#killthemessenger

And as you can imagine, I am torn by this knowledge which seems to clash against David Brooks since it's like I'm batting at 0:50 as a ratio for all the times I have invited people to Church. I think I give off that stench of death which GOD says, hello because I can't say your life is going to get great bc I know it's not, it's probably going to tank big time but better a little pain now than everlasting torment.

I think it's back to the drawing board for me, just observe & write it down later, they can get a prayer or something can bring the waking salts to them. But maybe this has more to do with the whole concept of judging a person by their outward appearance, we compliment one another but it's always only ever superficial since no one ever wants to share the ugly truth & risk #killthemessenger

Imagine if you're walking & talking with someone, and you're all just shooting the breeze, but they are old and they have already had a run-in with a deadly injury which can only get worse with time.

And I know I come off as a stereotypical Californian beach bum [prodigal wild child], which I am, but shouldn't that scare the daylights out of you when someone so nonchalant about life can tell you the following:

"I hope you go to Church today," when I myself do not like going & I am going..??? It is like the leopard that is sitting peacefully beside a lamb & it is not laying a paw on it. As in I am not even denigrating it one bit, I am actively promoting it as a prescription to cure the true cause of your date with death which we are all afflicted with [sin].

I calm myself with the quote about the Queen of the South, as in I don't think the innocent native exists because I am from a Muslim Nation, who grew up going from party to party, in this meaningless onslaught of pleasure seeking. You don't need a Church to know that GOD exists, HE literally does draws you to HIMSELF.

And the more I think about it, when you read Ecclesiastes, the main thing to hit you is how much Solomon stressed he had drowned himself in all the things the world offered & still felt unfulfilled or emptier than ever.. which is to say that the Queen of the South, a relative wild child who had no restraint & all the world handed to her on a golden platter: Still chose to pursue the wisdom of GOD, which she spared no expense doing, coming from the ends of the Earth to do so; & will rise again to condemn the wicked & perverse generation.

[yikes] Yet another pearl of great price, rich young ruler, upper room discourse, add it to the in-your-face prosperity gospel trumpeters, who preach against this mindset of giving up the substance of your house to get GOD. Even Psalms 119 says so, I think there are a lot of false teachers who are incriminated by this mind set on Earthly things. The "have your cake & eat it too," which is funny considering the guy said too many treats makes him sick.

In the 90's there was this ad campaign for Caramel Chocolate which was built on the intrigue of our need to know: What is the meaning of life? And it was airing quite a lot, but that in itself is rubbing your face in the monotonous ebb of life, that keeps repeating without end, bc who in the world stops their pursuit of happiness—but more to the point who stops asking themselves: Why does nothing ever last?

I was telling this guy I met last week the latest haunting bit of Scripture I read & freaked out about was in the OT, where GOD says how much HE hates Edom; and that no matter what Edom builds, HE will tear it down with HIS Hands, and if Edom rebuilds it, HE will keep tearing every single attempt down.

Now if you have never heard RC Sproul tell you his favourite bit of Scripture, or I forget it could only be the one that transitioned his time-card swiping Christianity to one of sobriety & earnest fervour:

It is "when a tree falls in the forest, there it lies."

For me same difference, but more so bc I really thought I was already hitting that pitch where I am only ever trying to think about GOD & learn from HIM.