We are not alone This is some interesting world we live in.. eh? I mean.. one minute you have a president being sworn into office, the next, he's being questioned for unfaithfulness to his wife. It's complex.. it's nuts.. it's stupid.. but hey.. that's what happens when... Yes.. when you throw God out of an equation He has always deserved to be in. Of course.. the world.. including our 'blessed' United States would have you think otherwise... that one's inner 'faith' isn't all that important.. that all that matters is making sure those who hurt you pay for their mistakes, and making sure you don't have to pay for yours. But.. what about those who "get away" with what they do? What about those who live it up, after being criminals and killing many people.. or bringing extensive harm to our children, wives, and peers. What about them? How can a world be just where the more hypocritical you are about true honesty and honor, the more money you get and the more pleasure you enjoy? I'll tell you, straight out... it's not. A world where this happens is truly an unjust world.. where people who do an excellent job in pretending that they are on top of things, when they are quite soundly destroying the very fabric of character that truly matters. This is where people who play games and play pretend end up with all the bucks... and people who work hard for what truly matters end up with all the lumps. But hey.. at least this means you can believe in whatever 'God' you want to.. right? But what about belief anyway? I mean.. mere acknowledgement of the deity of a certain 'god'.. of his/her/its pre-eminence.. without clinging tight to what that deity truly values and living out that belief.. that's just another form of superficial faith.. and hypocrisy. Now I'm not about to say that what Osama did on 9/11 was by any means a good thing... It was truly a horror... and I know I could not put in words just how much suffering the Muslims he funded ended up causing on that day. But I do want to point to one very important thing -- these Muslims lived their faith out -- something just about every so-called 'Christian' you may meet on the street simply isn't doing. If you spend any time in the Bible.. including just reading Jesus' most famous 'Sermon on the Mount'.. you begin to wonder if these so-called 'Christians' truly believe in the real Jesus. For even internationally known 'Christian' organizations end up procuring the use of arms.. and force.. to seek justice.. when Jesus Himself told us not to resist *ANY* wrongdoing from such people who would harm us. Jesus told us, plainly, that if a man strikes us on the right cheek.. to offer that person our left. Or if a person sues us and takes away our coat.. to give that person even more than he takes. Or if a person compels us to go a mile with him, it is our duty, as Christians.. as followers of Jesus.. to go two. Of course.. this is nuts to many so-called 'Christians'. And I'll tell ya why.. it's all because these 'Christians' have put far too much emphasis on living out a life of ease, comfort, and fun.. in a world God never promised it to them in. Tons upon tons of so-called 'Christians' have all made biiiiiiig investments in this world... in this life... and I don't just mean monetary... but let's start there. Jesus said *in* His sermon on the mount.. that you cannot serve both God and Mammon.. Mammon being the god of money. And though Christian after Christian will point to the notion that "the love of money" is truly (as Jesus said) the root of all evil. But.. when it comes to living out a real love of God, so many so-called Christians are letting money do the talking... they hold onto money as the only way God can accomplish anything... and in fear of losing the money they are using to eek out that life of ease and comfort, so many "Christians" end up spending the majority of their waking lives working for unimportant, unhelpful, and unprofitable ventures.. that bring in the dollar, but destroy the soul through lack of exercise... exercise that only happens through total devotion to God.. and not merely giving Him a few minutes a day at mealtimes.. or a couple hours on Sunday. Our *blessed* 'Christian' nation never was. Oh so many "Christians" claim that our nation is the best on Earth. But if this is so.. why did Osama attack us? Is it truly because we're simply the best? Or is it because we truly *are* a filth-pot.. seething with immorality that got Sodom and Gomorrah wiped off the map. This is fact.. this is true... and this is painful to hear. Just because tons upon tons of so-called Christians are chiming in on the need to 'accept' new points of view.. such as having sex with whomever you want, whenever you want.. rather than how God designed it... doesn't mean that God is happy with it. The truth is.. just like the Bible says... how can two men walk together, unless they be in agreement? So.. you have two choices... believe that something is true.. and have those who disagree angry at you, or punished, or what have you.. Or believe that *anything* can be true... and let the world go milling along.. believing they are at peace.. when they have thrown away all standards of truth as worthless. This is where our world is heading. Rather than adopt some form of truth as the actual truth.. we are throwing away truth as worthless.. and saying "hey.. you can have your truth.. and I can have mine.. we'll just agree to disagree, and we'll be fine!" But that's utter nonsense. Even if tons of so-called scientific demongraphic data and "well-educated" professors end up teaching that truth is totally relative, it doesn't make it so. Truth may be perceived from a totally individualized standpoint.. by each person or entity in existence.. but that does not discount that truth, itself, is relative -- merely that each person sees things from a totally unique point. The problem with this, though.. is that we, as a race of beings.. have a small... yet deadly problem -- We all enjoy writing the truth to fit ourselves.. to fit our own families.. our own loved ones.. rather than holding to truth that makes us uncomfortable, or costs us our lives. We all naturally turn away from what is good and helpful.. and embrace what is hateful, selfish, and wrong. *THIS* is why Jesus came. *THIS* is what Jesus came to deliver us from... from a *REAL* problem in all people's hearts... otherwise known as sin. But what about the Jews? Jesus was a Jew.. but.. due to the very same things we are experiencing today.. the Jews threw away their own Messiah.. Why? I mean.. didn't Jesus fulfill *EVERY* prophecy about Him in the Bible? But one of the prophecies He fulfilled was "The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner/chief cornerstone." This was prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus came.. that He would come to the Jews.. (God's chosen people) and would be rejected by them. So why did they? It's the same reason people reject the real Jesus today.... because He doesn't meet our superficial expectations.... because He wanted far more than to simply exalt the Jews (who had repeatedly refused to turn away from worshipping little pieces of stone and wood, and worship (in action and heart) the one true God). Jesus came to save *EVERYONE*.. something that even Jonah had a problem with.. when God told him to preach to Nineveh. Jonah couldn't stand it that God would dare love such an incorrigible people (so he thought) as those in Nineveh.. but God cared enough to do so.. After all.. they were His creations, too! And due to the attitude of the Jews.. they totally missed, and even had God's one, perfect Messiah.. killed. Why..? Because He did what this world hates... He exposed the people in charge for who they truly were.. and He showed that those who were seemingly on the bottom of the Jews' ladder were far more righteous in God's sight.. because they acknowledged freely their need for Him, and the 'righteous' Jews didn't. This is where we are today... in a world where people who claim to be Christian end up hating those Jesus called them to love... where tons of religious clergy stand on 50 foot golden podiums, preaching emptiness to the masses.. all to continue their popularity, by refusing to speak truth that isn't all too desired. But this is what life is supposed to be like.. right? I mean.. the people who get the most money are those who play pretend, play games, or play music... in other words.. those who let us take our minds off of life as we know it.. so we can totally remove ourselves from all that God is trying to say to us in our pains. Yes.. don't believe it? God *does* speak through pain... through longing.. through leanness of the soul. Take a look at the Israelites.. who complained against God's provision of Manna.. and who partook of the quail He sent.. but ended up only starving even more inside. I know that's how many of you feel.. full, yet starving. And ya know why it is? I've been watching the US TV Series called 24. A local video store got it in (including after my requesting in it).. so I've been able to see what I missed when it was on... and I've noticed that the *entire* series has been all about compromise... about lying... about unfaithfulness.. about withholding the truth. It's all about how we have so much red tape.. so much junk that is in the way.. that seemingly in order to get anything done you have to "cut corners".. i.e. lie/cheat/steal/what have you. You have to 'call in favors'.. or 'do as the moneyholders tell you to'.. or 'bow down and work "by the book"'. It's nuts. So why do we have all this red tape? Oh a lot of people are going to tell you that it's to make us all safer... but in truth, much of it is truly there for one reason -- because someone, somewhere in the past.. looked for a loophole, and some unGodly judge or jury chose not to stand on true morals, and gave this someone a ton of money from those who had done little more than word something slightly imperfectly. And so.. we put up all these checks and balances to keep it from happening... But guess what..? It keeps on happening... And ya know why..? For one.. it's cuz nobody can word things perfectly in a language whose words' definitions keep shifting. What may mean one thing a couple hundred years ago.. can be interpreted totally different today... even with the exact same lettering of words. Of course.. this happens because people decide to use words their own way.. to twist them to their own use.. for.. you got it.. SELFISH reasons... so that they can get what they want out of someone.. through immoral/unrighteous standards. Ok.. why are we starving..? It's because we are all doing what the people on 24 are doing... We are compromising. We are clinging to things that are 'fun'.. 'enjoyable'.. 'pleasureful'.. rather than holding tight to things that are truly 'good'. And the so-called 'Christian church' hasn't been much help.. since so many of these so-called 'Christians' haven't been all that loving of Jesus. Oh they may be quick to praise Jesus in their words.. but when it comes to the punch, they slack as much as they can get away with. They see nobody stopping them.. and so, they think (as is parallel with Psalm 2) that God doesn't see.. and that He isn't going to take His proper place as righteous ruler, and give His Son total reign over us through perfect justice. So.. tons of people on the outside of the church end up saying inside, "mleh.. I don't wanna have anything to *do* with *their* God.. if he's anything like they are!" So they run away.. and run into sin.. because at least sinful actions provide a steady stream of guaranteed pleasure -- something many so-called 'Christians' aren't all that good at. True morality, however.. as I said earlier.. means very little if people do not get real justice... if you can live and hurt thousands or millions of people, and not "get yours".. what good is life? This is why so many people are so hard on the government.. *and* why so many government employees are so confused -- because those not in government are expecting those *in* government to do a job that only God can do (as a way to get out of the acceptance of God's deserved rulership over them), and those who are *in* government are trying to do their job without eyes that can see.. because without God's assistance in leading, leaders will only lead other blind people into a shared pit. So.. you have the candle burning at both ends... People outside government avoiding God.. and expecting the government they put in His place to make them happy.. and people inside the government expecting to find real happiness apart from giving God His proper place as true ruler. But just as what happened with Gideon's sons.. eventually, the kings who were put over you end up rubbing you the wrong way, and you end up casting them aside.. or the kings destroy you, out of not finding the satisfaction they so crave in life from ruling over you. All of this happens because we have taken God out of the equation -- because we, out of a desire to remain apart from God.. apart from His rulership.. apart from His LORDship.. have heaped unto us teachers and rulers that tell us what we want to hear.. rather than tell us what is morally and definitely true. So what are we to do? It's simple.. but far from easy. It's all about relating.. one-on-One.. with God.. through Jesus. It's not *JUST* some switch you flick when you make a faith-profession.. but it is a real race. And I don't know of any running race where you can expect to do well just for taking one step to cross the starting line. Just cuz you, at one time, professed to believe Jesus is truly the One and ONLY perfect Son of God, doesn't mean *ANYTHING* if you're not living like you believe this.. by following Him... by helping others get to know the real Him. And just cuz you pray a lot.. or read the Bible a lot.. doesn't mean you know Him either. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that knowing Jesus means one thing -- death. REAL death. If you want to get to know Him.. if you truly want to get to know His love.. you have to be willing to let go of *EVERYTHING* in your hands.. and let Him have it. You have to be willing to give *EVERY* decision into His hands.. and let Him rule over them, and help you make them. No.. not for Him to make them for you.. but for Him to transform your heart and mind so the selfishness is done away with.. and so you live for what truly matters, rather than what will fill your bank account. God promised one thing in Jesus.. that if we truly put Jesus first.. and sought God's righteousness and kingdom first and foremost.. that EVERYTHING we need would be added unto us. Yet this also means we may end up like Paul.. or Jesus Himself.. and be beheaded or crucified. Why..? Because we hold true to what *is* true, rather than do what will make the masses happy instantly. And since real Christianity brings real death.. few of few who claim to be Christians are truly attempting to be such. So what are we to do? Read your Bible. Talk with God. Ask Him to help you die to *ANYTHING* that is getting between you and Him. Ask Him to show you what He wants you doing... and be willing to let go of *ANYTHING* that gets in the way of your doing it. Doing anything else may bring you money.. power.. fame.. pleasure.. but it won't bring you satisfaction.