Mind Your Business

Greetings:

 

            Have you ever been told to mind your own business? I have, and I have to say it’s a bit unpleasant to be told you have your nose where it doesn’t belong. We’re told from the time we can understand English, by parents, teachers and others we’re to mind our own business. It’s good manners and proper etiquette to keep ones private life to themselves, and stay out of the business of others.

Minding your own business would keep the normal human being busy for a lifetime, there should be no need to interfere in others lives. Unfortunately, there are some in this world who didn’t get the memo. They’re the ones with their nose sticking out of the curtains checking out who’s going to your home every time you pull into the driveway.

They’re the ones who offer advice when the last thing you need is more advice. They can tell you who’s done what, where, and when, and for how long. Their worlds consist of speculation, conjecture, and innuendo’s giving life to any hair-brain theorys they may concoct. They ruin lives and careers with no more evidence than smiles an inopportune time witnessed by the self imposed arbiters of others business.

We Christians are well adept at getting into others business, it seems to be our natural gift or calling. Christ says to work out your own salvation. I believe as much as He was talking about salvation, he was also inferring to keep your nose where it doesn’t belong. Work out your own life and leave others to theirs before you do unintended damage by your interference. We have plenty on our own plates; after all, no one is perfect, especially those seeking dirt on others. We will be judged by the same standard in which we judge; remember that next time you get into the life of another human being.

Doves, Hawks, and Buzzards

Greetings:

In the world of Birds there are many different types, but in relation to man and the bible there are three distinctive types of birds I would like to discuss. There is the Dove, the Hawk, and the Buzzard. All three have different rolls of to fill in the world; all three can be used as a description of mans actions.
Doves are one of few birds that mate for life, and create milk for their young. Doves are a symbol of peace, love, and hope for humankind. It was the second bird released by Noah from the Ark after the Raven he first released failed to return. The dove returned thereby becoming the symbol of hope of a new beginning for man. It is used as the symbol of the Holy Spirit of God coming down to us at baptism.
Hawks are a predator bird which kills their prey with their claws instead of their beaks like other types of predator birds. They also mate for life, some as long as forty five years. In spite of their reputation some types of Hawks are considered quite gentle. But in the realm of man a Hawk is pictured as someone who seeks war over peace. A hawk is a seeker of battle, who prefers the use of the sword over the offering of the olive branch.
Buzzards, well what can one say about buzzards? They’re the garbage disposals of nature, and they eat just about anything. They prefer the meals to be dead and rotting; living animals aren’t on their menus. They take advantage of the destruction around them and gorge themselves on the unfortunate.
These three are different in nature; they’re also different brands of men. The bible says the peacemaker is a “son of God.” The hawk although not portrayed in a warrior light in scripture is still used by man as one who seeks solutions with a sword, via the hawk’s talons. One, who seeks to live by the sword, will die by the sword.
But the vulture is the scary one, because it is the one who actually preys on men. The buzzard is the type of person that seeks the down-and-out, which takes advantage of the hopeless. The buzzard circles around hunting for those who have given up so it can take all that is left. When the dove and the hawk fail, the buzzard shows his face, death is around the corner, and there is no more time to make a difference. Have you ever wondered which describes you best of these three birds; are you a dove, hawk, or a vulture? God Knows!

Sitting In My Head

Greetings:

I was listening to a news show the last evening and one of the anchors mentioned someone sitting in another person’s head. I ponder the meaning of the expression and decided they are those in my realm of influence that tend to occupy space and time in my noggin. It’s not pleasant to come to that realization because it means I’m letting others bother me in ways that brings satisfaction to them. They are those where being in others heads is their goal in life. It garners them a sense of accomplishment to see their victim’s squirm under intense pressure they created.
Many friends or neighbors often stop by in my head just to bring by a weekly dose of friendly antagonisms. They deliver timely gossip deriving from being in others heads shortly before they were evicted and moved on to me. We seem to take up residence in others heads without knowing it and have to be asked to leave often by the slamming the minds shut. We really try to be neighborly but some folks just take advantage of the open door policies in our heads.
The politicians really get into my head on occasions and they’re the nastiest bunch of all, because they’re so hard to get out. They’re like ticks buried on a hound-dog once they’ve established their presence in your head. All they want you to think about is them, all they talk about is them; we need to invent some interior head-wash just for them.
The one I want taking up residence in my head more than any other person or thing is God. But, He is the hardest to get to stay; I have to keep inviting Him in. I try and keep His commandments because He said if we did, He would be in our hearts and minds, and that is exactly where I want God, taking up space in my head.

The Opposite is True

Greetings:

There are many ironies a person encounters in their life. Sometimes we get up to go to bed, or it’s said, we might work at play. We find ourselves struggling to get to the bottom of things and need answers to important questions and we don’t care how long it takes. We’ll find ourselves laughing at funerals, crying at weddings, we might giggle at inappropriate times or shed a tear for a great movie ending. We sometimes love those we hate, and hate those we love.
There are those that hate guns with fervor; yet, call for men carrying guns when they’re in trouble. We dread to see the lights of a police car, but it brings relief to our souls when we need them.
Our government is full on ironies; we see lawmakers continuously breaking laws they make. They say more taxes help the people, and more regulations make us safer, but they are found avoiding taxes and skirting regulations. We’re told by our honorable representatives what we should eat, where we should sleep, smoke, or drive. Yet, they eat, sleep, smoke, and drive wherever they please. I guess the true irony is, you have to be a politician to be truly free in this nation.
But, we see greatness in the smallest of things and ignore the many small wonders in our vast universe. Most have gifts or special abilities like art, poetry, or writing, but rarely take advantage of their God given abilities. We love to see others work of beauty, but hide our own creations because someone might see them.
We deny God’s presence as a country and as a people, but invoke his name in times of trouble. Most folks live their lives without being hampered by religion, but still believe God is present in their lives. We cry out in prayers seeking God’s help, but never once thought God may have needed our help, so we weren’t there for Him. How ironic is it, the creator of this world loved you from the foundation of its beginnings, but we can’t find even enough love to recognize He exists.

Movies and Cups

Greetings:

 

            Recently the world has been offered up a smorgasbord of magic filled, fractured fairies; demon immersed, and gory movies from the film industry. It has gotten to the point where one can hardly turn on the television without being exposed one way or another to the dark side of the spirit world. Add special effects, heart wrenching music and you get a story with great rating or sells huge at the box-office.

            This past week Hollywood pranced out its new perversion, “Noah”. To the dismay of Christians around the world, it glorified the satanic instead of the Godly. Ironic as it seems, Noah is a biblical story about God destroying the world for that very reason. The Hollywood version attempts to portray God as bad and the demonic as the good, but this isn’t something new. We’ve seen over the past few decades a movement towards glorifying evil, giving it a face children will embrace.

            Movies where monsters are the good guys and are popular with children are all the rage it seems. Paint them blue or green, make them hideous and funny at the same time, humanize them so they are no longer scary and you get an adorable creature instead of something horrible or scary. 

            “What’s wrong with this you ask?” The Bible states in first Corinthians 10:21, You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Does that include adorable monsters, so called good witches, and well meaning vampires as well? Does the bible matter to you, or is it just a book of myths and legends?

            We all have choices in what we watch, what we choose to let our children see and hear, and what we allow in our homes. We have a choice in the cups we drink from spiritually speaking, but only one is from God, isn’t it time we figure out which one that is and give Hollywood the message by not attending their satanic indoctrination sessions, called movies.

A Kid Again

Greetings

 

          It’s said, you spend the first 2 years of their life teaching children to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut-up.

            It’s a shame we aren’t able to make our children listen to every piece of good advice we have to offer, just like we listened to our parents when we were young. We could teach them all sorts of dos and don’ts making them exact images of our selves. Never misbehaving, never staying out late, and never, never, bringing home the wrong boyfriend or girlfriend.

            Just imagine, never raising your voice in anger over silly misunderstandings about bedtime, supper-time, or homework. Imagine clean rooms, no clothes lying on the floor, and chores done without asking. It surly would be a utopia if these things were true, but we all know the joke above is more indicative of all children in the past and today.

            But just imagine for a moment, you’re a child again and you’ve become that perfect adolescent. What would you give to be that adoring, perfect child that is the twinkle in your Fathers eye? Believe it or not, it’s possible.

            We all have the opportunity to be that imaginary creature, reborn for perfection into the Kingdom of God. A creature tried and proved in this world, and given a crown for ruler-ship in the Kingdom of Christ and the Father.

Workers

Greetings:

 

            It’s said, what you save, you leave behind; what you spend, you have awhile, but what you give away, you take with you.

            One of the fewer quoted scriptures in the Bible is found in Revelations the 14^th chapter, verse 13. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” NKJV

            Work defines who we are as a person both in the physical world and the spiritual world. The first question most folks ask someone when they first meet, “what do you do for a living?” They begin to draw conclusions in their minds about you based upon preconceived ideas what someone in your profession should be like. If you’re a doctor your profile will be totally different than someone who drives a truck for a living.

            Work allows us to do things we want to do ordinarily we couldn’t. It allows us to purchase the things we need and don’t need. It allows us to be generous, and giving if we are so inclined. It shows we have a sense of responsibility to family and others in our community.

            Work is spiritually important as well. It’s works of a different kind, and we are called to perform our duties. Obeying God just like obeying our regular boss, it’s part of our agreement with Christ. Christ is the greatest overseer in creation and His commands are set in stone. Whether we like it or not, they too define us. We can’t say our spiritual works don’t matter any more than say our works don’t matter in our physical job.

            Living on this earth for God is spiritually defined by our works; are we slackers, rebellious, and malcontents? Or, are we truly living for God as good, honest, productive, workers whose sights are set on the corporate office.