JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE!

In considering the different levels of intimacy with God, all I need to do is look at the 12 Apostles!  We know that Peter was chosen to be the leader of the Church.  We know John is thought to be the one who loved Jesus so deeply, and was given the honor of taking His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary to his home after the Crucifixion.  We know that Judas betrayed Him.  The 12 men Jesus chose weren't of nobility and wealth.  They were everyday hardworking folks just like we are!

These guys saw the supernatural up close and personal!  How often do we see anything supernatural today?  If we did, would we say it was from God or would we scream demonic? Or would we find a scientific explanation?  What would we do if someone said, "don't take them to the hospital---there's a guy in town who can touch and heal"?  How about if someone were crying over the death of a loved one, and someone said, "don't cry....there's a messiah nearby who raised a man from the dead....let's go get Him"!  Straight-jacket time eh?

Yet these 12 men saw a child raised from the dead...saw Lazarus come out of the tomb after 4 days!  They saw the blind men see, paralyzed men leap, the bleeding woman that no doctor could remedy...find healing just by touching His Garment! They watched a fig tree wither and die...bread multiply to feed thousands...and Him tell the storms to "be still"....and walk on water!  These stories have all been told.  They were all EXPOSED TO THE SUPERNATURAL! 

Of the 12, Jesus chose 3....to be a bit more intimate.  He chose Peter, James, John to see Him in His Transfigured Glory....BEFORE...He actually died and ascended into Heaven...oh yeah....they got to see THAT also! SPECTACULAR!

Did Jesus love these 3 more than the others?  I highly doubt that!  Rather, I believe it is because they were open to receive more from Him, thereby seeking and able to grasp a deeper revealing of His Majesty!  Those people who need explanations for everything or a scientific reason--- it is by inquiring minds that many discoveries have been made; but to dismiss the spiritual explanations as antiquated or for weak-minded people----rejecting religion and faith-based teachings---limits you.  You can enjoy science and God!  To me, science is only teaching what God already knows! 

 Thomas just had to see for himself!  Jesus said He had many things to tell the Apostles but they weren't able to bear it just then...He took them on a journey and grew them up!  To see the Divine in His Glory beforehand...wow!  Peter went from denying him three times to beholding the Fantastic Glory of God in Christ while He was still alive!!  Now that is intimacy---seeing the complete person inside and out!  It was not given to the others...maybe they weren't ready? Maybe their walk was still on the natural side of things? Perhaps, they were still doubting? Were they just content to follow and watch the Teacher do all the wonderful things for the crowds? We don't know...but we do know...Jesus had an "inner circle".  I want to be in that Light!  I want more than this natural world! I want to do more than just follow teachings! I want a closer walk with Him!

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE!

This is one of those verses that I meditated on and the Holy Spirit began to speak volumes. He began to talk about Heaven and what "rewards" we would get!  We think of mansions as huge homes with many, many rooms that only the very wealthy reside.  In our day, images of the skyscrapers come to mind as well for me....the lobby all the way up to the penthouse.  The wealthy reside in those also.  The neat thing about Heaven, is that it isn't the value of wealth that determines our place of residence in the City of God!  Just think of the extreme poverty in Africa and Haiti and others. Those poor souls may surprise us in Heaven! We may be shocked at what we think we deserve and what we shall actually receive!!

Rewards come to mind.  Jesus said some would get 30, some 60, and some  a hundredfold. Obviously not the same for everyone.  What did He mean by that?  I liken it to "you get what you give"!  Our faith journey is determined by us-- not our circumstances.  If going to church and thinking about God only at Christmas and Easter is all you need...with minimal investment...why would you be upset that your place of reward offers a small cottage? Would you be upset if your neighbor was given a beautiful suite of rooms in a lavish mansion?  You know, the fellow that you rolled your eyes at because he wouldn't go to the strip club with the guys, or the woman who actually said she wouldn't go see Magic Mike at the movies?  Heaven, everyone is saved!  Not everyone gets to the penthouse!  

What is the difference you say?  I tend to think of it as....I may be introduced by the "doorman" into the lobby....staring at the beautiful scenery and enjoying the music....but my "clearance" won't allow me to go up to see my neighbor with the suite of rooms on the sixth floor.  The neighbor can go from his floor and visit everyone on the other floors below...but he cannot go up to the penthouse either.  The family in the penthouse can go anywhere in the building because all the floors are below him. Soooo...maybe you don't want to see that neighbor and who cares about a penthouse anyhow?

What if your child is up in the penthouse...and you can't go to them...but if they want to see you ...could only come down to visit?  Perhaps, your grandparents are on the 10th floor...and you are in the lobby...you have missed them terribly and desire to see them now.  You cannot go where they are...they can only come down to you.  You are happy, you are saved, you are blessed...but you are not on the same level as others you wish to be with!  Would God do that, limit us?

It's not about limits as much as how much you have been able to grasp, to understand, to develop.  A baby is beautiful but has no language skills, the toddler is precious but cannot do Algebra, the high school Freshman is striving and achieving but is not the teacher, the teacher knows enough to educate but is not on the genius scale with the incredible IQ.  Your journey is going to take you down many paths and reveal wondrous things...but if you are too busy to take in the scenery, or too distracted to hear all the music and sounds, or too lazy to work and build on the way---you are limiting yourself!  This is not to say that only church -going people who volunteer for every ministry is guaranteed the penthouse...its not about "works" in the world as much as "works in the heart".  How much have you sought God? How much have you tried to incorporate His Teachings into your daily life?  Does the world know you are a Christian? Or is it a "personal" thing?  It is a personal thing...but your actions will reveal  how your personal faith affects your life.  

So when I examine myself for Lent--there is consideration about where I may find my reward...am I doing enough to get by?  Am I going to see loved ones I miss?  Am I going to see the Apostles?  Am I going to given the panoramic view in ecstasy or a narrow window?  The Angels are ranked by degrees...the Seraphim are closest to God's Throne...the " burning ones"...how bright will my glory be...a simple light in a closet or a blinding planet like the sun!!

WHAT DID YOU HEAR IN YOUR TALK WITH GOD TODAY

            God is always near us, and He is always speaking….so in your time with Him today, what did you hear?  You say He doesn’t talk to you? Oh but He does…we just don’t hear because of where our attention is addressed.  God speaks in His Word…but you can’t remember what you read or comprehend it….He doesn’t expect you to memorize it because the conversation is so long.  Who remembers every word we shared in conversing with people in our day? Aaah but we do remember “what” we talked about don’t we?

            One thing is for sure…He will never speak the opposite of his Word!  So if you know the 10 Commandments…basic right?  Which ones can’t we obey?  We know we are not supposed to commit adultery and looking at someone…lusting…is wrong if we are married…right?  We know we will give account for every word we speak---so gossip probably isn’t ok.  These are basic things….but God also speaks in His Creation.  Who doesn’t love the beauty of the world?  Romans tells us that He is revealed in His Creation, and understood by such---which is why Jesus used ordinary things to explain spiritual concepts in the Gospels.  The snowflakes are each unique….the Word says that “before you were in the womb, I knew you”….pretty unique huh…just like a snowflake. He also says….”the children of Abraham will be as innumerable as the stars”….winter skies are so fantabulous with the deep dark and glistening of stars….and we know space reveals soooo many…..yep…God’s People are many….generation after generation...living on after leaving this earthly realm!  Just as it takes light years for a star’s light to be seen by us….it’s taking that long for the City of God to be completed….within us…one soul at a time!  Squirrels bury nuts in the winter, bears hibernate, trees go dormant….so the Word tells us to “hide His Word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him”…says also…”to pray in your closet” or “go to a mountain alone to pray”….dormant….fasting….?  Well suppose you aren’t a nature lover? Then there’s the nice person who let you in front of them in the grocery line, the person who brought you a little gift, or maybe someone made you soup when you were sick….God works in people around us for “our good” and for His Glory.  Maybe you were just a praying person….what did you feel “impressed” upon your spirit?  Did you hear some music today? Did it bring back a memory?  Did it make you feel joyful or cheerful? All of these are God speaking….take time to listen.  You won’t be disappointed. 

            Oh yeah….the devil is the “prince of this world”….he is speaking too.  You do know how to distinguish his voice from His, right?  Never against The Word!!  Satan’s words will be about me, me, me…poor pitiful me…how unfair life is….depressing, discouraging, despairing, doubting, disrespecting, despiteful….notice all the “d”s? Dou’t go there.  God is not dark! He is Light!! Shine On!!!!

So What About Other Things?

October is the month of Halloween, and all the scary movies abound on tv, and the kiddos get costumes and grownups have dress-up parties to have fun.  Is it wrong? Is it just part of the fun, not meaning any harm?  Well that depends on what you do and why!  Having costume parties and trick or treat are not going to harm anyone's soul outright.  Yet for impressionable minds of the young, is it a good idea to encourage them about ghosts, spirits, vampires, zombies and such?  Have we as parents invested any time in teaching them who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us? Do they know about God?  Yeah we probably did that...we are good parents right?  However, have we considered the things that we do not realize "snare" us into wrongful beliefs and can actually invite "bad" spirits into our lives?

With the internet and movies and books being so widely available to the masses of people in our time--there do exist "unholy voices" in the world.  How are we to discern what is right and good from that which is not?  I am aware that many good folks have given up on outright Christianity because of the perceived failures of humans who have tarnished the Name of Christ...yet they desire to do good and be decent people!  They seek a "religion" that works for them.  Religion is a belief system and form of worship....so it doesn't have to necessarily be called Christianity.  Satanists have a "religion".  These are extreme opposites yet both have a religion and form of worship.  Then there's the "middle ground".  This is the place where all sorts of things are mixed together to form a set of beliefs and style of worship...it is of no denomination...therefore it seems to bring more freedom to the soul....but does it?

There are those who worship God in the form of nature and that claim deities to Mother Earth, Father Sky, and The Great Spirit.  They actually have a great deal of respect for the world, the universe, and their fellow man...aren't these things good? Yes they are in a practical sense...yet, have they considered...those are more than one spirit?  Where is Jesus in them? Is He one among many?  Many Christians are actually saying that Wicca is compatible to Christianity in principle.  The good done in any religion is good.  God wants us to respect and value the elements, the earth, the universe, and our fellow man.  The Native American spirituality is classic example of  mixing old and new and not seeing anything wrong with it...it sounds good and does good....I know, I used to participate in it...it was a great way to worship God without the hypocrisy I saw in the Church....but when I thought about how many spirits were invoked...I realize, there is only One I need--the Holy Spirit who comes from the Lord Jesus Christ...there is no other Name under Heaven by which man can be saved.  It is His Spirit...not many.  The sky is of God but is not God. The earth is another of God's wondrous creations that we must respect...but it is not God.  There is only one Creator.  Therefore Christians who are seduced by these "spiritual" forms of worship--don't realize they are calling on any "other" spirits.  God says in His Commandments that HE is a jealous God....HE doesn't want to share us with any other entities!  He loves us enough to die for us!

The subject of the occult is another avenue of confusion.  New Age Spirituality sounds good, but are Christians who say Christ is the only way, aware of taking..."another way"?  Psychics, tarot cards, tea leave readings, palm readings, mediums, "white" witchcraft (which does no harm to another because they believe that harm comes back 7-fold or 3-fold..depending on which you adhere to), crystals, chakras, channeling, karma, stages of light, energies, horoscopes, etc...are all forbidden to the Christian. Why? They invoke "other spirits".  They open doors to deception, to oppression or even possession of other spirits.  How many bad things have happened to Christians, their loved ones, or what kinds of suffering do they endure--that may have been caused by dabbling in places where they ought not?  All of these sound intriguing, some are just forms of our entertainment, others actually give us a sense of "knowing"....satan tricked Eve by being subtle...by asking an innocent question to which which she didn't think through clearly.  She had everything!  She had the Divine Life within her...she walked with God!  There weren't any sickness, death, fear, guilt, worry, nothing we all suffer now--until she cursed herself, Adam and all of humanity.  Nothing happened to her at first....so she shared with Adam.  Just because we don't see or feel any negative things at first....doesn't mean our "dabbling" won't cause some misfortune to our lives or our offspring.  How many diseases, troubles, bad luck, depressions, mental illnesses, etc...could be caused from our hypocrisy by "adding to our Christianity"?  God is a forgiving God.  He will forgive our sins when we confess and turn away from doing them again.  However, the physical issues that came from them may remain...sin has caused our bodies to die and decay....yet thru Christ our souls live on...and one day in our future...our bodies will be restored.  Until that day, we all die.

We don't need the full moon to appreciate and thank God for His earth, His sky,  or for praying for ourselves and others.  Christians don't need to know what is "on the other side and how our loved ones are doing".  Followers of Christ do not need "powers" of divination to make decisions or to predict the future.  And as for obtaining Heaven, we are promised that through Christ Jesus!  One does not gain entrance into Heaven through any other way....the Scriptures say the Jesus declared, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Me".  (John 14:6)

So to those who claim salvation in Christ Jesus, be not deceived or carried away with other forms or other voices.  Be careful what you say, listen to, and think through what these things mean.  The reason for the Scriptures and the Creeds are to state outright what is that perfect will of God for us.  Some Christians have said that they think, what we say and do only have power if we give those things "power" by believing.  An example of a good luck charm or a voodoo doll or horoscope can only have effect if you truly "believe" and give it power.  Then why does Jesus say, "every idle word we shall give account for"--unless you water down His Word...to make it mean whatever you want it to?  Why did God forbid divination in the Old Testament? Then they claim, the Old Testament isn't relevant now that we have the new...then are the 10 Commandments no longer needed?  Now  can we change the first one...and have many gods?  Be careful brothers and sisters, the days are evil, that you not be seduced by things that are not good for you and your loved ones that may have....ill effects now...or later...or forever!  God bless and keep each of you in His Light and in His Truth through His Only Begotten Son...Our Lord Jesus Christ!

DO YOU PONDER?

I had to opportunity to teach about Heaven with my Sunday School Class...got them to think deeper about what the bible tells us!  I asked them what they wanted it to be, or hoped it would be.  Many times our ideas are influenced by movies we have seen or books we have read...sometimes talking about faith can be a very boring subject.  Sometimes, people create their own "gospel" and don't even realize that they do.  I had already written about Heaven on this blog.  Next week, our Class is going to talk about Hell.  That's a subject that has become mute in our world.  Folks just do not seem to believe in such things...and of course Hollywood may have much to do with that! It may be also, the lack of teaching on it, because it paints a different God than what we "want" to think about.  We can't wrap our heads around 'The Good God Who is Love and Life--casting anyone into eternal suffering'....just because we don't want to think anyone is there--does not mean they are not.

My focus today, is on the Cross.  Everyone in the world knows the Cross!  They know Christians believe Jesus died on it for our sins!  What other religion teaches that "their god" came into human form and died for them?  This is what makes our God such a wonderful God! He always has us in His Mind!  He knew before  the Curse of Sin came upon humanity that it was going to happen.  Instead of stopping it, He works with mankind.  He knew before satan's heart lifted up against Him--that this creature would turn away!  God could make us do what He wants but how much do we love dictators?  Just because God knows what will happen doesn't mean He wanted it to happen.  The bible says God is past, present and future all at once--HE is all-knowing!  He is ever-present, everywhere all the time!  He is Almighty...all-powerful...nothing is more powerful or can take anything away from Him! So did satan "trick" Him?  Did he get one over on the "Big Guy"?  Why doesn't GOD just deliver us from evil and from suffering so we can live good lives now?  Well, actually He already did.  Remember I said He was past, present, and future all at once...however in our human sinful bodies...we are just present.  We are limited in knowledge, in power, in time and space. It is a terrible mistake to put God on our level!  God knows EVERY creature...every insect, parasite, animal, planet, blade of grass, and human being--that exists NOW --but that had EVER existed or WILL EVER come into being!! Satan is limited. He is quite a formidable opponent though. We must never underestimate how knowledgeable and how unique his power is...but we must understand...he is NOT God! If God be for us--who can be against us?  That is directly out of the bible, but what does that truly mean?

We all know the Passion of the Christ--do we really?  Do we know what HE "saw" in His Spirit? Do we know what HE "heard" in His Spirit?  Do we know that HE took every single defect in His Creation upon Himself?  So His Perfect Life is given in exchange for our fallen one...He offered to 'break', 'deliver' and 'redeem' us! When you take a gift card to purchase something...you are redeeming it...getting something you did not actually pay for or earn; someone else bought the card so you could get your items.  Jesus paid for our sins...with His Life...and gave us His Life!  He is giving us what we didn't pay for and didn't earn...and probably don't deserve.  Some will argue that we are "paying" for it by the suffering and death that happens here on earth.  Well Catholics believe we can offer up our sufferings on behalf of others...not for ourselves.  The point being that, Christ did that for us, and we can bless ourselves in giving unto others as HE did for us! To struggle to give up our self, to deny our "self" to become like Christ is a challenge! Yet we are called to do just that!  He says we can do it with His Holy Spirit.  The suffering we endure here on earth is NOTHING compared to what HE did in the Garden of Agony or on that Cross for all of humankind!  We are being "changed" throughout our lifetime.  Of course, at the end of the 'day', we will still be incomplete--but Jesus promises to present us, His Body, without spot or wrinkle to the Father. Various denominations differ on how that is accomplished, and I am not here to debate that point.  My post today is to stir in your heart...that God is bigger than we consider on a daily basis! He has not forgotten anything that has happened to us, not a single event, not a single word has escaped Him, nothing is out of His Mind!  He is in existence our past, our present, and our future...HE CANNOT FORGET! HE is not capable of forgetting....IT IS ALL RIGHT THERE IN HIM!

Every malicious gossip, swear word, evil thought, selfish motive, and hateful behavior is present with Him!  He knows the evil that seeps in and through our world...walls do not hide things.  Your bedroom is not invisible to Him.  My computer is not hidden from His Eyes. Oceans and skies do not limit Him!  Every murder, every beating, all starving persons, people dying at the hands of war and terrorists, every rape or molestation, every child abused and used and kidnapped and/or killed, every fear, every worry, every pinch of anger, every single exploding atom, every earthquake and tsunami, every fire and flood, every car accident, every farm accident, every lie, every greedy act to profit, every sinful lust....every vulgar thing you can possible think of---HE suffered with on that Cross!  NOTHING escaped HIS EYES!

Being that HE is future as well, so EVERY sin has not been committed yet or HE'd be back!  Obviously EVERY person this is going to turn to HIM and be converted--has not done so yet.  Since HE already knows what is going to happen and when-- HE does have advantage over us...HE asks us to trust in HIM and His Word and to hold onto faith till we see HIM again!  Moses and all the Old Testament saints suffered and died NOT HAVING SEEN THE PROMISES IN THEIR DAY! They were not in Heaven when they died...HEAVEN was not opened until thousands of years later!  We have been blessed to learn and understand more of what those promises meant! We have been given to know Jesus Christ while still in our flesh!  Right now, they are blessed with experiencing what we have not yet seen!  Now THEY are dancing in the joy waiting for us! So much God suffered for His Children...and HE gave us the gift of His Life if we want it! It is NOT on OUR terms either...HE has the right to set the "conditions"!  People say HIS LOVE is unconditional and they take that to mean that they can do whatever they want and God will not reject them!  We must not assume that every person who dies is guaranteed entrance into Heaven! We are not capable of knowing what is in another's heart...only God is!  God's Love is available for all who want HIM!  He turns no one away who comes to HIM! NOTHING you did can turn HIM away from you---except you and holding onto your right to sin! There's the 'condition'. You have to turn in your life for His!  You have to surrender your will for His!  You cannot have your own way, your own life, and your idea about things---that is holding onto your life...you cannot have both--your life and His--yours is in darkness and His is in Light--and both cannot co-exist!  He offers to take your suffering and give you the Life you never could possibly dream of...the fulfillment in this time and space has not happened yet...and for many only occurred after they shed their earthly bodies...but HE does promise it is ours!

The problem is, it hasn't happened yet in our time and space!  We can't see it or prove it--therefore what is happening....science, technology and Hollywood is filling our heads with many other thoughts!  Many people have given up the thought of an afterlife, eternal joy and awesome life in Christ, or the consequence of rejecting His Gift and suffering for every sin they ever did!  The world has decided to choose what they want to believe--adding to the Gospel, changing it, watering it down, or just chucking it aside as fanciful literature or myths of undeveloped minds....or as a means of the rich and powerful controlling the world!  That is rejecting the Gift...that is accepting your own way bringing upon yourselves...your own suffering, fears, delusions in Justice.  Yes, God is Justice.  You can have your way...all through eternity! Are you sure you know what you are getting?  Are you absolutely positive that you KNOW what comes after death?  Do you really think God's Heart doesn't yearn for you, hurt for you, and anger over sins? He doesn't want you to suffer, but the choice is yours...turn to the Light or away into the darkness.  So you do it to yourself, HE doesn't.  If a soul goes to eternal damnation--they do it to themselves!  God is a good God and doesn't send people to hell....HE opened a door to Good and Life...He won't force you through it!  You are your own boss!  So if you choose not to believe....its in your power to do so!  Does HE already know if you are going to? Yes!  He already knows who is coming!  He already knows if you love Him or will discover HE has always loved you!  Ponder these things...

WHAT TO TEACH TEENS?

In today's world, so much is lost.  What do we teach our children, our teens, who have to muddle their way thru the  maze of puberty, school, sports, dating, social media, and religion?  There are so many avenues of choice for these youngsters!  The Internet, politics, socialized education, MTV, X-box, Itunes, and the draw of the occult in movies have all thrown "curve balls" and "forks in their roads" as to what they should think, where they should go and what kind of person to be.

It's not enough to give the do's and don'ts for them, and to put the Ten Commandments in their face...especially when the adults around them are breaking many of them.  I decided to take the 7 deadly sins and their counterpart virtues...and explain them in a way that is true to Catholic teaching.  Much of Catholicism is rather extensive and "heady" for many--so with the help of the Holy Spirit--I hope to make it applicable to the teenage life in religion class.  So for each month, we will take on one of the 7 sins and 1 virtue!  We will discuss them in terms of their age level and ways that affect them.  For example: Lust & Chastity.  The greatest threat to our teens is their raging hormones and the constant barrage of sexuality in every media that they encounter in their daily lives.  Peer pressure is an added weight to them.  Contrary to popular notions--Catholic kids or Christian kids are NOT HOLIER than everyone else!  Parents who deceive themselves that their children go to a religious school or to church every Sunday are not active sexually or contemplating it are the ones most surprised when things like pregnancy, rape, STD's, drugs, drinking, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, transsexuals, and transgender issues appear.  It isn't something that happens to "THOSE OTHER KIDS".  

How do we discuss girls dressing modestly when all the stores and malls only carry revealing clothing?  How do we convince our boys that masculinity is NOT proving how many girls he can score?  How do we seriously have conversations about alcohol when its a staple in many Catholic homes?  Why are we surprised that Johnny doesn't believe in God or Church anymore when society screams that there are many ways to God, or that the Christian God is a myth, or worse...that there is no God...science trumps theology?  It's not enough to tell them they should not do this or that...we have to be an example.  We have to explain a little deeper than memorizing the Commandments, the 7 deadly sins, the Virtues, the Rosary, the Lord's Prayer, etc...we have to take our teaching to a deeper level.

Ask a teen what lust is and watch their eyes gloss over...."like what do ya mean?"  How many 14 yr.olds know what "chastity or chaste" mean?  There is truly a "dumbing down" in America...kids today don't know as much as you think.  They are tech-saavy...but they lack a more meaningful vocabulary.  They lack critical thinking of how to "apply" what something means to them on a personal level. We assume this is a given--let me assure you...it is not.  Many adults are not capable of this either.  Everything has to be entertaining and exciting or they are bored....how does one make serious life-changing lessons appealing to a 14 yr. old?  They are not little kids and not yet adults...caught between is a very confusing place for student and teacher.

  How many activities can we come up with for Thanksgiving....for youngsters...TONS!  For the teen, its a bit more challenging!  They don't want to make cut-outs, placemats, and "I am thankful for" lists anymore.  They want to get class over with!  So how to make them thankful for God, the virtues, the Commandments, the Bible, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and for Salvation....when their minds are preoccupied with sports, dance, video games, music and the boyfriend/ girlfriend?  This age group is a challenge...can't go too deep but cannot be too shallow either.  We want to equip them with enough understanding and knowledge to make good choices and to grasp why God made them and what Jesus truly did for us--to have an impact on the choices they make in life! May God grant me His Words, His Lessons, His Power and teach thru me this year in the Confirmation Class.  May the Holy Spirit soften their hearts, open their understanding, and illuminate personally what each child needs!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

People are scratching their heads trying to figure out why so much evil is rampant in our society!  Yesterday's mass shooting at a Navy Shipyard in Washington D.C. bring up the fierce arguments of gun control versus constitutional rights...and every senseless act like this will continue to spark that debate.  The surgeon at the Washington hospital said there is an "evil" in our society. No kidding?  It's been there since the beginning and it has a name...satan.  Yet for all our modern technology and endless barrage of knowledge available at our fingertips...we refuse to consider there is a spiritual underworld affecting our present physical world.  That "card" has been played to the hilt!  Christianity is a myth and no longer relevant in a scientific world!  Much violence has been credited to religion--so therefore "we" are the cause of the evils in the world!  Sad to see so little common sense in the world--- a whole generation so puffed up with pride about how intelligent and advanced they are; but they are not able to see the obvious!

That old adage in Sunday School Class, "GARBAGE IN--GARBAGE OUT"...applies to much of the evils in our world.  I know that the Middle East has been fighting long before the video games came out, and they don't look at "women swinging nude on a wrecking ball" or "twerking" because they believe women have to be totally covered up so as not to cause men to sin in lust--but here in the United States we have lost our minds!!!  Our evil is a separate entity.  It is one that attacks its own for no apparent reasons, and they want to claim they are all mentally ill.  No one wants to admit...God forbid...there just might actually exist beings called evil spirits or demons!  Exorcists only make for good horror movies!  The world wants to stick their heads in the sand and claim every other "reasonable" explanation...okay how about desensitizing society?  We have allowed our children to grow up playing video games that have evolved into actual missions of real killing!  The movies have become so saturated with blood and guts as entertainment!  Religion and the formation of conscience have been tossed aside!  Now the grandchildren and great-grandchildren have become people with no moral standards, no conscience, no apparent sense of decency, and rebels against any notion of something called "sin".  Those of us who tried to stem the tide of "garbage" have been raked over the coals of society for our "bigotry", our hatred, our lack of compassion and divisive nature.  We experienced mocking for standing up to say children do not need to see such violence, blood and gore, sexual videos, pornography!  How prude and rude we are, that say kids are altered by such exposure!

The disgust we experience seeing "Hannah Montana" swinging naked on a wrecking ball in a video means nothing to anyone.  The kids in the world are watching tv while mom is on the computer, on Pinterest or Facebook, or on her cellphone....when dad is home, what is he doing? He's got his latest version of a killer video game that he waited in line all night to purchase when it came out!  The child goes to school in the first grade and tells his teacher he wants to shoot her, or takes a BB gun to threaten a classmate in kindergarten---and we can still deny that technology is changing our world for the worst??

I can't help but recall in the Old Testament when Moses was leading the Israelites out of the bondage of  Egypt, the people complained and complained and complained they wanted this and that---they begged for meat--and God finally got tired of their crap! Oh He gave them meat all right....He gave them so much to eat till they were sick!  Well the original sin was in wanting "knowledge" from the tree of good and evil---He has allowed us soooo much knowledge...till we are sick!!! We live in a sick world! People whose minds are darkened and filled with garbage!  They won't read the bible, they despise wholesome programming because its boring to them now, and they will never survive without their cellphones!  They prefer to be distracted, busy being totally idle, brainwashed by tv and movies and games, and "dead" in their spirits.

What bothers me, is those parents who are raising their kids the best they can and active in what they are exposed to...are so few in number.  So many Christians go to church, say all the right things and post the wonderful Christian things--are no different in their homes than those who are honest and say they hate church and God doesn't exist.  Christians are watching pornography, swearing and talking vulgar in front of their children, drinking, doing drugs, committing adultery, and playing killer games with their sons!  They are getting tattoos and body piercings and staying cool with their kids!  The same are viciously involved in competition in sports acting out the same vile spirit of meanness, arrogance, obnoxious, cheating, and "killer" aspect of playing.  Children who play little league get to see and hear the worst of examples!  What has happened?  There is evil in our society....it's the "garbage overflowing" from the minds and mouths and hearts of those who have evolved far advanced into the world of science and knowledge!!  Satan has many tools...the best ones are those we use on ourselves...while he laughs hysterically at humanity!!!