Wasteland

 

 January 25, 2016              #1803

      

Wasteland    

                                                                 

Turn off the television
It is not necessary for relevance. And it is a deadly place to rest the mind. Its pervasive banality, sexual innuendo, and God-ignoring values have no ennobling effects on the soul. It kills the spirit. It drives God away. It quenches prayer. It blanks out the Bible. It cheapens the soul. It destroys spiritual power. It defiles almost everything. It is unnecessary for most of you, and it is spiritually deadly for all of you. (John Piper, "Preaching as Worship: Meditations on Expository Exultation," Trinity Journal 16, 1995)



Television, the Great Life-Waster
Television is one of the greatest life-wasters of the modern age. And, of course, the Internet is running to catch up, and may have caught up. You can be more selective on the Internet, but you can also select worse things with only the Judge of the universe watching. TV still reigns as the great life-waster. The main problem with TV is not how much smut is available, though that is a problem. Just the ads are enough to sow fertile seeds of greed and lust, no matter what program you're watching. The greater problem is banality. A mind fed daily on TV diminishes. Your mind was made to know and love God. Its facility for this great calling is ruined by excessive TV. The content is so trivial and so shallow that the capacity of the mind to think worthy thoughts withers, and the capacity of the heart to feel deep emotions shrivels. (John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life" 2003)

"I have kept my feet from every evil path, so that I might obey Your Word." Psalm 119:101 

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This Writer, Speaking at a youth conference, Southern Baptist Convention 1955 said, "If Satan had wanted to design something to make children just as mean-sinful as possible he would have designed a television set" So enticing, addictive, this sewer of decadence has invaded almost every American home... seducing young people into its "coma" of indolence.  I understand that most children spend many hours a day just watching the trash and why not? They watch their parents, TV Lounge Lizards spend their good hours in this waste land

Do you understand why murder, sexual perversion and every known sin of decadence, how this nation has become so profane ?

There are so many examples I could give about the extravagances of television watching:

Adult-Intelligent men addicted to watching millionaire sports figures running up and down an athletic field.

Adult-Intelligent women living their life fantasies via soap opera characters (Most of whom are well known sexual pervert who have nothing to offer the world but their looks and voices) AND, if the desert of television were not enough, comes the computer and the snare of the internet, AND, if the sewer of the internet were not enough, now comes all of the temptation-decadence  of the ages wrapped up into a small hand held instrument called the cell phone. And, parents can not understand why their children have become so irascible and unconcerned about everything decent, Why the prisons are full, Why the court houses-half way houses are full.

Most education comes through the eyes, light impulses gathered by the retina of the eyes and transferred through the optic nerves of the eyes, through the brain and registering- interpretation at the back of the brain. You do learn some things through hearing-smell other senses. This blind man eye doctor reminds you to thank your blessed lord for your sight. Guard what you see and limit through the righteousness of a Holy God . The seducing attractions of the world which Satan so easily provides.

Have you noticed that the American dumbed-down society-civilization has become so addicted  the television that every fast food restaurant, every health care office, EVEN the garage where you get the car repaired has a T.V. set running non-stop . As I have told so many parents, Satan wants your children and he has found that he can seduce-captivate your children, Just as he has done with adults by offering to them every carnal thought seductive to the heart of man. " As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is               Proverbs 23:7

#1802

Conscience-Technology and Common Sense                                      # 1802  Jan 21, 2016

Did you ever hear the dream of Gutenberg?

(George Everard, "The Importance of Reading" 1885)

Did you ever hear the dream of Gutenberg? He was just about to put forward his invention of the printing press, and it seemed to him as if an angel came and spoke to him:

"John Gutenberg, you have made your name immortal--but at what a cost! Think well what you are doing! The ungodly are many more than the godly. Your work will but multiply their blasphemies and lies. You have uncovered the bottomless pit--and a swarm of seducing spirits shall henceforth come out and turn earth into Hell. Oh think of millions of souls corrupted by your achievement. See the poison of fiends distilled into the souls of boys and girls, making them old in the experience of sin! See that mother weeping over her depraved son, and that grey-haired father hiding his face from his daughter's shame. Destroy your press, for it shall be the pander of blasphemy and lust! Destroy it, and forget it! Forbear, by multiplying the resources of the wicked, to make yourself through all ages the partaker of their crimes!"

We are all aware that the dream has had a very sorrowful fulfillment. Amidst the vast amount of printed matter sent forth daily, it is to be feared that the evil sadly exceeds the good. None can tell how the minds of multitudes are corrupted by the publications that they peruse. Therefore, my friend, be careful what you read!

Give heed as to what you read. If you knew that on the table there were poisoned dishes, as well as food that was wholesome and nourishing--you would be on your guard, and touch nothing about which you were doubtful. Just so, exercise wise forethought as to the books and magazines you take up and peruse.

It is true that "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." But it is no less true that as a man reads--so very much will he think. Mind, memory, conscience, imagination, will, affection--all will be influenced by that which you read.

The questionable novel, with its picturing of the worst passions of the soul, as is too often the case--ought not to be devoured as if it would leave no bad impression behind. I know quite well, that we all need recreation, but it is not genuine recreation to spend hour after hour pouring over that which is trashy, nonsensical, and worse--and will only unfit you for anything higher and holier.

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You may want to read Miller's superb 2 page article, "Books Worth While".

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Feel free to forward these gems to others who may be encouraged or profited by them!

            21st Century Life is a bottom less ocean of Technology. Your Blind Writer, Veteran of The Korean War Era was for many years an Army Eye Doctor with s field Grade Officer rank . I studied Eye Development in Children By the age of 5 there is enough bi-lateral muscle control so a child can read... All of the knowledge of the Ages. This Writers passion was books. One can recover from most diseases, Even Disabilities but, you never recover from poverty. I n books you can escape and in your mind seek and find anything even the eternal

            Like all things, always the other side human beings  waste 4.4 billion hours each year viewing pornography. by way of the eyes the optic nerve system which goes through the brain giving sight at the back of the head, seeing is a learning process. I still remember, 60 years ago, the first pornography magazine I ever saw  ... Shown to this young boy by an adult. But, Just think of all the great books I have read studied collected. I have 5000 wonderful first editions here in my house I can not see or read them but I do enjoy feeling them. thanks to Gutenberg and others  I can still see my grandmother reading the large print testament Which I gave her. Thanks to Alexander Gramm bell and Others my ancestors could talk by phone  with family members who they seldom saw. Much Evil comes from the Telephone and the Television, The Computer, The Micro Wave Oven Even The motor vehicle. But think of the good. With empty hands you grab for the good', Rid your hands of the trash your conscience - common sense knows the difference And, God knows and Cares

Happy New Year ...Quo Vadis

#1801 Dec 31 2015

Dec 31,  2015                                                                                             #1801

           

                                           Happy New Year....Quo Vadis

  Follow! Follow! I would follow Jesus! Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on!- Hymn I would follow Jesus.

 "Jesus said unto him: Follow Me!" John 21:19 

the different phases of His Life. We have heard many of His words. Now it remains only for us to follow Him. The outcome of seeing and knowing Jesus--should be holy living and doing. The last day of the year suggests also the same duty.

Who is satisfied with his life as it appears in retrospect? The past, however blotted, must go as it is; we cannot change it, and we need not waste time in regretting. But the new year is before us, and if we would make that better than the stained past, it must be by following Christ more closely.

If you are as rich as the queen of England , Bill Gates Or Donald Trump at the end of life, Clinical Death, You can not buy one more minute

Whether many years pass, or even this past year, you can not erase one cruel word or one callous action that did affect someone else nor, can you change one word or action directed at you. it is all a matter of forgiveness...The beauty of Life is the matter of  giving god, The Giver of Life(No Scientist has ever been able to produce life...Plant or Animal), God gave his son AND His Son gave His Life to Redeem we mere mortals from a life of sin and rejection I can this as a health professional If You Want healing , Learn to forgive. One Great Spinal Surgeon told me, "Most back pain can be cured by the simple act of forgiving"

This Writer Left  organized religion years ago because I had so much trouble with pretenders and performers Jesus just wants me to follow him. I have so much trouble with the generalized, mostly American Montra of calling most people not jewish-muslim-Buddhist Or some other "religion" Christians . The Word Christian means Christ Like and I Know very few church members who are Christ like . Most of us Can not even Imagine the Holiness of God. Most of us can not measure up to the "Ideals" of the truly surrendered Christ-like life

In the Famous Play " A Street Car Named Desire" The Heroine Blanche Dubois Said, Before the final Curtain, " That She Owed so much to Strangers

In Traveling the World, My Life, in many places , I am sorry to  report to you That often Strangers shown This Blind Man more Empathy-Consideration-Kindness Than people on the street where I live, Even my Fellow Man at the Church house , Court House or Even Family Houses

The Christian Life is a relationship with god, real not conjured by any activity. Things and people that have impressed my life came mostly from strangers or people that i will never know . I will never forget that poor-shack  Church House, in the woods where, during the blight of Slavery , black human beings met to worship the God of us all I still remember as a child , 80 years ago , The black people around our farm ( there were few cars even for white people) walking long miles to their church...even in bad weather. I still remember seeing migrants on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan ( Carrying everything they owned in large sacks on their backs,) dressed in rags, children barefoot on an icy road fell on their faces when the call for prayer came from a mosque AND, Thank God, I still have a memory of my own father going early to our country church to build fires or open windows, winter and summer for the comfort of our fellow church people I am so glad that I have seen real worship which is truly following one worthy of worship. 

We are not stuck where we start I rejoice That I know Salvation. I Take Joy in Knowing that the Real, The Best, Is Ahead. We Do not live a life of checklists Churchianity, Certain things you do : Certain things you do not do. We do not live a life of "Bell Hop" Religion, Calling on God when you need him. True Christianity is not complicated, But Difficult. Our Redemption is a gift. following Jesus gives us the joys of eternal life now as well as later. So, Happy New Year, Quo ...Vadis (Where are you going?) : This Year, Any Year, I can Attest, You may Fail Him, But He Will Never Fail You