The Thief

There is a song by the Canton Spirituals, The Thief  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI0Ok6yTg8g, in which a thief at the end of life rebukes another thief for not fearing God [Luke 23:39-42].  Today we see many people with a lack of character [Romans 3:11-18], people that make poor choices, people that live in the world, and I wonder how a thief 2000 years ago, a person most would consider to be of the worst sort, could have more character than those considered to be godly people.  Well, it would seem that this thief realized that there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed!  So let's examine this....

Well there are many great men in the bible, I could name many many great men found therein, many prosperous men, and all of them would have a common trait; they feared God.  Name a great man in the bible that didn't fear God and lived a long life...

Solomon, the wisest man in the bible, examined many things, and deeply searched out the meanings of many things and this is what he said at the end of Ecclesiastes.  (Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.) [Ecclesiastes 12:13]  What did Solomon mean by the conclusion of the whole matter?  He was referring to all the questions we have in life; questions about our future, questions about who we should marry, what job offer we should accept, what church to attend....  Solomon and the Thief came to that same conclusion(sometimes we are our wisest when facing death), when he faced the end of his life, the Thief had the same choice that day that he faced everyday.  He said, "Will I fear God today?"  And because he did Jesus said, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." [Luke 23:43]  A man that wants to be with Jesus for eternity, has to fear God.

The fear of God, should be taught by parents; both David and Solomon (Father and Son) wrote that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom [Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 9:10].  This is no coincidence!  A Godly man will have Godly sons!  (The fear of God was also taught from Naomi to Ruth, David's ancestor)

I could go further, but I don't want you to miss the point here... Satan is a Thief and I tell you that you won't ever experience the joy of being acknowledged by the Father.  The joy of being welcomed into heaven if you fail to be approved by Jesus; don't allow Satan to steal that honor away from you.  The point of this article is this, at the end of the day did you fear God?  Read the last verse of Ecclesiastes....

What is a Valley?

A valley is a broad depression between two high points(mountains). It may be natural to get down when going through trials, but we are to rejoice when we find ourselves in valley moments; we are not to be depressed. (And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:) [Romans 5:3-4] A Valley  represents temptation, dangerous trials, and tribulation, however we know that the testing of faith inexplicably builds character and from this experience we develop hope. We soon find that we are not ashamed of our low points in life because we have hope. (And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.) [Romans 5:5-6] When we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death, in the darkness between two mountains, we have hope because Jesus is our light and without Him the shadow could not even be possible(Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.) [John 8:12]. We will soon be pulled from the valley and restored to proper standing with Jesus, in the light. As Christians we have nothing to fear. We must remember that, there is no torment in this world or the next, because Jesus paid the price for us on Calvary; we are redeemed and covered with his blood. (There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.) [1 John 4:18] I myself have feared many things, but we are not to fear but have faith in Jesus who lives within us. Christ has already overcome the world(These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.) [John 16:33 ], but we must walk in Christ's victory; if we wish to share in it, Christ must live within us. Jesus himself said that God is always with him because he always does the things which please the father (And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.) [John 8:29]. Do those things which please God!

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Oath Of Friendship

Friendship is a sacred appointed position. I believe that a friend should take an oath similar to that which a doctor swears. A friend should always help and never hinder. It is said that, “to him that is afflicted pity should be shown from his friend.”(JOB 6:14) I have been elated to see in these last years that my laughter is shared, but saddened to see my pain spread more freely. A man’s troubles should not bring happiness to his friends but time and time again I see it happen. It seems to me that much like doctors some friends take a “Hippo-critic Oath.” If there is a time for scorn then surely there must be a time for praise. I challenge my friends now to standup and answer the call and be found worthy of their post. I’m reminded of a quote from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears! I come to bury Caesar not praise him.” I wholeheartedly expect that my apparent funeral eulogy will be converted into a rallying cry for the blood of my enemies. They wish to see my ruin but if I should fall much like Caesar it will take three good men to fill my position! I no longer wish my friends to stand behind me, but in front of me to shield me from the storm or if they dare; turn around, face me and see why friendship is the wiser stance.

The Oath of Friendship

You do solemnly swear, by the most sacred of trusts...
That you will be loyal to the post of a friend and just and generous to its members. That you will lead your lives and practice your art in uprightness and honor. That into whatsoever conversation you shall enter, it shall be for the good of your friend. You do so swear to the utmost of your power, your holding yourselves far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice. From all undo evil. That you will exercise your art solely for the benefit of your friend, and will give no information, perform no inquiry, for the purposes of slander, even if solicited, and far less suggest it.

You do solemnly swear that whatsoever you shall see or hear of the lives of men or women which is not fitting to be spoken, that you will keep inviolably secret. These things do you swear. Let each bow the head as a sign of acquiescence. And now, if you will be true to this, your oath, may prosperity and good repute be ever yours; the opposite, if you shall prove yourselves forsworn.

God Has Seen the Affliciton

We oftentimes fall into affliction from our enemies when we disobey God. God is so righteous and powerful that he would not use a righteous person to afflict his children, he uses the unrighteous, unsaved, Hellenistic people of the world to punish us: it is this affliction, which causes us to repent. Upon repentance we are received back into God's grace and given a time of peace. This time of peace is intended to be permanent but will only last as long as our faithfullness lasts, because God is even more faithful to his word. II Samuel 7:10 says, “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, “

It is important to note here that it is the will of God for this peace/rest to be permanent, but because of sin and disobedience Israel fell back into the hands of their enemies time and time again as we do today. God confirms this in the 14^th verse and says, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:” So we see and know that the rod of men is related to the rod of God because even the children of darkness must obey his will. As children of light we should be even more willing to obey, but the heathen in this respect are more obedient to God than us and their obedience leads to our punishment, or is it that our disobedience leads to our punishment? The self righteous person will choose the first over the latter...

 What's your opinion?  

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Thanksgiving Poem

Close enough to Christmas

Let’s make a wish list

I’ll start with a little eggnog

Share a peace pipe with the Wampanoag

Play a little tune on a windpipe

Take a hayride if you like

I know a place we can hike or ride to

My spirit doyen, Bear, can guide you  

It’s never been trespassed it’s so new

The water is so blue

And after two we can start our celebration

The one planned by our communal delegations

To improve intercultural relations

Just please, the rules, remember these

No guns, no arrows, no knives

Only husbands, small children, and wives

Sit down at the table with Carver

Bring the meat carver

We slew the beast for a mutual feast

Make sure everyone gets a piece

Share mutual peace

The Smiley Face :)

So, where did the smiley emoticon come from; who invented it? Who invented the smiley face, that cheery little face you see all over your computer and cell phone? Was it some sage whose name has been forgotten through the ages? Well let's examine the facts and discover the truth.

It has been long accepted that Mr. Harvey Ball created this symbol. He worked in advertising and came-up with it in a public relations campaign. Harvey R. Ball, whose simple drawing of a smiling face on a yellow background became a cultural icon, that still lives on after his death in 2001. His icon has been credited with bringing joy to millions of people, but I wonder is there another person that should be considered for this honor? Ball, first drew this design in 1963, so...we need to find out if it appears somewhere prior to this date? Well let's examine the facts.

Ball, who co-owned an advertising and public relations firm in Worcester, designed the Smiley Face in 1963 to boost the morale of workers in two recently merged insurance companies. Well I'm all out of facts and besides I don't want to overwhelm you with statistics, so here is my reveal.

King Solomon, a man credited with great wisdom, many proverbs, and poems, may also add this to his list of accomplishments. In 1 Kings 8:41-43, Solomon is discussing the house(temple) he built for God and says, “Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.” I submit to you that Solomon clearly smiles as he discusses the strong and all powerful hand of God!  He truly was a wise man...

Well, here's one for you Solomon :)

Dreaming

Dreaming is a form of mental activity, different from waking thought. Dreaming occurs during sleep. The process of dream activity has been characterized by many clinical and laboratory studies. These studies show that dreams are more perceptual than conceptual. Things are seen and heard rather than thought. It should be no surprise then for you to discover that adults spends 25% of their nights sleep dreaming, but newborn children spend as much as 50% of sleep time, dreaming. You’ve heard it many times before but I’ll tell you again, “unless we begin to perceive as babes we will never reach our true potential.”(Matthew 18:3) The trials of life slowly drain dreams from our minds. We cannot submit to the apparent futility of dreaming. A dreamer must have extraordinary vision complemented by the drive to achieve his goals. Children are pardoned from any responsibility concerning the implementation of their dreams because they do not have the ability to act on them. But what of those that have the ability but choose not to act. There is no forgiveness for a person that wastes talent. I can tell you from experience that I now have less talents than I once had because of my refusal to use them.(I still have more than enough though.) Each of us is special and we should endeavor with all available strength to use these gifts to the best of our capability.

A dreamer is someone that tries to achieve all hatched possible positive outcomes. He is an explorer not affected or blinded by the sarcasms of ordinary men. His idealism makes him a man of vision. One who boldly tempts fate and dismisses the scorn of lesser men. I’m reminded of a story. There was an old sheep dog that through experience learned of the softness of hay because his first duty was the care of sheep. With age he cared less about the sheep and more about his sleep. His lack of vision caused the farmer to have him replaced. The old dog could not eat the hay but he was not about to let the sheep eat his bed. It is laziness that finds many of us in later years. We know our job and responsibility but the wisdom of experience is replaced by shortcuts and the tricks learned through experience. In life there are always those who have the keys of knowledge and refuse to use them. They will always stand in the way of your nourishment and not allow you to feed. The “Old Dog” can’t eat the hay and will not allow anyone else to eat either. (Luke 11:52) The elder statesman is always replaced with a younger hound. The youthful apprentice is relentless, full of energy, and not set in his ways. However the “Old Dog’s” wisdom should be exploited because there is much that he can teach the humble young pup if he so chooses.

We must take steps in life to follow our dreams if not the title of “Dreamer” quickly becomes a curse.

My Collected Works

Hello, I would like to take a moment to thank each one of you for your support of my ministry. This site is provided for you and your benefit.  Below is a list of works attributed to me; they can be found on various e-book distributors' sites such as: BN.com, Sony.com (E-reader), iBooks, and amazon.com.   There is a donate button on the right, if you choose to support this ministry, thanks. My Heart A Letter Make Me A Nikki, Occasional Poems My Song Many Verses The Way My Song The Three Mighties, Journal of Es Piye Jesus in Hell, Four Days Twelve Gates, Biblical Horoscopes Peacock Angel, The Traveller Two Presidents: The GDOT Secret Society Plague of Horsemen, New Pope May-Be Indigo Redemption Song: The Last Praise Sun Z Dark Attacks God's Rainbow Armor: The Light Mirror Code: Balance Words With Numbers Nine Scale: Three Octaves Making Elements 27 Praise Jehovah Be Magnified Ephesus Mike: The Beginning  After The Last Praise Ephesus Mike: Revelations Hip Hop Remixes Judges 3 The Chrissy Doll Revelation The Lost City of Hell Everybody Knows: 10,000 Blessings checkout my old website here: