Epidemic of idiots

Epidemic of idiots

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:2

I haven’t updated this blog in years, there have been many reasons for that, who reads blogs anymore anyway? None the less, I certainly feel like this would be a perfect time for an update. Cause I mean, everyone wants to talk about the Corona/Chinese virus right? You got political tools that want to make it “political”, Christian tools who want to make it about “end of the world” and of course the conspiracy tools with their “theories”. You know what is few and far between? Common sense, not only that but common sense with a biblical perspective. I don’t need to rehash what is going on in the news I.E Nba shutting down, venues, churches shutting their doors, heck just go to your local grocery store and you’ll find toilet paper gone, bottles of water gone, and anyone and everyone has an opinion.. most based on fear.

Now before I give my “opinion”(I will use that term loosely) I feel like I need to give some perspective on myself. First of all, I am going to try to make this blog short, one because it is really just me venting, two because I am exhausted. My hemoglobin is 4.8(normal is 13) in short I am severally anemic, along with my Kidney problems…makes for days filled with laying around, unfortunately watching this chaos and panic on tv. I give these details about myself, for the simple reason that you can understand that I have pre-existing health issues, so technically I am at risk for this “virus”…

However, my reaction to what is going on in the world right now isn’t FEAR of a virus, its disgust with humanity. Which, from a Christian perspective I should be disgusted with human nature and the world, so I am really on the right track. I am not saying the virus is fake or isn’t real…what I am going to say is a Christians response should not be like the worlds, hence the reason I quoted Romans 12:2 at the beginning. I don’t have a death wish, nor do I want to get sick, and I certainly am not one of those “Christians” who believe because I have faith that I won't get sick, you know the word of faith Christians, the ones with healing rooms and believe they can heal by the power of their “faith” ironically those people are closing their “healing rooms” because of the virus, pretty hypocritical isn’t?

None the less, running to the store and buying all the toilet paper and water you can and hiding in your house in fear of a virus is not the Christian response either. Again, I say that and I am one actually at risk for getting the virus, statistically the virus kills people over 50 and people with health issues. I don’t believe, more importantly it’s not biblical, to go horde all the toilet paper and water you can, or worse go and horde all the toilet paper and water you can and try to upcharge people for it. That is what the world is doing, most people are panicking over something that will only affect them for a couple weeks tops…like the common flu, if they got it and just stayed at home they would get over it like any other flu. Yet, because of media hype and fear those people are stockpiling toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer and flocking to the hospitals trying to get tested when they have minor symptoms. This is exactly why this “pandemic” is causing people to die, it's not the virus itself, it’s the fact that we have a “pandemic of idiots” that are panicking and making it harder for the people that actually need help to get help!

We should be worried about those with health issues and the elderly with this virus, but instead, people are proving what the bible says, which is that human nature is bad! The world will tell you that we(meaning human nature) are basically good, well look around people…do you see people acting “basically good”? NO…people are acting selfish, immature, and idiotic. Now some of you may say…”BUT BUT! We are in a crisis! We are in an epidemic! Of course, people act a little crazy” Well…guess what? Your true self is shown in a crisis, your true self is shown when everything is going wrong, not when everything is going right. How is it the right biblical response to horde grocery items that elderly people need? Or that other people need but now can’t get because you only care about yourself? How is it a right biblical response to horde grocery items only to upcharge and make a profit on such items because nobody can get them now? How is it a right biblical response out of complete fear and panic to bum rush the hospitals trying to get tested for a virus when you have very minor symptoms? I don’t care what anyone says…SELFISHNESS is never the biblical approach one should have, neither is FEAR unless of course, it’s the FEAR of GOD.

My prayers go out to the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions, they need to be cared for and protected, and yet because of fear and panic they are getting the short straw, they are the ones who are in the end going to suffer because of your SELFISHNESS.

† Disciple of Christ-Part II

Where do wars and fights come from among you?

Do they not come from your desires for pleasure

that war in your members? You lust and do not have.

You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.

Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that

you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses!

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world

makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the scripture

says in vain, "The spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?

But he gives more grace. Therefore He says:

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"

James 4:1-6

To some that up "Pride promotes strife". There are many forms of pride,

we've all been guilty of it...wether it's not admitting when we are wrong

because well that would hurt our "pride" or some form of vanity

or simply just an overall self pumping up, where all we seem

to care about is ourselves.

The thing is though, Pride and being a follower of Christ,

well..they don't mix.

a servant of Christ is called to be humble..

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom

Let not the mighty man glory in his might

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

Jeremiah 9:23

And if some of the branches were broken off and you

being a wild olive tree were grafted in among them

and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast remember that you do not support the root but the root supports you.

You will say then "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."

Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches

He may not spare you either.

Romans 11:17-21

For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves;

it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Yet many of us struggle with pride, and many boast of the "wonderful"

things that they do in the name of Christ. Trust me if you are one of those

"Look at me" "Christians" God will break you down and He will humble

you real quick. Being boastful/full of pride is not of Christ at all,

it is of the world. This all comes back to the whole idea of "Dying to self"

because if we would let Christ live through us, if we would stop living

for our fleshly desires we obviously wouldn't be so full of pride.

I'm not even referring to people that are of the world, I'm talking

about "Christians" who are prideful. I mean there are so many different

subjects and areas that could be brought up that i'd end up writing

a book. Look at the church, prosperity is the main subject week

after week... It's become not about surrendering to Christ and

dying to self it's become about "Come to Christ because he'll bless

you" "give to the poor and suffering, so you'll get ten fold back".

It's all because it's human nature for us to want. Look at what James

is saying in chapter four, he is not speaking to non-believers here..

he is talking to believers and calling them prideful.

He's calling followers.... adulterers and adulteresses, because they all

were literally being adulterers? no...think about it, what is

after all the sin of adultery? it is a selfish act..no? it is you

getting pleasure out of a need and want for your own desire,

without a care for anyone else but yourself. So hence he was calling

them "Adulterers" because when they would ask God for things

it was all out of a care for themselves...

for example... "God please give me lots of money so I can be rich,

and have 3 cars a big mansion and a hot model wife" obviously

that is an extreme example, they probably were not like that,

The fact is God knows your true intentions,

He knows if you are seeking Him because you are so overwhelmed by

his Grace and mercy or if you are only seeking him because

you want to be "blessed". As James said:

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss,

that you may spend it on your pleasures"

It's obviously not all about money either, it could be many things...

another example might be...

"Please God give me the ability to understand your word"

a great thing to ask, but what if the person is only asking it

so that they can look "Holy then thou" and be respected

and looked up to, deep down they are not asking God because

they truly want to know him more, they have other motives.

James also says "Do you not know that friendship with the world

is enmity with God"? and whoever wants to be a friend to the world

is an enemy of God.

What does that mean? People generally like to throw their own ideas

when they see "don't be a friend to the world" just like with

Romans 12:2

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed

by the renewing of your mind"

What they mean(what God meant) by "world" is the "world view",

the world is all about pride, it is all about selfishness, in the world

view we are our own gods, and we do whatever makes us feel good..

without a care for anyone else. James(in James 4:4) and

Paul(in Romans 12:2) are saying you can't have that worldly view!

why? because it totally contradicts the word of GOD! You can't say

i'm a "Christian" but then only care about yourself, because being a

Christian means dying to yourself and living for God, It means putting

others above yourself. If all you care about is how you look, or

what you have, or what this person can do for you or what God

can bless YOU with, then YOU are not of Christ at all.

This is what James was ranting about, he was furious because

they were not seeking to live for God and to do what God wanted

them to do. They wanted to live like everyone else, they lusted

after what their "neighbors had" they cared about their image,

they wanted to still live in worldliness and have God. HOWEVER

it doesn't work like that, God wants all of you...he wants to be your provider, yes absolutely! but you have to surrender to Him,

you have to stop living to "GET" and start living out what you have

already been GIVEN!

You are suppose to live by Gods word, live for Christ and that's it,

you have everything you will ever need! I'm not saying God doesn't

bless people, I'm not saying he doesn't heal, I'm not saying he doesn't

answer prayers, I'm not saying don't pray for struggles going on in

your life. I'm saying one who is truly walking closely with Christ,

knows humility, he knows this world can't save him, he knows that nothing

he can do can save him, and he knows he is not perfect and that through

his imperfections through his humbleness he can bring others to the

freedom that is in Christ. It's not through judgment and condemnation

that we bring others to the freedom we have been given... to the

price that was paid for us. We share our imperfections, not to celebrate

our wickedness but to show that we didn't earn grace but that it

was freely given to us, and we shoulder our burdens together.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands,

you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Lament

and mourn and weep! let your laughter be turned to mourning

and your joy to gloom. HUMBLE yourselves in the sight of the Lord,

and He will lift you up.

James 4:7-10

I'm going to make this very easy to understand, simply because that's

how I am, I'm very simplistic. To me it's not complicated, being a Disciple

of Christ is all about being humble. It's not about living for you, but

living for others. The word of God constantly speaks of being humble,

and generally if you think about it, yes we have our mountains to climb,

but being a disciple being a true Christian is fundamentally easy...

as it's all about surrendering yourself to Christ, I.e Die to Self...

Why do we put ourselves on pedestals? why do we think we are bigger

then we are, as if anything we do somehow amazes God? It doesn't amaze anyone else how our God wants a relationship with us? as if we deserve

such a thing, as if we deserved Him dying on the cross.

HUMBLE yourself before God, let his word be the defining thing in your life.

Just let go of self. Remember Solomon? for those who read the blog..

it's a couple blogs back where I talked about Solomon.

He was the wisest King that ever lived, not to mention the most wealthy.

Did you know he wrote Ecclesiastes? some scholars deny it, but how can you? Ecclesiastes is famous for it's "Everything is meaningless" verses..

who could make such statements? How about a man who had everything,

and in his old age started to see that all his wealth all his power on this

earth wasn't going to last for ever, and to see how short his life was...

to see it was coming to an end, and to see everything he's done, and

all the wealth and wisdom he had was overall meaningless.

Living for yourself....Living for this "worldliness"...it truly is meaningless.

Broken down one by one
They'll take your pride and crush it
The fall that comes is real, by pure degradation
Amputate – Humiliate
Who can take this punishment?
Create something new – A warrior where there once was nothing

Destroy the body and mind – Behold the spirit can survive
Destroy the body and mind – Today is a good day to die

(Broken mind) – Face down in the sand
(Spirit) Spirit – (Rise) Rise

Destruction comes only once in a lifetime
Cannot be great in your mind
This is the time to say your last prayer
If you desire peace, then prepare for war

Destroy the body and mind – Behold the spirit can survive
Destroy the body and mind – Today is a good day to die
Destroy the body and mind – Behold the spirit can survive
Destroy the body and mind – I am ready for mine

(Broken mind) – Face down in the sand
(Spirit) Spirit – (Rise) Rise

(Broken mind) – Face down in the sand
(Spirit) Spirit – (Rise) Rise
Prepare for war – Rise
Prepare for war – And rise

Being a Disciple

What is the cost of being a disciple?

think about it, and what do you think most people would say?

I would think to most people it would seem to be

a burden to be a disciple of Christ, for it comes down

really to one simple thing, and that's giving up everything.

You make Christ first in everything you do,

you live and breathe to let his light shine through you.

That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

I suppose for most people the cost

would be not conforming, not following the pattern of this

world and doing what everyone else does, and not

putting your selfish needs and desires first.

We all have our moments and are not perfect,

so don't get it twisted, I'm not saying i'm perfect...

but in reality I don't find it to be a burden to be a follower of Christ..

in fact I find it freeing. If we put him first, if we know through him all things

are possible and he has our best interests at heart, then

what do we have to worry or stress about?

even when we are brought down low, even when it seems

everything around us is falling apart, even if we

are living on the streets, if we put God first

there is nothing we need to worry about.

It sounds simple and thats probably because it is..

people tend to make God and his word more complicated then

they're. In Luke 14:25 Jesus spoke to a crowd of people

who were following him and he said:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father

and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-

yes, even his own life- he cannot be my disciple. And

anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot

be my disciple."

Hold up wait a minute...rewind..did Christ just say hate?

So Christ wants us to hate ourselves and our family, and

essentially everyone? and only then we can follow him?

No...what Christ was and is saying is.. He should be first..

not you or your wife or family and what YOU want...

Christ should be first above everyone and everything,

and you shouldn't let your family or anyone for that matter..

get in your way of your personal relationship with Christ.

If you would let someone dictate to you how your own

personal walk should be with Christ, if you would let

someone change your mind or hold their opinions

above what God says, then obviously you can't

be a disciple of Christ..it's that simple.

Obviously we are not suppose to hate anyone...

I mean we're suppose to love our own enemies.

I think to many people have this misconception

of what a follower/disciple of Christ should be,

people think you are suppose to be some kind of monk

and they take Romans 12:2 totally out of context..

which states:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"

They take that to mean that we are suppose to

totally shut ourselves off to the world, that

we are suppose to hide in our little churches and

condemn anyone who doesn't follow our little clique,

condemn everyone who doesn't follow the word of God, and

how we interpret the word of God to be.

Is that a disciple of Christ? we ourselves don't

follow his word to a T in our own life..how can

we judge someone else who doesn't?

Romans 12:2 is like Luke 14:25..

where I already stated Jesus wasn't telling us

to "hate" as we think he meant, and in Romans

Paul wasn't saying lock yourselves away from the world

and hide from it..NO what Paul was saying is..

Don't let the world dictate your walk with Christ,

don't put the things in this world above Christ,

don't follow what everyone else is doing and saying

about Christ. We ourselves are suppose to line

everything up with his word, if something obviously

goes against Gods word, then it is wrong.

For example going back to luke 14:25,

now if Christ told us to Love...

even told us the greatest commandment was to Love,

then why would he be then telling us to hate? obviously

he wasn't talking about actually hating our family or friends..

but hating anything that comes out of their mouth

if it goes against Gods word or if they are

trying to keep us from following God.

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness,

how can it be made salty again?"

Luke 14:34

believe it or not but that verse goes hand and hand with Romans 12:2,

and what I was talking about. What is Jesus talking about? salt?

who's salt? what salt? ok I'm confused..yeah I know,

thats one of those verses people glance over and are like:

"Ok Jesus..whatever you say there buddy"

and then they move right along.. not taking the time to understand

what he is saying. Jesus is still talking about being a Disciple..

and what it takes to be one. Essentially what jesus is saying is..

"Being a Disciple is good, but if you lose touch

with those you are trying to disciple to,

then how can you be a disciple?"

it's a thinker...but let it soak in. You see if we as disciples..

choose to hide from the world and shut it out like

a lot of people think we are suppose to, then how

exactly are we going to be disciples?

If you can't take the time to understand this generation...

to accept them for who and what they are...to

try and somehow relate and understand, then how are you

going to disciple to them?

how are you going to share the love of Christ?

if you are going to come at them with condemnation?

If you are going to judge them,

turn your nose up in the air at them..

how is that being a disciple?

how is that showing the love of Christ?

"Oh that screaming rock music...

Oh those tatts and piercing..

Oh those clothes, video games and movies

Oh that rap music and bling...

those diamonds and ear rings..

and ect ect.."

if that's going to be your attitude,

then I beg and I plead with you

to please stay hiding and don't come out

Don't try to "save" anyone..

because you won't save anyone with that attitude.

you will only totally turn these kids off to God.

God works through all things...

God will use any and everything to get a persons attention on him.

If you are going to judge someone before you even talk with them..

then that is not of Christ at all. The underlining factor is simple...

"Disciples involve themselves

in all parts of society to give it a righteous flavor."

I wish I could say I came up with that...but it's actually

in the footnotes of my N.I.V bible for Luke 14:34-35