The Final Page

 

As the world tries to diminish itself into a Godless existence, where resides your Faith?

Does it reside in the worldly possessions around you?  Does it reside in the leaders who may or may not have a care for you?  Does it reside in the inner thoughts of your soul?  Does it reside in a false & temporary existence?  Does it reside in science?  Or… have you lost all Faith?

I will confess to you that the last two years of my life have been a gift.  A gift that I will have a hard time repaying, but I will endeavor to do so.  I have had the rare opportunity in life to explore the world around me, to observe our leaders, to walk with nature, to mingle with the masses, to listen to my inner thoughts…and strengthen my faith.  I have been unencumbered with the stresses of finance & the distractions of damsels in distress.  But the temptations are always present and easy to succumb to…to those with little or no faith.

This book is a sample of writings I have been blessed to receive.  I have tried to pick the top thirty of the three hundred and seventy plus messages I have posted in the past, to strengthen your faith.  To do that I was tasked with identifying a target audience & dominant theme.  This was not easy…but many of you helped in the process. 

You see…I can see too, and these writings are also some of the most read in the past by those who have visited “Recent Thoughts of Distant Memories.”  I thank you all for that, as it has been most encouraging to know that in the last 15 years since inception, almost 50,000 have heard a message that speaks of Faith, that I have also heard & felt in the most humblest of ways.

As I looked at all these writings, there was a consistent theme…& to me the audience is whoever wants to take the time to read something I have been gifted to create and share.  But to narrow that down, it is obvious who it targets.  I hope these writings speak to those of you who have some measure of Faith…to bring you to that special place where our physical being, our intellectual self & our inner soul drives our spirit, faithfully and outwardly.

I have a simple phrase for it…Spiritual Faithfulness…and I have faith you will find it…if you seek it.  And once found, your spirit sense will tell you to share it & bring others to the faith you have found.  This is the primary focus of these writings.

I cannot take any credit for these messages other than the fact I did live them, dream them & write them…but to be honest the best writings are those that just flowed as if I was a pencil held by another’s hand.  That’s how spiritual faithfulness works, and I have faith that these messages explain it in ways no one has ever expressed before…but the messages of faithful men and women live in our past, speak to us in the present and hold a bright future for His Faithful.

No matter how this world tries to diminish His Spirit, our God, our Savior, our Protector, our Provider, the King of kings & Lord of lords…Jesus Christ Lives now & forever more.  AMEN  

Remember: You cannot eliminate God from this earth…because He created it.  

Go In Peace & Love Will Follow.  In God We Trust…So In God We Must. 

Book of Acts Chapter 8    Gospel of Mark Chapter 4     

Rock of Faith

It is Sunday morning December 10^th, 2023…& I have a bit of an apology to make.  I am not sorry for anything I said or did, except for one statement & two misspoken words, which I will clarify.

This past Friday I went to the Outlaws concert in Clearwater.  The Artimus Pyle Band was the opening set; the concert was over four hours and was an awesome evening. I will share more on the concert in a different message.  But this episode took place before the concert, there were many witnesses & videos…thus the reason for this message & clarification.

I purchased my ticket online and had to pick it up by 6PM at will call…doors opening at 6:30 for a 7:30 show.  I was there at around 5:15 and the box office was closed until 6, so I had a bit of time to enjoy the downtown area of Clearwater which has gone through some wonderful upgrades.  The major addition is the Sound outdoor amphitheater which opened this year and has had some great concerts. But this annual Yule Tide Jam with Tampa’s own Guitar Army…the Outlaws…was at the Capital Theater, a small theater for a homecoming of Classic Southern Rock, that has been with us for 50 years.

I have written about how you naturally seek & feel better when you are with those that see & feel similar to you in life.  For me, the classic rock enthusiast I am, concerts of bands I grew up with are a natural.  But this night, there was an interruption…a disturbance…an unwanted entity…that no one appreciated.

This is where my clarification starts…at 6 PM I went to the box office and got my ticket.  While talking with the agent I hear a guy yelling at the top of his lungs how we all must repent or go to hell.  Now although that is true, it is what he kept saying that was most untrue, distracting, disruptive & unwanted.  He was screaming how rock & roll was the devil’s music, how we were all sinners for listening to it, he was chastising men with longer hair, he was calling Catholics heathens for worshipping Mother Mary, he was going on & on & on screaming & yelling, fifty feet from the only door into the theater, with one of his minions holding a repent or die sign.

The street in front of the theater is permanently blocked off for a couple of blocks for pedestrian traffic and there are numerous shops, restaurants, clubs & condo/apartments in the area.  There was a club a half a block away with a solo singer guitarist outside.  The repent or die guy was so loud, he was drowning out this guy’s acoustic set.  People were annoyed & some said things to this nut job.  I had to use the bathroom so I just walked in and went to the third-floor balcony, where you could still hear him.

I had several conversations with folks on the balconies…including Artimus Pyle and the head sound tech for the Outlaws.  Artimus was yelling at the guy to “brush his teeth” …classic.  Well after 10 minutes, at around 7PM I had had enough.  I politely dismissed myself from Artimus and his sister and went downstairs for a smoke, which put me at the front door, forty feet from repent or die guy.

Well, he starts in on me about being a sinner…and I asked him what he was…I said you know we are all sinners…I told him if he had real guts, he’d go to New York City and have his little tirade with the those supporting Hamas…I said repeatedly to this guy…HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO THE OUTLAWS LYRICS!!!  He obviously hadn’t…just another misinformed delusional misfit, like those protesting in our cities.   You cannot listen to “Green Grass & High Tides Forever” a classic rock & roll southern rock anthem and not hear the spiritually faithful message it contains…if you don’t hear it, you are not listening.

At this point, in this two days ago story, I must tell you there was a police officer between me and this guy, as well as two big guys at the doors to the theater.  There were numerous folks videoing this guy before I got involved and the officer came up to me and said…” you can say anything you want, just don’t threaten him.”  Cool I thought…so I did…I yelled “JUDGE NOT & YE SHALL NOT BE JUDGED!!!!”  I yelled this numerous times, and his only response was….” what’s after that” to which at one point I said in jest…” go forth and enjoy a good concert”!!!   Which is where one of my apologies resides as we all know it says in Matthew 7:1-6…. Jesus own words as recorded by Matthew… (verse 2)”” For you will be treated as you treat others.”” Those are Jesus’s words right after, (verse 1) “” Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”” (New Living Translation.) But here is what really jumps out at me…read verses three thru six and you will find one of Jesus’s simplest, yet greatest lessons for us to learn & live by. AMEN.

My apologies for being ill prepared at that moment, but I was not expecting my Faith to be challenged by a delusional demon possessed individual who thought he stood on higher ground than I did.  He is wrong in the worst kind of way.  Here’s why, to borrow a line form Paul Harvey…& here’s the rest of the story.

After the Artimus Pyle Band had their set there was about a ½ hour break.  I went out the front doors to have a smoke and noticed repent or die guy was gone…but the police officer was still there.  There were many folks milling around & the atmosphere was much less stressful without us all being berated for our choices in music.  I struck up a conversation with the officer at the door…you must understand this.

I asked the officer when the repent or die guy left and he said that when the show started, he left, no one left to yell at.  He continued and said…” you know they had body cameras on”.  I said what???  Yep, he said, “that is their hustle, they want someone to attack them in some physical way so they can sue them.”  I was flabbergasted.  He said, “that’s why we just stand there and don’t say or do nothing because they’d love to sue a city or county agency…which they’ve done before”.  If this is true, which I have no reason to think it isn’t, I ask you…. Who needs to repent or die now?  Yeah, we all know that answer.

I have so many thoughts on what I could’ve and should have said to this guy knowing this information now.  You see not only do I take issue with fire and brimstone speech that does more harm than good and actually drives people away from the real teachings of Christ, but to know now that he was running a money-grubbing scam the whole time just infuriates me even more. 

We all live in a country where if you are an American citizen, you have rights to free speech.  But that speech has been twisted and abused to a point where it is being used to inspire hate and evil and diminish compromise & understanding.  Not only has the devil wormed into the minds of those weak in faith, but he has also found ways to use our faith against us…trotting out clowns like repent or die guy to make money for some unholy and greed infested entity.

If you are on the fence with your faith…do not let some heathen on a street corner trying to instigate a fight influence your decisions.  Read the true words of God, they are the ones in red in the New Testament.  A Testament of how to live our lives today and I learned long ago you win friends in conversation, and you lose friends in shouting matches. 

I said I misspoke twice during the evening. During my conversations with good folks on the balconies of the theater, twice I said Pakistanis when I meant to say Palestinians, those that heard it understood the context, but I wanted to clarify that…as God only knows who else might have had a body camera on. 

I regret having to spend my early Sunday morning defending my words & actions, but as I said I know several folks recorded these events and there were certainly 100’s of witnesses.  I would much rather write about the concert, my conversation with Artimus and the other fine folks I met at the venue…which I promise I will do…but I had to clear my head of the events before the concert. 🐝

Go in Peace & Love will Follow.   🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

Matthew 7: 1-6    AMEN 

Chasing Demons

I chased a demon away yesterday.  Do you find that hard to believe?

Well, I do it all the time.  Sometimes there’s even witnesses to see.

We have drifted so far from Godliness; fiction has replaced reality.

Truth stares so many in the face, yet they worship stupidity.

A mission of Faith sees through the noise & listens in silence.

Time is endless with no meaning…when Faith waits in patience.

Our world is so caught up in itself, it can’t see the storm on the horizon.

Throughout history mankind has left a trail of poison.

Like a hidden snake that bites, death & destruction in its wake.

Once a Paradise, now a festering den of vipers awaits.

The demons I chase sneak out of their lairs.

They catch the weak in their unholy snares.

She was screaming at the top of her lungs for minutes on end.

I tried to soothe her with music, but she continued off the deep end.

Finally, I had had enough and shouted back…SHUT THE HELL UP!!!

 

I never saw this woman, from my 3^rd floor balcony all I could hear was her ranting and screaming, not in pain, but in some argument or whatever.  She was disrupting the peace, there’s seven buildings around the courtyard & we all could hear this unhinged woman carry on for well over 10 minutes, which she does regularly & her kids are the loudest on the playground…go figure.  When your emotions cause you to act like an unhinged & rabid animal…you got demons in your head.  

Well, once I shouted from my balcony I went in and did my dishes…oblivious to her rant, because I already knew she was silent.  I finished the dishes and went back to the balcony…Silence, just as nature intended so we can all enjoy the sounds of the birds & trees bending in the breeze.  

Demons come & go…but Faith in the Holy Spirit is Eternal.  The best weapon against any demon, be it physical, emotional or spiritual is prayer…& I pray for peace of mind, peace & quiet & the peace only found in a world void of hate & evil.

We live in a country where momentary rants get attention…for all the wrong reasons.  As far as I’m concerned, free speech does not include speech that is immoral & anti-American.  Protesters that are not even American citizens do not have the same rights to protest as Americans!!!

This country & world is full of Faithful people…it is also filled with misguided people who have let demons take over their intellect.  A country divided falls, time we get rid of the poison that slithers around & separates us & live in the Paradise God intended for us. 🐝

 Go in Peace & Love will Follow. 🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

Zechariah Chapter 5…Revelations 17…AMEN  

A Rumor of Murder

Murder has been around since Cain killed Able out of jealousy (Genesis Chapter 4).  But rumors have been around even longer…since the serpent deceived Adam & Eve (Genesis Chapter 3).  So, if you’re ever asked what came first…rumors or murder…you know the answer.  But really, they are the same.

Wait, what…how can murder be the same as rumors?  Well, according to scriptures they are.  In Romans Chapter 1 versus 28-32, the Apostle Paul includes gossip, slander, & deceit in the same context as murder & all other manner of evil wickedness, verse 32 says all these deserve death.  In the eyes of God, sin is sin, no matter the level of evil we put on it.  In our world perjury might get you five years but murder results in a life sentence.  But spreading falsehoods & murder both result in spiritual deaths according to scriptures.

So how does that make you feel Ms. Busybody with all your false gossip?  How does it make you feel race baiters?  How does it make you feel, liars.  You are all just as guilty as a murderer.

These are hard statements for many to understand, so let me make it easier for you.  For example, your dream job is finally going to happen, you’ve worked hard, paid your dues & now you are about to be awarded the position of CEO of a large corporation.  You stand to make millions of dollars & provide a life for yourself & your family you didn’t think possible, but it’s about to come true.  On the day of the promotion & announcement, you find out it has been cancelled.  Apparently, there’s a story floating around that you made unsavory comments and sexual advances on a coworker…ten years ago!!!  The rumor is false, but the damage is done, you don’t get the promotion…but guess who does…the guy that started the rumor.  See how that works…a rumor just killed that man, maybe not physically, but his dreams are dashed & his hope in the future diminished to a point he becomes an alcoholic and dies at an early age of liver failure.  Think I made that story up?  Well, you’d be wrong about that.

Here's an even easier one, for you youngsters out there.  You are a girl in high school, have a crush on a boy and he’s asked you to the school dance.  You are so excited, but three days before the dance he changes his mind.  Apparently, a rumors going around that puts you in a not so flattering light.  Your friend’s distance themselves from you and you skip the dance, and you find yourself alone, an outcast because of rumors started by who?  The girl that went to the dance with your crush, but you’re the one crushed emotionally & as things get worse & spiral out of control…you kill yourself.   

Now I ask you…when is a rumor equal to murder?  In our world it is when jealousy, hate, envy, greed, and power lust make people do & say things that impact others in sometimes severe ways.  No one charges the coworker or high schooler with murder, no one knows they were the root of the deception, but the results are two dead people.  Think I made that up, well you’d be wrong about that too.

Family matters are even worse.  People will tell lies that can split families in two, separating families and causing great emotional distress, all for selfish reasons.  What is the result...satan wins again as he inserts deception into an otherwise peaceful family.  In the corporate world, financial rumors can be a boom or bust.  In the political world, lives are slandered, races are won & lost by the false lips of chatter, spread by a world wide web of deceit.  We have very recent examples of that, need I say more!!!

So, to all you rumor starters & deceivers out there (media included) know your deeds are not unnoticed, just as the murderer faces trial, so will you…it just might not be in a courtroom you’re used to.

And if you hear an unsubstantiated rumor, don’t repeat it, ask the serpent for some proof, before you bite from that apple, otherwise your life may never be the same.  

Be Honest, Be Truthful & Be Loved.

Bryan A. Stross 11/28/2023 6:05 PM EST 

A Plural Personality

Not sure how many folks may read this, but I know there are at least 14 who will…& that’s a good thing.  It’s a very lonely & frustrating feeling to know at times that no one cares & no one listens.  I get it, we’re all wrapped up in our day-to-night world & we do what we do to make it by.  But then we begin to wonder at some point in our lives, what is important, what are our individual lives culminating to be?

Unfortunately, our world today has drifted more towards individualism which erodes a stable community.  Lone wolves & untamed stallions wreak havoc on peaceful pastures.  The same is true in any society.  We all have our dreams & aspirations.  I ask you…are yours of you, or of them?  Are your goals for selfish gain or worldly wealth?  You cannot have it both ways, but you can gain yourself while making the world wealthier.  Should that not be all our dreams…to make the world better than we found it & in so doing enrich ourselves in ways that money & possession has no equal or claim. 

It is hard to explain to those clouded in confusion.  But to those of you that are searching & have seen the subtle clues along your life’s journey & to those that have found the hidden treasure buried deep within yourself, we owe it to those who are lost…but have not given up hope or faith.  We are obligated to share the trinkets of knowledge we’ve uncovered, or this world will never know true wisdom & love.

Last week in Church Pastor Garrett said he knew everyone had at least one thing in their lives they would like to change.  One thing, at least, that you need to pray & work on to be a better person for yourself & those around you.  I have a couple of not so healthy habits, but that is not what I struggle with most in my individual quest of developing into a better person…physically, intellectually & spiritually.  You see, it starts there…right there…with you & only you.  What can you do personally that will help the world around you be a better place.  For some it is basic & simple, for others it can be complex & confusing.

I don’t know your situation or what you would choose to make better in your life, but for me it is very easy to identify.  The one thing I pray every day for (often more than once) is controlling my temper.  It is interesting how the Lord can help you in your efforts if you are faithful & sincere.  A couple of days ago I looked at a sign that said DANGER…for the first time though I read between the letters of that word and what resides there…. ANGER.  Just a subtle reminder.  I saw that “sign” and thanked God for that little jab…now when I get upset over some trivial matter…I think of those words & how letting your anger get the better of you can lead to dangers for yourself & those around you.

This also brought thoughts to me of why myself & so many folks have these shifts in personality at times that make us unrecognizable to others & even ourselves in reflection.  If you are one of the fourteen folks who visit this blog regularly you know my past…if you are new to it, well my past is scattered all thru the messages of this blog.  But to save you some time what I’m referring to is my own struggles through my life to not only control my temper, which affects how people perceive me, but also to stay positive even when in negative situations.  Well, in my defense mankind & science, which does its unholy best to diminish spirituality, has provided me with an excuse for my sometimes-angry behavior & shifting plural personalities.

You see, I was born on April 20^th…I do not believe in horoscopes & such, but curiosity gets all of us at times.  So, if you know a bit about astrology then you know that is the “cusp” of Aries & Taurus, or the end of one & the beginning of another.  The pagan sky watchers believe that if your birthdate is on a cusp….you have traits of both.  As I said, mankind & science in its infinite stupidity, has given me the excuse I need to spit in its face…once again.  

Here are some of the “traits” pagans believe: Aries, the ram, uses skill to climb sheer mountain walls…Taurus, the bull, uses strength to go thru the mountain.  Spiritually the ram is a provider, the bull is a protector.  Aries thinks things thru, Taurus just tramples the trail.  So, when someone questions my words or actions, they have already provided me with a built in excuse…according to the stars anyway, I’m a little of both.  But I don’t need the stars to tell me that & it’s no defense for hateful words & dangerous deeds.

I am not a ram or a bull…I am a living person, just as you are & together even thru our shifting times, we can make ourselves better individually which leads to personal growth & happiness, which leads to a better you and a better world for all of us.  

This is my cherished dream of individual worth with shared love & understanding for all, in a civil & moral nation & world environment.  In God We Trust. ✨

Bryan A. Stross 11/25/2023  9:11 AM EST 🐝

Romans Chapter 13: 8-14 Written by the Apostle Paul to the Roman Church in the year 57 A.D.

Romans 13:12… “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness & put on the armor of light.”  AMEN.   

P.S.  Please forgive me for my occasional bursts of temper…it’s hard to be a bull and climb a mountain…but I promise you when I get there….I’ll share the view. 🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

Oh Megan, What Have You Done?

What do we have to gain if God does not exist?  On the contrary, we have everything to lose.

Just this week Megan Rapinoe, the United States female soccer super star, said after a tore achilleas tendon, six minutes into her final game in the USWSL championship game, ended her retirement party prematurely…quote,” I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God, like, this is proof there isn’t.”  What a selfish, horrible, senseless, and spiritless thing to say.  Many have rushed to her defense saying…” she didn’t mean it” ….” It was a joke.”  Well, the jokes on her & her defenders & it’s not funny at all, for them.

You cannot have it both ways.  Say something, get backlash, then say it’s a joke…or hear something, create backlash, regardless of the fact it was a joke.  The woke joke mob twists words to suit their twisted agenda.  Megan is a spiritless individual who apparently has no qualms about her sealed fate.

She is like many others who have been so distracted from the truth, their whole world is one big lie.  They create avatars of themselves…why???  Because they’re unhappy with reality.  The reality that no matter what color you dye your hair…your roots never change. 

I guess Megan is so ignorant to the Bible that she doesn’t realize there are two deadly & unforgivable sins we as humans can do.  One is killing innocent people for no reason other than hate & doing it in the name of God.  The other is denouncing God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit…turning your back to the Trinity & even worse dragging others with you screaming & cursing into your own created hell.

It is time to stop mincing words & start slicing off some snake heads.  For too, too long loud obnoxious, whiny, screaming crybabies have had their way.  Like any good parent…it’s time for a time out.  Megan Rapinoe is a hero to many young girls, but as parents you should caution your young ones about who they admire.  Just because you’re good at scoring goals in a game, doesn’t mean you’re good at life skills as an adult, nor does it mean you have any kind of moral upbringing or standing.

We see this every hour of every day.  So called stars, leaders, heroes, influencers…influencing their degraded moral standards and lack of American Patriotism on your children.  Do you want that?  Do you want your daughter to be a purple haired, God hating, sexually immoral hypocrite?  Do you want your five-year-old to be confused about being a boy or a girl?  Do you want your kid to be raising a Palestinian flag instead of an American flag?  Do you want what London has…overrun with foreigners that care less about England and more about killing Jews?  Do you want your kids spray painting hateful messages on national monuments?  I hope you answered NO…but you know what?  Turn the news on the right channels and you’ll see it unfolding before your very eyes.

Sometimes I even wonder if what I’m seeing is real.  I see massive pro-Palestine rallies, but who is attending these hate marches?  Well do a little research, ask a few questions, you’ll find out.  Roughly 30% are here on student visas…NOT EVEN AMERICANS!!!  Don’t you have to be a citizen to enjoy our freedoms to their fullest extent?  I would hope so, but apparently not.  Another 40% are young Americans that to be honest will protest anything that goes against their perceptions of “the man” …or the government, or any semblance of National order & sanity.

Today’s woke mob is far from enlightened.  They are foolish & are wasting their lives in a godless reality (for them anyway) that will all come crashing down, just like tore tendons in your final game.  You see Megan there is a lesson here for you & many others…Not only did your team lose to the underdog, who finished last in the standings last year, the event was sponsored by guess who??  Yeah you got it…Bud Light, who lost one of their influencers six minutes into the game.  

But most importantly Megan, you say your injury is proof there is no God… I say just the opposite…it proves there is, and you should take that proof and humble yourself to its reality.  In all your glory days you never once gave Him glory…now He shows you who’s boss and you want to use it to reinforce your godless reality & drag others with you.  Know this Megan, just as all arrogant, selfish, godless, hate filled people should…”” God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole Earth.”” (NLT) Matthew 5:5.

All of us need to take a hard look at ourselves first.  Get right what needs to be made right.  We cannot begin to cure the ills of our Nation…until we cure what ails us individually.  I have used harsh words in this message, but it is time someone did…& who am I…no one…just another humble inheritor.

Go in Peace & Love Will Follow.  🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

11/14/2023 6:00 PM EST

All Saint’s Day 2023