, become as children eventually. Because that’s who and what we are. We can hope to surpass our limited humanity, but to build a system that depends on us not being human for it to work, is stupid as it is absurd. Imbalances of power then create immature people without empathy. Immature people without empathy invested with total power are unlikely to improve the lot of Mankind, it’s far more likely they’ll lower it… and molest children. Government’s power is supposed to be balanced by constitutional limits. Before constitutionalism was invented, all governments were unlimited. The historic recounting of the total insanity they did proves my point, far better than I could in a single page essay. The recent history of crimes against humanity, like the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust and the Fauci flu, are nothing new. Herodotus gives some fine examples of tyranny in action. Like a deposed Libyan queen, upon returning by force of Egyptian arms, had the breasts cut off every woman in the city as punishment. Unlimited power leads to unlimited atrocities. Now that governments across the west have abandoned constitutional limits on their power, expect the crimes against humanity to increase in scope, nature and sophistication. Corporate power is supposed to be limited by regulators. I say supposed, because the reality is, corporate regulators are captured by the firms they regulate. The bureaucrat making well over 100k a year, gold plated benefits, and with an 80% retirement, needs that corporate job when he or she retires from public service. The corporation will pay a former regulator six figures the rest of their life, in bribe money. A great deal for the corporation. That’s why insurance like State Farm, is going up 100% this year and if you cut coverage to worthless, the rate increase is a mere 50%. Corporations are unlimited and so act it. How else could Wells Fargo get a billion dollar fine a year from the SEC and no one ever goes to jail? Because corporations are effectively unlimited in their power over the consumer. The reality is, our system, one where the elite must be saints for it to work, isn’t functional. For the same reason perpetual motion machines don’t work. They operate outside the laws of physics, or in the case of our political system, outside the laws of human nature. No matter how many times an above the law elite pedophile swears on his pinky finger, that he won’t abuse his power, or kids… he will. Unlimited power makes people children, liars and monsters. When the government including police and the courts, can lie without consequence, and we’re held to the truth by the letter of the law, there is a fundamental imbalance of power. In all spheres of life. Those fundamental imbalances of power is a fatal flaw in our systems. A defect we’re obliged to address. Sincerely, John Pepin
While I understand why our culture has done this, what we see
displayed every Christmas is not what actually happened at Jesus’ birth.
While Luke’s gospel describes Jesus being wrapped up in a manger
because there was no place for them in the inn, nowhere do the gospels
actually tell us that the manger was present in a stable. If we are going to blend Matthew’s visit of the wise men with Luke’s
visit of the shepherds into one night, then Matthew actually tells us a
key detail many people have never seen before. Matthew describes the
wise men’s visit by saying, “When the men went into the house
and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped
him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave
them to him.” (Matthew 2:11 CEV) According to Matthew, Jesus was in a house when the wise men came.
Perhaps this was a small living structure that was not part of the inn.
Maybe it was the place where the owner or manager of the inn lived. However, what likely was the case is that the wise men visited a few
weeks or months after Jesus was born. From Luke’s description of what
Joseph and Mary are able to do, we know that their escape to Egypt
didn’t happen on the night of His birth, because Joseph and Mary take
Jesus when He was just days old to be dedicated at the temple. This would mean that Herod unknowingly had this upcoming Baby-King even closer to him without him even being aware. While tradition and culture have abbreviated Jesus birth
story into one night, it is important for us to pay attention to the
details of what the gospel writers tell us to understand where tradition
has it right, and where it has adapted the details. When we are able to
see the details we get an even more incredible picture of God’s
guidance and protection during the Christmas story. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
The lie is the truth and the truth is the lie-- Isaiah 5:20--24 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, 23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man! 24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. John 17:17 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Proverbs 6:16--19 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. John 8:32 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:44 44 You are of your father the devil , and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. The Lie and The Truth They say that one day The Lie and The Truth met. The Lie told The Truth: “Good morning, Truth.” And the truth, checking to see if it was really a good day, didn’t see rain clouds. Several birds sang and seeing that it was really a good day, The Truth responded to The Lie: “Good morning, Lie.” “It’s so hot today,” said The Lie. And The Truth saw that The Lie was telling the truth, so he relaxed. The Lie then invited The Truth to bathe in the river. He took off his clothes, jumped in the water and said: “Come on, the water’s delicious.” The Truth believed what The Lie said and without doubting The Lie, The Truth took off his clothes and prepared to jump into the water. The Lie came out of the water and dressed in the clothes of The Truth. The truth, however, refused to dress in the clothes of the lie. Not being ashamed, the truth walked naked down the street. And in the eyes of other people it was easier to accept the lie in the clothes of the truth, than the naked and raw truth. ===================================== ===================================== American are told wear a mask-- then two masks--then one but it must be cloth--then two but the cloth won’t work--then cloth is the best-- Wonder why people don’t trust. the shot--they get two and a booster but yet they still getting it--not as bad but it is very high in the vaccanited group--they were told it would provent them from getting it? we are told gas prices high is due to russia--but we are also told we have more than we need but we can’t get it--leases are out there-- but thay can;'t use them because our goverment won’t let them. so what is the truth? Question is where can we find the truth. Jesus------his word the bible but people are not attending church corporate and groups are lossing members ---over all less and less is giving God any time. we went from sunday morning-- sunday evening--wednesday evening and lots in between--now maybe 2 hours on sunday morning--no sunday night--maybe some on wednesday evening--small groups sometimes in some chueches but all these are losing members that don’t show up. your pew is enpty--your attendence on the internet is empty--what is so important that people can’t give God more that maybe 2 hours per week --remmeber in a 7 day week there is= =168 hours--so what are americans giving their time to and what is your Idiol remember God loves you--the truth is hard and even sometines it hurts. It is better for us to hurt and know the truth--than to end up in the pit of fire. because of the lie that is dressed like the truth. Point--Be very careful what you believe--
In one of the most impressive healings that we can find in the
gospels, we also are left with a group of people (not the disciples)
that are actually scared of Jesus. After Jesus has cast the legion of
demons out of the man living among the tombs in the region of the
Gerasenes, Mark tells us that the people living there were scared of
Jesus. In the healing, Jesus had permitted the request of these demons to
enter a herd of pigs, and this in itself was an odd thing for Him to do.
After the herd of pigs commits mass-suicide by stampeding off of a
cliff, Mark tells us that “Those tending the pigs ran off and
reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to
see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had
been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in
his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the
people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the
pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their
region.” (Mark 5:14-17 NIV) What strikes the people the most about the situation they encounter
is not that their livestock had just been killed. I wonder if this had
happened before. Maybe the demon-possessed man had done something that
would have caused the death of earlier herds of pigs. It is not the loss
of the pigs that scared the people – it was when the saw they formerly
demon-possessed man sitting, dressed, and in his right mind. Healing this man was something they likely had tried to do many
times. Perhaps some of the chains they tried to bind the man with was to
get him close to a priest to do a formal exorcism. But the demons were
too strong, and none of their plans had worked. After learning that Jesus was more powerful than the demons living in
the man, that it was the demons who recognized this, and that Jesus had
granted the demons’ request to enter the pigs instead, their fears were
confirmed that Jesus was really more powerful than they had imagined.
They were scared of Jesus and pleaded with Him to leave their region. What could have been the launch of a whole region turning to Jesus
was instead undermined by the fear of a group of shepherds and livestock
owners. Perhaps this is why Jesus tells the man He had just healed to
stay and share what God had done for Him. Maybe this man’s testimony
could help shift the perception of those present about whether Jesus is
safe. The big thing this teaches me is that we should be willing to push past our fears to grow closer to Jesus.
If being near Jesus scares us, we might want to look into why that is.
Everything Jesus did in this event is kind and/or loving. While the pigs
died, it was because He was kind to the demons. The demons chose to
kill the pigs. In this event, Jesus elevates that value of every
human life because that is the reason He came! Jesus came to give His
life so that each of us can have a new life in Him. While that may be
scary on one hand, it is empowering for those who are ready to join Him. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
When reading the gospels, I am always surprised at how informed Jesus
was about what was happening. In John’s gospel, following Jesus raising
Lazarus from the dead, we get a brief glimpse of the Jewish leaders’
council meeting and their ultimate decision. John tells us that, “From that day on the Jewish authorities
made plans to kill Jesus. So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but
left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where
he stayed with the disciples.” (John 11:53-54 GNT) Following the council meeting, Jesus had a target on His head. But Jesus was not surprised by this. I am curious if Jesus’ actions and choice to not travel openly in
Judea made the Jewish authorities believe that Jesus was not ultimately
moving towards death. In their minds, maybe Jesus acted this way because
He wanted to avoid death. After all, their picture of the Messiah did
not involve that Messiah’s death. But looking at the gospels from a bigger picture, we can see that
Jesus’ actions likely were simply delaying His ultimate mission until
the exact right moment in time. Jesus didn’t just come to die. If this were the case, there were
plenty of opportunities for Him to die all throughout His life and
ministry. Instead, Jesus came to die a death on the cross – and at the
specific time when a rebel could experience and accept salvation. Jesus also wanted time with the disciples. He wanted to teach them
and to help them understand what was coming. If at all possible, He did
not want them to be surprised when He ultimately would be betrayed and
arrested. In these two verses, we can see Jesus responding in the best
way that allowed Him the most time with His followers while also holding
on to His mission. By delaying His death, Jesus opened the way for more
people to have faith in Him, and He also kept the option open for
meeting a rebel who would ultimately be crucified next to Him. Jesus’
delay allowed for at least one more person to be saved. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
The Truth About Hamas and Decolonization | Something For Everybody 202
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Things that won’t get you in Heaven Not of Works “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 Eph. 2:8, 9 Romans 3:10, 12 The Bible clearly states that there is only one way to go to heaven. That way is by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross to pay for our sins. Good works cannot earn salvation from the punishment of sin. ----------------------------------- Before I was saved, I was convicted of all the sins I had committed. Guilt from my sin was a mighty burden that was getting too difficult to carry. The religion I had been raised in taught me that forgiveness and salvation could be earned. I started wondering, “If the promise of heaven can be gained by good works, have I done enough? How many good deeds do I have to do? Is it 100? 200? 10,000?” ---------------------------------------------- Since that time 28 years ago, my almost daily Bible reading has never shown me a number of good works one must perform to get to heaven. The reason a number is never stated is because good works have nothing to do with getting one to heaven. God’s Word clearly states that the only way to heaven is through what Jesus did for sinners on the cross. He paid the price for our sin. There is nothing we can pay to have our sins pardoned. ------------------------------------- Although many nod their head in agreement to the verses stating that Jesus paid the price for our salvation, most still try to add deeds to be assured of their salvation. Some of the works performed for salvation are: Anointing of the sick Baptism Being good Confirmation Daily Worship Donations Eucharist Fasting Good deeds Keeping the Ten Commandments and other laws Kindness Marriage Obedience to church or religious teachings Penance Pilgrimages Praying to the dead Praying to gods or goddesses Priestly vows Sacrifices, and ... Although some of the deeds may be good things to do to please God after one is saved, they do not earn anyone a place in heaven. None of man’s good works are mentioned in the Bible as ways to heaven. -------------------------------------- It may be natural thinking that if good deeds outweigh the bad deeds, that we will get to heaven. The Bible, God’s only word on the subject, clearly states that salvation is not of good works! Jesus is the only way – plus nothing! ------------------------------- “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesisans 2:8-9 “ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” II Timothy 1:8-10 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (Good works are not included.) =================================================== Ephesians 2:8--9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:" You can not earn your way to heaven. Just as any gift, to have it, you must reach out and receive it unto yourself. Faith was counted unto Abraham as righteousness. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is what gives us our righteousness in God's sight. Jesus put us in right standing with God, when He paid our debt in full with His blood at Calvary. We must say, thank you Jesus for dying for me. That is why we are saved. Jesus is our Saviour. The gift of God, to all mankind who will accept it, is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord. -------------------------------- Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast." There is no room for boasting. The only thing we might consider boasting of is the greatness of God and His plan of salvation. Work will not get you to heaven. If we love God, and appreciate what He has done for us, we probably will work for Him, but our work does not save us. It just tells Him we love Him. ======================================================= Romans 3:9 "What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;" Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" In the 23rd verse of this chapter Paul makes it very clear that all have sinned. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Psalms 14:1 "{To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good." The Jews could not and did not keep the law and the heathen did not even have a law to keep. All have sinned, but praise God, He sent a Saviour named Jesus Christ. His righteousness is what we must have. Our righteousness is but filthy rags. Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Even the Jews who had the law were not keeping it. The priests were twisting the law around and carrying their own customs out in the temple rather than carrying out God's law. Jesus came to save the lost world. Just as this Scripture says, no one truly deserves to be saved. God sent His Son because He loved us, not because we deserved that love. ====================
During the night of Jesus’ arrest, before Judas the betrayer had
arrived with the mob, Luke includes a detail about the time Jesus was
praying that the gospel writers do not include. This prompts me to
wonder if not all the disciples slept during the first part of that
night. Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying, “An angel from
heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. In great anguish he prayed
even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the
ground.” (Luke 22:43-44 GNT) Tradition says that Jesus experienced a condition in this event known
as “hematidrosis” which is where blood mixes with one’s sweat when
under extreme stress. This is very possibly what happened, but when I
compared a number of translations, they all said that Jesus’ sweat was
“like” drops of blood. Maybe this was because the sweat looked red from
experiencing hematidrosis, or perhaps it was simply sweat that was
pouring and dripping off of His face like blood running out of an open
wound. But Luke’s record of this medical condition is not the main reason
why his description stands out to me. It is the presence of an angel. There are only two times I can think of in Jesus’ ministry where an
angel appears to strengthen Him. The first is following Jesus’ time in
the wilderness when He was tempted, and the second time is this one
recorded in Luke’s gospel. Both times Jesus has faced a pretty intense
trial, and it is likely that both of these events faced some pretty
intense moments of temptation. I wonder if, like the angel came at the close of Jesus’ temptations
in the wilderness, the angel came at the close of Jesus’ prayer before
the last time He went to wake the disciples up. I wonder if the angel
brought a last word of encouragement from God reminding Him of the
reason He came. Perhaps many of those living in the first century
wouldn’t be saved, but the angel may have reminded Him of the millions
of people before and after the cross that Jesus would be giving His life
for. What if the angel reminded Jesus of your name while He was in the garden? Jesus faced extreme anguish in the garden – probably even
more stress and pain than the torture and the cross. The war in the
garden was a war of the will, and once Jesus submitted to the plan of
salvation they had put in place at the beginning of time, the angel came
to remind, validate, and encourage Jesus of all those His life would be
saving. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Legitimate Government Posted on December 1, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, there are several ways to discern if a state is legitimate or not. The first and primary is, does the state work for the benefit of the entire population, or a segment of it? The second is, does the state have the actual consent of the governed? The third is, do the elite follow the dictates of the Constitution to the letter? Finally, is the state or any of its elites above its own law? If any of these questions are answered incorrectly, that state is illegitimate. A government that violates any of these dictums is effectively a criminal state. The people have an obligation to overthrow a criminal state in favor of a state that will follow all of these legitimizing orders. The problem is, almost all governments violate several of these requirements, if not all, an are effectively police states today. Since the time of Aristotle, the idea that the legitimacy of a state, rested on its ruling for the benefit of all the people. In his Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle broke “right” forms of government from “wrong” forms of government. A right government, such as monarchy, aristocracy or polity, contrasted to wrong forms of government, like tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. The distinction being, the right forms rule for the benefit of everyone, while the wrong forms rule for the benefit of the rulers. Simply put, a government that rules for the benefit of a segment of the population, and not the whole of the people, is a criminal enterprise. It’s a swindle. Thrasymachus said, the people are marks, and it looks like he was right. Moreover, those that rule in such a way are hypocrites. Democracy is often confused with polity. They seem to have the same meaning. The distinction however is important. In democracy, everyone votes for their own narrow self interest. While in polity, people vote for the best interests of the whole of the nation. Someone smarter than me once said, democracy will work until the people realize they can vote themselves largess from the treasury, then it can’t but fail. That phrase highlights the difference between polity and democracy. That’s why the US founding fathers set up a republic. To balance the forces of democracy, oligarchy and tyranny, so that the state wouldn’t become a wrong form, while maintaining the consent of the governed. With mail in voting, consent can be conjured up, as a phantasm, demon or a narrative. An elite that can’t follow its own constitution is an elite that’s too criminal to run register, let alone run a nation… or the world. People arrogant, self righteous and utterly lacking self awareness, are the dross that rises to the top of any political institution. They’re the same people who sentence a youth to prison for a DUI, and have to be put to bed by the police every night, because they’re driving around hammered. Like dozens of judges, senators and other elites across our great nations. A state run by criminals incapable of following a constitution’s limitations, let alone those who can’t even follow their own laws, hypocrites of the highest order, will create oligarchies, that will devolve to tyranny sooner or later. A state in violation of its constitution is illegitimate by definition. Power attracts scum like a magnet does iron filings. Every capital city across the planet buzzes with shoo flies. Parasites seeking to exploit the power of the state to their personal ends. Bending the state to a wrong form. People who are more inclined to work for their largess, aren’t attracted to power, but opportunity. In capital cities, the only opportunity is to suck up to power. That’s why nearly every state is illegitimate today. Almost none if any serve the people, few have the actual consent of the governed, I don’t know of a government today that follows its constitution, while the elite are everywhere above their own laws. Which means hen’s teeth are more common than legitimate governments. By this measure, perhaps Iceland, Singapore or Andorra are legitimate? Maybe… but probably not. Sincerely, John Pepin
MAKING YOUR HOME A HAPPLY PLACE Romans 14:9 INTRODUCTION: 1. Family being attacked. Discover God’s plan, principles, and promises. 2. If you have failed it doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in the future. We must try. 3. Let us look at some guiding truths. I need the message on 7 things you can do to build up your mate. (BE A BUILDER UPPER!) 4. ILL>Sheep herder in Wyoming observing behavior of wild animals during the winter. How horses respond- ed from attack from pack of wolves and how donkeys responded. 5. We have a choice. Anybody can tear down. It is absolutely stupid to tear, claw, and gnaw at your mate. *Many are catching attitudes from TV. *Takes no brains, no self-control, no learning from mistakes *Degrading character assassinations *We need to be participators in the Mutual Admiration Society...I Thess. 5:11, Edify means to build each other 6. There is no one who cannot, with Christ’s help, become a builder-upper instead of a downer. I. EDIFY TREATMENT...Rom. 14:9 A. Regret...Eph. 4:29 (Verbal Abuse) B. Rehearse...I John 3:18 (Listen to yourself-how you talk to your mate) C. Respect...(Disagree yes, but Disrespect no) D. Refuse...Rom. 14:13; Gal. 6:1 (To blame or criticize your mate. Overcome evil with good...Rom. 12:21) ----------------------------------- II. EXTEND TREATMENT...I Cor. 13:4-5 A. Rule...(#1 for getting along with anyone is treat with courtesy) 1. Good for preparation for marriage and strong preservative of marriage 2. ILL>John and wife talking with Jane, a beautiful 28 year old single woman. Jane drops something. Immediately John reaches down and picks it up for her. Later, wife drops baby’s diaper bag, and he didn’t even attempt to pick it up. B. Remember...Courtesy costs so little and means so much that you can’t afford to be without it. 1. Honor wife as weaker vessel. 2. Prayers could be hindered...I Pet. 3:7 3. Little things - “Hearts, like doors, will open with ease to very, very little keys; and don’t forget that two of these are ‘I thank you’ and ‘If you please.” ----------------------------------- III. EXCHANGE TREATMENT...Luke 6:31 (Golden Rule Treatment) A. Point...Every person has feelings. Each has worth and value. B. Problem...Easy to take advantage of those closest to us. Take our frustrations out on them or take them for granted. C. Practice...Mutual admiration society, Consideration --------------------------------- IV. EXPRESS TREATMENT...Phil. 2:3 A. The Amazement...One word of praise can kindle new warmth. It’s amazing what praising can do! B. The Awareness...Praise may be the only pay check a wife gets. How would you like to work and not get a paycheck? When was the last time you verbally praised someone in the family for a job well done? ----------------------- V. EXTRACT TREATMENT...I Pet. 3:1-12 A. Wives bring out the best in your husband by OBEYING HIM. B. Husbands bring out the best in wife by HONORING HER. Have compassion. Don’t whittle your mate down. ---------------------------- VI. ENFORCE TREATMENT...Luke 11:17 A. The Confusion...Division 1. Never allow anyone to come between 2. Never allow anything to come between. ***House divided against itself will fall. B. The Choice...Stick together like glue... “cleave.” ------------------------------- VII. ENDURE TREATMENT...I Cor. 13:7 A. We all make mistakes. 1. Every man has his good points and bad points. 2. Every woman has her good points and bad points. 3. Center on other person’s faults and you are going to be miserable. ILL>Young mother left her small child unattended while she was doing the laundry in basement. Child found some adult medicine, drank it all, and was DOA. Mother sat stunned and stricken waiting for husband to come. What would he say? He idolized the child. Took wife in his arms and said, “Darling, I love you.” B. We all can make much ILL>Notes from Nancy to me in annual ------------------------------ CONCLUSION: BE A BUILDER UPPER!!!!! -----------------------------------
Ruled By Fools Posted on November 24, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, a point I have been trying to make, is that people who become enraged at debate, silence others by claiming truth is misinformation, using the power of government to promote one point of view, while exploiting that same power to silence others, demand we tolerate the intolerable, while they themselves can’t tolerate disrespect, even as they claim the moral high ground… are immature brats. Our leaders for example. People who lack the basic maturity we see in teenagers, invested with unlimited power, without accountability. We all know this to be true. The answer to this problem, according to the elite, is to give them more power, with less accountability. I propose a different solution… take away the power they have, and severely limit the power they’re left with. More evidence, as if we need it, of the immaturity and lack of wisdom of world leaders today, is their lack of veneration for the systems, laws and constitutions, that give them authority. The authority they’re busy abusing every chance they get. From the courts denying states a day in court to deeming criminal defendants guilty, and holding trials to decide how guilty they are, like Alex Jones and Donald Trump, is the epitome of abusing authority and undermining the very institutions that give them the authority to do it. Only people utterly lacking common sense would do such things. Such wisdom is inculcated by years of living through the consequences of actions. Strip consequences from action, and there’s no limit to actions, because there’s no learning from life. What the childish elite demand we get outraged at and what we are not allowed to get outraged at, is another sign of their total lack of wisdom. Imagine, the elite in Ireland can’t understand why Irish people would be outraged, at children being stabbed by an immigrant. A guest in your home attacking your kids. Yet the protests against the stabbing of school children is called outrageous by the elite. Should immigrant children in Ireland be targeted in a similar stabbing attack, by an Irishman… those same elites would condemn all Irish as evil and encourage the riots, bloodshed and arson that the immigrants would visit on Ireland. The obvious hypocrisy of the elite is proof enough, our elites are not the caliber of people to run their nose, let alone the world. They’re not the geniuses they think they are. The elite across the world prove beyond a reasonable doubt every day, every time they open their mouths, and whenever they censor, that they’re retarded toddlers with too much power. Biden is riddled with dementia, the man can’t find his way off a stage, and he thinks he is qualified to run the world with unlimited power? Only a fool is stupid enough to think their smart enough to do that. To think oneself capable of running the world from a central authority is proof of a complete lack of wisdom. Anyone who actually thinks the centrally planned economy is still feasible, after the twentieth century, is too dumb to learn. Yet our elites, the world over, are so moronic they actually believe themselves capable of it. Could there be people so stupid they think their that smart? Yes. Our leaders. The more they screw up the world, the more power they demand from us, to fix it. Never for a second thinking they’re the problem. Lacking the wisdom to even consider such a thing. Narcissists don’t have the ability to understand they could be wrong about anything ever. So far, giving them unlimited power has resulted in, inflation in a world reserve currency, world war and a collapsing world economy. Failures by any measure, except in the minds of the fools that did it. I think it’s time not only to replace them, but to cut the power from the governments of the world, so that in the future, when the next crop of fools, simpletons and retards rise to power, they won’t have the ability to screw things up as bad as our elites have. Limit the power of fools to destroy the world and the world might not be destroyed. Sincerely, John Pepin
Transitioning at 67 Years Old - Wendy Cole | Something For Everybody 205
Wendy Cole joins Something For Everybody this week. Knowing from childhood she was a girl, Wendy yielded to familial and societal expectations to fit in. At ...
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10 Silent Struggles Men Face Daily | Something For Everybody 206
Solo episode of Something For Everybody. I discuss and breakdown 10 Silent Struggles Men Face Daily.-Sponsors: AMARE GLOBAL: The Mental Wellness Company - ge...
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FENBENDAZOLE and CANCER - at least 12 Anti-Cancer mechanisms of action. Not approved by FDA. Cheap. Safe. Kills aggressive cancers. Why no Clinical Trials? Nine research papers reviewed https://www.2ndsmartestguyintheworld.com/p/fenbendazole-and-cancer-at-least?publication_id=400535&post_id=137628530&isFreemail=true&r=23rxl6more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words more words
Intelligence and character.Watching the degeneration of intelligentsia, the cream of the cerebral caste, into a world where you could lose your clinician license for stating the obvious about sex, ..Is it likely that intelligence correlates inversely with character?In Ontario, Peterson stands as the exception to that which proofs the tule. There is an irony to watch the small town boy make and walk among the giants of the profession, in Harvard, in U of T, in Montreal and the UN, fully successful, only to look around at his world and see the smallness that academia has become. The hallowed halls filled with the resentful and small, the banal.It is like fulfilling your dreams to find that the dream was real, but that world was a cloud that has no substance. The reevaluation of all values is complete, gravity renounced up is down down up. It is like unleashing monsters, gremlins, the incel armies of Hamas and their identity associates.These are the machinations of small, resentful, intelligent, connected people bricking bricks together, pride inflamed by the offence of not being marketable, contempt for the successful for having what they have not.It is the morality of slaves and slavers, united to the cruelest of desires.Peterson is a Jungian. That is about as standard as a psychologist gets, Psych 101 on through.And when they come for him, the whole industry whistles past their own graveyard.The banality is the evilThe religious saying goes that fear of the Lord is a better predictor of behavior than wisdom. It could be the anxiety, or it could be that we are creatures ruled by the heart and not by the head.
While reading Luke’s gospel account of Jesus’ last supper before His
crucifixion, Luke includes a verse telling us that an argument breaks
out among the disciples and he also includes Jesus’ response to this
argument. Perhaps this argument was prompted by Jesus sharing that one
of them would betray Him, but perhaps, this was just another flare-up of
an argument that Jesus’ follower had debated many times before. But here at the last supper, Jesus has a powerful response. After
quieting the disciples and getting their attention, Luke tells us that
Jesus said, “The kings of the non-Jewish people rule over them,
and those who have authority over others like to be called ‘friends of
the people.’ But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among
you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like the
servant. Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one
serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like
a servant among you.” (Luke 22:25-27 NCV) Jesus draws our attention to something that we think today. This
belief is as widespread today as it was in the first century. Jesus
points us to this key idea when He asks, “Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one serving?” (Luke 22:27a NCV) If we were to ask ten random people this question, almost all of them
would say the person sitting at the table is more important. Those in
the board room at the table must be more important than the factory-line
worker. This is the widespread belief – and it is one that Jesus
challenged with His life. In Jesus’ follow-up statement, He shares the truth people think, and He contrasts it with how He has lived. “You think the one at the table is more important,” Jesus says, “but I am like a servant among you.” (Luke 22:27b NCV) Jesus came and lived the life of a servant to illustrate how
God sees greatness. While those at the table are important in God’s
eyes, those serving are equally important. Without people serving, there
would be no table for others to sit at. Because of this truth, the case
could be made that service is more important than meetings. Jesus
called each of us to be like Him, and this means that we are to take the
servant role whenever possible. Jesus focused on finding ways He could step down and
serve. As His disciples, stepping down and serving whenever possible
should be a priority for us as well. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
When confronted with big dollar big name advertisers jumping on the wokish clown car and attempting to transform X / twitter back into it's earlier form of leftist mouthpiece, Musk issues a clear message. " I hope they stop" " don't advertise" "if somebody is going to try and blackmail me with advertising, blackmail is money, go phuk yourself." The interviewer makes pathetic whimpering sounds " go. phuk. yourself." " is that clear, I hope it is." "That's how I feel, don't advertise" " Hey Bob if you're in the audience." " what I care about is the reality of goodness and not the perception of it. what I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil, phuk them." Over the last couple days,snowlord, octaveoctave, ddebow, a few others have attempted exactly what Musk defines as, "people who care about looking good (proclaiming support for zionism in Israel, demonizing Arab muslims living in Gaza and the West Bank as men women and children all legitimate targets of military operations.) while doing evil." by justifying zionism's overt anti Arab bias, denying it's foundational religious exceptionalism. There can't be a rational dialog about Israel in the United States of America without resolution of lies currently in the public domain, perpetrated by zionist Israel. Number one in my mind is the USS Liberty in context with American involvement in conflict in the region. Any rational examination of the event cannot escape the fact they knew it was an American vessel, and attempted to put it on the bottom of the med. with all hands, to draw American young men into Zionisms' anti Arab ethnic cleansing agenda in the region.
In what may be one of Jesus’ most ridiculous comparisons, in the
illustration of the plank and the piece of sawdust we find a clear
description of the term hypocrite. In this comparison, part of me
wonders if some of those in the crowd actually laughed at the mental
picture Jesus painted for them. While preaching the famous “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus draws our
focus onto a big truth using this illustration. Matthew tells us that He
challenged the crowd by asking, “Why do you look at the speck
of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck
out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3-4 NIV) Then Jesus hits on the big point for this section of His message. He continues by saying, “You
hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5 NIV) Here we have Jesus clarifying what it means to be a hypocrite. Jesus
defines the person who pays more attention to other peoples’ faults than
their own as a hypocrite. According to Jesus’ definition, to not be a
hypocrite, one must focus more on personal growth than on helping others
grow. But we must be careful to not make the passage say what it doesn’t say. Jesus ends off by saying, “then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5b NIV) Helping others grow is important, but more important is that the one
doing the teaching has also lived the message they are sharing. A
hypocrite is someone who gives advice that they are not following
themselves. A hypocrite rationalizes their situation as not needing the
advice, but they don’t make any exceptions for others. To break free from hypocrisy, we must be intentional about sharing
our failures and our successes. We must be honest about where we
struggle, and what we are doing to overcome these challenges. We must
speak from our experience more than from our intelligence. This is one
definition for the idea of “sharing our testimony”. Most of us know what we should be doing, and to really break
free from hypocrisy, we must start doing these things. Helping others
without being a hypocrite means that we have lived our advice and found
it to be beneficial. Only after living our advice can we then help others without being known as a hypocrite. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
“Both Sides” Argument in the Israel-Hamas War | Something For Everybody 208
Solo episode of Something For Everybody. I discuss and breakdown “both sides” arguments in the Israel-Hamas war and DEI. -Sponsors: AMARE GLOBAL: The Mental ...
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Can the Almost Unimaginable Happen? Do you know what the most important news story of our generation will be? What is the biggest event that will shake the entire earth within the lifetime of most of you? The Second Coming of Christ will be the most important event of this generation. Christ is coming back! --------------------------------------- Make no mistake about it. Jesus’ return will not happen secretly off in some cave with no one knowing about it. Jesus Christ will literally come back to the city of Jerusalem, to the top of the Mount of Olives, to begin governing the entire earth! There will be a divine, one-world government. What a shock that will be to all humanity! ------------------------------------- This event is specifically predicted throughout the Old and New Testaments of your Bible. Hundreds of millions of people at least superficially believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. The Second Coming is predicted in each of the four gospels, in the book of Acts, and in the epistles of Paul, James, Peter, and John. Jesus’ return is the focal point of the entire book of Revelation. If you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, then you must believe in the Second Coming of Christ. ----------------------------------- If the King of kings is soon returning to establish the Kingdom of God upon this earth, you should be getting ready for it. You should know how it will affect your business, your economic future, your personal safety, and everything around you. ---------------------------------- You can know what the signs are that will precede Christ’s coming and watch for them. Why stay in ignorance about the meaning of the events taking place around you? Jesus commands His genuine disciples to watch and to be ready. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). -------------------------------------- Your entire life is about to change. Events will unfold soon to destroy the Western world’s way of life as we have known it. ------------------------------- The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke each contain an account of Christ teaching His disciples what to watch for before He returns. Luke wrote, “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:31–33). -------------------------------------- Jesus Christ gave a series of signs that must occur before He returns. Evidently, the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy would happen within the lifetime of one generation—once the signs relative to that specific prophecy begin. So, Christ is coming back to this earth, but not right away. Not until these signs have occurred! People who go running around mouthing their own ideas and predictions about Christ’s return “tonight” are false prophets. They are not heeding the words of Jesus Christ. The signs listed in Jesus’ words must occur first. ------------------------------------------ Soon, mankind will suffer through the most devastating, bloody war in human history—called, in biblical terminology, the Great Tribulation. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect’s sake [for the sake of God’s repentant, obedient people] those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22). ------------------------------------- We are now approaching that time, and these things are now being revealed. “Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined [God is examining you and me, testing us to see who is willing to obey His word], but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10, NRSV). --------------------------------- Do you understand that our degenerate, corrupt nations are headed for a big fall? Do you fully realize that America’s national debts are almost out of control? Can you grasp the full meaning—in God’s eyes—of the spiritual and moral toboggan slide of our entire Western civilization? -------------------------------- If you consider yourself a follower of Jesus, then you should pay close attention to His instruction to you: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). Read on, dear reader, to see what things to “watch” for! =========================================
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” (Psalm 119:36-37 NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2 NIV) This past week has been a week of problem solving. While I could bore you with the details, the quick summary is that my week was filled with numbers, code, formulas, and figuring out unusual solutions to problems.. As I sit down to write, thoughts related to all these things are running through my mind. God has blessed us with amazing minds. Our minds are capable of problem-solving, even if the problem is not as complex as writing a piece of code. However, our minds also press ahead in whatever direction we focus them on. This can be a blessing, or it can be a curse. I suspect this is one reason God challenges us in the Bible to set our minds and hearts on the things above. When we focus our minds on God’s will, His plan, and stepping into His purpose for us, our minds will press forward along this path. When we set our minds on things that God approves of, we open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit coming in to prompt us of more ways to grow towards God. With our hearts set on God, the Holy Spirit can begin refining our lives and prompting us of sins that aren’t benefiting us from God’s perspective. While we have come to another weekend, and another time we can rest from our week’s tasks, let’s spend some time aligning our hearts and minds towards God. A keen observer will realize that I’ve kept the same set of verses as we looked at last weekend. This is because these verses are always worth keeping in mind and because they perfectly match my thought for this weekend as well. God’s goal for our lives is not eternity in a sinful world; it’s life in a recreated, sinless new heaven and new earth! As we look forward to the day He returns, let’s set our minds and hearts on Godly things, and focus our attention on doing His will for our lives. 🙏 📖 ✝️ ✅
The Hidden Force Posted on December 3, 2023 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, human beings are social, and social interactions are political, therefore political favor effects all human interactions. Political favor is the privilege that people give to a person, group or organization. It can be derived from popularity, power or position. Political favor exists not only in elections, but in bureaucracies, corporations and courts. Once you realize everything the state does, including the passing and enforcing of law, depends on political favor, everything government does, snaps into focus. That’s why gathering political favor is the primary job of a politician, a lawyer without political favor can’t win cases, and why a corporation is better off spending profits on lobbying than innovation. Political favor is the hidden force behind all human interaction. One of the reasons we use lawyers is to lease their political favor for our benefit in court. A poor person has no political favor, and a poor person with a state provided attorney has no political favor in their lawyer either, so they are guaranteed to be found guilty. A defendant who the citizenry hates, has negative political favor and so can’t get a fair trial, bench or by jury… no matter the political favor of their lawyer. A defendants negative political favor can diminish their attorney’s political favor. In all cases, even where the law is clear, political favor always trumps law in court. That’s the reason we have the saying, “Railroaded…” Because the railroads had so much political favor in the nineteenth century, they couldn’t lose in court, no matter how absurd the ruling. We see it today in a myriad of cases. Political favor affects your work environment. Hard work is one way to garner political favor, another is to suck up to the boss. Hard work alone however, even of top quality isn’t enough, if your coworkers undermine you. Like a barrel of monkeys, the one trying to climb out will get pulled back in, by the others. Meanwhile, the worthless monkey is helped out, because he or she is liked. Buying and selling is effected by one’s political favor. Remember the Seinfeld episode about the “John Voight car?” It was all about the political favor, that rubbed off on the car, because it had been owned by someone with political favor. Which means, theoretically, that John Voight would have received more money for the same car… than you or I. Because of his popularity derived political favor. Government is where political favor really shines. A politician or bureaucrat with political favor can perjure themselves before congress, all day long, and the DOJ wouldn’t consider bringing charges. The definition of riot depends, not on the actions of the participants, but the political favor of the group they belong to. The politically favored even get better treatment from the bureaucracy. Do you think any bureaucrat would deny Barak Obama a permit to build a cabana on his property? You or I, on the other hand, might have to jump through a few hoops, pay a fine, and even then, just not get the permit. Because it requires a variance, and a variance can only be granted by the variance board, that only meets once a quarter, and they just met. Political favor effects every aspect of life because politics comes into play in every aspect of life. We’re social animals, so society is based on politics, and lubricated by courtesy. Therefore, affected by political favor. Socrates was executed, not for any crime, but due to a lack of political favor. I don’t like it, but you have to admit reality, even if it isn’t to your liking. Now that we’ve loosely defined political favor, how will we react? Gather all the political favor we can, like the elite, and use it to get away with molesting kids? Maybe we could try to change mankind’s nature, like Marxists, to suit our preference? Perhaps instead, we could add the knowledge to our understanding, then apply it when viewing events. To better understand, and put them in context, so we can act in our own self interest. Sincerely, John Pepin
“THAT WE MAY KNOW” JESUS CHRIST, THE WORD OF LIFE 1 John 1:1-4 Part One INTRODUCTION: John was confronting the false teaching of those who denied that Jesus had come in “human flesh.” Attacks have been made against Christ down through the ages in an effort to deny, distort or destroy the truth concerning His deity and humanity. Paul refutes this in 1 Timothy 3:16: “. . . great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” The main theme of today’s message is that Jesus is the Life and the source of lasting joy! ------------------------------ John was confronting the false teaching of those who denied that Jesus had come in “human flesh.” This teaching was known as Gnosticism. Gnostics claimed to have superior knowledge, which ordinary Christians did not possess. They taught that all matter was evil. Therefore, Jesus could not have been in a human body because they believed the body was evil. Some rejected the Incarnation by denying the deity of Christ. Others said the body of Jesus was an illusion that he only seemed to have a human body. John declared anyone who denied “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.” ---------------------------- I. WORD OF LIFE A. IDENTITY OF THE WORD OF LIFE. 1. Jesus is the eternal God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) --------------------- 2. Jesus is eternal life. (1 John 5:11, “this life is in his Son) “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) B. INCARNATION OF THE WORD OF LIFE. (v. 1- 2 “life was manifested) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:14) II. WITNESSES OF LIFE A. EXPERIENCING OF THE LIFE. (v. 2-3) 1. Experience of the new birth. ( John 3:3, 6) 2. Partakers of divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 5:17) B. EYEWITNESS TO THE LIFE. 1. Reliable witnesses. (v. 3, “we have seen and heard”) 2. Responsible witnesses. (v. 3, “declare unto you”) C. EVIDENCE OF HAVING THE LIFE. 1. Fellowship in the family of God. (v. 3, “with us” 1 Jn 3:14-15) 2. Fellowship with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. (v. 3) “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9) III. WONDERFUL LIFE A. FELLOWSHIP OF JOY. (v. 4) “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) Leaning on the Everlasting Arms What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms. B. FULLNESS OF JOY. 1. Joy of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3) “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” 2. Joy from Scripture. (Jeremiah 15:16) “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” 3. Joy of the Spirit. (“. . . fruit of the Spirit is love, joy . . .”Gal. 5:22) 4. Joy in soul winning. (“For ye are our glory and joy”, 1 Thess. 2:20) LESSONS FOR LIFE: 1. Salvation is having the Life of Jesus in you. 2. You can never have fellowship with God without having Jesus as your Savior. 3. You can never know joy until you know Christ as Lord. 4. The message to the lost is condemnation until they turn to Christ. Read----- In an earthquake in California, the baker who worked in the San Fernando Veteran’s Administration Hospital had already arrived ready to go to work. Suddenly, everything began to shake, and this 68-year-old man ducked under a sink. The walls around him crumbled, steel and broken concrete fell around him. He realized that he was trapped. For the next 58 hours (2 ½ days) he crouched there thinking and praying. Then he heard voices. They were coming! He yelled: “Hey, I’m here!” The rescue crew excitedly dug him out and flew him by helicopter to a hospital where the doctor said his condition was remarkable. His statement was: “I want to go home. I am all right, I want to go back to my house, to my wife, and to life!” When he was under the sink, he was alive but no one could say he was really living.
If you are an anti semitist (I am anti every religion due to thousands of years of war and divide leading to the death of millions if not billions to this very day over factually proven foundations of religious lies) that doesn't mean you encourage violence (although perhaps some do) and it doesn't mean that you advocate killing people (although perhaps some do) it just means you are against being divided and conquered by religious supremacists who seem to think that their belief that they should rule the world and take everything they want with any sick and filthy lie and deception should go uncontested so they try and make people against their sick and filthy religious divide and conquer ways out to be a bad guy by labelling them anti semitist like that is a bad thing when really being an anti semitist is a good thing because you are against being enslaved while being divided and conquered by a group of supremacists that refer to themselves as Jews. Their Jewish divide and conquer ways got them kicked out of over a hundred places on the old continent before it happened again in Germany after the Germans saved them from the muslims slaughtering them there was a lack of gratitude from Jews who obviously started their divide and conquer rubbish in Germany and when Germany got fed up with it and no other country wanted these extremely ungrateful people so began what they call the holocaust until the world stepped up and sent them back to Israel where they went right back to war with the muslims again. Again to my understanding ever since Israel became a state, greatly thanks to the efforts of the USA, has gotten billions of dollars annually from the United States since 1948. (I suspect officials who agreed to it got kick backs and became rich as incentive to turn backs on their own citizens and cater to religious fanatics while USA citizens were turned into slaves made to pay Israel Billions annually for decades.) What did the USA ever get back from Israel besides the burden of going into debt to fund religious fanatics who are now excessively slaughtering Palestinians and clearing out Gaza for what I see as a set up for Israeli expansion? Oh yeah they set up the USA for divide and conquer in modern times, real grateful are these Jews. The World Economic Forum of which from what I can tell mostly consist of radical Jewish greed bags (look it up for yourself) have been using officials from country to country as sock puppets (UI's) to push their lies and deceptions to divide and conquer several countries around the world simultaneously in modern day. Ironically the countries targeted aside from Germany who saved Jews from being slaughtered by the muslims are the countries who refused to take them before the holocaust including the USA even though the USA helped them with the declaration of Israel becoming a state and give them billions on top of billions if not into the trillions over decades but Jews obviously don't care as they ungratefully seek to divide and conquer the USA anyway with the same lies and deceptions they thrust upon several countries simultaneously in modern day and especially over this past radical decade with all of their social terrorists they call social justice warriors, their main stream idiot media who perpetuate their lies and deceptions upon targeted countries such as women are born with a penis or that men are born with a vagina along with their sock puppet officials (UI's) from country to country used to force oppression on their citizens while they send those countries into outrageous debt. Evidence reveals Jews are attempting to make everyone else pay for where their sick and filthy supremacist belief system keeps leading them time and time again. Religion is the scum of the Earth and everyone's enemy and this is yet more proof of such. So here we have the religiously retarded Jews who's lies and deceptions used to divide and conquer keep getting them kicked out of pretty much everywhere they go for hundreds of years (over a hundred times before it happened again in Germany) trying to make everyone else suffer over their disgusting filthy religious supremacist low life scum bag beliefs. Like being against being divided and conquered by a group of religiously retarded greedy supremacists is a bad thing. Being anti semitist is obviously a good thing because being an anti semitist means you are not bowing like a slave to Jewish divide and conquer tactics, it means that you do not subscribe to Jewish radical supremacists ruling the world with their addiction to greed, selfishness and ignorance at everyone else's expense! If you do not want Jews to rule over you then you are an anti semitist and should be proud of such. That does not mean it is appropriate to advocate violence or genocide. So here we are, we now have the Israelis slaughtering the Palestinians in Gaza under the guise of wiping out Hamas (apparently they seem to think it is ok to wipe the other side out while at the same time trying to make the other side out to be the bad guy for wanting to wipe them out of which religious lies have already lead to thousands of years of war and divide) while we have Jews in other countries whining for protection for their sick and filthy religious lies leading to war and divide for hundreds of years and expecting tax payers of those countries to flip the bill while whining about anti semitism when people have been justified in being anti semitist since so called semitism began hundreds of years ago right to this very day. These Jews even threaten to sue tax payers for being held up as protests in favour of Palestine because they don't feel safe (because religious lies lead to war and divide) and all because the muslims are fighting the Jews in Palestine still after hundreds of years of this going on. We also have muslims whining for protection at tax payers expense from country to country for their filthy religious lies leading to war and divide for 1400 years just like the Jews. The World Economic Forum advocated this open borders rhetoric upon targeted countries and now that we are all like bombs waiting to go off putting all of our lives in danger it is jews and muslims acting like they deserve precedence in being protected at the expense of citizens who's lives are all put in danger thanks to the following of such religious rhetoric and a slaughter going on in Gaza. There is no such thing as an islamaphobe. Not all muslims are violent but the moderate one's always remain silent because they do not want to be cited as speaking out against islam as the radicals carry out the violent hate crimes against non muslims deemed acceptable in islam everywhere muslim populations begin to rise. Here we have the WEF advocating such lies as islamaphobe while loading countries with muslims while also trying to promote anti semitism as a bad thing and the burden is placed on tax payers to fund all of the damage caused by this Jewish radical agenda while they also try and shame or criminalize citizens against such sick behavior. If you can explain how not being religious is the cause of any war and divide I'd love to hear it but I know that will never validly happen. Again the religious (those of many religions) claim that god or allah is the creator of everything and they also redundantly confess that the lie they cater too has intelligence to understand so called prayer or worship. The factual evidence that proves that there is no such thing as a god / allah is that not anything goes poof into existence out of nothingness. (go ahead and share one factual example of anything going poof into existence out of nothingness?! You never will because the fact always remains that it takes energy matter and time to re create energy and matter and is proof that everything that does exist always did exist throughout an endless duration of constant change) Not anything can develop and intellect out of nothing and not anything can create with nothing which proves beyond any shadow of doubt that not anything with intelligence could ever be the creator of everything thus proves beyond any shadow of doubt that there is no such thing as a god or an allah because not anything with intellect could ever be the creator of everything. Because factually proven foundations of filthy religious lies have lead to thousands of years of war and divide and to the death of millions if not billions to this very day I fight for the destruction of religion because unlike the religious I happen to value human life more than I value factually proven foundations of filthy religious lies. Look at Palestine, imagine if they were all just humans as opposed to Jews and Muslims, they could live without the one thing that has kept them divided for hundreds of years and perhaps even live in unity but apparently they value lies more than they value human life so they continue to be phony while killing one another and that is redundant and very sad that such people are too blinded by rhetoric to wake up and choose life over religion. love Primary Factual Fundamentalist World Class Activist David Jeffrey Spetch Parry Sound Ontario Canada Ps. Be good be strong!
Standing in the Evil Day Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” Ephesians 6:13). This is a fighter’s verse. You can hear the sound of combat when you read it. You can sense the smoke and gunfire of desperate battle, of soldiers rushing to the front lines, and at the end of the verse, you can hear the sound of victory. ------------------------------------------ This is a fighter’s verse Ephesians 6:13 describes our current situation. The “evil day” is upon us. We have the armor of God. We are called to stand our ground and to fight to the end so that we may be still standing when the day is done. Everything we need for this present moment is in this one verse. Some years ago Mark Bubeck wrote a book called Overcoming the Adversary, a stirring call for “warfare prayers” to turn back the powers of darkness. Near the beginning of the book (p. 14), he asks why Satan seems to be so active in the world today. He offers three answers: First, Christians have neglected the whole realm of spiritual warfare. Because certain teachers have gone to extremes, many pastors have shied away from the subject altogether. But that means their people will go into battle unprepared. ----------------------------------------- Satan knows his time is short Second, Satan is active today because we are living in the last days. 2 Timothy 3:1 tells us that in the last days “perilous times” will come. There seems to be a coalescing view of many Christian leaders that we are hurtling headlong toward the end of human history as we know it. If that is true, we shouldn’t be surprised that Satan has redoubled his efforts, knowing that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). --------------------------- Third, Satan is active because society has rejected God and embraced evil in radical ways. When evil abounds, you may be certain that Satan is having a field day. Bubeck mentions widespread pornography, open Satan worship, widespread drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual immorality. To that list I would add the legalized killing of the unborn and the sweeping redefinition of marriage. Sin has always been with us, and Satan has always been active, but in the 21st-century, we have openly rejected God and his Word. When you turn from God, the only thing left is the worship of the idols of your own making (See Romans 1:18-22). Most of us know the verse that says, “This is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24). One wise observer said that we have turned that on its head: “This is the Lord the day has made.” What a perfect description of modern man and his rebellion against God. ----------------------------------------------========================== ================================== I. The Warning “When the day of evil comes.” Paul says, “When the day of evil comes,” not “If the day of evil comes” because nothing is more certain than the conflict in the heavenly realm. In looking at other versions, I noticed that most of them use the same phrase “day of evil,” but Eugene Peterson translated it as “evil in its day of power.” --------------------------------------- “This is the Lord the day has made” It’s important to understand what Paul means here. While every day has its share of evil, not every day is the “evil day.” There are moments in life when we feel the heat of battle in a big way. In those days temptation flares up, tempers grow short, friends turn against us, discouragement sets in, and we feel like giving up. At a recent Keep Believing board meeting, I commented that Satan doesn’t fight fair. Why should he? He attacks us in our weakness, he uses circumstances to discourage us, he tempts us to do things we swore we’d never do, he hits us when we are alone and vulnerable. The “day of evil” comes sooner or later for all us. And it comes again and again. The “day of evil” is upon us Paul Nyquist, president of Moody Bible Institute, has written a fine book called Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture. He notes that we in the West have been largely shielded from the kind of suffering our brothers and sisters in places like Somalia, Sudan, India and China routinely face, such as public abuse, legal restrictions, and sometimes arrest, imprisonment, and death. Nyquist says that things are bound to get worse for Christians in America as our society becomes more secular. Then he adds this solemn prediction: A march through church history reveals a long and sordid array of government-sponsored persecutions, its survey not showing rulers who understand and fulfill their God-given purpose. When persecution comes in America we shouldn’t necessarily expect our government to protect us. The current cultural trends show protection isn’t likely (p. 94). Satan doesn’t fight fair The evil day always comes sooner or later. It has come again and again in church history. No one gets a free ride on the journey from earth to heaven. We in the West need to get tougher if we are to survive what is coming our way. Perhaps you’ve had a good week, a good month, a good year. Enjoy every blessing you receive. But take nothing for granted. In the battle for your soul, Satan never takes a vacation. -------------------------------------- II. The Command “Put on the full armor of God.” What do you do when the evil day comes? You put on the whole armor of God. The Greek word for “put on” comes from the military vocabulary of the first century. It was used for the last thing the soldier would do before going out to battle. When the call came, the soldier would grab his armor, put it on, and head for the fight. Our text is telling us that when the evil day comes, before you go to battle, make sure you’re in uniform. Too many Christians don’t take this seriously. That’s why they end up getting clobbered in the head. We keep getting clobbered in the head The armor of God reminds us of who our enemies are. It’s easy to look at the world today and think that our enemies are certain politicians or certain entertainers or the Muslim radicals who behead their victims and then make videos bragging about it. When we see people fighting in favor of abortion and in favor of gay marriage and against Christian values in the marketplace, it’s easy to say, “They are our enemies.” But Paul has already said, “We don’t fight against flesh and blood” (v. 12). That meant he wasn’t leading a revolution against that wicked emperor Nero who burned Rome and then blamed it on the Christians. Nero instigated a persecution of Christians across the empire that led to believers being burned alive and thrown to the lions. He eventually had Paul himself beheaded. Our real enemy is invisible But Nero was not the enemy. As wicked as he was, Nero was just a tool of the real enemy, Satan and the forces of wickedness in the spiritual realm. It is easy to hate the terrorists for what they are doing to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East and in Africa. They blew up the World Trade Center on 9/11. They intend to do much more in America when they get the chance. We do not fight alone Let it be clearly said that I favor doing whatever must be done to stop ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Queda, al-Shabaab, and all the other related terror groups. But we must not view our political and ideological opponents as the ultimate enemy we face. Our ultimate enemy is invisible. He cannot be seen or felt or touched. His armies move in the spiritual realm. This actually is a liberating perspective because it sets us free to love those who hate us. If we believe what Paul is saying in this verse, we can stand strong when the world mocks our faith. When they curse us, we don’t have to respond in kind. If we put on the full armor of God, we won’t be thrown off stride. What is the armor of God? The larger context (Ephesians 6:14-17) answers that question. The armor has six parts: Belt of truth. Breastplate of righteousness. Shoes of the gospel of peace. Shield of faith. Helmet of salvation. Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This armor reminds of us that our hope for victory rests in the character of God: No one said being a Christian is easy Behind the belt of truth stands the God of truth. Behind the breastplate of righteousness stands the God of righteousness. Behind the shoes of the gospel of peace stands the God of peace. Behind the shield of faith stands the God who is faithful. Behind the helmet of salvation stands the God of salvation. Behind the Word of God stands the God of the Word. We do not fight alone or in our own power. When we take up the divine armor, God himself fights for us. Supernatural enemies require supernatural resources. --------------------------------------- III. The Result “You may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” The phrase “stand your ground” speaks of hand-to-hand combat. No one said being a Christian is easy. Any representations to the contrary are false and dangerous. When you signed up for Team Jesus, you joined the Lord’s army. Maybe you knew that’s what you were doing. Or maybe you just prayed a prayer because you wanted Jesus in your heart, or you walked an aisle and someone led you to Jesus. Perhaps you came to Christ because of the influence of a praying mother or a father who set a good example or a youth pastor who challenged you about your spiritual life. Maybe you got a copy of An Anchor for the Soul and through it came to saving faith. There are thousands of ways people come to Christ. God uses many means to bring people into his family. You’re in the army now So it’s very possible you thought, “I want to know Jesus” or “I want my sins forgiven” or “I want to know I’m going to heaven” or “This is what I’ve been searching for.” It doesn’t matter why you signed up. You’re in the army now. You signed up for front line duty in the Army of Jesus. He doesn’t have any desk jobs where you can stay far behind the lines and let others risk their lives for Christ. We’re all in this together as soldiers of Christ. There is good news and bad news here. The bad news being that no one gets a break from the battle. We are under attack 24/7/365. Because Satan doesn’t sleep, we don’t have the luxury of going to sleep spiritually. The good news is, God has provided everything necessary so that we might fight and win every battle we face. “This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song” The last phrase (“After you have done everything, to stand”) pictures a soldier standing in the middle of a battlefield after the conflict has ended. It has been a long, hard, brutal fight, with many casualties, many wounded, many fallen. He stands and surveys the battlefield, his uniform soaked with sweat, dirt and blood. His eyes are red-rimmed with exhaustion. There are craters all around him where the artillery has chewed up the ground. He hears the cries of those who have been hit. He does not smile because he knows the enemy will attack again tomorrow. But tonight he will rest well, knowing that he was still standing when the fighting ended. Satan never sleeps Recently I read a book about the Marines who fought for years in Afghanistan. The author said that in the unit he followed, the commanding officer would say, “They (the Taliban) can start the fight any time they like, but we will finish it.” That’s exactly Paul’s idea here. We stand and fight in Jesus’ name, and when the smoke clears, we will still be standing victorious on the battlefield. ---------------------------------------------- Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus In 1858 a mighty revival swept across Philadelphia. No leader was more prominent in that move of God than a 29-year-old Episcopal minister named Dudley Tyng. He often spoke to large groups of men, encouraging them to stand firm in their faith. I am not a pessimist In April of that year, he suffered an accident while visiting a farm. His arm got caught in a corn-threshing machine, was badly mangled, and had to be amputated. An infection set in that would take his life. Knowing he was dying, he called for his family and a few close friends, exhorting them to “stand up for Jesus.” When those words were repeated at his funeral, they made an enormous impact on George Duffield, pastor of Temple Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The following Sunday he preached a message in honor of his fallen colleague. At the end of his sermon, he recited a poem he had written based on Dudley Tyng’s final words. The poem was later printed and put to music, eventually becoming a beloved gospel song. The first verse goes like this: Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. But it’s a line in the third verse that catches our attention. Now that you know the story, you’ll never hear it the same way again: Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you—ye dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. Then the triumphant final verse that seems to summarize our text: Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of Glory shall reign eternally. The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground My brothers and sisters, the battles we face are not ours. They are the Lord’s. Jesus won the greatest battle when he died and rose again. God intends that you stand in victory at the end of the day. But that won’t happen without a fight. The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground. Christianity is not for those who want to run and hide. It’s a religion for strong men and brave women. The evil day may be upon us, but I am not a pessimist. It’s time to put on the armor of God. Let’s put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Let’s make sure we’re wearing gospel shoes. Put on the helmet of salvation. Let’s pick up the shield of faith and the Sword of Spirit and head for the sound of battle. We were made for times like these. Stand firm in the evil day. Stand up for Jesus in the power of the Spirit and victory will be yours.
If the Bible had a theme verse or a theme statement, a statement
Jesus makes during His conversation with Nicodemus would likely cover
it. Near the beginning of this statement, we find one of the most well
known verses in the entire Bible. At the close of their conversation, Jesus takes an event that is
coming up in His life, and He gives it eternal significance. Jesus tells
Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
the Son of Man must also be lifted up. So that everyone who believes can
have eternal life in him.” (John 3:14-15 NCV) After framing the key to eternal life lies in Him, Jesus continues by saying, “God
loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that
whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did
not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save
the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 NCV) These are two of the most famous verses in the Bible, and while we
may be tempted to stop here, Jesus has more to help us understand on
this idea. He continues by saying, “People who believe in God’s
Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been
judged guilty, because they have not believed in God’s one and only Son.
They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into the world, but
they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing
evil things. All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the
light, because it will show all the evil things they do. But those who
follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they
do were done through God.” (John 3:18-21 NCV) These eight verses summarize God’s heart for us, Jesus’ mission to
save us, and our possible responses to what God has done. Our response
is either to love the light, which means believing in God’s one and only
Son, or to love the darkness, which means rejecting Jesus in favor of
doing evil things. In a slightly disturbing way, Jesus actually quantifies what makes an
action evil. The test for whether an action is evil is whether it wants
to remain hidden from public view. Jesus says that evil actions want
darkness because the light will reveal them. One easy way for us to tell
if an action is evil or not is whether we would want it broadcast (in
its entirety) for the world to see. We could also reframe this question
on whether we would want it shared at our funeral. Actions that are evil want the cover of darkness. Actions that are
evil want to remain hidden and secret. In contrast, actions that are
noble are okay being visible. They thrive in the light. Noble actions
are done through God. Even more important than the famous pair of verses (v. 16-17)
is what comes next. While God gave Jesus and while Jesus did not come
to judge or condemn, our response can either place us in the group that
will not be judged or in the group that is already condemned as guilty.
Everything comes down to one decision: Will you believe in, trust
in, and place your hope in Jesus while continually moving towards the
Light that comes from God; or will you reject Jesus and prefer the
darkness? This is the most important decision of our lives. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? Why does God make people suffer? My child is suffering. Is it because I have sinned? If God is a God of love, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? Does Satan have authority over the world? Why does God allow abuse and torture of innocent children? Why do bad things happen to good people? Did God create evil, or does He just allow it? Are natural disasters caused by God or Satan? Is it good to suffer? Introduction The reasons why a loving God would allow so much evil in the world are a mystery and a stumbling block to faith for many people. Why do good people sometimes suffer terribly while evil people live lives of ease? These are very difficult things to understand, but the Bible does give some clues. Physical Evil Illness, pain, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters are examples of physical evils. God may use physical evil to chastise individuals or nations and lead them to repent (Isaiah 45:7, Genesis 6:13, Acts 13:9-11). Some physical evil may be the result of the original sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-14). God may use physical evil for a higher purpose: to test us and prepare us for glory (1 Peter 1:6-7, 5:10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), or to make us more compassionate (2 Corinthians 1:3-6). The suffering we endure now will be more than compensated by the glory of eternal life (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Philippians 1:21-23). Physical evil is one means God uses to accomplish His work on earth (John 9:1-3). It is very difficult to see any value in pain, suffering, loss of a loved one, disability, etc. However, these temporary evils are insignificant on the time scale of eternity, and they may just be a testing and preparation for better things to come. Despite all this, the reason for most physical evil is simply unknown to us. Sometimes, we just have to put our trust in God and accept the fact that we can't understand why we have to suffer (Psalms 23:4, 31:7, Lamentations 3:31-33): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." (NAS, Isaiah 55:8-9 ) Moral Evil Murder, aggression, terrorism, violence, theft, greed, bribery, hatred, racism, discrimination, revenge, lying, deceit, slander, gossip, adultery, rape and other sexual immorality are examples of moral evils (Exodus 20:12-17, Deuteronomy 16:19, 1 Chronicles 22:8, Isaiah 2:4, Mark 7:21-22, Romans 12:17-19). Moral evil is caused by our sinfulness and rebellion against God. It is the result of ignoring the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and Jesus' command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:35-40, Romans 13:9, James 2:8). God gives all of us the free will to choose between good or evil, and many choose to follow the ways of evil (James 1:13-15). Unfortunately, when some people choose the path of evil, others may suffer as a result. However, in eternity, the righteous will be rewarded and the evildoers will be punished. (Luke 16:19-31, Romans 6:23). At all costs we should avoid participating in moral evil (Luke 17:1-2, Mark 9:43-47). We must also avoid the temptation to retaliate or take revenge (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 5:43-48, 1 Peter 4:12-19, James 1:19-20). We may also cause suffering to ourselves as the natural consequence of sinfulness and unwise actions (Proverbs 1:29-32, 6:9-11, 10:8-9, 11:27-30, 17:9, 23:21, 29:3, Romans 7:14-23, Galatians 6:7-9). Evil Cannot Be Completely Eliminated Jesus said He did not come to eliminate evil from the world, but so that the kingdom of God can grow amid the evil of the world until the time when all evil is destroyed (Matthew 10:34-36, 13:24-30, 13:36-43). We cannot eliminate all evil in the world, but we can and should do our best to minimize the suffering it causes (Matthew 5:7, Acts 20:35, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 3:17-18). Questions Does Satan Cause Evil? Satan is an evil being opposed to God and mankind. Satan is also called "the devil" (Matthew 4:1),"the ruler of this world" (John 14:30), "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), "Beelzebub" (Matthew 12:24), and "the ruler of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). 1 John 5:19 says, "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one." Satan's primary methods are temptation (creating a desire to do what is wrong) and deception (persuasion that wrong is actually right) (Matthew 4:3, John 8:44, 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, 1 John 4:1). But Satan's power is limited by God. With faith, prayer and determination we can resist temptation (Matthew 6:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 4:25-27, 6:11-12, 1 Peter 5:8-10). Satan, with his powers of temptation and deception, may be indirectly responsible for moral evils. But that does not excuse those people who allow themselves to fall under Satan's influence (Matthew 18:7-9, 26:41, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 17:1-2). Satan may also cause some physical evils (Job 2:3-7). Is Suffering God's Punishment for Sin? It is wrong to assume that someone who suffers is being punished for his or her sins or those of an ancestor (Job 1:1, 1:13-22, John 9:1-3). In Biblical times, many people believed that someone who was poor or suffering was being punished by God for sins. Conversely, wealth was believed to be a sign of God's favor. But Jesus' Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) emphatically shows those beliefs to be wrong: The selfish rich man ended up in hell, but the poor beggar Lazarus ended up in heaven. Did God Create Evil, or Does He Just Allow It? Although God may sometimes use physical evils to accomplish His purposes, the Bible says that God does not cause sin or moral evils (James 1:13-15, 1 John 3:2-6, 2 Thessalonians 3:3). Jesus said the cause of sin is within the human mind: ... “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” (NLT, Mark 7:20-23) Is it Good to Suffer? We should expect some suffering in this life (John 16:33, 2 Timothy 3:12). Willingness to suffer for doing what is right is a demonstration of our faith (1 Peter 2:20-21). Through suffering, we learn many valuable lessons such as humility and dependence on God (Psalms 119:66-71, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), empathy and concern for others who are suffering (2 Corinthians 1:3-5), endurance and good character (Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-3) and righteousness (Hebrews 12:11). ... for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? (NRSV, Hebrews 12:6-7) However, there is no value in suffering for its own sake. Although we should patiently endure suffering when it comes, nothing in the Bible says we should seek suffering or martyrdom (Psalms 16:11, Romans 15:13). Living with Evil and Suffering Although we cannot eliminate all evil and suffering, people who develop great faith in God often find an inner peace that simply overshadows the evils of the world and the suffering we endure (Psalms 4:8, 119:165, John 14:27, Matthew 5:4, 11:28-29, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 1 Peter 5:6-11): Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (NKJV, Psalms 23:4) I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. (NRSV, Romans 8:18) We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (NRSV, Romans 8:28) The Christian attitude is to thank and praise God for all the good things He has done rather than to blame Him for creating a world that we view as imperfect.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV) “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1 NIV) “Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” (Proverbs 15:31-32 NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV) A few days ago, I sat on a committee discussing how to solve a dilemma and conflict. While looking at situations like this can be easy, especially if one side is clearly in the wrong, other times, like this situation, all sides had fallen short of the ideal. This situation describes the human condition. Even when we do the best we can, we still fall short of God’s perfection. The best we can offer God is wholly unworthy of Him — even while He is happy to accept our gifts given with the right spirit. The Bible challenges us to welcome correction. This is difficult. The pride in our lives recoils at the thought that any correction is good. ...but, if accepting correction was second nature for us, there would be no need for the Bible to repeat it. The Old Testament shares this idea, Jesus shares this idea, and the early church writers share this too. Accepting correction, while difficult, is a significant step on the path to gaining wisdom. While a young or immature person might disagree, wisdom is more valuable than knowledge—even while both are important. If I were to end this thought here, we’d miss something important: Be wary of trying to correct someone who you don’t have a relationship with. This is especially true online—in a mostly public setting. Also, be wary of trying to correct someone who is clearly acting immaturely. If you don’t have a solid relationship already established with an immature person, trying to correct them can easily damage your relationship. (This could easily be my experience. My wife—or many “moms” out there—could easily have different results.) If you see someone needing correction, first pray for wisdom, guidance, and discernment in that situation—even if it means someone else needs to do the correcting. If someone corrects you, bite your tongue, listen, and understand that wisdom comes from considering their suggestion. “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.” (Proverbs 9:7-9 NIV) 🙏 📖 ✝️ 👍
The Falling Away of Christians falling away A growing number of people are rejecting Christianity and embracing other faiths and spiritual practices. This development is unsurprising because the Bible said that this would transpire as we approach the end times. In this article, I’ll provide insight on the falling away from Christian faith that the Bible talks about. The Falling Away 2 Thessalonians 2:3 references a “falling away” before the future coming of Christ: “(1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-7) The Greek word for the term “falling away” is apostasia, which means “apostasy” or “defection from the truth”. The word apostasia is only used one other time in the New Testament; the Book of Acts in regards to the Jews forsaking the Law of Moses: “And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.” (Acts 21:21) It is hard to fully determine whether the “falling away” refers to the people of Israel or to Christians departing from the Bible and the Christian faith because of the lack of references where the word apostasia. However, it’s entirely possible that the “falling away” refers to Christians given that Paul warned Timothy that “some shall depart from the faith”: “(1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (3) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3) Why Some Christians Are Falling Away Now One of the main reasons why some Christians are falling away from the faith is that many gateways to alternative religious practices exist. For instance, Harry Potter is a popular book series and movie franchise that appeals to many children and adults. I’ve seen a Harry Potter themed book that teaches kids how they can practice real magic and cast real spells so they can be like the characters in the Harry Potter series. An item like this book could easily turn an impressionable Christian into someone who is a practitioner of the occult as they seek to be like the characters in the Harry Potter series. Another reason why many Christians are falling away from the faith is that they may feel that Christianity is outdated or feel the need to adhere to something more “modern”. This is not an unusual phenomenon. I remember watching a series on the Third Reich and the Occult where the narrator commented that many Europeans dropped their Christian beliefs and turned to alternative spiritual practices (like the occult) during the early twentieth century when there was great social and economic upheaval in Western Europe. A third reason why some Christians are falling away from the faith is that they are turned off by the televangelists and mega-church leaders who exploit their followers to live an extravagant lifestyle. I’ve tried to reach out to people before and some have rejected what I have to say because I’m a Christian. One of the people who rejected me indicated that they had a negative view of Christians due to what they’ve seen from mega-church leaders and televangelists. The Future Things are going to get worse as we approach the end times and Christ’s coming. Christ warned in Matthew 24 that iniquity will become very prevalent and that love will grow cold: “(10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:10-12) Similarly, Peter warned that people shall walk after their own lusts and chide Christians for expecting Christ’s coming during the last days: “(3) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:” (2 Peter 3:3-5) Therefore, do not be surprised if you continue to hear how fewer people are adhering to the Christian faith as time progresses.
5. - Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matthew 24:21-22). ================================== Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." In this verse, you can easily see why the rush to get out. If this was the siege that took place when Jerusalem fell to the Romans, then close to a million were estimated to die. I tend to believe that this Scripture was not only for that terrible time, but is, also speaking of another terrible time that will come when the antichrist decides to rule. Many Scriptures have more than one prophecy in them, and I believe, that is the case here. This great siege, I believe, occurs just about the time Christians are caught away into heaven. ---------------------------------------------------------- Matthew 24:22 "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." These "elect" had been praying for Jerusalem and her people, and God heard their prayers and answered. Personally, I believe Christians are the elect of God. Jews are the chosen. God makes a way out for his own. This will be no exception. God will not allow total annihilation; He will always save a remnant. =========================== Consider that when Jesus made this prophecy the armaments of His day were swords and spears. But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth. ==========================================
1. Wars, Violence, and Lawlessness Watch for wars—big wars, little wars, ethnic wars, wars of all sorts, along with escalating violence and increasing lawlessness—which will increasingly affect all of the world, especially the English-speaking nations. ----------------------------- A common perspective is that the world will somehow get better. Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush talked often about a “new world order” as though there was going to be peace. Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor to former U.S. President George W. Bush, described her vision of U.S. foreign policy as to “help developing countries move from war to peace, poverty to prosperity, poor governance to democracy and the rule of law” (Foreign Affairs, July/August 2008). Yet increasing numbers of people around the world consider the U.S. a threat to world peace. An April 2007 poll by the Forsa Institute found that German citizens consider the U.S. the greatest threat to world peace, with 48 percent naming the U.S. as the main instigator of war and lawlessness around the globe. ---------------------------------- This post-Cold War time is unstable and extremely volatile. Will peace emerge from the chaos? Brian Urquhart, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, reminds us that “in the age of humanitarian intervention, the human catastrophes of failed states and civil wars will continue to come before the Security Council” (“A Force Behind the U.N.,” The New York Times, August 7, 2003). Indeed, the “new world order” is only producing a faltering, fading peace. Events will grow worse, not better. ----------------------------- Why is our civilization bankrupt of workable solutions to global, peaceful cooperation among nations and ethnic groups? Norman Lear, long-time television producer and political activist, clearly delineated the problem in a speech addressed to the National Press Club, saying that “at no time in my life can I remember our culture being so estranged from this essential part of itself,” referring to “the spirit-led, or spiritual, life of our species,” mentioned earlier in Lear’s speech. ---------------------------- The gospel of Matthew contains Jesus’ prophecy to His disciples about the state of the world just prior to His Second Coming. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6–7). While humanity has lived with warfare over the millennia, our time in history is unprecedented because of the massive annihilative potential of modern weapons and the massive global scale of potential conflict. -------------------------------- Verse 22 is a prophetic qualifier that only points to our time of high technology and its awful, brilliantly evil weapons of mass destruction. “And unless those days were shortened [the time of world war using these new weapons], no flesh would be saved [human extinction]; but for the elect’s [God’s repentant, obedient saints] sake those days will be shortened.” Today’s world is full of widespread wars and rumors of wars. There are many ethnic wars taking place—not only in the former Yugoslavia, but also in the former Soviet Union and in many places throughout Africa and Asia. Dozens of regional wars are now being fought around the world! ------------------------------- America will not escape this increasing intranational and international strife. The day will come when the Los Angeles riots of 1992 and the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in 2001 will seem like minor skirmishes as America’s old allies become unstable and its old alliances fall apart. Civil wars and wars between nation-states will increase. There will be little wars and big wars, resulting finally in a great war that will culminate at the battle of Armageddon in the Jezreel Valley in Israel—at which point Christ will return. ------------------------------ Some think this is alarmist, pessimistic thinking, unwarranted because of mankind’s innate goodness. Such naïve people exude a quirky kind of optimism, proclaiming in the best “Pollyanna” tradition, “Oh, things are going to get better.” Well, as a minister of God, I am commissioned to tell you they are not going to get better until after Christ returns. Yes, there is a wonderful tomorrow’s world, but, realistically, you should realize that life will grow very dark and desperate before a new world dawns. ---------------------------- Have you noticed the completely inexplicable outbreaks of violence—random shootings, murders, and mass killings? Jesus Christ predicted this societal breakdown just before his return. “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). In the United States, we used to think we were a Christian society; perhaps some still do. But today, our leisure time entertainment—television, movies, and the Internet—rivals ancient Rome’s lust for sex, drugs (including alcohol), violence, and brutality. -=---------------------------- Paradoxically, the United States and Canada have remarkably high percentages of their population who say they believe in God and go to church regularly. This hypocritical national behavior was foreseen as characteristic of the human society existing just before the Messiah’s return. -------------------------------- The Apostle Paul was inspired to write, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1–5). ------------------------------------ Men deny the authority of God, despite a show of religiosity. Paul commands, under inspiration of God, that we “from such people turn away” (v. 5)! Get away from people who talk about religion, but deny the authority of God, because they will mislead you. They will confuse you. This sassy, sarcastic, lust-filled generation is headed for big, big trouble. You need to recognize that and not be a part of it. --------------------------------- The sign of wars, increasing violence, and lawlessness is the first thing to watch for.
Have you ever read a passage and assumed a specific detail was present, only to realize later that it is nowhere to be found? Luke 16:1-18 is one that is like this for me. Up until now, when I read in this passage, I always assumed that when
the master “praised the dishonest manager”, he also chose to not fire
him – but this is nowhere stated, and not really even implied. The dishonest manager is praised for using his last ounce of position
to make friends, but while this puts a little bit of social pressure
onto the master to not fire him, these actions themselves make the
manager less trustworthy for this position than even before. The
dishonest manager’s actions, while they made him some friends, sealed
the decision in place that he should no longer be employed. However, just under the surface is an interesting truth that goes
along with this idea: When we are facing significant changes in our
lives (such as a job loss in this case), we recognize that relationships
are more important than money, knowledge, fame, or a large estate. This
single event caused the dishonest manager, who likely didn’t have any
friends (dishonesty will do that) to shift his focus onto making friends
over accumulating stuff. Significant life changes cause us to review and reprioritize our focus. In your life and in mine, when we see big changes coming, we begin to
look for ways to manage these changes. Most often in this search, we
look for someone who can help us navigate the unknown. Moving through life’s challenges with a friend is much better than facing these challenges alone. Everyone learns this lesson at some point. It is better to learn it now, before a significant event forces us to change. Facing
trials changes our character: we either become more of what we were
before, or we choose to change directions moving forward. This dishonest manager shifted his focus from the money to the
relationships. Would these relationships last? Maybe, but only if this
event changed his character. Without honesty and/or integrity, friendships don’t last. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
5. - Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matthew 24:21-22). ================================== Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." In this verse, you can easily see why the rush to get out. If this was the siege that took place when Jerusalem fell to the Romans, then close to a million were estimated to die. I tend to believe that this Scripture was not only for that terrible time, but is, also speaking of another terrible time that will come when the antichrist decides to rule. Many Scriptures have more than one prophecy in them, and I believe, that is the case here. This great siege, I believe, occurs just about the time Christians are caught away into heaven. ---------------------------------------------------------- Matthew 24:22 "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." These "elect" had been praying for Jerusalem and her people, and God heard their prayers and answered. Personally, I believe Christians are the elect of God. Jews are the chosen. God makes a way out for his own. This will be no exception. God will not allow total annihilation; He will always save a remnant. =========================== Consider that when Jesus made this prophecy the armaments of His day were swords and spears. But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth. ==========================================
In John’s final story of his gospel, he shares the origins of a rumor
that had likely spread for decades about this special disciple’s life.
We don’t know if John was the youngest disciple, or if God simply gifted
him with more years than the other followers, but the rumor had spread
that Jesus would return before John’s death. Actually, the rumor was more along the lines of John remaining alive
until Jesus’ return. Perhaps this gave greater push for spreading the
gospel message in the second half of the first century. If you knew that
it was up to your generation to finish God’s mission, and that the
world was going to end after the second-last member of your generation
died, would that make you extra motivated to complete the mission? It apparently helped the disciples and the early church, because with
the Holy Spirit’s power, they expanded rapidly throughout their known
world. But the rumor was more a lie than the truth. After Jesus shared with Peter about the sort of death he would experience, “Peter
turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them …
When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’” (John 21:20-21 NIV) Peter’s question asks about John’s death. Perhaps Peter was wanting
to compare himself to the other closest follower of Jesus, or maybe
Peter simply wanted to learn how one of the other key disciple’s lives
would end. But Jesus’ response is tricky. Jesus simply states, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22 NIV) This prompts the rumor that John would be alive when Jesus returned,
and that John would not die. But John at the close of his gospel states
the truth: “Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’”. (John 21:23 NIV) Jesus’ statement to Peter about John’s death is a statement about the
importance of keeping our relationship with Jesus personal and strong –
and not playing comparison games with others. Jesus wants Peter to
focus on Peter and His relationship, and not worry about the
relationship that any of the other disciples had. This is emphasized
with Jesus echoing His earlier re-invitation by saying “You must follow me.” (John 21:22 NIV) Following Jesus must be a personal decision. It must be
something each of us decides to on an individual level, and it must be
something we recommit to personally each day we are alive. Jesus
emphasizes that our relationship with Him should not be based on someone
else’s relationship, or on anything anyone else has said or done. Is John alive in heaven right now? The answer to this question is irrelevant to us. What
matters instead is whether we have placed our focus onto our own
relationship with Jesus that leads us towards our own eternal life with
God. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
“Assurance” 1 John 5:11-13 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Introduction I. Doubt robs too many Christians of the joy and assurance of their salvation. II. The doubt often leads to anxiety and fear (1 John 4:18). III. Christians do not have to live in fear, for we can know that we are saved! ------------------------------ Discussion I. Can we be certain that we are saved? A. Do we trust Jesus (Mark 16:16)? B. Do we trust inspired authors (2 Tim. 1:12; 4:6-8; 2 Pet. 1:10; 1 John 2:3-5; 5:13)? C. Would God lie to us (Heb. 6:18)? ------------------------------------ II. How can we obtain such assurance? A. Do what the Bible teaches in order to be in Christ! 1. Salvation is in the Son of God (1 John 5:11-12; cf. Eph. 2:4-13). 2. Paul taught how a person gets into Christ (Rom. 6:3-6; Gal. 3:26- 29). a. This can only happen once a person meets certain requirements that God has commanded. b. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24); Repent of past sins (Acts 2:38); Confess faith that Jesus is the Son of God (Matt. 10:32-33). B. Make sure that I am faithfully committed to the Lord (John 15:1- 5; 2 Cor. 13:5)! 1. Do we try to justify our sins, or do we acknowledge our sins (1 John 1:6-10)? 2. Have we quit on the Lord (Heb. 3:6-14; 6:18-19; 10:23)? Conclusion I. The only thing keeping you from assurance of salvation is you! II. The Lord endured what He did so that you could have salvation!
THOUGHTS ON PLEASING GOD Colossians 1:9-14 1. A desire to please is a motivational factor in the lives of most people. 2. This desire to please often manifests itself in the selfish desire to please oneself. 3. Then there is the desire to please others. a. Negative-conforming our conduct to please others for the wrong reasons-yielding to peer pressure, desiring praise, trying to manipulate. b. Positive-conforming our conduct to please others for their good. Romans 15:1-3 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME." 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. NOTE: Not everyone is going to appreciate our desire to please them for their good. 4. For the Christian the overriding principle should be the desire to please God. a. Galations 1:9-10 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. b. Ephesians 5:6-10 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. c. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. d. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. e. 1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 5. In praying for the Colossians Paul emphasized four things that please God because he wanted them to please God in all respects. 10 I. Knowledgeable living pleases God (increasing in the knowledge of God). 9-10 A. God wants us to know Him; not just about Him. B. Our love, devotion, and service must spring from a personal relationship with God that is the outgrowth of a personal knowledge of God. a. John 4:22-25 "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." b. 2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. C. As we walk in obedience to God our (experiential) knowledge of Him will increase. John 14:21-24 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. II. Fruitful living pleases God (bearing fruit in every good work). 10 A. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 B. He continued, “By this is My Father glorified (and pleased) that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples (followers).” John 15:8 C. We bear fruit by manifesting the life of Christ thereby impacting the lives of others for Christ. III. Powerful living pleases God (strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience). 11 A. As we saw in 2 Peter 1:2-3 God has provided everything pertaining to life and godliness. B. “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.” Col 2:9-10 C. Our problem is not one of supply but of appropriation. Hebrews 12:14 “See to it that no one comes short of (fails to appropriate) the grace of God.” IV. Thankful living pleases God (joyously giving thanks to the Father). 12 A. Our God has committed Himself to our care and keeping. Hebrews 13:5-6 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL (mere) MAN DO TO ME?" B. God’s commitment to us should elicit continuous praise and thanksgiving to God. Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. C. Since our loving God oversees all aspects of our lives we can continually rejoice in Him, continuously pray, and give thanks no matter what is going on in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. APPLICATION 1. As we grow in Christlikeness we will be increasingly pleasing to God. a. “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Mark 1:11 b. "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." John 8:29 2. Pleasing God and power in prayer go hand in hand. a. John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” b. 1 John 3:21-22 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 3. Are you motivated, first and foremost, by a desire to please God
Spiritual Warfare Ephesians 6:10-18 Matthew 10:34 (ESV) Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Introduction to Spiritual Warfare: 1. Spiritual Warfare is very Real. Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 2. The real enemy in this warfare is Satan. Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 3. The weapons in the warfare are Spiritual. Ephesians 6:11a (ESV) Put on the whole armor of God 2 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 6 Main aspects of Spiritual Warfare: 1. Who is the adversary? 2. Where is the spiritual battle? 3. Whose authority do we fight with? 4. What spiritual armor do we wear? 5. How do we attack the enemy? 6. What advantage do we have in the battle? 1. Who is the adversary? Ephesians 6:11-12 (ESV) 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Isaiah 14:12-15 (ESV) 12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Luke 10:18 (ESV) And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 (ESV) 7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:4 (ESV) His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV) 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Unprecedented warfare Marks of the last days. Matthew 24:7 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." Even in world war II, many people believed that this was the fulfillment of this "nation shall rise against nation". Of course, the two big powers with the bomb are the United States and Russia. There is really no peace between them, just a stand off. Russia has attacked countries like Afghanistan in attempt to take them over, and have taken many small countries over to Communism. ----------------------- I saw a movie not too long ago, and it discussed how many thousands die every day from the famines around the world, Ethiopia and India are both plagued with famine right now. It really seems that the countries with the famine are those who are worshipping cows and other objects of the Creator, and not the Creator, Himself. You really don't know what to do in these cases. Is this God attempting to change them? Should we go in and stop this problem? There are many thoughts on the subject. It really hurts to see the pictures of the starving children. We would surely have to say that the famines are already happening. ---------------------------------- Pestilence is another problem. Even here in the United States, pests are producing at an alarming rate. There have been tremendous amounts of insecticide used to stop pests. Some insecticides have been banned, because they have gotten into the water system, and humans have a great amount of them in their blood. We cannot say for sure, but many believe that so much use of insecticide has brought on large percentages of cancer incidents today. This too, seems to have been fulfilled. ------------------------------ Earthquakes have been on the increase. Last year, it seemed that once a week we would hear of a damaging earthquake somewhere. Some in places that I had not heard of before. There was a devastating one in Mexico City. Everyone in the United States has been concerned about a large one hitting around the St. Andreas fault that goes through California. Here, again, we could say that this part of the prophecy has been fulfilled. ========================================================= Revelation 6:3 "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see." Revelation 6:4 "And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword." John is encouraged to "...Come and see...". We, too, may get a glimpse through the eyes and the pen of John. This red horse means war. This war could be twofold in nature. There is a constant attack of the devil and his demons on Christians, but I believe this goes much further than this. This red horse (in my opinion) indicates a large war. This red horse also means the martyrs who died holding up the name of Jesus. Blood ran freely all throughout the Bible. Believers in some parts of the world are even being made martyrs now. War is on every side. In Israel and Lebanon these days there are many killed every day. Ireland has what they call a holy war going on. Even these are not the extent of what I believe this Scripture means. I really believe this red horse has to do with a global war of great magnitude. The Spirits of war. --------------------------------- We read in Zechariah about these four horses, and we can easily see what it is because the Bible tells us. Zechariah 6:1 "And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains [were] mountains of brass." ------------------------------ "Brass" means judgement. The number "four" means that this is a universal message. Zechariah 6:2 "In the first chariot [were] red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;" Zechariah 6:3 "And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses." ------------------------------------ This is a vision of the same horses that we are reading about in Revelation. To understand the entire message, you need to read chapter 1 and chapter 6 of Zechariah. ----------------------------- Zechariah 6:4 "Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What [are] these, my lord?" -------------------- When Zechariah asked the angel what this meant, this is the answer he got. Zechariah 6:5 "And the angel answered and said unto me, These [are] the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." We see again the spirit of war in this red horse. Jesus, Himself, said "...I came not to send peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34. This sword can even separate families. We read, if you are a Christian, your enemies might even be of your own household. -------------------------- In V-4 of Revelation the "...that they should kill one another..." is not just spiritual. I believe it has to do with a great war about the time of the return of Jesus. ------------------------------- The word translated "...sword..." in V-4 means the sacrificial knife, such as the one Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac with, Genesis 22:6-10. This just strengthens the argument for Christians being martyred. At any rate, the red horse symbolizes the spirit of war. -------------------------------------------------------
The Slut Life Posted on December 6, 2023 by john Dear Comrades, You’re ordered to believe, the slut life is the best life for a woman, other than, obviously, having her precious little uterus ripped out, and adopting the persona of a boy. Motherhood and tending a home is the worst possible outcome for a girl. The joy and fulfillment of raising a family and watching one’s children grow up, being an integral part of nature in the most intimate way, is to be shunned. Hopelessness, sterility and loneliness are to be balanced with sex with strangers, wealth, and diversions of all kinds. If those fail, encourage suicide. Canada has the right attitude. They kill teenagers for having teenage angst. Very progressive! You’re further ordered to believe, mankind is a blight on the planet. Especially western civilization. Remember, racism is bad, so hate white people. Little girls are to be instructed in the ways of being a sexual plaything as early as possible. This will put the notion of the fun slut life in their impressionable heads early. Get their hormones to do their thinking for them and half the job’s done. Once they have been with half the school, their options for matrimony diminish. Then we can manipulate them into being angry, at the all men and maleness, as the source of their loneliness. If we play our cards right, we can scoop a large percentage off as lesbians, taking away almost any possibility of having offspring. Those that become regular sluts can use abortion as birth control. That serves two purposes. It lowers people’s respect for human life and feeds Moloch at the same time. A win win. Blurring the line between boys and girls, is a way of helping children understand they’re less then human, and even less then animals, since beasts know what sex they are. Mental illness is to be encouraged at every turn. There are a ton of kids that experience teenage angst, and that can be used against them. Everyone wants to become part of nature, it’s our job to make that impossible, and make it look like they did it to themselves. Let’s close the doors and make suicide the only way out. Our bootlicks in the field of psychology have done yeoman’s work in getting mental illness reclassified. Confusion of sex, gender and persona was a genius move. Now we have to exploit those tools to destroy ever more lives. The planet deserves no less from us. Motherhood, family life and connecting with nature on the most intimate level is to be attacked. Use a little girl’s own mother as an example of how bad motherhood is. Highlight the negatives while ignoring the positives. If someone brings up a positive, attack the person, not the idea. Lay into them so vehemently, no one else will dare speak up about how being a mother, having kids and raising a family, makes a person part of something greater than any mere human paradigm. Allowing girls to realize being part of the circle of life, is dangerous, to us. The first two strategies are doomed to failure if girls are allowed to understand this basic truth of life. So vilify mothers, parents and families as oppressive, patriarchal and limiting. Make kids hate being in a family and they won’t want to start one. By destroying the nuclear family, we’re reducing mankind’s footprint on the planet, and thus serving a greater goal, speciescide. With the rest of you gone, the few of us left, the privileged, can remember the philosophy, science and look at the art, so in some small way, the rest of you will live… in our memory. The planet will thank you, as will all the other planets we won’t be visiting, let alone colonizing and turning into capitalist jungles. We post modernist elites are the acme of mankind’s evolution. There can be nothing beyond us. Once the rest of you ball and chains, with your ethics and self interest, are taken away, we can become gods! Then all the suffering we’ve inflicted on humanity, not spreading life to other planets, and the loss of future generations… will have been worth it. Hail the slut life! Sarcastically, Commandant John
What
Blessings on Earth During the Millennium? What will it be like when ‘God’s will is done
on earth’? Have you offered the famous model prayer that
Jesus taught? He said: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take
place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matt.
6:10. THOUGH millions of persons have repeated such
words, do you think that many have seriously considered what it will
be like on earth when God fully answers that prayer? Have you
yourself wondered what things you and your family will be able to
enjoy if privileged to live when God’s will is done on earth as it
is in heaven? The book of Revelation can help us here. In
its 19th
chapter we read of the coming war in which Jesus Christ will
destroy all of God’s enemies on earth. The 20th
chapter tells us that then the Devil, who has been behind
wickedness, will be abyssed for 1,000 years. During that millennium,
Christ will rule from heaven, to the blessing of God’s human
servants, including those resurrected. The wicked elements having
been removed, there will be “new heavens and a new earth” in
which righteousness will dwell.—Rev.
20:11; 21:1; 2 Pet.
3:13. Are you interested in a more detailed picture of
the earthly blessings during the millennium? Well, Revelation goes on
to give some description of what it will be like when Jehovah God
turns his attention to the new earthly society of true worshipers. We
read: “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes,
and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain
be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Rev.
21:4. Does not the fact that there will be no more
tears show that mankind will not continue to be plagued by cruelties
such as child or wife abuse, rape, robbery, assault, terrorism and
war? Further, God assures us that pain and death—which now often
are companions of disease and accidents—will not exist to cause
sorrow. The Bible also gives us basis for expecting other
blessings on earth during the millennium. In this regard, we need not
resort to fantasy or exaggeration, as some did in the second and
third centuries. EARLY VIEWS ABOUT EARTHLY CONDITIONS As the previous article mentioned, a falling
away from pure Christianity occurred after the apostles died, and
some began to teach distorted things. This, in part, was because they
mistakenly believed that Jesus and his joint heirs would rule on
earth. (John
14:19; 2 Tim.
2:12; 1 Pet.
1:3, 4) Evidently it was reasoned that such supernatural
rulers would produce incredible earthly conditions. We find an example of such unbelievable
descriptions in the quoted writings of Papias, a second-century
prelate from Phrygia. He imagined that during the millennium this
would happen: “Vines will be produced, each one having a
thousand branches, . . . and on each shoot ten thousand
clusters, and in each cluster ten thousand grapes . . .
Similarly a grain of wheat will produce ten thousand ears, and each
ear will have ten thousand grains, and each grain [will yield] ten
rounds of clear pure flour.” Yet, other early writers
pointed to the delightful descriptions in Isaiah, believing that
these gave indication of what Christ’s 1,000-year reign would do. For example, second-century writers Justin
Martyr and Irenaeus quoted from the prophecies in Isaiah
65:17-25 and Isa
11:6-9. The first of these passages states: “‘They will certainly build houses and have
occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their
fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they
will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a
tree will the days of my people be. . . . The wolf and the
lamb themselves will feed as one, and the lion will eat straw just
like the bull . . . They will do no harm nor cause any ruin
in all my holy mountain,’ Jehovah has said.” Isaiah
chapter 11 also speaks of the animals living together
in peace, with the lion eating straw just like the bull. And it says
that a small boy will lead them. Irenaeus recognized that these words are a
fitting description of how God’s truth can make personality changes
in “savage men, both of different nations and various habits, who
come to believe, and when they have believed, act in harmony with the
righteous.” But he also reasoned that in the millennium these
changes in men, from viciousness to peaceableness, logically would be
reflected in animal creation. He wrote: “When the created order
is renewed, then the animals ought to be subject to man, and
return to the food which God gave them at the first, the fruit of the
earth, as they were subject and obedient to Adam.”—Against
Heresies V, 33, 4. As we today read those passages from Isaiah in
their context, we can appreciate that Isaiah was prophesying first
about the restoration of his people from captivity in Babylon in a
miniature or typical way, and, second, about the restoration of
spiritual Israelites from Babylon the Great in the “last days” in
an antitypical or complete sense. The miniature fulfillment came
about in 537 B.C.E. With a new rulership over the land, the
restored Israelites could apply themselves to cultivating their land
and reestablishing its productivity, beauty and peace. (Isa.
35:1, 2) Jehovah helped them to put away vicious,
animalistic qualities and to reflect in their attitudes and ways the
peaceableness that is fitting among true worshipers.—Mic.
6:8; see Man’s
Salvation out of World Distress at Hand!, pp. 320-322,
¶ 15-19; also “New Heavens and a New
Earth,” pp. 324-333, ¶ 18-29. Since such peaceableness developed among the
restored Israelites then, and it is in evidence among true worshipers
today, can we not be confident of such on an even grander scale
during the millennium? However, such passages give us more to think
about. INDICATIONS FROM EDEN In pointing forward to the new conditions that
the restored Israelites would enjoy, Isaiah drew upon the example of
man’s original home, the paradise called the garden of Eden. He
wrote: “For Jehovah will certainly comfort Zion. He
will for certain comfort all her devastated places, and he will make
her wilderness like Eden and her desert plain like
the garden of Jehovah.”—Isa.
51:3. Other Bible writers, too, pointed to the garden
of Eden as exemplifying fruitful and blessed conditions under which
men would like to live.—Ezek.
36:35; Joel
2:3; Gen.
13:10; compare Hosea
2:18-21. So, in thinking about the earthly blessings of
the millennium, we can call to mind what Jehovah God provided for the
human family at the outset, in the garden of Eden. The Genesis account tells us that God put Adam
and Eve in a “garden” or “paradise.” (Gen.
2:8, Septuagint Version) It was far more than a
flower garden. We read: “Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground
every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food.” While
there was an abundance of healthful food, the garden of Eden was also
a place for rewarding work. Adam and Eve were to cultivate and care
for the garden, which would add to their satisfaction in eating its
varied produce.—Gen.
2:9, 15,
16; compare Ecclesiastes
2:24; 5:12. As Adam and Eve lived in that delightful garden,
did they have to fear the wild animals? Was their peace marred by
animals ferociously preying on one another? What Isaiah wrote in Isa
chapters 11 and 65 suggests
not. We also have this historical information from Genesis: “God went on to say [to Adam and Eve]: ‘Here
I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the
surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit
of a tree bearing seed. To you let it serve as food. And to every
wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens
and to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a
soul I have given all green vegetation for food.’ And it came to be
so.”—Gen.
1:29, 30. As you may know, many
persons today, including some of the clergy, do not accept what the
Bible says about the garden of Eden and the conditions that prevailed
there. Some claim that the account about Adam and Eve is just a myth
or an allegory. They thus put themselves in conflict with Jesus
Christ, for he accepted the Scriptural account as being factual,
actually quoting from it. (Matt.
19:4, 5) Also, many of the clergy do not believe what God’s
Word says about the animals in the garden of Eden. Perhaps their view
has been affected by the theory of evolution—that what we see in
animal life now is an extension of what has always been and that
“survival of the fittest” has always ruled among animals and
humans. But with faith in God’s power, and with
willingness to accept what the Bible says, we can trust that in Eden
the first humans were not sinful, warring persons and that the
animals in paradise were at peace. Based on our own experience in
observing animals in zoos, on wildlife television programs or on
farms, can we not be sure that man’s having in subjection the
peaceful animals in paradise must have added to the delight of
living?—Gen.
1:26. LOOKING FORWARD CONFIDENTLY We can see, then, that God provided a basis for
anticipating earthly blessings: The promise at Revelation
21:4 means that we can look forward to the end of sorrow,
pain and death. And, logically, that would mean the end of present
conditions that produce such things. Also, we have the limited
details about the garden of Eden. These give us reason to expect a
restored earthly paradise with rewarding work, satisfying and
healthful food and man’s once again having animal creation in
peaceful subjection.—Luke
23:43; Ps.
72:16. These conditions will not be restricted to a
garden in one locality. Rather, God will fulfill his original
purpose, the subduing and beautifying of the entire globe. His
purposes never fail.—Isa.
45:18; Gen.
1:28; compare Isaiah
14:24. The material blessings are by no means the only
ones that will make the thousand-year reign a delight. Jehovah
assures us of things that are even more important for a truly
satisfying life—spiritual things. Recall what Jesus told the
tempter: “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance
coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.” (Matt.
4:4) Hence, we can be confident that the millennium will be
marked by abundant feeding on spiritual things founded on the
Scriptures. Righteousness and trueness will abound, contributing to
lasting peace.—Ps.
72:1, 5-7, 17; Isa.
9:6, 7; 32:1, 16-18;
compare Isaiah
26:7-9. FAITH NOW For us to enjoy the blessings of the millennium,
or even to live until that time, we need faith. God, in his wisdom,
did not give us complete details about earthly conditions during the
millennium. He did not describe how he will
accomplish what may at present seem almost impossible—reversing
the desolated conditions now covering vast areas of the earth,
eliminating the diseased and crippled state of human bodies and
bringing about a peaceful balance in the animal kingdom. But he has
included sufficient information in his Word to prove that he has the
superhuman ability to accomplish such miracles, and even to resurrect
the dead. (Acts
10:37, 38; Luke
7:14-16; 19:37,
38; Gen.
7:6-16) Still, one’s serving God requires faith, believing that
he will provide spiritual and earthly blessings.—Heb.
11:1, 6. With such faith Jehovah’s Witnesses are
carrying on an earth-wide educational work. They are helping persons
to study the Bible, gain firm faith and develop confidence that soon
God, through Christ, will take final action to eliminate wickedness.
(Matt.
24:14) Many of those who now exercise faith will survive to see
the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign and will enjoy the
earthly blessings that we have discussed. We invite you to accept the
Bible study help that Jehovah’s Witnesses offer so that you, too,
can confidently look forward to blessings during the millennium. During the millennium God will reverse desolated
conditions on earth, eliminate disease and bring about peaceful
balance in the animal kingdom
Have you ever felt as though you were doing everything, while someone else does little to nothing? Every time I hear or read about Mary and Martha in this passage, I
see how Martha feels like this: Mary is sitting doing “nothing”, and she
is left to manage all the “hostess” details. And with every passing minute, Martha gets more frustrated with Mary, which finally results in Martha’s outburst in Luke 10: 40, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.” It is in this verse that we find our big idea for today’s journal entry. Often times when we find ourselves in a situation we feel is unfair,
rather than confront the person who is slacking off, we go above them
and ask someone they respect or obey to tell them to pick up the slack.
In this verse, Martha does not direct her frustration towards Mary for
leaving the work. Instead, she directs her frustration at Jesus, and she
tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her. I’m sure this is something that we all have done at some point.
However, at the root of this request is manipulation. Martha is being
manipulative by trying to get Jesus to tell Mary what to do. However, Jesus does not fall for manipulation. I don’t think He ever
does, since I don’t see any examples of this as I read the Bible, nor
have I ever been able to manipulate His working in my own life. About the clearest example of trying to manipulate God’s leading can
be found in the Old Testament book and story of Jonah: He tries to ditch
God’s leading by sailing to the far end of the earth, and ends up in
the belly of a whale, who brings him back to shore. Which leads me to the big idea: We cannot fool or manipulate
God, nor should we even try to. Instead, we should let God lead us, grow
us, and teach us because He knows what is best for us. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.comWhat do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.