Sowthankful

3 Questions

2011-12-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

3 Questions

What does spiritual hunger look like? How does it manifest itself?

What is it that makes us hungry for God?

What is it my life that can make others hungry for God?

Why Everything Is Liquid

2011-06-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Why Again Is Everything Liquid?

My life is a dense forest.
Everything is skating, rising, falling, rotating.
The sun comes up in the moon.
Death is an old island in the past.

A lion in the clump of leaves, depression
food is in the cloud

just above.

The roots are a freeway system, tree
a postcard from the future.
Dirt is pastry.
Dirt is lumber.
Dirt is wind.
Wind is sea.
Quantum physics are old school.

Water is wine, prayer
oxygen.
over the thing above it
Can’t you see?
Light climbs

and falls to the floor. It crimps,
crying and demanding.
How can it not be the centerpiece,
God’s plaything?

What could be more fun than light
unless you have a photon?

Only God cannot be a picture.

Ron Bock
6/9/11

Vision

2010-12-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

Look at - stare at -
the appendages of the darkest and farthest star
from where you are.
See through
the night wind until the day appears.

Wear red until it turns green.

Time is the joke you heard last week.

Where is the thread that was loose, that you pulled from the shirt.
Can you thread it and sew it back in again?

Gather up yesterday's
spilt water that sprinkled on the thirsty ground.

R.Bock
12/16/10

2010-12-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

SHADOW Time

Any Ocean Eternity
A Bird Freedom
A Bird A Flute
A Tree A House
A House A River
Time Any Ocean
A River Any Ocean
Any Ocean Any Ocean
The God You Don’t Believe In The God Who Is
A Dream A Rainbow
A Sleep A Calendar
A Shepherd’s Tent Removed The Universe
A Shadow This Earth
The Old Testaments The New Testament

R.Bock
12/16/2010

A new take on two old stories

2010-12-17T20:37:00.001-08:00

The man whispered, "God, speak to me if you're there. I dare you."
Just then a garbage truck came down the street sounding like a lion.
And a meadowlark sang. A cat off to the side of the street came up
to the man, rubbed his leg, purring loudly. But the man did not hear.
So the man yelled at the God he didn't believe in, "God, speak to me
if you can." And the fog rolled in. Then the thunder and the
lightning came rolling across the sky. But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you." And a star
shined brightly. But the man did not see the God he didn't believe
in. And the man shouted, "God, if you are there, show me a miracle."
And his first child was born. But the man did not notice. So the man
cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here."
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed
the butterfly away and walked on. He went home to his home and fell
asleep in his bed. In the morning, flood waters had filled his home
with water. He woke up in a panic, climbed to the roof, and waited
for someone to rescue him. The water kept rising.He was really in
danger of drowning. A boat came by. "Come on in the boat," said the
couple said, "No thanks. I'm sure the water will subside soon."
They left. And the water kept rising. By noon, the water had risen
to his waist. Suddenly, the man saw a different boat with a man
in it coming close to his home. The man spoke, "Hop in, buddy,"
he said. "No thank you, I'll just wait," the man said. So he
drowned. When he got to heaven, he saw the Lord face to face.
So he confronted him, "Why did you let me drown if you're so
all-powerful? I thought you were supposed to be this loving being?"
God said, I sent you two boats, a butterfly, a child, a stars,
thunder, lightning, fog, a cat, a meadowlark, a lifetime of food,
an education, friends I gave to you to support you with my love,
oxygen, 66 books, doctors, guitars, music, health, a reproductive
system that worked in conjunction with a brain, a digestive system,
lungs, liver, kidneys, gall bladder, eyelashes, tear ducts,
intestines, fingernails, gravity, hair, teeth to chew with,
sweat glands, prophets from Moses to Jesus,homes, cars, a bright
mind, emotions, the Beatles, color, sounds, pictures of a few of
my galaxies, chocolate, sex....Man! What more could I give you?
What more could I send you?

The Couple In The Booth Across The Aisle

2010-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Her hair is fakey blonde, matted with snakes.
She's surprisingly coherent
and literate.
Her skin is brown
and her dress, torn up the sides,
barely covers her nakedness.
Her feet are bare and black
on the bottom.

And he is dying for her love.

Jan10,2010

Undiscovered Civilization

2010-01-10T19:45:00.001-08:00

And then this morning, as I was trying to remember my dreams,
a whole civilization of selves popped up, floating on the surface
of unending consciousness. Each thought having begged,
borrowed, stolen in order to find some passage into the
parts of my being, deep, hidden, wild, full of stories.
What do we really know of who and what we are?
Some group within with easel, brush and pen,
clay, graphic software, invent us each moment,
sometimes to our satisfaction, never to really delight others.
And as each moment ends, another begins, inner artists
working with madness to compose another version of "us,"
only to find the masterpiece will only have a short life.
We, adding chemistry, can at times feel it's about all we
can do. We know better, but it's not obvious just who is
doing the knowing.
Ronnie Bock
1-10-10

Truth

2010-01-09T21:58:00.001-08:00

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/427879?m=9eb49448

Observations 1/8/10

2010-01-09T21:48:00.001-08:00

The Light, when you turn the switch off, disappears
just gradually from the room. And when you turn
the light switch on again, there is a filling of the room
with light. But it is gradual.

When you stop your car at the corner stop sign,
there is a movement ever so slight, but noticeable,
backwards. When you suddenly stop going forward,
you suddenly go the opposite way just a little bit,
momentarily.

Rubber balls bounce as do all rubber things.
So when your plane lands somewhere around 150
miles per hour on rubber, does that make sense?

Twenty Ten

2010-01-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Twenty Ten

The turtles are fighting and the battle is severe
I hope that the battles don't get too near
I can always move to Pluto where I hear there is peace
I hear they speak English there but they're very obese
If you don't mind me saying so, it's getting insane
All of my plans for the new year have already changed
My New Year's resolution factory is down for awhile
Every company in the world is offering a free trial

Happy New Year, this is the Sherrif's department calling
We've detected unknown bones in your garbage
Happy New Year, this is Elvis, No I haven't left the building
I'm sailing through a wormhole like it isn't even there.

It's 2010 and the music's getting worse and worse
Everyone's in college to become a registerd nurse
Job's are on vacation and there's nothing in the fridge
The light's are on but all the doors have come unhinged
It's reckless in the back rows and the front rows are empty
You search for real people and you still can't find many
The mobile mechanic is out doing all his work
In the morning he is broke like all the other jerks

Happy New Year, this is the Sherrif's department calling
We've detected unknown bones in your garbage
Happy New Year, this is Elvis, No I haven't left the building
I'm sailing through a wormhole like it isn't even there.

Ron Bock

Slowly

2010-01-09T21:46:00.001-08:00

Slowly, like the way the summer rain cloud club
rolls into the area during a monsoon,
this is the way I do most things now
that really mean something to me,
and I only apologize that I did not
do the slow things sooner.
When they needed doing, I was too busy
doing the wrong things very quickly.
Nowadays, it seems that al...l the right things,
like a good meal, are those things that seem
to take forever.

Love slow
Drive slower
Eat slower
Sing more
Look longer
Drink more tea
Get to know a few people well
Wait longer

-Ron Bock

2009-10-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

24 Hours Again

2009-10-05T07:27:00.001-07:00

In the corner
In the margin
In a bubble, he is writing
and he’s thinking about
the places where he’s been.
It’s all still life
It’s all movement
It’s all living and it’s dying
and he’s watching it all funnel through
down to the very end.
He’s a conduit
He wants fame
He’s traveling in new circles
but the circles, they stay circles
around and round again.
In the morning
In the evening
It’s all the same on the tv
and he’s watching Michael Jackson
24 hours again.
To get your fifteen
Minutes of fame
You have to pay the price:
Kill the right people
Kill yourself in the end.

Blackboard Eternal Night

2009-10-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

You MUST come out and see.
Stars have abandoned the sky.
Black fingers of a coal hand unfold.
Backdrop of an ebony flag.

Have the star sands of time all fallen through?

(Wind cold on cheek, more ice chests.)

(Another volume of human history being knit together.)

Is this the last chapter as each brushes by with lawn chair?
Is this the last soccer game of the season?
Did the new heartthrob jump from the tallest building?

Slithering gas from the road tar reflection finally uncoiled

Rejoice! The missing stars have been found!
We are all young again!
All in one place, a new large star!
Bright and shadow-proof, faraway like hidden life inside your body!

Come out and see the black cat dying.
The emerging eternal light, aglow in the distance.

(But all light is not light.)
(Distance is not always distance)
(Darkness is nothing)

-Ron Bock

Fulfillment

2009-10-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Fulfillment is in giving, not taking; in sharing, not grasping.
The choice to live for others is made by the person who is
afraid of missing out on something. And yet, ironically,
that person who so chooses to live life entirely to satisfy
his own desires, his own ego, his own pleasures, misses
out completely from experiencing fulfillment.

Who are you giving to that you get nothing back from? What amount of time is distributed and parceled out to others. The degree of our reward in heaven is our degree of secret service to
others in this short life. Live for others. Live for others.
Live for others.

Isolationism

2009-10-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

The Unhealthy Consequences
1. It can cause us to reap less profit from the work we do (v.9)
2. It fails to give us the support we need to get up and move on after we fail or suffer defeat (v.10)
3. It forces us to confront potentially threatening situations with nothing but our own inadequate
resources ( v.11)
4. It makes it practically impossible for us to overcome dangers that only two or three (or more)
people can sufficiently handle (v.12)

God wants us to learn the value of relationships with others! He wants us to be involved with one another the way the parts of our physical bodies are involved with one another. He actually tells us,
commands us, to be involved with others. And if we are in rebellion in this area, God can be counted on to do something about it. He will respond, in love, in some of these following ways:
1. Not allowing us to prosper in the work we do.
2. Allowing constant defeat.
3. Making us face situations that we cannot handle by ourselves.
4. Allow the enemy to attack us so that we feel endangered.

Loving relationships must be cultivated. We must initiate. We must spend time with one another.
(People who love each other like spending time with each other.) In order to do that, we must prioritize. We must make a commitment to, and embrace, the cultivation of closeness with others.

TV-Land Journey

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sell your tv
Go outside
Turn it off
Don’t you hide
Get your feet
Up and goin’
It can’t tell you nothin’
Worth knowin’

The travel channel wants you inoculated
So you skate down through the soaps
The food channel cooks your mind
TV preachers want to send you envelopes
People compete with each other
Who can be the biggest fool
Who can be the most deceptive
Who can be the biggest tool

John B had it right when they asked him
What his favorite program was
He admitted, hypocritically,
He never watched his tv because
His tv screen was covered up
Are you ready for this little bit
He couldn’t see his tv screen
It was totally covered with spit

Sell your tv
Go outside
Turn it off
Don’t you hide
Get your feet
Up and goin’
It can’t tell you nothin’
Worth knowin’

There’s clouds up in the sky
There’s trails to hike for days
It’s all free, it’s your playground
Get rid of your tv trays
Get a bike, take a hike, go outside
There’s a whole bunch of places
Buy a camera, take some friends
Put smiles on all their faces

Sell your tv
Go outside
Turn it off
Don’t you hide
Get your feet
Up and goin’
It can’t tell you nothin’
Worth knowin’

Telestich For A Catalyst

2009-10-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Telestich For A Catalyst

Though you fail to catechize
Here's a poem from a sphinx

I'm sending this elastic didactic
Hoping to someday discuss haiku with you
And answer your absent questions

I'm stuck in base silence
Hearing every addendum
Earning the right to speak openly

I propose a toast to each bright iota
In the paragraphs of your drab
Litanies; translucent as you murmur
Clerical minutes from the conclaves of Peru

Perhaps now and then a pilgrim cup
Of my soul will spill and taint
Your soul's evolution

I have an open-armed attitude
Toward life and all its joys,
Never turning away from catalysts

-Ron Bock

2009-10-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

N. Uga Tory

He wouldn’t disclose what name
the “N” stood for, but he was
a known crossword puzzle
addict who spoke dictionary.
His house was supposedly
bigger than Jupiter.
He said that his soul dwarfed the Universe
And he said he was moving to a bigger one.

The big trucks came and they came
and they went and they went and
more came and went
because all of his things
which we were told were tiny,
even insignificant
compared to his essential soul,
took many hours and people to move.

The last thing to be moved
was the soul of N. Uga Tory.
He carried it to his new home himself
in a black and gray tweed pocket box
that left plenty of room
for a ring.

-Ron Bock

Best Face On (song lyrics)

2009-10-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Best Face On

You're lookin' in my direction
You think I got lots of money
But don't let looks deceive you
I'm just like any othere dummy

I got my best face on
I got my best face on
I got my best face on
We all got our best face on

Money touches us in different ways
It's a strong aphrodisiac
How to get it, keep it, and make it grow
Stay out of trouble, stay in the black

But money's a wild animal
Better keep it under control
'Cause money's got magical powers
And illusion takes a heavy toll

You got your best face on
Keep your best face on
I got my best face on
We all got our best face on

You can drive an old beat-up car
You can be the richest of them all
You can be known as a lover of many
And not know what love is at all

But you got your best face on
You got your best face on
I got my best face on
We all got our best face on

You got your best face on
She's got her best face on
He's got his best face on
We all got our best face
We all got our best face
We all got our best face on

Best Face On (song)

2009-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Scent of Honey, Taste of Heaven

2009-07-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

It is a treat to talk into

you. And I pull you in

like a sponge where you

have your own mail

box in my heart (where else?)

Did I mention that your

eyes have their own

tongues? And I will go

most anywhere to hear

your voice when I know

that shortly afterwards I

can no longer be I

if only for even the

shortest time.

Now....let me look

upon the leaves

and hope to see un-I

walking behind you, then

tasting soft sweetness.

The Lion, Not The Cat

2009-07-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Orange cones everywhere just outside my mind.
You know the feeling. I know you do.
Tiptoe into the baby's room.
Mind the blinking caution sign.
Take a small supply of scissors, tape, nail clippers, gun.
A boy scout is always getting ready.
There's a deep hole someone can fall into.
Pleasure is a real thing. It can put out your eye.
Dancing? Yes, but it can lead to madness.
I didn't read it in a book somewhere.

I spill. Nothing's safe around me, you're the same.
I don't steal but I do my best not to fumble,
especially in the last quarter of the big game.

So this is where I transition to the part about the felines.
They sat high and low and purred and rubbed and swatted.
Some were eager, some were tired, they all wanted out.
I left without one, but I enjoyed them immensely.
Soon I saw a lion in the raw, but couldn't own one.
I wanted that black Puma in an early morning hour.

When I was young they had a little playland
in the park full of young Mom's and their babies.
A little rollercoaster there to prepare us for the real one.
I want the meat not the photo
A lion's not a pet.
A reflection's less than yummy
though you can learn from it.

You can ride off into the sunset.
It's the perfect place for that.
No sense to match footsteps
of better men who've never made a vow.
I can walk in fresh furrows.
You bet your butt, the farm.
Life's a gamble.
Every path can lead to suicide.
I never want to see your Grand Canyon.
It makes me nervous, so there's a war inside.
I'm tired now.
I'm going back to bed.
Listen...you can hear the lion in the wind.

OH MY GOD!

2009-07-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone’s buying guns and talking about the coming violence
and I keep saying (sarcastically) “Don’t worry. Man is basically
good.” They don’t seem to believe that and I must admit I also
have trouble with that idea.
I see and hear a lot of fear and worry. And as in many situations
when people are greatly struggling, my thoughts also turn more
philosophical, maybe even more spiritual.I’m wondering more,
questioning more. Challenge is good for me. I like it when I’m
thinking more. And in the process of writing, I’m forced to clarify.
If you want to take clear pictures, it helps to clean the lens
(make yourself clear to yourself) and use the lens cap (protect
your mind).
I don’t always like the way I think and I know that I am
vulnerable to being fooled. And the implications of this are staring
me in the face. There’s something wrong with the model.
“Ron Version 56” didn’t come with enough RAM and has a few
viruses. While I believe that it’s always good to be positive, I really
feel that there’s a bunch of us (or all of us) that aren’t as compatible
with life on this planet as we might think we are. And to tell you
the truth, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we’re not
evolving into people who are more compatible. Or maybe I’m missing
something (as usual). But if I say “I’m missing something”….well…my
point exactly.
And if people aren’t out there to trick and deceive me, then why am
I concerned about identity theft? Why bother with putting things in
writing if the salesperson is “honest?” Why have keys and locks and
safes and pin numbers?
What I really believe is that the world is filled with liars and
thieves. The world is a dangerous place and it’s because of you and me.
Everyone seems to be permeated with something. Our minds and
affections seem to go the wrong way. We have serious fluctuations
and extremes of disposition that border on….what? Insanity?
Our imaginations go south. Our inner selves don’t seem to match
up with what we are pretending to be. We are so preoccupied with
how we look that we don’t even realize how big the gap is between
what we are on the inside and what we show the world. AND WE
KNOW THIS IS TRUE ABOUT US BECAUSE WE TRULY BELIEVE
THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS A SCUM-SUCKING PIG FOR NO
BETTER REASON THAN THAT WE KNOW OURSELVES VERY WELL.
Now it is natural to expect love and faithfulness and kindness
and honesty and humility from people if that is the way that we are.
But are we filled with all of these virtues? Well, if we look at ourselves
through a clean lens, we will see that there really isn’t a whole lot of
that inside of us. Quite the opposite. And that’s why we don’t expect
to see those qualities in others. We all of us are suspicious of others.
We condemn people’s motives without really knowing them. We
despise people who aren’t good at covering up their “bad” because
we see ourselves in them. And I mean we really despise anyone we
feel can see inside of us and really know our motives. THAT is the
person we will hide from, put our guard up in front of, wear the
mask for. We all recognize the fake smile. It’s like looking in a mirror.
We can pretend that we are altruistic. The reality is that there
isn’t much we do that doesn’t have our welfare most in mind.
Ask yourself why you choose to harbor resentment? Why is that
such a sweet thing? Why do we enjoy it when we see certain people
suffer embarrassment? and/or humiliation? Why do we choose to
lie and cheat? Is there some civil law that forces us to be this way?
And why are we defiant? When we cheat the clock at work (and
thereby cheat our employer who is paying us an hourly wage),
why do we feel the need to rationalize it? Why justify it if we believe
we are doing the right thing? Why compare ourselves with others in
order to continuethe self-delusion that we are “good people?” Why
would we need to compare ourselves with others if we were truly
convinced in our “goodness.” As it is, we are always comparing
ourselves with others because we are desperately trying to convince
ourselves that we are not bad people. If we can somehow convince
ourselves that we are not as bad as so and so,then we feel that makes
us good people. Is that really clear thinking?
I am convinced that almost nobody really believes that goodness
is real . I am also convinced that everyone wants to believe that they
are good people. In other words, I’m convinced that there is something
seriously wrong with all of us. We may be angry about our government's
involvement in a war, but there are other wars that are far more
important and closer to home.
We are at war with ourselves, with our families, with our fellow
citizens, with our employees and employers, with our local, state
and federal government, with our neighbors….the gays war against
the straights, the gays war with each other, the Republicans war
with the Democrats, etc. We are constantly at war and we
are constantly watching others war with each other. There is no
peace on earth and there never will be. Everything we do is
characterized by selfishness, greed, self-destruction and defiance.
And we cannot change ourselves.

These People Are Crazy (a lovely office Christmas party)

2009-07-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the office the magic air was released.
The witch from hell and the professional bitch
are all huggy-wuggy with the liar and the thief
Everybody gets along. They open each other's
Christmas gifts like it was all one happy damned
family like the Waltons or something worse.
Yesterday they were all in their voodoo closets
sticking pins in each other's images. It will go on
this way forever or until Charles Manson gets out
of prison. Today they do cartwheels for each other
and ask about each other's kids. They’re even
making plans to visit each other’s churches. The
sad janitor, Bebke, will come into the office over the
Christmas weekend and clean up chunks and splatter
on the inside walls of the toilet bowl and mop the floor.

A Dog With A Question

2009-07-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

It was very, very quiet. All the neighborhood

Saturday lawncare was done and my dog was

asleep in the backyard in the afternoon.

In this piece I will let sleeping dogs lie if

they want. Most importantly, the dog

must have integrity. There is something

very nice and important about the way dogs

teach the teachable about honesty. I actually

would prefer to live next door to an honest

dog rather than a dishonest person who

talks too much.

Amazingly similar to a Texas tornado in

heat, my less than truthful neighbor

came charging through my unlocked back

gate and woke up my dog. Of course he

growled and barked because an honest dog

is puzzled when a human with an integrity

problem is still amazingly full of sincere

breath. My dog stared at him with a puzzled

look on his little face, wondering why my

corpse of a neighbor somehow still gets fed

everyday.

The Moon Wrote The Sun About The Superiority Of Trees

2009-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Moon Wrote The Sun About The Superiority Of Trees

(Even this small tree of green with its bean-like leaves
fathers an eclipse of morning glory)

Dear golden globe glowing:
Is your existence just like a charted
one-hit-wonder pop record;
all that brightness hidden
behind a small tree?
See now how I change. See how I bring the
seasons to the small trees.
Are you not just my hanging levered pawn?
I am the cream.
Surely you know that the
mighty trees find their existence through me.

Love,
The Only Moon

Worthy To Lick The Sores

2009-07-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have a name
Lazarus had a name though the dogs licked his sores
The dogs are known as "dogs" even though
Mr. "Rich Man" had no name
And I am rich with the name
of
"Worthy
To Lick The Sores
Of The Dogs That Licked
The Sores On Lazarus."

You can have my tv
You can have my SUV
I can live in a smaller home
I can make it without a cell phone
I don't need this lifestyle
All this damned stuff
I have way more than enough
Blessed are the beggars in spirit
Who cower at the gates
Blessed are the losers at "Church"
Sitting in the rear pews
Blessed are the sores of Lazarus
Dogs licked them clean like plates
Blessed are those with everything
They have "nothing" to lose
Blessed are the wild eyes of night
The sleepless ones under the bridge
Blessed are the eaters of Jesus
Carrying Him within
Blessed are the Brothers and Mothers
Of the Holy Son of God
Blessed are those who've started
To call their enemies "friend"
Blessed are the worried Iraqui's
Blessed are the hands that heal them
Blessed are the walls of Jericho
Blessed are the Catholic people
Unless they live in Mexico
Unless they have too much money
Unless they're Lazarus haters

Blessed is the year that's gone
The tired, woeful sad time
When they packed up poor Lazarus
And put him in the oven
And turned him into ashes
And locked out all the dogs
And poisoned all the air
And drilled out all the oil
And sold the farms to Costco
And sold the dogs to McDonald's
So they could show a profit
So they could give donations
To the party of the rich man
So he can sell the Word
To the coming New World Order

A Different Ailment

2009-07-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

All my friends have been to the Hallmark store
The mailbox stuffed with “get wells”
Seven times I’ve been told
“Get a second opinion”
I’ll not call the undertaker quite yet
On account of this large bulge in my mouth
That’s the size of a Ping pong ball
The kind well-wishers should know
It’s my enduring tongue-in-cheek

The Future and the Past Meet You

2009-07-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Future and the Past Meet You

Simultaneously, they come unwrapped to greet you
in packages without bows or ribbons. Chaotically and
without an RSVP, their arrival is like when the land line
rings at the same time someone is ringing at the front door.
Your hands are full of potting soil and you are planting
colors in the back yard while thoughts are whirling like bees
around the nest of an unsolved problem. While you are
signing the little piece of paper for the UPS driver at the
same time that you are telling the nice man on the phone
thank you for calling but your minimal and infrequent
television viewing activity does not necessitate the adorning
of your home with a satellite dish, your son/husband/uncle
enters with his feet dispensing potting soil on the carpet
you just had cleaned. You can’t get mad. You did it
yourself just a half hour ago.

They will keep coming, and coming together, until the end,
of course. You will always be unprepared, in spite of your
downsizing according to the “Organization for Morons” book
that you still manage to hold on to, along with all the other
orphans that are scattered on shelves throughout the house
and garage.

They will come to meet you so fast that you will lose interest
in what is going on in the world. A plague here, a war there,
what will it matter. You cannot control anything and your voting
does not seem to matter anyway. And you cannot change a
thing, but you will try, and I admire you for that of course. But
eventually you will realize that the wheels have fallen off, the
parks will be permanently full of litter, and the only people who
agree with you are dead people who wrote great books that nobody
will ever read, except for the really old people you meet who have
no energy left to do much about anything except try and walk
down the hall without pooping. And read.

I have recently been reminded that loving the people in my path
is the only thing that matters. The past and the future, nonexistent
as they truly are, are nevertheless influential in pointing to the
substance of something I wrote once. And it seems right to remind
us that God wants us to see that there really is one reason why we
are still breathing and walking around on this planet. Every day we
are given opportunities to earn wealth that is eternal. Each moment
of our lives, we are either serving others or ourselves, either tending
to the needs of others or not. When we make ourselves available to
be a servant, God quietly, mysteriously, and secretly, guides or steers
us into the lives of others so that we can be dispensers of His grace.
And we benefit eternally when we do.

The 2 Worst Situations In Life

2009-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

1. We want to die but cannot. We lie in bed in pain and cannot
do anything about it. The pain never lets up. We can never be
comfortable. There is no hope of receiving any medication that
can kill the pain and there is no expectation of dying anytime soon.
Or we are trapped in a situation that gives us so much terror that we
wish we were dead. We cannot kill ourselves, however.

2. We hate listening to words about Jesus Christ. As soon as his name
is brought up, we feel nauseous. We cannot repent. We cannot pray.
We cannot even for a brief moment consider the concept of a final
judgment after we have died. We cannot even tolerate the thought of
life after death. The mind is completely shut.

Where Faith Lives

2009-07-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

Faith lives in the interruptions. It comes to life the moment
the religious feelings die. Faith is the opposite of “feeling.”
Faith is gaze,”“perspective.” Faith looks forward to the
mundane, ordinary, even boring moments, to come alive
and mean something. Faith usually prompts the obedience
of silence from our lips. Faith is the line where our will turns
to God.

Exodus 33

2009-07-07T21:54:00.002-07:00

He never leaves us alone. We are always being called to
leave where we are and journey onward/upward into a
greater appreciation of who He is.
The Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go from here…to the land.”
We are always to be hearing the call of God to journey into the
promised land. In that contented bliss of His Spirit, there is always
a longing, whether felt or not, for a closer walk with Him. We are
the people of God, always “on the way,” always seeking “a better…heavenly
country (Heb. 11:16).” Spiritually, there is always a place to travel to
that is “better.” God began promising it to our spiritual ancestors.
It is definite and specific, not nebulous. We can count on it being
there like the promised land of old. To get there requires leaving
where we are.
To be willing to leave where we are requires a certain dissatisfaction
with where we are, a desire for the best. God will never be content to
leave us without the best of all that He can bring us into.

In Exodus 33:2-3, we can see that God doesn’t ask us to make
this journey alone. He is always “there” in the place where He
wants to take us. His angel will be busy driving out the enemies
of our soul long before we arrive in the promised land.
The promised land is a place of conflict and warfare. There
are enemies of God in the place He wants to bring us to. The
fellowship God calls us to experience will bring us face-to-face
with the enemies of God. There is “milk and honey” in the land,
yes, but we still have the battles. God took the Jews from the
captivity of Egypt into the place of blessing, but the place of
blessing is also a place of extreme conflict.

It is always by grace that we journey into the promised land.
God is holy and sees us stubbornly resistant to Him.
His holiness demands that we become other than we are.
There almost seems to be a tension within God. He desires
to be gracious, yet He is holy.
God wants us to appear before Him as we are, without
covering up with jewelry. Jewelry essentially attracts and
distracts. The ornaments were unnecessary with God.
He told them to lose it.
Before they left Egypt, the Jews plundered the Egyptians.
In Exodus 12:35-36, we read that they were given gold.
That is where the jewelry came from. And here we see
them all decked out for the promised land like they’re
waltzing into a party, looking spruce, trying to distance
themselves from each other, elevating themselves in
their eyes in the faceof God. God tunes in to this and says,
“I must distance myself from you because I can’t stand this
about you, how you desire to make yourselves distinct from
one another.”

A Simple Solution

2009-07-07T21:54:00.001-07:00

If a complex machine like a car won’t run, it’s usually due
to a simple problem. Most of the time (if you’re not out of gas)
it’s the battery, a small burnt fuse or a spark plug. Small,
simple problems can seem huge and complex when they involve
complex machines, but they still remain small and simple
problems that can usually be easily fixed. The diagnosis is the
key thing.
The front page article by Marie Leech (July 31) detailed
a small, simple problem that only appears complex. The head-
line read, “Downtown business owners worried about crowds,
noise.” The obvious problem is that a few people hanging out
don’t care at all about the people who conduct business
or live in the neighborhood. The problem is not going to be
resolved legally, politically or religiously. It’s too deep.
Neither lawyers, politicians or religious leaders can provide
a power supply within the human heart that energizes the
human to act lovingly toward others. Religion can only put
selfish pigs in remembrance of morality. But even young
children know the difference between right and wrong.
Only gasoline will enable most cars to run and only God
can move the heart to care about others to the point of
habitual self-sacrifice. This is narrow-minded thinking.
It’s also clear, realistic thinking.
When God enters into the human spirit, the human
wants to love others, wants to care about the comfort of others.
At that point, religion and the law seem superfluous. The golden rule
(“do to others what you want them to do to you”) becomes an active
rule within. It’s a simple solution to a problem that only appears
complex. Cameras and police officers can only take pictures,
arrest people, cause fear and incite rebellion. And the city council
can’t put love in the human heart.

Nothing New

2009-07-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Poetry is for wimps, really. There’s many a writer tangled up
to dry on the petals of the world-wide-dripping-blood-web who
are furnishing accounts from whatever continent about their
“growings” and then there’s the books next to the tabloids where
everybody seems to never grow tired of celebrating whatever
you think they should tell of their youth.
I’m frankly sick of it and a bit jealous, but I have to stand back
and admire those who have the discipline and enthusiasm – enough
to sit for hours and ignore what’s going on in their faces – to conjure
up all these memories and describe them all in such a way as to
not only entertain but to educate the masses about the
seedling-experiences we now look at with new and dimly-lit eyes.
I’ll admit I’ve lately fantasized about doing the best I can at
writing down the stories of my life that I think are worth sharing,
but there’s still so much happening now that I don’t yet have
much time. That’s not to say that I’ll ever feel there’s that much
wealth there. Besides, I would have written only a page or two
and I’d have to give glory to my Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought
me this far. When I last checked, people aren’t really as much
interested in Him as in times past. Most people secretly harbor
an altar of hate for Him and delight in ascribing evil to Him.
And while He alone is totally good, men need no more reasons
to hate Him than they already have.
I had a roommate once who used to keep track of every time
he farted and sneezed. He was very obviously so self-absorbed
that he spent most of his waking moments writing down the
details of his life. How he could remember all that he did seemed
a small miracle to me. I’m sure he was fond of doing a bit of
embellishing and this didn’t sit right with me and I wondered
why he felt such a need to do all of this in the first place.
But I was mostly curious as to why he needed to lie about things
if he really thought reality was interesting enough on it’s own.
It seems to me there’s a group of weirdoes in the motion picture
industry who do just that same sort of thing with the Bible.
Every year there’s a new “epic” movie made about some Bible
character in which the truth (that should be loved enough for what
it is) is so badly rearranged that it almost seems like an intentional slam
on reality. If a story of the Bible is worth being told, let’s tell it already.
It it’s a bad story, leave it alone. But that’s not what they do.
Let the reader look at it from a secular perspective. If we love the
story of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," let’s not turn it into
“Snow Beige and the Eight Slightly Huge Men.” The original story is
fine, isn’t it? Either Moses (or Noah, or Daniel, or Abraham) was
great and interesting character, or he wasn’t.
All around the house of this humanity are would be “greats” who
are writing, writing, writing about God knows what. Very few will
make any money at it. Most will find their writing cooed over by a
very small, select few friends or family members. What remains of
the pages will slow down the computer for awhile or fill up a book shelf,
but eventually most of it will be seen as a huge waste of time.
Yesterday, I was sitting down having breakfast at a local
restaurant and I joyfully and intentionally eavesdropped on
the private conversation from the table behind me and I heard
a woman telling some friends about her trip to the ruins of a
Mayan civilization where there are pyramids and artifacts which
have given rise to the truth that the “elite” of that civilization lived
very isolated from the “non-elite.”
In my part of the world, the Palm Springs area, there are
hundreds of golf-centered country clubs and gated condo-project-prisons
where the “elite” cloister, protected from the rest of us. But the elite
Mayans apparently thought themselves superior to my contemporaries.
They only had sexual relations with family members. The apparent
result, according to the lady behind me, was a whole mini-nation of people
with deformities and birth defects. And the inter-breeding was so
prevalent that you were known to be one of the “elite” because you
had something “wrong” with you. And what eventually happened was
that children were purposefully maimed and crippled by their parents
at birth so they could gain acceptance into the finer circles. There, in
Mexico or South America, you found entrance into the halls of power
only if you had nine fingers or one arm. The loss of the arm at the
hands of dear old Dad was viewed as a loving, virtuous and necessary act.
So “beauty” was deformity and “ugly” was pretty. Everything got
completely turned upside down. And then this woman at the table
behind me said to her friends at the conclusion of her story, “So you’re
all ugly.” They had a good laugh and went on into their own world.
Solomon (another Bible guy) or someone like him, said “There’s
nothing new under the Sun,” and there’s no need to even say that
except that people (generally under 30) think they’re lives are very
unique. They need to be told that their lives aren’t so special. In my
world, the truth of this is smacking me in the face almost daily. To be
sure, there is “fresh,” but “new” is a has-been word. The pendulum
swings fact and wild. The extremes are clearly seen. “Good” is bad.
Bob Dylan said this and then said “You find out when you reach the
top…you’re on the bottom.”

He Disturbs Your Precious Life

2009-07-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

Right into the middle of your life comes this invisible person who made you for His purposes, who doesn’t need you at all, and He expresses the deepest undeserved love for you by leaving the wealth and glory of heaven to die for you. It seems so fascinating and romantic until you come face to face with your addiction(s) and get set free and there’s
no explanation for your freedom except for this cross of Calvary.

I should know, I'm pretty self-centered a lot of the time

2009-07-07T21:43:00.002-07:00

2 Corinthians 3:18

Self pre-occupation makes us unattractive to most everybody. It makes others feel they are unlovable, unworthy of our attention. People don’t grow close to a self-absorbed person. Their prison is one of total preoccupation with their own interests and comforts. Co-workers and associates will automatically distance themselves from the person who
is enslaved in this way.
The person who is imprisoned by self-centeredness actually lives a shallow life and people know that the self-lover is not to be trusted. As long as the self-centered person gets what they want, they’re your friend. The moment they don’t get what they want, the selfish person automatically begins to calculate how to get what they want at others expense.
If a person becomes aware that others know they are a prisoner of self-preoccupation (Want a clue? Listen to what you talk about), they will naturally become focused on disguising it. The most common way of disguising it is through religious talk/activity.
If a person genuinely desires to be set free to live a life of unselfish service to others, they should do all they can to develop a life-long habit of focusing on God. When humans become aware of and really know the heart of God (which is love), they will be gradually changed. The process of growing and changing into a person who not only sees (by the Spirit of God) but unselfishly acts to meet the needs of others is what being a Christian is all about. Unselfish giving motivated by unconditional love becomes a habit that will be immediately noticeable to others. That is the way to solid, healthy, mutually-fulfilling, eternal and God-pleasing relationships.

Life looked at another way

2009-07-07T21:43:00.001-07:00

All of life is a joining together or a dividing asunder. Every thought
and every act is to the end of unity or diversity.

Christians Are Losers

2009-07-07T21:38:00.002-07:00

They never appear to

be satisfied with the way things are. The

continual discontent plagues them. There’s

always more to be done – within themselves,

others, governments, institutions. Their

Bible presents a pattern for holy living that

is impossible. Only God could live according

to this pattern. But many try, nevertheless.
Hebrews 11:13 describes the fate of the

saints of old: “These all died in the faith, not

having received the promises.” In the end,

all they had left was their faith. They had

lived in full expectation of seeing the fulfillment

of God’s promises, yet they did not see the fulfillment.
The world will not improve very much. The

efforts of all Christians will culminate in a massive

apostasy at the end of the age when fewer people

than ever will still believe in Christ. The Bible

predicts that conditions in the world will be at

their very worst just before Jesus returns. People

will be scoffing (2 Peter 3:3-4). There will be an

onslaught of brutality, hatred towards goodness,

unholiness, hedonism, greed and haughtiness

(2 Tim. 3:1-4).
Jesus said that if he didn’t return at the appointed

future day, there probably wouldn't be any who still

believed in him (Matt. 24:22). There will be so much

helplessness and hunger for evidence of his existence

that many will be successfully impersonating him.

They will have great success deceiving many because

knowledge concerning his true identity will be very

scarce. As it is, few Christians study their Bibles

anymore, anyway.
The career of the great Apostle Paul ended with

his being beheaded. Prior to this, he was imprisoned.

He wrote of his loneliness and isolation in 2 Tim. 4:9-11

at the end of his life, from a prison cell. It appears that

he was a loser. Just as all of the disciples of Jesus left

him in the dust at the end, Paul was basically alone at

the time when he needed encouragement the most.

He had to get it all directly from God
It is worth remembering that out of all the thousands

of people who escaped from Egypt, only 2 (Caleb and Joshua)

entered the promised land. Perhaps the remnant is always

much smaller than we think and expect. Ultimately, the

remnant are the only winners.

An Asset Protection Program That Is Unbeatable

2009-07-07T21:38:00.001-07:00

God has the best asset protection program available. He can give you assets that nobody can take away from you – ever!

God has the best “get rich” program available. By becoming a child of God, you immediately inherit everything that is under His authority.

Andy Warhol said that in the future everyone would be famous for 15 minutes

2009-07-07T21:37:00.001-07:00

As wickedness increases, the likelihood of revival of faith grows ever dim.
God launches revival with a team of people who are closely-knit together.
Doesn’t have to be many, but there has to be some tight fellowship going on.

There’s too many gathering in the name of Pastors and Churches. People
gather together in the name of Joe Blow and then say they are gathering
in the name of Jesus. The N.T. Church gathered in the name of Jesus and there was great evidence of His fellowship with them (Acts 20:37)

We are required to keep love burning in our hearts for Jesus in order that we may glorify Him. Two benefits of that is that we stimulate faith
and meet physical needs.

Things have deteriorated so bad that if a person states one truth, people
make him King. Maybe that’s what Andy Warhol meant.

Oh to end up WHOLE someday

2009-07-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

People frequently react with a mechanical violence. Programmed by television to respond in certain ways in certain situations, the world goes on. The players are apparently hypnotized by bells, old Everly Brothers songs, the clanking coins, the heaving breasts, the rolling golf ball, the bouncing dice or the blinking lights. They get you hooked to something. Like the workings of an enormous clock, we move at the correct times. The day rotates. With people spinning and the earth quaking, nothing is still. Only our drive toward self-indulgence seems immutable. It seems our violent reactions are usually aroused mainly by our inability to cope with someone else getting what we want. And whatever you are hooked by is judged to be either a “good” or “bad” master. The world is in bondage to itself. It’s a giant chain. If you could only own the number 47 or the letter G, imagine what life would be like. Imagine the power these possessions would provide you. Times of re-evaluation are indispensable and you just have to find the time
to be alone, but can you? And where are those cannons of silence you long to hear? Oh to be hooked on finding someplace where you could reclaim yourself a little…maybe end up whole.

Ron Bock

Institutional Pillars

2009-07-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Things work because of stable influences. “Pillars” in the community
support whatever worthy endeavors people consistently work hard at.
There can be no significant or lasting accomplishment without stable
people, the so-called “pillars” who generally function as members of
institutions. They become leaders in churches, businesses, schools
and governments. They are not flighty, but rather unmovable like
granite. Without them, there is no progress. Much work gets done
because of their enduring presence. They inspire loyalty and they
“release” love so their followers busy themselves on their behalf.
Primarily, it is their willingness to serve, rather than be served,
that motivates others.
In the end, the institution has been changed by its leaders.
It may be ever so slight, but nevertheless, a permanent change
has taken place.
It is usually a visible change, but it may not be immediately noticeable
to only one person, or perhaps to nobody. Institutional change is for
the eyes of God. The appearance of change is for men.
These “pillars” are powerful. People come to them with the
desire to have their differences settled when wise judgement
concerning a matter is needed. People approach the “pillars”
with the desire for vindication. It is our strong desire to be declared
“just” that is at the core of our desire to see and be blessed by the
“pillar.” We believe that the “pillar” has special insight and can look
deep into our hearts and see the virtue within us. At the same time,
we harbor a grudge against our enemy and
desire that condemnation be extended by the “pillar.”
If the “pillar” rules against us, we may leave the institution.
We may have to. If our wealth has been divided, we may be so
emotionally disturbed that we can no longer function in the institution.

What Hell Could Be Like

2009-07-07T21:24:00.001-07:00

100% total occupation with self.
No consciousness of anything other than self,
thus no self-restraint.
Not even the concept.
No pangs of conscience.
No desire for right.
All existence reduced to enormous craving
and unsatisfied longing.
All that isn’t God.
No knowledge of any choice for
what is otherwise.
For eternity.

Gifts

2009-07-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

The greatest gifts come from the hands of strangers;
one-time visits from seldom-seen angels you’ll never
see again.

A friend will hold a gift over
your head, revealing the question,
"Was it really a gift?"

Our Desire To Be Known As "Great"

2009-07-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Our Desire To Be Known As "Great"
The human thirst for honor, applause, accolades, and awards is somewhat strong
in some, but very strong in most. Is this a good thirst? If one looks to the world
system, yes. But what does God say? Could God possibly disagree with the standard
of the world system? Isn't it important to know how He weighs in on this human thirst?
I think most of us would agree that our Creator is pretty well qualified to speak to us
about such matters. Any person seeking the answers to these questions can easily find out
what God's thoughts are as they are clearly revealed in scripture.
So what is this human thirst anyway?
A fairly careful study of the Bible has brought me to conclude that this thirst stems
from an alliance between our individual sinful natures and the world system. The world
system tells us that we should brag about the awards our children have won. The
parents who are motivated to put a bumper sticker on their car are following the course
and habit of this world system that encourages us to admire those among us who are
good parents. This same thirst is what drives a person to diligently practice a physical
skill to the point of being a professional athlete. It's no wonder that professional baseball
is referred to as "the show."
I've made some statements that you or others may take as insulting. Before you
paste that bumper sticker on your car, please look at I John 2:16. The Apostle John
warns us about "the pride of life" in this verse. Pride is a sickness of the soul. If we
desire to hear praise and words of admiration, we probably have this sickness. A good
test is how we respond to flattery. If we get a great charge out of compliments, then
we may have a good dose of this sickness. The best indication that we have it or don't
have it is seen in the way that we respond to criticism. The humble person who is
habitually seeking the Lord's glory will not be easily moved by the pointed finger of
accusation.
God's love for us is such that he doesn't want us pursuing the approval and applause
of man because it is very temporary and gets in the way of our contemplation of Him.
Since there is nothing better for us to focus on than God, God wants us to be
focused on the best there is. He wants us to live lives sharing in the reality of His
eternal applause for His Son. Jesus delivered us from the condemnation of the law once
and for all so that we could rest in the Father's approval. Based on the action of God
the Father, who declared all His children righteous for eternity in Christ by grace through
faith, we can rest in the Father's approval. We don't need the approval of a religious
organization, our family and friends, or anyone else. All of us who have put our faith
in Jesus Christ to save us are as acceptable to God the Father as is His Son. We
merit heaven because of the work of Jesus and nothing else. We are not saved by
works. While works may justify us in the eyes of man, God sees us righteous because
we are in Christ, whose work on the behalf of all men was for the purpose of bringing
praise to the glory of God's grace (Ephesians 1:3-6).
The heart of our Father is such that He desires for us to become more and more
occupied with true and lasting things. He sees the futility of man's applause. It
produces nothing of eternal value. It is noisy for a moment like a clanging cymbal. God
wants us to see it for what it is.
"And the world is passing away, and also it's lusts;
but the one who does the will of God abides forever...."
I John 2:17

You seek your own desire when you separate yourself

2009-07-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine has hardened her heart because
a close friend of hers has not responded to recent requests
to “get together.” She feels her friend has snubbed her
for some reason. In the face of this perceived injustice,
my friend has withdrawn from everybody.
It snowballs from here. Like a row of dominoes, all of
my friend’s relationships have (or will be) affected. One
by one, those people my friend withdraws from will also
be affected.
I know both of these women and I think that pride is
at the root of everything. One of the women is afraid of
intimacy because she doesn’t want to be known as the
sinner she is. She values her privacy far morethan she
should. Her fear of being discovered causes her to avoid
the relationship with the other woman. She wears a mask.
The other woman feels slighted because she thinks she
is somewhat special. She cannot imagine how anyone could
not respond to her invitations.
Nobody is going to grow or experience the joy of the friendship.

Say a word, be salt

2009-07-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

To say a word is to be salt. But to say a word is like adding
a spoonful of salt to the ocean in order to increase its saltiness.
To say a sentence is the same. Even to fill the world with books
that all speak that word or this paragraph is to let air out of a jar
in order to increase the breathable air.
The ears are plugged up permanently. To say so is all that
needs to be said. Yet something prompts me to say more.
As I survey my heart and weigh the thoughts and actions
of all men and women, I feel that there is a great lack of awareness
as to how corrupt humanity is. It saddens and amazes me.
Should not the meetings of the church be meetings where people,
overcome with grief, guilt and godly sorrow, confess their many sins
to one another.
I can recall a revival in a church begin from the confession of sin.
It was a girl in the assembly, many years ago. She was tortured
by guilt and unashamed to reveal her heart. Many were encouraged
by her frankness and they began to unburden their hearts.
The human heart often carries multitudes of private burdens.
The guilt is unbearable, yet we try to bear it. We deceive ourselves
into thinking that we can somehow do the impossible. But happiness
does not share head space with guilt for very long. Even
“real happiness” will vacate a mind inhabited by a guilty conscience.
Water will stay in the pan for awhile, but eventually the fire will win.

Stopping to Gaze (and graze)

2009-07-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

It is apparent that much of our attention must be directed
toward the task of making a living. Additional attention must
be given tot he hundreds of details that have to do with what
we call “ordinary life:” making beds, preparing food, driving a
car, addressing mail, writing checks, changing diapers, etc.
Because these things require much or all of our feeble
concentration, I cannot believe that God intends for us to be
thinking about Him at all times. There are times when He
should receive all of our attention. In order to be balanced
we should not neglect those times that we have for pure
contemplation each day.
When we take those times of contemplation, we must
develop the habit of disciplining ourselves to the point
where we can quite easily shut off the eyes and ears and
entirely focus on Him. Now it is true that we are “receivers”
when it comes to God. None of us can give anything to Him
and we need to nurture this awareness. If we have the morning
chores on our mind, this will not happen. “Doing” the morning
chores is a thousand miles away from being passive.
And we define ourselves as “givers” when we do even the
slightest work toward maintaining God’s creation. There
needs to be time during the day when we just stop and gaze
at God. There will be time later on to worship God by mowing
the lawn or washing the dishes.
But these things define us as “givers.” In the realm of the
natural, physical dimension, this is fine. We are to be givers.
In the realm of the Spirit, though, we are “receivers” and we
must learn when to be “in the Spirit” in our giving and doing.
It is not natural. We must learn the art of being the “receiver”
when we are engaged in giving and doing. How we are taught
this is by forcing ourselves to take times of contemplation each
day where we block out everything and let God remind us who
He is and how we relate to Him as “receivers” of His grace
and mercy. Eventually we find that the spiritual habitually
overlaps the physical. This does not happen easily until a habit
is established. Growing into that person who habitually practices
the presence of God takes much work. And then we must make
sure that it continues to be a habit. This requires God’s gift of
discipline. Most people do not desire this and don’t receive it.
It is a gift that only a few will cherish and keep. And each
person is offered that gift (Gal. 5:22-23) along with many others.

Christians in Satan's army

2009-07-07T21:06:00.001-07:00

Just as Hitler allowed thousands of Jews to serve in the Third Reich’s army – during the Holocaust – so it is that Satan will recruit Christians to serve in his army.
During World War II, Hitler slaughtered the families of those Jewish soldiers. Some of them were high-ranking officers.

I Want NEWS!!!!!!!!

2009-07-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

Every morning, many of us shuffle out through the darkness and pick up the morning paper because we have an insatiable desire for news. Many of us would rather get our “fix” of news from the television. So of the more technologically savvy among us get the news through their computer.
This morning, while I’m thinking about this, I’m thinking about this shared desire that we humans have to hear something new and fresh to start our day. My thinking has
been stimulated by a sentence from an old book by Mike Yaconelli, simply entitled, “Tough Faith.” He wrote, “What gives my faith new life and energy in the experience of finding something new about God I didn’t know yesterday.” God has put a desire for newness into our hearts in order for us to turn to Him. That quest originates in God. He always desires for us to learn new things about Him so He motivates us to look to Him each morning to learn something
new. Apparently, this has been twisted by the world system so that we now turn to the world each morning instead of God.

Bible verses on the subject of newness:
Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1
Eccles. 1:9-10
Isa. 42:9-10; 43:19; 65:17
Lam. 3:23
Acts 17:21
Romans 14:3
2 Cor. 5:17
Heb. 8:12; 10:17
Rev. 21:5; 21:1-2

Our Choice: A life of fear and accusation OR a life of hope

2009-07-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

Satan ACCUSED God of depriving Eve of important knowledge. We read in Genesis 3:4-5 that Satan called God a liar: “ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it (the tree) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan ACCUSED Job of serving God for purely selfish reasons. He attacked Job’s character in Job 1:9-11: “ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “ Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

The Pharisees ACCUSED Jesus of many things: blasphemy, law-breaking, associating with the “wrong” people. Indeed, they looked for any reason to ACCUSE Jesus of wrongdoing so that they would
have some reason to inflict violence on Him. Luke 6: 6-11 is a very vivid portrayal of the evil motives of these religious leaders:

“Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered
the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right
hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched him
closely whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an
accusation against Him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the
man who had the withered hands, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.
Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good
or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked
around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another
what they might do to Jesus.

Festus ACCUSED the Apostle Paul of having been made mad by excessive learning in Acts 26:24, “ Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “ Paul, you are beside yourself! Much
learning is driving you mad!”

Timothy was apparently ACCUSED of being too young to be a Pastor. In I.Timothy 4:12, Paul encouraged Timothy thus, “ Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

One thing we can say about the enemy and his warriors: They would deprive us of hope and encouragement. They are always wanting to point out the negatives, the worst-case situation. “ What-ifs” predominate in their conversation. There is always something in their lives that immobilize or paralyze them so they can’t seem to go forward and accomplish the things that God has for them. The lazy person described for us in Proverbs 26:13 says: “ There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets.”
We can all be deceived into cooperating with Satan. We can read scriptures such as Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.) and not believe that it applies to us. How could God, after all, have prepared any work for US to do.

The New Testament writers wrote about a life of optimism and hope. Paul the Apostle wrote the following (2 Corinthians 3:12; 4:1):
“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech.”
“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”

Satan is referred to in Revelation 12:10 as follows: “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and
night, has been cast down.”

Paul, in Ephesians 4:29 wrote: “ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Words of accusation seldom bring
grace to anyone. Surely, the person looking for reasons to accuse is not thinking of ways to encourage. The accusing person is generally unable to think of anything good to say. That person is usually a draining influence who has no energy and nothing worthwhile to contribute.

A life characterized by fellowship with God’s Spirit is a life of optimism, joy and hope. Paul wrote of this life in Romans 15:13-14,
“ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”

Last of all, let’s be reminded of where this “abounding hope” comes from: “ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit ; for the letter kills (by accusation), but the Spirit gives life. ( 2 Cor. 3:4-6)”

The Value Of A Life: What is it?

2009-07-07T21:03:00.001-07:00

Today is a happy day for those Mothers, Fathers and other family members who will soon be seeing the living bodies and souls of those three American servicemen who have been prisoners of war in Yugoslavia. All Americans can rejoice in their freedom.
This morning, I was thinking about a couple of the newspaper articles I have read recently that attempted to explain some of the possible scenarios that could play out relating to the taking and holding of these three men. One article discussed an exchange of prisoners between the United States and Yugoslavia.
I was reminded of other articles I have read in the past that
detailed prisoner exchanges in a time of war. I remember reading various stories over the years where Country A, for example, offered to exchange 5 prisoners in exchange for 20 prisoners that were held prisoner by Country B. Why the difference in the value? Who knows. I’m sure the prisoners involved may have felt differently than their governments who made trades such as these. I’m positive that the soldiers of Country A and Country B felt that the value of human life should have been calculated differently.
This brings me to the whole idea of the value of human life.
What’s the best way to measure that value?
Do we assume that the value of human life is to be based on the value of a person’s ability to make money? Does a person’s value increase or decrease with age? Are men more valuable than women? Are children more important than adults? Are certain animals more important than certain people?
Last of all: What is the value of the life of the Son of God?
A life of infinite value was exchanged for the life of all of the people who ever existed or ever will exist. In a sense, the value of that one life was exchanged for the lives of all of humanity.

Being a Christ-one

2009-07-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

For one thing, being a Christ-one means that my gaze is forward.
I look back if necessary, but the major thrust of all I’m about is what
is coming. It is a life of anticipation and expectation. The past and
the now are surely experienced, but the past can only be experienced
in the realm of faith and hope. That is where my heart is. I’m always
thinking about what God and I are going to be doing.
Lately, God spoke to me from I Cor. 10:13 and I was reminded that
something in me really doesn’t want to be delivered, saved. But the call
of God is to walk in expectation of deliverance and salvation. The path
God leads me in is a path that doesn’t take into account the possibility
of believing that sin has any value. There’s no head space for doubt.

Christianity: What is it?

2009-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

At the age of 56 I am more unsure about how to define
it than anything. The old cliché (“It’s a relationship with God”)
just doesn’t get it for me anymore. I honestly don’t even like
the word and I certainly wish I’d never heard it. I don’t want
to hear the word again.
And yet I am a Christian. A Christ-one. I know Christ.
I love him with weak and fickle human love. I know He loves
me with a perfect divine love. There’s no doubting that.
If I could deny my own existence I could deny the reality of his love.
But Christianity…..What is it? Is it a club? A culture?
Whatever it is, I want no part of it. It’s useless, deadly and superfluous.

Choosing Our Best Buddy

2009-07-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

If you knew someone who had an uncanny ability to
pick the winning horse at all the horse races he attended,
you might think it wise to saddle up next to this person
and perhaps court a serious friendship.
Can anyone find fault with the habit of nurturing a friendship
with the One who always completely understands and sees the
future as if it were the present? Surely the One who knows what
is going to happen can help us make our plans for the future. Surely
we dare not proceed onward in life without His companionship.

That Which Is Most Common

2009-07-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

As I look out my window this morning, I see that everything is still.
The inactivity and quiet of creation provides a perfect backdrop for
everything else. One cannot do without the other. God loves the
inactivity and quiet as much or more than He does the movement
and noise. Now of course there is invisible life teeming in all that
is, so one can also postulate that God totally disapproves of all quiet
and cessation of activity. Yet man does not easily perceive all that
goes on, and I think this protection from all the noise and movement
implies that God wants us not to be distracted by it all so that we
will be able to hear ourselves think. Most of all, I think we notice
God in a quiet and unbusy place.

A Happy Ending After All

2009-07-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

So don’t you think it is kind of nice that about 2,000 years ago a
couple of things happened that made it absolutely certain that all of
this has a happy ending after all?

Rich People

2009-07-07T20:54:00.001-07:00

RICH PEOPLE

They are slaves to things quite often. They
cannot give anything away unless they get
a tax break. They are so poor they cannot give
anything away. The rich person is characterized
by a lifestyle of unselfishly giving things away
without regard for personal gain. The person who
is poor is unable to free themselves from their things.

A Time Of Great Joy

2009-07-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

A Time of Great Joy

There are different periods of time in our lives when God speaks very clearly to us. One of those periods of time was from May through December in 1993. I’m glad that I was more diligent in my writing. It was an awesome and intense time. Most of all, it was a time of great joy.
I was reading “The Existence and Attributes of God” by Stephen Charnock at this time. Nothing I have read has affected me more, except for the Bible.

May 24, 1993
Whining and complaining about our circumstances, about the world, or about anything outside of ourselves or our control – this is a road to idolatry. It is a rejection of God, a practical atheism that is the opposite of having a heart full of thanksgiving. In Romans 1:21-25, Paul shows that our hearts are in danger of becoming hardened when they are not
honoring God with thanks.

Aug. 12, 1993
Could prayer be the “secret” to love? Could it be that praying for people causes love to spring up in our hearts? Could it be that this activity alone moves the Spirit of God to create love in us for those we intercede for? This is a matter for prayer.

Aug. 12, 1993
I have resolved to speak no more about the matter of opening up the Patio Place in a new location. I have found an ideal location next to Trader Joe’s, Suite C-7. Obstacles to this move are in the minds of the manufacturer (who is selling us the store) and my wife. I have resolved to speak only to God about this. Should it be his will, that we relocate, God will have to initiate the move because I am unwise enough to know what his will is on my own. I do believe that it would be the smartest thing to do, but yesterday the owner (Craig) said that he felt it would be better for us to get our feet wet first. My thought is that it would be highly advantageous for us to be in the better location getting our feet wet.
But what is better? Better from man’s point of view is often not better from God’s point of view.
Seeking to be a child of faith, I will speak only to God on this matter and let him lead me.
Praise be to God for the privilege of prayer and the gift of faith that enables me to live in God’s plan of “waiting on Him.”

Aug. 12, 1993
Lord, you could not have done a better job of creating the female body. I thank you, Lord, that everything is delightful with it. I know that you must be something else to behold, for I know that you have created a being too wonderful for my eyes. I thank you also, Father, that you did not create them with more glory because, as it is, it is a struggle not to worship at their feet, for they are so beautiful. I thank you that you have not opened my eyes to see angels, either, for I know you have shielded my eyes from them because they are even more beautiful than women.

Aug. 14, 1993
Just as I can hear several sounds at once (music, for example, where a number of instruments are playing at the same time.) and distinguish
between the sounds, so God hears our prayers. He hears them all at once, in the same way we hear music.
Just as we can see many, many things at once, God sees all things at once.
The comprehension of diversity occurs at the same time as our comprehension of unity. That is, we perceive the diversity through a unified perception. For example: ONE glance allows us to see many things. We would not be able to perceive “the many” if we were unable to cast the “one glance.”
It is the going forth of light that allows us to see anything. But God is Himself a light.
He is the light by which He sees: the means of perceiving and the perceiver all at once.
But does God need light to see – that is, does God need Himself to see? Yes. God needs himself to see. However insane this may sound: God could see even if he didn’t exist. God can do anything that is impossible. He has chosen to exist in such a way that even the impossible is possible. He has not chosen this. He IS this.

August 14, 1993

Every other person walking by my store has been turned into a billboard. They wear t-shirts or a cap advertising something.
The flowers in front of my store are real, but they look fake. We had fake flowers thrust upon us for so long that we now prefer the fake look.
This morning, the owner of the Kinko’s store informed me that my handwritten sign advertising our store hours could easily be re-done by their typesetting department. The bonus to this “offer” was “10% off.”
A reward for abandonment of human touch.
All across our world, we are being paid, manipulated and bribed to reject our own humanity. We are taught by advertisers to all dress the same, think the same, shit the same, be the same.

August 14, 1993
If you are going into business today, or buying a home or car, the message is the same: we must buy an alarm system to protect us from humans. The message being announced is that humans, and the things they possess, are very important. But at the same time, the message goes forth that humans are dangerous, dishonest, covetous and criminal.
The bottom line is that we are rejecting “creation,” and denying the creator.
When we color our hair, we are saying “no” to our creator. When we modify and change what is natural, we are saying we can do it all better than God. But can we?

August 14, 1993
How often do we feel the rain? How often do we walk through a field of grass barefoot? Or through the mud? Letting it squish between our toes. We have apparently done all we can to insulate ourselves from what is natural. Machines are preferred to humans. People spend billions to change the earth and its’ inhabitants. Life is something we watch on t.v.
Even our clothing is made from plastic fibers. Who wears cotton anymore? God forbid we should do that – cotton is of the earth.
Forget drinking water from the earth. We must carbonate it or it is unacceptable.
It seems like we exist to support machines.
Our machines create our music. We no longer write letters (too permanent, too related to the concept of “a tomorrow.”) and mail them –
we fax them.
Our toilet water must be blue, our cats de-clawed. Everything we buy
is wrapped in plastic (and we pay for it with plastic). Plastic packaging sanitizes, cleanses, sterilizes. Plastic is magic.

August 24, 1993

A Day of Strange Events

A letter
A closed door?
A check returned
A dead

Yesterday was a day full of interesting and sad events.
I’ve been reading a couple of books about prayer.
I have been finding that the “work” of prayer is difficult.
I sense a great need to learn the habit of interceding for others. It is actually my greatest need.
Lately, with full force and vigor, God has been speaking to me about intercessory prayer and spiritual warfare. It is apparent that I need to take the offensive. God has been speaking to me from “The Spiritual Man” by Watchman Nee and “Don’t Just Stand There, Pray Something”
by Ron Dunn.
God has shown me that the real meaning of my life is to be engaged in full-time war. I have seen that I am not to be occupied with civilian
affairs (2 Tim. 2:33-4). He has shown me that the war is fought in the area of the mind (2 Cor. 10: 3-5). He is showing me that my identity is always to be tied up in the meaning of the word “soldier”. “Conflict” is another word that keeps coming up. I have been called to do battle. This is such a radical departure from the way I have viewed life.
The habit of prayer must become my main concern because it glorifies God more than anything. I live to be an expression of his glory.

Someone with the attention of God has been praying for me. I wish I knew who it was, but whoever it is, they are praying for me/us in secret.
Yesterday, I received an envelope in the mail. There was a check inside that I had written and sent to someone. They returned it. God means for the money to go to someone else. So be it.
When Bob Harms’ letter came yesterday, I was saddened because an unknown person attacked him for no reason on Market street in San Francisco. Bob recently had his heart re-built. He is a former roommate who does not have a relationship with Christ. I am going to start praying for his salvation. I’m going to be as persistent as my cat, who meows incessantly whenever she wants to go outside.
Yesterday we discovered it would cost us $2,500-$3,500 for a storefront sign if we were to move over to the Trader Joe’s center. Since I had praying the night before that God would show us whether or not we should sign the lease and make the move, I must interpret this as a temporary closed door. We don’t have the money. My wife and I are together on this. This is a confirmation from God that we need to keep praying and waiting. After telling the landlord that this is more money than we feel comfortable in borrowing/spending, he said he would talk to the partners about the possibility of paying for the sign. I had told him
that we would be willing to make the move if he and his partner were willing to pay for our sign. Our peace is gone at this time. If we are to stay where we are, that will be fine with us. How we must wait on the Lord.
Last night, my Mother told me that one of my oldest friends had died.
I met Judy Perry when I was about 6-8 months old. She and her family lived next door to us. Judy was 40 when she died.
Early today, I wrote an 8 page to Bob Whitney, the agent for the Trader Joe’s center, explaining why I feel it is fair for he and his partners to pay for the sign.

August 26, 1993

Lord, there is little concern in my heart for those who are lost. There is a hardness of which I am unable to explain. My intellect tells me one thing-but it doesn’t sink into my emotions. I’m reluctant to pray for those who I have written on my prayer list. There is a clogging of the arteries of my heart. There is need for a cleansing. My emotions are callused. There is a paralysis that keeps me from praying. I cannot manufacture a burden for the lost. I am not free to weep for the people you bring before me every day.

July 22, 1998

In the mind of God, that which is real is infinitely real. But since God is not limited by anything, his imaginations must be just as “real” as “reality” is. In other words, all possibilities are viewed by God at all times to be realities. The impossible is always possible. That which is impossible in our eyes is possible in God’s eyes. He can discern the difference between what is real and what is not, but that which is not real can also appear to be real to him at the same time if he wants it to.
All infinite possibilities can be considered as existing somewhere in his mind. Therefore, it is not incorrect to say that everything possible is currently real on some “channel” of God’s mind. He sees everything possible just as he sees everything impossible.

Van Morrison

2009-07-07T20:51:00.001-07:00

Van Morrison

It is no accident that I now own more
recordings by him than any other musician.

The songs that I am speaking about are:

1. Ivory Tower (from “No Guru, No method, No Teacher”)
I have always felt the gap between those who are poor and those with wealth. Although I partially believe that it is a political necessity for the wisest of any people to control the economy, I do believe that those “at the top” should have a background of street life.
I have a deep-seated disdain for the rich. I always have resented rich people because of their arrogance. They use lawyers to keep their wealth. And they don’t play fair. They expect others to do their work so they can play and travel all day.

2. Cleaning Windows (from “Beautiful Vision”)
“I’m a working man in my prime, cleaning windows.”
Happy to be a working man. Taking the low seat, intellectually growing, humble, digging the blues, stress-less, carefree, un-hurried, smelling the smells, playing music, no line (b.s.), a life with welcome interruptions, many starts and stops, variety.

3. The Great Deception (from “Hard Nose The Highway”)
Our society has a foundation of dishonesty that is many layers thick.
Dodging bullshit is a full-time job.

4. Bein’ Green (Same as above)
Not a Morrison composition, but a great song. It expresses the joy of seeing your limitations and strengths and being content with what you are, recognizing your “green-ness” (ignorance).

5. Autumn Song (Same as above)
Being sensitive to the energy in nature and every night is Christmas when you’re in love. This is a fireplace song.
“You may just have to break out,…lose control.”
When live invades your soul, it cannot be contained. It makes you respond emotionally. His voice is Cadillac.

6. Did Ye Get Healed? (From “Poetic Champions Compose”)
Does this (whatever it is) affect you the same way it affects me?
The longing for shared inspiration/shared appreciation is in view here. The hunger for identification, shared empathy. “Did it cleanse you like it did me? Please tell me it did.”

7. Dweller on the Threshold (From “Beautiful Vision”)
I’m not there, but I will be. I’m getting closer and I can see the glory coming.

8. Full Force Gale (From “Into the Music”)
I will always return. The Lord is my Home.

9. So Quiet In Here (From “Enlightenment”)
There’s nothing that speaks as loudly as the silence. So much can happen in the paradise of noiselessness. It’s the space between things that holds the meaning. The simple things are the most important.

10. Warm Love (From “Hard Nose The Highway”)
This song talks about the very important ability we need to develop to see love.

11. Enlightenment (From “Enlightenment”)
Detachment can save your life, but who knows what it is? It could be a form of mental illness.

12. Wonderful Remark (From the film: “King of Comedy”)
Sometimes, somebody says something and it “makes” you something else. Words can kill, heal and give life and death. Words can also oppress.

13. When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God? (From “Avalon Sunset”)
The soul in torment because it sees itself as a restless fool unable to be still and trust God.

14. Whenever God Shines His Light (Same as above)
Another song about God, with optimism, with a thrust and a shove to face the reality of God’s magnificent light. That creative, forceful, personal being!

The Upward Call

2009-07-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight, as I was napping, I had a dream of being stranded
up high on the side of very tall mountain in a cave. There
seemed to be no way out. I could not climb down. I remember
thinking that I had not thought that a possible way out of my
dilemma (no food, exposure to the elements, no water) was
to look for a way out by climbing up and over instead of down.
It was almost real to me-the feeling of being helplessly lost-
until I remembered that I had not thought about going upward.
Climbing higher had not dawned on me before because the way
to food and water was obviously on the ground: down.

I saw that it is an upward call that God makes. He commands
us to go into the conflict in order to receive the blessings of the
promised land.

Being honest with your mate

2009-07-07T20:48:00.002-07:00

One thing I have learned: you can be honest with your mate, but you have to be able to live with their responses to your honesty. And what you think will be forgotten will easily be remembered at the most inconvenient (for you) time.

Liberty

2009-07-07T20:48:00.001-07:00

The strong indication that we have been placed into the liberty of Christ is that in times of temptation all of our confidence in Christ remains. It doesn’t disappear. We know the One in whom we have believed.

Galatians 5:1 says that we are to stand fast in this freedom and that means that we have to exercise effort to stay free. If you don’t protect that freedom, if you neglect it, you will eventually lose it. Staying free is a struggle because there are people who don’t want you to be free. The world system and the devil are opposed to the message of grace.

This liberty is not a civil liberty.
This liberty is not the freedom to sin.
This liberty is a freedom from the wrath of God. We know it in our conscience. We do not fear God at all. We can live out our lives confident that God will not become angry with us, ever.

This freedom also involves the removal of the law, sin and death as terrors in our lives.

This freedom also involves freedom from the feeling that we don’t or can’t measure up. We are free from the condemnation of groups (political or religious) or individuals.
The world system is that which is under the control of Satan and his demons. It is true that our present economic system, our present political system and our present religious system (among others) are all controlled by the evil one. Because the whole world lies in his control, our perspective is such that we are to be careful to let the Spirit of Jesus influence us rather than Satan’s world system, guarding against the lies of the system by embracing the life of our Savior. His words are the predominant authority for our attitudes concerning all things related to economics, politics and religion. His example is our example in matters that touch on economics, politics and religion. And our relationships with others are radically affected by His life as He rules in our hearts.

For example, because we carry Him into our businesses, others are influenced by Him as He lives His life in us. We do not live as those in bondage to the world system: we strive to do our best, to be honest and fair. Unlike the “me first” philosophy, our philosophy concerning work is different in motive: we work hard at our jobs in order to bring glory to God and in order to have something to share with those in need. And because we believe God will do what He promised in the area of taking care of our needs, we do not work with our own needs in mind.

As Christians, we know that our time in this present world is growing short. Because we know this, our expectations of political leaders is not the same as the world’s. And because we know this world is falling apart at the seams, we don’t put any confidence in any political party or political movement. We know that the only government that “works” is the government of God: a theocracy. Therefore, we don’t get excited about the present political system. We know it won’t work. We know that the government cannot legislate spirituality or morality because we know that the solution to mankind’s problems is related to the heart, not the intellect. We know that education is not the doorway to man’s deepest problems. We know that man’s rebellious will is the source of man’s problems. It will not bend toward God. And while politicians insist that education is the doorway, we emphasize that man’s most basic problems are solved by being committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In the way that we relate to Satan’s religious system, we insist upon impartiality and inclusion, rather than favoritism and exclusion. Because we believe that all men are equally sinners, we hold out the gospel as universal in its appeal. For this reason, we do not tolerate racism, for example. We abhor it.
And because we believe that all people are loved by God, we make it a point to associate with the poor and the lowly. We do this because we recognize that the present world system favors those who are wealthy.
Furthermore, we do not have celebrities in the church. Each member of the body of Christ is equally important. Those who expect to be treated differently are not to be treated as their flesh would have them be treated. We reject the “cult of personality” because we remember that God spoke through an ass in the old testament. And we remember the mighty way God used the prostitute as well.

There are ways in which the world system is always creeping into the church. Some of the most obvious ways are as follows:

1. Elevating teachers to celebrity status.
Is the body of Christ a mouth? Do we want to put teachers under this massive pressure? What happens to our faith when it’s in men and those men fail?

2. Building large buildings to house church meetings.
Indebtedness for individuals is too great. The church should set an example in this area.

3. The abominable Christian entertainment industry.
We can’t beat the world in this area and have no business competing.
Christian music is to be directed towards God, not men.

4. The way we raise money should not be to play upon emotion, bribery or deception.

Real Smart People

2009-07-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Real smart people don’t need to advertise that they are smart, just like real good musicians don’t need to record. Real smart people don’t need to join “Mensa” or have their IQ’s determined by pseudo-scientists. Real good musicians are confident in their abilities. Their motive in recording is to make money. That is what a musician does: makes money by making music for a living.
Really righteous people don’t need to broadcast their righteousness any more than really together churches need to build big, impressive cathedrals. All false religions will accentuate the visible. All dying churches will launch huge, expensive, elaborate building programs. It’s sort of like the creation of a casket for the purpose of housing the dead organization that is losing it’s ability to charm the people any further with it’s ostentatiousness.
People use baptism, confession, doctrines, church buildings and privileges in order to capture others for their own ego gratification and wallets and even to impress the world. “Look at the numbers of followers and members we have. Look at our authority and power. We are the gods of this section of the religious world.”

WHAT is real?

2009-07-07T20:45:00.002-07:00

Only permanent things are real. Nothing material can remain. All that is of the earth will burn. God is the only reality there is.
Yet we see only traces of Him.
Isn’t it interesting that He which is most real seems the least real to us. All other things seem most real while God seems non-existent. How blind we all are.

Farting in church

2009-07-07T20:45:00.001-07:00

Sooner or later, we all fart in church. Sooner or later, we show up for the job interview with a booger visible in our nose. Sooner or later, we forget our best customer’s name. “Even the President of the United States must sometimes have to stand naked.”

Real to the eyes of your heart

2009-07-07T20:44:00.002-07:00

God can make Himself so real to the eyes of your heart that it will seem to others that you have gone wacky. While those in the world who have never met God will openly scoff, there are some of His children who will scoff as well.
There are times when God seems so real to me that my insides feel like they are going to explode. It is then that I feel most alive and thankful. Such was this morning.
Against the backdrop of my conversation last night with an unbeliever, I felt so very thankful that I am no longer blind to His reality. I went to bed last night literally groaning at this person’s state. He is so blind it baffles me. It is a blindness that saddens me greatly. I was pouring out my feelings to God as I drifted off to sleep, burdened by his
blindness.
And this morning I was so very thankful that God had given me so much: faith, a believing wife, a wonderful church, a great job, etc.
In the congregation this morning, I was surrounded by spontaneous worship. This brought inexpressible joy to my heart.
As our Pastor spoke in encouragement of this spontaneity, my heart rejoiced even more. How absolutely wonderful it is that God has blessed me so much to be included in this body of believers.

This wealth by its nature

2009-07-07T20:44:00.001-07:00

If God has put His joy and His peace in your heart, you have been entrusted with a great wealth. This wealth-by its nature-carries with it an awesome responsibility.
But it is not the kind of responsibility that is a burden. It’s not like a job.
God has asked you: “Do you want the awesome awareness of my presence?” If your answer is “yes,” you will not be able to keep quiet about it. People around you will sense His presence. And you will become obsessed with the goodness and graciousness of God to the point where you will become a target.
If you have tasted the Lord and if you choose to seek His face, you will begin to see the outline of His face, so to speak. It will reflect out from inside of you by means of your faith. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

An extra in a movie

2009-07-07T20:42:00.002-07:00

About a year ago, a friend talked me into being an “extra” in a movie that was partially filmed at a hotel in Desert Hot Springs. I spend a whole day at the site. They shot the same scenes over and over again.
When I went to see the film, I saw nothing that was familiar. It was
all a waste of time.
Much of our life is just unused footage.

Life is war

2009-07-07T20:42:00.001-07:00

Life is war. No matter which level of life you look at, there is conflict. Look inside the human body, there is massive warfare going on between the good cells and the bad ones and it never stops.

Whether it is between buyers and sellers, capitalists or communists, retailers or wholesalers, borrowers or lenders, our economic existence is characterized by global warfare.

Turn to the world of athletics or entertainment…same thing.

Go to the history section of your local library or bookstore and tell yourself what “history” is all about. Probably 75% of the books will
be about war between nations.

It’s no different in the realm of the spirit. From the beginning of time, God and Satan have been at war. We humans are a part of it and most of us aren’t even aware of it. It’s just like the war going on in our bodies
between the good and bad cells. Without the invention of the microscope, most of us would never have come to believe in it.

Paul writes about this warfare in Ephesians 6. Job wrote about it. All of the Apostles refer to it. Jesus referred to it.

If our fundamental daily outlook and thought patterns don’t include war,
there has to be some question about whether or not we’re living in the real world.

Jesus is Our Eden

2009-07-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

Jesus is Our Eden

This morning during breakfast, THE “Breakfast of Champions” was
whispering sweet “everythings” in my ear; things I seem to constantly
forget and need to be reminded of. I thank God that He has committed
Himself to the (in His eyes) the worthwhile project of being MY 24/7 REMINDER PERSON!!!!!!
In the first few verses of John 14, Jesus is talking about the fact
that all of us are embraceable in Him. There’s plenty of room for all
of us. We have a home in Christ; a place we can kick back in; a place
to be comfortable in. We can let down our hair in Him because He is
our home.
People at home receive us as we are, even with all our faults.
There’s plenty of room in Christ for anyone and everyone.
We live in the throne room of God: the throne of Grace!
Jesus wasn’t talking to the “included” ones. He was talking to the
“excluded.” He was speaking to the rejects, the disenfranchised, the
homeless, the tired and weary and weak ones. To the ones who didn’t
measure up, Jesus was saying, “There’s a place for you NOW!”
It is the nature of God to always scoot over a bit, move some pillows
and make room for us on the couch.
We don’t have to create a place for ourselves. We don’t have to prepare a place for others. By His grace, he does that for us and He does it perfectly-every second, every minute, hourly, daily. We are never lost,
never homeless.
Jesus IS the Father’s House (Eph. 1:3).
I can live in Him NOW! There’s room enough for ME! Just like I am!
There’s no waiting room, no fee, no line. His kingdom is NOW!
In the beginning, God created a dwelling place called the “Garden of
Eden.” Christ is Our Garden! He is our place of rest and fruitfulness.
He is the place of our provision. There was only one unnecessary thing
in man’s original dwelling place: the tree of forbidden fruit. Likewise,
there’s no place in this world system for me. Now and forevermore, there
is only one necessary thing: Christ!

2009-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Idolatry: What it is

When I hear the word “idolatry,” I immediately think of
people bowing down to statues of people or animals. The
word conjures up an image ofa mass of scantily clothed,
third world people. There is no doubt in my mind that I
think of idolatry in these terms because Hollywood movies
have consistently portrayed it this way.
As I have grown older, I have learned that reality is
quite often very different than what is presented at the
theatre, or on television. I have often observed that words
get redefined if they are too uncomfortable for us. I suspect
that the words “idolatry” and the phrase “idol worshipper”
are uncomfortable for most of us. We don’t like to think of
ourselves in this way, perhaps. Upon closer examination,
I think we can see that a good case can be made to support
the idea that we are all idolaters, or idol worshippers.
First of all, I think we have to look at the definitions
of the words and make sure we understand what they mean.
According to Webster’s dictionary, “worship” is clearly
defined as “to adore or venerate as a deity.” Furthermore,
to worship means, “ to have intense love or admiration for.”
In other words, whatever occupies our time and attention is
what we worship. Whatever we love with a strong intensity
becomes a god to us. What we live for is what we worship.
What we think about is what is most important to us. Worship,
therefore, becomes something that occurs in our thought life.
Worship is an approach to something that we feel is so
important that we think about it all the time, reverence it,
cherish it.
Now it is easy to see that there are some things that are not
worthwhile for us to think about all the time. Some things
should not be worshipped because they are not worthwhile.
Thinking about something that is unhealthy becomes an act of
worship when it becomes excessive.
But it is not the unhealthy aspect of that thing that makes it
worship. People can become obsessed with golf just as easily
as they can about drugs. If you worship pleasure, golf and drugs
can both be the idols in your life, but drugs will kill you a lot faster.
I don’t want to pick on golfers or drug-addicted people.
I just want us to see that the golfer and the drug-addicted
person are both worshipping the same god: pleasure. And
both of these obsessions can be defined as idolatrous pursuits.
Webster defines “Idolatry” as “excessive devotion to or
reverence for some person or thing.” Whomever or whatever
we think about all the time is what we worship. Almost anything
can be an idol. Your church can be an idol. Your marriage can
be an idol. Your family can be an idol. Football can be your idol.
Music has occupied the lives of many people as an idol. Political
parties have enslaved many. Knitting can be be an idol.
Television can be an idol. Animal husbandry, books, tools, fishing,
tennis, can be idols.
The question has to be asked: are any of these hobbies,
occupations or organizations worthy of being placed at the
center of our lives? Did God create us and the world we live
in so that He could be ignored at the expense of all the idols in
our lives? Furthermore, is God someone that is worthy of just as
much attention as our favorite idol? When thousands of people find
occasion to cheer on their favorite football team on Superbowl Sunday,
is God worthy of at least some of that attention?
The most common idol I’ve seen is Self. Man has put himself at
the center of everything, has he not? God has been dethroned and
man has put himself in the place of God, has he not? Could this be
why our world is so quickly unraveling? Could this idolatry of self
be the root cause of all of the violence we hear and read about?
Could God perhaps be a more worthwhile person to center our
lives around? Could He be the one who deserves our attention
and time? Could it be that He is allowing our world to crumble
because He, not us, nor any of our idols, should be what we are
centering our lives around? Could He be allowing the destruction
of our institutions because He wants to get our attention? Last of
all, could it be that we can’t find the peace of mind and stability of
life that our hearts hunger for because we are guilty of idolatry?
Maybe we have been worshipping the wrong God.

Water Cannon

2009-07-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

The new believer is just recently a sighted person.
Years of blindness have kept the new babe from
clearly seeing spiritual realities. As soon as the
eyes of the heart are open, a period of time must
elapse in which everyone around them must endure
while their eyes adjust to the light.

Walk into any lighted room from a dark place and
you’ll see what I mean. Sometimes we have to
take the sleep specs out of the corners of their
eyes. Is the best preparation for this task is to
bring in the water cannon?

Water Cannon

2009-07-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

The new believer is just recently a sighted person. Years of blindness have kept the new babe from clearly seeing spiritual realities. As soon as the eyes of the heart are open, a period of time must elapse in which everyone around them must endure while their eyes adjust to the light. Walk into any lighted room from a dark place and you’ll see what I mean.
Sometimes we have to take the sleep specs out of the corners of their
eyes.

Is the best preparation for this task is to bring in the water cannon?

An Inner Flood

2009-07-07T09:21:00.001-07:00

Climbed up high on top of wooden outdoor patio rafters at the Cedar Creek Inn. We’re installing some sunbrella covers. Scared me today and 2 days ago when I went through some kind of panic attack or vertigo. Started to feel the same thing coming on today but heard God say to me that he’s got the whole world hanging on nothing but His will. I thought to myself that if I could trust God to keep me from falling off the Earth then I should be able to trust Him to keep me from falling off the rafters. Confidence in God flowed into me-and God’s peace was an inner flood. I was able to do my job and spread the fabric, cut and staple it while I was 30 feet up in the air with my knees on two rafters. Fear left me in a hurry and did not return. God was awesome!

Untethered to Reason

2009-07-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

In the great coloring book of life, it might be refreshing to paint the mysteries with many colors. Solving all problems can become an obsession for us Westerners. The reducing of everything to scientific or mathematical formulas can sometimes be a huge mistake. We should let some of our birds out to fly around untethered to reason.

It must be about time I did this

2009-05-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Don't Go Down To Mexico
By Ron Bock

Don't go to the grocery store
Might get some kind of pig flu
Don't go too near the window
They might start shooting at you
Don't stay at home in the dark
You might just have a bad fall
Don't do anything ever
Don't think about this at all

Don't you dare answer the phone
Might be someone you might owe
Don't you go to the doctor
Don’t go to the movie show
Feed your dog a doggie treat
She may jump up and bite you
Smile at people you don’t know
Might make them want to fight you

Everywhere there are people who want to meet you
They’ll talk very nice, but they just want to eat you
Wear your face mask at all times
Avoid the crowds, stay out of long lines
The end of the world is coming
Don’t just stand there, better start running

Don’t go down to Mexico
Don’t wear red in the daytime
Don’t drive an expensive car
Don’t stay up past your bedtime
Don’t eat food in restaurants
Might get sick, might get the trots
Don’t you meet people online
Stay far from the borderline

Everywhere there are people who want to meet you
They’ll talk very nice, but they just want to eat you
Wear your face mask at all times
Avoid the crowds, stay out of long lines
The end of the world is coming
Don’t just stand there, better start running