Wild Horses

 It has been said that how a person treats animals is ultimately how he treats people.  We have seen proof of this with murderers who in their earlier years mistreated animals, even family pets.  This evil manifests over time & soon they start killing.  When their satisfaction in the death of innocent animals isn’t enough, they turn their misguided hate towards people.  Regular folks cannot understand how a seemingly mild-mannered person could become so violent.  And sadly, the folks out there that have lapses in moral judgement often can’t understand their actions either.

But the real threats are with those who know exactly what they are doing.  Many of the people that have committed heinous acts of violence to animals & people do it because they view the animals as a nuisance and the people as a problem.  They feel they must take matters into their own hands, to disrupt nature & eliminate perceived threats to solve their issues.

As an example, wild horses.  The Bureau of Land Management in this country kills 1000’s every year.  The horses wander onto farmlands and other areas and are removed.  If not rescued & adopted into equine shelters, they are killed and used for dog food.  But we let untold millions of people into this country to use our resources, resources that don’t last forever and we actually encourage this migration.  This influx of people stresses our nation in many ways.  So, I ask myself…when is our government going to start killing us, since they started long ago with horses.

Our government funds horrid experiments on animals.  I wonder, when will they start doing them on us?  Well, in many ways they already have.  And it isn’t just our government…as the world goes the mistreatment of people, animals & the nature around us has been going on for far, far too long in every corner of the globe.  The end result if left to continue… is a land devoid of life. 

Through my years I have hated things, but it is how we deal with these emotions that separates good from evil.  I have 100’s of witnesses that can testify to my love of animals & my fellow man.  But that doesn’t mean I have to love every animal & person out there.  If a dog bares his teeth and growls at me…I know how to deal with that…I either sooth the beast or walk away…but I never turn my back on hate & evil, it’s too unpredictable…I’ve been bitten before.  By the same token you can tell when a dog just wants some compassion & companionship.  The tails wagging & the demeanor is of happiness, not distrust…& this dog may not even know you.  Your reaction to their actions is called communication. Even if you cannot speak to each other in verbal language…body signals, eye contact, a smile, all lead to comfort & a sense of sharing, even if it’s just unspoken emotions. 

Love is silent and giving, hate is loud & conniving.

Today we see hate on display in all parts of our country & the world.  You can see it on the news, read it in the paper & scroll thru it on your devices…it is how we deal with it as a society & a world that decides if we stand up…or walk away.  There are untold amounts of commentary on the evils people do to each other.  Sometimes we see what people do to animals, even animals with nothing but love in their hearts. But what are the animals feeling?  What do the other horses that escaped on the range think of when they see their friends & families taken, never to be seen again?  You can ask a person, how about a horse?

I want to share a story I saw on-line.  A horse trailer had two horses as it traveled down the hi-way.  The horses were facing forward with feed bags of hay in front of them.  Their halters were strapped so they couldn’t really move much.  They had blinders on to calm them as they slowly munched on hay.

It was an enclosed trailer with side windows for ventilation that were open…no screens.  These windows went from the front of the trailer to about the shoulder area of each horse…the horses were side by side in their stalls.  So, you have this picture in your head…each horse was basically blind, munching hay & strapped to their stalls.  Suddenly a semi-truck starts blaring its horn at the drivers of the trailer.  The semi-driver is frantic motioning for them to pull over.  They finally do only to realize to their horror the trailer is on fire in the front half & they are helpless to do anything about it.  The trailer is eventually fully engulfed in flames.  The drivers are devastated as their beloved horses are gone…forever.

The drivers of the trailer, the owners of the horses, can only assume somehow a lit cigarette was thrown out a passing window and got caught up in one of the hay bails & started the fire.  There were no sources of flame anywhere around the horses or in the trailer…an unfortunate accident resulting in the horrific death of two horses.  I read this story and had other thoughts about how the fire started, but that wasn’t my first thoughts…my first thoughts were about those horses, thoughts like a nightmare.

It is probable it was a careless accident, but it is also possible a deranged person flicked that lit cigarette in the direction of those horses on purpose, a lucky shot if you will, but not so lucky for the horses.  But this is the real message I want to deliver:

Can you imagine being blinded, chained to a rail, food stuffed in front of you, and you are surrounded by unfamiliar loud noises.  You can not move, except to chew your food, you are naked and it’s a long trip so when you must pee or poo…you just go, right where you’re standing.  Suddenly your whole face and head is on fire…you can not move, the pain is unbearable, the horror as your skin melts off your face and you eventually die of a heart attack from the sheer horror of pain & worse off, you were blinded and strapped and had no way to get out of the hellish nightmare, a nightmare to real for these peaceful creatures.  It brings shivers to my soul & my spirit cries for their horror…but then I ask myself…am I any different than these horses?  Am I not strapped into this life that I have no real control over.  Am I just another bag of flesh & bones with a feed bag?  Am I also destined to die a fiery death?  No, no & no.

Unlike a helpless horse, you do have control of your life, you are more than skin & bones & your death does not have to be a fiery hell.  You have choices…choices that can determine your walk in this life, choices that determine your spiritual path.  Maybe you don’t believe you have a soul & a spirit, maybe you think it doesn’t matter, maybe you think you’ll just return to the ground for the worms to eat or be incinerated with your ashes scattered to the winds.  But maybe there is more to this life than meets our eyes.  If you are blind, strapped and need help, what will you do?  Well, if you’re blinded you can still talk right…so you scream, yell & shout for a savior.  Your damn heads on fire, yeah, you’ll be screaming!!!!

That’s how I see a lot of our society & our world today.  Too many folks blinded to the realities around them, strapped to their way of life, with their head filled with the deceptions of mankind…their heads are on fire with hate & ignorance to a point where they chant & scream & protest & conceive of ways to eliminate what they feel is tormenting them…some lose grip & resort to violence & sadly some don’t even know why they lost grip with conscience reality & let their subconscious demons take over.

But there are far too many folks out there that know exactly what they are doing.  Their agenda is of hate and elimination of anyone & anything that even minutely disagrees with their cause.  There is no room for compromise because they are born & taught a hate so deep that it permeates their entire existence.  And what is this hate they really have…not of you & me…no sir, ultimately, they hate themselves and, in their hate, they do what is unthinkable to you & me.  

I pray every day for hate to be removed from this Earth, because I know there is only one way to get rid of evil & that’s to find it, sooth it if possible & if not, kill it with Love, so it never returns, otherwise it will continue to scream & destroy ...turning peaceful dreams into hateful nightmares, just go ask a wild horse.  No, really…look an innocent animal in the eye, touch it if it will let you and if you are sincere & at peace with yourself & God…you will feel the feelings of innocence.  Once felt, let that feeling remain.  🪶🐴🐝.   Matthew Chapter 22 ✨✝️🕊️

Clarity in Confusion

 The Words shared with me this morning are from 1^st Corinthians, 1^st Timothy & the Gospel of John. 

Sad to think that first sentence caused several folks to stop reading & leave.  But on the bright side it caused many more to continue to read.  Such is the way of life & we are helpless to change it, or are we?

I once wrote…” you must cower & crawl before you can delight in life’s shower.”  Looking back now I often wonder if I just thought that up or was once told or read it.  The fact is we all somehow learn different things in different ways throughout this life & it is what we personally prioritize that eventually forms our core values, beliefs, words & actions. 

But there is a problem.  That problem is with those that prioritize their own self-worth & happiness over those of others.  This does not mean we all should have the same things in life, that is impossible & foolish to even consider.  But we can all work towards the same goals of common decency.

Many years ago, I realized life was full of distractions.  Distractions that lead you away from true wealth & happiness.  I was searching for answers of understanding & all I was being left with was confusion.  I realized that all the answers I ever needed were in the most widely dispersed & read Book in the history of this world.  I also realized that I could not receive the understanding I sought unless I humbled myself & asked for clarity in prayer.  This guidance has helped me recognize & deal with many distractions.

And what has this clarity delivered?  The ability to offer you this today, Saturday October 21, 2023:

What I offer is nothing you do not already have.  And what you have is the ability to pray & ask for guidance & clarity.  Pray & ask for understanding & if you are sincere, you will receive it. It is promised.  My Faith reveals to me the simple fact that words are often the first step in deception.  Words are often twisted & changed or made up to support a diabolical decision or deed.  So, I will not say much at all about these passages, they speak for themselves & I have faith that if you pray for understanding & read them, they will speak clearer than I ever could.

1st Corinthians, a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.  The city of Corinth mirrored our own big cities like New York in many ways, chief among which was their love of money & lavish living.  The Greeks even coined a phrase “to Corinthianize” which meant to live shamelessly & immorally (NIV Zondervan Press Student Bible © 2006, pg. 1223).  1^st Corinthians is a snapshot of history, factual proven history.  You could study & comment on it for days, but just look at chapter 10 versus 23-33.  Verse 24 specifically says, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (NIV)

1^st Timothy, a letter written by the apostle Paul to his young brother in Faith Timothy, calls out the love of money & its destructive ways.  Chapter 6 verse 10…”For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…”  The haves & the have nots have been fighting since Cain slew Abel…that was a long time ago, or was it yesterday.  Again, Paul’s letter to Timothy could be discussed for hours, but read it for yourself…it is a short six chapters & ends with cautioning Timothy to…” guard what has been entrusted to your care & turn away from godless chatter….” (6:20 NIV)

John Chapter 20 to me is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible.  Why???  Because it documents Jesus Resurrection & this one verse speaks to me with absolute clarity.  Jesus is speaking with Thomas, one of the disciples, in verse 20:29… Then Jesus told him, “” Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”” (NIV).  Those Words by Jesus my friends, provide all the clarity in a confusing world, you will ever need. 🐝

 Go in Peace & Love will Follow 🙏🇺🇸🙏🇮🇱🙏✝️

Message to the Stars

Priorities change…but they are not mine.  Just when you think you got it planned out…fate throws you a curveball.  Through this blog, my poor man’s ministry, I have been trying to build on a foundation.

A foundation built on rock & good soil, with fresh clear water flowing & lush trees surrounding.  I have seen this creation, built by men & women long ago…the river is unbroken & the trees stand tall.

To build on this foundation is not easy…. & many have failed.  But many, many more have been successful & that makes the foundation stronger & easier to contribute too.  A strong foundation can withstand the weight of many additions…but one must watch for cracks that stress its strength.

These words, like all the others on this blog, are there for reasons I do not always understand.  But I know this…everyone of them has been read by multitudes of people, some obviously more than others, & for that I have the understanding that what is given must be returned…or more is not given.

Some who read these, or other words are confused.  Some of the simplest & most widespread messages mankind knows…are lost in a translation of deception.  Not my words…I am alive to explain, defend & celebrate my own words…but ancient words, left misunderstood & unsolved in their meaning.  All I can say is that when the Lord sees fit for us to understand all the mysteries of this life…we will.

As part of adding to the foundation of Faith that has been established in this world, I wonder how best to build my own addition, as we all have, in establishing a comfortable life for ourselves & loved ones.  

Throughout history we see the conflicts that arise when two or more foundations meet or when established foundations are stressed & crowded.  Nobody is right if we are all wrong & nobody is wrong when they feel they are right.  So where does the truth lie?  Buried in a crypt with words no one understands?  Or in simple manuscripts of wisdom & history to guide us on our journey of right & wrong.

Everyday I wake up I wonder what to say.  Do I share old words or new?  Often time dictates, as repeating words is fast & easy…creation takes time.  And as I think about the day ahead, I realize there is so much more than sharing words, old or new, in some machine-driven electronic cloud.  I often wonder who reads these words, but only because I can’t look a machine in the eye.  A machine has no soul…you do.  A machine can lie & get away with it because it has the ultimate cold dark stare.  A machine has no feelings because it has no soul to drive its spirit…you do.

So, as I have said before I realized long ago words are cheap…actions take & have costs.  Words can be a twisted mystery; actions are documented history.  But in this world, we have more than just words & actions of an emotional & physical reality…we also have the words & actions that speak & guide us to an unknown & unseen future, a future that was sealed long before the beginning of time, as we know it.

As part of my journey in this life I realized I needed to act to prove my worth in this world.  I strived to do the simple things others overlooked to stand out from a crowded field.  I learned that the subtle approach works better than force, as I tried to live the words I read & wrote.  We live in confusing & dangerous times, to some…but to others what is happening in our world today is clear as a bell & we rest easy knowing the eventual outcome of any conflict, be it personal or global…is in the Hands of a Loving & Caring Father God, His Son Jesus Christ, His Army of Angels & us as the Church in Prayer. 

Do not be afraid of these times, reflect on them & continue to build your foundation of Faith.  Use the words of the past to console you, use the words of the present to guide you, but always remember your actions build a strong foundation, let your actions be of Peace & Love will follow.  (Revelations 20:7). ✨✝️🕊️

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare 10/10/2023

While most of us here in the United States enjoyed a good night's sleep...many in this world were not as fortunate.  As you slept in your bed, I was awake with my dreams.  Dreams that have inspired, driven, tormented & consoled me my whole life.  And now, I see these dreams happening before my eyes.

It is October 10th, 2023, evil has been on full display for quite some time and now it has emboldened itself to attack what it hates most.  In this country we are mostly isolated from true evil.  Many do not know the horrors of war and very few know the true face of evil.  It is now on display in a hate filled manifestation by radical terrorists in Israel since this past Saturday.  A nightmare shattering dreams.

I will not rehash what you can see on the news & other media sources.  Rather I will share with you what my Faith has consoled & revealed to me, while most of the country was sleeping.

As our countries leaders have tried for years to convince us that global warming & climate change was the biggest threat to humankind...the real threat grew and infiltrated the minds of the innocent.  There is proof of this throughout our recent history and since I have done since a teenager, I make the effort to understand what is happening around me & yesterday was no different.  I prayed and asked God for guidance.  I prayed for this world, for those affected by this madness, but I also said prayers I rarely say & hold in reserve for when evil raises its ugly heads to disrupt God's Creation.

That by the way is what evil hates the most.  God's Creation because their agenda is an accumulation of hate whereas God's Creation is the totality of Love.  Religious & territorial disputes are what we see on the surface in this emotional & physical world we live in.  But there is much more at stake & in battle, than what we see in this physical world & in the emotions we live & dream with.  

So, I ask God, what can I do from here, a half a world away?  The answer is simple...it's in the previous paragraphs.  My best weapon, and yours, is prayer...and believe what you want, prayers have, are and will continue to be answered.  After all, this is Spiritual warfare & we all know who has the real power in this battle.  Here is a quick recap of how prayer works & just one snapshot of history.    

As I have said before and continue to do, often after I say a prayer for understanding I open my Bible or one of my reference books and see what it says.  Answers don't jump off the page, but I read and then think about what I was directed to.  Yesterday as I tried to wrap my head around what I was seeing on Fox & CNN, I opened my Holman's Bible Dictionary to page 1124...Milcom was the word I was focused on.  I had never heard this word, which is the title of a false god, translation being "king."  (Holman's Bible dictionary (c) 2003 Nashville, Tenn. pg. 1124.) This Milcom character/title was the national god of the territory of Ammon around 1000 B.C. until King David defeated the king of Ammon & took his crown (2nd Samuel 12:30).  This cult was revived to a degree in Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon.  This was the result of his marriage to several foreign wives who worshipped this pagan god.  He even had sanctuaries dedicated to Milcom erected on the Mt. of Olives at his wives' request.  In 621 B.C. Josiah destroyed these sanctuaries (2nd Kings 23:13).  The prophet Zephaniah, around 640 B.C., declared worshipping Milcom was turning your back to God (Zephaniah 1:5-6).  For context Ammon territory bordered Israel to the east in these times and all thru the Old Testament, our ancient history, there have been conflicts between the Ammonites & Israelis.

All these conflicts have something in common.  It is the result of a clash between good & evil, between God loving & pagan idol worship.  What is common...is Spiritual warfare.  Why do I say this?  Because even the pagans pray to their idol gods.  So, there we have it, whose prayers will be answered?  Just look thru history, there's 1000's of examples of good triumphing over evil.  Where the forces of a loving but vengeful God, squashed the forces of hate & idolatry.  History repeats, tomorrow is no different.

So, you see there have been conflicts in this area of the world for not two or three generations, but 100's of generations and many are prophesized, realized & documented with archeological proof.  

This is spiritual warfare, and you can be a warrior on whichever side you choose.  I can tell you the god these terrorists serve is not anywhere near the God I worship & pray to.  Killing innocent babies in the name of any god is unacceptable, & to use God's name in doing so is a deadly spiritual sin that there is no forgiveness for.  This is what is meant spiritually to use God's name in vain.  

In closing I will say this.  The world witnessed true hate & evil the past few days.  Petty concerns over gender identity, sexual preferences, diversity, climate change, race & partisan politics have nothing, nothing compared to the horrors of war.  And this is beyond just physical & emotional war, it is a Spiritual war and I have Faith that you will do your small but significant part in praying for a quick resolution to hostilities.  

Hostilities that could leave our world in ash and a metallic mist, but that's not how the story ends...is it. 

Have a safe rest of the week...enjoy your freedoms, just don't forget how fragile they are.  🙏🇮🇱✝️🇺🇸🙏

Bryan A. Stross    @ 7:48 PM EST 

Book of Daniel Chapter 8:25 AMEN