Friday, September 22, 2006

# 168: The War With No End

We are in the midst of five wars, and there is potential for a total of at least eight: 1) the war on terror; 2) the Iraq war; 3) the Palestinian/Hamas conflict, which stirs up the rest of the Arab nations; 4) the U.S.- conflict, fought by proxy through Israel; 5) Shiite militia clashing with the Sunni insurgents while the U.S. kills whichever is suspect; 6) Afghanistan; 7) Iran; 8) and North Korea. These conflicts and potential conflicts can be categorized as one war, since these enemies are mostly Arab Muslims, adherents of Islam.

Then there is Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who promises to help Iran in any way he can if sanctions or a military air strike occurs. The best way for him to hurt the U.S. is to stop selling us oil. Along with that, Iran would stop their oil supply to us also. That can mean three things: gas prices go up to over four dollars a gallon; rationing of gas as it was during the Second World War, because of lack of supply. That price hike of gas would raise inflation to unheard-of heights.

Hugo Chavez was allowed to present himself before the United Nations on 9-20-06 in a way that was never heard of since the Cold War of the 1950s. Several times he called our president George W. Bush the devil. Although I am not fond of Bush, and have said on several occasions that I believe he is inspired by the devil—for a nobody like myself, that doesn’t mean much—but for a head of state to be so inflammatory, that is a serious accusation. But the most surprising part of his appearance at the United Nations was the hearty applause he received. That applause reiterates what I have heard from several people-in-the-know: Since the Iraq war, the world’s image of the U.S. has been greatly tarnished.

President Bush somehow believes he is an almighty kingly emperor and that the world is his empire. If anyone or any country doesn’t believe as he does, they are categorized as supporters of some terrorist gang—with power comes a potential for corruption and deceit. Does absolute power corrupt? Absolutely! He insists, one way or another, that he will not allow Iran to become a nuclear nation; he better think twice before he employs any drastic measures. If he does, Iraq was/is a cake walk in comparison to the damage Iran can do to us without any bomb. Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is someone to be reckoned with. This guy is sharp and is nobody’s fool. He has marbles and knows how to play them. Personally, I would rather go after two Saddams than one Ahmadinejad.

Update: Here are a few excerpts from an interview King Abdullah II of Jordan gave to TIME Magazine: Q: Five years after 9/11, has the war on terrorism made the world safer? A: Unless we solve the core problems, terrorism . . . will always be with us; Q: How tough should the U. S. get with Iran over its nuclear program? A: I don't think the Middle East could afford another war. And a war with Iran would open a Pandora's Box, one I don't think the Middle East could recover from.

It could be said that if Condoleezza Rice, a fast thinker, and Ahmadinejad engaged in a war of words, with his wit, Ahmadinejad would win hands-down; no one has been able to win against Rice’s slippery words, to date.

Although the U.S. is not a Christian nation, it is depicted by Arab countries as Christian. They believe that if one is an American, he/she is a Christian. The god of Islam is Allah; the God of Christians is Jehovah/Jesus Christ, whereas in North Korea, I think the majority of their population is atheists, either by force or choice.

This conflict could be viewed as a war of the Gods, or better yet, a religious war or holy war. That is religion’s crime against Almighty God. All three religions claim Abraham as their posterity. For that reason, it could be said that the Muslims, Christians and Jews are brothers and sisters. The Qur’an is the Muslims’ holy book, the Torah is the Jewish holy book, and the Bible is the Christian’s holy book. Even though there are similarities between the three books, the three religions are miles apart as to how to live to please God.

Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian faith, teaches us to love our neighbor and our enemy, although the American government, namely George Bush, acts otherwise; Moses, the founder of the Jewish faith, offers material wealth, while the Qur’an’s founder and prophet, Mohammad, teaches to kill the infidel, although he uses milder words which imply the same thing: “Spreading Islam by the sword.”

Several days ago, Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State in the Nixon Administration and an active political advisor to most presidents since then, made a statement similar to the following in a national newspaper: “We are on a course aiming toward a war of civilization/s [?]”. [This is not a verbatim quote.]

As for the Pope’s remarks concerning Islam: He cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman” and referred to spreading Islam “by the sword.”

Also, concerning the Pope’s visit to Turkey this November 06, State Minister Mehmet Aydin, who oversees the religious affairs in Turkey, said he expected the Turkish authorities to cancel the visit if Benedict does not offer a full apology. “We are expecting the authorities to unilaterally cancel this visit. The Pope’s coming to Turkey isn’t going to foment the uniting of civilizations, but a clash of civilization,” he said.

“The Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of the Sunni Arab extremist groups that includes al-Qaeda In Iraq, issued a statement vowing to continue its holy war against the U.S. and its allies.”

“This group said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the Pope as ‘the worshipers of the cross,’ saying ‘you and the west are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. . . . We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (be killed by) the sword.’” Those are tough words.

Is all this rhetoric just idle talk? I believe this war of civilizations or clash of civilizations and “The War With No End” are synonymous., One of Webster’s definitions of the word “civilization” is this: “the total culture of a particular people, nation, period, etc.” America has the power and wealth, but Islam has the numbers and dedication. Dedication will most often win over its adversaries. No, this is not just idle talk.

How does Israel fit into this seemingly endless war? Actually, Israel inadvertently started it all. They have been mortal enemies with Arabs for over 3,000 years. Then the U.S. got involved in 1948 by supporting Israel. Harry S. Truman gave the order to his ambassador to the United Nations Security Council to vote ‘yes’ to give Israel the statute of statehood.

Since then, the U.S., by association with Israel, has also become an enemy of the Arabs. What exacerbated the issue is that we have been supplying Israel with billions of $$ and the latest high-tech military armament for the last 58 years or more.

Now here is where there is no end to the animosity between the American Government, Israel and the Arab civilizations: The U.S. will never discontinue its alliance with Israel; it will support Israel come hell or high water. The reason being, our government caters to the clout of the American Jewish community. They have that much power as to where America goes and what America does. The Arabs know this fact; therefore, they will, one way or another, continue in their attempt to destroy all countries that are pro-Israel. That means that this religious holy war will never come to an end. It is that simple.

It hurts me to think this country that I love—not the government—is the instigator of a war that may end in a nuclear conflict. The reason I say that is because five of these countries that are or may be players in this conflict have or will have the BOMB.

Even though this animosity is mostly between Arabs and “Christians,” we can not rule out three other countries: Russia, China, and Pakistan, with Pakistan being the most potentially volatile, although no one talks about it. I just heard on the news today that former Under Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan, right after 9/11, that if he didn’t cooperate with the U.S., we would bomb them back to the "Stone Ages." Sounds like the words of a bully using force. Several times, Bush said, "You are either for us or against us"—fighting words. Who likes bullies? Let’s see where this charge ends. Musharraf's book will be coming out this Friday, Sept. 25, 2006. What will it tell us?

The above scenario does not sound promising. Again, the only way for the U.S. to quell the war on terror against our homeland and elsewhere is to separate ourselves from Israel and get out of Arab countries. The only thing is, it will never happen, and it may be too late for such a thing to happen even if we wanted to. We need the Arab oil, and it would be inhuman of us to leave Israel isolated in the midst of half a dozen aggressive Arab countries.

The other possible solution to save humanity and end this war of civilization, which might ease the hatred between all parties, is to find another country–who knows where–to transplant the several million Jewish Israelis to another place far away from all Arabs. Sure, the Israelis would love that. That would never happen. The reason I say that is because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about who the rightful owner/s of Palestine is/are. Also, the way the Israelis have been treating the Palestinians is what has—and still does —infuriated many other Arab countries; the Palestinians are their brothers and sisters.

In ending, the one issue that truly bothers me is that all this warfare is being done in the name of our Holy God. I do know that the God of this planet, Jesus Christ, is a peace-loving God. He does not approve of any of this violence.

Therefore, since there is no possible human solution to end the hatred between all fractioning parties, which is the core reason for this unending war, God may find it necessary to step in and put His angels to work. The evil (separation from God) that is going on in the entire world just can’t be tolerated by God much longer. Are you certain you are one of the few on God’s side? Religion won’t and can’t save you. The purpose of all religions per se, for the most part, is to further their own interests, and their adherents are the pawns.

That is the expressed reason/purpose for this entire blog. Please, for your own sake, read the messages herein. If you find any sections that don’t correspond with the New Testament, tell me about them by sending me a comment or email. I will respond to all that are presented in a civil manner. Your potential future eternity may be at stake.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

# 167: God, Gays and Unlawful Sex

This is the question that will be explored: What is/are the reason/s why The Lord God treats all types of unnatural sexual relations and homosexuality as anathema? Also, why were all sexual offenders as good as condemned in Bible days, during the Old and also the New Testament eras, and now with the liberties afforded in America, they are looked upon and accepted as just having alternative sexual preferences? Was/is God in the wrong, or are we in error?

Before we go any further, let’s bring to light a few verses from the Bible concerning this subject, first on homosexuals and then on inordinate sex, so we can better decide what’s what.

Leviticus 20:13. “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." By the way, the method of execution as commanded by the Lord God was stoning—barbaric but effective in keeping lawbreakers to a minimum. God knows what is best, or does He?

1 Corinthians 6:9. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither will the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders . . . And that is what some of you were. But you have been washed, you were sanctified, you were justified . . . .”

1 Corinthians 5:1-2. "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?”

Romans 1:26-32. “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion . . . they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Leviticus 18:22. “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”

Here are the Lord God’s lists of most sexual sins, including homosexuality. Leviticus 18:7-23 and 20:10-21. I urge everyone to read these lists. This list is much too long to mention them individually here. Those commands still apply today as they did some 3,000 years ago. Some will say, “Those commands were meant for the Nation of Israel and not for modern Christians.” That is a lie. Those restrictions still apply today, but only for people who claim to be Christians. Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

My question is this: Why and how are modern Christians supposed to believe, feel and act toward sexual offenders, gay men and lesbians that are condemned by our Christian Bible? Good question!

There was a time not so long ago when sexual offenders and homosexuals who were caught in a sexual act were brought to justice and imprisoned, and in rare cases, executed. You can see why they remained in the closet for many years. They were considered outcasts. They were called queers, fairies, faggots, perverts and other contemptible names.

Then, after a long period of abuse and discrimination, the homosexual community slowly but surely realized that they live in a country of liberty, justice and equal rights for all. They asked, “Aren’t we part of that ‘all’? Yes, we are. We demand to be treated as everyone else; with dignity and respect.” Therefore, to start on a path to decency, they decided to give themselves a name with dignity instead of “homosexuals.” They chose to use a cheerful euphemism that would lift their image. They decided on the name “Gays.”

As I asked in a previous paragraph, how are we as Christians supposed to respond to unbelievers, those who commit unnatural sexual acts? In the New Testament, we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves; and even beyond that, we are also required to love our enemies. That answered the question. We don’t have to support or approve of their lifestyle in order to love them when they are in need. Also, we are to pray for them, and desire the very best for them, and if need be, have genuine compassion for them. That is true love.

But there is one area that must be handled differently. When sexual offenders, gay men, and lesbians openly PROCLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS in our presence, we must stand up for what the Bible commands concerning these sins against God. But before we can speak or act appropriately, backed up by the Bible, we must examine our lives to see if we are squeaky clean concerning our obedience to all of Christ’s requirements. If there are holes in our relationship with Christ, we must silently walk away; under those conditions we may be no holier—or in better standing with God—than them.

But, and a big BUT, if we are in good standing with Christ and do speak up concerning what the Bible commands, the repercussions, most likely, will not be congenial. We may have made lifelong enemies, especially because gays stick together; therefore, it will be made known to their cohorts who we are and how we feel about them.

Somehow, they will attempt to discredit us and start a smear campaign against us so we won’t attempt to clash with them again. We will forever be on their s- - - list. And if push comes to shove, they will possibly do us physical harm, or do damage to our property.

For example, do you remember when Anita Bryant bashed (openly spoke against) gays in the 1970s and ’80s? They made it so her singing career came to an end, and the same end will come to anyone else who openly speaks out against them.

Conclusion: To God, these unlawful sexual acts, especially homosexual acts, are detestable. Should they also be detestable to modern Christians? I will let you answer that question. But even more damaging is the propagation of the unnatural lifestyles, especially with acceptance of civil unions and now gay marriage on the horizon; along with that, their adoption of children. And even worse than that, these lifestyles are accepted by many mainstream Christians.

The nitty-gritty is this: For anyone who claims to be a genuine Christian, Jesus Christ automatically becomes their Lord (Boss and owner) if they like it or not. If Christ is not accepted as Lord in anyone’s life, they are not Christians, regardless of how loudly they proclaim their alliance. What He commands is mandatory; no ifs, ands, or buts.

Here is a hard truth: The liberties the United States Constitution gives its citizens are in defiance of The Lord God’s commandments concerning unlawful sexual sins. This unnatural sexual behavior must be accepted in our great country, and anyone can see why. We cannot apply Christian Biblical standards to people of other religions, atheists, etc., or we would have a theocratic democracy, if there is such a thing.

Then a question that needs a serious answer: Why should the God of the Christian Bible be mentioned in our Declaration of Independence several times, in our local courts, and daily in the Supreme Court? The U. S. Government accepts God, but a powerless God, not as Lord. The fact is that no one can mention the word “God” without implying religion. “Congress shall make no law respecting any establishment of religion.” They are the only words in the first amendment that give us separation of church and state. There would be a more complete separation of church and state if every written and verbal mention of God were taken out of government.

Let me put it another way: The Bible says we, as American Christians, CANNOT indulge in unnatural sexual activity, and our constitution gives us the liberty which says WE CAN. Who are we to obey, what God commands or what government says? Acts 5:29. “We must obey God rather than men.”

This is worthy of repeating: Our Constitution gave gays and others that claim to be Christians the legal right, if they so desire, to openly claim and propagate their perverted—the opinion of many—sexual conduct, forbidden by God. And guess what? Genuine Christians actively do little or nothing about it. We all should be vocal in love, in our civil and peaceful opposition of “christian” gays’ ungodly ways. Sure! The bottom line is that the silence of Christians condones what God forbids. That seems to inadvertently, by our non-action, portray American Christians as hypocrites.

Are we in America getting close to becoming another Sodom and Gomorrah, or are we there already? Can we deny that accusation? Will our end be the same as those two cities? Fire and brimstone. It is possible. Our democracy has existed longer than most democracies in the past. I end with this thought: How does our omnipotent God view the holiness and sanctity of our great U.S. of A.? Give yourself an honest answer, or send me a comment. This topic is extremely controversial.

Friday, September 08, 2006

# 166: If I Were God

One part of life I hate with a passion is all the evil in the world. I am certain I am not alone. Could God have made this world so there wouldn’t be so much evil? If He could have, I am sure He would have. Or is there some special purpose for evil in God’s plan? As I have said in several other posts, since God has a free will, it was necessary for Him to give humans a free will also so that we would be created in His image; otherwise we would be mere puppets; that freedom left the door wide open for evil to come into existence on earth.

If I were God, I would have done things a little differently. Without taking humanity’s free will away, there may have been a way of eliminating all atrocious acts of evil in this world. Before I reveal that unique plan for life on earth, let us examine several Scriptural events where God reacted harshly to egregious evildoers. 1) Acts 12:22-23. “They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

Also, 2) in Acts, Chapter 5, verses 1-5, the story of Ananias and Sapphira; they (husband and wife) sold a piece of land and, as was customary, were supposed to give the complete proceeds to their local church to be shared with anyone in need. Evidently they held back some of the money and lied about it. To make a long story short, because they supposedly lied to the Holy Spirit by not telling Peter about the money they held back, they were both struck dead, apparently by God’s angel.

3) Going to the Old Testament, in 2nd Samuel 24:15: The angel of the Lord sent a plague on 7,000 Israelites and they all died, all because of a sin King David committed.

4) Again in the Old Testament, 2nd Kings 19:35. “That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp.”

5) Numbers 25:1-9. Twenty-four thousand Israelites were killed by a plague sent by the Lord’s angel, because these men indulged in sexual immorality with Moabite women.

There are several other occasions when God—through His angels—destroyed a large number of people, either the enemies of Israel, or on some occasions, killed a large number of Israelites for being dishonest, disobedient or immoral.

These above Scriptures give a hint of the way The Lord God did occasionally respond to evil people. Since in this chapter I am playing the part of God, if I were in control of creating life on earth, I would use a similar but more aggressive technique than The Lord did in dealing with extremely evil people that do harm to others.

The first thing I would do when I create human life would be to assign every newborn a personal angel—some call them guardian angels. These angels would have a dual task, but would not make their existence known. Their first assignment would be to gently guide their entities into the holy ways of God Almighty, though never using force. Their second job is to make sure the ones in their charge never commit evil acts toward anyone.

Since the angels can read the thought of their pawns, if and when they are seriously thinking of doing anyone serious harm, they have the duty of pulling the plug on their life. That’s it. No doubt this type of action will not do away with all evil, since some parochial evil will not be worthy of death. The nice part of this type of death is that no one will know exactly why or how these people are dying; it would be a mystery of sorts. One thing for sure: Overpopulation will never become a problem on earth.

There still will be pain, suffering and sorrow from natural causes, but one thing is for sure: Words like “violence,” “war,” and “hatred” can virtually be deleted from our dictionaries and vocabulary. I am certain most of us would prefer this type of life.

This above scenario is not that farfetched, or out of character with our loving God. For those familiar with the book of Revelation—a subtitle for that book could have been the book of Angels; the word “angel/s” is mentioned no less than 83 times in Revelation—God’s holy and powerful angels are given the duty of systematically destroying unbelievers, evil and wicked people that do not have the seal of God–whatever it might be. Most, if not all, of this killing will be done during the tribulation period, and we are not given even a hint as to how many years it will last; it could be less than a year or two, or a few hundred years. During that period, God again, as in the Old Testament, is taking an active part in the lives of humans through His angels.

Let me give you several verses displaying the severity of God’s angels: Revelation 9:15. “And the four angels who have been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.” Since there are about seven billion people on earth as of 2006, that third would be over two billion people. That would leave some four billion.

Then in Revelation 9:18, “A third of mankind was killed by three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.” That makes the four billion dwindle down to a little over one billion humans left on earth.

Although I playact the part of God as aforementioned, my way of eliminating evil may sound great, but there may be some major reasons why God didn’t do it that way. One reason may have been that if these people that were about to commit evil acts were allowed to live, some would/might have repented of their wicked lives and decided to believe in the ways of God. Another reason could be not knowing where to draw the line between a lesser evil and a greater evil (gray area). I am certain God chose the best way to get as many people as possible into His eternal kingdom, even if it cost the blood of millions upon millions of innocent victims, and the heartaches of those like myself.

Nevertheless, I still hate evil and can’t wait to leave this world so I won’t have to be tormented by the pain of people, especially little children, who are left fatherless after loved ones are killed, especially in the Iraq war. I am not talking about only a few American solders that are killed every few days, but also the thousands of Iraqis who have been killed since the war started. How many brokenhearted children and wives are there with no fathers or husbands? They are humans with feelings just like us; this is something the media never talks about. Those children and wives are not our enemies. I know many will agree with me and have sympathy for the ones who have been violated. Death is permanent. These children’s lives will be affected in adverse ways for the rest of their existence, and they will always wonder, “Why were my father and/or mother and/or sister/s and/or brother/s killed?” It just isn’t fair.

Can anyone understand why I hate America leading the way into this horrible war? And George W. Bush is responsible for all the pain and sorrow of millions. As I have said several times, what bothers me more than all else is that he claims to be a born-again Evangelical Christian. At this time, I am ashamed to call myself an Evangelical Christian because some might place me in a synonymous position with a fake Christian like Bush.

I don’t know how I got started on this subject again when my intent was to write on “If I Were God,” except that I hate the evil that is going on in the world more than most people do, and I wish it would just disappear. If anyone is disturbed by my display of emotions, I apologize.

Friday, September 01, 2006

# 165: Two Entities in One Person

We have different types of desires that motivate us to do and be what we are. They can make us feel great about ourselves or unfilled. Quite often, we go along just catering to our everyday superficial needs and desires without examining our innermost needs. Once we do start to examine the driving forces behind our desires, we must ask, “Why do we think we need ‘whatever’ to make ourselves feel fulfilled?”

What we should do is somehow attempt to excavate as deep as we can into our semi-hidden desires to see why we do what we do. I am certain everyone can benefit—including this author—by actually seeing what makes us tick. This challenge will be extremely difficult for the simple reason that we will, most likely, fib to ourselves and pat ourselves on the back in an attempt to make ourselves feel as if our desires are legitimate and necessary.

The first desire we must bring out into the open is this: What is the most valuable “whatever” in our lives? That desire might be partially fulfilled, or nothing more than a dream at this time. If you think you recognized it, ask yourself: If and when this desire materializes, will it make me a better person morally, make me feel complete, and in what way?

The question is, if we reached our holy grail, then what? Does one start all over again to find some other worthwhile desire? Or does one just sit back and live off the fat of the land? I am certain it all depends on one’s age and one’s level in life; that will make the answers differ considerably.

The answer is, if we are catering to our physical being, all is well and good. Food, shelter, clothing and a few bucks in the bank, and the physical man/woman is satisfied. Those four basics could be only a pittance, or grandiose in an extravagant lifestyle. Either way or in between, the vast majority of humanity would be satisfied with that end.

Yet, there is the spiritual part of us that can never be satisfied with material things, regardless of how exorbitant they may be. Even though some don’t believe we have a spirit, still many believe we are physical beings with a spirit. That is partially true. But the truth of the matter is that we are spirit beings with a physical body. And when that all- important spirit is deprived of the purpose for its existence, there will be a futile longing for completeness.

Besides our intelligence that makes us superior to lower primates, that spirit part of us is the extremely unique part of the human race that raises us above the animal kingdom. It sometimes is called the seat of our emotions. That is where love, compassion, empathy, hate, and a battery of other emotions are generated. Also, it is the vehicle which gives us the potential to connect with other spirit beings, hopefully God’s Spirit.

As I briefly mentioned above, the reason we are spiritual beings with a body, and not vice versa, is because our spirit, which does not occupy space, is the part of us that is able to survive physical death. Our spirit, above and beyond our memory as we know it, is also the hard drive, if you will, which records our thoughts, which are not physical, and our deeds that were physical, all at one time.

Some might ask, “What happens to our spirit at death?” Well, if the New Testament is the authority for Christians, we/our spirits sleep in death until the resurrection (the judgment). At that point in eternity, we will be given a body—although not flesh and blood as we know it, and reconnected with our spirits; then we will have to give an account to the Judge of all we ever said, thought, and did, and the motives behind them, a dreadful experience for many.

Getting back to everyday life. . .Therefore, when our desires and motivations are worldly and not in tune with the needs of our spirit, which engages in activities which make us rich toward God, we, without knowing it, are going in the wrong direction as to finding completeness/fulfillment. The contentment the material world achieves for us is transient and unstable.

Nevertheless, since we live in a physical world, we have many vital physical needs that must be catered to in order to survive. But they are not to be given priority over our spiritual needs. At this point, Jesus Christ turned the world’s values upside-down. We, by in large, favor the physical things in life, though Jesus commands us to place greater value on spiritual commodities. The distinction between the two is greater than the different between darkness and light.

Consequently, there are two types of wealth: material and spiritual. The shrouded fact is that the more one needs in a material sense is indicative of a famished spirit. The less one needs and desires of worldly things and attitudes is the result of their spiritual wealth. That holy wealth regards things of material value as extra baggage, and disposes of them in a Godly manner wherever and whenever needed. This does not mean that every materially poor person is rich in spirit; they may be poor twice-over. In that context, it is correct to say that an excellent barometer of one's spirituality (connection to God) can be measured by one’s desire for possessions of worldly things and attitudes (power, fame, prestige, financial wealth, and most other worldly things) that make a person feel successful. Repeating, the above-mentioned human instinct which desires worldly security and contentment is an indication that one is running on near-empty in eternal values.

I am certain many are thinking, “Why can’t one be rich materially and spiritually at the same time?” The answer is simple: because spiritual wealth (rich toward God) is a much more powerful influence than anything this world can offer; consequently, things of material value are actually discarded since they lose their value when eternal wealth starts to makes its appearance. Luke 16:15. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” I am certain this concept will not be accepted or put into practice by most church people. Nevertheless, this is what Jesus meant when He said in Luke 12:33-34, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” A person’s heart cannot have two loves. Matthew 6:24. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Here is another one: Luke 14:33. “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Does that answer your question? Was Jesus just spouting off, or is this a hard and fast commandment? As I have said a dozen times, Jesus does not engage in friendly suggestions, but imperatives.

This above teaching is totally unnatural to any person with an impoverished spirit, which many “christians” have. These absurd commands can never be espoused by the majority of organized churches per se. That is one of organized religion’s crimes against God, which this blog has been exposing for over a year.

Above and beyond the proper care our bodies need (nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc.), it is fair to say that our physical bodies are nothing more than instruments to care for and cater to the desires and needs of our spiritual, invisible, incarcerated twin. Another piece of holy science as to the lack of desire for material/financial riches is this: How can a genuine Christian have more than she/he needs when others, first Christians and then unbelievers, are without the basic necessities?

The one quality that enriches our spirit is God‘s love for others in need, which He displays through His family. Jesus knew the plight of the poor firsthand. Luke 8:2-3. “The twelve were with him [Jesus], and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them [Jesus and the disciples] out of their own means.”

Therefore, when He and His disciples had extra, if even that, they also gave to others in need, leaving an example for us. John 13:29. "Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to GIVE SOMETHING TO THE POOR." [emphasis added]. Could you just hear Jesus saying, “I am sorry, but we won’t be able to help the poor today; they will get along somehow, because we may need the money to buy bread for ourselves tomorrow”?

Let me make my point: Is or was there ever any person richer than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Jesus Christ)? He possessed/s true spiritual wealth, which He so desperately desires us to have.

Here is what sounds like a conundrum, but in reality is a spiritual mystery: No matter how much contentment and completeness he/she is deriving in their spirit life, which is true wealth, they always seem to be in a state of spiritual poverty. To put it another way, they can’t seem to do enough for God, regardless of how much they do, even when they seem to be making every effort. Why is that?

Let me give a material comparison. A millionaire was asked, “How much money do you need that would make you feel as if you have enough?” She answered, “Just a little bit more.” The fact is, when a person has a good thing, either materially or spiritually, he/she always seems to desire more.

That is the reason the closer a person gets to Christ, the clearer Christ’s perfection comes to light. That makes a person feel poor, and with good reason. If you don’t understand this principle, that is okay. It is a spiritual secret that, to a degree, is being brought to light. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Some would call this verse nonsense. How can one who is poor in spiritual matters be blessed and promised heaven? One would think a person who is rich in spirit would be heaven-bound.

Here is a little-known truth which might help clarify the aforementioned: Needs and desire make true poverty. One with a few modest needs and desires is wealthy beyond the human imagination. Therefore, one with lofty needs and desires is poor even as he/she possesses an empire. The same principle is true in the heavenly realm. If a person has Godly and majestic needs and desires, that person is extremely poor spiritually, and for that reason is blessed by God.

In conclusion, since the concept was brought out that we are spiritual beings, we, in order to feel complete, must be rich with spiritual substance. The riches this world gives do seem to give contentment, security and other good feelings, but are unstable, and in the end, they will fail the test of giving joyful contentment that lasts and lasts under all circumstances. The best part of spiritual riches is that they can’t be stolen or lost because they are in safe keeping with God; and most likely, very few, if anyone, will know you or I posses this wealth, which can’t be measured with human words; people will just think we are spiritual fruitcakes.

I truly realize this section seems far-fetched according to human standards. And for anyone to follow this principle of making our spirit rich at the cost of material goodies is contrary to all we have learned since birth. Simply put, there is one-in-a- million chance that anyone will go this route. I have, and I wouldn’t go back to worldly standards of living even if my life depended on it. Check Matthew 22:14. “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” If you are not convinced, read these hard-edged words one more time and attempt to poke holes in this unique concept; if you can’t, give a copy of this article to a religious friend or pastor. I will be looking forward to your comments and email. Remember, we are two persons in one body; which one will we choose to dominate our spirituality? People who claim to be genuine Christians have a hard choice to make. May God truly bless all who take this message to heart.