This is how to know whether someone is really committed to Christ

We read in Holy Scripture “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Perhaps a lot of people read this scripture and believe that it never applies to their own self, but only applies to those that were the disciples of Christ, at the time of Christ’s incarnation.  That interpretation is fundamentally wrong, for the passage is meant to be pertinent to each and every one of us that claims the moniker of being a Christian, today.  That is to say, those that are adherents to the Christian faith, must have love for one another, or else people will know that they aren’t really of the Christian faith, for Christianity is a foundation built upon love, which Christ espoused to those that had ears to listen, again and again.

So then, those that claim to be Christian, but spend inordinate amounts of time spewing hatred of other religions which they consider to be inimical to what God wishes us so to believe, as well as those that are uncharitable in their behavior and actions to others, for whatever reason, aren’t Christians, at all, and to accept them as being Christians, actually besmirches the good name of Christians, everywhere.  That is to say, by their fruits ye shall know them, and those that are filled with vengeance, discord, incivility, and intolerance, aren’t Christian in their character.

The dividing line between a true Christian as compared to that which is a fraudulent Christian, is not very difficult to discern, for Christians are those that are charitable to others, whether these particular people are or are not part of the faith; in addition, those that are patient, considerate, caring, and compassionate are Christian.  Indeed, when those qualities exist in a given person, even those that do not consider themselves to be Christian, are in practicality, Christian, in the sense that they have taken on the good characteristics of what it so means to be Christian.

Life is filled of labels, of which some of these labels are clearly misapplied.  There are lots of ways to define what a Christian is, but the very best way so defined is as to whether or not that individual is filled with love for those that are our fellow members of our society.  Indeed, those that love and express that love consistently and unconditionally to others, are the very best exemplars of Christianity.   We are meant to not only to be our brother’s keeper, but also to make sure to provide that helping hand to our brother, for none of us are here alone, for we are instead gathered together, so that we can rise up together to get to that destination that can only be obtained by our good works so applied within this world, for the betterment of those that we congregate with, day by day.  Those that are Christian, will be challenged, for they will be challenged to make those important and correct decisions, of which, those that are true to Christ, are the very ones that will not waver when it comes to doing right by thy neighbor.

Learn to control your negative emotions

All of us are susceptible to negative emotions such as anger, hatred, jealousy, and vengefulness.  Those then that aren’t able to control these negative emotions, thus put themselves into the very vulnerable position of potentially committing bad acts that are going to be not only inimical to their own character, but often are going to be destructive and hurtful to other people, as well.  In other words, uncontrolled negative emotions, are quite susceptible to creating a lot of harm, of which, oftentimes when minds calm down, there is typically a feeling of much regret that things ended up spinning so horribly out of control, but acts once committed, good or bad, cannot ever be taken back, which is why we must do our level best to learn to control our negative emotions.

This world seems to present to us a seemingly endless smorgasbord of things, activities, and desires that we want to see successfully fulfilled, and it is in that lack of fulfillment that a lot of negative emotions begin to germinate within us.  For instance, the anger that we often express, has an awful lot to do with our desires not being met, and since the outcome that we are experiencing is not in accordance to our wishes, we thus then have a strong inclination to strike back at the other as our response to the frustration of having not gotten what we so desire.  So too, the hatred that we express to the other, is often a fair reflection that we blame the other for our failures and bad circumstances, so we thus “hate” the other who we have attached the blame to for our inadequate and unsatisfactory life.

Again and again, what leads to negative emotions getting the best of us, is the frustration that we have for essentially not getting our way.  While, indeed there are those times when we have unfairly been denied what is rightfully ours, which thus can lead to anger, we have to keep in mind that to permit a negative emotion to get the best of us, is typically not going to bring a result that we are going to find ultimately to be satisfactory.  So then, for those that are alert and desiring to be of good character, we have to develop  then the type of attributes which will permit us best to control our negative emotions.  The very first thing that comes to mind to help to put ourselves at a reasonable equilibrium, is that we have to realize that the world does not actually revolve around our being, whatsoever, which means that because the world is not at our beck and call, that we cannot ourselves ever control it or even master it.  So then, recognize that a better way to see the world, as well as our place within society, is that we are part of a picture show, of which, if we so desire to we can get intimately involved in all the gamut of emotions, good and bad that we feel within that show, or we have the option to rise above that picture show, and understand that while we are in it, we do not need to play by its rules, but rather we can step back so as to gain perspective, and from that perspective we will understand that the hate and anger that we are prone to develop is ultimately self-hate and self-anger, that can only be overcome by us recognizing that while we cannot control the picture show, we can control our emotions by concentrating our mind upon the fact that this too will soon pass, replaced through and through by eternal love.

The shame of impoverishment in America

America spends an inordinate amount of time, applauding its own self, as being the greatest nation that the world has ever known.  Yet, these words are belied not only by all sorts of statistics, but also by anyone that has ever bothered to congregate with the suffering middle class as well as with the most impoverished enclaves of people in America, of which, the richest nation in the world, has as reported by statistia.com in 2022, “…a total of 7.4 million families living below the poverty line in the United States.”  Additionally, usatoday.com informs us that “The top 1% of American earners now control more wealth than the nation’s entire middle class,” of which “the middle class is defined as the middle 60% of households by income.”

Perhaps this is the way that it should be, the rich never having been richer, the poor we will always have amongst us, and the middle class just aren’t smart enough, they don’t work hard enough, and aren’t then really deserving of having more money and accumulated assets than those that are in the top 1%.  We are told through census.gov that “Real median household income was $74,580 in 2022,” which would seem to be a household income that if it held for every household in America would make for a society that would be in a good position to be pretty comfortable.  The fact is, that the income and wealth is so skewed to the top 1%, that those that are not in or close to that elite status, aren’t typically in a very comfortable position at all, and millions of our fellow citizens are most definitely impoverished and are hurting.

The thing about America is that what we currently have and see in our gargantuan income and wealth disparity, does not need to be the case, because this government has the power and the authority to tax appropriately those that have massive assets and wealth, be it corporations or individuals.  After all, the very point of a progressive tax system is to tax those that have more with a higher tax rate that thus is then utilized as a material aid for those that have so little.  Indeed, America is incredibly ineffective in the real world taxation of those with colossal amounts of wealth, who can readily afford the best tax lawyers, the best lobbyists, the best tax accountants, and pretty much put off till another day, indefinitely, the taxation reckoning that should be done and needs to be done in the here and now.

Look, it has to be said, most people would not begrudge the very rich, at all, if they could look around at society, and see that everyone has had a fair shake, a fair chance, and are food, shelter, and healthcare secure, but this is most definitely not the situation for so many in America.  Indeed, this governance really does need to answer forthrightly to the people, but seems only to answer to the rich and the powerfully placed, instead, which is why this nation has such a huge amount of abject poverty, ill-educated citizens, high incarceration rates, and fares poorly in taking care of those that are its most vulnerable.

The reality of the situation is that America should feel a great shame in professing its greatness, when it is surrounded by the ill effects of its inability to do right by so many of its citizens, of which, the essential “crime” of the impoverished seems to be to have been born within an enclave of poverty that they have no hope of ever generating the escape velocity to successfully leave from, because this nation prefers to keep them forever oppressed.

Holy Communion explained

There are lots of people that believe or have been taught that when we take Holy Communion such as in a church, that the bread and wine we so ingest, represents the body and blood of Christ.  The problem with this belief is that it is important to recognize that the body and blood of Christ, as initiated through Holy Communion, is always meant, at best, to be seen figuratively, not ever literally.  Indeed, the body and blood of Christ, should more appropriately be seen in Holy Communion as an opportunity for those that are adherents of Christianity to take into their being, the very principles and good consciousness of Christ, rather than to be considered to be ingesting the physical embodiment of Christ, symbolic or not.  To understand this correctly thus makes Holy Communion, a sacred act, meant to enlighten us, so as to comprehend that there is nothing of more importance than to carry out the principles of Christ, as well as to take into our mind, the consciousness of what Christ so represented and continues to represent as our masterful guiding light.

Look, the Bible is subject to all sorts of interpretation, some of which are quite good, and some of which, are misguided and wrong.  To somehow believe, then, that Holy Communion should be seen as symbolically indicating that we are taking into ourselves, the body and blood of Christ, is wrong.  The importance of Christ, is not ever really His body or His blood, but rather what is of importance is what Christ so brought to society in the sense of wisdom, of justice, and of supreme insight, which is in its essence, eternal and not corporal.   It is thus the acts and the perceptions from Christ that merits our respect and this is the proximate reason why Christianity was thereby subsequently formulated as a religion. 

In western society, there is forever a desire to not only simplify that which should not be simplified, but also to provide to the “faithful” with what appears to be a shortcut to enlightenment which is itself then considered to be in fair conformance to the chosen expressed ideology.  The Holy Communion so held in church should be basically seen as a ceremony of the Christian faith, but it does so require the correct interpretation of what Holy Communion really is or else it serves no good purpose.  That is why it must be impressed upon the congregants that the body and blood of Christ, is not held in a little wafer or in grape juice, but instead these are just symbols meant to uplift us so as to have the steadfastness to take in the very principles and consciousness of Christ.  Remember this well, that which is Christ, is freely available to every one of us, of which, what is lacking from us, is often the faith and belief that are mandatory in order to receive this invaluable gift, which is why we participate in Holy Communion, again and again, with the implicit understanding that our unalienable talents will never come to full fruition, until our consciousness rises to the attunement of the risen Christ.

The wrong accused

Nobody likes to be accused of something in which it is claimed by someone in authority that they did it, when they know for a fact that they did not do it.  Yet, accusations fly against one another, all of the time, some justified, and some that are certainly not.  It is one thing though to be accused of something that we are knowingly guilty of, and it’s an entirely different feeling to be accused of something that we did not do, of which, many a person takes such an accusation as that as a personal insult and hence are none too happy to be counted among the presumed guilty, when they are not.

Yet, as many of us that despise being accused of something that we did not do, we ourselves often have a terrible habit of at least occasionally blaming a certain entity, for our own troubles, and that entity is God.  That is to say, when we are faced with an injustice, or are not able to get our way when we are desperate to have our way, or various other things that we find annoying or are bothering to us, there is a strong tendency for many a person to put the blame on God, as if it is God that can’t seem to be there when we really need God to be there for us.

Look, it has to be said, that God never makes any mistakes, nor could God ever be errant, for God is forever inerrant.  So then, those that insist that God is perhaps occasionally overwhelmed or forgetful or subject to misjudgment have definitely got it all wrong, for to accuse God as being responsible for our suffering and our troubles, is a true reflection that we have not the good character to face up to the music, that must so be faced.  In other words, all those that desire to place God on some sort of trial, are not only barking up the wrong tree, but they are definitely not thinking coherently. 

The life that we are experiencing has an awful lot to do with what we have or have not done correctly with the free will so gifted to us.  Those then that take such a wonderful gift and do those types of things that are inimical to good behavior are surely going to suffer for having made those wrong decisions, of which, it is in that suffering that provides us with the fair opportunity to re-evaluate and to re-examine our own life, so that we can therefore make better decisions, which are thus more attune then to what we are supposed to do with our free will.  In other words, each of us has been provided with talents, to do what we so desire to do with such, for better or for worse, and those that do a rather poor job, are prone to blaming others, such as God, for their unfortunate fate.  Indeed, there will be a trial, but that trial will not be us judging God, but God judging us, and those then that have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to squirm out of their responsibilities, will find that this trial is one that will bring about the type of clarification that will make it clear that God always gets it right.

Those that disprove their love for Christ each and every day

The easiest thing to do in a world in which we are able to communicate to one another through words, is to consistently say the right words, knowing that by doing so, in many an instance, those words to the other, may well take precedence over subsequent actions.  That is to say, people are fond of saying how much they love somebody, or that they are just about to accomplish this or that task, which often sounds quite good, but if there isn’t any follow up to the words so spoken which thus seconds them, then those words are indeed false, for they do match what has been promised or implied.

So then, for instance, there are those people that insist that they love Jesus, but very little about their subsequent actions to others reflects such love, for they are themselves mean-spirited, or selfish, or self-centered, or deceitful, or just plain lazy.  Look, it has to be said, each day we are provided with choices, or pathways to take, of which those choices are ours to make, for better or for worse, and those that consistently make choices which are sinful, wrong-headed, and bad, are at best, very poor exemplars of the Christian spirit, or more truthfully, they aren’t really Christian.

To really love Christ, must mean that we follow His lighted pathway and thus take upon ourselves the good attributes of that same Christ, or else, we don’t really love Christ.  If we lack the discipline or the wisdom to do the right thing, then we aren’t Christ followers, but rather we are followers of our own darkness and ignorance.  To make a mistake, isn’t really sinful, it just is wrong and all those that do wrong, have got to realize that to honor that which is right, they must themselves do their level best to do right, and whenever they are thereby off-track, they need to get back to where they need to be so as to stay on that pathway of Light.

To carry the symbol of Christ, but never to act in a manner which reflects the goodness of Christ, signifies that we are not lovers of Christ, at all.  “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16), and only those then that bring forth good fruit are Christians.  To be a Christian, must mean to conduct our lives in a meaningful and purposeful way, of which, we thus keep our eyes focused upon the prize, so as not to waver from our sacred duty to not only ourselves, but to those that we interact with, day by day.  There are indeed no shortcuts to being a Christian, for words cheaply and insincerely spoken are not going to do much of anything to get us to the only destination that really matters. The choice that each of us has to make is a stark one, which really comes down to whether we prefer to act the fool and to be therefore obstinate in our wrongness, or whether we will exert ourselves to be something of merit, by lending our hand to the doing of the right thing, so as to uphold righteousness on behalf of the goodness of Christ.

A new perspective on love

For so many people that represent humankind, love seems to be one of those things, that often comes and it often goes, as if love is fickle.  That is to say, there are people that claim that they love us, but when we do something wrong or grossly inimical to that relationship, the love that they had previously shown us, seems to often dissipate, as if it never existed in the first place.  In other words, there certainly seems to be a lot of “conditional love” expressed, in which as long as the other person is keeping us happy or providing us with some sort of benefit, we love them, and when they stop providing that, so disappears the love.

That said, to a very large extent the very best examples of love, are often built around familial love.  We love our children, naughty or nice, because we know that these are our own children, and therefore our forgiveness, tolerance, and compassion to them is of an exceedingly great capacity.  That indeed is the type of love, that represents what love should really be, for love not only necessitates desiring the good of the other, but it also must have the perspective that we love the other, not because the other is doing this or doing that for us or to us, but because true love cares only for the opportunity to love, come what may.

To love another, without ever wavering, is no easy task, for people have a way of disappointing us, again and again.  But what of it?  After all, if we were to fairly examine our own self, we would recognize that as good as we may well try to be, we falter at being good all of the time, as well as of doing the right thing, always.  Each of us is fallible, which means that we cannot reasonably expect that those that we love, will always be lovable, but love them still, we must.  That is why, those that love the best are not those that see love as something that is just a feeling, but rather we see that within our heart we have that love for the other because we recognize that within each and every one of us, is the same creative light that brought us into being and it is that never extinguishing light, that we honor, above all.

Remember this well, there is a river, and there then are tributaries to that same river, both small as well as large, of which, the very purpose of life is to be that well-rounded tributary that leads to that river, and therefore unites those waters into one.  So then, there is no greater power than love, for love outlasts them all, because there is no error in love, for love is the very characteristic that unites all that seems to be different into one great harmonious element, that can never be divided, for it is love that is the power that we were created from, and it is love that we are compelled to return to, for our heart is ever restless, until it finds again that eternal sanctuary of unbreakable love.

Move the offsides in soccer to forty yards from each goal line

European soccer doesn’t like to make any substantial rule changes to a game that they feel is just fine the way that it currently is.  The last change of any substance was the elimination of the back pass to the goalkeeper in 1992.  Still, just because the game is played a certain way, doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be subject to at least the possibility of change, and in order to try out a worthwhile change, that change needs to actually be conducted down on the pitch, to see whether or not, it has merit.  One of those changes is the offsides rule, which in this particular suggested case, would take the current situation in which a player cannot be offsides in his own half of the pitch, and change it to the case that a player cannot be offsides if he is at least 40 yards away from the opponent’s goal line, thereby suitably marked with a blue line.  That is to say, this suggested change would take the current pitch which basically ranges from 110 yards to 116 yards in length and instead of making it half the distance from there to not be an offsides, it would instead make it 40 yards from the opponent’s goal line, thereby providing the forward player with a better opportunity to make a dramatic counterattack and to possibly score.

If we were to surmise that the basic field length is 114 yards, that would mean the offsides would move from currently being 57 yards away from the opponent’s goal line to 40 yards, which would definitely make a material difference in play and strategy, but wouldn’t though be an overwhelming change.  That said, the only real way to see how professional soccer players would adjust to such a change would be to see how it played out in exhibitions before the start of the season, and those that are the keepers of the integrity of the game, could discuss the pros and cons of this suggested change.  It would be suspected that by moving the offsides to further up the field, that there would be more scoring, but not every change as envisioned, actually ends up playing out as expected, which is why this proposed change would need to be thoroughly tested.

So too, perhaps the average fan really does want to see more games that end with the score of 0-0, in addition to the possibility that fans appreciate seeing players being flagged for being offsides, though this seems to be a real stretch as a theory.  In fact, most fans like to see goals being scored, because it gives them a chance to celebrate as well as to appreciate the value of that goal.  Additionally, players like to score goals for not only the joy of putting one into the back of the net, but also because winning is the expressed desire of every player participating, of which at least one goal needs to be scored then in order for any one team to possibly win.  So then, change the offsides rule, and see how it plays out, for the good of the game.

Overcome bad ideas with thoughtful and good ideas

Humankind is a thinking entity, of which, not every thought that we have is actually a good thought or a good idea.  In fact, there are many things that we think of, that are basically bad ideas and bad thoughts, which in many a case we intuitively know, but there are also those cases in which, at least, initially, we don’t think our idea is really all that bad.  So then, good idea or possibly bad idea, we are entitled to at least test our theory out, by not only thinking it through ourselves, but also through the interplay with others, so as to get their valued feedback and comments.  After all, part of the reason why we are social creatures is to test our ideas one to another, which thus provides us with the opportunity to help make our society a better place for our meaningful ideas combined with the follow-through, so of.

To have a bad idea is not necessarily a terrible thing, for the impetus to an ultimate good idea may well germinate from something bad.  That said, to consistently have bad ideas is not a good place to be, because this reflects a mind that is lazy, or confused, or misfiring, and thus needs to be corrected or else bad things can indeed happen from those bad ideas.  That is why, it isn’t good enough to simply tell somebody how stupid their idea is, without at least providing an avenue for how their idea could be restructured into something of substance.  The reason that so many people don’t do more to overcome bad ideas that they become aware of from others, is because they are unwilling to take the time and thus show the respect so needed, to engage the other into considering thoughtful ideas which are better.

Additionally, there is many a time when we hear something that unnerves us, or upsets us, or that we vehemently disagree with, but we let it alone because we believe that everyone is entitled to express their own opinion, whether right or wrong.  The thing is that opinions expressed by others which are a reflection of what appears to be wrong thinking, need to be examined by us, at least occasionally, if for nothing more then to provide us with the opportunity to investigate something that we disagree with, so that we can become more knowledgeable ourselves, which will not only provide us with a better perspective, but will also help make us a more learned person.

Not every idea that we are going to have is going to be a worthwhile one, and because we are in charge of our own mind and therefore of our own thinking, we need to be discriminatory about our ideas, of which, the best way to overcome a bad idea is to reform it into a good idea.  We have a responsibility to think, and it is even better to think about the right things, because those that consistently think the right thoughts are the very same that consistently do the right things.  Therefore, our ideas absolutely matter, and if we can’t seem to right our own ship  because we lack the right ideas, then we ought to at least make it our point, to stop what we are currently doing, with the sure knowledge that cycling through the same nonsense, again and again, is a really bad idea.

You must fight the good fight

If life offers no apparent challenges to address, then quite obviously you are un-observant, or far too set in your ways, or simply at a level of intelligence which is quite unperceptive.  Human life involves struggle, and always will involve struggle, and it is our inherent obligation to meet those challenges so as to conquer them, to the best of our ability.  None of us lives in a land of paradise, and the reason that this is so, is because of humankind’s continual wrong thinking as well as its subsequent bad actions, which thus fairly reflects our society as it really is.  Those then that do not wish to see any improvement in society, need not do a thing, because in order to make positive progress upon the conditions that society faces, this necessitates action, and without such, it will all remain basically the same.

We are meant to have a purposeful life, of which, part of that purpose has got to be to help make society a better place for our participation in it.  This signifies that each of us has a responsibility to do what we can so do to help make our society better, and the best way to start in the accomplishing of that is to live to a good foundational principle and thus to be true to that.  In other words, it is best to have our own house in order so that there is consistency between what we so say and do, and the life that we so represent, in actuality.  After all, those that we interact with, aren’t typically fools, therefore their respect or lack thereof towards us, has an awful lot to do as to whether or not they perceive us as being sincere and forthright or not.

So too, it isn’t really good enough to simply point out the faults of society, but to do little or nothing of substance to ameliorate such.  To be the critic, is not an especially challenging job, but to go after something that is wrong and to see that it is turned around into something right, is definitely something that requires time, persistence, and energy, which thus represents well an engagement for change, that is purposeful.

Each of us is meant to be a loving, compassionate and caring person – because those that are most true to their Creator are those that resolutely take on the good attributes of that same Creator.  That means we must do our level best to rise above petty jealousies, hatred, tribalism, discord, and disrespect by staying focused upon that which we are meant to be, come what may.  Further to the point, life can be envisioned as a battlefield, and it is upon that battlefield that we need to take up our arms in the defense of all that which is good, so as to slay that which is evil and untruth.  Those then that know better, have an obligation to act the part, by demonstrating through their courage of action, that they will stand for truth, justice, fair play, and freedom, till the end of time, for this battle is ever ongoing, until it is not.

The inherent danger of secret agencies

In order to have a civil, healthy, and vibrant society, that society needs to be transparent and open with those that are the members of that society.  The reason that this is so, is because a heathy society is built upon trusting one another, and that trust exists best in a construct in which there is enough information freely available to everyone that makes it clear what is really going on.   After all, those things that we cannot verify, because they are deliberately hidden from us or are complete unknowns to us, are the very things which are inimical to a healthy society, because without the necessary information to understand what is going on and why, we are therefore at a loss to know whether such is a menace to us or not.

While there are legitimate reasons for secrecy, even within that legitimacy though, there needs to be  a reasonable degree of both oversight, as well as an understanding of the purpose, so of.  Indeed, sensible people and governments understand when secrets are needed, but they also are quite aware that agencies that are created with secret agendas, can easily morph into being catastrophic to the people, at large, because those that are the operators of these secret agencies, can be emboldened to take actions in secret, that they would never have been permitted to do in the open and then not be held accountable for bad outcomes.

The danger of secret agencies and their secrets, is the fact that those that are the operators of such, will simply run their agencies in a manner that fits the interests of whoever is the director of such, come what may.  That is to say, there isn’t any Congressional oversight, and there sure the heck isn’t any Presidential oversight, for these secret agencies are so well entrenched and protected by those that have their reins upon the hidden power within the American governance they therefore do whatever that they so desire to do, without any countervailing force being able to constrain or to contain their actions, whatsoever.

What happens in secret, stays hidden in that secret place, which is why the most heinous crimes and deeds against sovereign nations and foreign peoples are accomplished through our secret agencies, of which, the American people have little or no information that informs the general public of what their nation has secretly done, under their name.   The clear and present danger of all these secret agencies and their secret agendas is that they thus serve as a shadow government, completely unanswerable to the American people – though using the excuse that what they are doing is for the defense and protection of the people, which serves well their purpose, though that is actually seldom true. 

Indeed, all those that are up to no good, do not ever want the actions that they are doing, to be transparent to anyone.  So then, the default belief that is reasonable to hold, is that when our government insists that this or that needs to be secret for our own good, we can reasonably assume that what they are really saying is that they are up to no good, and have no willingness to divulge what is really going on, because it would surely frighten us or worse.

What are you prepared to give to Jesus?

Whether it’s Christmastime or not, it just seems sensible that each one of us needs to think about what we would like to give Jesus the Christ, as a present for the fact that Christ exemplified not only how to live an extraordinary life,  but also Christ willingly went to His sacrificial death on behalf of us.  That type of sacrifice, in addition to the wisdom and love so demonstrated by Christ, would seem to more than imply that we ought to do something for Jesus as our own way of showing appreciation and respect.

Yet, how few really ever think about what they are going to give to Jesus, even at Christmastime, though people often have plenty to give in regards to material gifts of all sorts, one to another.  While it certainly makes sense to be generous and kind to each other, it makes even more sense, that we should desire to start with our gift giving, by first properly taking care of our Messiah.

Perhaps people reason, that they attend church and provide charitable gifts to that church or other charitable organizations, and believe that then takes care of how they gave to Jesus.  It isn’t so much that this is wrong thinking or doing, but it does reflect that if we won’t actually stop and really meditate upon Christ, that we have done so to our own disservice.

For those that profess to being Christian, then the very first thing that they really need to do, is to behave consistently in a Christian manner.  Further to the point, those that are Christian, must believe that being an adherent to Christianity, is something that shouldn’t be hidden under a lampshade, but should be expressed in our thoughts, our actions, and our interactions.  For either being a Christian means something of substance, or it basically is a tag that we conveniently put on, but don’t pay much personal mind to.

Indeed, some people will spend incredible amounts of time, coming up with beautiful and innovative gifts for those that they really care about and love --- which is the same sort of mindset that we need to take into consideration for Jesus.  Perhaps that is a difficult bridge to cross, because Jesus appears to be so far away, but Christ can be as close as we will put our mind upon, if only we would silence our unbelief, and embrace our belief.

What we do or do not do on behalf of Jesus, is ours to own, and if we are unwilling to do much of anything, that probably is a fair reflection of our values and of our faith.  There is a time, place, and a season for everything, of which those that are lukewarm, aren’t going to be able to  exert themselves in a needful manner to accomplish what they should be about.  We are meant to live our lives in the best way possible, of which, part of that living, must consist of doing our fair part to help make society a better place for our participation in it, so done by being a good neighbor one to another, for Christ’s sake, as the foundation of our gift to Him.

Less free speech leads to better control

It is highly disturbing what we see occurring at the present time within the highest echelons of our government, in which, there are certain politicians and legislators that despite being sworn to protect and to uphold our Constitutional rights, are actually deliberately doing the very opposite of such, by their relentless assault on free speech for all sorts of spurious reasons, of which, none of these reasons, makes any sense, whatsoever. It’s one thing, when the average person on the street, bewails against free speech, because perhaps their feelings have been hurt – as it is, that is though their right to complain.  It is an entirely different thing when certain segments of this government makes it a point to tear down the edifice of free speech, and somehow are not held fully accountable for their unpatriotic actions.

A government of, for, and by the people, must, by definition, have free speech, free assembly, and the people’s ability to freely petition their government as part and parcel of the foundation of that governance, for if it does not, then it actually is not a government of, for, and by the people.   Whenever a people cannot freely express themselves, that means that they are not able to freely think for themselves, for basically when we eliminate or put restrictions upon free speech, then we have put restrictions of what we are or are not freely permitted to express openly, and treated very much like an errant school child, that must kowtow the line as so propagated by their teacher, or else sit in the dunce’s corner, for their willful disobedience.

For whatever reason, there is a belief, held even by people of reasonable intelligence, that if we would only make sure that our speech was more tolerant, or considerate, or civil, that society would be therefore a very harmonious and pleasant place, which is why we need to limit other people’s free speech.  No doubt, civility has its place, but there are those times and those places in which civility has to take a back seat to the reality that not all is fair and right, so needfully exemplified by words expressed in a way and manner in which those that are the voiceless, the forsaken, the ignored, and the forgotten, have their say.

For all those that want to live in some sort of make believe world, in which, everyone is exactly the same, like something akin to the movie: The Stepford Wives, then that could only be conceivable in a world in which free speech no longer existed, therefore providing the means to better control the people.  That is to say, those that claim that they want less free speech or a restricted amount of free speech, are basically saying that they want more control of what you are or are not permitted to say and ultimately what you are permitted to do.  Indeed, it is those that are biggest proponents of less free speech, who are the very same people that want to be the controllers of all others, so done in this capitalistic nation, for better exploitation, as well as for the expressed benefit of those that they do not wish to be criticized. 

So many secrets and so little governance for the people

It isn’t possible to have a government, of, for, and by the people, when the most important, the most pertinent, and the most vital information is consistently either being held from being fully divulged to the public, or it simply isn’t on the radar to even be released.  While secrets most definitely have their place, it has got to be known, that those governments that typically have the most secrets are seldom governments that are good to the people, but rather are governments that are taking advantage of the people to the benefit of those that are the actual power behind the government, whether elected or not.

It doesn’t matter much if the people have the vote, when their vote, is subject to being superseded by secret and classified decisions made behind closed doors, of which, they as a people, have no influence upon those discussions or actions.  The government of the United States is so big, so vast, and so comprehensive, with so many secrets, that nobody really knows how many secrets that there are, and what those secrets consist of.  After all, when any nation makes it a point to keep that which is of the most vital interest to the people and their future, as a subject not to be discussed with the people, directly, then the people are not being governed by true representatives of them, but rather are being treated as subjects to what is essentially an unelected governance.

Not too many governments have any real urgency to ever own up to their mistakes.  So then, what makes governments thus desire to have department after department, and paper after paper, designated as not for public consumption, is basically not only for plausible denial, but also because they will seldom then have to worry about being called to account for actions taken that were detrimental to this nation, because those in the know, have basically been sworn to secrecy.

One could make a strong argument that we are governed by a shadow government, which is the government that we are not permitted to see or to really know of.  That shadow government, need not overly concern itself with the Constitution, or when it does, it makes sure to hire the best and brightest Constitutional lawyers, to twist and turn that Constitution into a document that somehow agrees with whatever actions that this shadow government has taken or plans to take.

Perhaps this doesn’t really matter much, shadow government, or not, if we as a people, were in general, content with our status.  Yet, we know that it matters a lot, because something is seriously rotten in America and its governance, demonstrated again and again, through the comparison of our country to other western nations, in which America is by far the most violent with an extremely high homicide rate, it also has a stubbornly high poverty rate, as well as a very high rate of those that are functionally illiterate.

What does matter when it comes to our governance is that the people are benefited by it, and when that government, despite the people being franchised to vote, doesn’t meaningfully address the real issues of the time so as to correct them, then it can only be surmised that those with the real hidden power, prefer their own agenda, instead.

The false flag of the threat of communism

As much as people might want to believe that there are actual communistic nations, the fact of the matter is, that there has never been a true communistic nation, and there probably never will be. To be a true communistic nation, that type of society would reflect a government that would own everything, and that therefore there would be no private property held in the hands of individuals, of which, as it has been said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”  On the surface, this does sound like some sort of little paradise in which all our needs would thereby be met. Yet, all we need to do is look around at any of those nations with the audacity to call themselves communistic, and it becomes all too clear that none of these governments are actually communistic, but rather there is a clear distinction between those that are the governmental elite that seemingly own or control the lion’s share of everything, and the masses, which have to be obedient to their autocratic form of government, or be subject to losing that which they consider to be their own.

So too, when it comes to America, and their historic fear of the menace of communism, none of that actually makes any real sense.  Indeed, America has its own form of Constitutional governance, which seems to work for the people in an acceptable manner, and if so-called communist nations want to be communistic, it doesn’t seem like that would actually really matter much to Americans. Additionally, Nations understand the value of commerce and trade, communistic or not, and as long as there is commerce involved between nation-states, it probably doesn’t really matter what form of government these other nations allegedly have.

Furthermore, sovereign nations should clearly be entitled to whatever form of government that they desire to have, whether or not such is pleasing to America. So then, it just doesn’t make sense at all, the type of angst that America has displayed when it comes to communism, of which, it might well be pointed out, that when provided with the opportunity to fight communism in WWII, America chose not to fight against the communist Soviet Union, but rather chose to fight with the communist Soviet Union.

Perhaps America is so against communism, because it seems to be in opposition to capitalism, but even if this was true, history has already indicated to us, that communism in conjunction with human nature, is not ever going to be successful as envisioned by Karl Marx.  After all, people’s needs and people’s wants have a tendency to merge and to somehow expect that all anyone will ever want in life is a little bit of something and no more, seems to run against what we know of human nature.  Furthermore, people that have power, money, as well as influence, typically are not the same type of people that willingly give such away. In summary, all of the concerns about how we should be fearful of communism, just seems to be misapplied, and what America really needs to concentrate upon, is doing the best by its own people, above all.

American mythology: good guys v. bad guys

America has all sorts of annoying habits, some of little or no consequence, and others that most certainly do have meaningful consequences. For instance, America intones religiously that they are the epitome of what it means to be the “good guy” and everyone on the other side, is by definition, the “bad guy.”  The fact that America insists on seeing this world, as a strictly binary one, in which, only those that are on America’s side are good, and all those that stand on the other side, or are ambivalent, are bad is not only stupid and simplistic, but it also is fundamentally flawed.

In truth, countries have a lot in common with the characteristics of people, of which, people are always going to be a mixture of good and positive attributes, as well as bad and negative faults. That is the way that we are, for even the best of people, slip up now and then, and even the worst of people, perform some virtuous deeds. So then, it is not conceivable for any one country to be consistently good and right, and for any other country, to be consistently bad and wrong. To believe then in a simplistic binary world is something that brews a whole lot of trouble, because people and nations that are incapable of honest reflection are going to not only make mistakes but also to compound their mistakes, because they don’t believe that they are ever mistaken.

When America insists upon proselytizing to the general public that they are always the good guys, this thus represents the type of mindset that will only breed discontent with all those that we could have friendly relations with but are precluded from doing so because hard binary divisions, are almost impossible to overcome, because there isn’t any middle ground or nuance attainable between these two respective groups.  Indeed, quite obviously, the reason why so many people and countries are fixated upon good v. bad, is because they in actuality don’t want to consider that the opposing side has any value to their position and viewpoint, as well as also because they don’t want regular people to actually use their mind to think, but prefer people to just be compliant to the professed orthodox viewpoint.

So then, good v. bad, which may well make for a good storyline in a movie or book, is not a true reflection of how healthy societies operate, for the lack of even attempting to understand the other, leads obviously to incivility and intolerance, which isn’t healthy or right.  The fact that the so-called leader of the free world, is so dogmatic about it always being good, and everyone else that doesn’t kowtow to the American view, being bad, makes for a world that will not have justice, peace, or civility, because there isn’t any room for that to occur.

Indeed, for all those that desire to have world peace, the very first thing that needs to occur, is for America to get off its binary high horse, and therefore open the door for actual meaningful diplomacy so that organizations such as the United Nations, would actually be united about the very things that are of most importance to healthy societies, which are peace, justice, fairness, and civility.

The value of encouragement

Life would not be all that interesting if there weren’t any challenges or obstacles for us to overcome. So then, as much as many of us do wish for a perpetual “easy street” it is better for us in our internal growth to face what we need to face, which we should thus properly see as an opportunity to assess our mettle and to thereby prove ourselves worthy. So too, none of us live in a vacuum, for we are part of a family as well as being part of a society, of which, it is therefore our obligation one to another, to be of help and of aid to each other. One of those seminal ways to be helpful is to be encouraging – especially when we consider that it often takes a long time to master anything of real merit. So then, because it can take us considerable time to completely earn a given skill set, and because that which we are devoted to mastering, must have a beginning to it, then it so follows that when we first begin our journey, that this then is often a time when encouragement for us to keep sticking ai it, will be of high importance.

Indeed, those that discount encouragement in any of their various forms, have gotten it all wrong, because as social creatures, we want to be affirmed as being of value, or of potential. This thus signifies that we each have a responsibility to be encouraging to one another, not only to benefit those that need to hear and to feel that encouragement, but also because invariably at some stage in our own life, we will have been encouraged to keep going on, when we were doubtful or hesitant to believe that we had the right stuff to keep going on to get to where we ought and should be.

While those that are discouraging should not necessarily be seen as always being a detriment to society, for there are times when discouragement has its rightful place because those that are wholly unrealistic about something, perhaps do need a considerate wakeup call – what we should never wish for ourselves or to become is to be consistently discouraging to one another, for when encouragement comes from someone that we hold in high respect, we find that their belief in us, helps us with our own unbelief.

Look, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and in order for many of us to achieve high success, this thus requires not only a strong foundation to build our success upon, it also appreciates the value of words rightly spoken that help to lift us up, so as to maintain our focus upon what we need to accomplish. All those that are encouraging to us help to not only to make us a better person, but also is a clear material help for us achieving the necessary things that will make us also a more valued person, who can thus then be of material aid to others.

We should encourage one another, because in our moments of deepest despair, it can be those very words of encouragement that keep us keeping on, and thereby gets us to where we need to be.

Government and the need to end involuntary unemployment

The American government spends a gargantuan number of monies on all sorts of things, of which, the overall prudence behind all that spending is absolutely suspect. Indeed, one of those things that America needs to do a better job of is employing those that desire to be employed, but who are either temporarily unemployed or consistently unemployed, for whatever reason. While it would be ideal for unemployed people to find a suitable job in the private sector, those opportunities are not always available, which therefore signifies that it is the government that needs to step in, so as to provide employment for those involuntarily unemployed.

When we look around at America, and particularly its infrastructure, there is most definitely a need for somebody to do something in order to upgrade and to maintain that infrastructure. So too, within communities, there are plenty of jobs that need to be done to help make that community a better and a more vibrant place, of which, for whatever reason, far too often, vital things that need to be attended to, end up being neglected for a lack the resources to get things done.  So then, it’s fair to state that in America, there is plenty of work available that needs to be accomplished.

When it comes to the federal government, that government is in control of the coin of the realm, meaning that unlike private enterprises, governments can run deficits for considerable periods of time. This means that for all those that are involuntarily unemployed that the government should represent the employer of last resort for these people for two basic reasons. The first reason is that the government would prefer to see the private sector be strong and healthy and therefore should not desire to siphon off qualified workers from private enterprises. The second reason is that people have a need for shelter, food, and healthcare, of which, to simply have a welfare system structured to support people, without those very same people, who would like to be, and should be employed, remaining unemployed, when there is plenty of needful work to be done, is wasteful and imprudent.

Additionally, when it comes to employment, and the labor that comes with such, governments have the ability to train and to be patient in the development of skill sets so meant to be of value both now and in the future for those so employed by the government. So that, it is in the training, the doing, and the work ethics so acquired, that people develop a toolkit that will be invaluable for them in their future employment. That is to say, the purpose of utilizing the government as the employer of last resort is for that government to not only to get needful work done, but also to help advance people that were previously unemployed to thus become skilled workers, thereby available for the private sector to utilized, going forward. As they say, idle hands are the devil’s workshop, so by the government taking those that are idle, and providing them with the opportunity to work for compensation, this will make for a healthier and a better society.

Sins and the progressive deadening of one’s conscience

Many people look for justification for the type of bad actions that they consider to be relatively minor for them to commit, which they know intuitively are wrong or sinful, but they don’t want to be held accountable for them, for all sorts of reasons, of which the most basic reason why they don’t want to be labeled as some sort of sinner, is because they do not desire to consider their actions as actually crossing the line into sinfulness.  That is to say, many a person wants to judge themselves on some sort of generous sliding scale, in which that judgment will always be relative and in their favor, because they only like to be compared against the worst of the worst.

In truth, what people seem to miss when they discount their sins and errors, is the fact that any sin, knowingly committed, or recognized later in retrospect as a sin, is something that takes a definite toll upon one’s soul, from the get-go  For instance, it is important to recognize that when we are born, we are birthed into existence as a human being who has not committed a sin. However, as we mature, the responsibility of what we think, say, and do becomes more completely our own, whether we desire to own up to it, or not. So then, while people can play all sorts of mental games about their culpability and their participation in bad actions, the bottom line, is that more times than not, we know that what we have so done has not come forth from involuntary compulsion, but rather it is from our own volition.

The problem of what we perceive to be little sins and little lies, is that the more that we are willing to believe that what we have done wrong, is no real big deal, the more that we are inclined to thereby excuse it and to do something similar to that, if not the exact sort of thing, again, and then again.  In other words, sin is the type of horrific act, that once we start upon and then subsequently do not demonstrate the self-control, good character, and discipline to correct, often becomes progressively worse. So then, to ignore our own sins and errant actions, or to have others not hold us accountable for such, because it all seems to be minor, places us upon a pathway that is only going to lead us to more trouble and subsequent moral pain, at a later time.

Indeed, the more that we sin and don’t believe such needs correcting, the more inclined and more susceptible we are to permitting ourselves to be open to committing more sinful acts, of which, the direction that we are on, places us thus in the position to get even deeper into trouble, because we are deliberately deadening our good conscience, more and more often.  In fact, when we repeatedly ignore that nagging voice of conscience that tells us we ought not to be doing what we are just about to do, we find then, by silencing that good conscience, we have effectively deadened our conscience, so as to relieve ourselves of feeling guilty about that which we should and normally would feel guilty about.

In summary, the main problem with those little sins, isn’t so much the sin, itself, but rather the fact that we have opened the door that takes us away from the light and thereupon into the darkness, which isn’t going to end well, till we turn ourselves around.

For all those that blame God for evil

There are far too many people that don’t ever want to take responsibility for the immoral acts that they have initiated and taken, even when intuitively they know that they are truly responsible for such. What people need to understand better is that the continual utilization of excuses or justifications for one’s injurious behavior can only go so far, and at some point, people need to own up to their actions and the consequences, so of. One of those things that people like to complain about is all of the evil that we see in society, of which, there are many a person that seems to sincerely believe that if there was a God, there wouldn’t therefore be any evil, but we see that there is plenty of evil, so then that means there is no God, or perhaps God isn’t so omniscient or fair as God should be.

Look, it must be said, that not only is there a God, but God is absolute perfection. This signifies that the evil that we see and perform on our own, could only come forth from those that are not in perfect alignment with God -- which could only be occurring by virtue of the fact that God has created us as free will beings, and that we have clearly not been responsible with that free will. So then, for all those that wish for no evil, this can be very easy to accomplish, when we sacrifice the volition and sovereignty of the individual to become an automaton, for then that individual as an automation, would lack both a conscience and volition, and would not themselves commit any evil, at all.

The world that we live in, is structured in a way that those that have free will, as gifted to them by their Creator, are provided with the power to do whatever that they so desire to do, subject to other people’s desires, the laws of the land, societal restrictions, and other relevant things.  So then, the evil that is in society, is the evil that we as a people, have created. This thus means that society provides us with the fair opportunity to prove our quality of character by not only by how we behave one to another, but also by what we do to help make society a better place for our participation in it. This thus indicates that we all are solemnly tasked with the responsibility to do good, or as will eventually be clear to slow learners or obstinate people, to suffer the fair consequences, so of, for our bad choices.

Those then that blame God or other people, for the woes of this world, have gotten it all wrong. This world is presented to each one of us, as our personal challenge to prove that we can utilize our free will to do something of merit, and by doing so, to earn our way back to that dimension in which there is no error and no misjudgment. Indeed, far too many people, don’t take the time to examine their own life, or to put forth the effort to discover the good purpose of life, to wit, part of the reason why evil exists is to provide us with the forum to do good, and to thereby overcome those obstacles, that seem to preclude us from staying the course to get to where we ultimately must end up.