In the political world, new wine needs to be put into new wineskins

Recently a longtime friend of mine opined “As a Democrat it saddens me to realize that the Dem Party has sold its soul out to the devil! They are the champion of sexual deviancy and illegal immigration!”

I was moved to respond as follows:

I know your good heart. I’m not sure what triggered this outburst. It is unclear what you mean. Are you implying that all Democrats are champions of sexual deviancy and illegal immigration? After all, you are a Democrat.

What about Republicans who claim to stand up for sexual morality and family values but then turn a blind eye to President Trump’s dishonesty and immorality? Or those who out of fear are embracing white supremacist tendencies? Have they been deluded, succumbed to the temptation of power and money, and sold their souls to the Devil?

As an Independent, I see serious problems in both the Democratic and Republican parties. I also see many good people. I admire John Kasich on the Republican side and i find hope in the quality of many of the newly-elected Democratic members of the House of Representatives. Many recognize that the problem of unequal and unjust income distribution has to be addressed.

Most traditional conservatives – who believe in moral principles, fiscal conservativism, limited government, and a sensible defense policy – have distanced themselves from the Republican Party or are trying to figure out how to redeem it. Libertarians are in a quandary.

All of the parties are suffering from being attached to old paradigms in an age of rapid transition. We need new ideas and concepts to address the changing situation.

Many of these ideas are being generated on the local level where people are solving real problems affecting people in local communities.

On a global level, new ideas are being generated by those who are willing to engage in intelligent assessment and discussion, learning from the experience and wisdom of all nations and cultures in order to promote world peace, racial and religious harmony, shared prosperity, and true family values.

We should not be taking sides in irrational discussions where people demonize one another out of fear, anger, greed, or the lust for power. Rather, motivated by God’s compassion, we should be trying to reconcile conflicting parties in pursuit of peace, harmony, and true love.

Motto for the year 2019

In this year of transition:

Let us all
be humble and contrite
purifying our hearts
seeking a deeper personal relationship with God
in order that we may commit ourselves fully
to doing His will

Let us all work together
with God
in love
to assist
in the realization
of
His kingdom

January 1, 2019 of the Gregorian calendar

The Solution to the World’s Problems

Advice to students graduating from high school in 2018

Living and breathing in God

When our heart/mind experiences the love of God through the Holy Spirit, the natural spontaneous response is to offer thanks and praise. The natural response when one is experiencing the loving kindness of God is to love God in return. The more we love God in gratitude, praise, surrender and commitment, the more we are capable of experiencing God’s love to a greater degree. The more we experience God’s love and forgiveness, the more we desire to show that love by loving, serving and forgiving others. The more we express God’s love in service and the more we forgive others, the more we experience God’s love.

We live in a reciprocal relationship of love between God and ourselves and also amongst ourselves and others. When we live this way we are living, moving, and breathing in God.

Our physical bodies live and breathe air. When we live in the Spirit in loving relationship with the source of all Being and others, our souls live and breathe in God.

Thank you God for your loving kindness.
I praise you for your awesome wonder.
Thank you God for your forgiveness. Thank you for helping us to wash our robes.
I surrender to your love.
I forgive others their sins, their debts, and their trespasses just as you have forgiven me.
Help me to discover your kingdom within.

Thank you God for your loving kindness.
We praise you for your awesome wonder.
We thank you God for your forgiveness.
With the help of your Holy Spirit we will sin no more.
We will forgive each other and seek reconciliation.
We surrender to your love.
Guide in those situations where we can be of service to you and to others.
Please give us wisdom and help us to know, experience, and understand the truth as much as we are able.
Let your Kingdom come in the midst of us on earth as it is in heaven.
We are your offspring. You are our loving parent.
Let us live and breathe in God.

Amen

Words from a Heart of Love

Words matter.

Words can teach, uplift and heal, and give life to our spirts. Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

When Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they too wanted to leave him, Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

Yet, words can also do great damage. Deceitful words can sow doubt, cause rancorous division, and create disorder, pain, and division.

Adam Eve and the Serpent

In Genesis 3, we see that the words of the serpent resulted in the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden.

James 3:6-8 says:

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue–a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

So the words that the tongue speaks can be used for good or evil. In Matthew 12:34-37, Jesus points out that the quality of our words stems from the condition of our heart:

“You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus explains further in Matthew 15:18-20

“… what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man;”

So if we engage in false witness, malicious lies, of slander, it reveals that there is something wrong with our heart. If our heart were pure we would see God. Our heart would be filled with truth, love, and peace and we would speak words of truth, love and peace.

If we speak evil words, our hearts are not full of love, peace and joy. We feel a lack of love, fear, doubt, and perhaps resentment or hatred. We may be filled with false pride, envy, greed, lust, or anger. These feelings are not healthy for ourselves or others. They will bring us down.

It is not easy to control one’s words. It is not easy to purify one’s heart. But with God all things are possible.

Still Waters

Jesus, the sinless messiah, the perfect man, the true Son of God, died for the sins of mankind. On the cross he prayed for our forgiveness.

We need to pray to our Heavenly Father. We need to ask the Father to forgive us for our sins. God in his gracious mercy will send the Holy Spirit to forgive and comfort us. God will send the Holy Spirit to bring us back to life so that we can be reborn in His love.

When we feel this gift of grace, we need to continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us power to sin no more. Old habits die hard. We can not change without the help of the Holy Spirit to guide, teach and comfort us. But with the help of the Holy Spirit we can change old patterns of thought, speech, and behavior. We can be reborn and our hearts can be cleansed and purified. Then God will dwell within us and our thoughts, words and deeds will shine with the light of truth and love. We will become the true sons and daughters of God.

We also must learn to forgive others. The Kingdom of God is not a solo flight. It is a family affair. It includes not just our biological family, not just our race or nation, but everyone in the whole world.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.”

After teaching the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15,

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Road to the Temple of Peace

Through repentance and forgiveness we can receive the love of God and be born again. Through repentance and forgiveness, reconciliation can occur. Through repentance and forgiveness, God’s Kingdom will come.

If we follow this way, our hearts will become pure and we will speak words of truth, love, and life.

How then do we help those around us who speak lies or engage in malicious gossip and slander?

First of all, do not condemn them, but just as Jesus did, forgive them and pray for them.

The second step is paradoxical and must be practiced to be understood. The second step consists of introspection, self-examination, and purification of one’s own heart.

If we see people engaging in lies, malicious gossip, and slander, we know that the problem lies in the heart. There is a sin problem.

Jesus said in Luke 6:42,

.. how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

The proud will be humbled and sinners will be brought to repentance. God is a God of both judgement and mercy. It is not our job however to humble the proud and bring sinners to repentance. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

If we repent, sin no more, forgive others and pray for others, then God will show us clearly what we should do. We will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work and if  God wants to use us the Holy Spirit will guide our words and actions.

There is no one-size -fits-all solution to every situation. That is why we pray for divinely inspired wisdom.

James 1:5 says,

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

James 3:14-17 clarifies further,

…if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.

So ask God to purify your heart and deepen your faith. Then pray for wisdom. God will guide you and you will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our Father, who art in Heaven, thy kingdom come.

Happy Easter 2018

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

On November 17, I had the blessing of participating in another of Craig Boyer’s “Dig This! Music with a Message” shows on KKRN 88.5 FM. The theme was “Gratitude and Thanksgiving” hosted by Craig Boyer with guests Alex Colvin & Pamela Spoto.

Craig always picks out wonderful music. His selection for this program were:

LET’S TAKE OUR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND by: BOB WICKLINE

THIS IS OUR COUNTRY HERE by: JOHN McCUTCHEON

HARVEST HOME by: JAY UNGAR & MOLLY MASON

SEEDS by: DENNIS WEAVER

LOVE TILL YOU’VE LOVED IT AWAY (aka, THANKSGIVING EVE) by: BOB FRANKE

THE RAINBOW RACE by: PETE SEEGER

SONG BY ALEX COLVIN  was  : TRAVELING IN THE MAINSTREAM OF LOVE

In between songs we conversed on the theme of gratitude. If you have time to spare, please give it a listen.

 

The Kingdom of God is coming now!

The conditions for the restoration of Adam’s sin have been fulfilled. That means that people can be liberated from original sin.

Road to the Temple of Peace

Therefore, the Kingdom of God can come on earth as it is in heaven.

This means that world peace will be established. People of different races and nationalities will live together in harmony. An environment of true love will come to be.

God is compassionate. God’s compassion is expressed through both judgement and mercy.

In order for us to experience God’s mercy we must go through God’s judgment.

The proud will be humbled and the sinners must come to repentance.

End it now!

Pray for God’s Kingdom to come on earth. Pray for God’s will to be done. Pray for us to be delivered from evil.

Believe, repent, and sin no more.

Through repentance your personal sins are forgiven. God will give you the strength to resist evil. God will fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can feel His love. The Holy Spirit will cleanse your heart. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. You can be perfect as your Heavenly Parent is perfect.

Peace will come through forgiveness. Just as God forgives us we must forgive others. As we forgive each other God will forgive us, not just individually but collectively.

Racial, religious, and ethnic harmony will come through forgiveness. Forgiveness opens the door for us to feel God’s love together. Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy.

True love now!

The kingdom of God is the world of true love. The world of true love is coming now.

How long will it take for the world of true love to be realized?

The door is open. For me to enter I must repent and sin no more. In this way, I dis-cover the Kingdom of God within me. Loving others and sharing the truth that God reveals to me I help to expand the kingdom. Listening to the truth that God reveals to others helps to expand the kingdom. Forgiving others is part of loving others. Through reconciliation we expand the world of true love.

The door is open. For you to enter you must repent and sin no more. Ask God for help. Ask and you shall receive. Be patient and believe. You will be redeemed through your faith in the power of God.

The door is open. For all of us to experience the Kingdom of God together as one family, we must both repent and forgive. As we do so we will become one together in God’s love. The Father  will be in us and we will be in the Father.

Sin will be no more.

The kingdom of God is coming now. The door is open. Please enter.

The Peaceful Reunification of Korea

Korea is one nation. The Korean people are one people with a common language, history, and culture. The peaceful reunification of Korea should be the stated goal, not only for Koreans, but for all nations of the world.

Unification flag of Korea (pre 2006)

The division of Korea into two areas ruled by separate governments is a vestige of the Cold War. Just as in Europe, the Soviet Union occupied East Germany and the Allied Western Powers occupied West Germany, so also in East Asia, the Soviet Union occupied the northern part of Korea and the United States occupied the South. Germany has reunified. It is now time for Korea to do the same.

On December 1,1943, the Korean independence agreement signed by the United States, China, and Great Britain at the Cairo Conference, stated, “The aforesaid three powers, mindful of the enslavement of the people of Korea, are determined that ‘in due course’ Korea shall become free and independent”.

In 1945, the United Nations developed plans for trusteeship for the administration of Korea. In that same year, Japanese troops north of the 38th parallel surrendered to the Soviet Union as troops to the south surrendered to the U.S. The division was not meant to be permanent. However, in 1948, due to rising cold war tensions, two competing governments were established: the Democratic People’s Republic in the north and the Republic of Korea in the south.

The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 further exasperated the situation, resulting in the division of Korea into two hostile territories divided by a demilitarized zone (DMZ).

In spite of this, the stated aim of both governments on the Korean Peninsula is the peaceful reunification of Korea. The latest reiteration of this goal was the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration in 2000, which stated:

1. The South and the North have agreed to resolve the question of reunification independently and through the joint efforts of the Korean people, who are the masters of the country.
2. For the achievement of reunification, we have agreed that there is a common element in the South’s concept of a confederation and the North’s formula for a loose form of federation. The South and the North agreed to promote reunification in that direction.
3. The South and the North have agreed to promptly resolve humanitarian issues such as exchange visits by separated family members and relatives on the occasion of the August 15 National Liberation Day and the question of unswerving Communists serving prison sentences in the South.
4. The South and the North have agreed to consolidate mutual trust by promoting balanced development of the national economy through economic cooperation and by stimulating cooperation and exchanges in civic, cultural, sports, health, environmental and all other fields.
5. The South and the North have agreed to hold a dialogue between relevant authorities in the near future to implement the above agreements expeditiously.

Since 2001, the situation has deteriorated. Now tensions are at a peak.

But a problem can not be solved unless there is a goal and a vision.

Peaceful reunification of Korea is the goal. This goal should be clearly reaffirmed by the leaders of North and South Korea and it should also be embraced by the United States, China, Japan, and Russia as well as all members of the United Nations.

Until this goal is agreed upon by the leaders of the world there can be no worthwhile progress.

We do not want war and the maintenance of a status quo that continually foments hostility within the region is not a solution.

Obviously, there are obstacles. Some will say that the peaceful reunification of Korea is not possible.

To them I say, “With God all things are possible.”

Pray for the peaceful reunification of Korea and encourage your leaders to affirm and work toward this goal.