Black Friday on the Crazy Train!

The Prince of Darkness beckons you!

And who would be a better representative of this momentous day, other than Ozzie? The Prince of Darkness to promote this day. Come on out folks. Take your chances and board, ‘The Crazy Train,’ to shop on Black Friday!

Yes, I continue my rant. I can’t resist. I went to the Swap Shop on Black Friday. So, I’m not a legitimate, Black Friday, shopper. But I just had to get into the murky waters, of river rats, swarming to the malls.

Now, my son knows. I’ve given him the drill, “no yelling at bad driver’s,unless he’s driving. So, as is his custom, when he sees my tension rising because someone cut me off, etc; he touches my steering wheel and yells, “Moron!”

I go to the local Flea Market, to check out some things. I hate to pay full price for anything. And besides, I have a good friend, who works there. He lives solely from the proceeds, he brings in from selling things donated to him.

I  love the hunt that comes with looking for that certain thing, which is too ridiculous to buy at a retail store. Most people who go to bazaars and flea markets, know, it’s all about bartering.  I learned a long time ago, that people redecorate, and just get rid of things, which are in brand new condition. I’m not going to pay way more than an item is worth, just to say, “it’s new.” I don’t care about, “the story,” and I sure don’t care about impressing anyone.

Then the icing on the cake, confirmed every ill feeling I had about our new excuse to spend, Black Friday. I was watching the news, later. People trampling each other, and a woman, pepper sprayed a crowd, at a Walmart. Why? Oh, well, don’t you know? She had to get that X-Box. Well of course. Everyone, should have one. Honestly, I could have been watching, Wall Street, and the Occupy movement. It looked identical. Except in this case, a shopper sprayed other shopper’s. At least the 1%, stay at home with the $$$, until the chaos of the poor, greedy people, has subsided. While those in the media and marketing, who had created this blitz, probably sit back with their golden bowls of popcorn and watch in amusement. I’d think very similar to the gladiators, of old.

I watched with amazement, to see what greed, caused such actions. And it’s just this greed, which is the root of our problem in this country and in the world. The need for instant gratification. It’s not isolated to those in the top echelon of society. It all begins in the heart.

Yes, Ozzie was right. This is really, The Crazy Train! I’m sure not boarding. No one seems to notice, that, Black Friday, is just a new term, to turn this season into a ‘vampire holiday.’ It’s another ploy to get the people in red, to put them in the black! Playing right into their greedy hands.

Now, we also have, “Small Business Saturday.” Oh, great. Let’s not forget about those poor small businesses. Yes, it reminds me of my daughter. The other morning she came home at the wee hours and I was irritated.  She went to work and didn’t return. I knew she hadn’t worked 12 hours and I was concerned. “Mom, I was helping to set up so we could feed the orphans tomorrow. I would think you’d be happy about that!” Oh, here we go. A table-turning??? You think I can be manipulated that easy? I had to point out that I wished she were that considerate. If she was, she’d think about her own family and the turmoil she’s been causing. “Well, you better help with the orphans,” I said, because you may be standing out on a corner with a sign yourself!” Like everyone else, I pointed out, her priorities were a little messed up.

Now, these marketing strategies, seem to be working. All these people spending money we don’t have. Wait, last I heard, we were supposed to have a huge deficit. But then we have corporations, getting bailouts, only to turn around and declare bankruptcy. (Solyndra) All the corporate people probably helped the economy, by plugging it back in during their shopping sprees, this Christmas.

Now, I  think we need to use every day of he week, just to get that economy pumping again. I mean, if we’re going to be played, how about taking advantage of this, and guilt people into spending, for 7 days? We can really be tapped out by Christmas. Wonderful. And think about how much interest, the bankster’s can make from all the bankrupt people. Then when the bills come, which no one can pay, we’ll just increase the deficit. Yes, I definitely think we need to add some more incentives to spend.Ahh, the heart of man. Just persuade them to get the latest gadget. The ‘must have, for this season. And I love the fact that we’re supposed to actually feel sad, for those poor businesses.

How about, “Spend your unemployment, Sunday? Food Stamp gift cards, Sunday. Madoff, Get Out of Jail Cards, Monday. Bail out your favorite corporation, Tuesday.Repossess your purchases, Wednesday.Oh, and my favorite, “Bail Out an Occupy Wall Streeter, Thursday.

Yes, there are just so many opportunities to give.  And didn’t our Lord say, “It is better to give than to receive?” And I guess some people think, you should run people down to get that gift. Well, at this rate, “on the 12th day of Christmas, I’ll be eating my partridge in my pear tree.”

Oh, I am really starting to understand that the Lord was literal, when He said, “Peace on Earth, Goodwill, to all men.” Yep, that’s where I shop, and so will you, if you keep squandering. Hope you remember the real meaning of this occasion. That’s right….His name is Jesus! The reason for the season!

Challenge Your World!

This is something that we should do. Question authority? Yes, I’ve always been one to question. How do you find answers, if you just walk in submissive obedience to everyone, who has a title. Just because a person, is educated academically, and has the position, does not guarantee wisdom. I learned that this, is very different, from knowledge. For example; I have met very young children, with more wisdom, than their age conveys. And by the same token, I have seen people in high levels, of authority, with no sense, whatsoever.

Wisdom can only be given by the source of all wisdom. And that is from God. Wisdom, apart from God, so-called “conventional wisdom,” is just another term for, foolishness.

I had to remember reading the accounts of Satan’s fall from heaven, many times. I was intrigued that he, along with a third of the angels, “abandoned their positions of authority.” And the next account was, their being cast down. Hmm, where are they now? Well, we know Satan made his next appearance, right in the Garden of Eden, and he’s been wreaking havoc ever since. But we were told that he is, “the god of this world.” (small g, here) For a limited time. So this means, he rules this world. And how does he do this? Well, by inspiring evil and corruption. And it’s not difficult, since we all have this predisposition.

I started questioning when I was a very young girl. Always inquisitive. I wondered, why my Lutheran pastors, believed what they believed, and why I should believe this. Because they told me to? I would read the Bible, and see things in it, that the Lutherans, didn’t practice, so I would ask: “why can’t we do these things? Christ says we can.” The standard answer was, “Oh, those miracles ended with the disciples.” What kind of answer is this? I wondered. “And why would I want to believe in a God, who is this impotent?” I would wait for someone to sell me on this.

I realized many years later, that these ministers didn’t have the answers, although, they were the teachers. I did find the answers I was looking for, but not without a lot of searching. And a willingness to challenge, the powers that be.

My generation, not only challenged authority, we defied it. It was them versus us. ‘They,’ were known as, The Establishment. The rulers of the free world. Yet, being in the midst of the Viet Nam, turmoil, showed us, that ‘they,’ didn’t always know what was best.  So, questioning the methods and the motives, became the theme of our generation. No, contrary to the commercial’s, we weren’t the “Pepsi Generation.” And the Peace movement, all but fizzled. How could it be possible, when we are mere mortals? “Peace,” was just a way of people promoting violence for their cause. And “Free Love,” was just a term used to have sex with anyone we chose. It couldn’t possibly work, when we have corruption in our hearts. However, it isn’t all bad. What we came away with, was the tenacity to challenge.

Now we have children, and they are inheritors, of our spirit. This is why the man in my post yesterday, has gained some admiration, from me and others from my generation. To outsmart the authorities, at their own game. Yes, it is what riles them. The first thing that came out of their mouths was, something could have happened to a patient. Yet, how many medical errors, do we have every year, with the real doctors at the wheel? In fact our whole health care system is a mess. In every facet, there is corruption, at work.

I found that God tells us, to question. He tells us to search for truth. It doesn’t come easy. It is a gem. And the wisdom gained, just from the search, is priceless.

I had someone tell me just recently, that it was his stint in prison, which led him to the answers. He said, “Everything you have a question to,can be answered in the Word of God.”

Yes, I know, years ago, I would have laughed at this. But that’s why God is so great. He knows, and He allows us to doubt. But, this guy was so right. When I found out that this truth was, absolute, everything in my world began to make sense. I could see that Jesus Christ was one renegade. He challenged all of the authorities of His day. He told us to question our world. In in the end, He told us to pattern ourselves after Him. This is why He was hated by the religious authorities. He made a mockery of their rituals, as they didn’t know the first meaning, of why they did the things they did. They didn’t know that He was the one, that theirs prophets spoke of. They had been blinded by pride.

I have had many experiences in my life which made me ask, “And why am I supposed to do this?” And no one could give me an answer. And “Because I tell you to,” isn’t enough for me. In fact, sometimes, the foolishness of men in authority, placed my life in jeopardy. And I wasn’t going to listen, in spite of the fact that everyone else, seemed to fall into the trap.

Just this morning, as I opened my Bible, I read the words, “I am greatly afflicted, and in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.” (Psalm 116:11) No, I wasn’t seeking dating advice, but some women would certainly agree with this! I started to ponder this and as I did, I understood; we can’t trust man, since we are all liars. Just look at the mess we’re in. If the heart of man is corrupt then we are all headed in a downward spiral. As the economy is full of fraud and corrupt practices. Law enforcement has its own share of corruption. The sports arena, has become a huge ponzi scheme. And you question why young people, are getting into trouble? Who do they look to as an example?

Well, this is why we come to a point, where we have to ask the question, “Who is the final authority?Who leads us?” That is the conclusion I had to come to in my own life. I said, “Surely there is only one truth.There’s no such thing as, “many lives, many masters.” Sorry, but that would mean “many truths.” How can this be? If truth was relative, to each person, then my truth could tell me to rob a bank, when I’m in financial trouble. Or take whatever I want, when I need it. This is the ‘truth,’ which corrupt men walk in. Which we know isn’t truth. But people love to practice this type of ‘religion,’ because it justifies their actions.

I am not telling people to defy the powers, but to challenge them. To defy authority is just anarchy. I propose we do question. Why am I doing this? Does this make sense in a world which is falling apart, because, “everyone is doing it?” And where are these people, which were supposed to evolve into Godlike status? No one has stepped forward. Where is this person as our example? Though we may have many good leaders, none of them has reached perfection.

After watching the, so-called leaders, long enough, I concluded that Christ, was the only example. And I was ecstatic to know, that to question, people in place of authority, was an example which I could follow. Even those in authority, try to paint a picture of Him, as a pious, religious fanatic. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

There are many pictures of the man, full of grace, and yet, full of righteous anger. I saw Him, lose it, with the people in the temple. He challenged those who would place corruption inside the temple. He took a bull-whip and turned over tables, as He screamed, “My Father’s house, shall be a house of prayer! And you’ve turned it into a den of thieves!”

Gotta love that. I see the real, person, exhibiting his anger and indignation, at what these leaders have done. And His greatest anger, is that they’re using, a religious excuse to promote their practices. How many times has this been done? Even now.

Christ spoke plainly about the authorities of His time, and nothing much has changed since then. He said, “Blind leaders! The blind follow the blind, and they both fall into a pit!” You can read all about Jesus, challenging these authorities, in the “Seven Woes.” (Matthew 23) A part of scripture, which will give you a real picture, of the conflicts between Jesus and the religious leaders. For those of you who don’t think He got into ‘name-calling,’ guess again.

So, I would challenge anyone, to walk on the little narrow path, that has been marked out for you. Don’t be afraid to question things that don’t line up. It’s your world too! Of course you’ll be despised, when you walk a different direction. “Christ said that too, “When they hate you, remember, they hated me too.” He also tells us, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever. The Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him, nor knows Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you, and He lives in you.” (John 14:15)

We challenge darkness, when we walk in truth. This is where we find life.

“I tell you the Truth; Among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist: yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it!” (Matt 11:11)