Reflection 2: God's Mindset…

God and His Mindset

“Happy are you who are hungry now, you shall be satisfied. Fortunate are you who weep, for you shall laugh.” ~ Q10, Lost Gospel Q.

Mindset is everything. Simple but true. God’s mind is sharp and focused on one thing, that would be you, me, and all of humanity. This is evident from the first page of Genesis of the Bible to the last page in Revelations, all 66 books of the standard Christian version and all 81 books of the Catholic Bible, not to mention all 82 scriptures of His son’s teaching which were recorded and passed down to us in the form of The Lost Gospel Q. God chose to make us in His likeness, He chose to make a place that would support our every need and gave us dominion over the Earth, He chose to love us no matter the cost, and God chose to forgive us and to ultimately save us. Since these decisions every action God has taken has been to support those specific promises all of which He was so confident in that He had it written so everyone could see for all time His devotion to us. Because God’s mindset is so focused on us it affects our personal lives and relationship with Him. It is the primary reason why God also stresses the need for every person to be focused upon Him and His word. God’s heart is set upon a real lasting personal relationship with you and everyone around you spiraling out to encompass the entire planet. God wants a relationship so as to build you up and to make you strong. His grace is focused on your sin and the forgiveness of those sins in such a way that it makes each and everyone of us sinners worthy of God when on our own we could never be truly worthy. God’s mindset is one of hope and love, you could say that God is the creator and chief among the optimists always seeing to good in everyone and thing always seeing the opportunities through the calamities we face. God’s mindset is to be there with us through those calamities holding our hand, giving us the strength to make it through to the finish line. God’s mind sees what we cannot and His spirit is eternally seeking the path that will mould us into a more perfect version of ourselves, individualized personal development plans if you will that only ends with our absolute purification of our heart, mind, and soul. God’s mindset is set upon giving us the length of years to see the truth, to testify to it, to live by it, to live a Godly life, and yes to ultimately return to Him and to live with Him in Heaven forever. So it is that when we are hungry He gives us food, both to nourish our bodies and our spirit. So it is when we cry He wipes away our tears and gives us a reason to smile and laugh. God’s miracles support His love for us, His words have never been broken, and His mind is filled with thoughts of your eternal happiness.

God’s Mindset vs Our Mindset

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” ~ Isaiah 55:8-9

First and foremost there is no comparison between God’s ability to continue to see the positive through the pain and heartache when times get hard verse our ability which is infinitesimally less than, so much so in fact we don’t even rate on the universal scale of positive thinkers or believers. This was made completely evident in the willingness for God to send Jesus, His only son with one mission and for that mission to have only one out come, Jesus’s death! For that to even be on the table so to speak was far and beyond anything we humans or even Satan himself could ever comprehend let alone pull off. With that said, I can only testify that it is this one singular thought that converted me as a child and has played a major role in my life ever since. How could a god, a perfect being, an entity so powerful and magnificent need and love our drama? How could God need our ungratefulness, our sneakiness, our filth of mind and soul, our lack of courage and willpower to always do the right things in life regardless the outcome, and our pride and selfishness which is the root cause to so much chaos in our world? The short answer is that He does not need us, but rather we need Him. When a person first realizes this one point it is a transformational thought because what happens is for the first time we become aware of our own mortality and sin. It brings to mind our unworthiness, it makes us responsible for our sins, and it also reinforces in every-way possible of how blessed we are to have a God who loves us anyway. Then there is the small idea that comes next, the door opens and we see how many times in our life we have given-up on God, not God giving-up on us. Millions of years have gone by and yet every action and promise of God has been to make our life and world better day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and it is us who do not have the time to notice or even to say thank you in return. It is mankind who has often given-up on God, and still our Lord is there loving us and providing for us – despite us. This makes God’s words real and tangible, ever lasting, and never changing, because they are perfect in every application in every manner and interpretation for God has made known what and who is on His mind, the what and the why that is in His heart, and more importantly the how we fit into His master plan. For when we apply Gods teachings into our lives we do the right things and in turn those actions glorify God, when we love others it glorifies Him, when we forgive our enemies it glorifies Him, and when we reach out to God it glorifies Him. God made us, He alone protects us, and provides for us. It is God who chooses to remember us and to honor us by His grace. Because these are the truths about God then we as Christians need to filter everything in our lives and thinking through his Holy filter and through His holy words and promises. Because there is so much immorality in our world due to our imperfect nature we need to cling to the mercy and grace of our loving all powerful God.

God’s Mindset Equals Strength

“Look at the lilies that grow wild in the fields. They don’t weave clothes for themselves. But I tell you, even King Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed as beautifully as these flowers. If that is how God clothes the grasses, which are green today and burned in the sun tomorrow, how much more will God provide for you. How little faith you have!” ~ Q52, Lost Gospel Q.

Faith in God is at the core of our personal strength in life. Faith is the bedrock of our actions we take, what we think, how we feel, and how we apply our new and old knowledge no matter the source. This is proved true every time you debate others, to the side you defend, and to the manner and tone you use when debating. If a person has no faith in God then their arguments tend to be in the negative excepting modern teachings which are contrary to the Bible and to the will of God thus their personal beliefs tend to be based upon false teachings. Therefore, when we compromise on the truth of God, the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus and all his disciples who uniquely owned the moral authority to preach the word of God which has been written down and spread across the world, we fall into the worlds trap of acceptance of unholy beliefs and compromise ourselves in the most unholy of ways. In this trap we find ideas that degrade our bodies, our minds, and our soul. Within this trap we hear unholy music, unholy words, unholy sounds that invade our personal space and warp our perceptions of the very word of God. To this end what we allow in unfiltered by the teachings of the Bible, (which are the very words of God), and unfiltered by His moral principals do we then assign ourselves to the notion that it is us who have to become accepting of the world, instead of the world changing to accept God. The side-affect of this is seen in our societies as we assimilate these false teachings into our beliefs and thus begin to comprise the teachings of God. It always starts very innocently with a song, or a joke, or a law passed by a government or constitutions written and then changed by governments and like a computer virus working in the background unchecked it begins to change our vocabulary and it warps the very meanings of words we once held as holy and changes them to mean something completely different and unholy. Thereby the words that you use to placate others so as to fit in or to not offend them, which would have been against your personal beliefs and suddenly now do not reflect God in your words, then you in deed compromised God, compromised your faith in God, and fallen short and have missed the opportunity to share as a witness for God. Therefore, faith is a mindset you burn into your every action, into your every words, and within that you share God’s holy message in order to help inspire others to become followers, and eventually for them as they study the Bible to become the children of God as He had intended. Faith is God’s mindset!

Take this as proof, God created Adam and the garden of Eden so as Adam would be taken care of with more than enough to eat and drink and to be happy. God loved Adam so much that He gave to Adam all the wild animals and plants of the garden so as to fill Adams mind with the love of God expressed through all he saw and heard. God then created Eve so Adam would not be lonely and feel unloved, thus with each embrace of Eve, Adam felt alive and could feel the love of God in the most holy of ways. Eve too shared in this experience and was Adams equal sharing in all the fruits and rewards of a life given by God. These two people knew God in a way we could never experience, they saw God in a way we can never replicate, and they heard the very voice of God in a manner our ears will never in this life hear. Though they were not perfect, and made mistakes and fell from grace, God in his punishment of them never stopped loving them and never stopped believing in them nor has He ever stopped believing in us. God’s Mindset has never attempted to placate Satan, He has never changed His beliefs to become more popular, God is not guilty of adopting a superficial life style that is more in tune with the world and modern dogma. God did not become more accepting to sinful acts and more willing to negotiate on holy principals, nor has God changed the meanings of words to make them mean something completely contrary to their original meanings to suit a new belief so as to entrap us further within our sin. God has not stopped spreading His divine message nor has He changed the facts or purposes of the events of our history so as to be more easy on our conscience. God didn’t send Jesus to save humanity and then half way through changed His mind because it was too hard or would hurt to much. Nor did God abandon Job when Satan destroyed His life, or when King David fell to lust and had Bathsheba’s husband killed. Therefore, we need to adopt God’s mindset and allow Him full access so that our faith in Him will grow and our spirit can bathe in the full glory of the Holy Spirit. God so wants to dress us up with faith, with love, and arm us with the knowledge of truth so as to protect us for ever and ever. The world is very much like grass which is green today and burns in the sun tomorrow, but God’s mindset never changes, never tires, and never turns away or forgets His promises. For God’s mindset is perfect, strong, and equals strength and wisdom, character, devotion, purpose, courage, and love if you accept God and adopt His word as the truth, the life, the pure and only source for all eternity.

Amen,

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Reflection 1- What God's Love is…

7 “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. 10 But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.” ~ Deuteronomy 7:7-10

This Holiday Season I felt it only proper to call on history and revive some posts written last year and in years prior about love because God is love and he is our God. Let us all make God our center focus in this Holiday season especially on All Souls Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Let this season be one of deep reflection; reflecting on all of Gods goodness which will bring our attention back to God in the Highest. I invite everyone who would like to reflect with me on any post found here at Listening Faithfully Blog. Be sure to send your reflections to me via email at listeningfaithfullyblog@gmail.com, and I promise to post your thoughts during this holiday season of 2013 in upcoming posts within the this new series of reflections: What God Is… Let’s make this a happy and fruitful holiday season!

God Is

God’s love is… pure, absolute, unchanging, unyielding, it does not see color of ones skin, it does not distinguish between people of different beliefs or cultures, it is always at our disposal, for God Himself is always moving among us as is His agape love. For God’s perfect self-sacrificing love is agape love; “Agape is love which is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself.” ~ http://www.gotquestions.org/agape-love.html. God loved the Jews so much that He made oaths and convents, He alone made good on all those things which He so promised the Jews. On a wider scale these promises fulfilled serve as many shinning examples to all of mankind that God loves us so much that He alone made it possible for all of His children to spend the remainder of eternity with Him. God through Jesus concurred Death, defeated Satan, cast out all the evils in Heaven, destroyed the enemies of His chosen elect, and still from start to finish God moves all around us, protecting us, guiding us, helping us, and – “Yes” – loving us despite our selfishness and sin. God has never abandoned us, and He is a God of many chances. Though it is important to point out, God gives back to you what you willing gave to others, be that good or ill, for God is not slow to punish the wicked and all things happen within His chosen time and of His mighty choosing. Therefore, God never backs down, He never runs away, He never shrinks in the face of evil, and because God is and does all this if you love Him with all your heart and soul, neither should you shrink, run, give up, nor back down to any challenge God saw fit to place before you. Remember life is a challenge, it is a race that everyone of us who believe can not only finish, but also win.

Those Who Do Not Know God

8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” ~ 1 John 4:8

I have known a lot of people from all over the world, I could not pick out those who did not believe from those who did just by first meeting them, nor in the second or third meetings, but I could tell where their priorities were based upon how they dressed and what they surrounded themselves with. Likewise, when the conversation came to religion then did it become crystal clear to whom I was dealing with depending on what they had said to me. I think it is very important to understand that God knows before you are even born, He see’s you as you are and what you could become if you allow Him to mould you into that more perfect version of yourself. God can tell if you are in doubt, and if you have questions, and He see’s if you are not open minded enough to allow your heart to believe things which are both seen and unseen. Faith in God is the requirement, it is the singular step everyone who ever saw God had to take. But if you allow your heart to remain empty and devoid of love then how are you ever going to be able to choose God? How could you ever see what God has for you in your life if you fill your heart with hate? Many people have used the words of God to rally the crowd but inside their heart they hate God, they inwardly hate His just and perfect words, and they hate His message; for it is those I pray, I pray for their salvation, I pray that they someday see the light of the most high God. I do so because without God in their life they live their life without purpose or meaning and are truly the living damned, the true walking dead. They do not know God because they choose not to know God, they fear that giving up their hatred would leave them vulnerable and exposed. They live in fear because of fear, they are the eternally fearful, thus they lash-out in anger and in hatred. We see this very thing played out in our world politics as the worlds politicians seek selfish resolutions, (many of whom are practiced lairs), we see this played out in the Justice System who is crippled and pledged with selfish people seeking selfish judgments while disguising their arguments as being the exact opposite of what they truly are, and we see this played out in our world through our economics which has enslaved the world to living from paycheck – to – paycheck never having enough to be truly free and never seeing an end to the enslavement which lasts a lifetime. These things are exceptional sin in the eyes of God, for it breaks the first of all commandments: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.” ~ Exodus 20:2-3. In other-words putting wealth before God is a sin, it means your heart is focused on money and it replaces God as it is the only thing which you choose to warship and think about day and night. Jesus instructed us that; “No one can serve two masters. You will either hate the first and love the second or treat one with respect and the other with scorn. You can not serve God and money.” ~ Q73, Lost Gospel Q. Mankind has found a million ways to replace God and to warship other things, things of this world and it is to those people who also share in their fruits as being eternally damned, for Jesus also instructed us that; 15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” ~ 1 John 2: 15-17. Therefore, It is a choice we all have to make, to choose God or to choose not to believe in God. For those who choose not to believe they have signed their soul to Satan, to everlasting damnation, everlasting torment, they will never know happiness, forgiveness, mercy, nor shall they ever receive the grace of God for those who hate God praise themselves and Jesus instructed us; “Those who praise themselves will be humbled. Those who humble themselves will be praised.” Q67, Lost Gospel Q.

The Simple Test of Humility

The simple test I love to give is to ask those who have hurt me or offended me in some way, or have hurt my feelings, to simply apologize for their action. After all it should be the simplest thing in the world to do right, to apologize? But on the contrary, you would be surprised to how many people refuse to do so because they believe they did nothing wrong. When in-fact apologizing is not omission of guilt but rather an act of grace and is viewed in the eyes of God as the main method, or tool of healing a damaged relationship because of the actions taken that caused the damage, whether it be intentional or not. To not apologize is to basically say, “Your relationship with me is worthless and therefore I do not need to fix the damage.” This statement is one which does not come from God, but rather Satan. To prove this simply ask, “How can I know my actions have offended someone else?” The answer is you may not know until you are confronted, and this confrontation should be done in private, and – “Yes” – some people make it a public seen which is also a sin against God, but this does not negate the responsibility to apologize for the the first offense, nor to hold hostage the apology for the second offense to be dealt with first for; “Jesus explained to His disciples, “If a companion does something wrong to you, go to the person and point this out. But do it privately. If your friend listens and says, ‘I’m sorry,’ forgive and your bond will be strengthened.” “But how often must I forgive the same person?” asked one of his disciples. “Seven Times?” Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times.” ~ Q77, Lost Gospel Q. To not to apologize or to forgive is also a sin against God because it goes against His moral teaching. Thus not only has the apology not been given out of pride, (the first original sin which is manifest solely by Satan), but you are also unrepentant sinning not just once but three times before God by simply not acknowledging your transgression against your fellow man, be it your mother, father, brother, sister, wife, husband, offspring, grandparents, neighbors, work mates, who ever it might have been. In reality what you have done is far worse on a deeply personal and spiritual level as pride takes hold, you take a moral stance and act as if your morally right to not apologize becomes these are the main thoughts which your mind is beginning to believe to be the truth when in-fact you have begun to believe in your own lies. To those people I ask, “How can you be morally right if you have been instructed by God to apologize, to build not destroy, to forgive, to love, to honor your fellow man, to treat others as you would have them treat you? Where is your justification before God?” In this we teach others how to treat us, and in that viewpoint it never stops to amaze me how many people become shocked when the other person refuses to talk, or to play nice, or is unwilling to carry on the relationship at any level. In reality by not apologizing we have destroyed not created, we have sinned not ask for forgiveness, we have become filled with pride and vanity, not bowing on our knees in humility and obedient to the will of God, rather we have done the exact opposite and try to defend an indefensible argument, because we are blinded by self-righteousness and indignation! “Treat people as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you do good only to those who do good to you, what merit is there in that? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what rewards is there in that? Even sinners lend to sinners. Instead, love your enemies and do good, expecting nothing in return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on the bad and the good. He sends rain to fall on both the just and the unjust.” ~ Q16, Lost Gospel Q. Indeed, the living dead will never apologize, they will never humble themselves, they will never accept responsibility nor will they ever see the light of God in the Highest when Jesus returns for the final judgement. Thus, God is the Alpha and Omega, he is the creator with the divine right and sole privileges to be the perfect judge.

Fruits of God

“What is your price?”

For in every situation there is a price to be paid, there is a positive or negative reputation to every action, to every decision you make, for there is a price to be exacted from you and everyone around you based upon what you think, feel, and what you do because of your emotional responses to those things you experience in this life. No one escapes without being hurt, humiliated, made fun of, destroyed in some way, and it is very much like how planet Earth renews itself from the violence of each natural disaster that happens in nature. For God is also of nature, he is spiritual and natural in every sense of the word. There is nothing which you cannot see that God first did not have His fingers in the creation of, this would include every human-being ever born, to every animal that ever lived. God is a creator first and foremost, for He is both the most tame and most wild, He is in every thing from the dirt of the Earth to the air we breath, God is everywhere and is in everything. Thus, His love is the fuel which invented us, His love is the fire that moulded our bodies, mind, heart, and soul; His love gave to us everything in creation and everything in our wildest imagination, for it is the power-planet we use to solve problems or create them for ourselves. For there is no limit to His divine and holy love, which also saved us. God is indeed a creator and within that He is very passionate about His creations. For God alone built our world and loved all His creations within it as His first thoughts and actions, we where on His mind before the creation and will be on His mind for the rest of eternity. God was willing to pay a heavy price for our redemption and if you think about it long enough the question we all ask as we look out into the precipice and magnitude that is the mystery of God that price we have to pay becomes so minuet in the face of His promises, and fruits, so small are we in comparison to Him and yet our price we have to pay is nothing in-comparison to the price God paid to love us, to be with us, and to have a relationship with us.

“So what price would you pay to be with God?”

In closer examination of this , God’s wages for sin is death, but on the other hand He also promised His children ever lasting life in His Kingdom. Death then is really nothing to God for He is both life and death, He has power over every aspect of these two opposite and equal states of being, so therefore we die but are reborn if we first believe. So the real price we have to pay is found with the word, “belief.” Taking this one step farther, if you believe that God has the power to resurrect or restore your soul and to forgive your sin, and in the face of this awesome creation of planet earth, the universe it sits within as a part of a wider creation that mankind cannot yet completely comprehend, I simply ask, “Is death such a small price to pay for ever lasting life and eternal life with God?”

“What is your price you would level against God in order to allow Him access to your heart?”

In retrospect many of us do not see God in this grand scale, we do not connect the dots so to speak nor do some of us even ask any of these questions. For it is far better to be blissfully ignorant of our sinful nature and ignore the wrong doings both we create for others and for ourselves. “We are convinced, that this sin [willful ignorance] alone causes the loss of more souls than all the other sins together, because he who is ignorant does not realize the harm he does by his sin, nor the great good he thus forfeits.” ~ St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars. Thus, it is far better to blame other people for our bad fortune and or level the blame on God, and in doing so we exact an unfair price for God to have to pay, far and above the price He has already paid through His son Jesus Christ. The repercussion of-course to this action is a life without the fruits of God. So what are these fruits of God anyway… you might ask? According to Mother Theresa, “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.” ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Love is the first of many fruits God gives to every person on earth. Without love we have nothing, we are as stated above dead in spirit. Joy is another fruit coming from God, for in joy we find happiness of mind, body, and soul, we find relaxation and rest in the spirit of God. Joy as a fruit is best described as, “For one pain endured with joy, we shall love the good God more forever.” ~ St. Therese of Lisieux. Yet another fruit coming from God is peace, for it is the desire of our soul and is the reward for doing good always, thus, “Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven, the only one goal of our labors.” -St. Therese of Lisieux. Long-suffering is a fruit deriving from God for, “As iron is fashioned by fire and on the anvil, so in the fire of suffering and under the weight of trials, our souls receive that form which our Lord desires them to have.’ ~ St. Madeline Sophie Barat. Kindness tops the list of fruits from God, as it from kindness all other goodness is made possible. Kindness tops the list of fruits from God, as it is from kindness all other goodness is made possible, and, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”~ Aesop Greece, (c. 620 BC – c. 560 BC). To this collection of fruits we are given again for such a small price of belief, and this belief in God there is no higher rewards in this life and the next.

22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22

Amen,

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Reflection 5: Family of God – Economy of God

“Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper. Carry no purse, no knapsack, no sandals. Don’t bring a second tunic or a staff. Don’t stop to greet people along the way.” Q29, Lost Gospel Q.

There are many people in today’s cynical world who write blogs, magazine articles, report various viewpoints on T.V. and radio, and even some who preach the word of God that would have you believe that God’s economy is the same as man’s economy. There are some who would tell the stories of the bible linking them to our current-fiscal crisis; the political storm which took over the United States Government and which was successful in closing the Government partially and treating the world economy at large, all while linking these events to God. Some even use the bible to condemn rich people, the wealthy establishment, those who do not have to worry ever of where their next meal is coming from. But I tell you that money which fuels the United States Economy, and the world economy is not and has nothing to do with God’s economy for God has no use for those things of the this world for everything in this world will someday pass away. Jesus did not preach about how to collect wealth, but rather how wealth was to be used in this life to help those in need, for to transfer man’s earthly wealth to heaven cannot be done. Man’s creation or false sense of security we lovingly call our economy is just that a creation of man, not God, therefore nothing we make, build, or invent can be taken with you when you die no matter how hard one tries. The ultimate example of man trying to take his wealth with him is found throughout the world in the great tombs of long lost Kings and Queens, most notably that of the Egyptian Pharaohs, of which great riches where buried and then later plundered. But yet the economy of God in this posting refers to your relationship with God, his riches that which he shall bestow upon those who served him in this life and who proclaimed His name to all the Earth in this life. For Jesus stated quit clearly do not collect gold, silver, copper, and in this he was telling those who believed in Him as the son of man that these Earthly things will not be of any value in the world yet to come.

The Command of “Don’t”!

“Don’t be blinded by the pursuit of food, clothing, and possessions. Stop worrying about these things. Only those who lack spirit and soul pursue them. You have a Father who knows what you need. Set your heart on God and these other things will be given to you.” Q53, Lost Gospel Q.

The word, “Don’t” is very clearly a command to “Not Do”, it is very clearly a, “Do Not”, from the Lord! He is guarding us from the same sin which took down Eve in the Garden of Eden, He is trying to keep us safe from the sin of Pride which Lucifer had fallen from grace over thus spawning original sin. It is a sign-post to take exceptional note of and to obey completely and faithfully. Over and over in the Bible one can find the basic story of how mankind is corrupted by jealously, lust, and greed, all of which leads to violence and crime. “Do Not build your wealth here on Earth”; “Do Not be blinded by money and wealth”; “Do Not acquire gold, silver, or copper”; All are implicit commands to stay away from this most damning of temptations because those who fall to this sin will not be sharing the riches of Heaven, those people who fall to this sin are in Jesus’s words, “lacking in spirit and soul”. So, I find it very troubling that man completely and utterly ignored this command from Jesus and instead created great wealth and through that wealth, (which continually grows for a small select few of the world’s population), that we now have great poverty thrust upon those who have not the same resources in-which to compete against a person of means. The sin is not in the act of acquiring but rather in the larger picture of destruction it reeks upon the world at large; i.e. the rich man who does not spend his money to help the worlds hungry, or to educate the worlds illiterate, and / or the rich man who does not use his money to build homes for the homeless; all of this is in-fact the acts of the rich who are lacking in spirit and soul. What good is there in giving to those who have while ignoring those who have not? How simple it is to keep building wealth while ignoring the abject poverty their lack of action in helping those lesser off than they creates! Reaching further into the roots of this sin of wealth building for the sake of building wealth we find this guiding question; “What good would have come if those who are rich in economic resources had helped to build homes, schools, pantries and soup kitchens, and to care for the sick and elderly, what impact would this kindness have brought?” But rather the sin is in the decision to willfully deny God’s people by not sharing the wealth but rather using it to buy bigger and better homes for ones-self, to buy outlandish yachts to display ones-own wealth and personal power, to buy businesses for the sole purpose to fueling ones-own greed and to keep the money rolling into a singular coffer so as to be spend on foolish things which do not improve the world or it’s population by any degree of measure. The sin is profoundly rooted in the question; “What miracles could have been worked for the benefit of all mankind?” For the repercussions of greed is rooted in the impoverishment we see worldwide, thus it is not that God hates rich people rather God hates the greed the rich are subjected too, God hates the lust for power that the massively wealth entertains daily! God hates the politics which rich people endorse that leads to the buying of a bigger home rather than to help in the purchasing of homes, (plural), for the thousands who are homeless, the lack in soul which prevents and distorts that beautiful and graceful miracle of helping people of all walks of life to be feed, or educated, and / or to be cured of their life zapping illnesses. God hates the choice some of the most wealthy partake which serves ones-self, (in the singular), interest by commiserating in the blissful spending of wealth on selfish and self-serving things!

The same is true with great nations like the United States, Great Britain, the former Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Britannia, Rome, Egypt, and the great Central American empires of the distant past. History records God’s wrath played out upon those people who refused to build better for the common good and defense of all, the sharing of resources and wealth, and who rather played the politics of man rather than to set their eyes upon God. All these great empires with the exception of the United States lost their position because they rather set their collective sights on the power that their economics brought to them than the good they could have done with it. Every single empire sought out war to increase their collective wealth, sacrificed millions of their own son’s to secure their dominance over their neighbors and to plunder resources which did not belong to them. The United States in some of these sins share an equal part of the over all punishment and damnation which all other nations have been burned by, and yet there is one specific sin which the United States vastly out weights every other nation on earth for, that sin is PRIDE!

The American Pride is exceptional in all the Earth, it fuels the American erogance which has brought low the economic worth of the dollar to the point which the United States Government shows off its complete and utter futility to fight against it’s self, to guard against it’s own self interest, and too in the greatest of political struggles manage to boast of how the world needs it’s security when in fact it was the security of the American Dollar that the American Government came so close to devaluing for a second time in the course of the past three years of infighting! No other country would have allowed its currency to be devalued through it’s own governmental system or construct, for no other country is as erogant as the United States! The American sin is illustrated in no greater way than the political hemorrhaging of the Republican Party from 2009-to the current date due largely to an inflated ego that allows the American Federal Legislature to exhibit over confidence, the sin of wealth has produced unrivaled political brinkmanship, and all this has put on display before God and the world something which God does not tolerate, hypocrisy! How can representatives spout that America spends to much if their own strategy spends more money in a 16 day period than the law it was trying to unfunded will spend in 10 years? How can representatives vote to destroy an economy their constituents voted them in to save? How can representatives justify putting millions out of work, keeping them from paying their bills and yet receive a pay check to do the same thing they have keep millions from doing and which by virtue of their actions prevented the nation from doing? This American hypocrisy runs so deep that it even allowed a small fraction of the House of Representatives, (The Peoples House), to take hostage the entire Federal Government, paralyzing the nation and the world, forcing millions to go without food, housing, education, medical care, and it was the sole cause of the shut down! Yet these 144 members blame the President who refused to allow them to continue playing this game, refused them from hurting more Americans, and possible the world economy! In doing further investigations it is apparent their own hypocrisy spilleth over, for many use the government resources they fought to shut down for the masses, many of them have taken from the purse of the nation in support for their own families and constituents, while spouting the evils of big government! It would seem that the Peoples House no longer serves all the people, it is in these deeds of man that God said to “Not Do”!

T he 144 Hypocrites

Aderholt, Amash, Amodei, Bachmann, Barr, Barton, Bentivolio, Bishop (UT), Black, Blackburn, Brady (TX), Bridenstine, Brooks (AL), Broun (GA), Bucshon, Burgess, Campbell, Carter, Cassidy, Chabot, Chaffetz, Collins (GA), Collins (NY), Conaway, Culberson, Denham, DeSantis, DesJarlais, Duffy, Duncan (SC), Duncan (TN), Ellmers, Farenthold, Fincher, Fleischmann, Fleming, Flores, Forbes, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Garrett, Gibbs, Gingrey (GA), Gohmert, Goodlatte, Gosar, Gowdy, Granger, Graves (GA), Graves (MO), Griffith (VA), Hall, Harris, Hartzler, Hensarling, Holding, Hudson, Huelskamp, Huizenga (MI), Hultgren, Hunter, Hurt, Johnson (OH) Johnson, Sam, Jones, Jordan, King (IA), Kingston, Labrador, LaMalfa, Lamborn, Lankford, Latta, Long, Lucas, Luetkemeyer, Lummis, Marchant, Marino, Massie, McCaul, McClintock, Meadows, Messer, Mica, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Mullin, Mulvaney, Neugebauer, Noem, Nugent, Nunnelee, Olson, Palazzo, Pearce, Perry, Petri, Pitts, Poe (TX), Pompeo, Posey, Price (GA), Radel, Reed, Renacci, Rice (SC), Roby, Roe (TN), Rogers (AL), Rohrabacher, Rokita, Rooney, Ross, Rothfus, Royce, Ryan (WI), Salmon, Sanford, Scalise, Schweikert, Scott, Austin, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Smith (MO), Smith (TX), Southerland, Stewart, Stockman, Stutzman, Thornberry, Turner, Wagner, Walberg, Walden, Walorski, Weber (TX), Wenstrup, Westmoreland, Williams, Wilson (SC), Woodall, Yoder, & Yoho

God’s Currency

“Don’t pile up your treasures here on earth. They will be destroyed by moths and rust and stolen by thieves. Store your riches in heaven where moths and rust are powerless and thieves cannot break in. Wherever your treasures is, your heart will also be.” Q 54, Lost Gospel Q.

God’s economy is vastly different than the examples of the economy of man above. God’s economy is anchored upon principals that build faith in God. This economy is in general one of faith, obedience, loyalty, love, forgiveness, mercy, and is secured upon the corner stone of God’s grace. Therefore, Jesus instructs us to not build up treasures hear on earth, rather store your riches in heaven. The riches Jesus is talking about is not currency that comes from earthly materials but rather the love and grace you bestow upon those less fortunate than yourself. God’s currency is your obedience, your willingness to set your sights on Him alone. Through this Jesus also uncovers a mystery of how God measures this obedience for Our Lord states quit clearly, “For wherever your treasure are, there to is your heart”, and God lives within your heart, He breaths in the same air you breath if you willing accept His presence in your life. God promises to never let you down, to always be with you and to guide you, and most importantly to love you no matter what. This does not mean that He agrees with everything you do, or endorses everything you endorse, but He promises to mold you into a more perfect person if you allow Him too. Thus, the 144 Congressman who voted to keep the United States Government shut down and to ruin the economic power of the United States and to destabilize the world economy, God does not endorse their politics or political brinkmanship, but God still loves them and is open to forgiveness even though the vast majority of Americans will not. That in and of its-self is the best example of Gods grace in action. In this Jesus is also adamantly expressing the totality of treasures awaiting us in heaven, for it is better to be loved by family than to have a million dollars of man’s gold, silver, platinum, or a million acres of prosperous crops, for the real reward is rooted in the deep love of family and this love is eternal even during periods of fighting and name calling. In this way to be called a son of God, a brother or sister of Jesus Christ is ultimately the best treasure anyone could ever hope for because this at its core means God so loves you that he sees you as one of His sons or daughters, and this implies by all of God’s promises that you shall eat from the table of the Most High God. This treasure cannot be destroyed by moths or rust, nor stolen by thieves, and God never takes back something which he has given in good faith. The attainment of Heaven is in and of it’s self the full embodiment of the victory of the cross, for even death cannot permanently take away what God has blessed you with. The economy of God is not fickle and never will it sway in the wind. God knows every one of your needs and he places those needs above your wants, taking good care to love you and to provide for you those things that will sustain you. The treasure of God’s love exceeds all known currency of man, it is priceless among the measures of men, it over shadows all nations wealth and power by such an amount there is no way for man to completely comprehend what is truly gained for such a small act of faith in God. All of this might sound lofty but the proof has already been shown within the life and times of Our Lord Jesus Christ, proof has been exhibited by the conversion of the Roman empire to Christianity by a small group of believers. The word of God is the expenditures Our divine Lord has made on our behalf, it is the greatest of purchases for it redeemed the entire world forever and ever. By stark contrast one cannot be a true believer if one votes to destroy something which God has granted, or to act for the benefit of a small group who wants to enrich themselves and impoverish the entire world within the same selfish act. Jesus called these people lacking is spirit and soul, and His proof is found within His own deeds and beliefs as He took on the sin of the world. For I shall argue that there could not have been salvation without the obedience of Jesus Christ, there could have been no salvation if Jesus had not been willing to die for it. Likewise, Jesus was not dying to save man so that man could boast, or quibble about silly power which in and of it’s self is an illusion cast over mankind’s eyes by Satan, but rather Jesus saw the fruits of His efforts in their full and absolute entirety which is something that Satan nor man could ever do. God’s currency freed us, helps and guides us, and is ever present in every action we take when we accept His will in our own lives, just like Jesus did.

The Importance of Being On Guard

“If the owner of a house knows when a thief is coming, he will be on guard and not let anyone break into the house. You too must be prepared -the son of man will arrive when you least expect him.” Q55, Lost Gospel Q.

The mere fact that the United States Government could be brought low by a handful of Republicans is a sign that the House of the People is not on guard, that its eyes are not set upon God! In fact this could easily be said about every government in the world who has succumb to such faithlessness that it would allow it’s actions to bring such harm to it’s population. The same can be said of individual people who have allowed their lives to be controlled by a radical family member, or the harlot who allows her body to be defiled every night by different men in the pursuit of money or pleasure, or the greedy man who has allowed his heart to be hardened so that his mind can be eased by the deceitful act of murder, theft, or slander for the pursuit of personal gain. The powerful among us have available to them many pleasures, but they like the poor shall be judged by God’s perfect measure of the heart. The faithful man or women will be ready as their house will be in order, all things in it’s proper place ready for the Son of Man. There will be no thief that will be able to break in the house of the person devout in spirit and of soul, for there is no rule of law that could take their children away, no spouse that could take away the responsibility to always love and to forgive, and there is no child that could hate their own parents so completely they would through their parents to the wolves. For those who practice such evils are not the children of God, but the devils belonging to Satan. For being ready means to never give evil an foothold, to never turn the blind eye to evil deeds, and to always stand up for truth and justice even at the risk of a high personal cost or damage to personal reputation and popularity. For surely God does not reward the unrepentant, the unloving, the unfaithful, nor will he condemn the repentant heart who openly accepts the responsibility of their own sins. God is just in all measure and shall use your own methodology you use to judge others on yourself justly so. For in this is a sinful heart never taken nor be unprepared and not ready for the Son of Man when he knocks at the front door. For the wise would argue emphatically “Yes”, and so the wise never ignore, never close and eye, never loose faith, never spreads misinformation or bolsters lies. No the wise are the children of God who are always ready to do good, never tiring, never running away, never handing out false hope, but rather giving love and spreading mercy everywhere they go. This too is the currency of God exhibited through mankind in all the deeds God works through those who are faithful and who are on guard.

Amen

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Reflection 4: Family of God – Saving Relationships

5 “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” ~ 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Family is Everything

Family is everything. Family is so important that it is the overriding topic God concerned Himself with in every inspired religious text known to man. So if the creator of the universe viewed family as having such an important role in the lives of everyone of His creations and it plays such a heavy role to our salvation then why is there so many broken homes, broken children, broken marriages, and broken relationships? By contrast we all should be family oriented, protecting our relationships be them, friends, family, and with God. Our country if not the world is headed head-long into a relationship crisis, but more about that later. For now the question which underlines this reflection is extraordinarily simple, but never-the-less paramount to our role in this life as it was designed by God. Could modern man have forgotten that our relationships are inexplicably linked to loyalty, love, and trust?

Families: a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head :Household (as defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary – Found online @ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family

According to the standard dictionary the first meaning of the word family or families concerns the household. This definition is loosely linked to individuals who live under the same roof, spending day and night together through thick and thin, through hardship and pleasant times alike. This idea of a household is defined by the head of that household, it is a reflection of the policies which are in place that all members adhere too. In this way the head of the household carry’s tremendous weight and influence with all the other members and to some degree they are subject to the rule of the head of the house for better or for worse. It is interesting that when breaking this word down under such a meaning we can see how stark our own families complex and in some regard dysfunction becomes clear, and the root of the problems or boon can be traced to a singular person within the family who wheal the most influence. Often times in our humanity we fight and cause strife with that one person in order to declare dominance or to prove ones worth or specific knowledge but by-in-large all families fight among themselves and in the family of God we are given some specific guidelines to help ease and end our inner struggles. Chief among all commands to people at large and to families is simply;

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ~ John 13:34-35

Here we see Jesus, the head of God’s household here on earth commands everyone to love one another, this is a direct reflection upon the kind of rule Jesus wishes to impose, and the world surly would recognise a member of Jesus’s household by how they love others. Surely Jesus’s household then is one of peace and tranquility. In practice fighting would be shunned, so would bulling, manipulating, and divisive tactics because people who love others could not sink to such depths for love holds us automatically to a higher standard, true love holds us accountable to our actions. This also draws in a higher level of respect for each member of the family and all those out side the family unit or household. In this context morality rules, the fight between good and evil is revealed, and evil is concurred. So it goes without saying that when we submit to this command from Jesus and apply it to our lives it’s not surprising that our life is forever changed, as is our relationships within our family and household. But Jesus did not stop there, he also commanded;

12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” ~ Matthew 7:12

Jesus in His commands for the family used an all-inclusive word when he said, “In everything”, which no fancy expensive lawyer could argue the meaning whether implied, inferred, or stated boldly. Jesus commanded us to treat others the same way you wish to be treated in every action, word, deed, and dealings you have with other people. The awesome part of this command is simple physiology; no one wants to be treated badly. If every person adhered to this command there would be no fighting, no killing, no violence, no cussing, harassing, and there would be no person who would treat another human being rudely or with disrespect because no one wants those things to be done to them. Again we are lifted to a higher level of living and it again transforms every aspect of life. Together, these two commands are all we need to end wars and skirmishes alike. Not surprising these two commands also automatically endow loyalty, love, and trust. Therefore, a household ruled by these two commands found in John 13:34-35 and Matthew 7:12 is a household filled with God’s love and His divine blessing.

Above we have two extraordinary edicts that we as human-beings are to live by, they give us a way to build internal happiness and joy in our lives through the members of our household that can extend out to our external families and friends if we let it. Likewise in the first scripture of this post we see in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 that God clearly wanted us to treat others outside the family unit with the same level of respect, love, and forgiveness. This edict also overlaps how we are to treat those members of our family which we do not see as often or spend as much time with, but again Timothy extended the reach of this by including old men, old women, young men and young women. These people do not need to be part of your family at all therefore by logic we are to treat everyone as if they where part of your family. Because in reality we are all part of Gods family and therefore in the eyes of God we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Families: a group of persons of common ancestry : clan (as defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary – Found online @ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family

In this second definition of family we find the main focus within small groups of people who identify themselves within a specific population. This meaning can also encompass words like tribe or kin. Most specifically the word clans deal with traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage based society prior to the 17th century, where as the word tribes are more indicative of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states. Many anthropologists used the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship. The common thread within this definition of family is found in the word “kinship”, which is a word that denotes a people who may or may not be members of the same family but cooperate for the benefit of all members of the group, tribe, or clan. In these organizations men and women intermingle with a set rule or law that resembles closely to the aforementioned commands of Jesus. The most striking aspect of this could be found within the one particular christian teaching that also finds it’s roots within the Jewish faith;

Q77 “Jesus Explained to His disciples, “If a companion does something wrong to you, go to the person and point this out. But do it privately. If your friend listens and says, ‘I’, sorry,’ forgive and your bond will be strengthened.” “But how often must I forgive the same person?” asked one of his disciples. “Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Most clans and tribes had a means for two people within the tribe to settle their differences most often privately. Indeed this made the members of the specific tribes or clans grow closer and in the harshest of times the treads of unity ran so deep that it was not uncommon for all the members to support a single person or family within the group that faced difficulty from either internal or external forces, and all members of the clan or tribe took this struggle personally, rallying to the aid of the one standing united; not ever leaving the one family to their fate. Like bee’s you attack one then expect the whole hive to chase you down. However, the root cause of this closeness within the tribal culture is in how they dealt with internal conflict and forgiveness played a huge part of that internal bond. Thus, we see if applied properly deep strife can be overcome within the family unit, as it was within tribal societies, and or clans both of which viewed themselves as a larger family extended out beyond the immediate family. In this manner we all should protect our families, safeguard them from the outside world much like the tribes of the Americas or the Clans of Ireland. Find ways to forgive your family members in the exact manner Jesus described in Q77 and do this as instructed in Matthew 7:12, “In everything”, you do, linked to John 13:34-35, “love one another.” The family that loves reflects the blessing of God and the family that protects it’s members is a family that God loves greatly.

Strengthening Families Spiritually

I could never write the meaning of the goal our God endows us all with in the area of strengthening our families spiritually, the responsibilities God placed at every persons feet, especially fathers and mothers alike, than that of ROBERT D. HALES, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who spoke on this topic so eloquently. See below;

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOThK5G2NU]

Amen,

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God Bless,

Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

Special Prayer Request: Leona Liget

In life we have many things which happen that are unexplained and or are surprising. But the joy of a person who has filled the hearts of their family… well these special people are a gift which is full of God’s love. Today I ask that we all pray for such a person who has been an inspiration to her family, a women who is very devoted and strong in her beliefs, and yes… full of God’s love. Let us all pray for Leona Liget who is currently battling acute renal failure, or better known as Kidney Failure. She is a women who loves to laugh, loves being around family and friends, a women who is inviting and is a natural mother. She has dedicated her life to the ideals and principals of family, needless to say she is also one of those special people who I personally have had the pleasure to meet and spend a little time with and can testify to you all of how much joy she brought to my heart in the little time we shared not long ago. To listen to her stories and the joy that is in her voice when she tells them is a sign of a life lived with God’s joy, happiness, and love. It will be through her perseverance and the love of all those around her that our prayers here today will ego and heal her so she can continue enjoying life and also continue to give joy to all she meets.

^{LET US PRAY}

Dear Lord, God in heaven, hear our prayers and lamination’s of your power and might. Hear our plea and our songs which worship you, praise you, and that show you of our faith in you. Lord God there is no other which is more powerful, more just, more righteous, and there is no one more able to receive our collective prayers that are being sent to you today.

(Pray using “I”)

I, Lord God in Heaven, humbly come before you and ask that you heal your daughter Leona Liget from her failing kidney and that you give her the strength to fight and the courage to continue in your holy name. Lord, I ask of you to be with her in this hour of need and to be the one who raises her up in your loving arms and give her a renewed leash on life. I ask with all humility, realizing I am imperfect, knowing I am a sinner, knowing I have no authority to ask this of you, but yet I plea this cause on behalf of a women who has served you and who has raised the children you blessed her with, and who was a faithful wife, and is a grand mother who loves all her children as much as you love us. Lord God in heaven it would be righteous to extend mercy unto Leona, and give her family time to hear her beautiful stories of her life, so that they may have time to rejoice with her as she recounts a life you have so graciously given, a life she has thus far so richly enjoyed.

Lord God in Heaven, I rejoice that you have heard me, that you have heard all who has prayed this prayer, and I rejoice in the time you gave unto me when first meeting Leona. I rejoice in your holy name, and surrender unto you, acknowledging your divine right to work whatever miracle you wish, I simply and humbly ask that just one of those miracles will be for Leona. I pray that you give her peace of mind, a fearless heart, and comfort her in all she is going through. I also ask that you be there for her family and friends who love her with all their hearts as well. With this prayer I do commit my love, joy, and devotion to your Holy Name.

Amen,

Let Us Pray

Our Father, Who is in heaven,
Holy is Your Name;
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Please contact us with your prayers for Leona Liget by click here. Send her your support by leaving a comment on our Listening Faithfully Community Wall, look for “Prayers for Leona Liget”

Amen

Reflection 3: Family of God – Kingdom of God

3 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ 3 Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” ~ John 3:1-3

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Metaphorically speaking; every time I look down into one of my students eyes I see the Kingdom of God. I see in their happiness the love of God, the promise and mercy of God. I can hear their hearts rejoicing and I can feel this joy they share every time they say hello, or reach out to slap may hand in the traditional “high five” as they walk by. In some of them there is the Kingdom of God, as there was once this kingdom within all of us before we grew up. So, this message is more for us adults than for our children, but all are welcome for let this stand as a message you keep long into your life even when you are old for it will serve you well to remember it. Jesus Christ brought with Him a peace of the Kingdom when he came, he reveled it to some and purposefully hide it from others. He stood in the face of evil and commanded the demons and Satan himself all with the power and majesty of the Kingdom of God backing him up. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God as if it was a real place you could touch and see with mortal eyes, and some who heard this message became confused as some of us today are confused. I often wondered what this Kingdom would be like as a child, I imagined great golden gates, with angels standing as guards and God sitting upon a mighty thrown proclaiming the laws of His Kingdom. But the older I got the more I started to understand that this Kingdom is not one mortals can see, hear, smell, or touch but rather is that place known only to God that our immortal souls dwelled before we became mortals, and is the same place we will return after our death providing that we have prepared ourselves for it as Jesus had instructed us too. Found in John, Jesus is speaking to one of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a man who knew Jesus was the Son of God and a man who knew the hearts of men and of the denial Jesus would undergo.

It is not by accident that this Pharisee came to Jesus asking this question; “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” and it was by design that Jesus responded in the manner that He did, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” For Jesus was telling Nicodemus that his faith in what he had admitted about the sovereignty of Jesus, that he has thus seen the Kingdom within Jesus himself. I say this because there was at this time a burning question that few dared to acknowledge let alone answer. That question was, “Who is Jesus? Where did he come from?” The majority of the Pharisees wanted to put the flesh and blood man on trial, but others saw more than flesh and blood in Jesus, and indeed how do you put a spirit on trial here on planet Earth, let alone the very spirit of God? This created a controversy within the hearts and minds of everyone who wanted to use logic and their earthly senses to come to some sort of a conclusion before they could allow themselves to believe. Yet it was foretold of the Jesus’s coming and still most did not believe even though he presented to them the path to believe, reassurance, and the over all picture of their final destination so that everyone would believe; sadly few did.

3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” ~ Ephesians 5: 3-9

It was this light of God Nicodemus was responding too and it was this light that he saw in Jesus. Therefore, his words reflected his belief and his willingness to follow Jesus. It sounds simple, but when putting this into practice it is one of the hardest things any human-being will ever do because it goes against the very laws of our earthly nature, our very sense of being, and no one wants to deny themselves for something they can not see nor touch. Thus, when Nicodemus confronted Jesus our Lord saw the qualities of a believer and it was those qualities the real Kingdom of God would be built upon. So the real Kingdom of Heaven is in each one of us, but we are blind to it unless we have allowed ourselves to believe in God, to believe in Jesus, and to be willing to be born again.

4 “Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” ~John 3:4-7

The doorway to the Kingdom of God is clearly through the spiritual cleansing, the making ready of you heart, mind, and soul. It is found within the denying of the body, the wants of the impure heart, and sins of the flesh. Our hearts must be focused on God, our minds must be focused on Heaven, and our spirit must be ready to accept Jesus Christ as our our Lord and savior. Again the Jews conducted ritual bathing, but what Jesus proposed was that of Baptism just as John the Baptist had conducted in the Jordan many years before. Therefore, it was no accident or something which happened by happen-stance, but rather by design. Nicodemus’s conversion was no different than anyone of our own conversions today as the Kingdom of God is a real place, it was built for you and me, and it had a creator who intelligently designed it’s exits and entrances just as a builder builds a house with a front door and a back door, complete with windows, a kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. God has left nothing to chance and he alone has provided for our every need all the time forever. The only difference between our house and God’s Kingdom is that he wants us to live up to a higher ideal, to be pure, and we in our own houses fail to act as we should thinking no one else will be the wiser. But the old adage is true; what we do in private is what our actions and words reflect in public. In all reality Nicodemus wanted his house to be supported by Jesus, and so should everyone of us aspire to the same ideal, but first we bust ask and answer those hard questions the Jewish leadership ran away from, “Who is Jesus? Where did he come from?”

13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” ~ Colossians 1:13-14

In reflection I think every person must ask the question, “Who is Jesus?”, so that we will begin to search, so we will begin to read the Bible. No one reads the Bible for entertainment, though it is very entertaining. The people which lived in those times which are found in the Bible are just as dysfunctional as we are today, nothing has changed in that regard. They needed salvation then as much as we do today. Their sins are no worse than our sins today, for all sin was invented by Satan and no human could ever re-invent what the Lord of Darkness has made perfectly evil. Therefore, it is up to each person to look for, to knock on the door, to step through the doorway, to open up one’s own heart and to try and imagine a world filled with love, because it’s real, it does exist, and it’s worth the effort. I have always thought that if Satan could expend such energy in finding ways to condemn us, and Jesus over through that with His love then wouldn’t it be logical we reciprocate by some effort of our own.

I also think it proper that after we have begun searching that we question what we read and seek more answers never forgetting what we have found, but rather accumulating a wealth of knowledge so that we can use all the evidence found to formulate the basis of our answer and belief in God. For I do not believe God would be insulted if we, his creations, asked and search for the truth. In my many years of reading, listening, and following the lessons in the scripture I have always felt God in the background urging me to continue even though at times I had become frustrated, angry, and tired. God has always been their in my life working miracles that are not written in scripture but where just for me. So I believe He does the same thing for everyone who searches for evidence of God in their own life. I also believe it is through this journey of Baptism do we find God, will we then be able to answer the first and the second question and do we really become convinced of where Jesus came from, who He is, and why He saved mankind from damnation. To me there is no other definition of family I could ever possibly hope to find that fills the void as completely as to confess that I am a believer, and a member of the family of God. I can think of no other assurance that will allow my soul to rest within peace as to admit that God will uphold His promises and take those who identify themselves as His beloved children, (family), with Him and share with them all that the Kingdom of God has to offer forever and ever.

Amen,

* For more research on this topic, “Kingdom of God”, please click: Got Questions ?.org And from the Berean Bible Society on this topic click here.

If you liked this Special Reflection on The Kingdom of God please leave a comment. Also please “LIKE” and “SHARE” this post with others.

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God Bless,

Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

Special Reflection – Prayer for Syria

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”~ Matthew 5:21-22

This weeks post is not at all the one I wanted to write and it also was nowhere near the topic I had in mind. Originally I wanted to write a special posting on the American Holiday, “Labor Day”, which was more of a response and shrewd political deal that lead to it’s being enacted, largely due to the late 1800’s “Pullman Strike”, which had such wide-ranging implications that less than a week after it ended, then-President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law. As Americans we sometimes forget the political events that created many of our holidays, Labor Day being just one of them. Many of our rights also came from years of struggle and political unrest and what better way to bring the most resent struggle facing our country and many other nations around the world than to preface the peaceful ways man has ended strife without the unlawful use of violence. I also have never and will never us this blog platform which is religious in nature and in all its materials to preach politics or push a given political agenda, so with the ground rules set I ask that first as a faith community we all pray for all the families and the victims of the Siren Gassing which took place in Syria which took more than 1,400 men, women and children on August 21, 2013.

War in Syria as well in other places in the Middle East and the world has been going on for thousands of years none stop and is likely not to stop anytime soon. Many of the reasons for man’s strife date back to the dawn of time and is firmly rooted in the Bible. What we see today is no different than the senseless killing of tens of thousands of innocent people who died in what can only be described as mind boggling events which lead to their suffering and dying as the select few make all the decisions, make all the wealth, and allow their people to be left with virtually nothing. These cruel dictators operate more like the common (Mafia) within a autocratic system; rather than a democracy of real Presidents, Prime Ministers, or Heads of State and in the annals of history they will only be remembered by the horror they unleashed on mankind rather than the ideals they may have tried to bring into our collective reality. This drama has not changed because those in power refuse to allow it to change, they grasp onto power as if it where a drug; they will and have done anything to keep it. Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad is after all just a man and is subject to all the same grotesque temptations as every other man and women and he is no different than other brutal dictators who disguise their brutality with a deceiving title of the people and demeanor which is anything but one of a mass murder. The very same tactics have been used before, more recently by such men as Adolf Hitler – (Died April 30, 1945 in Berlin, Germany), Benito Mussolini – (Died April 28, 1945 in Giulino, Mezzegra, Italy), Joseph Stolen – (Died March 5, 1953 in Kuntsevo Dach, Soviet Union), Saddam Hussein – (Hanged to Death on December 30, 2006 in Kadhimiya, Iraq), Kim Jong-il – (Died December 17, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea), Hugo Chavez (Died March 5, 2013 in Caracas, Venezuela), and the late Prime Minister of Libya, Moammar Gadhafi; (Died October 20, 2011 in Sirte, Libya after being beaten and stabbed in the anus, causing serious injuries; the events were filmed on a cell phone. Pulled onto the front of a pick-up truck, he fell off as it drove away. His semi-naked, lifeless body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to Misrata; upon arrival, he was found to be dead.) All these men lived by the sword, all of these men have murdered, all of these men also had intense anger in their hearts in order for them to have been able to say and do some of the horrible things they did. Some of these men brought peace to their counties for a while, but most came to power out of brutality and force on the backs of many of their citizens. Such a man was Adolf Hitler who authorized the systematic extermination of millions of Jews, he authorized the use of horrific experiments which lead to countless Jews, civilians – men, women, and children to die in the most inhuman of ways possible. It was this that moved the allies after World War II to create the United Nations to keep such acts of violence from ever happening again. Yet, some 68 years later here we are, chimerical weapons being used on civilians as they slept unaware of the impending dangers which would end their lives in the most inhuman of ways. Another leader on this list named Saddam Hussein also used brute force through his arsenal of chemical weapons killing thousands of his own people on March 16, 1988, whereby he authorized the use of chemical weapons on the Kurds. From morning til night the Iraqis rained down volley after volley of bombs filled with a deadly mixture of mustard gas and nerve agents on Halabja. Approximately 5,000 women, men, and children died within days of the attacks. Long-term effects included permanent blindness, cancer, and birth defects. An estimated 10,000 lived, but live daily with the disfigurement and sicknesses from the chemical weapons. Like Hitler, Hussein thumbed his nose at the world as he rained down illegal weapons on all who apposed him, war crimes in the view of the world court and yet from all we have seen and experienced there are many more dictators who are able and willing to continue where these great dinosaurs of terror have left off; that to me is mind boggling. However, the justice for such atrocities we as mortals will never see as the true punishment is as described in Matthew 5:21-22.

A Warning for a Dictator / President

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.” ~ Ezekiel 33:7-9

It is not that I judge you and your mind and heart, but rather appeal to your humanity and the love you feel for those you hold in your personal lives. Hold fast to the love which God Himself has granted unto you and turn from the the wicked path which you now sew. Know that your sins have been made public and the eyes of the world now gaze in your direction, do not be tempted by this attention instead read fast the words of God’s servants who have come to warn you of impending sin just as God gave to King David a prophet of the Lord, Nathan. I as a brother in Christ beg of you to do the moral and righteous things God would have you do, ignoring the evil impulses of Satan. Do the right things God would have you do, ignoring the depravity of Satan. Make peace with your enemies and know your time as ruler may end, ignoring the temptations of power placed before you by Satan. Trust in God alone and your many sins shall be forgiven by our Father in heaven. There is nothing to be gained by war, by senseless killing, by destroying the children under your watch. Walk away and give them peace for you shall not be able to give them back which you have taken from them. Know your heart and mind and know your soul longs for God, even though your mind is blind to this fact, give into the good within you and allow God to mold you into the person he has wanted you to become from birth, discarding the shell of Satan forever. Heed the warning from God and seek peace or God alone shall exact His perfect judgement.

So I urge everyone to both remember and pray for all these people who have gone before those in Syria, pray for all the millions of our brothers and sisters who suffered and died from such senseless blood shed as their place is now in the Kingdom of God. I ask that you pray for the children who have suffered and who died this past August needlessly. I know the following set of pictures though may be graphic but we need to know why we pray and why we should never take such innocents from this world. Every human-being needs to know why the death of these innocent children is such a sin in the eyes of God, and thus we also need to pray for those in power who both allowed it and who are now brave enough to stand up and take action to prevent it from ever happening again.

Survivors of suspected gas attack in Syria describe horrors they say will haunt them forever!

By Associated Press, August 28, 2013

BEIRUT — The early-morning barrage against rebel-held areas around the Syrian capital immediately seemed different this time: The rockets made a strange, whistling noise.

Seconds after one hit near his home west of Damascus, Qusai Zakarya says, he couldn’t breathe, and he desperately punched himself in the chest to get air.

Meanwhile, in rebel-held areas east of Damascus, hundreds of suffocating, twitching victims were flooding into makeshift hospitals following a similar rocket barrage. Others were later found dead in their homes, towels still on their faces from their last moments trying to protect themselves. (Read More)

End the Syrian Civil War Now! End the Killing! The world has had enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOjgnOf7PJw

Amen,

If you liked this Special Reflection on SYRIA please leave a comment. Also please “LIKE” and “SHARE” this post with others.

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God Bless,

Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

Reflection 2: Family of God – Broken Home, Broken Child

6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” ~ Proverbs 22:6

The responsibility given to all parents is to train up your children, if done they will be productive citizens, they will have a shot at happiness, they will be fruitful and happy. But we all know this, or at least that is what is professed and yet ironically this is rarely done. Why? I think to answer this question we must first understand what God intended for every person on earth, from every parent, and the responsibilities He places upon our children. We also must understand that at every turn there is temptation and it affects our children just as profoundly if not more so than adults, their parents whom they look up too. So what did God intend?

3 “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'” ~ Jeremiah 31:3

God loved us even before He created us, hence the words “with an everlasting love.” God gave Adam life, he gave him dominion over the animals and a perfect garden to live in filled with everything Adam would ever need. God even gave unto Adam his wife Eve so that he would not be lonely and all of this God did out of everlasting love. Therefore, it’s not to big of a stretch to imagine that from God’s love He wanted man and women to be happy. If you take the total sum of all of God’s gifts to man they can all be traced back to love. God so loved mankind that He gave us free will, He gave us emotions so we could experience things far beyond that of mere animals. He gave us power and great responsibility, in that He also gave us the power to create and to destroy. Clearly God has not enslaved us but yet wanted every man to be free and happy. God also wanted us to be part of His divine family; enter His son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins so we could be part of that glorious family in heaven, again this comes back to love and happiness. God wanted us to experience His love, because love fills our hearts with happiness. So in truth God intended mankind to love and be happy and to be fruitful abiding in His love forever and ever. All of this is self-evident in our children who are naturally happy until we saddle them down with our sinful world. Moreover, along with all the responsibilities God gave to mankind, (many we have failed to uphold), he endowed man to educate the children in His divine ways.

18 “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” ~ Deuteronomy 11:18-19

The truth and mercy of God was to be taught to our children so they too could have hope, and become part of God’s family, and again we seem to forget this simple fact as is evident in our own laws which stifle and confuse the parental role, and tie our teachers, parents, and guardians hands behind our backs. Mankind seems to want to force suffering upon ourselves and our children with all the horrors that the hell which we have been exposed at every twist and turn. Mankind seemingly sees ‘s fit to crush love and happiness through our actions, setting a disastrous precedent for our children who are watching every word and move we make. It is like God wants us to be happy but we are saying through our actions and word, “Leave me to my misery, “ just as Job had once said to God.

“Let me alone, for my days are but a breath. What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him, that You should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?” ~ Job 7:16-18

Did Job have it right, is man worthy of such love and happiness, or should God leave us all alone in our misery? Job calls out to God, that His days, (our days), are but a breath to God and so how insignificant we are in comparison. Who are we that God should test us day and night? To take this inquiry further, why should God even care after our many failures and broken promises? I know it is hard to imagine that God would love us so much and that He would go to such lengths as to save us, exalt us, and be so proud of us and then to show us mercy over and over again. There are some moments in my life where I am just astonished at God, I am so taken with His never-give-in attitude and deep down inside I know that is the kind of attitude He wants all of us to exhibit towards one-another. In thinking long and hard about this miracle called God, I feel so inferior, so unworthy, so flawed and because He has seen fit to forgive me I am able to forgive myself. His forgiveness extends to everyone around me, (oh how He calls to me to just forgive)! I must admit it is always a work in process, but the end result as God so promised is happiness within my heart and soul. It’s crazy but I can feel God smile down upon me in those moments. For it, all, in the end, leads to overwhelming happiness.

14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” ~ 2 Timothy 3:14-15

None of the above would be possible without faith in Christ, thus happiness comes from faith through God and His everlasting love. Our salvation is hinged upon this and the ability to teach Gods message is how this message survives from age to age. With this being the will of God, why then have we, (modern man), been so resentful, so rebellious in teaching Gods divine word to our children? Why is it that we, (modern man), create roadblocks that prevent the message of God from taking root in our children? Simply put only moronic fools would be so rebellious and be so vengeful in their prosecution of such evil defiance of God, does this also sound oddly familiar? Satan is the real mastermind in getting modern man to rebel, to create the roadblocks, (laws), which prevent the teaching of God to take place as God himself had instructed for man of all ages to do with and for their children. But we also carry some blame, and will ultimately pay the final consequence for such evil doings.

15 “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts,‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant. 16 ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?'” ~ Matthew 21:15-16

Jesus the son of God calls His praise from the voices of the children, and it is through our children His kingdom shall reign. With this the responsibility is ever present and for parents it is one we cannot ignore. As teachers of the message of God must be the center focus within every lesson and for all adults, our burden is none the lesser as the message of God must be written within our hearts. But, and this is a big “BUT”, we must realize that for every law we make that is supposed to protect our children we also have empowered a system that has no natural connection to them and this system grows more powerful and takes from us more rights as parents, thus creating roadblocks to this specific teaching. There are many people who say we need to protect our children from all kinds of sinful morally inept criminals and this is true, but for every law with good intentions, there are a million unintended usages that will be exploited by crafty lawyers and kangaroo courts! Laws at every level and in every department of our justice system which is supposed to protect our children and give them rights there are a million drawbacks that could rob you of your children! In our liberal world we have put blinders on and seem to think by empowering our children to become more powerful than the criminal, we forget that this could be taken also to become more powerful than their own parents. Litigation is a twisted mess for grownups let alone for our children and yet if one crafty parent gained the upper-hand and wanted to legally separate the child from the other parent it is all too easy in our Family Courts to make happen! Consider this, a seemingly harmless provision which allowed a move-away, could become the final tool to destroy and disenfranchise the target parent and if the child was old enough and prompted by that parent which held the legal advantage they could, (child caught in the middle), indirectly, (without knowing it), chop of the head of the target parent in court with as little effort as a sword slicing off the head of a criminal in mid-evil times. The end result, of course, is one parent dominates all the child’s time and dictates what they like, how they like, when they like. This goes against God’s most basic plan and divine law of a two-parent family. Believe me, when I say, God does not want men and women taking personal problems to court no more than He wants children involved within the courts’ nasty triangle. With God there is mercy, with His divine laws there is mercy, but with our Justice System there is no mercy for the family and in its bowels, nothing can survive that resembles the plan of God. For within this liberal, legal, and cesspool of man’s own making the only outcome is a broken home and broken child. This is far and above what Matthew wrote and what Jesus Himself said, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?” I say again, there is no praise in court, there is no praise in destroying families, and there is no praise in using your children as lethal weapons sent to assassinate a parent they love! We must rethink our laws and make every parent important and vital to the parenting process and “move-away” orders do not make that happen; they do the exact opposite! Any parent with a specific goal of separation and is willing to expend considerable effort toward achieving it, then is no parent at all but rather nothing more than a selfish thug acting outside of God. On the other hand, any parent with a specific goal of unity and is willing to expend considerable effort toward achieving it is, in fact, acting within God’s framework of a two-parent family scenario. As of yet, the courts have no measure in which they can discern the difference between the two vastly different types of parents and because they don’t they destroy rather than build.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” ~ Psalm 127: 1-5

Every child is a heritage given to us by God. They are not weapons of mass destruction, nor are they to be used as such! They are not tools to be used for selfish reasons, nor did God give them to you for such an activity! No, God gave to us children to be raised with His word burned into their hearts and they are to be taught in such a manner. God made every human being responsible for the care of all of His children thus they are to be raised by both parents, grandparents, and extended family members. Good is to be taught unto them, and evil is to be shunned by every family member as an example for the child. Love an honor is to be instilled and there is no difference or distinction of which parent to respect more, or which elder to be heard more, rather every member is important. I have yet to find a law that states this with conviction and which a lawyer will uphold it or a judge will rule by it. The fact remains that children are not more powerful than their parents, but our legal system, enabled by the voters have made this a reality through ignorance. Can a baby feed its self? Can a child teach it’s self-things which they do not know? Can a teen exhibit enough wisdom as to not need guidance? Before you answer know this, our American wisdom has now made the obvious answer that once was “NO”, and has made it an emphatic “YES”. Either we have so much faith in our child’s abilities to raise themselves or we are so selfish we would rather nature do all the heavy lifting, really I can’t tell which it is. But our psychobabble is incoherent and is notwithstanding God’s gift of children. Children need love, forgiveness, kindness, discipline, they need role-models, and above all, they need parents, not one… but two parents (i.e. father and a mother). Anything short of that the child is not whole, they become rebellious and broken adults. They have children without a clue of how to raise them, and their children become broken and disillusioned, and they too grow up and have children and the cycle continues. Our children then embrace ungodly teachings of the world and they could not even if it was before them, could they see the light of God, could they see the truth of God, could they see the love of God. Indeed there are many people who are in this predicament today, they come from fractured homes, they experienced evil at every turn, and by and large, they are ultimately lost.

The following is the statistic of children who come from broken homes:

Found online at; http://m.timesdispatch.com/mechlocal/opinion/letters/stats-of-effects-in-broken-homes/article_ba88da2c-6af8-11e2-9f38-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=jqm)

Did you know that more than 3 in 10 children grow up in broken homes and children from broken homes account for:

70 percent of those in juvenile detention.
57 percent of all prison inmates.
63 percent of teen suicides.
71 percent of teen pregnancies.
90 percent of homeless juveniles and runaways.
71 percent of high school dropouts.
75 percent of all drug users.
85 percent of behavioral disorders.

From the FATHERLESS GENERATION, the follow stats are found;

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

A nation that destroys its families will crumble, crime will rise, unhappiness reigns and our children will suffer outside of God’s Family, for there is nothing but a broken home, broken child without God.

Become a better parent by investing in yourself and in the message of God;

Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace, by Dr. Joel Beeke – Get Your Copy today! Click Here

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Amen,

If you liked this Posting on Broken Home, Broken Child please leave a comment. Also please “LIKE” and “SHARE” this post with others.

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God Bless,

Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

What Schools Need pt 1: Things to Consider Before You Buy

This special posting is made available to you by Stark360° :

What Schools Need pt 1: Things to Consider Before You Buy.

Reflection 1: Family of God pt1

46 “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'”~ Matthew 12:46-50

Anyone who does the will of God is the brother of Jesus, as stated by Matthew. But what about those non-believers who do not do the will of God? What about all those people who live in sin and perversion refusing to repent? What about the majority of mankind? The fact is that those who believe and are faithful, obeying the rituals and traditions of the church are becoming fewer and fewer in number. The more advanced our society the more distant from God the populous has allowed their hearts to travel. In the end will it matter? If it does how many millions of people will have perished because they could not believe the words spoken by Jesus. How many people will have ignored the singular chance to be a brother or sister of our savior?

Family is everything, or in years past this was the teaching. Blood is thicker than water or that was the saying. Honor is won or lost depending on the actions of the family as a whole, but this too has given way to individualism. As the pendulum swings (as the lawyers often say in reference to case law), we as people, one race under God have become more concerned with, “self”, than with, “we – the human collective”. Through that process we have been deceived by Satan into putting more value into what makes us happy as an individual regardless the impact it has ( or will have), on others. This selfishness includes ignoring the direct impact on people in our lives such as our close relatives and everyone in between reaching as far out as to affect our world-wide human family. This infection is worse than any plague of the Dark Ages as this selfishness has now been allowed by all who have stopped believing in one God, one people, one family, one Bible, one faith, and all of Gods miracles to now make the blasphemous argument that condones self-centeredness, greed, lust, and blind ambition instead of blind-faith in God! Each of these sins which again the populous of planet Earth has allowed into their mind, heart, and soul has marred each heart it touches infecting it with such ugliness there is no words to describe it, thus this sin leaves behind a distinguishing feature on each person and their personal nature. All while Satan and his sinners go about justifying their actions which in retrospect has devolved into ignoring God and ignoring our rightful place as a brother or sister of Jesus Christ. In this what they have really said to God is, “We are happier with things, with our selfish wants, with anything else that allows us to not honor another’s code or since of justice, in short anything which allows us to do what we want, when we want, and how we want! Even if that means we are eternally separated from Gods Holy Family!”

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

Our Lord gave us three specific invitations to become part of His family. The first was to the weary, burdened, and to the tired. To these members of Christ’s family does he promise to give them rest. What exactly does Jesus mean when he talks about giving us everlasting rest. Well, Jesus promises to pull them close to Him, protect them, forgive them, and to take on their many burdens so they won’t have to bear them any longer. If you know your bible then this sound oddly familiar, for wasn’t this what Jesus willing sacrificed himself for? Didn’t he die for the entire human race so that we all would be saved, so that we all would be under His divine protection, having no worries? But to promise this he first separated our needs into specific groups with different and equal distinctions so that each person within that group would not only believe Him, but to also want to be His brother or sister.

17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ~ Mark 1:17

First Jesus promised to take your burdens, then he promised to mold you into His disciple. Again, the first qualification to be a brother or sister in Christ is to submit to Jesus, thus giving up your will, wants, and desires, and doing the will of God. By becoming His brother or sister you also become His blessed disciple, again doing the will of God.

Secondly, just as Jesus does not take away what he has given or promised, neither should you as His disciple take back what you have promised or given. For this distorts and destroys hope and to be the destroyer of hope is not the will of God. Remember it was said, 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

4 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” ~ John 15:4

Jesus’s third promise was to remain within you. Therefore, in every aspect of your life if you abide in Him, He promises to remain in you. No one can do the exact will of God absent of God in their own life. No one can be called a disciple of Christ and at the same time be doing evil deeds. Likewise, a baby can not survive without it parents nurturing hand, therefore we cannot succeed without God for everything in this world is His alone to give or take. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, our ways are not His ways.

Modern Day Threats to God’s Family

Divorce is the number one weapon Satan has used in our lives as he seeks to divide and concur! However, hidden from view most people have no clue the evil of divorce and that in reality there are two kinds of divorce. The first kind is the legal separation from your spouse, which in turn if you have children opens your life and family to the evils of man’s law known as the Family Court which destroys your family and your life and which is illegal in its very practice, (more on this later). The second type of divorce is no less destructive, as it is the dissolution of your faith and standing with God for man’s law cares not for morality, nor the teaching of the Bible, because if it did then it could not proclaim the perverted message that it does, “To protect the best interest of your children.” Namely this guiding principle is never upheld when one parent seeks to destroy the other and the courts allow the behavior of that selfish spouse. Alarmingly, studies prove beyond any doubt that women all over the world are getting away with disenfranchising their husbands robbing their children of a father who loves them.

“Unfortunately, the desire for ongoing and liberal visitation between child and nonresidential parent has frequently not kept pace with actual practices. The Children’s Rights Council (1994) estimates that six million children in the United States have their visitation interfered with by the custodial parents. Two surveys support the range of this problem. Arditti (1992) reports that approximately 50% of divorced fathers relate that their ex-wife has interfered with visitation with their offspring. Similarly, approximately 40% of custodial mothers admit denying their ex-husband visitation in order to punish him (Kressel, 1985). In some cases, visitation interference has been associated with malicious unlawful acts against the father of such children (Turkat, in press). On rare occasions, a parent may actually kidnap the child.” ~ Ira Daniel Turkat, PH.D., CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, VOL. 14. NO. 8, pp. 737-742, 1994

This leads to millions of children through divorce looses one of their parents namely the father. Then there is those in our society who ask this moronic question, “Where did all the fathers go?” Satan’s great plan to divide and concur through divorce is where all our the good fathers have gone. A more important question then lurks in the background, “How can you believe in God if he allowed your ex-wife to destroy your life and legally steel your kids from you?” This question destroys faith, destroys hope, destroys lives again namely that of our fathers who wanted so much to be a father to their children and who is being prevented from doing so by the court. 97% of these men have been turned into and measured by how much money they can provide their ex-spouse, thus reducing their role as nothing more than a living breathing wallet. They are then condemned when they cannot provide as society calls them “dead beat dads”, or absent tee fathers, ironically it was the court which placed them in such a position in the first place. This is called alienation for a reason and it should also be called a crime and child abuse and which is being allowed and perpetrated by the courts! It used to be each party had to prove the other unfit, but in today’s Family Court System a claim becomes proof with or without hard evidence! This practice has both disenfranchised and denied more parents the right of Due-Process as most Judges shirk their responsibility and do not read everything nor consider everything. When Family Code is sited in court declarations and the mother denies responsibility and alleges other more hurtful allegations against the father without documented proof then most Judges automatically side with the mother calling her the “primary caregiver”. Even though it has been proven she had openly kept the child from the father and prevented equal access on court appointed time with their children or child. These are just a few experiences I have had and others like me have had in court as we fight for equal time with our children in the State of California, but in no way shape or form is this illegal activity just happening in California, but worldwide!

3 “Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from him. 4 Children who are born to people when they are young are like arrows in the hands of a soldier. 5 Blessed are those who have many children. They won’t be put to shame when they go up against their enemies in court.” ~ Psalm 127:3-5

God gave mankind his offspring, not the courts! God gave authority and the power to raise each child to (his/her)parents, not the court! God gave the sacred duty of bringing children up in the ammunition of the Lord to the parents, not to the courts! Our very Constitution of the United States of America gives each person the right to practice religion, thus our very Constitution extends to protect each parents sacred rights endowed to all men to parent by God through Psalm 127: 3-5.

“NO PARENT SHOULD LIVE IN FEAR OF NEVER GETTING TO SEE THEIR (CHILD/CHILDREN) EVER AGAIN! AS THIS IS EMOTIONAL TERRORISM PERPETRATED BY THE COURTS!” ~ Brian Keith, 2013

AMENDMENT I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ~ United States Constitution – First Amendment.

This does not give the Government (State or Federal) the right to tear our families apart and disfranchising men from the role of father which we are so endowed by God to raise on a daily basis! No Government has the right to take a child or give more custody to one parent over the other because no Government has more authority than God! God gave to me and my ex-wife our daughter equally, God gave to my friends who are fighting for custody and the rights to see their children to them and their ex-spouses equally. In short there should never be a fight over custody as that is something God given and no man has the right to deny or alter or change! The Family Courts of the world are operating illegally every time they give a mother the right to move away and take from the father all rights of making decisions on schooling, or anything else which pertains to the raising of their children/child. No parent has the right to destroy the family because they are so selfish as to seek revenge on their former spouse, as this does not show love for or hold within it the best interest of the children involved but quit the opposite. Every-time a child is kept form seeing an alienated parent be it from the ex-spouse, court, police, or anyone else they have broken Gods sacred commandments.

“The child is not the mere creature of the State. Those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” ~ 1925 Supreme Court ruling: Pierce v. Society of Sister

I call upon all of you to stand and fight against this travesty which affects billions of parents world wide and even more children. I ask you to petition the Church, the Courts, your local and Federal Governments writing to them letters of outrage; letting them know how wrong these trespasses are and how hurtful they have become! I call upon every child who has been victimized in this way to stand and speak out about how much guilt you have carried by being forced to chose between two parents you love, telling the world how devastating this illegal choice again forced upon you by the courts! Speak out about the anger and frustration and the devastation it brought to your life and how confused you became during those years which you most likely have buried deep inside! I ask everyone to speak out because it is child abuse being perpetrated by the courts and it fly’s in the face of both State and Federal Family Code, the Constitution, and that of God and is directly apposed by His Devin will and purpose of parenthood!

“The hallmark of [the parental] relationship is the readily observable fact that this special adult is not interchangeable with others.” ~ Dr. Jack Shonkoff Board-certified pediatrician Harvard Graduate School of Education

I want to take out this moment to call attention to a friend of mine who lives in San Diego California and who’s wife of many years; a women who has denied him equal access to their beautiful daughter for years. Denied him access to a child who loves both of her parents dearly. Here is a mother who’s personal life that is more important to her than some of her other motherly duties, and whom is not a citizen of these United States of America and who just won the right to move away to her native home of Italy. Here is a child who is a citizen of the United States, who’s father is a citizen of the United States and a father who will not be able to visit his daughter after the move because of finances. A man who has dedicated his life to educating others and is a Professor in Higher Education, a man who has been made to look like he does not love his only child because he took a few jobs over the years out of the State of California so he could provide for his family. Here is a man who has been brought to the edge of financial ruin because of the courts and this illegal system! Again, no court has the power to create such chaos in a parents life, nor do they have the right to disenfranchise or pick between the two parents or decide which parental relationship to destroy and which parental relationship to honor! It is a perversion before God and it needs to stop! I ask everyone to pray for my good friend Joseph.

“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.” ~ C. Everett Koop Former US Surgeon General

I ask all of you to also pray for all parents in their struggles with the worlds illegal courts who seek to divide and concur just like the great Satan they where devised from. Each week I will ask you to pray for a parent I know who has been divested by these rulings which have no place in our world and are illegal as again the court has no power over the laws of God. Each parent I will ask you to pray for during this Series on Family who has deeply touched my heart as I have heard them, written to them, and been moved by them. I will ask that you pray for both men and women and every single child caught by this devastating and selfish weapon unleashed by one of their parents as they seek revenge as mentioned above.

A Prayer Written by a Child of Divorce:

In Jesus’s name we pray,

My Dear Father in Heaven,
Please hold me tight and see the pain in my heart,
Please Lord – please be for me the Father that I need,
To make me feel happy and secure,
As my own father is so far away from me,
And I see him so few times,
I feel so sad and so alone without him,
He is never able to make dinner for me, celebrate holidays, or even read me a story to put me to bed,
Only You dear Lord can take care of me and care for all my needs,
Never again will I have to go to bed or wake up alone,
For You My God shall be with me.

“This prayer written by a child of divorced parents, should perhaps be mandatory reading for any couple with children, who is contemplating divorce. Maybe parents who have “thrown in the towel”, giving up all hope on their marriage – after reading this prayer and feeling the child’s pain – will decide to “dig deeper” into their emotional resources to find a solution for the marriage to work, so that their children should be spared such pain.” ~ The SilentOne, 2011.

“Overwhelmingly, the teenagers who were polled named spending time with family as their top answer. For nearly three quarters – 73 percent – their relationship with their parents is what makes them most happy.” ~ parentalrights.org, The Vital Child-Parent Relationship

Amen

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God Bless,

Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

God and His Mindset

God’s Mindset vs Our Mindset

God’s Mindset Equals Strength

God Is

Those Who Do Not Know God

The Simple Test of Humility

Fruits of God

The Command of “Don’t”!

The 144 Hypocrites

God’s Currency

The Importance of Being On Guard

Family is Everything

Strengthening Families Spiritually

LET US PRAY

Let Us Pray

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

* For more research on this topic, “Kingdom of God”, please click: Got Questions ?.org And from the Berean Bible Society on this topic click here.

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End the Syrian Civil War Now! End the Killing! The world has had enough!

Become a better parent by investing in yourself and in the message of God;

Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace, by Dr. Joel Beeke – Get Your Copy today! Click Here

Modern Day Threats to God’s Family

AMENDMENT I

T he 144 Hypocrites

^{LET US PRAY}