Mercies Undeserved

May this week flow with ripples of His Mercy and rivulets of His Goodness! The following song contains one of those messages which one might hear differently based upon life's circumstances and one's mindset Reading scriptures can be much the same way, although they might be sincerely and rightly divided by a group seeking truth! Give this song by Anthony Brown and Group Therapy a listen!

Now folks! What do we deserve? All of us, based upon Leviticus and Matthew 5:17-20 (KJV) are deserving of death. Yet, when judged by the the litmus test of the life's of other men, their deeds both just and evil, many of us can say, we are deserving of much more than we have! This might not only be financial. Many of us would be quite happy, if we had fewer seemingly unnecessary difficulties. Many are longing for a realized dream, garden-variety or grand, that has been stalled by unexpected circumstances or a clearly-seen, slow-moving, yet unavoidable avalanche!

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (Proverb 13:12)[KJV]

For those of you who wonder why has not that ship arrived...Do not cease enjoying walks along that pier, strolls along that bay, and jaunts along that sandy beach! Yet, a supertanker full of all your hopes and dreams might bring a new mixture of life situations that would not be worth an earthly fortune, as great as the Sultan of Brunei's, with all the smiles, kind words, life's luxuries, and social access that it brings!

Consider this! Being that this web-log author has a mathematical hobby, this following Biblical relationship is easily remembered. (Psalm 37;Psalm 73)


Psalm 37 (KJV)

[[[A Psalm] of David.]] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; [so] shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

For yet a little while, and the wicked [shall] not [be]: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it [shall] not [be].

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay such as be of upright conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man hath [is] better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD [shall be] as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

For [such as be] blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and [they that be] cursed of him shall be cut off.

The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

[He is] ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

The law of his God [is] in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it].

I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.

But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength in the time of trouble.

And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.


Psalm 73 (KJV)

[[A Psalm of Asaph.]] Truly God [is] good to Israel, [even] to such as are of a clean heart.

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For [there are] no bands in their death: but their strength [is] firm.
They [are] not in trouble [as other] men; neither are they plagued like [other] men.

Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them [as] a garment.

Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression: they speak loftily.

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full [cup] are wrung out to them.

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
Behold, these [are] the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase [in] riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart [in] vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend [against] the generation of thy children.

When I thought to know this, it [was] too painful for me;
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; [then] understood I their end.
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

How are they [brought] into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

As a dream when [one] awaketh; [so], O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
So foolish [was] I, and ignorant: I was [as] a beast before thee.
Nevertheless I [am] continually with thee: thou hast holden [me] by my right hand.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me [to] glory.
Whom have I in heaven [but thee]? and [there is] none upon earth [that] I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: [but] God [is] the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

But [it is] good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

 
Life hath learnt this simple man who struggled with foolishness, won, and then was waylaid by fools. And, struggles once again. But, a single fact of which this author is steadfastly certain is , "His Joy does not come in a multitude of carnal and material things; be they life's fineries, friends, or fortified fortunes!"

It is a very sad commentary on life when one can say that sincere efforts at scriptural adherence, both private and public, brought the very same level of criticism, rebuke, and censure as my most "foolish" years, if not more. And, when back-slidden and making mistakes which are trivial based upon the American standard of behavior, the most common word that this author hears is "hypocrite!".

In this author's life, he might have had one near perfect day. A "Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect! This after four or five years of regular daily scriptural study and overcoming every sinful, addictive behavior which kept me shackled. The sole mistake of this day was violating a common dietary law, once. And, seeing that other humans were not part of that day's equation, anger did enter my heart.

Yet, it seems that many feel much better when those who have freed themselves from a life steeped in the drunkenness of sin and imbibed deep draughts of an ambrosia drawn from the Paraclete's fruits ( Galatians 5:22-23 KJV ) take a few sips of the old evil brew.

And, another of life's lesson which is somewhat humorous in retrospect is that the "smartest" students in school often set by the one's who scored well-above the average in academic subjects but had not a single clue about the "herpetine-streak" which runs along the spine of so many members of humankind. Yet, being one who was often called "booksmart", although clueless beyond the measure of a star-gazing galactic dash, one phenomenal aspect of life taught that being called an imbecile was often followed, by another student presenting the very concepts scribbled in the margin of a notebook while others were still slowly following the instructor's scrawling solution, only a short-time later.

Being robbed of a simplistic concept whether novel or trite is of very little consequence. Having one's faith ripped away, whether quickly and violently or gradually with the slow-deceitfulness of this life's pragmatic-inversions that occur as we all age, it is the greatest loss one can suffer! And, whether intentional or not, we have all been guilty of robbing another of his faith, if we are truly and brutally honest with ourselves. This might simply be a result of a grossly blatant and lackadaisical application of the scriptures which many of us were given as children (Proverbs 1:8-10 [KJV]). It has often been said that a believer's life might be the only "Bible" an unbeliever reads.

So for those who profess a Christian Faith, live it as if not only your life eternal depended upon it, but the life eternal of your fellowman. And, simply be honest when meeting unbelievers. Say, "The sincerity with which I am treading out this Christian walk is beneath the standard set by scripture, and I must ultimately enter an eternal rest or torment based on how I resolve my life's issues." Shame does not exist in saying one has not hit the bull-eye. More arrows are in one's quiver! More sunny skies for practicing that skill which that lost book of the Old Testament says is so valuable are only on the other side of a one of life's many storms. And, the greatest gift a Christian believer can give another God-fearing man with the message of the Gospel is this. The very heart-felt hope that every recipient of the Gospel message experiences a greater success at meeting the standard for living abundantly!

With this said, look up! Blessings are falling during the darkest of nights! Also, scan upward a few paragraphs...Let us craft a nice bow from a dropped thought. If anyone must copy this author's thoughts or actions, those which placed my feet near or on the narrow, straight and not necessarily easily negotiated path that results in the promised perpetual peace of a life everlasting would be most wise.

And, advice from one who has trod a few of the side-walks at well-respected colleges and universities, has interacted with a few well-known professional athletes, has briefly mingled and spoken with some of the movers and shakers in international research, academics, business, and politics, simplicity trounces  and trumps the most sophisticated and sutton of existences.

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
[ Proverb 14:20 (KJV) ]

Life has often placed this author on the precipice of vast "material" prosperity, at least, this has been the perception of others, at various times. And, it has never failed that those, who would not be gracious enough that they would acknowledge someone in this author's social stratum with a simple smile and definitely not dare offer a warm, friendly pat of the shoulder, would become the closest of conjoined twins! It has been quite a blessing that an abundance of finances has never arrived. The prospect of being a moderately successful natural athlete at seventy-six inches, ten pounds shy of the prototype professional defensive end, and exceeding all the minimum standards of the NFL combine expect running a molasses-like 4.9 forty yard dash, upon exiting high-school garnered many a shameless smile, eyelid flutter, and other attention-grabbing behaviors. The injection of this idea or that, an obvious and natural minor step beyond the text, which intrigued those students who did not bother reading the survey course's books or were majoring in other disciplines, sent some on a world-wide tour searching for diamonds in another's field, when their own was littered with same. If one of this author's former classmates seeks a single priceless idea of immeasurable potential and value, know this, it is found in Scripture.

If one can read a decades worth of the celebrity roller coaster rides in local and national newspapers, one can make it through Scripture.

If one can read any of those compulsory "dry, long-winded" novels penned by some wig-wearing Puritan which seemed ever-so "sorry" during those secondary school days, we can read Scripture!

The Cannon used by the Christian Protestant is a phenomenal reading experience. It is eye-opening and refreshing! And, it is so incredibly empowering for those who are forward thinkers. Those who have a positive-orientation when addressing scriptural study will reap the largest bounty. The Lord has navigated the author around pitfall seen and unseen. At times, some might have been left with the perception that he was lowered from a opening in a fortified wall during the darkest part of the night or the he disappear in a sudden fog! Truth be told, a life which leaves him wondering "why me?"...."why numerous untold blessings which he could never fully recount; some which might unfold long-after that last synapse fires in the white sea of unconsciousness which we travel between Earth and eternity"...."why another day after the third or fourth dangerous mishap which quite possibly could have been the last"...."when so many simply do not escape such situations"...."in the midst, of unmerited accusation after accusation"...."when men of this hue have been traditionally found in ditches or hanging from trees for being accused of stealing less than $1.38 (US)".....The only conclusion, be it right or wrong, when presented with Genesis 1 on a twin bed before the age of three...one of the first questions asked by that still small voice which resides in all of us was in the form of a comment... "You know if one is interested in real success then one must be different than everyone else...Being old enough the one could realize that few if any followed any rules of "good"-behavior....this author's response, in more mature terms, was that the message in the Bible is the most profitable "contrarian" strategy in the era. This is if one is seeking spiritual prosperity.

With that said, some others might have made a different choice when posed with the same question on this life's test....

As such, some who read...

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (Proverb 13:12)[KJV]

will place unjust barriers between one and his goals. Why, for the fulfillment of personal material or emotional goals. It might be their never ending search of control over others, the accumulation of the wealth which they amass from addressing your "constant worries" which arise from not arriving at a life's planned destination who ETA was more than a decade ago, or simply the deep-seated spite that they hold in their hearts when they see the slightest glimmer of the Lord's sunshine reach your eyes. This is rather unfortunate! When we work against the Lord's plan for His children and the rest of His creation, we are on some else's time-clock. And, the wages which the Lord permits the this entity pays can be extremely high but are rather unpleasant.

So, please read it with a forward mind-set. Sincerely blessing someone you hate or despise might lessen that feeling! And, if one have fully experienced the love-loathing inversion which happens in some as they age, life becomes miserable when hatred brings about those "positive physiological feelings" that were once accompanied with being in the presence of one truly beloved. The only solution share the Love of God until it triggers the mirth in one's heart that it should.

In closing, the intent of this message was sharing a few documented cases of the dysfunction found in care facilities whose goal is helping those with conditions, although severe, debilitating, feared, are often met with peels of laughter by those who have not experienced such and do not understand erratic behaviors often by the medical treatments which specialists claim are helpful. Those might be placed in-line in this web-log in a future note. But, if you are interested in understanding a challenge which arises from the same place, he who comes so he might kill, steal, and, destroy, YouTube has a few video documentaries about abuse in insane asylums. And, with all YouTube content, future reading in credible sources might either shore up the claims or decimate their foundations.

But, one incredibly interesting fact among these accounts is that turn of the century asylums where well-known for housing some wives who dare question their husbands! These were the very types who lobbied for female suffrage and other social opportunities that had been long-established in Christian scripture and the American social contract known as the Constitution, such as the Fifteenth Amendment.

A rather well-known Eastern European or Russian philosopher was credited with the observation that "one can tell the health of country's political system based upon the members of its citizenry one finds in prisons and insane asylums". They are often ones who this world's powerful and elite, not necessarily righteous, desire be silenced and discounted!

These experiences are not the worst that this America can deal, but being tackled by a squad of nurses and forcibly tranquilized until unconscious is not a pleasant experience! And, it is rather irritating after one has peacefully, politely, quietly, and assertively stated that such treatments are simply not needed in one's case. With that said, here is how a few well-trained nurses can handle a large, irate man, who has done prison time for a violent crime, without immediately taking his life.

Now, a couple of observations, the man in the above YouTube video was rather large and not in the best of mental states, yet a well-trained squad of, pardon the stereotypes, a few small females and pencil-necked geeks, subdued and sedated him. This might be a value training video for police officers dealing with angry, agitated, and unarmed men. Many of those with labels of insanity have died simply because life's prospects seem so incredibly bleak! Some have taken their lives in an instant; other have seen the slow decline arising from the addictions which accompany hopelessness! And, for all others, most would rather see a day in court. Whether or not, its justice was meet. And, second, we this man at one of his life's low points. One questioned asked by many specialists who prescribe such medications is whether a new client is an illicit drug user. The reason for the question might be manifold. But, one fact of which rest upon this author's tapestry on misty water-colored memories is a distant conversation between twenty-something second grade student teachers, the one comment that sometimes she can hear her mother's voice as clear as a bell, and her co-teacher's response that she should stop doing that. Was that the use of her natural aural imaginative powers such that she could conjure up her mother's voice? Was is the use of one of the mind-altering and expanding substances of that day? If so, this, intuitively, might be precipitating of the auditory experience of the dangerous fellow in the above video. We see him at this five-minute snapshot of his life. He might have been a the stereotypical gentle giant before ingesting that first dose of "medications" in this class of treatments. A class of treatments which, at one time, the hallucinogenic, LSD, was touted as a potentially be a valuable member. For those, who might have taken such substances, only you can determine whether an aural experience that he finds alarming would only be the everyday bumps felt as one slides down that mountain basking in the setting of sunny skies. This big brute, who has seen prison time, might not have had a single beer before some nurse, well-intentioned or not, placed a tablet in his hand and offered him a Dixie cup of water. Perception...social labels....referent, reward, punitive, and expert power...and the Power of God.....

His Mercies...Untold! In Your Lives May More Unfold....!

This author, who has been tasered twice with only forty-eight hours of bed-rest and a small meal after losing over fifty pounds of water weight during nearly  seven straight days of unconsciousness induced by the venomous sting of a centipede exceeding three feet in length found crawling across his neck one June night, His Mercy has granted him one more day, so he might say his sun falls on the just and unjust! See, he has ridden a ferry on that white sea! And, seen a non-intuitive beacon signaling the presence of a not so perfect land, the life that he has always known. One, which brought frequent and unneeded injections of months worth of tranquilizers over the span of a week after the Tasering by three sheriff deputies larger than he, is the very world that he has seen experience positive outcomes from his existence, and, in a mad, rash, and headlong rush for wealth suffer chasing after the most simplistic of ideas which sound valuable. 

After fading out, at least once, when on the verge of securing what was eventually another missed "above-average" earning opportunity, he can say His Mercies reach the greatest depths of life! Seeing one eyes grow dim and the room fade slowly: light gray, gray, dark gray, and, then, finally black, is an experience which is troubling when those whom one has long trusted: friends, family, and church members, simply discuss how they will handle the situation.
Sad....Yet, His Mercies....Another day....

And, he has been nearly forced on Toprol more than once, although his blood pressure is well within the healthy norm. This is a blood-pressure medication that was removed from the pharmacist's shelves by the FDA in years past, seeing that discontinuing its use after taking it for more than three months could result in sudden heart failure.

If paranoid, he might believe someone is sincerely seeking his demise. Yet, his sibling received an allograft for treating a hair-line hip fracture. This involved the replacement of both hips with bone from the lower leg. And, in his lifetime he has seen the offspring of many professional families, especially, among minorities experience an inordinate amount of medical misfortunes. One case being, the over-prescription of Valproic acid until the resultant metabolite, ammonia, which is uncommonly high with larger daily doses of this drug, caused neurological damage. This subsequently was diagnosed as muscular dystrophy.
Where does one turn when quality medical help is increasingly elusive? Remember Jehovah-Rapha makes house calls.



Seeking those who he thought were his best card in a sleeve of never-ending trumps, he could not find the desired resolution or support in the cessation of an unneeded medical treatment. No one is so vital that a community cannot survive without them. Yet, the potential positive impact of any single person is immeasurable!  Every soldier lost in a carnal war is a price so great that a nation should avoid war at all cost. Every person who perishes in a land plenty, from other's greed and excess, might very hold the very bounty that will liberate those who disposed of him. Every child who dies from neglect, whether before or after conception, might be a country's next Gandhi, Churchill, King, Mandela, Salk, Fleming, Drew, or any number of countless individuals who have benefited society, yet remain unknown. Some of these might rest in unmarked graves or be the dust mingled within the network of roots supporting an old knurled tree.

For those who have glanced at my computing web-log, an intuition which provides a very valuable insight on numerical forecasting can be found among the notes. This could assist in the acquisition of funds for any organization. For those, who do not grasp the math notes, do not worry about it. Somethings are simply not critical for experiencing His Joy!

Slumbering during high-school's senior year spun a dream of supporting church building projects and other ministry efforts, such as material meeting the needs of widows and orphans. Yet, being classified in such a manner that one can be easily exploited and discounted in legal courts, it is quite apparent that one must be very careful about what one offers others in exchange for help. Many men will snatch a blue-ribbon bill from from a babe's hand, toss the child in a pit, and backfill the evidence of wrong-doing. This done without an ounce of compunction. This author has not seen the most dangerous thickets of the Valley of Death; but if it were not for the Lord's Distaff, he would have perished well before the age of twenty and likely been blamed for his own misfortune.

And, in retrospect, with the businessmen in this local community whom have been met along this life's path, the resources funding a better community are more than plentiful. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples could be  well-kept and amply endowed. The desire for doing so is simply non-existent. Most members of the America's communities do not have a passion for it.  The establishment and maintenance of the physical portion of the Lord's House is secondary when it conflicts with securing cedar paneling for a den. And, the
establishment and maintenance of the spiritual segment of the Lord's House is secondary when it conflicts with securing a seat in front of a television for the last ticks of the play-clock or the the season ending cliff-hanger of one's favorite soap opera. With such "wisdom" being the norm for America, how could we dare expect more mature and ethical behavior from medical professionals whom many of us partied alongside in high-school, college, and beyond.

Pardon the Peripatetic Ramblings...May This Week Bring Forth Many Unexpected Blessings....