Jonathots Daily Blog
(3442)
A. Annoying young people at churches are trying to sell you pumpkins
B. College football returns, with too much attention being placed on boys who still use pimple cream
C. You are told that donuts and cider go together
D. There is a chilling in the air that you have to start scraping off your windshield
E. The trees publicly give up hope and drop their leaves
Jonathots Daily Blog
(3015)
crying
I am a voice crying in the wilderness
My throat is parched from screaming the need
Excuse me, sir, can you take a moment’s thought
To wonder why the Earth won’t move?
Flowers in the spring dare to bloom in front of us
Deserts of dreams simply blow away
A smile on the street seems to be suspicious
Churches that pray never seize the day
Come with me
(we’re too busy)
I have life
(so do we)
Where’s your joy?
(nothing’s funny)
Deal with me
(we have bigger barns to build)
I am the voice pleading in the land of less
We pan for gold in fields of debris
We seek for truth and draw swords of selfishness
We bless a lie and curse the truth
Come, won’t you join me in Jordan’s waters?
Cleansing the soul which has lost its feel
Tumbling the dice as you kneel before us
Casting your lot through the holy meal
Festering frightened
Ever enlightened
Joyfully jumbled
Wistfully humbled
I’m the voice
(crying)
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Jonathots Daily Blog
(2585)
A. Rutherans
B. Breasbyterians
C. Womenites
D. Muslins (Women of the Cloth)
E. Panticostals
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$3.99 plus $2.00 S&H
$3.99 plus $2.00 S & H
Jonathots Daily Blog
(2222)
He said, “Everybody understands the problems. There’s no need to keep talking about them. We should stop belly-aching.”
He is a minister of the Gospel.
Over the years he has convinced himself that he prefers the “more positive” teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and wishes to focus on them in order to build a congregation of believers who think good thoughts and don’t generate any negative energy toward the world around them.
Here’s the problem: injustice will never leave as long as it’s making a profit. So it’s up to the prophets to chase injustice away through pointing out its hypocrisy and deceit.
Even though Jesus is portrayed by many churches as a combination of Gandhi and a hippie attending Woodstock, the young Nazarene actually has quite an edge.
Especially as he reached the end of his Earth journey, he began to spout off profusely against the excesses of religion, the selfishness of systems and the indifference of leadership.
There are three chapters in a row–Matthew 23, 24 and 25–where he exhibits his own form of belly-aching. Because you see, belly-aching occurs when you consume something that doesn’t agree with you, and is only relieved when you dispel the thing with which you do not agree.
Understanding that most of you may not want to read the three chapters, if you will allow me, I’ll summarize:
In Matthew 23, Jesus viciously attacks the scribes, Pharisees and lawyers who used their position to extort wealth while doing nothing to relieve the burdens of the people around them. He claims that they cared more for their traditions than they did for the human beings placed in their charge.
So because of their iniquity, in Matthew 24 he informs them that the Romans would come and dismantle their entire hierarchy and destroy their city.
To further reiterate the necessity for repentance, he tells a series of parables in Matthew 25 about a Judgement Day in which God, our Father and Creator, will expect us to deliver evidence of our faith and victory during our human escapade.
The three chapters are full of complaint, warnings, admonitions and some downright insults.
We forgive this belly-aching because the prophesy came true and we understand that the message Jesus preached survives today. To determine whether we are just purveyors of doom and gloom or messengers of hope, we have to keep three things in mind:
1. Never do anything to hurt people, but also do not permit anything to happen that is hurting people.
2. Never offer a warning without giving an olive branch of hope. Nothing is over until God says it is.
3. Always note progress–even if it’s a little–and appreciate it when you see movement toward sanity.
So am I a belly-acher?
If I run across ideas which historically have been proven to be foolish, and I see injustice which is cheating people out of the value of their human lives, or if I come across greed which is suffocating the life out of the needy, I will speak out, using every bit of cleverness, comedy and even cunning that I can muster.
Because without doing this, we become part of a third clump … the ones who stood by and watched the oppressor oppress the helpless.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
Click here to get info on the “Gospel According to Common Sense” Tour
Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.
Jonathots Daily Blog
(2172)
Even though it’s a very simple questionnaire, it is filled with important inquiries, which help us understand more about ourselves and our aspirations.
The confusion of every generation is the ongoing belief that we are not confused. People on their way to the discovery of truth always start out with a bit of personal perplexity, questioning, and maybe even feelings of insecurity, because the road to candor is never clear, but always filled with revelation and sometimes, shocking realities.
So let me be the first to jump in and answer these questions.
First, I want to write, teach and share with my generation without being inhibited by so many restrictions and fears. I would like to escape the rigidity of all the systems that exist, which are determined to bring people into submission to a set of rules instead of helping them find the true cause.
Secondly, I don’t know what I need. I feel pretty comfortable with that because the Good Book tells us that God knows what we need even before we do. Excellent. Maybe that’s why He’s such a good partner–he brings the plastic spoons along for the yogurt, because nobody else thought about actually eating them.
My ability is to use insight with humor, and hopefully a gentle spirit, to communicate difficult ideas and contentious causes in a season where people are so easily offended. I do it through art, music, and hopefully, giggles.
I have a dual fear–falling short of my goals because of my age and physical limitations, and losing my solvency and embarrassing the people around me because my ideas are solid but my bank account is dwindling.
What am I doing? Good question. I’m finishing up a seventeen-year career, working faithfully in the mainline denominational churches, to bring a message of common sense, realizing that I can no longer limit myself to such a tiny market, but must at least attempt to expand my borders.
What I desire is to take that which has been forsaken by society, which has callously cast away great means of communication, replacing them with Instagram, and use these methods to reach people with a simple message of hope and personal responsibility. Just because it’s popular to believe that theater, newspapers, books and even musical albums are obsolete because of downloading, it’s not necessarily true. If I owned Facebook, I would also decry any other form of communication that wasn’t “me.” The world will always return to intimacy. It may take a week; it may take a year. We will come back to needing one another.
Which leads me to the final question. What is the bridge? Just as with my need, I don’t have the foggiest idea. But I’m excited about the search; I’m thrilled about the quest. I feel like a Knight of the Round Table pursuing the Holy Grail.
And I know this: it takes courage to chase something that half the people need and the other half don’t believe in.
But those are the only adventures that are truly worthwhile.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation
Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.
click to hear music from Spirited 2014
Jonathots Daily Blog
(2084)
It was Monday morning.
We hauled our instruments into our motel room, set up and prepared for a rehearsal which also was an inspirational session of putting together our Spirited Christmas Show. We would have just a couple of hours, and then the next day we would be performing in Trion, Georgia.
I always find it great fun. Matter of fact, it really boils down to a simple little formula, which is almost fool-proof because it takes into account the nature of human beings.
Sorting through the material, I look for four ingredients:
Any time you put together that quadrangle of attitudes and gratitudes, you’re bound to have success.
But it got me thinking. How is life in general any different?
After all, we do need something fast.
We need to be quick on the uptake, to step in and be courteous, assisting one another when it’s in our power to do so.
Isn’t it important to slow it down?
How valuable can you become when you walk into a room that’s harried, worried and frustrated and you get everybody to calm themselves and quietly consider options?
I don’t know what we’d do without bringing the heart.
The religious package we offer to mankind in our churches is often heavy-laden with spiritual theology or tipsy with mental acuity and ideas. But here’s the problem: we’re emotional people, and if you don’t touch the heart, you can’t bless your fellow-travelers. What’s the best way to bring the heart? Admit your weakness and then testify about what makes you stronger.
And finally, make ’em laugh.
Do we really think anything special in life will happen without good cheer? Have a solemn and somber generation of old-thinking human beings ever generated a revival or a renaissance? If you remove the Mayflower and the idea of having turkey at Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims are a pretty empty group. Make ’em laugh.
So Jan and I sat down and came up with a show that had something fast. Then we slowed it down to bring the heart and make ’em laugh.
Last night we took it to Trion, Georgia, and it was sized perfectly.
We can learn from what works if we’re not afraid to work with what we’ve learned.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation
Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.
click to hear music from Spirited 2014
Jonathots Daily Blog
(2044)
There may be nothing more pitiful than a believer who has ceased to have faith in the power of prayer, yet continues to mumble the words, fearing sacrilege.
Even though churches continue to host seminars on the precepts of prayer, thinking they will unlock some magical formula, the true essence of communicating with the Father as a child is to be forthcoming, and to make sure you arrive at the meeting with all your chores completed.
Did you follow that?
If you will allow me to continue my story concerning arriving at the end of our year in solvency, you will agree with me that being darkened, or cynical, about our problems, is not only useless, but veers toward destruction.
So being practical–counting the cost, finding out how we can contend, having all the ends meet, and controlling as many factors as we can–is ALWAYS the preamble to prayer. After all, any child in a household who shows up asking for more, having not completed the agreed-upon household activities, is certainly headed for a rebuff.
You can’t remove the practical and think you’re going to arrive at the spiritual.
You can’t be Andrew, from the Good Book, asking Jesus to feed the five thousand, without letting him know there are five loaves and two fishes available.
After we finish the practical aspects of counting, contending and controlling, we are ready to have a great one-on-one with our Father in heaven and boldly enter His presence–because we KNOW we have done all we know to do and we can stand.
Then prayer works.
About three years ago I realized that telling people I was going to pray for them without doing something to assist, was worthless. Even if it was just an encouraging email, a few dollars sent their way, or linking up other people to help them, prayer works best when people have let God know they are invested by offering what their possessions and talents.
Why would God want to invest in a project that we’ve decided is not worth our own time and effort?
Sometimes, for me, it can be hearing about someone who has a brain tumor and putting myself back in a hospital room so many years ago, recalling the sensations of fear that flooded my soul.
It is my investment. So then, when I pray, I am merely trying to get God to follow up on my backing.
It creates a sensation of being enlightened.
I would describe that jubilant revelation as the result of a four-step process:
1. I refuse to focus on the problems and become cynical.
2. I have become practical by counting the cost, deciding how I will contend and taking control where necessary.
3. I am satisfied that my contribution is complete, yet I find there is still a need.
4. I rejoice that I can solicit God to come in to the project and cover the need that is beyond my scope.
There it is.
I feel a great confidence that our traveling team will end this year in total victory. Avoiding the darkened countenance of cynicism while applying the practical of what we have available, we can come with assurance to our heavenly Father and ask Him to contribute.
It’s a great way to live.
The best way to become an agnostic is to pray thinking that God manipulates everything. You will soon become a liar who pretends to be faithful–or you will walk away from your belief because you childishly thought that your Daddy should take care of everything while you watched.
Prayer is powerful because it asks God to believe in what we have already decided to pursue.
Make up your mind:
Having completed that task, you can become enlightened by including your Father in everything you do.
I am confident–not because I’m a religious man, but because I have escaped religion and have begun to move out in everyday workable faith.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event
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A voice writing in the wilderness
Jonathots Daily Blog 