The Loss of Innocence (The fate of growing up)

As young kids, somewhere between the ages of 2-8 years old, we have those bright, bright eyes whereas we see all in terms of a world of fantasy.

In those days, we believe in Peter Pan, in Santa Claus, that the good guys always win and in Cinderella. There are many other ‘good guys’ that we adored and thought one day we’d grow up to be just like them.

Something happens though as we grow older.  Our nature becomes totally contaminated.  We grow old and mean.

Where as a child we believed in everything and in all things, as an adult we believe only in the bad if we believe in anything at all.  In short, we lose our innocence.

Mostly because of our dreams being disrupted and destroyed, we become cynical, suspicious, distrusting—hurt, wounded and where once we embraced the good—we learn to integrate into the world of survival.

Such it is without innocence, for that loveable facet of youth disintegrates and is destroyed. Long gone becomes our hopes, our dreams—we grow bitter and paranoid.

Where as teenagers even, there is that glow the illusion of love and bonding forever, by adulthood there is nothing but the promise of misery.

And so for broken people such as my self, we have Jesus.  After all the other images are faded, withdrawn and far into the background of fabrication, we sink to our knees at the feet of our Lord God.

There, we can tune into our innocence once again.  With Jesus we have His comfort—His hope—His dreams and there, we have no loss.  We have goodness, purity and yes, we have innocence.  And then, for all that which we have lost, we discover that in Jesus, we were found.  We soon learn that Jesus was never lost at all. And with Jesus we have the most profound and pure substance of nothing but goodness that transcends everything that was ever innocent.

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The Virtue of White Lies (I promise: I’m telling the truth)

Somehow or another, someone in ancient times came up with the concept of the ‘white lie’.  In this case, race is not attached to the term, but the ‘white’ idea represents or denotes ‘purity’.  Yeah, right.

Alright now, here is the rift.

WE ALL DO IT.  Sure we do.  We lie more often than not and some of us even do this out of the kindness of our hearts.

Look no man in his right mind is going to tell a girl that she’s overweight in a dress when she asks him for his opinion.

Not at all.  Any man with any sense at all is going to lie in order to remain out of trouble, or at least in attempting to be kind to the girl.

There are many other such incidents too.  Another example: “How are you doing today?”  One person asks.

For one, the person is lying as they don’t really want to know.  Second, we are not going to tell them our wife just left us or any other such bad stuff so we reply in kind, “Fine.  How are you?”

Such is the world of lying.

Now then, some would explain that the above situation is not really lying at all.  Okay, I’ll buy some of that.

But, then again, most people would love for us to believe that in TELLING THE TRUTH that we must be harsh and cruel.

“I was only saying the truth!” they insist.

Why isn’t just telling the truth something good?  Or is that a lie as well?

As people we are left with a quandary for you see it appears we are almost incapable of telling the truth.

And if for no other reason alone that is why we must depend on Jesus.  We must lean on Him as we are too weak and imperfect of anything that resembles goodness and would rather lie than remain quiet.  Finally, only out of our lips should we profess that Christ is the Son of God, our savior who died for us:  and Folks—I promise that is no lie.

What Would This World Be Like Without YOU?

Because of you, the Christian, we are surrounded by the very presence of the Holy Spirit.  Because of you, our harsh world possesses a gentleness, projects compassion and concern in an otherwise immoral earth.

Without you, there is a cold, cold void.  Without you, even the warmth of the sun grows pale, and without you and in an uncaring world, there is hunger, hatred, unforgiveness, pestilence of grudge wars, and envy and strife and jealousy and bickering and the total absence of love.

Without you, I see a world with hope, without faith, without value, without forgiveness, without forbearance of anything good. Without you, you who are the millions of comfort, the millions of torch bearers, of announcers of good news, you who often think you are such small significance, are the substance of holiness remaining of earth.

Without you, the worst of the worst would be upon us, as without you, there is no Christ on this Earth.  For you are that presenter here on this earth through His body that completes the composition of God’s total love for mankind.

Without you, the savor of salt, the mainstay of Jesus as we know him on this planet, is absent and so too, the light of just reason.  Without you, there would be no tomorrow.  All that would remain would be the sum total of yesterday.

Cashing in Your Chips (When to Call it quits)

As I’ve written before, the old adage that God doesn’t give you more than you can bear is simply not true.  God will not give your more TEMPTATION than you can bear and that is what the scriptures say.

There are many times when you can be overwhelmed and stricken low and poorly. Times when you can take on too much:  We see this with Moses and once he melted out his duties, it because bearable and doable once again.

We are not Super-human and can do but so much and in times when it becomes too much, we need to cash in our chips.  Of course, there is no easy way to know some times.  Sometimes we have to remain stubborn and ornery touch.  During times like that we can hang on with a tenacity that appears impossible.

At other times we must capitulate, rest and attack again on another day.

There should be no guilt if you are overtaken in a quest.  Guilt should be assigned only if we fail to attempt our course at all.

We can look to David, when oftentimes he had to retreat—months at a time prior to him campaigning his path forward.  At one point, he hid in cave for 6 months.

This doesn’t mean you should quit over the first sign of difficulty.  Not at all.  It simply means there are times when you can concede and lose the battle in an effort not to lose an entire war.

Isn’t it Cute? (Another round of the Easter Bunny)

It’s bad enough that Christians ‘sell out’ over Santa Claus during the Christmas season and turn it into an enterprising adventure, yet Easter has even a more special focus—the focus on the Cross and the resurrection.

Here is it the way it is:  I am just as you are and love the Christmas Season and consider it special.  The same is true with Easter, even with that silly bunny and eggs.

However, we all know this has NOTHING to do with proclaiming the Gospel, and nothing to do with Christ with the introduction of gift-giving, Santa and that Bunny.

Face it, brothers and sisters.  We have sold out.  Many have done the same over Halloween.

All I am saying is that now that our society has grown so secular, we now should find this era to begin pushing back and establishing our own identity as Christians and as the body of the Church.

Pushing back means we do not go into the frenzy as out of control consumers and that we walk away from the nonsense of the tree, Santa and with Easter:  the eggs and bunnies.

Sure they are cute and sure it is all part of our American Culture today.  And as much as all of this is true, it doesn’t make it right.  I encourage us all today to erect and to establish our new culture and that identity is Christ and Christ alone.

Fat Beggars & Agent X & Agent V (You can’t beat the news)

I got a message from Agent Mamma DJ reporting that Agent V got the job! Let us praise God for this wonderful blessing today!!! I asked readers yesterday if I could give her your number and arrange a ride to the interview, but no one responded with that kind of help. But this morning about […]

via Praise Report From the Streets: Job Starts Monday!!! — Fat Beggars School of Prophets

Conversations with God during the Storm

How many of you have ever gone outside during a terrible thunderstorm simply to hear the voice of God?  Sure, I know when I go out there He’s not really talking to me personally, but then again, nothing can compare to the power and force of the elements during those times.

When those electrified lightning bolts zig-zag back and forth the way they do and those dark grey clouds thunder, roar and moan, one can’t help but feel overpowered with awe for the wonderful creator.

And when I pray for rain on those hot dry days, again, I like to think it is God who sends it to me. Oh, I am not proud.  I know he sends His weather to the good and bad alike, but it doesn’t matter.  I’d like to think He did it all for me.

In moments like that, I like to believe God is talking to me, making me give pause with wonder and with gratitude.  I like to think God is speaking personal epigrams to me and that all is well.  And during moments like that, I even forget the danger of the storm.  I forget those mighty bolts are 10 times hotter than the surface of the sun and that they could take me out at any more.  I forget the danger and concentrate on our Maker and His son, Jesus. During those sweet times, nothing on earth seems better than that small but exciting experience with God while His storm dances in the rain.

Agent X and his $64,000 Question more from the Fat Beggars and it’s a good one

So many of my friends think ministry to the poor is only “effective” if it leads those receiving the care to have “dignity”, “independence”, and responsibility. I don’t share that notion, but that does not mean I want to see people languish. I just want to see Jesus celebrated by them and in them. I […]

via Can I Give Her YOUR Number??? — Fat Beggars School of Prophets

Is it Right to Feed a Starving Child?

Right here at the beginning, I’ll answer this stupid question.  Hell, Yes, it’s right to feed a starving child! It is always right.

But what if that child is the child of an enemy?  What if that child grows up to become a mass murderer or even worse, a dictator and tyrant?

What is if that child is homeless?  What if the child is ungrateful?  What if they are of a different language, color, nationality or religion?

And the question could so easily be turned around:  what if that child were yours?  What if it weren’t even a child, but it was

YOU?

Okay, I just answered the question about the merits of feeding the homeless.  Even with Jesus when feeding the 5,000, he didn’t ask a series of questions nor did he give them some stupid questionnaire to determine their eligibility.  No, he simply fed them was all.

And he fed them for He, above all people knew it was right to feed those who are hungry.  I am always amazed when I hear discussions that oppose feeding those who are without.  It is always right to feed a Child and it is always right to feed anyone else who is hungry.

The Good Guys & Bad Guys

Even in the Bible it is at times more than difficult to distinguish the good guys from the bad. If differentiated by behavior, at times, there is no difference at all between God’s people and others.  On more than one occasion, God has His people killing everyone in sight to include women, children and their animals.

Thus, a good guy is someone on your side and a bad guy are those opposing.  It’s as simple as that.

Yet, all of us assume a posture that we are in fact, the good guys.

Jesus tells us differently.  He explains that sin separates us from the Father and that we must repent, change and follow Him.  I’m not going to delve into the discussion if this repentance is a necessary element for conversion, but at least delineates good guys from the bad.  Conversion never results in violence, but in LOVE.  I believe we can all agree on that.

To that extent, all who convert over to Jesus with His born again experience are all—GOOD GUYS.  There is no way around it for all are given the gifts of the spirit which are GOOD.

The way I look at it, I much rather be a good guy than bad.  In fact, I don’t know anyone who likes a bad guy.  We know that even God doesn’t like bad guys which is why he desires we believe and follow Him.

As simplistic as this message may come across, the truth of its implications are facts that can easily be witnessed and verified.  Our message in which we should all be unified is that Jesus is indeed the one and only author of the Good Guys for all the other good guys in the world.