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Our Will Versus God's Will, Mark of Man, Conscience, Integrity, 6-07

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Our Will or God’s Will Sermon 6-3-10

I have always thought it was interesting to hear people say that if God Loved them they would have everything they desire. There are even Ministers out there saying if you pray for “Abundance” God will answer your prayers. If they were talking about a heart that overflowed with Love to help others, I might say Amen. If it was discussing resources to help make our World a safer, healthier, more humane place I would praise that as well.

What I have heard is prayers for money, power, prestige, influence, and other Worldly things. I get donation requests in the mail saying, “Support this Ministry with your money, and your money will multiply on the waters on which I cast them”. I of course put them where they belong in the recycle bin.

We are usually dissatisfied with something in our lives. We want our personal world to have what we desire. We rush head long to get what we want. It reminds me of a time when my son got impatient. No consoling would help him understand that the reason dinner was delayed was for his own good. I had planned on serving his favorite dessert. It was going to be a surprise, but that cooking delayed the other food. I offered him a small cracker snack to tide him over. He took it grumbling the whole time.

I went to his room to call when to the table. I was disappointed in what I found. He snuck a box of cookies, store bought, into his room. I think it was probably just after a shopping trip that he acquired his “stash”. In his desire for immediate gratification he had eaten pretty much the entire box. They were not even his favorite cookies.

I was resigned that my cooking his dessert was going to be wasted. I told him that he would probably regret his decision. We had dinner. It was good, he did not eat but a few bites. Then I brought out his dessert at the end of the meal. At first glances he started bouncing with anticipation. I thought he could at least get to taste it. As we ate our portions, he struggled to take a couple of bites. After that he just started to cry. His little stomach was so full of useless calories, he had to stop eating, it was making him sick. He struggled through his tears to ask me why I had not told him what was coming.

I reminded him that I had tried to tell him that waiting would be worth it. I told him that I was also very sad that my surprise was going to waste because he could not be satisfied with the couple of crackers I had given him. I told him that I hoped the next time I promised something special that he would wait.

God wants what is good for us too. In our rush to get everything now we use our will as a guide, not God’s Will. I know some of you are saying it is not the same. “I need such and such to be happy”. You may even be saying it is not the good that is so hard to wait for; it is the pain I’m in now that is not right or fair. There is pain in the world but some of it is our choices. For instance having trouble breathing after smoking for 30 years. Some of it is from outside forces. For instance giving your time, energy and money to people and projects that are not furthering your relationship with God. Some good examples is Sorcery, Witchcraft, and Voodoo. These suck you in by promising “instant gratification”. They promise that your will is all you need to get what you want. The Pain of life that you want to bypass, can be a vehicle for growth if you can try to find what messages are left there by God. The pain maybe a way to heal you.

My son was scared of the Shot at the Doctor’s and Dentists. Every year we had to not tell him it was time for a check up. If we told him about it we would never have gotten him into the office. We learned that explaining why he needed to go did not work. No explanation got through. It was not terribly painful experience, he never had a cavity and the vaccinations were over quickly. So like good parents we got him there, and just carried him in.

With pained looks of betrayal and comments that he would never love us again, he would settle down. I think in a small way I can understand God’s inoculating us against life with pain that we can manage. I can understand how God would want us to be cleaned and renewed of any built up decay from life. It hurt me to hear my son say he hated me, so I can understand God’s pain at hearing us blame God for every thing bad that happens to us.

God wants us to have enough of what we need. It is just we may not know what we need in our lives to become better, to grow, to be healthy. If we subscribe to the idea that our will is best for us, we may just miss out on a wonderful surprise that God has in the “oven” for us.

I have a friend who is an Ordained Minister. His name is Rev. Al Bieser. He recently published a book with many of his life’s worth of acquired stories and experiences. The book is called,” Life After Death: A Scientific Proof”. He has given me permission to share stories from his book, when they fit the theme of my Sermon. He is a true Christian and wonderful friend. I hope you like this story from his book. This story is by an unknown Author.

Page 45-46, from “Life after death: a scientific proof, by Rev. Al Bieser Copyright 2006, ISBN # 978-1-4259-2460-7

Recently overheard were a Mother and Daughter in their last moments together at a regional airport. The Daughter’s departure had been announced and the two were standing near the security gate. They hugged and the Mother said, “I love you. I wish you enough.”

The Daughter, in turn said, “Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom.”

They kissed and the Daughter left. The Mother walked over towards the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see that she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?” “Yes, I have,” I replied. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?” “I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back will be for my funeral,” she said.

“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, “I wish you enough. May I ask what that means?” She began to smile.

“That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.” She paused for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, she smiled even more.

“When we said ’I wish you enough’, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them,” she continued. Then, turning towards me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.”

She then began to quietly cry again and walked away.

 

Since that pretty much sums up what God’s Will is for us I will conclude by saying, I Wish All Of You Enough in this coming week and the years to come.

God Bless the Whole World no Exceptions,

Angel


The Mark of Man Sermon 6-10-07

      I recently got questions from one of you about fighting Demons. This person said that they knew someone who claimed to hunt Demons down to kill them. This frankly greatly disturbed me. I asked in who’s authority they did this. I asked who gave them their Titles, “Warrior” and “Demon Hunter”. I asked where they got the power to do this. They claimed to do this in this World, not in the Spirit World.

     It sounded very much like the popular TV programs about Vampires, Demons, and the people who set out to punish them or kill them. There is very little in these entertainment programs that is accurate. The writers of these programs use the trappings of some self-willed belief systems to give it an air of the occult.

     Some of what I was told reminded me of an innocuous game of “Dungeons and Dragons” taken into a real world setting. The move from role playing game to the real world is very dangerous. When you start believing it is real you change the rules. “Playing” any “game” without full knowledge of the rules does not mean you are exempt from those rules. The Enemy likes folks to play without reading the fine print. It just means you are likely to be caught off guard by them, and unprepared to meet them when the rules are enforced.

     I was even more concerned when I was told, they were not Christian. They claimed to use “Sucked Energy” from these demons to kill the Demons. I will share the verse that this reminded me of. Revelations 13:18

“This calls for Wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the Number of the Beast, for it is the Man’s Number. His Number is 666.”

     The number 666 by it self is not Evil. It is the number that is like a barcode, identifying the item as Human. It is the number of human self-will. It is the number that is exploited by The Enemy to gain access to people’s souls, energy, actions and motivations. It gives the toehold needed to turn you from God. All the while this is happening you might believe you are doing something good. If it is your perception that you rely on to decide who is Evil, you can be led to do great Evil. You might only be seeing a small part of the whole scenario.

     There is a “Church” right now that claims to be Christian and has marked their arms with the number 666. The founder claims to be Christ returned. It is a thriving congregation, now based in Houston. It is not the only church preaching self-will, but it is the first with the audacity to carry the mark. They claim to be unable to do wrong, because all sin was forgiven. They do not think they need to be sorry for sinning or ask for forgiveness from God. I pray for these folks everyday.

     I would like to put this and the “Demon Killers” in perspective. There is no person in the Universe who can kill a Demon. Only God can destroy them. As for fighting them, you will be identified by your Uniform. If you are not Christian you can not bind them, let alone send them back to their own place. In addition any violence done on Earth puts you in jeopardy, even if you claim to work for God. Christians were told to turn the other cheek while we are here. It serves a purpose, it is like a Uniform declaring Christians as working for God.

     All “fighting of Demons“, done on Earth had better be done with God’s help or you are opening yourself up to being declared “Out of Uniform”. In War people out of uniform and fighting, are called spies by both sides. You have no power or protection from God if you are out of uniform. Then if you attack a person who works for The Enemy you become their enemy as well.

     These young people are also claiming to take energy away from the Demons that they are fighting. They say that they then use that energy against them. That is akin to what Demons do. It is how Witchcraft, Sorcery and Voodoo work. They take energy that is not given to them by God. They take their energy from others. This is a good way to mark yourself as Lawful Prey in the eyes of an Angel.

     As for non-Christians, like the ones above, there is a reason they do not fight Demons. They hide behind shields to protect themselves against Demons. Being of the Self-Will variety of thought, any good they may hope to accomplish is open to perversion by whispers from the Enemy. They often readily accept these whispers as their own ideas.

     In addition to needing to be working for God, preferably being Christian, there are other rules. If you are not following the rules you will be considered a free agent, with allegiance to no one but yourself. First, except for binding a Demon, you can do no aggression on Earth, defense is allowed. Second, all fighting must happen in the Spirit world. Third if you get any energy from others and not God you are in danger.

     Breaking any or all of these rules puts you in danger. You are riding the fence, only fighting for yourself and what you want. Even if you “Do Good”, you have shouted to all present that you are open to switching sides. The seed of 666, the number of Self Will, has been planted, whether it grows or not. You give The Enemy an additional back door to whisper through.

     Angels defend the Children of God on Earth . On Earth Angels are not aggressors. They lead the Children of God by example. It is very hard to follow someone who says, “Do as I say not as I do.” I’m sure everyone knows someone like that. Angels fight Demons in the Spirit world only. In this place they can not make a mistake and hit an Innocent person. Angels bind Demons there and toss them into the pit. The way Angels know that some soul they meet in this place is innocent, is that they turn the other cheek when challenged. Anyone doing wrong who does not turn the other cheek when challenged by an Angel is an Angel’s Lawful Prey.

     I would like you to envision the video training Police Officers go through. This kind of training puts them safely into situations where they can learn when to fire their guns. This training helps them to quickly assess whether someone is a criminal or a bystander or a victim. Being on Earth is akin to only seeing a small portion of that training screen. Only seeing a small part of the overall picture would make it very easy to make a mistake. Possibly a mistake that would hurt some one you should not, because they have done no wrong.

     For instance, if all you saw was an arm raised with a knife in it’s hand. How many of you would react to that? Would you fire your weapon? Now imagine seeing more of the picture. There is blood spattered all over this person’s enraged face. Would you fire then? Ok, now expand a little more, you see the legs of a young child with blood on them. What about now? Do you fire? An Angel sees even more.

     The picture expands much more. You see an enraged woman stabbing repeatedly a rabid dog that is in the process of mauling her child. This more complete picture is what an Angel sees, and choosing to aid the woman fires upon the dog killing it without more damage being done.

     As you can see thinking a situation is the work of a Demon may lead to disaster. Your actions fighting Evil, without a clear picture of the problem, can lead to huge mistakes. All perception of Evil in this world needs to be guided by God. If God is not who guides you, you are very likely to be misled. A defensive stance, would have kept you from taking two lives, instead of saving the “victim of the stabbing”. The Mother and Child would have both been killed by your Reacting to the incomplete picture.

     A Defensive stance will also keep an Angel from wondering if you are in need of a good beating. It will keep you from drawing attention to yourself in the eyes of Evil as well. You will not paint yourself a bright fluorescent color. You will not point yourself out as a possible “New Recruit” for doing The Enemy’s work. There will be no doubt whose side you are on.

     If you feel “Called” to fight Demons, please talk with me. I do not want you to be hurt. I do not want you to go off half-cocked, possibly doing massive harm. There are many other rules. If you do not follow them, you will be considered Lawful Prey of both sides. Riding the fence is the easiest way to get shot at by both sides. You will not survive the cross fire.

God Bless the Whole World No Exceptions.

Angel

Conscience Sermon 6-17-07
      I have often wondered how other people hear their conscience. So I started asking people from all walks of life. It has been described to me as a stern warning voice by some that I have spoken with. Some people told me it was like a physical type nudge to do one thing rather than another. This quality of feeling a message of right or wrongness is not exclusive to Christians. I think as socially motivated creatures we all have the potential for feeling it. I do think that Christian have the potential to bring it to the next level.
     In the Bible, God’s voice is described as a small quiet voice, like the whisper of the wind. It is no wonder that most people have trouble hearing it. Most people’s lives are so packed with events that they have no quiet time. I think that is one reason we are encouraged to cultivate the time to be alone with God. In addition to this we are mandated to pray in a small isolated closet. Where else can most of us find the one on one communion we so desperately crave.
     I think that seeking to fill our days with too many things has isolated us from God. Now the only time some people hear the voice is in moments of extreme distress. That is when God is literally shouting to be heard above the voices of the World.
     I know that God is talking to everyone of the Children of God. I have tried to develop a habit of listening. I pray, but I also take good long pauses to see if God wants to say something. I like to think of it as being polite. Amazingly I learned this version of polite from my Comanche relatives. They do not talk very much at all. They have described the way modern Americans live as being afraid of being alone. Like a kid passing a graveyard that scares them, they whistle to fill the silence. I think this holds merit. I love to talk. I do it because I like exploring ideas and thoughts with other people.
     I did an experiment one time to test this. I had met some new people, that seemed to be fairly mature. We had several things in common and had talked enough to get a feel for moods of each other. I told them one evening that I was not in a talkative mood. I reassured them that we could just share time together.
     I then became quiet in a companionable way. My body language said, “I’m here, I’m aware of you, and I am at ease.” About 10- 15 minutes passed. They started fidgeting and making sounds like grunting when moving their bodies on the couch. Clearing their throats often came next. I was getting very amused by this time. Suddenly they wanted to talk or turn on the TV. I realized at this point they would probably go home if they did not hear “Conversation” from me or be allowed to turn on the TV. We had a “Normal” evening after that. A couple of the people never came over again. A couple checked my “Mood” before excepting in invite again. I was surprised, one became a very close friend. She is still my friend to this day.
     So my relatives were on target about silence being uncomfortable to some people. I see this ability to be still as pivotal in our ability or inability to listen actively to God. What else could be missing?
     To hear a message and act on it are two different things. My son always heard the Ice Cream Truck. It could be 5 blocks away, and like a bird dog his little face would orient in the direction of the sound. As a result I was quite sure that there was nothing wrong with his hearing or his ability to act on the message his senses brought to him.
     What was interesting to me is that in a quiet house I could say it was bath time, and there would be no response. I could repeat it in various voices and volumes and still get no response. I would have to find his location physically, stand in front of him, get a hand on his shoulder and issue the message. He would most often say, “Oh, I did not hear you.” Yeah Right.
     I can imagine God’s parental frustration at our response of, “Oh I did not hear you.” The Love and patience that goes into God’s tolerance amazes me. Imagine Billions of Children waiting for the Ice Cream truck of something they had wished for. Then imagine these same Children turning a deaf ear to your requests that may not be pleasant but are necessary.
     The last part of the formula that goes into a conscience is regret. It is the kind of regret that comes from seeing the wrong in what you did or did not do. I remember my Father saying, “Don’t say your sorry, It just means you are sorry you got caught.” As an adult I finally figured that on out. Regret that you will be punished is not contrition. It is a very young child’s or criminal’s way of thinking. They can not associate the wrong act with the punishment. By way of punishment I do not mean God smighting you with a lightning bolt. To my way of thinking, not getting to hear or feel God in my life would be punishment enough.
     In this world I got a taste of a different version of this feeling. As a kid, I was very close to my Mom. My world rose and set with her. She nursed me through life threatening illness. She fought for my right to be different in school. She was greatly admired by me. I loved her with all of my heart.
     One day I did something that greatly embarrassed her. I knew I had done something very wrong. I knew that it would hurt Mom before I did it. I just wanted to do it. When the time came for her to find out what I had done, I had prepared myself for the whipping I thought that I would get. I was ready for the pain it would cause. Then Mom did something I had not prepared for.
     She looked at me with such pain in her eyes. There was more than pain. There was disappointment. That hit me with a force that no whipping would have struck me. It ripped my heart in two. That disappointment made me truly repent my transgression. I would have done anything to take that look from her eyes. She shook her head and walked away from me.
     At that moment I would have gladly torn my arm out of the socket and beat myself to death with it. I wanted to be able to do something physical to show her how much I regretted what I did. To this day I do not know if she planned it or it was an unchoreographed reaction. At this point in my life I do not care. I’m just glad that after a few days she hugged me, and it was over. The result of this was I never repeated that kind of thing again.
     This is how I would feel if I did not hear from God. I see my Mom’s face as a reminder and a symbol of true repentance. A repentance that I would seek at any cost. If it would only bring back God’s Smile or Hug.
I see the reciprocal feelings for and from God as our moral compass. I see the need to find time to not ask for something from God. Instead we can quietly sit on the sofa together, comforted by our closeness and communion. I see a need to cultivate hearing that is not selective, like my son‘s. A hearing that accepts the chores as well as the treats that God brings into our life.
     May you all find this communication with God. And once found nurture and trust it as any relationship must in order to grow stronger. When we are in the wrong, we must be willing to face up to the consequences of our action. But more than that, be willing to rip an arm off to make it right again. All these points are the foundation of a mature conscience.
God Bless the World, No exceptions.
Angel

 


Integrity Sermon 6-24-07

     I have heard many people say that Integrity has become old fashioned. In Texas we used to say that a person’s Word was their Bond. Think about that. A Bond is a large amount of money held to assure obedience and good behavior. Contractors often carry Bond Insurance in case they do a job badly, or do not complete the work. It is a serious proposition. To get Bonded you have to prove your reputation. The Bonding Companies do all sorts of background checks. The things they check are everything from monetary solvency to criminal history.

     As you can see to say a person’s Word is their Bond means a great deal. A handshake may seem like a social greeting now. There was a time that a verbal agreement was sealed by two things. These things were, your Word and a handshake. There are still legal ways this kind of contract can be enforced. They call for witnesses or both parts saying it happened.

     There are still people that practice this kind of honesty. The World conspires to undermine it at every turn. Now people write and sign many kinds of contracts for possible disagreements later. When a Marriage has to have a pre-nuptial agreement it is truly sad. When you “Loan” money to a friend you are now encouraged to get it in writing, with of all things interest. How have we slid so far?

     I am going to revisit the idea of “Your Word of Honor”. Think of it this way, to not have your Word mean much means that you lie. Now everyone I know says, “Oh, I don’t lie.” They are quite adamant about it. I then see these very people tell their children that the Boogie Man will get them if they are bad. Talk about ruling with fear. I would rather my child think I was “Mean” sometimes than have them not feel like I would tell them the truth. How many children do not share horrible things, knowing they can not believe their parents Word.

     When a person asks another out on a date there is another chance to be true to your Word. If you don’t want to go out with them, you say, I have other plans. You might say you have to “wash your hair”. This, like most untruth can blow up in your face. They may see you where you said you would not be. They might continue asking you out because they think you will want to go out some other time. Instead you might have gently said you like them, but you do not want to go out with them. This small honest pain is nothing compared with you being caught in a lie and them knowing they can not trust you.

     There is a reason that Satan is called the Prince of Lies. Every lie does count. Every Lie builds a bridge to a bigger one. Sowing dissent among the Children of God is a great way to collect the “strays”, as they learn to value truth less.

     There are many celebrities now that say, “It was not my fault, I’m going into rehab now for (Fill in the Blank).” The next thing you know they are hitting someone else, pulled over for DWI, arrested with illegal drug, etc again. These are the people that are held up as heroes. I would rather have a hero with Integrity.

     My hero is Jesus. He said he would heal people, he did. He said he would tell us about God and what God wants from us, he did. He said he was here to die for us, He did. He told his people not to grieve because he would be back to talk with them, he did. He lived his life with Integrity, His Word Was His Bond. His Words Saved us all. I could ask nothing more of a Hero.

     My only wish is to not fall in to the bad habit of casual lies, like some people do. I have lied. I regret telling them, and I have tried to not repeat my mistakes of thinking a lie would solve the problem.

     The Bible has two sets of verses about Your Word. I am taking my quotes from NIV Student Bible, published by Zondervan, copyrights 1986, 1992, and 2002.

Mathew 5:33-37

Again you have heard that it was said to people long ago, “Do not break your, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.”

But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by Heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the Earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you can not even make one hair white or black. Simply let your “Yes” be Yes, and your “No”, No; anything beyond this comes from the Evil One.

James 5:12

Above all, my brothers, do not swear- not by Heaven or by Earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be Yes, and your “No”, No, or you will be condemned.

     I have many things that I can say in a physical sense belong to me. My Apartment is filled to bursting with stuff that I’ve collected in my life. Some is important to me, some may be useful sometime in the future. Of the stuff that is important, there are a few things that I would dearly miss. I got a chance to explore this possible loss when we evacuated from Hurricane Rita.

     The news talked about how high the water would get. They talked about the very high winds. At this time Rita was a category 5 storm. I stared at the TV reports almost non-stop. Rita was aimed right at us for a direct hit. I prayed that this would Passover our Island of Galveston. I prayed that no one would lose their lives.

     As the storm closed in I heard some good news. Rita was being downgraded to a Category 4. The second piece of News was that it was not going to strike head on. Then I saw pictures of the tide. I had to look a couple of times to be sure.

     While the pictures were aired I saw what looked like God’s hand holding the water back. It was reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea during the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. It took my breath away. I knew then that the damaged would be much lower than anticipated because the wind was dropping. I also knew that the Island of Galveston would not flood. I was in awe.

     When I got back from my Mom’s I checked to see if anything had been damaged. There were no problems at my place. While I was at Mom’s I had made peace with the idea of losing what I had not been able to fit in my car. I looked at my junk with new eyes.

     Normally I can walk away from things, if it means my freedom. I have left with just the shirt on my back a few times. Those are long stories. I knew I could do it again, but this was different.

     I asked my self if any of this was truly mine. Since my favorite word is mine, I expected to name many items. I thought over each thing in my life. Each thing was assessed as to whether it was truly mine. The pile of stuff labeled, on loan from God, got very big. Soon I realized nothing was going into a pile that I had created, thought up, bought, earned, or held in trust; that did not come from God. Every single item I could trace back to a job that God got me against heavy odds, or I was to share because it belonged to God. I finally got to non-tangibles.

     My health, no God has saved my life more times than I can count. My talents such as they are, no I was born with them. My stubbornness, no, since it stems from doing what I think is Right. My conscience, no, I need constant little nudges from God to keep me on track.

     I finally came to some thing that did not seem to belong to God. It was a quality that developed with practice. It was born from my conscious choice to be Honorable. After all this analyzing, and sorting I came to the conclusion that the only thing that truly belonged to me was my Honor. I could only lose it by giving it up. No one could take it from me, not even Satan. My Word was My Bond.

     I would never make a promise without considering if I could carry it out. Knowing that if I accepted, I would do everything in my power to fulfill it. If I could not do what I said I would do, I would own up to the lack. And then I would try to make it Right.

     So here we have it. God asks us to not swear oaths. God does not need it, knowing if our hearts are truthful or not. Swearing an oath so that people will trust you is a waste of time. If you tell the truth and you are known to always bear true witness, etc ; you have no need to swear on anything. If you are known to have no Honor; If it is known that your Word means nothing, that you are a liar; No amount of Swearing will make anyone trust you.

     So I ask all of you to take stock of your life. Do things mean more to you than your Honor? Do you try make a habit of being truthful? If you say that you will do something, do you try your best to do it? Is your Word worthy of being called your Bond?

     It is never too late to start down this road. It grows with the slightest urging, it just takes a conscious decision not to lie. Then like a Spiritual muscle practice makes it stronger, practice your new decision all the time. In the Bible it tells you to Guard your Soul. I agree, but would add that you should Guard your Word as well. Think of it as another layer of Armor against Evil in your life. You can lead by example, not follow the pack headed for the cliff to the Abyss.

God Bless the whole World No Exceptions.

Angel