What we really want to watch on TV, and in the movie theater.

What we really want to watch on TV, and in the movie theater. People tell us what we want to watch. And then they make it. Most of the films to get released have a lot of drama, action, and maybe a lot of swearing. If you think about it, do we really want more drama in our lives? Most people go to the theater to escape. They want to get away from the drama in their lives. I’ve been told over and over again that in order for a movie, or TV show, or a book to work is to have drama. You have to have angst. But just like in our own lives, we actually do not want more drama. Some of the best movies and TV shows I’ve ever seen are ones that have joy in them, hope in them, love in them. None of us actually like annoying characters. I hope and pray that we will be allowed to make more movies that actually are pleasing to the senses. Watch what is pure and noble, listen to what is right and true. It makes us better people.

Modern worship

A lot of people don’t like modern worship. There’s a myriad of reasons, some true, some not so true. If we look at the new testament, and all of the examples of worship, or quotes from the old testament, it seems to be very simple tunes. Like in Revelation, it seems like the number one song in heaven is “worthy is the Lamb." And sometimes, “worthy is the Lamb who was slain," over and over and over again. One of the things people don’t like about the mid to late 70s and 80s worship tunes, is if they were too simple. Those “simple songs“ could be learned in moments, and sang over and over again in simplicity. In Second Chronicles when the Spirit fills the temple, the cloud comes, and people fall on their faces. They aren’t able to really do complicated worship. Somebody does not stand up and say we will sing verse one and seven today. Simple praise courses don’t engage the mind of as much as the heart. You don’t have to think about it too much. There’s actually nothing wrong with it. It’s a way to learn and sing. And remember, we’re supposed to be childlike in our faith, simple faith. There is nothing wrong with simple songs.

God gave us His Holy Spirit to "teach us in all things." John 14 So obviously that includes how we are to be His Bride. Jesus gives us mental pictures of how we are to be His. His Bride, His Church, His army, His Body, the Body Of Christ. A friend of mine had this vision about how the Church is like the city of Jerusalem, with it's walls and gates being like His leaders. It's 12 gates are made up of His leaders as signified by the 12 different gates, and that the walls of relationship between them are the relationship that keeps them together. In the word, Ephesians 4, it says, "He's given some as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers." In this vision my friend had, these are the gates of authority that God places in each city, and they are to have relationship together and function together as the Lord built them to. Those walls of relationship between them is what the Lord's uses to keep the enemy out. If there is no relationship between the "Gates of the city," then the enemy walks up to the gate (Standing by itself) looks at the Gate, walks around the Gate, admiring, "What a fine Gate," then goes around in (No wall of relationship) and plunders the city. (Do we not see the enemy doing this in our churches?) We believe God builds His Church so that the gates of hell can't prevail against it, against us, His Church, Matthew 16 So if the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers were given to us "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12 And we don't have this in operation, we are severely lacking, and the enemy has way to many options to come in and mess with us. Along with this also in chapter 4 it says in 1b "to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." So if our leaders aren't doing this, and if we ALL aren't doing this, it will not work, this thing we call church. One faith, One hope...this is a picture of His bride He's coming back for without spot or wrinkle! Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So if we are His Bride, and He's coming back, He will build us so the gates of hell can't prevail, and we will be without spot or wrinkle. He's coming back! So what if every pastor, every evangelist, every Apostle, in each city were to be used to help us ALL "come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ?" That would be awesome! Most denominational churches don't teach this, and most of what we'd consider the "church" may not even believe this! Ephesians 4 goes on to say, "13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Sp without those gates, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, functions together under Christ, the Head of the Church, then we will NOT e equipped. We won't function the way he meant us to. Paul also says in Ephesians 5:32 "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Jesus wants us to be one, He even prayed it: John 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." And in this Jesus has to make us right in Him, before we can be right with each other. John 17:14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." He makes us one, only He can do that. Without Him being the Head, we are just a headless body. "Lord, make us one, even as You and the Father are one. Please, in Jesus name."

Star Wars is White.

Have you ever noticed Star Wars is very white? Except for Lando Calrissian, I don't think there's any people of color. Now with Nazi inspired Stormtroopers, representing of course, the "dark side," we could assume things, but I don't know if we need to. How would African Americans be from galaxies far, far away? Or would there be any Chinese except from...China? You won't find any indigenous Mexicans whose ancestry is from another planet, because...they are from, Mexico! I guess we can't find many normal "minorities" so instead we have aliens. Evolutionary inspired "space people" from other planets. So Star Wars could be called White Wars...White People Strike Back, Return of Whitey. Star Trek blazed the anti just white trail back n the 60's with as many minorities as possible. But not White Wars. Now we can't forget the great voice of James Earl Jones as Darth...but once he's unveiled (did I just say unveiled like when a kkk guy takes off his hoodie..) then Darth is fully white, and he looses his very cool voice. (Of course for the newer series they changed the actor! Who is still white) So what's my point? THAT I NEVER NOTICED! I'm so used to just whites on screen it wasn't weird to me. Strange. I grew up in a black neighborhood, and was one of the only white people, so color has never meant anything different to me other than I thought all races were seriously cool, and that God is amazing in His creative ability! (I wanted to be a Native American when I was a kid because I thought they looked the coolest!) So back to titles, White Wars, The Whites Awaken, The Last White Person...

PTSD Posing as Truth, Satan's Disguise

Posing as Truth, Satan's Disguise; that's what PTSD is. One man can see the same exact things in the same foxhole, and yet he does not suffer from PTSD, while the other, right next to him, seeing the same things, kills himself because of PTSD. Unbroken the book, not the movie that falls short of the truth, tells the story of Louis, "Louie" Zamperini, a man who was tortured, and for many years suffered from PTSD. Louie turns to alcohol to try and numb the pain, but nothing can take away the horrors of what he saw, what people did to him. Until Jesus came in and set him free. The day Louie gave into Christ, Jesus set him free. Free from unforgiveness, pain, memories, and instantly from all effects of PTSD. No more nightmares, no more PTSD, overnight. Jesus set him free. No more of satan's lies, Jesus set Louie free, and Jesus can set you free. Satan is the father of lies, but Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Two men each build a house, one on sand, the other on the Rock. When the storms came, the memories, the attacks, the rains descended, the floods arose of terror, the man who did not listen the Jesus, his house fell, and great was it's fall. The other man did listen and obey what Jesus said, he built his life on the Rock, on Christ. The same rains came, the same storms of life, but his house stood, because he stood on Christ Jesus, the Rock. You too can stand on Christ, and believe what He says is true. Or you can believe the sands of time can heal you, but they never will, only Christ. He alone is truth, and He alone can set you free. Love covers the multitude of sins that people will, and have, put on you. Love forgives, and yes, forgets, even as Jesus will remember your sins no more. Love takes into account no wrong. (1 Corinthians 13) Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7) Forgive, love, know Jesus has all of this, Jesus died for all our sins, so don't let them effect you any more. They are all lies, satan's lies to keep you in his evil grasp, of pain, torture, nightmares and misery. Jesus takes all that away. It's what He died for, our sins. Unforgiveness is a sin. The evil you saw, the evil they did to you, was their sin. Unforgiveness is your sin. They can, and need to be forgiven, but so do you. Their sin opened the door for you to sin, for you to let the devil in, and through that process, you have opened the door to your enemy, who only comes to kill, steal and destroy, he is the father of lies, and the truth is, Jesus set you free. Only listening to Jesus, only building your life in Him can set you free. He is the only way. Pray, "Lord forgive me, I have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. Please forgive me of all my sins. I believe You died and rose again. By faith, through grace, I receive You now. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen." Let His Word renew your mind, through the washing of the water of His Word. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love, that's it.

There was one original don't. "Adam, Eve, don't eat this fruit, or you will die." Seriously, you will die. Then, because they didn't do the 1 don't, God added 10 more don'ts, Thou shall not's they were called, "No killing, stealing, coveting..." Then Jesus came and filled all the don'ts and added two do's: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. To do or not to do, that is the question. But we can do this because He also gave us of His Spirit, to teach us in all things and bring back to remembrance all that He said. We're covered, we're ready, and through Christ who strengthens us, we are able . So, let's do.

Thinking

For 22 years I have sat here, praying, reading, watching. Little has changed. Snowmen have come and gone. Different cars. God has been so good to me. How can I complain? I love watching the world go buy, and yet still being a part of it; sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways. My gets have changed a lot over the years. I used to want different things, so I'd get those things. Now one of my favorite things is just to sit, relax, stare! In the Summer I love to lay right here and watch the pretty trees blow above me head. In the winter I love to see the same 1800's white church across the street. It's all so pretty and sweet. Thank Your Lord for 2016, 15, 14, 13, 12...and all those years that have come and gone. How wonderful You are in them. Thank You Lord, thank You very much.