3 Things … January 17th, 2019

 

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Jonathots Daily Blog

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That Make You Appear You Know What You’re Doing

 

1.  Don’t be stubborn, pursuing things that aren’t working

 

 2.  Show up with an idea and be open to suggestions

 

 3.  Celebrate your progress before beginning the next project

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly donation for this inspirational opportunity

Fulfil or Destroy… May 13, 2013

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Good requires nothing of evil. On the other hand, evil desperately needs good to give up and lose heart. It puts evil in a disadvantageous position–always sniffing around great ideals to see if anyone is despairing.

So what is evil?

I will tell you this–it has a beginning, a middle and an end. If you allow it to start, it is very difficult to stop it.

The beginning of all evil is cynicism–mainly the contention that people are just no damn good. It doesn’t matter if it’s said by a jaded comedian or a preacher trying to save the lost. Anytime we attack human beings, trying to prove how stupid they are, how immoral they are, how destitute they are, how ignorant they are or how useless they are, we are setting a master plan in motion–to degrade us to evil.

Perhaps this is the only thing that religion and secularism have shared in common throughout history. They have both concluded that mankind is perniciously flawed, incapable of progress. Even though it contradicts the gospel of Jesus, which insists that the Kingdom of God is within us, it gains a tremendous following because we get to attack others while insisting that we’re not “quite as bad” as they are.

From that beginning comes a middle and the middle of all evil is always politics. And what is politics?

Well, since people are stupid and incapable of doing what’s right, somebody must step in and control them, bringing about more orderly results. Of course, this appears to be a powerful position, so cynical men who are on their way to evil vie for it. They argue, debate and bring everything to a standstill, making it seem even more likely that we’re all doomed to be dumbfounded.

Politics is not limited to government. There’s politics in religion, politics in romance, politics in education. Any time we believe that we can control our future by carefully plotting strategy and discussing it in a committee, we are on the verge of some sort of evil plotting.

So as you see, the beginning of evil is cynicism. The middle of evil is the muddle of politics. And the end is a resignation towards terminating the world.

Yes, all of our prophets, whether they be of global warming or the second coming of Christ, are yanking us towards an emotional quagmire of hopelessness. So what’s the point of pursuing excellence?

This is not limited to Bible-thumpers. Every movie in Hollywood made about the future contains some form of anarchy or cannibalism. It is evil. It is the opposite of what God intended when He placed a garden east of Eden and told us that we could tend it and be successful.

One day Jesus told his disciples, “I have not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Jesus was probably the greatest revolutionary that ever lived. He turned the world upside down–but not by using cynicism, politics or preaching doom and gloom. He told people they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He told them to be perfect, even as their Father in heaven was perfect. And he told them to love their neighbor as themselves.

So be careful as you pursue your little tirade of righteousness–that you don’t accidentally slip into the TRUE axis of evil. You can always identify it: it begins with cynicism, in the middle transforms into politics and in the end is darned tootin’ sure that the world is going to blow up.

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

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Trinity Means Three … July 9, 2012

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Situated almost directly between Chattanooga and Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, is a wonderfully blessed space in the road named Hixson, where I spent my Sunday with the inspiring folks of Trinity Lutheran Church.

There are those in this country of a more liberal bend who would refer to this particular region as “back-woods,” while who are more conservative in their preferences might call the area “the real America.” Since I do not prescribe to either camp, I will tell you that determining the quality of the people I meet is not based upon where I go, but instead, a choice of two approaches. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Dixie or New York City, you’re probably going to fall into one of these categories: (1) I love people and I will change myself until I do; (2) I just believe that some people are unlovable.

Now, if you happen to be in that second group, you’re likely to be suspicious, grumpy, pessimistic and may even sprout an occasional sprig of prejudice. If you’re in the first group of people,  you’re not better than anyone else–you’re just aware that you’re not, and are prepared to make the adjustment towards mercy, knowing that’s the only way to obtain it for yourself.

All that being said, let me tell you that I found the people of Hixson to be in Group 1. Actually, most of the world around me, in my opinion, is in that first group. There are those who find that overly optimistic. But after all, once someone is in Group 2, there’s not a whole lot I can do for them. They’ve probably already found me to be unlovable.

So may I say thank you to Pastor Gary, Pam, Marty and all the sweet souls at Trinity? And I know when you named your church Trinity, you were thinking of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, which certainly is a righteous tripling. But as a parting piece of grace and insight from this traveling troubadour, may I offer you another trinity? Yes–can I present to you three ideas which just might help to continue to enrich the fertile soil in which you plant your gospel seed?

1. Find yourself without fear. Don’t get fooled. You will never find God until you find yourself, discover your own weaknesses and approach them without fear or condemnation. Righteous people aren’t perfect. Honestly, they’re often not even what you would call “good.” They’re just unafraid to admit their lack–and therefore, they grow in their strengths. Be the first one in your neighborhood to notice what you don’t do very well and have the confidence in your talents in to share your shortcomings without fear.

2. Find others without being afraid. Once you’ve taken a journey through your own soul and survived the odyssey, extend the same mercy and tenderness to other folks that you just gave to yourself. It’s often the case that people are not mean–they’re just dissatisfied and they’re trying to create the rest of the world in their image. If you’re not afraid of who you are, you become valuable to both friends and strangers because you don’t have to be afraid of who they are. Sometimes our discoveries are alarming–but if we’ve allowed ourselves the salvation of being free of fear, we can escape all that apprehension and start to love people where they are and give them a chance to find their way. Here’s a truth–you will never find others until you first find yourself–without fear.

3. Find God in your lack of fear. I know there are those who will quote, with great reverence, that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” But sooner or later, we have to stop “beginning” wisdom and actually embrace it. I will tell you of a certainty that the wisdom of the Lord is the end of fear. As the Bible says quite beautifully, “perfect love casts out fear.” Once you find yourself without fear, it gives you the courage to find others without being afraid. Surviving that project, you are now ready to find God in your lack of fear.

Sooner or later, following Jesus of Nazareth has to be more than acquiring a bus ticket to heaven. Jesus did not envision being a caretaker for a bunch of sick souls whom he transports to eternity for rehab. He envisioned making strong people who were the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth”–people who live without fear and therefore do not have to warm up their hearts to accept others, but already have a pre-heated oven of compassion, ready and waiting.

So I walked out of yesterday a blessed man and climbed into my van, having been in Hixson, Tennessee. Long ago I rejected the over-simplistic attitudes of the conservatives and liberals and have been on a quest to discover the soul of America, one person at a time. I leave behind a little piece of my heart for Trinity–and many of my thoughts, and I encourage them to take on a new trinity:

• Find yourself without fear.
• Find others without being afraid.
• And therefore, find God in your lack of fear.

It truly is the essence of all that we really know about the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

   

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