Participate … June 17, 2013

(1915)

“Indifferent” literally means “not different.” It is a decision to be cool and uncaring about something that comes along, because it fails to conform to the present mold of the general pursuits of the populace. Yet all of us know that “different” things are necessary to our survival–to keep us from skidding off the road because we have fallen asleep at the wheel.

What we consider to be “different” today amazes me. For instance, church takes a terrible rap for being either an old folks home or an outpost of condemnation. We should never give up on the church–but we should never stop improving it.

Politics, on the other hand, has proven to be of little effect in our lives, and is often a stumbling block to human progress. But we spend inordinate amounts of time jockeying for our party or fussing about the details of some sort of party issue.

We tout that our children are the treasure-house of the nation, even as our schools teeter on the brink of bankruptcy and our teachers struggle with depleting budgets to handle increasing class loads.

When should we participate? When is it important to jump in with both feet and be among them that are counted? And when is it better to stand back and let the clowns of the parade pass by, waiting for the real talent at the rear?

As I stood before the amazing people of Vincennes, Indiana, I realized that this was a major question which they would have to answer–whether they were just starting kindergarten or reaping the benefits of their IRA.

Where do I put my energies? Where do I participate? Where do I let my two cents be invested by offering the additional penny of my thoughts?

Here are three guidelines for me. Yours may be different and equally as powerful. My guidelines consist of three questions, which allow us to determine what to chase and what to ignore.

1. What are we doing with God? If all we are doing is worshipping God, we are wasting His creative potential. If we’re trying to find ways to ignore God in deference to more intellectual pursuits, we are not tapping the greatest intelligence. God is valuable if you’re able to bring His spirit to earth.

2. And speaking of the earth, what are we doing with it? Stop taking a political position on matters of Mother Earth just because your particular party has decided, for the time being, to either be overwrought on an issue or under-concerned. Here’s the truth: Mother Earth is one of the easier things to understand. She complains and lets you know exactly where there is need. Just pay attention. What we do with the earth is important, because “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”

3. What are we going to do with humans? I continue to tout the six-word philosophy of “NoOne is better than anyone else.” Why? Because every other approach to humanity breeds some form of nasty, unusable prejudice. What we decide to do with the human race is essential for ensuring that the earth is full of sensitivity and God is being revered as the Father of us all.

What I watched yesterday at the St. John’s church was an evolution. Because the people did not know us, there was a certain amount of carefulness upon our arrival. Honestly, I don’t mind a bit of carefulness as long as it does not degrade  into suspicion. If people will just give each other a chance to bring forth their gifts and share their talents, and THEN evaluaate the exerience, we will be just fine. We don’t have to be leaping around hugging each other in order to leave the door open to tenderness. But by the same token, to express suspicion or animosity just because we are dealing with someone who is not a part of our inner circle is to create a barrier which is insurmountable.

Where do I participate?

• Is God being honored without being turned into a religious monster? I will be there and bring a bag of ice.
• Is the earth being studied so we can gain wisdom on how to better handle our planet and the lives of the people around us? Mark me down as an RSVP.
• And finally, are humans being given a chance to establish the fruit of their labors without being judged by the color of their skin or dismissed because they are aliens? I will donate to such a cause.

The next seven years will tell us much about the future of mankind. Basically, it will boil down to whether really wise people are able to become “diferent” enough from the society around them to include God, earth and humanity.

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 Jonathots, Jr.!

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******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Our Father of Earth … June 16, 2013

(1914)

Our father which is of the earth

Harrowing is your game

You came to a kingdom

And have done the will

To bring heaven to our space

Your daily bread you share with us

And forgive our missteps because your missteps are forgiven

Temptations are avoided by your leading

And evil scared away in the night through your deliverance

For yours is a glorious power

To establish a kingdom here

For our now

And toward our forever

So it is

So we say,

A man.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

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 Jonathots, Jr.!

Click below for a quick daily thought from Jonathan

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******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Laughing or Lying … June 15, 2013

(1913)

I do wish I would have learned it sooner.

It would have been advantageous to apply this priceless principle to all seven of my sons in the process of training them to be human beings, instead of just sporadically stumbling upon the idea.

It’s really quite simple: people are much more likely to tell the truth in an atmosphere of levity, laughter and good cheer than they are in a climate of challenge, seriousness and intimidation.

It’s a mistake every parent has made. We scare our children away from telling the truth because we walk into the room with a stern face and ask them to sit down as we explain in vivid detail how important it is to share the real story, brows furrowed.

It scares the truth right out of them.

They will do anything in the world to change that disconsolate face in front of them back into an understanding, gentle parent-visage. They want to say the right thing, so in the process they end up saying the wrong thing: a lie.

You even see it in the Garden of Eden. God made the mistake of walking in and saying, “Why are you hiding from me?” instead of joking with them about how their fig-leaf aprons were not very attractive.

People tell the truth more quickly if they’re surrounded by the reassurance that nothing is going to be taken too seriously, and redemption is possible because joy is already present.

When I was in high school, a bunch of my friends would get together to laugh, and in no time at all, we were telling deep secrets to each other. But if anyone had walked in and in an austere voice demanded that we tell our stories and become transparent about our feelings, we would have returned to the Kingdom of Lying, telling tales we believed to be pleasing to our intruder.

Can I make it this simple? When it comes to human beings, it’s a choice between laughing or lying. If you can’t get people to relax through good cheer and laughter, realizing that nothing is the end of the world, they will always resort to some sort of misrepresentation of the facts, just to try to get things back to normal and hopefully, restore the comedy.

As I said, I wish I had learned this sooner–as a parent. There were times that I actually WAS tickled by how stupid my children’s actions were, so I mocked them, getting them to laugh over their misdeeds, and in no time at all they were confessing other wrong things they had done.

But every time I walked in with that growly face of disapproval, I scared them away from being open to me. No wonder people who believe in an angry God spend their whole lives in deception. It is not surprising that folks involved in a threatening relationship are constantly lying to one another.

Laughter or lying–it’s why I always try to get my audiences to “lighten up” and chuckle at the world around them, and even the world inside them. Then a release valve permits them to unload their real feelings instead of manufacturing safe choices.

So on the eve of this Father’s Day, keep in mind that you can try to be the big boss of your household and scare your family into submission, but what you’ll end up with are words thrown your way to please you … which usually have nothing to do with the real heart of the matter.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

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 Jonathots, Jr.!

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******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Once, but not for all … June 14, 2013

(1912)

It is remarkable that in a society which propagates the need for individuality, we actually end up at the end of all discussions desperately in need of some sort of universality. Yes, human beings require a certain amount of decency and order to move forward or we keep stumbling over the liberty that gives us freedom but denies general progress.

What is difficult about the situation is that some people like fairies and princesses with their stories and other people prefer a plain path. So to come up with a concept, direction or philosophy that is “one size fits all” is virtually impossible–even though to possess some elements that would bring us together more than separate us will certainly be essential to our survival.

That said, would you allow me a few moments here to address the three “big questions?”

• Who is God?
• Who are you?
• And who am I?

If I don’t get these answers in some sort of practical sequence, I can end up thinking that I’m God, or that you should be me or that God needs to be me doing something to you, or you need to be God doing something to me. (That might have been a little confusing, but I think you see what I mean.) Let me venture a theory:

God is truth. So whether that truth is found in science, personal experience, nature or in the faith that we adhere to that bears fruit in our lives, God is at the center of all of it. And to be a truth-seeker is to be willing to submit to the agreement found when nature, science, experience and faith sit down at the conference table together.

Who are you? Best defined to me, you are liberty. As I’ve told you in the past, I can’t judge you, I can’t change you and I can’t ignore you. I’ve been given permission to love you and to grant you the liberty to find your life. Liberty is what introduces chaos into the earth experience–and please don’t try to change God’s mind about free will. He is bound and determined to give human beings the right to liberty–and don’t think for a second that He will allow you to deny it, either.

And who am I? In the process of struggling for my own liberty, I have a responsibility to myself and my fellow-humans to become faith. That’s right–I need to find a substantial hope to pursue every day which produces obvious improvement in me and is uplifting to you.

God is truth, you are liberty, I am faith–and if I have faith in my talents and abilities so that I don’t interfere with your liberty while seeking truth in all aspects of available knowledge, I will find God.

That’s what I believe. That’s what gives freedom to others, a mission to myself (to keep me from being too nosy) and allows God to be intelligent instead of the cranky old man who gets upset if the young people have new-fangled ways.

It’s once, but not for all.

There are those who would much rather believe that their destiny is determined in the heavens rather than accepting the anointed adventure … of bringing heaven down to earth.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

******

 Jonathots, Jr.!

Click below for a quick daily thought from Jonathan

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******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Moving On … June 13, 2013

(1,911)

Just because you find yourself in the position of being a traveling troubadour does not necessarily mean that you’re tickled about moving on.

If you have one ounce of human understanding, you have a tendency to attach to the people you meet, do some bonding and have a spot deep in your soul that wishes you could hang around longer. Obviously, that’s why most individuals settle into a nest, raise some birds and fly around the same batch of trees.

So every time I finish up a show with a new clump of friends, the realization that I must go onward and start over with those who insist that we begin “as strangers” is not only a bit intimidating but also stirs a little sadness in my soul–because I will be absent from those with whom I have just drawn near.

But the gospel was never meant to be placed within a tabernacle and revered around an altar. The message of truth and mercy is a living, breathing organism which finds its energy from renewing and saving the lost.

So there’s always a time for moving on.

When I finished up last night in Sunfield, I climbed up into my van and waved at the folks I treasured for forty-eight hours, stepped on the gas and traveled on. I thought to myself:

• I have shared my music and heart to the best of my ability and to the completeness of my understanding at this point in my earth journey.
• I kept it simple so the message can be remembered and cherished.
• I laughed with those new friends to confirm the power of good cheer.
• I shed a tear so that God could comfort us.
• I tried not to be too long-winded, because many words dull the ears and confound the mind.
• I stayed just long enough to be of benefit–and to learn.
• And I left–so that the message can be honored instead of me occupying space and demanding notice.

Moving on. It is the miraculous mixture of trusting my talent, the power of the word …  and the souls left behind.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

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 Jonathots, Jr.!

Click below for a quick daily thought from Jonathan

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******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Du Quoin in a Fountain … June 12, 2013

(1,90)

Burned.

Burned out.

I once was beckoned to a burn ward in a hospital to see a young man who needed prayer because he had been scorched severely in a fire. I had never experienced such devastation. There were five youngsters on the floor, all injured beyond human recognition. The parents, when they heard there was someone on the floor willing to pray, beckoned me to the bedside of their child. The grotesque features, the pain, the anguish and the doom that hung in the air was almost incomprehensible and nearly unbearable.

I felt no need to be glib. The poetry of prayer escaped me. My tears became the ointment of hope–that these children might have a chance. Each one had lost a battle with fire.

But my dear friends, every time I walk on a stage and look into the faces of the audience, I see the same anguish. The American public is burned. We are burned by the fires of a raging debate that seems to have no end, which slices its way through our society, minus resolution. We are burned by viciousness, racism and religious bigotry, touting that “our God is bigger than your God.”

We are scorched by political rhetoric rattling on with meaningless statistics, promoting its unending agenda with no regard for the immediate needs of humanity.

So because our nation is burned,  we must be careful not to use fiery words to ignite great ideas.

• We need to stop preaching. It’s too pushy. Even teaching can be condescending.
• We are incapable of debate without division.
• We seem to be unable to talk about God and promote His love more than His judgment.
• We take the beauty of man and woman–the sexual pleasure they can achieve together and the companionship manifested–and turn it into a running joke on how the sexes are incapable of communication.
• We set ideals, our goals and our lives on fire with a series of ridiculous arguments which never promote inner peace and are only set ablaze to initiate our superiority.

I am coming into a burn ward and it is my nation. It seems to be up to me to bring the salves and the pain killers necessary to promote healing instead of continuing to do more damage to the flesh, blood, spirits and hearts of my fellow-citizens. But you see, once you’ve been burned, the last thing you want is to be touched. Your life is a living nightmare–a reminder of the horrible incident that has disfigured you.

It’s going to take patience, gentleness and reasonability to actually bring about a ministering force to our people. It is not an issue of marching, protesting, fussing, arguing or even lobbying. It’s finding the next person who’s been burned by the fires of a national indignation–and to sooth the wounds.

I’ve inserted a picture of a field which has already been harvested and now the remaining stems merely dry out in the sun. I was drawn to the scene because it reminds me so much of our country. We have harvested a great bounty of freedom and progress, but now the dried stems stick out of the ground and no one has the mercy to plow them under and prepare new seed for the earth–gently, please. But we must take all the dead stalks which are protruding from the ground and inter them in the earth, making room for new seed and a new crop of possibility.

The other picture is of my set, which I used as  a healing station last night with the folks in Sunfield, near Du Quoin, Illinois.

It’s what I’ve got. It’s small and to some may seem insignificant. But from that tiny operating room, I plan on promoting healing. Gone are the fiery sermons, replaced with the water of the Word, dousing all the heated rage.

It’s the least we can do.

By the way, I found out later that three of the five young people in that burn ward died.  It hurt me deep in my soul. But it also let me know that it’s important to keep the fire away from human beings if you can bring the water.

I will bring the water again to the folks in Sunfield this evening. I can only hope that those who’ve been burned by the inferno of a careless society misusing its book of matches will come out … to be soothed.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

******

 Jonathots, Jr.!

Click below for a quick daily thought from Jonathan

http://jonathots.wordpress.com/jonathots-jr/

******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Quatrain of Perseverance … June 11, 2013

(1,909)

 

I am tired

Tired robs possibility

Possibility needs joy

Joy renews strength

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

******

 Jonathots, Jr.!

Click below for a quick daily thought from Jonathan

http://jonathots.wordpress.com/jonathots-jr/

******

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event