Dear Mephibosheth: > Thinking about this is what caused me to get out of my bed this morning-- > > Ecclesiastes 10:5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as > an error which proceedeth from the ruler: > > Ecclesiastes 10:6 FOLLY IS SET IN GREAT DIGNITY, AND THE RICH SIT IN > LOW PLACE. > > Ecclesiastes 10:7 I have seen SERVANTS UPON HORSES, AND PRINCES > WALKING AS SERVANTS UPON THE EARTH. The scripture that came to mind here: "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity." --Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 Almost no one has ears to hear or eyes to see. There is a perception--wisdom and discretion-- that lets a man see what is under the surface. The the youth-- usually the most foolish group in any people-- are the examples in society now because they have all their liveliness and energies to expend on evil things without having the wisdom to know better. They do not consider that they do evil, but they do not have the experience yet to know that you always reap what you sow. It is so sad. It seemed so strange to me to look at a church with all of their activities and words and running to and fro. Where do these people get their energy from? What powers all of this? It seemed so strange. Strange fire. It certainly isn't Christ. They think they already the truth so they can't hear you, but they do not fear God. For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. -- Ecclesiastes 5:7 The poor people have crossed some sort of spiritual line where they cannot discern anything. Once they crossed the line, there is an understanding they might have been able to consider before that now they cannot even hear now. You can't speak to them. Something strange happened to them. Maybe that is the line of reprobation. I was thinking in my bed. I know what kept me from going completely over that line (I say completely because I don't if there are things I cannot hear). It was a great hurt. If I had had no changes, I would not have feared God. I even thought that when I was younger, if nothing changed nothing would make me obey God. The Lord let me be so afflicted that all my youthful energies could not stand up to the affliction. I stopped going to and fro, seeking diverse lusts and vanities. All the words died out. I could see some things after that. God let me see it was all vanity. The Lord afflicted me that I might learn to keep His statutes. [A sidenote: once I had the Word, I could have my strength back, but this time it was directed and controlled. ] Do you think a lot of the elderly people can see things the youth cannot? Or are most of the elderly blind in many ways too? I don't know many elderly people. You told me about the woman whose head you kissed (I think) and she started tearing. How many things they must have to say, but no one who will hear. You said you wanted to retain your faculties until the last breath. I think that is certainly possible. Maybe so many of the poor elderly people just chose to let them go. Vigilant Watchman ************* Dear Vigilant Watchman: > Almost no one has ears to hear or eyes to see. Yes. Only an act of God can open a man today. The deception is great. "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." I know that the Lord was talking about a possessed person, but the deception is so great today that you cannot reason a person in the truth, they are too far gone. There was a time people could talk and reason logically. Those days are over. We need to utilize whatever is available to us--the word, fasting, prayer, teachings written and oral. Whatever we can get to and through whatever lawful means is available to us in the hopes of reaching people-- Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. > There is a > perception--wisdom and discretion-- that lets a man see what is under the > surface. Yes. It must be awakened. God be thanked for turning the lights on. Many, many people will never have them turned on, they are content with their evil deeds. > > The the youth-- usually the most foolish group in any people-- are the > examples in society now because they have all their liveliness and > energies Yes, and the older people glory in the young flesh. My own parents wanted me to look nice and to have a life in this world. They liked that. > to expend on evil things without having the wisdom to know > better. They do not consider that they do evil, but they do not have the > experience yet to know that you always reap what you sow. It is so sad. It is sad, so very sad. Then when you get to the end of the line all you have is shame and regret. > It seemed so strange to me to look at a church with all of their > activities and words and running to and fro. Where do these people get > their energy from? What powers all of this? It seemed so strange. Strange > fire. It certainly isn't Christ. They think they already the truth so they > can't hear you, but they do not fear God. What you are saying is true. The flesh has energy and inside the church, they do what people outside the church, it's just in the church. People climb for positions. People want to be seen--preaching or heading the youth group. Somebody wants to go from being Sunday School superintendent to assistant pastor. They want to climb up the ranks. People want to have "fun" so they charter a bus to the amusement park or have a picnic on the church grounds or build a sickening new gymnasium for more youth activities. People want to attract the attention of others, they shop during the week for a new dress for church. People want to gossip. They talk about the church news on the telephone. They carry on in the church whatever it is that they wanted in the world. They take the flesh in the "church". > For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers > vanities: but fear thou God. -- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Many vanities are in the church. I remember a women's "missionary" society that wore Santa Claus hats and went to the nursing home to "minister". I think they may have had a Santa Claus go, too. I've seen a Christmas tree set up in a church. > The poor people have crossed some sort of spiritual line where they cannot > discern anything. It is so horrible and terrible and they look at the truth teller with lofty eyelids. Church people have jammed me up more than once. > Once they crossed the line, there is an understanding > they might have been able to consider before that now they cannot even > hear now. You can't speak to them. Something strange happened to them. > Maybe that is the line of reprobation. The only way they could possibly get right is to go back to that fork in the road where they decided to go the wrong way. I perceive most never do. I think that for many of them we may actually see them cross that line before our very eyes. I remember being introduced to a group of women who covered themselves and whose church preached holiness. We were all excited to know each other. Many strange and wonderful things were examined. But they asked for, and read an article I wrote...I did not write it for them. I did not know their teachings on divorce and remarriage and I did not know that the preacher committed adultery with his children's babysitter and that she was now the preacher's wife. I did not know that. I was blacklisted after all my labor, and nobody called. Once again, I was villanized, and I am sure that I was preached against from the pulpit. Just one more bullet in the torso to go with the rest. I used to say that church people are the most treacherous group of people you could ever meet. > I was thinking in my bed. I know what kept me from going completely over > that line (I say completely because I don't if there are things I cannot > hear). It was a great hurt. If I had had no changes, I would not have > feared God. I even thought that when I was younger, if nothing changed > nothing would make me obey God. The Lord let me be so afflicted that all > my youthful energies could not stand up to the affliction. I stopped going > to and fro, seeking diverse lusts and vanities. All the words died out. I > could see some things after that. God let me see it was all vanity. The > Lord afflicted me that I might learn to keep His statutes. Amen. I know for me all the bullet holes were good. There is something about sustaining injury and believing anyway that is so strengthening. > [A sidenote: > once I had the Word, I could have my strength back, but this time it was > directed and controlled. ] Yes. Strength used in God's service. > Do you think a lot of the elderly people can see things the youth cannot? > Or are most of the elderly blind in many ways too? I believe that most of them are blind today. The hoary head means almost nothing in most circumstances today. I have found many foolish old people. They watch television--Oprah, Judge Judy. They read the funny pages. One told her granddaughter who danced in a nightclub that she would do it too if she were 60 years younger. One older woman told me, "You're too young to stay at home," Sickening. Hannah was about 8 months old at that time. I've met older people who had information, but they did not feel like telling it. One man had his health but he didn't even have time to discuss farming over lunch and made it known. He did however lend me a book, Back to Basics (published by Reader's Digest), which I soon after purchased online and have found very helpful. Many of the eldery today do not have their minds. Very few have wisdom in this country. > I don't know many > elderly people. You told me about the woman whose head you kissed (I > think) and she started tearing. How many things they must have to say, but > no one who will hear. That woman was so slumped over. I do not know if she could talk, maybe she could, but she held my face and kissed me back. Many times in these nursing homes, the television is on. How nice it would be to be able to sit out in a wooded setting and converse with someone who had experiences worth sharing. Both of my grandmothers lived in the south. One was more "citified" than the other but although she was somewhat citified she could do many things. It was at her home that I got the one-time opportunity to see what happens to a pig. My grandfather loaded up some of the grandchildren in a pick up truck (I don't think we all could have fit) and went to a farm. My grandfather showed the farmer which pig he wanted. The farmer shot it. My grandfather ran across the field, chased the pig down, lifted up his head and slit his throat. Next thing you know the pig is in the pickup truck with us and we go to grandmother's home. The women got to work. Pretty much the whole pig was used. The extras were made into souse meat. This is the grandmother that showed me how to sew a quilt. My other grandmother wanted to go to school. Her father was a sharecropper. The man for whom he worked said, "Why does she need to go to school, she can pick cotton can't she?" She ended up with a fourth grade education. She eventually lived in a boarding house. My grandfather also lived there. After knowing her two days, he said to her, "You would make somebody a good wife." They got married. She bore him eight children, one died at two, the other at about 16. She wasn't a fancy cook but whoever was hungry could get a meal and if a dog had mange she could get him back to health. Interviews with elderly Christians would be thrilling. I've seen and experienced a few of these testimonies...but I do not know where these people are. > You said you wanted to retain your faculties until > the last breath. I think that is certainly possible. Maybe so many of the > poor elderly people just chose to let them go. Yes. Watching tv, reading junk novels, wasting time, slidding down without a fight. Mephibosheth