The pulpit is not a throne.
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A GOOD SHEPHERD: A good shepherd does not point the way, but leads the way. A good shepherd keeps those who would follow fed and safe. A good shepherd does not claim that which is not his. But those who would follow must know that they are going the right way. After all, men are not sheep, unless they allow themselves to be.
LEADERSHIP: If we are praising GOD by raising GOD above all else, then it is safe to follow our heart; but we must lead with our mind. Leading with our minds is essential because to communicate directions to others who might follow us, we must carefully translate into words that which is in our heart. This translation must take into consideration the language and environment of those who would follow. Such consideration is a product of our mind. With our mind, we discern the path dictated by our heart. With our mind, we carefully craft the road map for others to follow; and so those who would follow are led.
CIRCLE OF LOVE: Only through true-to-life leadership is the Church inspired and compelled to form into a living loving circle of togetherness. Each member of the circle has a leading role in assuring that when it comes to blessings, what comes around goes around.
Let us do GOD’s work to be GOD’s work.
LIFE-FILLED PURPOSE: Life is an open book examination of us, individually. GOD provides us the book and then it is up to us to flip the pages. Each page illuminates a truth against which we can perform critical self-reflection and self-examination; after which we are enabled to make out the shape of our purpose. Our true purpose has the potential of sustaining us to the glory of GOD. It is up to each of us, individually, to fill that shape with our lives.
THE BEST: Being the best is a goal that bears little fruit for the majority of us because there will always be someone better than most of us. However, doing our best can never be contested and it is far more fruitful.
LIFE PAINT: Our purpose in life is to paint of our life a portrait of beauty that glorifies GOD. We use the prayerful guidance of Christ to perfect this art. Our life is supplied in buckets of varying colors, depending on the gifts we are blessed with. We can spill paint all over the place or we can use it carefully and prayerfully to create a lifetime work of heart. There are three ways we run short of paint: nature kicks our bucket; man kicks our bucket; or, we kick our own bucket.
LIFE RAIN:
- Our lives are but teardrops of rain;
tears that are either of joy or pain.
- The rain can be welcome relief from drought;
or misery pouring down to flood folks out.
- The rain can come down hard like hail
when a climate of cold hearts prevail.
- The rain can be a gentle shower of love
shimmering in rays of light from above.
- Regardless, in our life raining down,
we, the teardrops, are what hit the ground.
When we use our bodies to glorify GOD, what else could ever matter?
ASYNCHRONOUS: A 'sin’ is short for asynchronous with GOD. Asynchronous means being out of step or out of rhythm with a principle beat. So a sin means being out of step with GOD, particularly when we know what the right steps are. When we are asynchronous with GOD, we fall behind or away. When we are in step with GOD, we keep up by showing our love. For the steps we take with GOD are the steps we take towards our neighbor.
EVIL ORIGIN: A belief held by some is that evil has a spiritual origin. If this is the case then man is a mere pawn in evil’s industry. However, it would appear that man has an ample supply of imperfections that give rise to certain convictions that ultimately provide the stimulus or compulsion to commit evil acts. Without spiritual assistance, man alone is capable of adopting and acting out these convictions. Therefore, without a spiritual defense, man alone will be judged for his acts.
SATAN IS: Satan is the embodiment of human self-service and anything that replaces GOD in our worship. Nothing physically separates us from GOD. However, Satan is the embodiment of anything that separates us from glorifying GOD.
IMPRISONED: Many unfortunate souls are imprisoned in a world of sin. The boundaries of their prison yard are marked by the high barbed wire of sexual perversion, drugs and alcohol, disdain for education, laziness, lack of self respect, and general disregard for the CREATOR.
The human race is a world class relay.
GOD BLESS AMERICA. PLEASE! America’s true religion is rooted in capitalism; propped up by democratic principles; and, spread by for-profit enterprises. The sacred red white and blue is hoisted with solemn pride as a symbol of this religion. In recent years, America’s elected priests have become its chief religious offenders. They disregard good business practice scripture and are truant from services related to sacred planning and proper budgeting. As a consequence, the believing masses are often demanded to dig deeper into their pockets and purses to make-up for ungodly deficits. These priests also profane the spirit of democracy by muting the voice of its believers. They also order and carry out sacrifices of men, women, and children on the altar of capitalism. Scribes, elders, and priests are the main beneficiaries of these offerings.
PERFECTING AMERICA: For America to perfect herself as truly a nation to die for, she must first have embedded in her aggregate consciousness, which is articulated through her laws and regulations and her dispensing of justice, a means whereby her blessings, with respect to material things and opportunities, are accessible to all its citizens in proportion to their individual capabilities and capacities, without partiality. Secondly, for America to perfect herself, her citizens who are most able and endowed must share their blessings in far graceful, grateful, and greater proportion to those who are least able and endowed, as a way and means of binding this nation with a social spirit of love. It is this love that will make and keep America strong and allow her to survive the test of history.
A MORE PERFECT UNION: If America truly wants to fill the footprint of a nation that welcomes all who want to contribute to a more perfect union for mankind then it must be kind to all men and women. This kindness is not one that seeks to tear down certain types of religious upbringing. For if such a skewed kindness typifies America, then what distinguishes this land from countries where world terrorists seek safe haven? Separation of church and state does not mean separation from church, individually; it means that government should not represent or dictate church; which does not mean that government cannot reflect certain universal values of the Church; for we should be cautioned that the Church, in its current imperfect state, does not have a monopoly on the universal values that lend to a more perfect state for mankind.
We are not great. We just aspire to do great things for GOD.
WORK WHILE IT IS NOW: We should not have that much trust in the future that by doing less, little or nothing now, the future will benefit better if we were to do more, much or something then. We should act as GOD would have us act now. Work while it is now. We must not concern ourselves over whose work is greater than ours, but that we ourselves are doing the greater work for GOD.
WORK WE DO: Our love is reflected through the work we do for others; for true love cannot be bottled up for our own consumption. Our faith in GOD is perfected through the work we do for others on behalf of GOD; for true faith cannot be canned for our own redemption. The more work we do through love, the more we love to get to work. The more work we do through faith in GOD, the stronger our faith in what comes of the work we do. Working on behalf of Christ for the heartfelt benefit of others, blessed are those who do so with a mind set on paying towards an insurmountable debt to GOD.
GOD'S COMPANY: It is heavenly to work in GOD’s factory of righteousness. While we work, our hearts join in hallelujah chorus. Oh how time flies! We work while it is day. We are fed and paid as we go. By the way, the pay is great! We do not fret today whether there will be work for us tomorrow, for our foreman assures us that there will always be plenty of life-sustaining work to go around. Oh how pleasant it is to work in GOD’s company.
PERFECTION: In doing GOD’s work, perfection of effort is measured by the amount of love put into it, not the product that comes out of it. Good work through the love of Christ is GOD working through us. Otherwise, good work is just work.