N19 STATES OF OUR GRACE

I. A SYNOPTIC REMINDER

I once lived in Houston, I worked multiple jobs, I had a studio, many friends, a good reputation, money, place, truck, and all of the things that constitute the American middle class. I never knew poverty until I became stranded in Anderson County. I never realized that cultural apathy, hypocrisy, and manipulation could be so detrimental while also being part of the cultural norm. I was so naive.

I was once a member of Houston’s First Baptist Church. In 2008, my pastor had preached a sermon about a particular prayer. That prayer stated that one should pray for God to strip down their life, so that their lives may be rebuilt according to his suiting. It is a fearful thing to pray and yet I did pray for that. I consider October 13, 2008 to be the day that the prayer began its answer. All of that seems long ago and it is as if I were someone else. So much has occurred and I never realized that I had so much rubbish in my life. Nor did I realize just how evil things could be. 

Small rural towns were once the backbone of America. This was the benchmark for ethical behavior that once kept America going forward in good standing, it was the compass that aligned our national constitution. That is no longer the case. I was warned about coming to Anderson County, it is a shame that the warning was not heeded. However, there was not much choice. My medicine had been stolen, my truck was in bad shape, and I would soon discover that my Dad was losing his mind. It all becomes such a shame. All of this has been covered and this is merely a brief reminder of what this site and the clone sites that others carry forth is all about. 

II. TENANTS OF AN ACTIVE FAITH 

Theoretically speaking, Christians are supposed to love God and then love their fellow man. Jesus said that all of the commandments hinge upon this.  It is not enough to merely believe in God, one must love him. Jesus stated that even the demons believe and they tremble. If one despises their fellow man in whom they have seen, then how can they love God, in whom they have not seen? Please note that I am paraphrasing the books of 1 John and James. I have often said that these two books make an excellent condensed version of the Bible. 

Theoretically speaking, a Believer’s intent, thoughts, words, and actions must be aligned in accordance to God’s Will. God will look into our hearts and see the love, faith, and grace that we exhibited throughout our lives. Our faith should produce good works and these works will determine our reward when we approach the Bema Seat. The Bema Seat is where Believers are given their rewards. I had once feared that my Dad’s sins would follow him to the Bema Seat. I tried to get him to talk to someone about this matter. He declined. I tried to get ministers to speak with him and they declined. Are not Believers supposed to reel the other in from sin? If one keeps another Believer from sinning, does that not cover for a multitude of our own sins? I did all that I could and it was not enough. I implored among the churches and they declined. The regard of human life has become cheapened until it is nothing more than mere appeasement. Does not our love for one another mirror our love for God?

III. OUR PRESENT HYPOCRISY

Somewhere along the way, the Faith has become hijacked and diluted by the culture. It has become difficult to distinguish the difference between Believers and the rest of the world. Do Believers still realize that our endeavors must have our acts to complete our intent, thoughts, and words? Have all of us become so mesmerized by the money, technology, and the culture at large? It is terribly disheartening. 

My Dad has done much harm to me and yet I still love him. He lived his entire life in this area. Not one person reached out to him when he started going off the deep end. We have become a society that is so afraid and self-centered that we will not do the right thing for fear of cultural offense. It is like the old men that gather to drink coffee and all that they do is complain about the government. All the while, they do nothing about the corruption that is in their midst. Do people live in virtual worlds? Have people become so hypnotized that we live in our heads to such a degree that we believe that we are no longer required to act order to complete our endeavors? They complain about the youth of today, and yet they were the ones who raised these kids. Life is more than intent, thoughts, and words. The Almighty made us to be physical beings for good reasons. The obvious can often elude us. 

STATES OF OUR GRACE   +   NATIVES 19   +   LEAGUE OF DREAD

by El-Pooh!