Fear of God

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, as recorded in Proverbs. Jesus teaches us that the Love of God is the fulfillment of it. And one deceives himself if he says that he loves God and yet does not practice love for every human being: even one's enemies. [Mat. 5:44]. The most important thing you will do today, and every day, will be to consciously practice love for those whom God places within your sphere of influence. And we must never deceive ourselves by believing that this is an easy or natural process. It takes prayer and sincere openness to the Holy Spirit of Christ within us. No person is easy to love all the time. And some are extremely difficult to love [You may be one of them ! ;>).]  But our Lord offers no excuses for us. He commands us to love, do good, bless and pray for those who hate, curse, despitefully use and persecute us.
If I try to proselytize people while not practicing love for them I will damage the image of Christ and His Kingdom, for it is grounded and motivated only by Love. I must never allow my ministry to outpace my love for people. I must not pretend to love people, which is hypocrisy. I must sincerely love them. None of us does this perfectly; and that is quite all right as long as we admit it. Jesus is the only perfect Lover of our souls; and He has gracefully promised to abide within those who receive Him. His Love within us is pure. Our work is to allow that pure Light to shine through us, unencumbered by our apathy, ego-centric need to impress people or our self-centered judgments and critical spirits emanating from our sinful nature. People will always hurt, betray, disrespect or wrongfully ignore us sooner or later. They're only human. Like Jesus, we must not allow this to deter us in loving them. This does not make us victims; it makes us victors! More than conquerors! Because this loving way of being in the world is what we freely choose in obedience to our Lord; it is not determined by others, especially the worst that is in them! In the likeness of Christ's love for us, we love them in spite of their sinful nature manifestations, which is a symptom of their [our] blindness. Like our Lord we pray, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." But unlike Him, we must also pray, "And forgive me, for I have not been knowing much about what I've been doing either."
We only really know what we are doing when we are practicing Christ's Love peacefully and joyfully. Then all is well in the universe. This is where the fear of God leads us--again and again and again.

RESURRECTION!

Resurrection means new life

Available every moment

Right now----and now-----and now!

Freedom from all oppression

Everything that is oppressive

What oppresses you?

Jesus overcame it----and lives in you!

Only those parts of your personality that are flapping in the breezes of this world,

Out from under His wings

Are vulnerable to the oppressive stuff.

So bring everything you've got under His wings

Every thought captive

You are not of this world

Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in the fiery furnace of this world

You will not have even the smell of smoke on those parts of you that are “in Him.”

The rest is wood, stubble and hay

And will be burned away in the Consuming Fire (the sooner the better),

It is nailed to the Cross and died, dead and buried.

You, the real you, arose with Him in new life that is not of this world

Not entangled in the worries and cares of this world

Not worried about the economy, politics, health, the kids, terrorism…..

Now you know why you're here and where you are going.

You are burning in the peaceful fire of His Love for the human family.

You are the Light of this world!

You are born again!

You are resurrected!

Again and again and again and again……

And death is your final victory!

Mark Graham

THE PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR

My fellow Americans and my fellow Earth Citizens:

Deep currents of joy and sorrow are flowing through my heart. I rejoice in what we have accomplished as the human family on this beautiful earth. And I deeply grieve what we have failed to accomplish: Peace and Love for our fellow humans. I don't have to remind you of what we have accomplished; you are immersed in technology and have media that holds it before you each day. The same media also reveals the horrors that I deeply grieve, and about which I wish to speak in this address. More to the point, I wish to speak words to encourage the psycho-spiritual evolution beyond those horrors.

The time has past for arrogance, high-minded superiority, and condescension. The time has past for nationalistic pride in anything that does not embrace and encourage the best for the entire human family; not just for those who reside within certain man-made boundaries on this earth. The time has past for the lust for power and the desire to control territories and amass material wealth. The time for competition between nations has past, unless it is competition for which nation can be the most generous and bring the most service and good will for the human family. The time for hatred and fear has past. We have evolved technologically beyond prior generations' wildest dreams. We probe space, circle the earth, communicate around the globe in hand-held devices available to all advanced nations. In the last few decades we have acquired the power to destroy the earth! Quoting from Gen. MacArthur's speech on the USS Missouri at the end of WWII:

Men since the beginning of time have sought peace.... Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. We have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural development of the past two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.

Perhaps we have advanced to the point at which we can hear these words with fresh ears, and see this vision with new eyes. We speak of peace, but often with little hope that it is attainable. But now, more than ever, we have at our disposal the global connectedness to encourage the Truth that sets us free. And whether we are theists [as I am] or atheists; whether we follow Buddha, Mohammed or Jesus—we must see that we have the same universal origin; we breathe the same air and have the same basic needs. We all stand in awe of our own consciousness, which we did not create and which we do not even understand. And the fact that we have been given the amazing and unspeakable gift of life must reveal to us that the Originator of that life is beneficent, and must be characterized by that which we most highly esteem within ourselves: Love. Even the love that we have for our children is not an aspect of our personality that was chosen by us. It was placed within us by the same Source that originated our hearts and minds. Surely that Source must comprise the highest form of this Love: for the entire human family! And so now, more than ever, we have good reason to be renewed in the hope that peace and love—consciously chosen good will and compassion—can increase upon the earth.

The difficulty of this endeavor—the increase of Love and Peace—speaks to the power that militates against it. Let us call it evil. But let us not relegate it to any certain nation, party or faction of the human family. Let us recognize, as the theologian states, that the line that separates good from evil passes through the heart of every human being. Until we evolve to the point at which we can look in the mirror and see that which is not good within the self, we condemn ourselves to project that unacknowledged evil outward upon someone or some group or faction of the human family. This has always been the fertile soil in which hatred and violence grows; and it can break out like a wildfire and destroy centuries of advancement. I am thankful to be an American, but I do not for a moment believe that America, or any American, is pure. The power of evil, lurking in all our hearts, tends to kill or reject those who are the purest among us. But this is what we now seek to overcome.

One of the reasons, perhaps the main reason that I am thankful to have been born in this nation is because its government is founded upon a trust in the general populace to govern itself. That is a radical trust, always in jeopardy, and predicated upon, not only the intelligence of the people, for intelligence is neutral and may be utilized for good or evil. This trust is predicated more upon the psycho-spiritual maturity and wisdom of the common men and women in its domain. It is predicated upon the mainstream populace's ability to care for the common good above selfish endeavors. Without this dynamic, democracy and world peace will never be possible. We will always be at war, like children jealously fighting for the attention and highest esteem of their parents—parents who love them both dearly and grieve their competitive nature. The great importance of government for and by the people is emphasized by the fact that evil loves power, and governing is a form of power. Common folk are not generally enamored of power. They just want to get along—work and provide for their families; enjoy the prosperity of the land and the beauty of the earth. They are, therefore, a safer repository of power than the minority who are afflicted with a need to rule. But this latter will always be those who compete and work diligently to gain that power. A government that places the ultimate power in the hands of the common folk is therefore genius—provided the common folk are psycho-spiritually mature. This is why our Founding Fathers wove together democracy and unfettered religion. They realized, in a manner that seems advanced beyond their time, that democracy could not maintain itself without this growing maturity that facilitates sincere and intelligent good will and a willingness to overcome the baser drives of human personality. In fact, any true religion places this endeavor—the overcoming of the “sinful nature” inherent in every human—at the apex of importance. And any religion that attempts to force or coerce cannot originate from the God Who has set us free—even to violate His will. The God of this universe does not need man to enforce His will; He is quite capable of that Himself, if it were His will to govern by power, fear and intimidation. Every bird, butterfly and child's lovely face speaks loudly that this is not the way of the God of creation. We must come to realize that our lives must be motivated, more and more over time, by the Love that we have for our children. That Love must be the decisive factor in all our endeavors. And that Love must not be excluded from any human or group of humans on this earth—even those who seem to be absorbed in the darkness of hatred or the lust for power. We must trust the power of that Love to overcome all evil, as light always overcomes darkness. We must raise this endeavor to a conscious level, and keep it infused with hope, because it is always in danger of sinking down underneath the worries and cares of daily life, drained by cynicism or overcome by the fearful need for power and its false security. Any viable religious practice must serve to keep its practitioners mindful of this Love, and growing in their capacity to live it out in the world of daily living. And those who do not believe in a supernatural being must surely see and realize that there is no higher motive for the human will than this Love. We can all, therefore, be unified in Love. I do not believe there is another force on earth that will unify us.

May God bless America, and may God bless the human family.

Happiness

Just now I think I am about as happy as anybody ought to be; happiness being the moving target that it is.
Sometimes still, though, I'm tempted to think it's "out there somewhere; beyond the next horizon; around the next curve." I hear rumors of people who've found it in the French Quarter or Colorado. But I've moved around enough to know the new wears off everywhere and you're left with the same challenge, more or less: Learning how to use what you've got to bring more Love and/or Truth and/or Beauty into the world; that happiness is the by-product of that endeavor. Happiness without that endeavor is, I believe, a form of pathology; a defect in character; a facsimile of the real thing. That challenge [to bring more Love, Truth and Beauty into the world] becomes the next horizon; the next curve in the road; the great opportunity and adventure of every moment.

Make America Great

Make America Great Again

Of course, at the time of this writing, all readers will recognize the title of this discourse as the political slogan of Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton, his democratic opponent, states that America is already and has been “great”; she just needs to be made “whole”. When I think of America's “greatness” I think of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville's evaluation set forth in his book Democracy In America. Below is his summation regarding the source of America's greatness:

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her ample rivers - it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there.  Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits ablaze with righteousness did I meet the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because she is good, and if America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and political author, Democracy In America, 1835

The “genius and power” of America's greatness is her “goodness”--the goodness that was, and still is, being proclaimed from the pulpits of her churches. This is an amazing statement and conclusion. No arrogance, power mongering, intelligence, military might or political savvy will maintain America's greatness; only her goodness, the goodness of Jesus Christ, will do so. All other pathways are regressive.

Mark Graham

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LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies [Matthew 5:44]. He demonstrated this love in His prayer from the Cross, "Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." He was praying for the forgiveness of men who had betrayed, denied, falsely accused, tortured, mocked and crucified Him. He was praying for blind, arrogant religious leaders, blood lusty soldiers, and weak disciples. He was praying for infidels and apostates [Judas]. He never indicated in any way that His followers should force, coerce, terrorize, or murder anyone. This is an amazing teaching that distinguishes the Christian faith from other religions and philosophies. A statement I have heard frequently in Christian circles summarizing this teaching is "Hate the sin but love the sinner." This teaching of Jesus sets forth a line of demarcation that partially defines the Christian Faith. It is a line that is difficult to maintain; but when one crosses it, he has departed from Christ's Way. Whenever any Christian or group of Christians become more motivated by hatred or fear than by Love, they are no longer acting as true disciples of Christ. In Christ we are not allowed to hate any person, no matter how immersed in evil they may be. God hates evil--because He loves all people and wants all to be saved from its darkness. This teaching of Christ reveals a spiritual progression from some Old Testament teachings that were perhaps appropriate for the time. He was ushering in a deeper understanding based upon man's growing capacity to understand the heart and mind of God. In that darkness--in the world of evil--there is the need to hate someone; to find blame, destroy or dominate cultures, kill people, judge and condemn. All this is contrary to the Way of God illumined by Jesus Christ. Any religion that ordains such actions is regressive and detrimental to the human family--even if done in the name of Christ. Any person, group, organization or religion that respects Jesus must understand that they have departed from His Way and His teachings when they hate, murder or terrorize other people.

Politics and Love

Much ado about politics these days. It's an important arena, populated by those who want to serve and those who want power. And it's hard to discern between the two. There currently seems to be a trend toward the desire for authoritarianism in the voting public--people want someone strong, decisive, and opinionated, who is not hesitant to wield power. In the early 70's I asked a lady who had grown up in Nazi Germany how such a man as Hitler could rise to power. She said, "Oh, the people loved him. He made the streets safe to walk again." Apparently the people in Germany at that time were tired of the chaos and violence, and a strong, unifying voice who was willing to be brutal against the "evils" of the day was welcomed and embraced. Some people to this day still embrace him--and [or] his way of governing.
My prayer continues to be that we will govern ourselves; with compassion, self-control, and responsible living focused on the common good. If we drift too far from this way-of-being, only tyranny will subdue us. As Edmund Burke penned "Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things that men of intemperate minds can never be free. Their passions forge their fetters."
I believe, and have experienced in my own life, that it is impossible to subdue all that is not good [that is, evil] in us without the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus brought to this earth and perpetually offers us. It is the Spirit of Love/Truth; and everything in us must sooner or later come under its [His] authority. Otherwise the ego will ultimately overpower the personality. I don't know about you, but  I know that my ego is not good for you. It's not good for me. It is blind.  When we see clearly we realize that Jesus and His teachings are the only solution for human blindness and selfishness. No political system, amount of education, or military can save us from the darkness that is in us. Even religion, as we have seen in stark, frightening clarity, can become a powerful venue of evil. But religion itself is not the problem, as some seem to believe. It is the "god" that inspires that religion. Only the God of Love [the God of Jesus Christ] can transform the heart of one who has been blinded by a god of hatred, violence and terror. No secular political system nor military power will ever subdue religion. We must all [secular and religious] work toward refining religion into its purest manifestation. Jesus said these words: "You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven." [Matthew 5:44]. He also lived the reality of those words: He walked the walk.  If you can discover anything purer than that, follow it. But if not, then acknowledge that, at least until we attain the fulfillment of His commands to love each other, there is no higher power that we need to be seeking. In fact, it's a distraction and waste of time to be occupied with anything other than that.