Proverbs 4:7

I’m about to change everything about everything so I hope you stick around. What I’m about to give is understanding with illustration that’s profound but simple. Now to the point.

Have you ever wondered if God speaks to you? Oh, you say you do but you never heard Him speak to you. Oh, you say the way you live your life He wouldn’t want to. Oh, you say you’re still waiting. Oh, did I hear you say you don’t believe in God. WRONG PEOPLE, wrong, wrong, wrong. God speaks to each and every one of us 7/24 since the beginning of our creation and I’m going to try to explain it as I learned.

When God created Man, He met with Man in the cool of the day, (Genesis 3:8). We/Man had total trust in God as He nurtured us in all things. Any and everything we needed and were to be aware of He provided. We weren’t created to omit God from anything, but something happened. We got deceived and ate from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (aka. blessings and calamity) that was in the mist of the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 2:17). This trees fruit was significant because of its nature and to eat of it opened our eyes to what we never knew or dreamed and that was to have doubt and question everything, including God. We didn’t have that trait before then and never knew it existed; God was our source of everything, so what is this trait. It was the introduction of conscience, not consciousness but a conscience that from then until now has been our battle; the battle of should I or should I not, and perhaps I may or perhaps I may not, the battle within.

Our conscience puts before us questions by reason that our emotions decide, choices for example between right and wrong etc. If we choose wrong; you heard the phrase, we’ll have a guilty conscience, an inner conviction. We don’t own this conscience but it’s there lurking and we don’t tap into it, but make decisions based on what’s in it for me or those like me that it offers. Scripture says it’s where the battle is, affirming it’s not of this world but the principalities of a world we don’t see, (Ephesians 6:12). That’s right, this verse is explaining your conscience and it’s a spiritual battle apart from this physical world; a battle not between you and me, but a battle presented to our conscience of how we’ll treat and live with each other and ourselves; it’s the spiritual Realm speaking to you, and you making the choice to hear and obey the suggestion. What’s speaking are two things, one, our sin of disobedience inherited from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; conscience by Satan, and second, God speaking to that conscience through the Holy Spirit to get you to do the right thing by Him.

Satan, who is the ruler against the authorities, and is the power of this dark world, and the spiritual force of evil in the Heavenly realms comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came so that we have life and have it abundantly, not at the expense of others, but our own as only He can deliver, (John10:10). When you can do wrong without conviction of conscience, (1st Timothy 4:2) your God is Satan; he’s speaking to you and you’re obeying, but if you fill convicted about the wrong you’re doing or did, you’re hearing from God; God is speaking to you through the Holy Spirit, (Romans 1:18).

When we teach young children to get along with others in schools; teaching them right from wrong, we’re teaching them how to hear from God and that doing wrong will give them a guilty conscience and they don’t want that, plus we teach there’s consequences for doing so. [ Whatever happened to the separation of church and state, I’ll tell you, Satan deletes the source, (Romans 1:21) and ignorance of what happened in the Garden pertaining to the Knowledge of the Tree of Good and Evil with its introduction of conscience into the world makes a mockery out of the separation between church and state because no one and nothing can get around this fact and its results which God forbade and the guilt of conscience that ensued. Conceivably it’s God speaking to you about a choice you’re able to make because of that knowledge that could be against His Will saved or not, young or old, obeyed or not, from cradle to grave, taught everywhere and upheld in courts when His statutes are broken when the choice was wrong. Where’s the separation? Schools and courts uphold the voice and word of God.] But many households teach their children different. They’re teaching their children not to hear from God but to hear and follow Satan who is THIER god, but Satan is a liar period, (John 8:44), and a lot of this is because of ignorance, (Hosea 4:6). Doing right is listening to God and taught spiritually through sound conscience even if there’s nothing else; not doing right is wrong — ignoring God, listening to Satan, and is also taught spiritually but again passing over sound conscience leaning to your own understanding; snubbing that there is something else, (2^nd Timothy 1:7), and (Proverbs 3:5), so there’s no excuse because of your choices, (Romans 1:20 & 22). God will speak to you through your conscience and will remind you of His ways.

To discriminate, manipulate, hate, deceive, exploit, cheat, destroy; kill without conscience, meaning that your way of life is to destroy the innocent because they’re different and shouldn’t be around and justification of their demise is  because of YOUR belief, or for YOUR profit or gain, or for YOU and some group is not of God, it is of the Antichrist spirit and you are damned because God will quit speaking to you and let Satan have you, (Romans 1:28-32). But if your conscience convicts you of these things, you still have a chance. God is speaking to you and hasn’t given up on you. Look at this world and see Satan’s work. His followers hear his voice just like God says His followers hear His Voice, (John 10:27).

Once you understand this is just one of the ways God speaks to us all — through our conscience, you can grow and move forward toward a deeper and more vivid communication from Him because His Voice that you hear through your conscience is His simplest form of communication.

God didn’t give up on us and how He made us even though we disobeyed Him in the Garden. He didn’t write us off totally — so there’s some things we can’t get around because it’s still in our DNA, and it’s Him constantly speaking to us and we hearing Him saved or not. We weren’t made to disobey God but after we ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil we learned how, (Proverbs 14:12). And in (Proverbs 14:13) He explains the guilty conscience, but don’t worry Jesus came and through Him we get reprogramed on how to function at the higher level we had before the introduction of conscience and the choice to be disobedient, doubtful; forsaking a supernatural lifestyle. Hey — let’s face it; God does. Oh, but because of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, perhaps you may or perhaps you may not.

Gaidi

One day my son asked me, Dad — What makes a Great man? Tough question I thought. I took some time to gather my thoughts as my son stared into my eyes with a look that read he was pleading; he needed nothing but the truth, no fluff. I told him this.

A Great man is not how fast you can run, or how high you can jump Son, or how well you can sing, or how graceful you can dance, or how excellent you can speak, or how perfect you can read, or how much money you can earn, get my drift. Son, a Great man is not the man you see in the mirror, but can be a topic of discussion that’ll live on forever once whom he sees in the mirror is gone from this realm called time — but it’ll be defined by the one’s he left; not you.

A Great man does loving things, but doing loving things won’t make you a Great man. A Great man is humble, but being humble doesn’t make you a Great man. A Great man is trustworthy, honest, but being trustworthy doesn’t make you a Great man. A Great man will be emulated and quoted, but being emulated doesn’t make you a Great man. A Great man gives much of himself, but giving for no return doesn’t make you a Great man. A Great man can be rich and famous, but wealth and fame doesn’t make you a Great man. A Great man can be upfront or in the rear; unseen. So when you’re called Son to be upfront or asked to be unseen, this won’t make you a Great man. A Great man is honored to be in YOUR presence, but someone who celebrates you doesn’t mean you’re a Great man.

A Great man makes his mark on your soul. A Great man learned how to live and be comfortable in himself, but not the self he sees reflected in the mirror Son, or the one that they’ll maybe read and brag about. I peered deep into my son’s eyes, as deep as he was peering into mine. You feel me Son I paused, upsetting his stare, interrupting that wide-eyed expression which was revealing how intense his thoughts, captivating him; racing through his imagination.

Wow Dad he said in bewilderment. Loving, dependable, humble, trustworthy, honest, copied, money, fame and fortune, upfront or unseen, respectful of others, giving, and having peace within, and not one of these will make you a Great man?

No Son, but Great men exemplify these traits and more but when he leaves time and goes back into eternity, he’ll always be grieved when mention. The things he did would’ve outweighed his character. To have seen him, he’d be as you. To have known him, is like having a relative. To miss him is like time standing still.

As time goes on, Great men are glorified and some become bigger than life; likewise Son, as time goes on, will someday one be you? I know this happened for Jesus.

Gaidi

Going into the new year we have a tradition called the making of New Year resolutions. We promise ourselves to do or don’t, but for most of us we’ve broken it or them before we’ve really gotten started or given them a chance; why? The simple answer is because change is hard, it’s part of something new, a future happening and the future can remove us from what we’ve known, excepted, or experienced by taking us away from our comfort zone installing us into unknown and uncharted territory even though we know the expected results are better.

Let’s be honest–we usually don’t plan enough or at all mainly going with the flow of trends that’s been prepared for us and making decisions based on those givens, but to actually blueprint our destiny, few do. The closest we get to planning our future most likely is job related and associated with the company you’re employed, but for the most part on a personal level, it’s wishful thinking.

Planning for the future is work, hard work and as result, an involuntary but spontaneous minus to this aim and we’ll spend time mulling over the past; too much time. Hey! it’s part of us. Our main thoughts are just re-enactments of time gone by and there’s not one thing we can do about it and it’ll always seem as if it happened yesterday, so because it’s past reality we’ll murmur about those happenings spending too much time there with some of us wishing–if we could just get that time back, and sadly many of us try. This pattern stunts our future, and the future is all we have to look forward to. The past is done which brings me to my topic.

If you think real hard you’ll understand there’s no such thing as the present. Every move you make and every thought you have is a futuristic action once made becomes the past; there’s no present. The only reason we assume a present is because of time with its 24-hour day and giving reason to that assumption because everything incorporated in that time frame is considered the present. Remove time and there’s no present–only past and future.

There has to be no recollection of a past or a future to be in a present state because a present state is personal and is only achieved at death. In death time stops; past and future are no more for that diseased individual, their forever state of present which is defined by time–is, and an eternity begins for them in that state, but for the born again/saved it’s a little different because the moment you’ve receive Christ, eternity began for you; we’ll never be without life, (2^nd Corinthians 5:8), (Hebrews 2:9) and because of this, putting more time in remembering the good old days rather than planning for better days is a slap in God’s face since for the born again/saved tomorrows never end, so hanging out in the past is a waist of why God created you, (Genesis 1:28). In this verse it says be fruitful and multiply. God made no plans for the same o, same o, and He has none now. He reminds us in (Proverbs 29:18), Where there’s no vision, the people perish. Dah! Spending too much time in the past will take the life out of you because there’s nothing happing there. All the happenings are in next, not in reviews. Yesterday is a reason for advancement, today is that step, or you’re dead already. Trying to dwell in the past is a forthcoming decision that’s all fantasy do to it’s gone.

The one who created the universe has huge plans for you that if He gave them to you all at once you’ll never do them because you’d be overwhelmed; you’d treat them like you do New Year resolutions, here’s another thing, God will not spoon-feed you to your Destiny but He will take you there if you step out in faith toward it not wavering, but it can’t contradict His Word. We can’t please God when we make it impossible for Him to do His thing because of our lack of faith and disbelief, (Hebrews 11:6). We disbelieve and lack faith when we feel we can’t do anything better that’ll change our current situation, locked in a present mindset by excepting what’s already happened trying to live a kind of existence which excepts an early death in exchange for better understanding in order to defeat that lie, and I don’t care if you disagree, the alike understanding is living as God said, giving Him the lead by rejecting the way YOU wish it was or could be, (the past/present) for the way God says it is and should be, (the future).

They’ll be left and right turns along the way but it’ll be no reason to quit regardless of the situation or circumstances; these issues will only be categorized as experiences. The twist and turns in your path is no reason to doubt or bail out because immediate gratification is not met. God says, be anxious about nothing, keep believing and be thankful (Philippians 4:6). Too consider those obstacles can throw you back into reflecting on the past flirting with the possibility of making decisions about them to satisfy your lack of faith and stimulate the dependents of your own understanding that’ll circle around how easy it was yesterday (Exodus 16:3).

When you keep doing the same thing looking for different results it’s called insanity. Considering what has already happened as your destiny is sad and not realistic. God doesn’t like or tolerate this type of attitude because it excludes Him, limits Him, and confuses you; leaving you alone and hopeless.

Dwelling in the past doesn’t please God. Not having a vision for the new year or at any time for that matter is sinful, and quitting or breaking them is worse. So if this is you, me included, consider yourself the living dead trying to live in the present and there’s no such thing. Plan, do, create; give God a chance and quit quitting there’s no future in it.

Gaidi

Word of note: We hold on to the past so tight that it’s easy to let go of any kind of unfamiliar or challenging disparities that’ll include change for the better, change for fulfillment, change for growth, prosperity and quality of life because it’s fearful and uncharted territory requiring effort not many want to give so we quit because immediate gratification is not met; too hard, but show us some quick, low information, nonproductive but simple change and just like that, hurry up and quickly fill me in.

We’re programed by what stimulate our interest to want the most reward for the least effort, so we daydream combining them with the past trying to make yesterday better again with exceptions, and making decisions based on the experiences. God grieves at this wasted lifestyle and He has no concern for it. His only concern is about our future with the fullness of life and all its abundance He’s prepared for us by calling whatever is holding us back a thief. Simmering in that nothing that’s already happened called your past is robbery, will distroy you, can kill you, and is not of God, (John 10:10).

It requires strength to let go of the past in order to change, but yesterday’s strength can’t get you through today because yesterday’s strength was based on yesterday’s events unless yesterday’s events were solid winners defined by Scripture. The strength built on realizations of the past handcuffs your future and is shaped by doubt. The strength needed to move toward your destiny requires trust. Trust is not needed for anything that happened yesterday. You formulate trust to complete, you establish doubt to close the door on vision.

Strength comes from exercise and repetition but the exercise of what, doubt/the past, or trust/the vision? Trust in the vision should be the stronger not the weaker, if not, you’re living your life backwards and out of touch with God, and the habits surrounding those choices with people in that circle influence your destiny and quality of life. I could say more but this is a blog post, not a sermon. Next time, Gaidi

There’s only a few days left until the New Year and less than that until Christmas. It’s funny how the signs of the times shape your views of Holidays. Question: What was the best Christmas ever for you? Was it when you got gifts galore? Was it when you got exactly what you wanted? Were you in love or away for the Holiday? For me, my best Christmas ever was like this.

Me and Mom were very poor; it was only us two, (I’m a product of a broken home). It was very hard on Mom trying to make ends meet; however, for the illustration of this story I’m going to start by letting you know I was about too turn 14 years old at the time which was some 54+ years ago.

Mom doesn’t and never had a good education; she was raised in an era when most women her age who finished high school or not got married. In fact, she was told you don’t waste a college education on a woman because she’s only going to get married and not use it anyway. It was a time when a one income family was the norm, a time when men did the work and were the breadwinners not women. Men worked someplace doing something; pride was not an issue and it never came into play since there were jobs, and many men worked more than one. The United States was a manufacturing Nation but today we don’t manufacture too much of anything so the middleclass is eroding. But here’s me and Mom in Detroit by way of Chicago this year alone on Christmas Eve-eve and with nothing; no tree, gifts, or anything.

Mom made $25 a week in those days and I stocked shelves at a small grocery store. Rent was $100 a month (you do the math); it was tough, real tough. We combined our money to get by but let me get back on point.

It was about 8 o’clock Christmas Eve-eve night when there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it and to my surprise there were some Boy Scouts at the door with a Christmas tree asking if I wanted it. I thought, how nice and how this would please Mom because she was very religious; a born again Christian and heck, it’s Jesus’ birthday we’re celebrating so I yelled, ” Mom some guys are here with a Christmas tree can we have it cause they’re just giving it away?” Well, she said, Okay, so they brought it up, we lived in an upstairs flat, they even set it up. I remember how good it smelled and me and Mom was so happy we could just cry. It was practically impossible to hold back the tears. We thanked the Scouts and they left because they said they had more to do. Me and Mom just stared at that tree as it gradually fell into shape the rest of the night and eventually we falling asleep where we sat.

The next day Christmas Eve, Mom wrapped empty boxes that we saved for something or other with paper bags, (plastic bags were not yet invented so you saved a lot of your paper bags for cleanup and storage), and put them under the tree. That night it began to snow; you could see the flakes through the window, big flakes. It was enough snow to cover the grass and was very pretty. Mom made some hot pet milk with sugar and water that she poured into coffee cups which made a very nice, warm Christmas Eve drink. We felt very blessed and very happy as we raised our cups and said, “Happy birthday Jesus.”

That was the best Christmas I ever had. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody.

Gaidi

Christmas is that time of year for good stories and I’ve got one. I once told the story about the best Christmas I ever had. Some of you may remember it was about the Boy Scouts bringing me and Mom a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve which was it for Christmas that year, but this story tops it. I’ll post my best Christmas ever in a few days. Anyway, I’ve been playing Santa Claus for a preschool (the Head Start Program) for a while but this one year I got floored.

I got to school for the traditional breakfast with Santa. It was early and the children were just trickling in when I drove up and came face-to-face with this particular young lad, a preschooler walking to the door with his mother. I was in my Santa suit so the lad was at ease to say, “Santa! They said you’d be coming here today and I got you a gift.” I replied in character, “Merry Christmas Son; thank you.” His Mother suggested, (and we’ll call the lad Kaleb for this story) “Kaleb, since Santa’s here why don’t you and he go inside together and I’ll see you later. Kaleb looked at me asking, “Where’s your reindeer?” I answered, “Only on Christmas Eve Kaleb; other than that day I’ll use whatever transportation’s available to get me where I’ve got to go.

Once inside the school I asked Kaleb which way should we go, upstairs or down, but Kaleb looked at me puzzled, “You don’t know do you? Down Santa, we go downstairs.” So, we went downstairs and some teachers greeted us saying, “Santa you’re here.” Again, I said Merry Christmas and after some exchanges and instruction I let them know I was going upstairs to let the other teachers know I was here but Kaleb interrupted reminding me, “Santa your gift!”

I let Kaleb know that it was okay to leave the gift he had for me here until the end of the day, that way I wouldn’t forget it but the look on his face after I said that was the look of total rejection. His head bowed down and his bottom lip poked out hurt by my statement and my re-actions about his request. His teachers asked him what was wrong but he paused a very noticeable and deliberate pause answering under his breath, “Nothing”, but of course we all knew different.

After about sixty children giving me hugs as I played Santa, giving them candy canes; asking them their names, would they like to take a picture with me, what they wanted for Christmas, look at the camera and on the count of three say Merry Christmas and so on and so forth, Kaleb’s class came into the picture room.

When it was Kaleb’s turn to get his picture taken he raced up to me; “Santa!”  He greeted me all excited, like he’d just found his best friend, and I was just as excited with him. I went through my routine with Kaleb as I did with every child but when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas he stared at me and question, “Santa, why do you have a beard?” And my answer was, “Where I live it keeps me warm;” then Kaleb answered, “I want a car. I love cars, I play with the cars here at school all the time but I can’t take any of them home.” Next he said, “I don’t have one so I want a car to play with at home for Christmas.” ( I shouldn’t have to tell any of you my reply but in case I do), I told him, “We’re going to work hard on that son.”

After about sixty more children things begin to slow down. A teacher came up to me saying Kaleb had to go; his mom was in a hurry but he was so insisted on giving you this gift. We told him don’t worry we’ll give your gift to Santa Claus, we promise, we won’t forget.

I opened up the poorly wrapped gift and after seeing what was inside my chin fell to the floor. Inside of a partially covered tissue box was a car; a car submerged inside bundles of tissue, the kind of car Kaleb could play with for hours. I glanced back and forth at the car and the teachers to everyone’s surprise as they explained in shock. They were shaking their heads while telling me; all the children got a Santa package yesterday and we put a toy in each package. “We knew Kaleb’s love of cars so we put a car in his package–that one, but don’t keep it because we’ll give it back, we’re going to give that car back to him.” I was stunned and lost for words. All I could say was okay but I wanted that car. Then I mumbled, “Don’t give this one back to Kaleb get another; find another child outside of this school to give it too.”

Yah see, Kaleb gave up the thing he loved the most, the thing he wanted more than anyone could imagine, the thing he wish for, dreamed of and spoke about everyday but gave it away to someone he considered special. It didn’t matter to him that he was going to miss what he loved so much. The only thing that mattered was he felt Santa would love the car just as he, and Santa did. Kaleb didn’t feel he was losing anything as long as he could make a difference in Santa’s life; it was about how he felt in his young heart, that unconditional love he was too young explain or understand but those feelings inside were worth more to him wanting to give a gift to Santa even though the gift was all he wanted and loved but thought Santa would like also rather than how he’d feel later in a quiet moment of self-pleasure. What a lesson we were all getting and it was being taught by a preschooler who wasn’t there. His mother came and got him and took him someplace else. Thank God because none of us would’ve been capable of acting as spontaneous as we were acting, all emotional and sensitive inside the moment. We may have done the wrong thing.

Giving back that car would have crush Kaleb I said misty-eyed. You can’t give that car back to Kaleb if you understand absolute and unrestricted love, if you’ve ever loved someone with all your heart and soul, if that someone you love meant more to you than your own wants, desires, needs and happiness, and it’s only their joy that’ll make you feel meaningful, besides that’s all that mattered most if you understood what Kaleb did. Some of us never will get it, or even think to do such a courageous act of love. Kaleb gave more that Christmas then Santa; it kind of reminds me of the Widow’s mite, (Mark 12:41-44).

My prayers and many thanks go out to Kaleb this Christmas and for all of my Christmas’ forever more. What a young man. What an example for all of us and Mankind. Merry Christmas everyone especially you Kaleb for making mine this year and every year to come from now on special with the greatest gift of all, the gift to love someone. Merry Christmas and praise be to God for His sacred, blessed, holy and beloved Son Jesus, my Lord, my savior, my God. Merry Christmas everyone, have a safe and prosperous New Year; love to you all.

Gaidi

Word of note: Love is a choice not an emotion and if someone chooses to love you cherish it, there’s no better feeling and you’ll miss it if they ever chose to stop.

In the wake of our too long and extremely expensive run for the transfer of power that governs this nation, more familiarly known as our presidential election is finally over; the results are in and there was a major and shocking upset. All the data from the multimillion dollar prognosticators failed and every method to predict the outcome of this 2016 election was wrong from top to bottom. Technology went down for the count, and Hillary Clinton the odds-on favorite was defeated convincingly.

Hillary had the plans, the demeanor and the experience; arguably she won all the debates, had shown she could think on her feet under pressure even when the pressure was directed at her personally. She was seasoned, knew her way around, was hands down more knowledgeable about foreign affairs as she spoke about her first-hand experiences, meetings and negotiations with global leaders and dignitaries friendly or hostile, and the results from those encounters. She has a track record of dedication to her causes and respect from those on her team who fight the battles with her but she’s not perfect by any means because no one can be; yet even though her life has been no piece of cake and has always been made harder than average because she lives it as if it’s being lived in a fishbowl, never hidden because of her high profile; out there for all to see and judge every move about her career and entire adult life, she did it taking on all comers.

She knew firsthand what the job she was seeking was about and its demands mentally and physically because of her husband, former President of the United States Bill Clinton who sat in that chair eight years. She’s a crusader for women, children, minorities, immigrants, religious freedoms and human rights, but she lost, Hillary Clinton lost and it wasn’t close. I could go on.

On the other side, the opponent Donald Trump had no plans he’d reveal, no experience in government on any level as a leader of anything, arguably lost every debate, could not think on his feet so his way out of his lack of knowledge was character assassination and playground verbiage using social media to make sure it got around the world immediately for all the news cycles to focus on rather than the issue, cared little or not at all about rules and regulations because he’s been above them all his life; privilege because he’s super rich acting like many of his peers feeling their money gives and buys them advantages over people making him act above what’s common and sensible falling into the Bible scripture that reads; too much money makes people corrupt and the love of it is no good, and why, because it doesn’t bring out the best in people; usually breeding the worst, (1st Timothy 6:9.10)

He’s ignorant about foreign policy and its affairs and government in general historically and fundamentally, he has no loyalties or respect except for himself, he’s lived his life taking advantage of the disadvantage because he can, and his claim to fame are threats, bullying, stretching rules and laws in and out court claiming it’s the American way and good business and so foolhardy about it bragging, if it was wrong they should have changed the rules.

Women, Latinos, some religious groups, certain minorities and the under-privileged are attacked and criticized as losers not with answers but with cruel and unnecessary babble using his money to exploit and get away with it, and he campaigned as if he really didn’t want the job but had the audacity and wealth to play out his dream audition while making a mockery of the most important process a civil governmental can exercise, and people found it amusing like a popular sitcom and bought into it.

Yahoo news wrote that “Trump and his campaign didn’t expect to win the race so didn’t engage with a transition process prior to his surprise victory.” In other words, Trump never planned or anticipated to move forward, the fun and games were over, but he won. The man with a TV show called the Apprentice is now himself an apprentice President-elect ready to delegate authority to the same people who broke America in the first place and be a rubber stamp President. I could go on.

At the time Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion the people of that day where asked to make a choice to pardon a convicted prisoner because of the holiday as it was custom to do so, (Matthew 27:15-17). Jesus the charismatic peace-loving giver, a servant for the people, a healer of sickness and disease, a miracle worker, an example of love, peace and humility; a teacher of a better way to live between one another and the living example of the power of God, or Barabbas who was sentenced to die the same way.

Now Barabbas was a notorious criminal responsible for insurrection, insurgents, robberies, and murders; constantly at odds with authorities and not hesitant to start revolts or engage in rebellion in order to rob and kill as a way of protest and revenge, and the people along with religious groups chose Barabbas, Jesus lost. (Mark 15:7-15) Fast forward and these like-minded people and religious authoritarians chose Hitler too.

I’m not comparing Hillary to Jesus or Trump to Barabbas by no means, what I’m saying is if you don’t learn from your history you repeat it, and we did, so what next? We chose emotion over substance, fiction over fact, make-believe over reality; the deception over the truth. We’ve practically re-enacted what was done some two thousand years ago and there’s still fall out about that decision? So, what happened to Barabbas because our results are now in and the verdict has been executed, accepted, and made law because the people have spoken?

There’s no account of Barabbas after his pardon so anything to that fact is made up because no more was written about him. Subsequently, did he go back to his old ways, we don’t know. But a happy ending is what we wish for our story today.

Was Barabbas a changed person and went about things differently; more grown-up and mature, seeing his position as no longer a condemn man but a chance to blossom into greatness he never knew he had instead of always dreaming but never realizing he’d actually get the second chance because of who he is and his life time of corruption, rebellion, vice, dishonesty, and exploitation with the me first at any cost ideology. Only if we knew what Barabbas really did?

Mr. President-elect Donald Trump what are you really going to do; it’s 3 o’clock a.m. the world and Mankind is upside down and all are surprised you’re sitting in that most important chair to receive the call. You’ve shocked the world, so are you the great sideshow we’ve already known about and come to believe, or is God doing what He always does by choosing the least, unqualified and undeserving individual to do great things. (1st Corinthians 1:26-29)

The Bible is full of people like you Mr. Trump, the least deserving put into positions to do the greatest good for God and the people they lead because of God. Mr. Trump do what’s right and not what’s popular. Let God be magnified by the choice He made in you through the people because you surely didn’t get elected being the sharpest knife in the drawer and you know it; trying to believe you were all that because you weren’t. The sharpest knife in the drawer that believed and just knew she was all that; lost. This happened before with the last opponent who defeated her for the position of the President of the United States, President Barack Obama who also was considered not the natural choice, but ended up being the right choice for the job at that time as he inherited issues he didn’t run on like saving this country from another great depression, first with the banks and next with the auto industry but was told no when it was the people’s turn. As a matter of fact some of congress met privately planning obstructionism so this new President’s re-election would be virtually impossible and they did this before he was even sworn in for the first time consequently holding this nation back for political agendas for eight years to ultimately seize power.

Mr. Trump, you’re the beneficiary of this treason that was planned by your party. If the Democrats do the same as the Republicans did them, and they usually don’t, then this nation has under minded its constitution meaning we don’t have one but do have a government out of control like the rest of too many nations. (Luke 21:25) If that’s ever the case, you yourself Mr. Trump will need to take out your Bible and read end time prophecy.

The world doesn’t like you Mr. Trump but don’t get even, lead by example from the ONE who put you there and not the many who are just as surprised as you about your victory. Then not only make America great again because we’re already great and have been for more than two hundred and forty years but also the world. May God be with you Mr. Trump and God bless America.

Gaidi

I’m seeing in women what I don’t want them to see in men, and vice a versa. What I’m seeing in today’s relationships is duty for duty. There’s no giving of anything but only doing what’s assumed the other wants for an exchange; entitlement or you can forget about it. What happened? Don’t hold my feet to the fire there’s always exception to the rule; if you’re the exception stop reading but this is what I see and hear, and it’s this kind of mindset in relationships that breeds confusion causing the enjoyment and pleasure of giving and being a giver more less extinct, turning a spontaneous life of what’s suppose to be compassion mixed with generosity into expectations and bounty, creating robot relationships made active because of duty. If we could only understand giving in a relationship divorce would practically disappear and marriages would increase. Check this out.

Giving empties secrets, but duty keeps them… A giver you can’t live without, but giving because of duty has an expiration date… Giving creates receiving, but giving out of duty is sabotage… Giving stimulates growth, but duty draws the line… Giving is living free, but duty is bondage… Giving softens the heart, but duty hardens it… Giving is everlasting, but duty is short lived… Giving mixes, but duty clashes… Giving is love, but duty is loveless… Giving makes men — men, and women — women, but duty makes men — males, and women — females.

Where are all the men and women?

So let’s summarize duty relationships: Male and females clashing, their relationships short lived and loveless because of the inescapable hardening of the heart, so you live in bondage with do’s and don’ts and lines drawn in the sand, always on the take sabotaging; expecting, expecting, and expecting; always expecting, living life matching the dumb animal kingdom’s survival for the fittest type of existence, while your true egotistical self-seeking colors and makeup simmer that’ll eventually emerge; they can’t stay hidden, but are poised to ruin and then you wonder.

Now let’s summarize giving relationships: Men and women who can’t keep anything from one another and don’t want too. What they do you can’t live without as something inside of you churns, swelling, wanting to be released so your Other feels about you the same way you feel about them while you both grow into each other sharing life and the world living open and invincible with your hearts entwined. When you look into the mirror you don’t only see yourself because you’ve mixed so perfectly with each other, and you hurt inside for them when you’re not at your best, within as well as out because you don’t want them failing to benefit from anything you know you can offer; so wonderful a person that their memory passes on and never die.

This is what’s called God’s Will — being done on Earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). I guess we need to know God’s Will in order to be men and women, and not just male and female. I pray YOU buy into it.

Gaidi

 

The power of God. I hear it all the time but what is it; this power of God, this power of God that’s to the right of me, and left of me; surrounding me. We hear the Believers; it’s always the power of God morning, noon and night, but what is it. Has it become just a cliché? Not. Now clear your mind and go with me.

The power of God is metaphysical, eternal, supernatural, and telepathic. You knew I’d go that way didn’t you; just hold on. If you’ve ever fallen in love with someone, you’ve felt those characteristics I’ve mentioned feeling your being change when near that person. I don’t feel that way when I see them, you do. Look at the young women at concerts how they react over the performers that draw them to heights of addictive abnormal behavior. They don’t act that way around their peers, but something just takes and grabs them over when they’re around certain artist; metaphysical. It comes on you as a mother’s love for her newborn baby. All the new mother wants to do is be there to care for her child and nothing else really matters, likewise with your New Birth if you commit. God has that kind of draw.

The power of God draws you to Him like a magnet draws iron. This lure to Him is settled, slow at times, but steady and some try to fight it, too it doesn’t happen overnight. Fight it if you want to; try if you must but it starts the moment you receive Christ and are serious about learning His teachings, and it’s not a fad that comes and goes it’s permanent. You’ll feel like a young child that won’t drift too far away from their parents if they’re in the midst of strangers possibly being disconnected from that force they can’t see but know it’s mingled inside of them, as for the subject matter, making you see things differently; making changes in your style. Welcome to the power of God.

Once upon a time I woke up mornings at 5:00am, did the hygiene thing and was out the door on my way to work within an hour. After work, sought fun and pleasure until I got sleepy. There was responsibility like home chores, groceries, and always children’s attention etc. before fun and pleasure but not to the point of being bogged down. Then the next day at 5:00am I was off and running again. Looking back I was living out of control, reckless thinking swell about myself; how can I say that about me you say when it appears like I’m doing nothing wrong – (Philippians 2:21 Proverbs 26:12 and 2^nd Timothy 3:1-17 along with 1^st John 2:15,16) as well as the power of God. God to the right of me, and left of me; surrounding me, metaphysically changing characteristics about me, making me see things differently; changing my style, constantly pulling me, slow at times but steady, killing the old me softly with His song.

I received Christ unknowingly until the day I knowingly received Him and began to realize the pull, which is His Embrace by the way. Settled but noticeable changes began to happen, my ear picked up on a signal I never gave thought that led me to a spiritual message I took time to listen too, and it wasn’t bad so I made an effort to tune into that program again. In a short while I bought a Bible I could understand, (Amplified) and later joined a church teaching the gospel of grace. Was I doing this on my own, I thought I was but scripture says I wasn’t (John 16:13). I was being drawn by the power of God. God to the right of me, and left of me; surrounding me, metaphysically changing characteristics about me, making me see things differently; changing my style, constantly pulling me, slow at times but steady, killing the old me softly with His song, strumming my pain with His fingers, singing and telling my whole life with His Word.

Now I’ve written an inspirational book and enjoy writing this blog, what’s happened to me; it’s the power of God singing as if He knew me and all my dark despair, God to the right of me, and left of me; surrounding me, metaphysically changing characteristics about me, making me see things differently; changing my style, constantly pulling me, slow at times but steady, killing the old me softly with His song, strumming my pain with His fingers, singing and telling my whole life with His Word.

Today I can’t start my day without prayer time with God; it can’t be done and it’s unsafe (Ephesians 6:10-18). Looking back, how could I walk out that door every day without saying thank you Jesus for another day and what’s on its agenda, then give Him time to answer, and people, we go some of anywhere and the time flies as He peers occasionally straight through me as if I wasn’t there; feeling flush with fever He kept on singing clear and strong, strumming my pain with His fingers, telling my life with His Word, killing me softly with His song, metaphysically changing characteristics about me, making me see things differently; changing my style, my whole life, constantly pulling me, slow at times but steady. He was a stranger to my eye but heard He sang a good song and had a style, so I paused my ways and came to Him and listened for a while. Now I’m saved and remember it like it happened yesterday; strumming my pain with His fingers, telling my life with His Word, killing me softly with His song telling my whole life with His Word killing me softly, with His Word.

Today I can’t conceive how people omit God on a person to person level and call themselves knowing Him. I was no way aware of such changes occurring, stirring inside my mind, body and soul having such an effect on my life. Looking back it can only be the power God. Now I seek Him because His way is better and I like the new me.

WARNING: If you don’t want what I’ve got don’t follow this blog because the power of God will eventually grab you, pulling you as it did me never letting you go.

Gaidi,

With some help from Roberta Flack’s smash hit “Killing me softly.”

For the past few days this fallen world has been on my mind. Looking at what people do, hearing and listening to what people say, learning what grabs them, what pleases them and what they think and how they feel about themselves is unreal. What stimulates this behavior? Technology. Technology improves the quality of life but it also energizes its opposite side. It’s like this; a knife in the hands of a doctor can save a life but in the hands of a murderer can take one.

Technology has become an idol god today brought to life by man’s imagination. Don’t have your cell phone in the vicinity of your person or similar device these days and watch attitudes change into panic or anger right before your eyes with exaggerated expressions of loss even grief fixed on their faces. The average young American now spends practically every waking minute except for time in a school classroom set and sleep using a smartphone, computer, television or other electronic device, “New York Times”.

School and media shape how young folks see the world. Satan rules the world system and the thoughts behind it because of the Fall of Man, (Matthew 4:8 and Revelation 12:9) using education, philosophy, mass media, the Arts, style, culture, entertainment, academia, government, churches, and technology bombarding us with views and laws contradictory of God’s Word. And the Scriptures tell us God destroyed and put to an end mankind because of his wicked imagination (Genesis 6:5,6), too, back then they didn’t and couldn’t even come close to the ease of moving information the way we do and can today.

Technology puts man’s imagination on steroids. God ain’t enough anymore is He? God can wait; got technology now. Everything but God is fast becoming the norm across the board signaling Jesus’ return sooner than we think, (Matthew 24:37-39).

I’ve never been so aware that I’m not of this world, maybe because now I’m older and the world is not about me anymore which helps me feel this way. I doubt it because scripture says I’m in the world but not of it because I’m saved now (John 8:23). Maybe my parent’s felt as I do today about my time, and maybe my parent’s parents felt the same way about my parent’s time. But no matter the generation technology was and is the culprit. It can urge the dark side of man’s imagination incredibly fast because of its capability to mass expose the sinful ways of this world with the intent to magnify and glorify it by how it gets broadcast, and we’re all victimized while new crimes and new lows of morality emerge and counter culture Industries thrive. God ain’t enough anymore is He? He can’t keep up, He’s old school they say, out of style; out of touch.

It’s not that God can’t keep up, the fact is more and more are being left behind. God doesn’t keep up; He wants to keep us from falling further behind then left. Too many are running the wrong way because of non-belief, disobedience or both. The masses are losing ground not God, the masses are out of touch not God; the masses are out of style/old school not God. God wants to pull but because of Satan’s craftiness camouflaged in all the allure we pull away hypnotized believing lies of deception; the con that brags, everybody’s doing it. We voluntarily pimp ourselves to the god of technology and its dark side. Technology was never meant to be an idol but it is now; God ain’t enough anymore is He?

But the born-again have an out written in (1st John 5:4,5) saying; the ones that will overcome the world believe that Jesus is the Son of God in the world but not of it, (John 17:14-16)

Gaidi

After years of being saved, fourteen (14) as a matter of fact, and with the changes in my life because of it, I’m grateful. I was on the road to nowhere shooting at nothing and hitting it every time. My views, position and philosophy of everything was so different. I’m able to say this because I’m living with new approaches and changes because I’m new, and folks, better. My purpose is better, my principles are better, and my mental state is better so says me, and as a result I must beware. Prayer, meditation, spiritual consciousness, Kingdom living as explained in the Holy Bible, and faith has become the more dominant force ruling over me, or is it?

Yesterday my confessions were; I make my bed and sleep in it, call my own shots win or lose, and comfortable with those choices because they help me be me. I didn’t let anyone or anything define me, so I thought. Now I try my best to stand firm on God’s Word, and that’s where I go wrong, by ME trying MY best.

To say I’ll try my best is to say I’m still in control calling the shots but leaving room for God if I error. That’s not faith it’s my freewill, independence; control, and that’s not so in God’s Plan for anybody. God’s Plan for you, me, him, and her, is fixed, already done. Those freewill traits so I thought were honest and true but exposed and defined where my heart was and it surely wasn’t with God so who was I fooling? Me!

It’s my freewill that’ll have me think God’s okay with how I’m handling things now that I’m saved and have changed a lot. It’s my freewill that’ll play religion before I can bat an eye. It’s my freewill to search for my comfort zone for control feeling good about myself. Like in (Luke 18:11) the Pharisee sizing up a man saying, at least I ain’t like that; I dare him. Question, but did you see yourself? Again, that’s not faith, its pride and self-righteousness. Pride controls and uses freewill as an accomplice, but faith relinquishes control so God can use you because without faith you can’t please God, God can’t use you because you’re not useable. (Hebrews 11:6). You use freewill to help yourself. Don’t get me wrong, freewill has its place or God wouldn’t have given it to us, and we wouldn’t be made complete in His image and likeness, (Genesis 1:26, 27), nullifying us as Man. It’s Man and Man only who’ve been given this trait.

There’s an old song titled “There’s a thin line between love and hate”, and so is there too between freewill and faith. Funny how we identify with the song or it wouldn’t have become a hit, but don’t identify with the lyric of the Holy Bible where faith is the measure. Your popularity drops free styling Bible verses. Jesus said in (Matthew 16:30), we see and interpret the signs of weather but ignore the interpretations of the signs of the time.

If you’re in search to exalt yourself wrapped up and disguised in religion, acting above and entertaining too high an opinion of yourself boasting assuming self-righteousness and abusing what you have in spirit and material gain (Matthew23:12), that’s freewill not faith. In other words, do you use freewill to stand on God’s Word or does faith in God’s Word govern your freewill; one you control the other you relinquish for the greater power.

We’ve got to understand the difference between our will, and faith in God’s or we’re defeated; so is Satan by the way.

Gaidi