Of All That He Could Choose

 Jesus once made this statement.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  Consider the spectacular implication of this statement regarding that single divine heart which Christ (God, the Son) shares with God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit.

 Think about it, being almighty, our Creator God can be anywhere and do anything He chooses.  He could choose to entirely fascinate Himself with any of the millions of worlds which fill His Creation and take no notice of man at all.  But, this statement indicates a divine choice which is wonderfully different from that. It indicates that God prefers to be completely involved with us in the full context of our daily life-circumstance. 

 And, indeed, it is true.  The intent of all of God’s redemptive effort through Christ has now been shown to be ultimately aimed at bringing to pass this warm and interactive daily friendship with those of us who appreciate and honestly pursue Him.  So, as it turns out, redemption was never merely about the practice of religion.  Rather, it was always ultimately about bringing a reality to this daily interpersonal closeness.  As it was written, “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Indeed, this intimate daily companionship was always God’s redemptive “end game.”  For example, He actually wants to go to work with us every day and help guide us through the pitfalls of the office politics or the complicated relational issues of the work place.  He wants to help us successfully raise our children.  He wants to be involved in our own character development that we may become fulfilled people of true gravity.  

 He wants to help with the complexities of our marriage.  He wants share in the tears of our sorrow and the laughter of our celebrations. He wants to be there in our victories, big and small.  And, He wants to sustain us through the difficult moments of our failures.  He desires to be involved in the conversations which define our choices and the life-directions we might choose.

 And, as with our human relationships, it is through this close-up daily interaction that God truly reveals Himself to us.  And, it is in this atmosphere of a relaxed interpersonal access that we become genuinely set free by His authentic truth – His truly correct interpretations of reality.  And, in turn, these shared divine perspectives then guide us through the treacheries of life and empower us to cope with its unpredictability.

 And, it is through this highly God-involved relational environment that we are able to move beyond the smallness of this physical/ material life to engage the hugely more impressive dimensions of the spiritual life.  Again, as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 So, Jesus said this, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” This is a simple invitation put forward by Christ to experience a wondrous and completely fulfilling interpersonal interaction with The Almighty, the Savior, and the Divine Spirit.  

And, the simple first step to this wonderful new level of divine companionship is made very obvious.  It is simply to open the door.  It is to truly open the door of your heart to the embrace of this elevated relational dimension.  It is to open the door of your mind to see, and recognize, and engage the transformative possibilities of this precious opportunity.  It is to open the door of your willingness, that the fullness of God’s love might simply step through it in the person of Christ to initiate this consummate relational level with you.

 Truly, God’s authentic redemptive plan has never been so much about that intermediate relational vehicle that is religion.  Rather, it was always ultimately about bringing to pass this daily, Christ-based, interpersonal closeness with those who would seriously pursue Him. The simple implication of that divine “knock” is this.  Of all that God could choose – He chooses you.

The Elephant Willfully Ignored

The Sun’s radius is 864, 938 miles across, giving it a circumference of over 2,720,000 miles.  A dime is ¾ of 1 inch in diameter and less than 2 ½ inches in circumference.  However, if you hold a dime close enough to your eye, it can completely blot out the sun’s image.  And, in essence, I see this same kind of self-inflicted blind spot happening every day across our world.

 I mean, Christian redemption is absolutely the biggest and most exciting event happening on the planet.  And it has been so since the dawn of human history.  And this unparalleled opportunity to enter God’s consummate creation (Heaven) and to eternally know a meaningful and joy-filled existence continues to freshly present itself to the world with each new rising sun.  But far more often than not, this wondrous unfolding opportunity is blotted out by small and much more insignificant material preoccupations which are held far too close to our mind’s eye. 

 In speaking of the pathway that leads to this everlasting joy, Christ, Himself, said, “…and few there be that find it.” And here, sadly, are the simple glorious realities which those who employ this self-inflicted blind spot will never understand.

 God’s redemptive work in Christ has a Noble and Clear Goal:

 That goal is not merely to immerse one in religious liturgy and/ or busy work.  God’s ultimate goal is to re-establish a deep and durable inter-personal relationship with those individuals who are vitally interested in the same. 

 Through the forgiveness afforded by the Dying Christ and the symbiotic empowerment afforded by the Living Christ, God is about the business of a vastly improved restoration. On an individual basis, what was lost to mankind in the Garden of Eden – the blessing of God’s intimate daily friendship is being wondrously put back in Christ.  Indeed, the work of Christ is all about the restoration of a vibrant, enduring, and consistently faith-expressive relationship with those who truly share that interest with their Creator. 

 Even in the Old Testament we read prophetic innuendos reflecting this ultimate divine intention such as the following words from the prophet, Ezekiel.  The prophet was here speaking first to ancient Israel, but then prophetically to those who are now seriously pursuing a relationship with their Creator through Christ in these New Testament times.  He said, “... A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.  And, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them… and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

 God’s ultimate redemptive goal has never changed.  That target has always been to re-establish a true heart-oneness with His people.  And, through the forgiveness furnished by the Dying Christ and the heart (character essence) transformation empowered by the Living Christ, indeed, God’s people are restored in this now very durable and fulfilling friendship. (Ref. Rom. 5:10)

 God’s redemptive Goal in Christ also has a very Specific Means:

 It is simple really.  The Cross furnishes the faithful with forgiveness which enables the restoration of the relationship.   And, the Resurrection furnishes believers with a powerful and empowering Living Christ.  And, He then empowers the believer’s thorough newness through a very real and life-changing merger. This is that symbiotic character integration which the Church has come to call, the “Spiritual Baptism.”

 Jesus put it very simply.  He said, “You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses [confirmers of my redemptive capability]”… [Bracket added] 

 And, this Christ-supplied power, flowing through that Spiritual merger with Him, has one purpose – and it is not self-aggrandizement or sensationalism.  This empowerment is to enable a transformation of the believer’s value system so that it then matches that within the divine heart.  And, that heart-oneness with God then becomes the sound basis for that new and very durable daily friendship with Him.

 So, it is in the power of the Living Christ that the “heavy lifting” of our thorough personal newness is achieved.  And, it is in this Christ-sustained newness of heart and lifestyle that our relationship to God becomes truly warm, and substantial.  (Ref. 2 Cor. 5:17)

 And this new, Christ-enabled friendship with God has A Real Priority:

 Christ outlined it clearly.  He said, “… but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…”  In the larger conversation from which this statement is drawn, Jesus goes to some length to encourage those who would know God and God’s Heaven to steer clear of an exaggerated concern with material issues.  His clear priority is to make those issues ever subservient to one’s pursuit of an intimate divine friendship and the invaluable future which it affords.

 And, forging this unique relationship with God involves a life-altering commitment:

 Again, Jesus does not equivocate.  He says, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  It is this high-level, all-in devotion which gives real gravity to God’s people and to their relationship with Him.  God is patient with shallow relationships to enable us to grow beyond them.  But, in the end, He does not and will not traffic in such pretentiousness. (Ref. Matt. 7:21-23)

                                                  ~

 Christian redemption really is the biggest and most substantial thing happening on the planet.  And, if we’re not noticing that as much these days, indeed, it is likely because we have intentionally fashioned, from a bunch of small and mostly meaningless preoccupations, a willful and very dangerous blind spot. 

 Truth is – this life is actually first about human redemption – not corporate ladders, fun & games, real estate, and rolling stock.  Those are just the kinds of things which blind us to what is the truly smart play during our time here.

In Hope of Goodness

 Governing our behavior so that it is consistently good, seems to be humanity's biggest challenge, whether on a personal scale or some  larger one. How do we do it? How can we ever achieve consistently good behavior? 

Perhaps, if we make more rules? Maybe if we make the punishment for wrongdoing more harsh? Perhaps if we were ruled with an iron hand by some despot? 

Or, maybe if we hire more police officers, or work harder on personal discipline.   Or, maybe if we were better educated?

Oh wait. Actually, I think we've pretty much tried all of that. And still, humanity struggles to control itself on every stage of life. We simply cannot consistently do the right thing. Corruption and misbehavior seem always to creep into what ever we do, if we do it long enough. 

In fact, every attempt at human government, whether personal or corporate, has only ever confirmed the existence of this fatal flaw which plagues our species: chronic waywardness. Indeed, it would seem we are stained indelibly with the stain of incorrigibility - even in the face of our own best efforts.

So, we find ourselves cheating on our diet, or our taxes, or our spouse. We find ourselves breaking the very laws that we enact to protect ourselves. We engage in the dangerous and the self destructive, even though we know better. 

 We cross the personal "lines" that we mentally establish for our own good. We renege on our most well-intentioned promises. We transgress even our own conscience. 

 And, we have done all of these things across the entire spectrum of the human experience. There simply is no denying it - left to ourselves, we lack the power to be consistently good and do the right thing.

The Apostle, Paul, makes this point very well in Romans, chapter 7, where he says, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."

So, where is the human hope. Real hope necessarily anticipates enduring goodness, not the lack of it. And, it would seem this reality did not escape the mind of our loving and graceful God when He was formulating His redemptive plan. 

In fact, it seems He drew up the redemptive plan with that need in the foreground of His mind. His whole uncomplicated intention is to bring consistent goodness to the human heart. And His single "instrument" for doing so is the Living Christ.

At last, in the vitality of our resurrected Savior, there really is the possibility of a durable and consistent goodness within the human being. Paul speaks of the revelation of this New Testament remedy, in Colossians, chapter 1.  

There, Paul writes, "...the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

In recent times, the Church has tended to make redemption mostly about forgiveness. It is not. It is only first about forgiveness. But ultimately, God's redemption is very much about, well,  redemption. 

The ultimate aim of God's redemptive plan is to thoroughly renew the believer, beginning with the creation of a good heart-government which actually works consistently. And this change to the human condition, effected through the Living Christ, changes everything.

But, to experience this change, we must get beyond the mind set which essentially reduces God's redemptive work to only a moment of forgiveness. There is a much larger redemptive design to be understood and experienced. 

And, at the center of that experience is the target event of the New Testament: our personal Spiritual merger with the Living Christ. The reality is, in the conversion moment, we are, indeed, forgiven, but we are still also very much immersed in our own brokenness. Our conscious person may now be more humble before God, but our subconscious person is still quite obstinate and wayward. 

 And so - as usual - we still struggle to consistently govern our behavior and fit ourselves into God's good plan for our life - even after our conscious embrace of the Lordship of Christ.  But, this is where the Living Christ enters the redemptive picture and everything changes.  

Through our personal Spiritual merger with Him, the believer is given access to the divine character essence of Christ. And, that access profoundly changes the believer in their core person.  

In short, this symbiotic connection to Christ reaches deeply into the believer's subconscious person and overwrites their old, self-centered value system with the new values of Christ.  And this value system overwrite is the very mechanism which changes everything else in life to ultimately make of the believer a truly "new creature" in Christ from the inside out.

From the point of this very literal integration with the Living Savior, the vitality of Christ continues to effect an ever enlarging degree of change in the believer's character essence (heart) going forward.  And this profound inner change, in turn, expresses itself as a profound change in the believer's behavior and results in corresponding changes in his or her outward circumstance.    

In truth, consistent heart government is simply not a function of trying harder, or more education, or more experience.  It is a function of the vitality of the Living Christ living within the believer.  Our primary hope of consistency lies not in human initiative or improved religious practices, but in the reality of the Living Savior living expressively within in us.

If we would be consistently well governed by a good heart, then we must experience this Spiritual connection to His.  Because, our heart, disconnected from His, will never be up to that task.

As a minister in these modern times, I have come to understand a simple reality regarding the Church.  It is that the greater challenge, presently, is to elevate the gaze of the Church.  Our focus must get beyond the conversion moment to again see the true pinnacle of the Christian experience - the merger of our character essence with that of the living Christ.  

The truth is, while the idea of a personal Spiritual merger with Christ may remain in our theology books, yet, in the modern Church, we are, nevertheless, increasingly losing our experiential grip on that opportunity. We are, indeed, missing this ultimate intention of New Testament redemption:  an actual personal integration with the Living Christ.

Modern preaching, if well-intentioned, has, nevertheless, in practical terms, mistakenly reduced the scope of redemption to simply be about the Cross and forgiveness.  But redemption is not just about the Cross. It is about the Cross and the the personal renewal which flows out of the Resurrection and the Living Savior. 

The authentic Gospel is not just about the Dying Christ and forgiveness. It is also about the Living Christ and His shared vitality within the believer. This is the completing means by which the profound redemptive changes which God envisions for every believer are effected. That is why Christ would say in John, chapter 15, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

That first moment when we feel the cleanness of God's forgiveness wash over us is a wonderful thing. But, there is another moment after that one, on which everything also depends. 

It, too, is a moment which is absolutely indispensable to our redemption and to our true newness.  It is that mystical moment of our personal merger with Christ.  In that merger resides our only hope of the true and thorough personal renewal and the consistently good heart government which God envisions for every believer.

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - The Apostle, Paul from the Book of Romans

67 Non-superfluous Conversations with Myself

1. Killing innocent babies in the womb for profit – Subhuman
2. Electing presidents, who are only pretentiously loyal to the Constitution – Courting National Failure
3. Electing presidents who attempt to circumvent the law instead of devotedly uphold it - Inviting Lawlessness
4. Agreement with the idea of defunding the police – Pandering to Would-be Criminals
5. Freeing undocumented aliens into the national population –  Social Poisoning
6. Illegal hordes crossing the American southern and northern borders – A Tactical Invasion
7. Giving billions of dollars to nations which sponsor terrorism – A Death Wish
8. Seeing today’s American politics as a non-existential threat – Terminally Naive
9. Remaining self-absorbed while our justice system and liberties are under assault - Amonie-like 
10. Seeing Israel as the bad guy and Hamas as the good guy – Uninformed Lunacy
11. Seeing anchors at ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN as anything but propagandists – Dupish
12. Rewarding laziness, irresponsibility, and/ or illegal aliens with federal benefits – Inviting National Bankruptcy
13. Legalizing illicit drugs – Enlarging the National Sorrow
14. Supporting organizations which are working to destroy America – Treasonous
15. Not recognizing seditious front organizations for what they are - Sadly Gullible
16. Allowing ballot harvesting and free standing, unsecured ballot boxes – An Election Integrity Sell-out
17. Not requiring Voter ID – Tactical Sedition
18. Understanding and Using propaganda and disinformation as acceptable government practices – The Stuff of Dictatorships
19. Accepting propaganda and disinformation as truth - Dupish
20. Not classifying gender in simple biological terms – Pandering Stupidity
21. Dismissing entirely the goodness and contributions of our predecessors – Void of Sophisticated Reasoning
22. A blanket policy of not prosecuting crimes – Dereliction of Duty
23. Sending our jobs to foreign countries – Welcoming National Poverty
24. Funding and/ or attending schools whose leadership hates America – Aiding and Abetting 
25. Funding bio-research in China – Madness
26. Not regulating big tech and social media companies to insure fairness and responsibility – Dumb
27. Suppressing the benefits of our rich resources of oil and natural gas – Economic Sedition
28. Climate change – Purposeful  Misinterpretation for Political Manipulation
29. Intentionally pitting one race against another – Sociopathic
30. Eliminating the Bail Bond System to allow accused criminals to simply walk free – Dereliction of Duty
31. Refusing to arrest and deport dangerous criminal aliens – Accessory Before the Fact
32. Sanctuary cities – Madness
33. Believing in the goodness of sanctuary cities – Quixotic Madness
34. Allowing China to traverse the national air space with spy balloons – Abject Stupidity
35. Downplaying the importance of good character in a politician – Assuring Bad Leadership
36. Downplaying the importance of good character in our children – Dereliction of Duty
37. Downplaying the importance of good character in the teachers of our children – Culpable Negligence
38. Downplaying the importance  of good character in the general populace – Our Foundational  Mistake
39. Believing hatred and violence to be the day-to-day norm of life - Sociopathic Delusion
40. Seeking to dismiss or circumvent the Constitution of the United States by illicit means – Treason
41. Moving away from the rule of law –  A Terminal Trip
42. Whole cities and states ignoring our laws – Insurrection
43. Believing it is OK for a political party’s leadership to embrace seditious behavior –  The Opinion of Their Stooges
44. Government weaponization of the law – Reaching for a Dictatorship
45. Weaponizing of government branches and bureaucracies – Dictatorial
46. Not prosecuting the criminal behavior of politicians – Asking For More
47. Surrendering our educational facilities to political activist instead of serious educators – Cancerous to Quality
48. Surrendering our streets to violent rioters and looters – Cowardice Under Fire
49. Selling off critical reserves of our national resources to foreign states – Criminal Collusion
50. Turning our backs on the principles of the Bible – Super Dumb
51. Alienating Almighty God by our hypocrisy and arrogance – Super Dangerous
52. Legitimizing the practice of homosexuality – Dark Minded
53. Not Interacting with  homosexuals respectfully - Deplorable Behavior
54. Not seeing government  mass re-settlement of illegal aliens as seditious and criminal – Dupish
55. Believing that the whim of every social grouping can and must be satisfied – Childish
56. Voting for pie-in-the-sky promises instead of integrity, solid plans, and proven success - How We Got Here
57. Believing that the social sins of the past can never be atoned for and/ or forgiven - Prescribing Chronic Hate
58. Believing that paper money can be endlessly printed and spent without consequence – Bankruptcy in the Making
59. Allowing Chinese Nationals to do bio-research in substandard labs within the U.S. – Inviting Disease X
60. Seeing street violence as a legitimate means to change – Inviting  Anarchy
61. Believing that the level of the national debt is inconsequential – Terminal State of Denial
62. Seeing America and American Patriotism as bad things - Intellectual Dishonesty
63. Running for office on the goodness of killing the unborn and even the new born by the thousands - Full Blown Moral Insanity
64. A political party which embraces infanticide as part of its political platform - A Party Beset by Abject Darkness
65. Outlawing responsible gun ownership as a means of personal defense - Leaves Only Lambs for the Slaughter
66. Forced vaccines - And What Then - Drink the Kool Aid?
67. Voting for anyone who advocates these things – No Way, Jose!

The Keystones of Vibrancy

The keystone of a vibrant relationship with God is a vibrant prayer life.  And, the keystone of a vibrant prayer life is a correct understanding of its consummate form.  So, let’s briefly consider both what prayer is and what prayer is not.

            Perhaps first, we should understand that our prayer life should be animated by more noble motives than mere obligation or duty.  To conceive of prayer in those terms is to misunderstand its glory, to demean its worth, and to undermine the spontaneous pleasure and abundant benefits of these moments of visitation with God. 

            And, in fact, that idea is actually the more mature view of prayer. In essence, prayer is simply a wondrous conversational encounter between devoted friends. And, who ever needed coercive motives to bring them to such an encounter?  Certainly, no one I know. 

            Rather, we cherish those moments with such friends. We eagerly anticipate them.  We run headlong toward them. And, we make them last as long as possible.

            And, why would we not?  Out of those treasured meetings come happily animated conversations.  And, among the outflows of those conversations are the ingredients for personal growth.  Often, shared memories bubble to the surface with their attendant laughter or poignant tears.  And, how often have we found great relief in these valuable friendships as we suddenly discover the strength of another shoulder seeking, in some loving way, to bear up with our own in an effort to lighten our load.

            These are all just part of the blessings which flow from a truly rich companionship.  And the companionship of our Heavenly Father, our loving Savior, and the Divine Spirit is no different. It is designed to be the richest companionship of all. 

            Like nothing else, these times of divine visitation hold the capacity to light up the heart of both God and man.  They heighten and make more accurate our sense of God awareness.  They organically produce meaning, fulfillment, and a deepened devotion. And, it’s in these times that our faith is made to be unflappable as we gain the divine synergy which enables us to face down life’s challenges. 

            It is the experience of all these glorious things, and many more, which eventually bring to extinction any need for a sense of obligation or duty regarding prayer.  Rather, in the place of those more coercive motives, comes an infinitely more enjoyable one.  It is simply the overflowing goodness of the divine friendship.  It is in the joy of that goodness that the easy energy of spontaneous pursuit is effortlessly set free within us. 

            The simple reality is this.  God can talk.  And, when we tap into the deep joys of a conversation with Him, wondrous, life-changing, world-shaking things happen in our heart, in our life circumstance, and in our relationship with Him.

 “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” – God

The National Relationship

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”

            Usually, when we speak of a relationship with God, it is in terms of a “personal” relationship in Christ.  But there is a larger relationship with God, the quality of which, is very impactful to multitudes of people instead of just one person.  It is the “national relationship.”

            Yep, that is a real thing, easily observed in the historical pages of the Bible.  And, it is also certainly a real and very impactful thing in America.   Indeed, the quality of life in this nation is directly correlated to the quality of this composite relationship that the entire populace of the nation has with God.

            It works like this.  Not unlike Israel, America is also a chosen nation.  Her divinely assigned role has always been to serve as an example to the modern world.  She is intend to exhibit to the world that quality of life which accrues to a nation who maintains, at the very least, a respectful relationship with God.  And, that quality of life is characterized by such things as the nation’s strength, influence, nobility of character, and prosperity.

            And, this respectful national relationship which brings these blessings has two relational dimensions.  First, as one would assume, that respectful relationship occurs as a Christ-centered, deeply faith-based respect for God within the Church. And second, it occurs as simply a secular reverence for God, merely based in the willingness of the secular populace to be so.

            But, America is now widely failing in both dimensions of this relational calling. The grassroots American Church has become broadly disrespectful by the present widespread minimization and pretentiousness in their devotion, resulting in a pervasive shallowness.   And, the secular culture, in greater and greater numbers, is choosing irreverence and even antagonism, toward God. 

            Thus, America has become a very broadly disrespectful nation toward the Governing Creator. And, as a direct result, our normally supportive God has now stepped back.  And, with the loss of that divine guardianship, an imploding America is now left staring at an imminent collapse of our culture.

            Already, we are a much weakened and deeply divided nation, fully engulfed in a dark downward spiral which now touches every facet of our social fabric.  We are literally being invaded through our southern border.  Our government has become more a threat than a help. Prices now soar as the worth of the dollar free falls.

            The rule of law is crumbling, as is our election integrity. And, both within and without, our gathering enemies are now salivating profusely.  And, sadder still, most seem yet unwilling to face up to the real underlying cause of this terminal national trajectory – the erosion of the divine friendship. 

            Solomon said this, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  Present day America has broadly abandoned that vibrant friendship we once had with our Divine Friend.  And, the symptoms of that wide abandonment have now become clearly evident in America’s deeply jaundiced national face.

            Surely, we’re better than this.  Surely, we can still do better than this as the contemporary Church and as the secular nation.    

            Indeed, we must be and do better.  At this perilously up-close vantage point, surely it now becomes obvious.  The very survival of our culture actually does hang in the balance of our yes-or-no answer to a renewed respect for God and the worth of God’s friendship.  Honor Him, and perhaps He will again honor us with His help and blessing.

Brother To Brother

 Deep disagreement with the actions and/ or views of others – it is a regrettable part of the human reality.  We often encounter these deeply felt oppositions as political diversity, or philosophical disagreements, or interpersonal or social clashes etc.  And, we don’t all handle these disappointments in the same way.

            Typically, our response to these difficulties takes one of two diametrically opposed courses.  Either we choose to assign blame and, in turn, hate (thereby amplifying the problem).  Or, we choose, instead, to pursue a remedy which leaves our nobler ideals intact and in play (thereby truly conquering the issue instead of amplifying it).

            That all sounds right.  Right?  Well, maybe not to those who have already chosen the option of blame and hate to cope with such conflicts.  Indeed, those are hard minds to change.  But, in an effort to do so, let’s just play out their scenario using a higher magnification of the whole process.

            To start with, let’s begin at the real beginning place.  And, those headwaters do not lie in this physical dimension of life.  They absolutely lie in that larger metaphysical dimension of life where both God and Satan originate.

            In that dimension, Satan, long ago, gave rise to a war between himself and God.  And that war has now also engulfed this physical dimension of life as the struggle between good and evil, between the Light and the Darkness.      

            It is a conflict which revolves around only one primary issue:  Who gets to be the authoritative truth-giver?  In other words, whose interpretation of life’s circumstances shall be considered the correct interpretation?   Or, said still another way, whose value system will rule, God’s or Satan’s?

            God’s values can be accurately described as a system of principles which always produce and promote peace, order, and universal good.  Satan’s values, on the other hand, can be accurately described as always producing and promoting self-determination – thus, leading to a world based on the chaotic idea of “every man is a truth unto himself.”

            One among many of Satan’s intentions for this treacherous belief system is to pit each man against every other and even against God, Himself, to create universal social conflict which will in turn defeat God’s benevolent influence in this world.  So, our disagreements with each other, from interpersonal to international, become a very valuable psychological opportunity to both the demons and the dark-hearted human minions who serve the Darkness. 

            And, their tactical use of that opportunity is not complicated.  Their prodding is always aimed at deepening and emotionally inflaming those disagreements as a means to both bloodshed and blindness – a blindness which keeps one from seeing God’s more noble and truly effective solutions. 

            Disagreement with others is, indeed, a regrettable part of the human reality.  But those disagreements only become more pervasive and more lacerating if we embrace the whispers of the Darkness. 

            God has a better way, a truly graceful way, to resolve our conflicts.  And, it is a way which leads to a true and enduring joy instead of further perpetuating our tears.  It is His noble values which mark the real path to victory over the ravages of human conflict.  But to hear the voice of God, one must first determine to escape the echo chambers of hate.