Coping

Life is not always a bed of roses! There are things which go wrong. As a result of wrong things, which may or do happen, people feel spiritually down. It may be a child which makes bad decisions, a friendship is waning,  financial problems, bad health, or a set back in whatever is important. Since life is not "a box of chocolates", but merely symbolic of, as Forrest Gump often pointed out, then some of the chocolates aren't to our taste!

When we cope, it's not full-fledged anxiety and medicine that is needed. It's a normal event. When a person medicates to cope then it's not "coping". When we cope we shield ourselves from whatever is the bother. There are different methods of coping. When I run, bike, kayak or even read; I may be coping with life. I'm shielding myself from ruminating thoughts.

Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"Coping" is when people must deal with the conversation between the heart and mind. First off, the heart is our inner feelings. It's what is reflected physically as the heart races and blood pressure changes. Part of our "heart" is the emptiness or fullness of the soul because when the soul lacks something or is glad, we feel physically worse or better, respectively. Also, within the heart is our emotions. When our heart is troubled, not only is the organ affected, but so are our dispositions, muscles, breathing, and even our stomach! We are a system and our system all works together in bad or good.

Back to the communication between the heart and mind as spoken of on Philippians 4:7.  The mind controls the heart! It's the CPU which determines how our system reacts! If we're down in spirit when we are disengaged, then engage! That's what sports activities hurriedly do for me: I involve myself with other things to shield my thoughts. Sports works well because it not only effects the mind, but the body. That pit in the bottom of the stomach, at least for a time, goes away when the mind is "fooled". Rather than thinking on dire things, the mind's attention if changed to other things.

However effective exercise is in coping, it's still lacking, because at the end of the activity, what you are coping to overcome is still there! Because a person runs doesn't mean the child will make a good decision. It doesn't mean that the friend will be a strong friend. It is merely a mask put on for a spell so that a person can feel good for a time. That's why it's coping, not altering!

Paul, in the above passages, has a recommendation: "we are to turn to God". Not to undermine God, but he is a great way to cope with life's challenges. It may not be his will that disturbing things go away, but that you can handle what's thrown at you. It's "the peace of God" which nurses the heart of distraught people. We need a way to get that milk to nurse. It's by "prayer and supplication with thanksgiving"!

We all know what prayer is... at least I hope we do! It's merely talking with God, and we're given a model in "The Lord's Prayer". Whatever we pray for, it must be in God's will, for it to be answered. But prayer is more than talking to God. It's trust in his ability to hear and answer bequests. Furthermore, the person praying must listen for an answer, and since God does not speak audibly in this era, we "feel" the answer through that "peace" of which Paul spoke!

"Supplication" is to entreat God to answer our bequests. We are to do that with Thanksgiving. We are to be thankful when he answers prayer, but also when he doesn't for it is his will! When we pray for a mend in friendships there are two outcomes: the friendship will be mended or it won't be. When we pray for a child to make good decisions, that child will either do so or not! The other person still has a free will, and God will lean on them to do what's right, but ultimately it's the responsibility of the other person to change.

Coping is turning the outcome over to God! It's believing that God can change things, but having peace in prayer, that we did our best. It's now in God's hands.  It's not the repetition of the prayer which changes things, but the sincerity of the prayer and the faith in God's ability to influence the outcome. If it's in God's will, he can change stubborn hearts. He doesn't force people to change, but he will set up conditions where change is eminent. That's the peace that we can have to cope with life's turmoils!

James 5:16b "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (i.e., "Prayer changes things!")

Prayer is how we are to cope. Those who pray continually and with fervent desire, are coping with life. They are turning their trials over to God.

America Gone A Whoring!

The Pew Research Center: Religion and Public Life (May 12, 2015) had the following headlines:

 "America’s Changing Religious Landscape
Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population; Unaffiliated and Other Faiths Continue to Grow" 

and had the following graph:

Evangelicals believe that a person must be "born-again" to be saved. That is a personal experience where one believes in, repents and trusts Jesus Christ. Although some non-evangelicals have done that, the majority (as known from their doctrine) have not. Therefore, I submit that possibly only 20% of the population has been born-again and many of those would be children of those who have been. Furthermore, there are many who "believe", but have not "trusted" in the Lord. I will be generous and propose that maybe 10% of United States adult citizens are biblical Christians!  My "guestimate" takes into consideration the following scripture:

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, 14 and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Let me digress for a moment. It is not my intent to judge people by denomination because there are many within those, that in spite of church teachings, have personal relationships with God and accept Jesus as their savior. That number is unknown, but scripture does indicate that they are few. Also, I'm not attempting to judge others, but to recognize that many mainline denominations have no regard for "born-again" experiences. Many within those mainline churches are "Christians" because they were born into families of those who attend those churches.   At one time I belonged to one of those and because I got a "A" on my catechism, I was received into membership as a Christian. However, I was merely an intelligent sinner!

The point with this discussion is that the United States has and is courting a whore, or more accurately, a number of whores! Israel did the same before it was finally destroyed! In these passages I have taken references to Israel and changed them to us:

Hosea 1:2b "And the Lord said to the <Christian leaders>, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. 4b I ... will cause to cease <The United States>. 9b ...for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God."
Hosea 2:2  "Plead with your mother (the whores of the U.S.), plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; 3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. 5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully..."
Hosea 2:8 For she did not know that I (symbolic of God) gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal (the devil). 9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. 10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. 11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. 12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them."

Like Israel (whose reference was replaced by the U.S.), the United States has chased after "whores". Few people are married to the One True God, but sneak out, often openly, with slut religions and secular temple prostitutes! Here are some of the whores:

• The government. Rather than crediting God for prosperity many credit the government, represented as Baal. (Hosea 2:8). People look toward the government for prosperity, undeserved by the way, when it's God who provides!
• Ourselves. This is the main god for most people. Rather than serve God, people choose to pleasure themselves. Even the government which they claim provides, is to feed, cloth and comfort themsleves. What God already did, people look toward the government to do. People don't vote for politicians. Each person votes for himself! The politician is the mere proxy for people getting what they desire.
• Entertainment: People accept anything to entertain! Music, television and movies have brought lasciviousness into every household. Christians now are entertained by what years ago they disdained. In our Christian liberty Christians have taken the liberty to sin at every turn. We claim that we can put aside the whoredom, but we merely participate as voyeurs! It all goes back to worshiping the "self" because people put aside what pleases God for what excites them!
• Eastern Religions. With immigration at exponential levels whores (religions) are arriving on our shores daily. Of course Islam is growing, but worse yet, are Buddism, Hinduism and other religions of the east. It's not so much because Christians are converting, but because Christians are accepting of Jungian Psychology, the martial arts, Yoga, eastern meditation, holistic medicine, positive thinking and many of the other techniques of pagan religions. This is syncretism; "the serving of other Gods before him"! Don't be misled, "before" means "alongside" God! As Israel did, we are doing! They went a whoring after other gods and did it right along with God with him watching!
• Science: Science is most often has credibility before God. Most Christians accept evolution and billions of years to create over what God said he did. Many Christians don't even believe God did it, that it "just happened"! Science, because it has a pleasing smile, applies it's lipstick just right to persuade the most devoted Christian to go a whoring!
• Education. Schools no longer educate. They indoctrinate! During the first year of college, most institutions persuade the eager student to put aside what their beloved parents and church have taught them and be open minded. They don't teach. They remold! Just look at those who serve counseling internships: they are required to put aside their own belief systems and counsel from the perspective of the whore teaching. For instance it is becoming, if not already, against the law to counsel homosexuals that they can change!
• Socialism. It's everywhere. America is no longer a capitalistic nation. We are a socialist nation which uses capitalism to finance our own destruction! For the unknowing, socialism is not a benevolent ideology. It's a power-seeking initiative and the outcome is always repressed people who must beg for prosperity from those who divide the pie! On top of that Marxism teaches the abandonment of God, the destruction of the family and the legal theft of the individual's property for the benefit of the "masses" they say, but to confirm totalitarianism in practice! This "whore" is the sluttiest of all, but by promising "social justice" people kneel to it, but are thrown in the fires of Molech. Much of the social upheaval we see right now in the streets is this whore giving birth to their own Ammi's and Ruhammah's (read about the whore's children in Hosea 2).
• Globalism. This is an attempt to get every nation to love the whores. Money is used to bribe the unsuspecting "John" into the dens of iniquity where the whore is ready to fornicate with them. Globalism is the child of socialism and is the structure needed for the anti-Christ to gain and retain power. Christianity is anathema in this world view, but all other religions are welcome to learn the skills whores need to draw others into the brothel.
• The Church. Are you surprised? The church is called a whore in Revelation! It's a child of the "Great Whore Babylon". It's a result of generations of fornication with whores. Mainstream churches are children of this whore if they fail to teach God's word as inspired and Jesus as the Savior. They are the churches which are Nicolatain in nature, bringing every type of sexual sin into the church: fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc. These churches preach by what's popular or in vogue. Their desire is to "grow" when scripture teaches that the gate is narrow. 
• Institutions. About any corporation, charitable organization, research center or civic organization are whores. There are fraternal whores which worship other gods before God. These little whores are driven by the dollar and prostitute themselves daily for the love of money. These are the Walmarts and the like who propagate progressive social policy aiming to get every dollar. They go a whoring after their first love: money!

There are many other "whores" with which our nation fornicates! You get the idea. America will be destroyed because of our whoredom. As Israel scoffed at its own destruction, so do we. Who is the Hosea of our day? We have none that I know of, but it's up to us to keep the United States out of the whorehouse.  We can all be meek Hosea's with the strength of God. Hosea never prevented the destruction of Israel, but he tried as hard as he could! His teaching brought them back! Israel has been restored and we can be too, for a spell, anyway, until God's Millennial Kingdom comes!

Mondays

Monday is from Old English Monandaeg meaning "Moon's Day".  It follows Sunday which came from Sunnandæg meaning "Sun's Day".  Following Monday comes Tuesday or in Old English Tiwesdæg "Tiw's Day". This day comes from a Norse God and ultimately means "day to shine" and represents deity. (Wikipedia). All names of all the days of the week come from pagan origins, but what pagans named came from God who is the Creator of the sun, moon, planets and stars.

While we don't worship the moon, planets or stars, God put them there for a reason! One reason they are not there, is to worship, but that's what most people did in times past and some still do.

Deuteronomy 4:19a  "And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them...", (warning from God).

No spiritual significance should be given to the stars. They are bodies God created for various purposes, but being the primary influence in our daily living is not one of them!

The moon has phases. As we revolve around the sin the moon revolves around the earth. The backside is always away from the viewer, but the backside changes. The moon is inert whereas the sun is gaseous and radioactive. What we see from the sun is dynamic. Light is emitted from the intense heat from that source. As such, the sun represents life. Many have worshiped it for that reason!

The moon is merely a big mirror. The light we see emitted from the moon is only a reflection of the light from the sun. We can't look directly at the sun because its light is so intense and what we behold is so magnificent. However, we can see the light emitted from the sun by it's reflection off the surface of the moon. The moon makes the light from the sun more palatable to our eyes!

Exodus 33:17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

God's "glory" is his magnificence! It's his beauty too awe inspiring to describe. We can describe God as a "radiance", but that term is still less than awe-inspiring! Therefore, let's just symbolize God's glory as the radiance of the sun! Hebrews call this light "Shekinah", which is God's glory or beauty represented by light! His glory, as can be seen from the passages above, is in his face. Moses was allowed to see God's back, but viewing God's divine face would kill him!

We've learned from our youth: "Don't look directly at the sun. It's rays will blind you!" The light is so intense that the retinas in our eyes would be permanently damaged by the light. Our vision would die. This is symbolic of the death Moses would have experienced if he had looked at God's glory face on!

However, we all know that people can look at the moon and not be harmed. The only time that might happen would be during a solar eclipse when the sun peaks around the moon and we see the sun's light diffused a little, but directly facing it. Therefore, the moon is God's way of allowing mankind to see the sun! It provides a guiding light for nocturnal travels.

The "back of God" which we can see is Jesus who is God revealed. The backside of God is similar to the concept of the moon which is a reflection of the sun. Let's look further!

Moses cant' look on the glory of God and neither can we! However, Moses saw "the angel of the Lord" in the burning bush:

Exodus 3:2 "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he (Moses) looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

"The Angel of the Lord" was in the burning bush and because he was there Moses turned his gaze away. However, "The Angel" said "Here am I" beckoning Moses to look at him!  This "Angel" is described as God. Hence, Moses was called to look upon God! How can that be for later on it was stated that if Moses looked upon the face of God he would die? What Moses was seeing in the burning bush was the back of God or God revealed!

In the first case (God's face) that was symbolized by the sun at which Moses could not look. In the case of the burning bush, that was symbolic of the moon on which Moses could look. In that bush was the Shekinah of God, but it was tempered by who was in the bush. The face on which Moses gazed was the pre-incarnate Emmanuel, God with Us! It was he that was to be Jesus Christ! It was God revealed.

Jesus is to the "moon" as the Father's is to the "sun". Jesus IS so that we can see God. Later, he was seen in the flesh, but before he was incarnate, Moses saw him as "the angel of God", a fitting title, because he is THE ONE angel, or messenger, of God called "The Word" in John Chapter 1 and "the voice" in Genesis!

Moses could see Christ in the bush although he could not look on God directly. This is exactly the reason that Jesus was born, so that mankind could witness God first hand! It was the only way that we could see God face-to-face! Yes, we can look on the "man in the moon", but the face of God in the sun cannot be beheld!

On Sundays is when we praise God. That's his day. However, Monday's aren't as bleak as they seem to be. It's on "Moon Day" that we can walk with Jesus face on during our daily activity. Yes, Sunday is bright because we worship God, but on Monday God reflects his light so that we can look upon it! That light is Jesus!

John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Still not believe "Moon Day" represents Jesus? He speaks of darkness in the passage above. During part of the month the moon cannot be seen, even in darkness. The sky without the moon is a  dark place. However, during a large part of the month the sun is reflected off the moon onto the earth. This is the "light of the world" which appears to us even when its dark! That's symbolic of Jesus. The moon is that "light of the world in darkness" and Monday is "Moon's Day".

On Monday it is fitting to think on Jesus. He is lighting our world as we start the work week. Working is not as bleak if we think, "Jesus is here right now; even on Monday!" Sunday is "The Lord's Day" but Monday is the start of "The Lord's Week"! It's the day of the Deity. It's Jesus' Day!

Mothers

This is the day that most people brag on their mothers, and even more wish that they could brag! Being a "mother" is special because without them none of us would even be!  It's easy to fertilize the crop, but bearing and cultivating it is so much harder. To be honest, mothers got the hard job in life.

Genesis 3:16a "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children..."

Most women experience great pain when delivering those precious little babies. However, it's only sorrow which is multiplied. Hidden right there in all the pain is  joy! Although God sentenced mothers to birthing pains, he still let them hold onto the joy of growing what the husband planted and what God  ordained.

Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:"

If the chronology of "multiplication" and "sorrow" is examined, God promised "prosperity (Gen 1:28) in multiplication" before he pronounced "the sentence of sorrow" (Gen 3:16).  Before childbearing became sorrowful, God ordained it as a joyful occasion, for what better joy is there than to see your own children "replenish and subdue the earth"!

Wives were created for husbands, but mothers were created for their children! Mother's "job assignments" were to bear and nourish their children as they serve their husbands. It seems quite unfair, but women, in my opinion, got the hard job, but God, in his wisdom, created a special bond between children and mothers.! I loved my own father, but I loved and ADORED my mother. The adoration was a bonus because of the pain she felt for me; the sorrow she felt as she labored.

Then came the nourishment! Being a breastfed baby, as all seven of us were, created a special attachment to Mom which lacked with our Dad. We went right from suckling babies, to hugging toddlers, to lap-sitting children back to hugging teens and on to adoring adults. We all adored our mother!

A good mother allows children to become independent. They know when it's time to release the child and hand that little one she nursed over to another woman to manage.

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

 Some mothers "cling on", but good mothers allow sons (and daughters) to leave. It follows that those women who marry are to carry on the tradition. They too are to become mothers! Throughout the ages the mother tradition has been handed down from generation to generation, all suffering sorrow and joy at the same time.

Exodus 12:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother..."

We are to honor our parents! Our mothers are to be honored. Today we adore our mothers. In a few weeks we'll honor our fathers. There are no stipulations in "honoring"! Scripture doesn't say "if... anything"! Mothers are to be honored for one reason: the sorrow in which you were born after the labor in which you were carried.

Mary is venerated by many. Mary was no different than your own mother! She bore Jesus in sorrow, but how joyous it was to know that the child would be the Savior of mankind!  As Jesus was dying on the cross he looked down and honored his mother! Because of his mother's loss, Jesus, in some of his last dying words, honored his mother. He gave her a new son. The disciple whom he loved: John! Jesus never forgot his mother! He never failed to honor her!

John 19:26 "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!"

Did Jesus ever deny his mother? Some say that he did:

Matthew 12:46 "While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?"

Don't look at this in a negative context! Jesus loved his mother! Mary was special to him. What Jesus was implying in these passages, is this: "I love my mother, but I love you as well.

Matthew 12:50 "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Jesus honored his mother, but more importantly, he honored those who are his followers! The love that Jesus has for us is equal to or greater than the love and honor he had for his own mother. Yes, Mary is a "blessed" mother, but Jesus loves us just as he loved her! We too are blessed!

Mary was the standard to which all mothers are compared. God was with her. Each of us have our own standard. For me, my own mother was the standard to which I compare all others. Mom was the ideal mother! Hers was truly unconditional love for unruly children. She loved us with all our faults!

Megan Stokes Kidd and mother Terri Reynolds Herrin

I live with another mother. The standard to which I compare her is my own mother. She even reminds me of my Mom! She has the same personality, sayings and excitability. Hidden within that persona is a devotion of love for her only child as well as her grandchildren. I'm pleased that she shows so much love for those she "mothers"! It's not a love with which I must compete, but it's one I see in her eyes. It's a different love that only mothers can have for their offspring. It's the type of love that makes husbands more appreciative. There is something special about a mother who nourishes her children!

Part of "nourishing" is teaching the child in the way he or she should go. That's scriptural. Mothers who love children, don't condone all children do. Part of nourishing children is challenging faulty thinking and discipline. Mothers show love by doing things which they hate doing!

On the other hand. Mothers encourage children. They are not to provoke them to anger. It's a thin line mothers must walk. My wife, a mother, walks that line and does it well. Not perfect, but well. Mary had a little easier job with Jesus than most mothers have! If children were more like Jesus, how much more would be the joy of mothers everywhere! With joy comes sorrow. Growing children do cause pain and mothers endure that pain out of love!

Then we have the "empty nest syndrome"! Think what sorrow mothers have when those she nourished cleaves to another! It's devastating if one looks at it that way, but joyful if the inevitable is accepted. Children don't really leave their mothers! We disobey God quite often! We only leave our immaturity behind with them... for them to have when her children are gone!

Today, I wish a very special mother a fantastic Mother's Day. As a spouse, I appreciate and honor her on this day! Her children and grandchildren did that yesterday, but the thought shall linger on. I hope my wife is pleased knowing that those who she mothered (and grand-mothered) love her this day and every day! (My present to this mother is honoring her as I write).

Opinions

An "opinion" is the way a person thinks about a particular subject. There are two kinds of opinions: factual and misconceived.

Let's say  a person is extremely ill. The person goes to a medical doctor to find out what's wrong. Beware if the medical doctor calls you into the office, stares briefly at you and then says "You've got liver cancer and will die within a year. There is nothing you can do!". What would your response be? "I want a second opinion!" Why? The good doctor's opinion was not based on facts!

The doctor failed to learn more about you, he failed to examine the symptoms and he failed to run tests. He is a charlatan! It may be that he "guessed" right, but the odds are tremendous against that. His opinion would therefore be a "guess" and his prognosis would be misconceived. Misconceptions can do great harm because people who have opinions without what I call a "portfolio", can do great harm!

If the patient digs more deeply, it may be that the doctor may not have had the education he needed,  had little prior experience, was immature in thinking that he didn't need qualifications or he was just too lazy to learn more. "Shooting from the hip" so to speak was an impressive maneuver, but merely that!

Even when we go to a doctor, we expect that doctor to have all the education necessary to be a doctor, graduate near the top of the class, have the appropriate credentials to doctor what he specializes in, has diagnostic tests and knows how to interpret them and has successful prognosis in treating the sicknesses before. These things are his portfolio. It's the documentation which demonstrate his credentials. We first look for diplomas on his wall and what the diploma was for! Others have said "He is a good doctor!" All these things and many more show that the good doctor is qualified to diagnose and treat. Otherwise, he should just stay out of it!

Many doctors are smart enough to know that they haven't the background to diagnose and treat whatever malady to which he is confronted. That wise doctor doesn't have the knowledge to provide an opinion and sends the patient on to a specialist who is qualified. That doesn't mean the doctor is stupid. It means he's smart. Smart people know when to express an opinion and when to keep quiet. That is the exercise of wisdom.

Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain both get credit for saying:

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."

God said it this way:

 Proverbs 17:28 "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

 In other words "People who speak without credentials are foolish." or "Wise people remain silent when the discourse is beyond their credentials!" Ignorant people, and not ignorance in terms of IQ, but on the subject matter, should remain quiet. Their opinion is non-value added and any advice forthcoming is misconceived!

I have been honest with my credentials. I do not have a doctorate. I can't offer complex scientific advise except in my field. When I find myself speaking "out of place" I apologize to the person. I too sometimes get puffed up in my own perceived insight. I have an opinion about everything, and most of them are misconceived. When things shift from my portfolio and credentials, I endeavor to remain silent. As Twain implied, "If I open my mouth about things of which I have little knowledge, I am in danger of revealing my ignorance." It's simpler to take the position "This is out of my area of expertise!" and refer to another as a good doctor would do!

Charlatans base beliefs on little knowledge. Somehow they have this perception that because they're smart, the facts and background have little significance. Before they administer advice, they fail to ask probing questions on which to base opinions. These people of opinion shout from the rooftops wrong advice and shove the verbal victims over the edge. Then they don't even linger around to clean up their mess. They move on to the next misconceived notion and start another fire.

With that said, my own commentary are opinions. I base my beliefs on supreme wisdom, but what is commentary must be contextural,  inspired, understood, be truthful and I must have the background to expound upon what is opinion.  Part of my credentials are my intelligence, or ability to comprehend; formal education, experience, wisdom to apply all those, and the ability to formulate systematically all the inputs to reach conclusions. Since most of my commentaries are political or religious, the logical conclusion is that part of my credentials are being a "born-again" Christian, read and study my Bible, explore various  biblical  doctrines, understand the nature of God, and have an understanding of political ideologies, government, and human nature.

When I was young, I had vast opinions, but said little. I was a wall-flower and merely hovered around the periphery. When I did say things, I was often wrong, so out of embarrassment for showing my foolishness (see Twain), I kept my opinions to myself! I was young, ignorant and inexperienced, but I was wise! I had the wisdom to know my limitations! However, I didn't want to remain in ignorance all my life. I sought improvement!

Believe it or not, the farm provided much wisdom! Those who farm gain experience in life, make tough educated decisions,  and learn from others. My practical knowledge came from old time farmers like Dad, Thaddeus Bridges, Leon Buis, Tom McCammack and many others. I credit them to teach me what's practical. Since I was around six years hold I started doing farm work. Work was the norm and fun didn't seem to be part of my life. "Fun" is not my forte'.

After my farm years I moved on to working at a gas station where I taught myself to overhaul car engines. Jim Bumgardner, my mentor, gave me a system for fixing things:

• Know that you're can do this by studying (I studied the manuals).
• Don't break anything.
• Watch how it's disassembled and keep parts in some order. (Have a system).
• Clean everything thoroughly.
• Don't reuse worn or broken parts.
• Reassemble in reverse order.
• Use the right tools.
• Adjust to factory specifications.
• Take time to do it all right.
• Test before moving on.
• Don't take poor performance as success.

Just look at these steps to fixing a car! Many of them pertain to anything which you'll run across.  Doctor's use their version of this! Practical knowledge is what's required to do anything! If a person has done few things with their life, their knowledge may  be mere education. Education is important, but wisdom is the application of that knowledge.

Secondly, I loved to learn! I graduated just shy of double credits, filling all my school hours with learning. I majored in six curricula and worked in addition to school. I enjoyed learning and endeavored to do it well. I made the National Honor Society my freshman year (at least A- required).  I belonged to various technical clubs and even the History Club, and was a young Republican, not because I was indoctrinated, but because I widely read! My record was six biographies of presidents (high school level) when I was in the fourth grade IN ONE ALL NIGHTER! I read the biographies of all the presidents and of people from Babe Ruth to Andrew Carnegie. I hated ignorance and as my ignorance subsided my opinions became more founded.

Then I majored in Mechanical Engineering in college and finished half my masters in engineering, realizing that at a factory, that had little use, I changed to the field of psychology, then  Family Counseling and then education. I worked throughout all my education years and graduated from all without owing anyone and without borrowing from anyone.

What is more important, is that I've studied history, politics and theology on my own from fourth grade until now.  I have 56 years of learning experience, and most of what a person learns is outside the classroom! All this study doesn't make me smart, but thanks to God I was born a 1% (in IQ only). Until now I have only shared this was three people. I never even mentioned it to my Dad. It's a blessing, not an achievement and I credit God for my mental health and never take it for granted! My IQ did help! We can learn things, but we must have gray matter on which to process what we take in. God did that for me!

Although I am like Paul and do things I don't want to do, God gave me other things to supplement my portfolio. He gave me a conscience and the will to do something about it. He gave me the gift of "discernment" and that's a gift one should never take lightly. It's the insight to know what is right and wrong in our lives and select the best, or more Godly, path.

God gave me insight into scripture, his word.

Proverbs 23:23 "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."

 Hebrews 5:14  "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

These two passages are wisdom in action. Truth is imperative and we are to use our reason to discern good and evil. Truth is from scripture and discernment is the application of that truth. I've read the Bible many times in different orders. I've studied God's word for about 40 years. I've written commentary for many years now. With age and wisdom, coupled with education and practice, my portfolio has grown. God has inspired me often. However, most of the time, I keep my mouth shut on things of which I'm ignorant and if I recognize my ignorance, for it disguises itself, I seek to gain knowledge so that next time I can have a valid opinion. I just want to know and wish I had the capacity to know more.

My fields of ignorance are many: sports, music, art, languages, economics, and social graces. There are too many more to mention, but on those subjects, I keep quiet so as to not appear a fool!

I'm proud of my accomplishments and hesitate to mention them. However, my readers should know that I'm not a doctor, I have limited knowledge, but I am inspired and my opinions expressed are based on things of which I have knowledge and experience. On a global scale my opinion is as valuable as those with similar portfolio, but there are millions to whom I feel meekness. However, the opinions of the meek are as important as the powerful. It's just that few people value what the meek have to say!

I merely add, "Thank you Lord for any seeds that I may plant, but forgive me for any wrong opinions I may propagate."

Monkey See... Monkey Do!

We are what we are for many reasons, but those with whom we are raised have a significant impact on our own outcomes.  It's even possible to become what we hate most in those around us! Bad parents can produce good responsible children and good parents can produce off-sprung offspring. Likewise, it's more likely that good parents influence children to be good and bad parents influence children to be bad! These latter possibilities are "Monkey See... Monkey Do"!

Parents and other influential people are "role models". Those models are normally thought to be of positive influences, but there are also "negative role models".

I'm going to be candid for a moment. I'm going to speak of one of my own children. It's easy to decipher, but let's call my child "Prone" because he's likely do to what is worst for him!

Prone was a great son even as a child. His intelligence has always been greater than most children. I remember playing the card game Concentration with him when he was as young as four. Since I'm an engineer it is to be assumed that I have sufficient amounts of gray matter to learn what engineers must learn. However, my four-year old son, Prone, could slaughter me at Concentration! I hated to lose, but bragged on his skill, memory and intelligence.

On another occasion  my four-year old son was under the car with me (as he always was) as I in futility failed to get the new exhaust system in place. My son said "ad if you take off that wheel it'll go right on." I laughed and did as he said. The exhaust went right on! I was proud of his maturity!  Prone had the potential to be anything he wanted to be!

However!  I am not calling him "Prone" for nothing!

Prone had an uncle. Let's call him "Trouble". Trouble worried me. Not only were his genes and blood line part of Prone's, but he was a role model as well. Trouble was course, strong, belligerent, independent, rebellious, apathetic to rules, and a braggart prone to lying for self-aggrandizement.  On the other hand, as parents, his mother and I were much different. To her credit she had risen from her environment and bettered herself. My family was for the most part fully functional and traditional. I was from a Christian home. She was not!

I lived in extreme fear that Prone would accept Trouble as a role model. I saw admiration in my son's eyes whenever Trouble did macho things. On one particular occasion Trouble shaved his course beard with a straight razor without soap. Prone looked on, at about five years old, in deep admiration. My fear had become reality. Prone was prone to influence from trouble. It was the child monkey "aping" the adult monkey, what's called "Monkey See... Monkey Do"!

Trouble was trouble and Prone was prone to trouble.  My intelligent, bright, and overly mature child became a carbon copy of Trouble. In effect the big ape, Trouble, was the adult monkey who was the role model for Prone, the child monkey. What Monkey saw, the monkey did. He did things the adult monkey did because that's what infant monkey's do!

With "Monkey See... Monkey Do" the reason for doing relies on one thing. The monkey is mimicking what was modeled. In this case Trouble was modeling troublesome acts and Prone was prone to mimic what Trouble was modeling!

"Monkey See... Monkey Do" raises the question: "Why do children want to mimic those who model bad behaviors?" Why is that? It's because we're born with sinful natures!

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

First off, we don't mimic Adam because he is our role model. He isn't the monkey we copy. We are like Adam because of our bloodline. We tend to sin because sinfulness is our nature! We are all born prone to sin! Likewise, because Adam sinned, he died. If we have unforgiven sin in our lives we too shall die, not only once, but twice, when our souls die too!

If you are human you too have sinned! Except for Jesus, who was God, no man has immunity from this inherited virus.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."

"All" is everyone and since everyone has sinned we all fail to DESERVE God's reward. This was the case before Jesus and still is:

Romans 3:10  "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"

The New Testament validates what was always true. "None are righteous!" "No, not one!" That includes both you and me!  When one sees "As it is written" it is prudent to ask "Where is this written?"  It's written in the Old Testament many places and here are two:

Psalm 14:3 "They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalm 53:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

That everyone is born into sin is an immutable declaration of God! It's why we all deserve death and because he offers a way to redeem ourselves, that's his mercy. God doesn't "have to" do anything, but he desires to save us all at his own volition! That's grace!

Moving on, because of original sin we are all "prone" to sin.  Some sin is worse than others, some repent and others don't. What makes each one of us what we are? My son is not the only "Prone". Most people are copied after this pattern. Our souls are made in the image of God, our bodies in the image of Jesus, but our minds are more like Satan's. Because of what we inherited, we are all prone to sin! That which tempts us to sin is why some sin more grievously than others!

The monkey copying the monkey is what Prone did!. Prone copied Uncle Trouble and as a result his life as been much like, but not entirely, as Uncle Trouble's life was! Uncle Trouble's life was full of trouble. He died recently and I don't know if he's forgiven. However, it's sad. He paid the consequences of sin with much pain. Now Prone is doing the same!

With sin Prone not only copied Trouble, he became the image of trouble. Because of who he mimicked Prone has been in trouble quite often. His independence and lack of meekness has cost him his job several times and his disregard for the law has cost much in time and money. His labor, and he is industrious, has meant spending what he earned on legal troubles. He has a good heart, but what we think is "good" in ourselves is as filthy rags to God! (Isaiah 64:6). The only salvation for Prone is the same as for the rest of us. He must repent of his sins and become a new person!

Unfortunately Satan stands at the door where Jesus knocks. There is a muffler which dampens the knock. Because of marijuana and it's mellowing effect, one must be sober to hear the knock. Yes, they may here Jesus lightly tap, but he's really rapping hard at the door.

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

As Jesus raps on your heart's door, the devil is there endeavoring to devour when Jesus calls. Trouble used drugs. As did Trouble, Prone to trouble did also. The monkey did what the monkey saw! I'm not sure that Trouble ever repented, and Prone to trouble may never either. That worries me! Why? I love Prone and want him to have eternal life. In fact I loved Trouble as well and hope that he will too!

When Prone was a toddler I worried about the influence of  Trouble. When I looked lovingly at my young son, I was afraid! There are many things in my life which I did not want the little monkey to copy, but the one thing I wished for him, is that he would share the hope which I have!

Prone didn't get all his trouble from Trouble. There were many of us who contributed to his proneness. However, each time he was prone to do wrong, he made a free choice. Prone chose pleasure over happiness so often because pleasure offers immediate gratification. Unfortunately, for Prone, that gratification was his romance with Mary Jane. My child is now a grown man, but emotionally Mary Jane has made him dependent on her. When his life goes wrong, he's prone to turn to his new "monkey", Mary Jane. She's always been a monkey on his back and what this monkey does to people is make them trouble.

That grown man, and I know that he would deny it, is still my emotional child. Mary Jane kept him from maturing in his emotional life, When Prone speaks trouble, I think "It's not Prone speaking; it's Mary Jane!" With that thought I have always hoped that my son is still under that "monkey" somewhere and as the prodigal son, someday he will return to me! I have hope for him as does the Lord! This is my hope:

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

He may have departed for a time, but Prone; I have hope: will come back to what he was taught to be! His mother and I brought him up in church and he knows what is right. Someday I have hope that the monkey will be gone and he shall return to me:

Luke 15: 20 "And he (the older son) arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

That will be a great day when that monkey which yet lives is put away in his cage for good!

I shed tears as I write this because I still have hope!

The War on Women... The War on Men

There is a "War on Women", but often forgotten is "The War on Men". Some people belittle women, but even more condemn men. We're at an age when being of the male gender is a cancer on society. It's there, considered malignant and every endeavor is made to shrink manhood to levels which can be contained!

On top of the "War on Men" is "The War on Caucasians". It's part of the malignancy. In this age, being white isn't a ticket to success, but unless one is apologetic for being what he is, whiteness is  symptomatic of the cancer of male dominance.

After I graduated from one of the top engineering colleges of the time, it was to bring me success because those from there had always been successful. Over time, however, this male bastion of whiteness was no longer in vogue. It had become a victim of social justice. Thereafter, being from this college was a curse. It assured almost automatic resentment because it had been the venue of successful engineers and managers of times past. Because this was my alma mater, people blamed me and my college for their failures.  As a white male engineering graduate from this prestigious college, I was at a disadvantage! My company sought minorities, women from second rate schools to employ and promote. Personnel told me that if I was Jewish, female and black, that I would be assured of success! No mention was made of qualifications.

Therefore, "The War on Men" is multi-faceted. It's really "A War on Success" because the tradition of men as bread winners made society successful!  Those who desire "social justice" and a "leveling of the playing field" propagate the elimination of motivation, achievement, and ability in favor of "fairness". A "fair chance" is acceptable, but "fairness" at the expense of being unfair, is a travesty. If one was disadvantaged in past competitions, it's unfair to rig the outcome on present competitors. Why should Caucasians be penalized because a few white people owned slaves. That was long ago!

Why should men of this era, because some men were unfair to women in the past, and some of that "unfairness" was beneficial to females, be penalized?  Men worked hard in the coal mines so that their wives did not have to do so! Men plowed the fields so women could nourish the children. Men and women were serving the roles God intended!

Adam's role was to toil and to tend to the garden. It was to be hard work. Eve's job assignment was to nourish the family and be a helper to Adam. If that seems unfair, blame them! Blame Adam and Eve. God was merely meting out justice for their disobedience. Much scripture speaks of teamwork and unity in being a family. Each serve roles which complement one another!

Men still disobey God! When men fail to be the provider and head of the house, women take on new roles. They did that because of weak men. For doing so, they are strong women, but each are still women and men. Women are to be credited for taking charge when the male figure failed to do so! Even many churches live on because some men were weak in their commitment to Christ. Women must be credited for their perseverance and strength! However, that is not what God intended, and is a result of the man failing to "tend to the garden" .

Women are victims of a war. "Tradition" (read that Christianity) placed them in assigned gender roles. Men, because of their elite position, are blamed. There is also "A War on Men". The western world, the bastion of free enterprise, was ruled by whites. Because of past injustice, the tradition of male authority is out of vogue. Men and authority are being warred upon and women who are traditional are victims of that same war!

Why war against anyone? "By dividing" is the path to conquering! One should wonder: Who is dividing and who is trying to conquer? Since God desires us to love one another and he is the source of traditional roles, then the war is against God! Who wants to defeat God?

Isaiah 14:12-15 (ESV)  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star (Satan), son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit."

Satan wants God's authority. It is his desire to rule he heavens as he now rules the earth!

1 John 5:19 (ESV) "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."

The devil is described elsewhere as "Prince of the air". The devil rules the world right now for a time until he's thrown down by God.  It's not that he has power, but because an all powerful God allows him to wonder to and fro to test our faith. Most people cave-in to the devil at their own peril. He deceives the world!

Because their is "A War Against God", it is fought in separate fronts. The War on Women, The War on Men, The War on Whites, The War on Blacks, The War on Capitalism, The War on Tradition are all part of the great "War Against God"! Because of this war, women and men become enemies, blacks and whites are inspired to hate one another and an unjust society is taught to hate capitalism, tradition and what was founded on the precepts of God!

There is a tool for "The War on God". Likewise, the author of this tool was an anti-Christ. He came to pave the way for The Anti-Christ who shall come in an attempt to enslave the entire world and proclaim HIMSELF as God. It's strange that the one who champions women in the wars of the sexes is himself a man! That's because he deceives. He cares little about women, but only his own power and glory! Women fall for the lie and so do men! Blacks fall for the lie and so do whites!

An anti-Christ of which I speak is Karl Marx and his tool is socialism! Marx waged war on Christianity, the church, capitalism, freedom, tradition, industry, property, men, families, marriage and even success. All these are institutions of God and to defeat God, their is "A War on Everything Godly"!

Socialism uses gender, success, property, tradition and even church doctrine to divide. His writings prepare the way for the communism of The Anti-Christ! Satan's henchman, Marx, is responsible for The War on Women, The War on Men, The War on Minorities, and The  War on anything he wants to divide. "Social justice" isn't a matter of concern. It's a mere tool for division. If the progressives, a wealthy and educated demographic group, are so concerned about the good of the downtrodden, they would give of themselves without forcing everyone else to do their charity for them. It's of no concern to progressives that the downtrodden get trodden on so they can deride tradition and God!

The church is part of the war. There is a "War on the Church". Marx and the devil want the church split. Those progressive churches which adopt social doctrine (aka Marxism) into their tenets are false churches and are tools used to destroy Christianity. When a church condones same-sex marriage, who smiles? Socialists and Satan!  When churches allow women preachers who smiles? Marx and the devil!

I believe the first sin was the serpent's "War on Women and Men". The devil tried to separate the sexes. He did just that!  Eve took the male ordained role of priest and negotiated with the devil while Adam merely watched and allowed Eve to lead.  I often contend that this was the first incidence of feminism, it is of the devil and Adam was the first incidence of a man being a wuss! Eve was punished because she assumed the role of leader and Adam because he let her!

This "War on Women": "War on Men" are both a "War on God"! Satan instills racial hatred, Christian hatred, and jealousy of success as his tools. He cares little for homosexuals, but just as Hitler did, the devil uses homosexuality as a tool to divide. There is a "War on Homosexuals", but they are mere pawns in a greater war! They appear to be soldiers the devil likes until his goals are achieved. Then just as Hitler's "Night of the Long Knives" the knife will be used against those who have same-sex relationships!

Christians are battling against homosexuality because that behavior is a way to demean God! It's a mere tool in Satan's tool box to divide and conquer. Churches fall for that deceit often and it's getting more prevalent. When the "tool" ceases to be useful, it will be tossed into the junk pile and a new tool shall be constructed! Look for polygamy, sibling marriage and even bestiality to become issues for society in this New World Order! They already are in some western countries.

I know who wins! The devil will be cast into the fiery pit. I will not ally myself with the devil because to do so is to die the second death. Christians must be discerning: Who is to gain by all this social justice? It's not the evangelical Christians who demand it, but those who demean God and rebel from what God commands.