No Joys To Seek In The Nether World, so don't be greedy here/+ updates

 "Happy the man whose mouth brings him no grief, who is not stung by remorse for sin.  Happy the man whose conscience does not reproach him, who has not lost hope.

Wealth ill becomes the mean man; and to the miser, of what use is gold?

What he denies himself he collects for others, and in his possessions a stranger will revel.

To whom will he be generous who is stingy with himself and does not enjoy what is his own?

None is more stingy than he who is stingy with himself; he punishes his own miserliness. 

If ever he is generous, it is by mistake; and in the end he displays his greed.  In the miser's opinion his share is too small; he refuses his neighbor and brings ruin on himself.

The miser's eye is rapacious for bread, but on his own table he sets it stale.

My son, use freely whatever you have and enjoy it as best you can; remember that death does no tarry, nor have you been told the grave's appointed time.

Before you die, be good to your friend, and give him a share in what you possess.

Deprive not yourself of present good things, let no choice portion escape you.

Will you not leave your riches to others, and your earnings to be divided by lot?

Give, take and treat yourself well, for in the nether world there are no joys to seek.

All flesh grows old, like a garment; the age-old law is: All must die.

As with the leaves that grow on a vigorous tree: one falls off and another sprouts--So with the generations of flesh and blood:

one dies and another is born.

All man's works will perish in decay, and his handiwork will follow after him."

--Sirach 14:1-19 NAB

-------------------------------------------

I grabbed one of my many bibles the other day, and quick opened it "randomly" to this report above ^

Anyway... a lot going on on all sides.  I'm always pressing on, despite the slog and ruckus. . . . 

The world is and always has been pressing in in it's own way (especially now with our youngest son having hit the "big time" (music biz stuff, number one song in the "world", "Beautiful Things"....hit in the music biz world which I turned MY back on early on, and have warned of, soul-wise, for him since a child--but each to their own, and, so far, as far as I know, he has not "gone into the basement" (I've warned him: "just don't go into the basement where the dark things happen AND THEY GET IT ON tape" .... cuz then they/he got you hard.... the devil got you, suckered you .... 

Well...  AND meanwhile, ... apparently my danged ol' grandpa's artwork was just featured AGAIN on that tv show "American Pickers" last night... I guess his artwork and stuff is "collectible" so they say.... 

A bit surreal, lol... 

BUT, so, definitely got a heads up re swirling surreal interest about.... And, likewise do appreciate, adhere to that, we are to be in the world but not OF it.....

Meanwhile.... I've just been painting, praying, cooking, thinking, writing, doing workaday world as given and grateful for every living moment!.... taking care of family--the couple boys with some special needs still at home...lovely persevering wife of 40 yrs. plus 2 gettin' old dogs, The Bruce and Dude.

And, of course, I'm well aware of the agitprop and geo-political usual machinations going on....It's all basically Marxist/Globalist/satanic drivel as I long ago predicted it would be.... Yup. 

Nevertheless, as always . . . . . . . staying focused on, and praising above all, GOD ALMIGHTY, amidst the swirling battles, storms, depravations, insinuations and odd surreal worldly appurtenances/annoyances and blessings.... 

bro t

:)  

If You Find Yourself....PRAISE GOD!

 So . . . my friend wrote back . . . and I read the first  sentence and was slightly afeared that he was going to say all the hell, demon, scary talk . . . was something that he just couldn't abide, or that he doubted such things, ie., couldn't "imagine a 'loving god' creating such a world/reality".  

But turns out, he simply said, in so many words, that he was glad I had such visions rather than him!, because . . . his own memory of past sins was enough torment already! . . . and that, (as every Believer has experienced, I dare say) he so much as said, "how could God forgive ME, after all I've done and not done!"

THAT is a beautiful response!

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom!  

What is lacking in these days of ubiquitous distraction and fluffing and marginalizing the potential destitution of our mortal, fallen situation?  

THIS: THE GLORIOUS, RIGHTEOUS, LOVING, SINCERE and HOLY SPIRIT ENLIGHTENED FEAR OF GOD!

HE IS REAL!

HELL IS REAL!

HEAVEN IS REAL!

THIS in-between-ish worldly mortal state IS REAL and important!

It's not a fantasy.  It is not a Disney movie.  It is not up for grabs.  

When the Holy Spirit convicts your Spiritual heart and soul, and (GOD WILLING) body too!.... Then you will find yourself flat down on face, in awe, in worship, in love, and yes, in righteous fear of THE ONE ONLY TRUE GOD OF ALL!

The way is strait and narrow.  Many are "called" . . . but few are chosen.  

If and when you find yourself chosen . . . all you can do is, yet again, give thanks and adulation to The One Who Saved you.!  All glory and thanks and praise always and only go to HIM, The Savior of humankind........ (sidenote, btw, not a fan of the series "the chosen"). 

When times get rough, you will find yourself considering that NO suffering you will, or have, or are experiencing now REMOTELY compares to what Jesus took upon Himself--the unblemished sacrifice, Who suffered ALL for ALL!  

An innocent man AND God Himself!  Beaten, tortured, lied on, maligned, abused, spit on, whipped, mocked, tempted, thrashed, bleeding, DYING on behalf of those who love and choose and worship The Father ABOVE ALL!  ABOVE ALL!!!

AND THEN HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.  The FIRSTBORN from the dead, resurrected! PROOF!

Take heart, if you find yourself recognizing THE PROOF . . . AND being Spoken to and acknowledging and believing in, and striving for, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and The Father--THE ONE TRUE AND ONLY GOD!

(Whose Word testifies Thereof!)

AMEN!

A Note To A Friend (and to you)

This is my safe space, this now longtime "blog"..... where I can and love to just share only what is Spiritually given, God willing, and Hear and appreciate you.

The following is a text message I recently sent to an old musician friend, who was typical atheist back-in-the-day .... We met via musical interests . . . back around 2000AD... Love the dude.. sweet... super talented, one of the over-looked--we've collaborated on a few albums worth of work, amidst the day-to-day worldly survival lives we were both living meanwhile. Our "project" was under the name I came up with at the time, "The Most Fallen".

.....ANYWAY... as I continued to evangilize to him, (C.S. Lewis was a good entry angle)... he went from atheist/agnostic . . . to a Believer!... as we continued texting and talking and doing music. Praise God!   

(sidenote... Music-wise.... he got me to appreciating the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson... and I got him into realizing Bowie's musical acumen/nuance and catalog. 

So... most of all ... GOD ... and God talk with family, friends and fellows is, for me, most important above all..

So the below is what I wrote [anything in brackets is my added notes, btw, otherwise, as usual when I relate these inside missives, I will keep the text grammar/verbiage as is... fwiw:) 

PRAISE GOD is THE END RESULT... FOREVER!!!!!!

Well... and he has just responded since this... which I think will make for an interesting, hopefully edifying message, sharing, as I know we experience similar trajectories as we move ALONG THE WAY . . . amidst the Spiritual confluences, internal questions, and usual intensities that Believers experience...  especially now, cutting edge....

-------------------------------------------------------

"Spiritual sidenote... (Sorry, just venting . . . to a friend:)  you!  One of my only friends still standing . . . who actually has a brain and soul and gets nuance.

I got a vision of Hell.  several months ago....

...and it has been and is continuing to scare the hell out of me.

This life is a vapor... I've always been seeking God, it's all through my lyrics ...  But what I was shown--unexpected and out of the blue, was a slap in the face, wake-up call.

. . . . It shook me to my core, because, ie., compared to all the tawdry, stupid, worldly nonsense going on all around us in the world, I've tended to think, "hey, I'm doing alright comparatively...."

But... whew.. just like when I experienced the initial "great dressing down" (as I've described it--the four hour vision April 16th, 2004 in St. George, UT) . . . when I was in a def scary state of things--that's when Jesus came and showed me all my awful actual being [hypocrisy, sins] it went on for hours [I saw the future, I saw across the veil into the intermediary dimensions . . . I suspect the "2nd heaven"]

Well . . . anyway

I believe that's when I got "born again" as they say... and I did pull out of a very dangerous trajectory.... and did become a full-blooded Christian/Believer...(at the time, as you recall, I was Vaishnava/Hindu-ish).

Then time passes... and some superficial "backsliding".. here and there, but overall, pretty dang straight.

But then, as He always has, does, He comes back to pull me out of any mire... and, yes, the usual ongoing multitudinous demonic attacks [demons are assigned to you at birth, via generational legionary assignments, btw] those legions who hate it when you PERSERVERE!....

I indeed saw a snippet of literal hell... and it's biblical... and now I'm wanting to do anything and everything (especially the talents gifted, ie., musical, while still alive .... ) to glorify Him.. and walk the narrow path...

Not so simple.. but maybe it can be.. as pertains to still being in the world but not of it.

Forgive me getting a few things off my chest.. just in the midst of the holy battle. Love you btw.   Appreciate YOUR perseverance and friendship always and ongoing!"

   

Do Not Let Up In Desire To Know And Please God!

 "I am sensible of my natural corruption, which renders me incapable of all supernatural good, and prone to all evil: but cast myself on the mercies of a God who can bring much out of little, as He produced all things out of nothing; since it is not sufficient for me to know my own nothingness, and that I ought to glory in nothing save only in my infirmities; I should also (for this is most important) be guided by a humble diffidence in myself, and a firm confidence in God, to whom nothing is impossible.  

"When I find no consolation in man, then it is I feel indeed the happy necessity to have recourse in God, and of depending upon Him; happy that, all being wanting to me, without Thee.  O Lord, I should find my all in Thee!  Well might holy Job thus express himself: Thine eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.  For when I think of Thee, my God! I feel within me an ardent desire of pleasing Thee, and everything disappears from before me, when Thou dost present Thyself to my soul."

---------

This was given to me to impart today and bears (fwiw) the gist of my ongoing, current modus operandi, mentally, spiritually . . . in these days of intense, intended chaos and swirling demons yet on the loose creating havoc as much as possible before their time has come.  Everyday (let alone every minute!) we must observe the following scripture and keep it's warning close to heart--for even in small things, there is temptation towards the world.  

All is for and in and under the purposes and glory of God.  Strive!  Press!  Yearn!  He loves that you seek to love and know Him!  So many don't.  They don't give it even a shred of thought or care.  Maybe once or twice in a bad spot in life . . . for a desperate moment they barely do, giving it as much credence as throwing a penny into a wishing well; but then they (ignoring His mercy) go right back to their senseless, wickedly inspired gallivanting with the world (in uncontrolled thoughts, deeds, intentions, secret desires, deals made, etc. and etc.):

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  --Matt. 16:26

Love Worshipping God!

What does it profit . . . a person . . . to "gain" the world . . . and yet . . . lose their SOUL!?

Stay strong in THE ONLY ISSUE THAT MATTERS!!!

What is that?

Is it YOU . . . and YOUR wishes, dreams, wants, needs?

OR IS IT TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW AND HAVE A DEEP PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD OF ALL!!!

AND TO FIND YOURSELF WORSHIPPING  Him!  NOTHING IS BETTER!!!  

For ETERNITY!  

It's not first about YOU.  

YES, He is so gracious and creative and magnanimous and endlessly gifting and providing such that you find yourself existing as a creature in His Kingdom!  What a gift!  He doesn't need to do anything.  He is that He is!  But He made you and wants you to experience the majesty of His Eternal Being!

When you are graced with understanding and being a part of this knowledge . . . all you want to do is WORSHIP HIM--WORSHIP GOD!  THE I AM THAT I AM!  Praising The Lord and exemplifying His mind in this fallen world, for now, is what we have to do.  Everything else is chaff in the blowing wind of ephemeral days, vapors, come and gone. . . .

 

The Preps To Be Done Are Within...and NOW

 Obviously, we're in for it.  Things will get even more intense and nutty; to say the least. . . .

There are a few pragmatic preparations to make . . . but, having watched it unfolding and knowing where it's going, I long have, and still do--primarily above all the worldly happenings--stay focused on GOD.

The preparation above all . . . are Spiritual.  That's it.  Within.  Within the heart dedicated, sold-out to The Lord.

Seek God first.  HE will sort out the rest for your best being.

-------

"Most people have no higher object or pursuit than the narrow limits of this vain, perishing world, and are therefor led captive by Satan at his will.  Thus it will be till sovereign grace effects a change; for at that happy period, a new world arises in the regenerate soul.  But they who live and die slaves to their lusts and passions must perish every-lastingly; so Scripture and reason evince, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." (Rom. 8:13)

"'Attend to the friendly cautions and admonitions: 'Evil communications corrupt good manners' --1 Cor. 15:33.  'Abstain from all appearance of evil.' --1 Thess 5:22.  'Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.' --Matt. 26:41.  'Ever keep a good watch over the thoughts of your heart, which our Lord tells us is the resource of every abomination.' --Matt. 15:19.  'Our thoughts are heard in heaven.' --Young.

"'Christ purged his temple: so must thou thy heart.  All sinful thoughts are theieves together met to cozen thee.'" --Herbert

[notes from "The Holy War" --J. Bunyan]

40+ "Talkin' For".....

• It's our 40th Anniversary today, Lindsay and I.  
• Lol, Groundhog Day!  
• I like that we were so young and not thinking about branding or timing or much at all except there was a day we decided to marry!  (Turns out it was Groundhog Day!--hey but easy to remember;)
• We didn't go for all the wedding falderal . . . we just slipped out to a local magistrate in the a local small township nearby, the two of us, and had a lady cop/security person there to be the witness.
• Married 40 years.  
• Well, and it goes back a little further than that. We actually sorta met, saw each other at a silly high school party in the neighborhood.  I was 16, she was 14.  I saw her across the room.  (My song "Talking For" on my Vistanaut debut album "Apollo Down" describes it a bit, fwiw) 
• Then we kept bumping into each other through various parties and school functions, proms, "stomps", "dances" etc.
• Anyway, there were/are lots of "synchronicities" and extended family connections going back through a couple generations turns out. . . .
• A tapestry, woven, obviously by God's own hand.  AS ARE ALL of us and our situations.
• (Here is a pic of us from just a couple years ago)
• 
  
• 
  
• 

[I don't know if this link works... 😬 but if interested, it's the aforementioned song of mine "Talkin' For"] https://thevistanauts.bandcamp.com/track/talkin-for