Are your lights in order?


   Stoplights are interesting.  You say, "HUH??  Stoplights are just
stoplights.. they control traffic flow.. so what??"  Well.. I learned
something tonight about life.. especially life here in the U.S... that has to
do with stoplights.  "Ok.. Ok.. what *astounding* fact did you learn about
stoplights??" you may be asking.. or rather, condescendingly demanding.  It's
interesting.. even now.. thinking about it.. to realize that people have
their own stoplights.. including you.
   Yes.. you.  You have your own stoplights.  The thing is.. they don't quite
operate correctly.  "Ok.. so.. how do *my* stoplights not work right?  Am I
truly this stupid that I can't supercede the power of a stoplight?"  Stupid
is a powerful.. and perhaps, harsh.. word.  But.. I'll continue.. and let you
be the judge of what is stupid, and what is not.
   Stoplights.. as you know.. control the flow of traffic.  One thing that
God showed me about stoplights.. specifically treadle-driven stoplights (ones
that don't change unless someone in the crossing direction activates a
weight-treadle in the pavement).. is how 'fair' they are... or nearly so
anyway.  Many stoplights in my town.. at least.. are treadle-driven... and
thus, activate a change-cycle when a vehicle of sufficient mass drives over
the treadle.  Once the treadle has been pressed forcefully enough, the
stoplight either begins to change from green to yellow.. (if the traffic is
thinned out enough, or if enough time has passed since the treadle's being
pushed), then to red.. and then the light in the new direction turns green.
   "Ok.. Ok.. yes.. so what?  What does that have to do with me?"  Well.. one
thing I also learned.. in driving my scooter (Yamaha Razz).. is that some of
these treadles don't activate for a weight as small as a person and a scooter
alone.  Sometimes I would have to bounce hard on my scooter to make it
activate.. And yet other times, no matter how hard I bounced, I wouldn't be
able to activate the treadle.. so I either had to do a series of right-turns
and u-turns to get where I wanted to go.. or wait for some other car to come
up behind me and activate it for me.  Needless to say.. though I found it no
real big deal to have to bounce on my scooter.. I did truly find it somewhat
aggravating to have to stop, right-turn, u-turn, and turn right.. all to go
straight... all because a light treadle's sensitivity was too low to detect
me on my scooter.
   Then there's the situation where cars decide to drive past the stop-line
on the pavement.  That's right.. I'm sure you've seen an occasional person
run a red light cuz they got too tired of waiting for the light to change.
The reason for this is almost always because.. in passing over the treadle,
yet not remaining on it, but going past it.. the stoplight evaluates that no
change is needed.. when in fact, the car is truly still there.  Yet because
the driver got too impatient, or cared too little for learning what that
stop-line was for.. they aren't telling the stoplight that they are there.
   "ok ok.. so people go past it.. what's the big deal.. and what does this
have to do with life?"
   It's really quite simple.  People have their own stoplights.... not at the
end of their house's driveway usually.. but at the end of their home's
driveway... that is, the home of their heart.  People, unfortunately, are
slightly unfair about letting others activate these stoplights.  Say you have
too much weight.. chances are you won't activate many people's welcome-lights
into their heart/home.  Or say you believe in a god they don't.. they won't
let you in... and may even expect you to stop at their light, turn right..
u-turn.. and turn right again.. to finally go straight... rather than simply
being allowed to pass through.  But is this fair?
   That's the biiiiiiiiig question.  What is truly fair?  What is a truly
valid reason to not let someone enter your heart/home..?  What is a truly
valid reason to bless someone.. or to hurt them..?  It's all too prevalent
today.  We're loaded with all these ity's and isms.. people who believe
this.. and do that.  And one thing that you never never do.. is welcome
anyone who believes in harming what you hold dear.. right?  But wait a
minute.. isn't that being a bigot?  Isn't it wrong to tell someone they're
wrong for believing what they want..?  I mean.. isn't that what so many
nonChristians are saying...?  that it's wrong to go telling others that their
beliefs are wrong?  I hear time and time again that people (especially
Christians) who do not allow others to believe what they want, by saying that
their own beliefs *must* be the ***ONLY*** ones to accept.. are bigots.
But.. what about harming others..?  Most people agree that if your belief-
system tells you that you must do something that harms another.. that you
should have to stop your actions.. and even be punished for it.  The
question, then, becomes.. "What is truly harmful.. and how do you tell?"
   That's a biiiiiiig problem.  How do you tell what is harmful.. what is
fair.. what is right.. what is wrong.. what is good.. what is bad..?  How do
you tell what truly matters.. and what doesn't..?  How do you tell what kinds
of 'faith' are good and what faiths are not?  This is the ultimate question,
really, that all people end up having to deal with in their lives... What
truly is worthwhile and what truly is valid?  So.. how do you find the answer
to these questions?
   I talked to an associate of mine.. I'd call him a friend in some ways..
but in others... his words and 'help' have been rather unhelpful.  I don't
expect any friend (other than God, Jesus, and God's Spirit) to be perfect,
mind you.. but.. I do realize that being willing to grow is a very important
part of life that most people refuse to do... mostly because it means
admitting the wrong they have been doing for so long.. and changing their
minds in so many ways.. that a lot of shame comes from the mere admission of
their refusal to accept the truth for so long.  Anyway.. in talking to him..
(him being an atheist).. I found his way of stating his own search for the
truth and for God to be a good summation of what many atheists do -- seek to
believe only in what you can hold with your own hands... what you can.. as my
friend put it... "independently verify".  Basically.. my friend would be willing
to believe in something.. in God.. if one could do an 'experiment' of sorts
that.. in independently verifiable trials, yielded proof of His existence.
There is one.. small.. problem with this... it is actually minimizing a
very.. very.. *VERY* important truth that I found out just tonight.
   All of you who read this.. will probably be easy to acknowledge the power
of the equation 1+1 = 2.  If you choose to refuse to believe this.. all of
your mathematical deductions will be flawed.  Not only that.. but.. your
stability in mathematics will be confusion at best.. and chaotic.  You may be
able to understand certain parts of mathematics to a point.. but.. in the
end.. without this basic axiom.. mathematics, itself.. has no real stability.
The same.. mind you.. is true.. of reality, and NICP-existence of God.  That
is.. to say.. when you remove the belief of the existence of God in Name,
Identity, Character, and Purposes.. you remove so much foundational truth
from reality, that everything falls into confusion and chaos.  Oh you can
live.. you can enjoy pleasure.. but.. people end up selfish.. and
self-concerned, and opinionated about ideas, rather than glued to the truth.
People who refuse to acknowledge God.. not only that there is *one* God.. but
to acknowledge Him both for Who He is, what He's like, and what He wants from
us.. may end up drowning others in a stupor of anti-conviction.. or driving
others towards an end that they can never reach -- all because it isn't an
end that is available in the path they are taking.  Oh you may end up
*believing* (as the U.S. so powerfully 'guarantees' your right to do) in your
own version of God.. or 'gods'.. or 'forces'.. or 'nothing'.. but.. because
these ideas are not based in truth.. they never end up providing what the one
Real God can and does provide to those who trust in the truth of Who He
really is.. NICP-style.
   Laws are a good example of this.  People who do not believe in any God at
all.. or any afterlife.. may easily end up believing totally in the 'worship-
self' idea.. because if there's nobody to answer to after this life is over..
no perfect person who sees all the wrong you do, and will make you have to
account for it.. then it's oh so easy to hold tight to the notion of "Look
out for Number 1".  Of course.. this is only one possibility.. yet it is
still a very true one.  And.. if.. in this case.. that we are not created..
nor is there a God.. then laws are merely concoctions of ideas of evolve
sludge.. and what would make one person to be 'above' another.. just because
a group of evolved-sludge-beings decided the ideas of their 'leaders' to be
correct?  And thus.. if we are all just evolved sludge.. life is what you
make it.. not what God makes of it with you.
   But what about case 2.. that you aren't an atheist, but a mere believer in
yet another 'definition' of 'God'?  What about that..?  Isn't this all good?
Isn't this what the U.S. Constitution has delegated us all to have the right
to do..?  Well.. there is still a great huge problem with this idea.  I know,
truly, that Jesus wants His followers to love others... but He never told
them to preach about a 'god' other than His own Father.  In fact.. if you go
back to pre-Jesus times.. God had very harsh punishments for people who
worshipped their own versions of 'god' rather than the real Him... He had
them killed.. often destroying whole cities of people who believed in their
own ideas of who 'god' was.. or what was truly *god* over our world.. or over
them.  So why would we allow such adultery now..?  Yes.. adultery.  To
worship a 'god' other than the *REAL* God.. is to commit a form of spiritual
adultery.. because one God... not merely a person you are welcome to believe
in.. but one.. perfect.. awesome... creator God.. created you.. and me.. and
everyone else... and to go giving your worship to someone or something else
than Him.. is to commit spiritual adultery.. because you truly *are* His..
(even if satan holds the deed to your life because of sin).
   I'm sure that many of you who read this can easily look at Islam.. and say
"Yeah.. see.. it's people like them!  They are the problem!  Look at what
they've done to us Americans!!  Isn't that evil..?"  Well.. I have another
question.. do you not think it's also evil for us Americans to worship a
'god' of our own creation, rather than to worship God for all He truly is?
That's the problem I run into all the time... in church... on the net.. in my
family.. you name it.  I keep running into people.. all wanting their own
definitions of 'God'.. all wanting to believe in who they want God to be..
and yet.. expecting that believing in their own version of 'god' is going to
provide for them.  This is the real truth -- accepting ideas about god that
are untrue is simply a form of adultery and idolatry.. because then you are
ending up worshipping a 'god' who doesn't exist.  And that is what this
country has done.. as well as the world.
   "Oh yeah.. right!  Sure!  God blesses America greatly!!"  And why do you
think that is..?  Why do you think God blessed America so much..?  Maybe it's
because so many people in the founding days and continuing years of the U.S.
were.. you got it.. CHRISTIANS!  That's right.. they all believed that the
one God who ruled all of life was Jesus' Father.. and many many people
throughout the years have acknowledged Him.. in prayer.. and in lifestyle.
But take a look at us today?  Our country is plummeting down into a cesspool
of pleasure and rebellion.  Everyone is running headfirst into pain.. into
horror.. into 'fun'.. all because it's so available.. and.. because it is so
alluring.  But.. let's go back.. waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back.. to our founding
documents.. and see something.. something that the people who called
themselves Christians left out.
   See.. back in our Constitution.. everybody knows about the first
amendment's guaranteeing a 'freedom of religion'.. so that nobody could be
forced to believe in false notions of 'God'.. in false ideas that the
governmentally empowered church was stipulating to be true.  This amendment..
however.. has spelled a lot of pain for our country too... why..?  Because in
refusing to acknowledge that everyone needs to worship only the one God.. in
giving everyone the 'freedom' to worship their own versions of God.. they
have also allowed many many people to come up.. establish their own
'so-called-ly "legitimate" religions'.. and to live under the beliefs of
these 'valid religions'.. so long as measurable/identifiable harm wasn't
caused through these religions.
   But.. harm.. is a very funny thing.  Let's look back at all the dietary
laws that God gave to the Israelites.  Most of us in the western world frown
upon these laws.. saying they're stupid.. and not all that important.  But..
the truth is coming out.  Bit by bit.. scientists are discovering pieces of
the reasoning of God.. and why He told His people not to eat such foods...
These scientists are discovering that these foods.. though very widely
consumed.. are quite harmful to the body.  But.. because we, here in western
society, have grown to truly *LOVE* and even *DEPEND ON* these foods' flavors
and feelings we get from them.. we look at the foods and.. even when
scientists tell us they're harmful.. we refuse to stop eating them -- all
because mankind has chosen to enjoy what they have gotten used to.. rather
than suffer the withdrawal and inconvenience of refusing to eat them anymore.
   And that's where much of our world is today.  We have been born into sin..
we have grown up.. learning of the delectable flavors *of* sinful things.. of
that which God specifically tells us are wrong... we have grown up learning
just how powerfully pleasurable sin can be.. and.. when we hear that we have
to give it up.. we remove the idea from our minds.. and only gorge ourselves
more and more upon it.. either closing our ears to God.. or totally believing
that a 'truly loving God' wouldn't want us to let go of these oh-so-helpful
pleasures.. and thus, choosing to believe that the real God not only made
these pleasures for us to enjoy.. but that He also made us so that these
pleasures are not only enjoyable.. but natural.. and necessary.  But they're
not.  Oh they're enjoyable.. and natural.. but that doesn't mean that God
made us to enjoy them.  Just because something 'tastes good' doesn't mean it
'is good'.  That's one of the problems with the vernacular in English.. if
not other languages... we superficially call 'good' what is merely
'pleasurable'.  And this, in fact.. stains the truth of what truly *is*
good.  In fact.. many of these things that we *call* 'good'.. are actually
causing *harm*.. But.. because people who are loud and rude and wield a form
of power are very willing to attack and even destroy those who refuse them
their 'good treats' of sinful things.. many people.. scientists included,
have backed down.. being pressed by those about them.. and said that things
which are truly harmful.. are actually natural and good for us.
   So goes the notion of sexual pleasure.  Many people.. because they are
dying inside.. and feeling so lost and numb.. are turning to stronger and
stronger drugs.. or highs of other sorts... in order to give them 'something
to live for'.  I have been one of them.  I have held so tight to sexual
pleasure.. and it has held so tight to me... all because I have been dying
inside to 'feel loved'.. when the people around me... including family.. may
have claimed to be Christians.. but have not been all that loving.  So.. out
of a need to 'be loved'.. or 'know I am loved' somehow.. I clung to sexual
and aberrant desires... as a medium of seeking my way through life.... lying
to myself that the girls in my fantasies must like me.. since they were doing
things that 'made me feel "good"'... and that I must *be* a good person..
since I am getting such pleasure.  Plus.. if I didn't get my pleasure.. I
felt that I was *not* a good person.  And yet.. this was a big lying game in
itself.. cuz I needed to rely on pleasure to believe I was worthwhile...
rather than on the *one* thing that I needed to be relying on... the one
*true* fact that made me worthwhile... and loved..... That fact.. was that
the one.. true.. real God... really loved me.  This is not a mere fabricated
idea that you just believe and all your problems are solved.. No.. this is
trusting in the truth.. even though it truly brings you a form of 'death' in
order to believe it.. because you have to face how much you have been shaming
God in your actions.. and how much you have been warring against His love..
and yet how much He truly does love you.. even though you were warring
against Him.
   And like I was saying.. sexual pleasure has been turned by society to be
one of the "ultimate blessings without limits" of life.  Oh many people will
say that "you cannot allow pedophilia and such.. but other sex is fine.. cuz
it harms nobody".  But.. what if we didn't have the evidence that pedophilia
harms children deeply..?  Or what if we chose to disbelieve the evidence..?
What if we chose to worship the pleasure so much that sex became our one,
consuming passion.. and that we were willing to do it anywhere.. with
anyone.. all because.. it was providing for us.. All because.. it was giving
us what we needed.... a reason to live.  And thus.. people who worship sex's
pleasure.. are turning their backs on the truth.. the truth of just how much
God deplores homosexual 'love' (as man may call love).. which is not love at
all.
   Now I will say one.. very.. important thing.  Homosexuals often cling to
the love they receive from their partners for one.. very.. important reason
-- it actually has real love in it.. whereas other 'relationships' in their
lives.. from parents.. from peers.. from teachers.. and from others.. did not
give them the experience of 'love' that they were so deeply crying for.  And
in an aching pain to know that they, themselves, are worthwhile.. they hold
tight to their inner desires.. and think "this is me.. and to be me, I must
listen to these desires.. or this part of me is bad".. for if there's one
thing nobody who has been extremely scorned likes to hear.. it's that they
are, themselves, in any way.... 'bad'.  And so.. rather than acknowledge that
this part of them.. this set of desires.. is being fueled by something which
is *not* good.. they simply believe that.. since it feels so natural.. and is
very much a *part* of them inside.. then it *has* to be good!  And thus..
lobbyists push and push and push.. fighting with all their hearts.. for
people around them to acknowledge that homosexuality.. a big part of
themselves.. is a valid lifestyle... For to do otherwise means that they need
to acknowledge that this part of themselves truly *is* 'bad' somehow... which
is.. to many.. an 'unforgivable sin'.
   But.. the problem is.. to define your worth so deeply that you believe
that everything in you is good... is going to truly "miss the mark" on what
truly *is* good.  People do this.. for one.. main.. reason -- they want to
use this 'goodness' in them as a power... a power by which they can control
their lives.. and in fact.. gain something God never gave us -- rights.
That's right.. People are fighting tooth and nail.. to use themselves as
weights.. and say that "I have rights, so you have to do thus and such for
me.. or you are denying me my rights!"  But.. do we truly have rights..?  The
Declaration of Independence may say so.. but I disagree.  Humans do not have
rights... we have responsibilities.... We have to be responsible unto the One
who created all that exists... not to harm His creation.. and not to insult
Him... and even.. to give what He calls 'Worship'.. *ONLY* to Him... and His
Son.  And if everyone did this.. if everyone truly lived.. not just to fight
for our own rights.. but to live to love all people as the one real God wants
us to.. as His One and only Son told us to.. then we would be living truly
selflessly.. rather than selfishly... and we would be focused upon giving of
our lives, rather than taking for ourselves what we want.. and what *we*
think will satisfy us..... instead of living for what the One Real God has
*defined* to be good.. and trusting that He will bless us for doing so.
   But.. you can't see God..?  How can you know that He'll provide for us if
we give this 'unseeable' person our all?  That's part of trust.  That's part
of the walk that God has designed for us.  We need to be truly involved.. not
just in preaching.. not just in helping.. but in loving God.. and in loving
others.... which.. is.. by nature... sacrificial.. which.. of course..
requires humility (something that is totally contrary to our nature).  And
because humility is so contrary to us.. we fight left and right trying to
keep our pride.. trying to be the force we depend on.. rather than letting
God be our force.. and merely trusting in Him completely.  Why..?  Because
that is our evil nature to do... that is what we.. naturally.. want to do --
to spit in the face of God and build things that only get in His way.  How
awesome is it.. then.. that God sent His Son.. to die for us.. though we all
naturally not only stray.. but build things that harm.
   Yes.. harm.  And that's the real question... what truly *does* harm.. and
how can you tell?  Well.. I'll tell you.. straight off... you can't always
know.. from the top of your head.. whether what you are doing is causing
harm... all because the universe is so multifaceted... *and* because one's
definition of 'harm' may not be a *true* definition -- it may be very
slanted.. so as to allow them to pursue things they like.. and don't want to
let go of... even though such things are truly harmful to others.. *and* to
themselves.  So how can you tell?  How can a person know and tell when
something is harmful?  God hasn't given us a spyglass that gives us the
ability to know just what harms and what doesn't in all circumstances.  God
gave us something better... He gave us a way to live.. so that we would
naturally grow further and further away from living harmfully.. by growing
more and more humble.. more and more loving.. more and more sacrificial.. and
more and more selfless.  But this is more than just a way to live... it is a
total restructuring of our hearts... but even more... It is a total renewing
and reconstruction of our hearts.. so that everything in them gets totally
revamped... so that we will naturally pursue things that are within the realm
of what is truly *good*.. and outside of the realm of that which is truly
'harmful' or 'evil'.
   But what about if I don't want to believe this..?  What if I have my *own*
way of not living harmfully?  Well.. by saying this.. you're calling God and
Jesus liars... because Jesus said He was the *ONLY* way to God.. and God
never disagrees with Jesus.  If you claim that your version of the truth is
better than Jesus' version.. than you are insulting God by exalting your own
intellect above His and above Jesus's.
   Now.. one *VERY* important thing.  I know you have run into many
'Christians' in our world... many of whom are hypocrites.. who love touting
Gospel truths and preaching Bible.. but who do not live lovingly or helpfully
at all.  I will tell you.. straight off.. that.. their punishment is sure..
and it's not cold.  If people who call themselves truth-bearers go about
touting word-truth but not living it.. they are only bringing suffering upon
themselves.  You can call it 'karma' if you wish.. but there are no other
lifetimes to live through.. only this one... and if you don't get your
'karma' dealt with in this life.. then it will be dealing with you for
eternity.. because you chose to believe the lie that you have many lifetimes
to fix the problem.  But as I was about to say.. don't go judging God by
those who merely claim to follow Jesus.. and aren't doing so with their
lives... who are unloving.. unhelpful.. unmerciful.. and unsacrificing.. who
demand their rights rather than giving them up.. who live for themselves
rather than for others.  Realize that God lets them make their own decisions
as to what they want to believe.. both mentally.. *and* heartfully... and if
they believe the truth only mentally.. but don't live it out heartfully..
then their faith is truly what James called "dead faith".. it won't do them
any good.  And your standing on the side and merely yelling at those who
aren't playing the game right.. rather than getting in the game, yourself,
and playing correctly, isn't going to help all that much.  If you want real
life.. you have to come upon it in one way alone -- between you.. and the
*real* God, Himself.  *YOU* have to get to know God.. on His terms... not on
your own terms.  It's been said that God has no grandchildren... and that is
true.  You cannot get to Heaven on the faith of another.. or merely believing
mentally what another person tells you.  If you want to really know life...
to truly know meaning.. and purpose.. and love... the *ONLY* way is to come
to God yourself... on His terms.  Not the terms of people who claim to know
God.. but God's real terms.
   His terms..?  You begin.. and maintain.. a relationship with Him.  That
begins at accepting the truth.. the truth that Jesus.. the man crucified
nearly 2000 years ago.. was not just a man.. but was God's only perfect
Son... and that.. by God's power... Jesus rose again after being dead 3 days.
You begin.. by acknowledging that you.. naturally.. do things that are
wrong.. that cause harm... that insult God... that you 'sin'.  You begin by
saying you don't know the way home.. but you trust that God will bring you
home.. and you will take His way home... a way which must include turning
away from anything that harms anyone or insults God or both.  Not just
haphazardly dismissing these habits for a week or so.. but having a total
change of heart.. and fighting off temptation by trusting in God's love for
you.. that God wants you free from sin.. and that Jesus paid the price so you
could have the power to become God's own child... and so you could.. one
day.. no longer cause another person harm... and live in a land where no
other person would cause you, or another person, harm either.  In
conclusion.. you begin by giving the reigns of your life over to Jesus..
accepting Him as your 24/7 Boss.. and giving every facet of your life.. both
in perception and action.. into His hands.  If you choose to begin.. then you
will find more peace inside than 1000 years of sex.. 5,000 hits of acid.. or
1 trillion dollars could ever bring.  You will find more meaning than any
concert.. any applause.. or any friendship will ever show you.  And you will
find more purpose than any mere human.. any king.. or any emperor could give
you.  But it's all up to you.  Nobody can make you accept the truth.  They
can make you uncomfortable.. but.. they can't make you accept it.  It's all
on your hands.. it's all up to you.  I can't force you.. but.. I will help
you.. if you're interested.
   Or you can decide to go speeding through a stoplight that's changing.. and
end up running head-on into an oncoming semi.  It's all up to you.  I will
guarantee you.. your life is real.. and God.. who created it.. is real, too.
He cares more for you than I could ever express.  But He cares so much for
you that He leaves the decision in your hands.
   Stoplights are funny things.  You can let people in.. or you can refuse.
I hope someday you'll let Me in.