Blacksheep Speaks

Correlations

My husband, who has a great sense of humor, decided to share with me his latest surefire "theory":

It is a well known fact that elephants are afraid of mice. Perhaps they are afraid of mice because mice look sort of like little elephants and it is startling to them. Yes, that must be it.

Using that same correlation, nuns must be afraid of penguins.

"God's gonna GET you for that!"

Vengeful God. A concept that doesn't ring true for so many today. A concept that turns people away from God, and from His Son. "Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the Lord." Those words, taken out of context, have lost so many. Words from the Truest Source, taken out of context and twisted to do the enemy's will. Yes, the words belong to God. And vengeance IS His. The message given by them, however, is a message of love and forgiveness. And instruction. Love and forgiveness, by a God who claims the right to enact vengeance upon all? Seems kind of contradictory, doesn't it? But, as with all misunderstood Biblical quotations, the true message behind it makes sense.

We, as human beings, tend to get angry alot. Act without thinking. There are those who spend their entire lives attempting to "get even" for what they consider to be injustices done to them. Often, these people do more damage to themselves by hating and/or by the repercussions of their attempts to "get even". Too often, these people are "getting even" for things done to them that actually help them, if they knew the whole story behind the incident in question. But, in all situations, we humans have a very limited perspective. We don't know why things happen. Only God can see the whole picture, the puzzle pieces of our collective existances coming together.

Which of us, then, is qualified to exact vengeance? None of us. Only God can see the whole picture. Know when vengeance is justified. And He claims that right. Not so He can actually strike down everyone who does wrong to someone else, but so that we humans will not take it upon ourselves to become a world of vigilantes.

His own Son said "Let He who is without sin cast the first stone." Another set of words saying the same thing. "Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the Lord." But, when the Son of God said it, and the people who were about to put someone to death backed away, what did He do? Did He, who WAS without sin, use that divine right to enact justice on the sinner? No. He forgave her.

The message is one of forgiveness. God's Son's actions, his lesson, are obvious. If someone has wronged you, it is not your place to act. Not unless you have never hurt anyone in your life. Not unless you yourself are without sin. If you cannot find it in your heart to forgive those who wrong you, and to put aside your anger against them...give the problem to the One who can actually solve it, without causing more problems for yourself.

"Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the Lord." Thank God.

Altar Call

Not for the weak-minded....er, weak-stomached.

I noticed a comment on one of my previous articles in which the reader expressed the opinion that I had left the article incomplete, because, given the nature of the article, in his/her opinion I should have included a "salvation message"......sort of a printed altar call, I suppose. I don't generally do altar calls, chiefly because I am not a minister. I did a quick pole of those who have actually heard my version of the reason for accepting salvation; most said that I am not "diplomatic" enough. However.....just this once....here goes:

PREPARATORY EXCERCISE:

(this is a mental excercise ONLY...please don't be the only wierdo on the face of the earth who actually DOES this)

1. Picture yourself turning on an electric burner.

2. Picture yourself watching the burner until it glows red.

3. Picture yourself firmly pressing your hand against the burner for, say, 60 seconds.

4. Imagine the heat and the intense smell of burning flesh.

5. Now....picture that sensation hitting every inch of your being for eternity and, try as you might, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Have I got your attention yet? Or, perhaps, you are one of these people who doesn't believe Hell is hot? Well.....believe it or not, having pulled you kicking and screaming through that excercise....the heat of Hell is not the reason for salvation....although avoiding it IS one of the perks of being a Christian. There are actually a LOT of perks. However, that's another message entirely.

Only one thing is going to get you to God's side. Contrary to popular belief, "leading a good life" isn't it. The sweet little old lady down the street who never hurt a soul (and, incidentally, spent her life ignoring Jesus) will burn in Hell right next to the friendly neighborhood serial killer. There is no such thing as "earning" a spot in Heaven. It can't be done. If it could, then Jesus died (and was resurrected) for absolutely no reason.

Most people simply do not understand the significance of Jesus' final words. Nor do they understand the true definition of the word "grace". "Grace" simply means without cost, free. No strings. If there were strings, it wouldn't be grace. The moment you have to earn it, it is no longer free. For us, salvation IS free, because Jesus paid the price long ago....literally.

Jesus died a truly gruesome death. The spikes through his hands and feet were just the icing on a very bloody cake. He had already been betrayed by someone close to Him, beaten brutally, and had numerous indignities heaped upon His person. You know, all these icons you see of Him on the cross....they don't tell the full story, out of respect. Jesus was naked on the cross. Those soldiers were out to humiliate Him in every way they possibly could. And He took it all, just for you, you know. I mean, this is the Son of God we are talking about. At any time he coulda said, "Yo, Dad, FRY these morons and get me OUTA here!" But he didn't. You were too important to him.

I need to go a little off to the left here to explain a couple things. Ever since the Garden of Eden, human beings have been happily and rather ignorantly sinning their lives away. And as long as we are sinning, we are slaves of Satan, prisoners, as it were. And as long as we are in THAT state, we are separated from God. Now....the other thing you need to be aware of is how the prison system worked in Jesus' time. When a man committed a crime and was sentenced, he was tossed in their version of a cell and the door was shut. Nailed to the outside of the door was a piece of paper/parchment/whatever that had printed on it exactly what the dude's crime was and how long he had to sit there to pay for it. And, back then, there was no parole......in that room he would sit until the date on the paper. When that date finally came, the paper would be taken down and the words "it is finished" written across the front of it. The paper would then be given to the man to prove he had done his time, literally paid the price, for whatever crime he had committed. Now....back to the main point of the story.

Right before Jesus died, he said words that, translated, mean "it is finished". He was telling you that he had literally paid the price for every sin you would ever commit.

As far as I am concerned, that's that. Jesus loved you enough to pay for everything you will ever do wrong. So...if you wanna take Him up on his offer of salvation, all you need to do is ask Him to forgive you, come into your heart, and show you what you need to know. Now....that's about all the "altar call" I am capable of......as I said, I am not a preacher. I do know a few good ones, though, should you need one. Just contact me and I'll get you all fixed up preacher-wise.

Short Story (original fiction)

I sit huddled on my cot, hearing the bars of the cell doors slam and knowing I am in more trouble than I have ever been in before. What waited here at the prison couldn't be worse, I had told myself, than the constant running of the last few months. The hiding, sneaking, and continuous fear had taken it's toll on me. Once I was young, strong, and beautiful. Now, prematurely gray at age 33, I sit awaiting my punishment at the hand of the government. Pulling my knees up and trying to calm myself, I let my thoughts roam to the not so distant past, before I got myself into this mess.

Once, I had been the hope of my family, the first to finish college, only the second to graduate high school. I was the smart one, the pretty one, the one who was going to go places. I had it all. As I grew older and married, I lived the ideal life...perfect husband, perfect children, perfect happiness. All of that was gone now. I haven't seen my husband and children in months. I don't even know for sure where they have gone. Social services took the kids, that much I know. I can only pray that they will survive and overcome. My mother's letters came often at first, then less, and now, for weeks, there has been nothing. I never heard from my husband at all.

Maybe I was wrong to get involved in the first place, but the actions that led me where I now sit were, to me, moral obligations. Even now, I am unsure whether I would change it if I could. Perhaps I would have played with my children more. Told my husband I loved him more often. But the crime, yes, I would have done it. In spite of it all, I would have done it.

I pray often for my husband. I remember his face at my trial, stony cold as he heard me pronounced guilty and sentenced to die. They wouldn't let him see me afterward. And I am not allowed visitors now. Maybe if this had happened earlier, I wouldn't be here. The newly elected government has enacted a zero-tolerance policy for all hate crimes, especially resistance workers, and I am what they call a hate criminal, even though I acted out of love. Love.....I still love them all, loved them even as I watched them die, watched bullets tear through their bodies.

Perhaps if my job wasn't a government job, my sentence would not be so strict. But I and those here on death row with me are to be examples. Zero-tollerance, even for the government's own. Down the hall, they take a prisoner from a cell. Idly, I wonder which one it is. I know most of the people here. Many were my friends, before.

My turn comes soon. I look up as the guards slam back the door of my cell and order me out. Even though I am not resisting, they take my arms and push me down the cold, dark hall. In those moments, the faces of those who died the day I was arrested flash through my memory. I loved them all. And in spite of everything I am glad they are dead. For, even as I tried to save them, I knew I was sealing my own fate, a fate I would not have them share.

The guards push me against the wall and ask if I wish to renounce my crime, my reason for being here. Steeling myself, I look up into the barrel of the pistol leveled at my head, and refuse. In my heart, I am guilty. I am an enemy of the state, for I am a Christian, and it's my turn to die.

Wicca, Mother Earth, and Squished Cinnamon Rolls

Mother Earth, New Age, and Christianity...are they really all that different?

-----

What is a Christian? If you ask 20 different people, you will get 20 different answers. To some, being a Christian means living a good life, never hurting anyone, and going to church at least once a week. To others, it means rosary beads and Mother Mary. Still others believe that everything on earth has a spirit, and we must treat them all with respect...every tree, dandelion, mosquito, and gnat. As for the New Age movement....well, there's nothing new about it. It's about as old as the earth itself, give or take.

***WARNING---if I just described you, stop reading now or one of 2 things is gonna happen...you are either gonna get REALLY pissed off, or you are gonna learn something***

One of the reasons there are so many different definitions of the word "Christian" is that there is no reference whatsoever to it in the Bible. The word didn't come into use until a couple centuries after Jesus died, I believe. Actually, the word itself, if taken back to it's root word and meaning, probably wasn't intended to be used as we use it today. The root word, "Christ", literally translated, means "The Anointed One and His Anointing". Therefore, taken at face value, to be a Christian we would literally have to practice the anointing of the Anointed One. Few do. Even fewer believe that it CAN be done. Some who swear they know what they are talking about have never even experienced the Anointing.

There are those today who are trying to tie all major religions together, to make us believe that we must each find our own "inner truth". However, if you happen to believe in the Bible, this just can't ring true. I have heard very convincing arguments that "Mother Earth" is simply the feminine form of God Himself, and I have heard so-called "white witches" tell me that their powers come from God. They give good, convincing arguments. Even some people who believe themselves to be Christian fall for this....if they have never read the Bible. You see, there is one thing I have noticed about God. He never says one thing and then does another. He always means and does exactly what He says. Why would He want to make a liar out of Himself? If what these "witches" say is true, then the Bible lies when it says "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". Harsh words. But they make it very clear what God's stance on the subject is. Case closed. So, why are so many "white witches" convinced their power comes from God? And, how could it be evil if they only do good things with it? The answer to this question shows how truly devious Satan can be.

Satan has carried many names over the years. In this case, "Prince of Deception" is probably the most accurate. You see, Satan is not capable of the act of creation. He can only make twisted copies of things God has done. Through the years he has made mockeries of abilities given to the prophets and used them for his own purpose. Perhaps the biggest deception of all is that these people, many of them, really believe they are working for God. White witches, at least theoretically, only do "good" things. Cures for illness. "Love" potions. Herbal remedies. Now, if Satan is behind all this, would it not be hurtful to his own cause to help people do good things? No. And here's why: If a person goes to a white witch and actually gets a cure/love philter/forecast that works, they are convinced, as is the witch her/himself, that God is behind this, and they are drawn to the form of worship involved in witchcraft. At the very least, their minds become accepting of the idea of magic cures and knowing the future and whatever else the witch offers. In so doing, they are no longer following the one true God, who has no part in it. So, even if a witch does nothing but good works all his/her life, he/she has spent a great deal of time pulling people away from God and into a web of deception that some never get out of, thereby stealing these people from God and any shot they had at a happy eternity.

Okay, so maybe you aren't into Wicca. What about this "respect nature" thing? "Earth Day"? "Mother Nature"? What compels otherwise sane people to actually USE the self-descriptive term "tree hugger"? Well.....having a healthy respect for "nature" can be a good thing. Parts of it can kill you. People die of exposure all the time. And....I don't wanna be the one to try and NOT respect a grizzly or a rattlesnake. But to actually personalize nature and make a goddess out of it? "Mother Nature" has many names, usually a variation on the name "Gaia". All the variations boil down to one thing... earth-worship. It's an easy thing to get pulled into, too, because as with most of Satan's deceptions, there is just enough truth in it to make it ALL seem plausible. For example, conservation is a good thing. We really should take better care of our planet. Recycling is good. Respect for the natural world is good. But to personalize it makes the whole thing a breech of the commandments of God. God says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, or any likeness, of any thing that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor worship them". For those of you still ready to argue with me about this, what part of "Thou shalt not" confused you?

Actually, that particular section of scripture brings me to the next thing I wanna discuss, since it is essentially about the same thing. There are 2 or 3 religions out there that seem to believe that crucifixes, prayer beads, ritual prayer, and praying to the saints are all GOOD things. As far as crucifixes and altar statues go (even those of Jesus Himself), I refer you one more time to the previous passage's "thou shalt not" list. Nuff said. Now....about praying to the saints, or, more accurately, asking the saints to be "intercessors" for us, to speak to God on our behalf, since they are already right next to Him and all. I simply have one thing I would like to you to ask yourself, and then I'll drop it: During all of the instruction Jesus gave on prayer in the Bible, where exactly did he say, "Hey, guys, wait till my mom dies and then pray to her"? Yeah.....I couldn't find it either.

So....Mother Earth, New Age, and Christianity...are they really all that different? Yes. If you happen to define "Christianity" as the belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, who died as a sacrifice for your sins so that you yourself wouldn't have to pay the price, and that He was resurrected and is even now with God awaiting the signal for His return......yes, there is a major difference. And I hope, in some small way, that what you have read today might keep you from being deceived in the future.

Oh, yeah.....the cinnamon rolls. They have nothing to do with it. I was just trying to get your attention.