peripherally

There is an enemy in the camp.  We have moles.  Thieves are in the Temple.

I don’t quite understand subtleties. What I mean is, subtleties are in everyday life.  I don’t refer to  anything like modesty, or temperance or a gentle prod toward something beneficial or encouraging at all.I mean the sleight of hand, the watering down, the washing out.  Numbing out, blandness of taste, the clearing or mixing of something once bold.  It is evident in simple, everyday things, but speaks of a spiritual, viral nature, as it seems to be creeping into the things of the spirit.

For example, it used to be when a woman wore makeup, color cosmetics, you KNEW she was wearing makeup.  It may not have been harsh, but there was definite color enhancements, shading, contouring, and if done well, it was noted with comments.  Today, cosmetics companies’ biggest selling points are products that go on the face but look as if you are not wearing makeup.  I certainly don’t advocate looking like a clown or a stage drag queen, but, I dunno, call me kooky, but, if I am wearing makeup, I sorta want people to KNOW I am wearing makeup.  I don’t wear it everyday, so when I do, I want it to look special.  Perhaps that is my conundrum.  It is not a daily thing.

Same for what I wear.  I don’t normally dress up or formalize on a daily basis, so when I do, I want the effort and creativity to SHOW.  No, I don’t wear these boots everyday.  Yes, these are new earrings.  Thank you for complimenting my chignon.

But then, there are some things that I DO experience every day, like meals.  Am I alone in this?  I lean toward flavor in my cuisine.  Is this just a cultural ‘thang’, or does anybody else out there hear me?  Holla back.  I need to TASTE the food.  Blandness just won’t do.

Advice: if you NEED gravy with the item, its not flavored well-enough.  No, it does not have to be Indian or Thai level, not even Soul Food level, it just has to have some FLAVOR.  Salt and pepper it at the VERY LEAST.  Cayenne/lemon pepper, chili/garlic powder, lime/lemon juice, some sort of marinade, turkey drumsticks, cilantro, apple cider vinegar.. use any of these and you are then on the way to scoring major points with me and my compadres, capiche?

Anyone else connecting the dots here?  Remember that attempt years ago by that cola company to sell a ‘clear’ cola?  Clear cola?  If I have some caffeinated, high fructose corn syrup, calorie-laden carbonated beverage that can also clean my car’s fuel injection, by-golly, I want it to LOOK that way!  I don’t want some mind-job assault on my visual senses tricking me into thinking that its actually just Pellegrino with a little flavoring added.  I mean, what’s the point?  For what reason?

There are probably a few dozen other examples I could drone on about, but I think you are getting my point.  These may seem like harmless cultural or marketing oddities of a modern society, but they are not.  I sincerely believe that these are reflections of an attempt to condition the soul and spirit for something much more sinister.  

Take the concept of ‘white noise’.  What exactly is white noise?  The way I understand it, white noise is the general background hum, or hiss, or snowy fizz that is always in the background.  It can come from a host of things: the TV, radio, street lights, traffic, appliances, air condition/heater, etc.

Do you know, I can almost never sleep unless I have some white noise in the background?  

I am a city kitty, so I have hated visiting the south (even though it is gloriously beautiful and I adore southerners), mainly because of two things, the heat (primarily in conjunction with the humidity), and the quiet.  Not used to it.  Blooming uncomfortable.

Thank God for iPods.

I need to be de-conditioned, de-programmed in that area.  

I notice this ‘diluting’ trend in the pulpit more and more.  More and more, I have noticed a watering down of the Gospel.  A compromise, if you will.  The blander the message, the wider the appeal.  And it would follow, then, that the wider the appeal, the grander the offering will be.  Or perhaps, the more that can be reached and corralled into their respective cages-I mean, barns-I mean dens.  

We have been historically programmed to mis-understand Jesus Himself.  What must it be like to be the Ancient of Days Himself, and be mis-understood by your own creation?  To be mis-perceived because of the purposefully driven mis-teachings of the ones you called (or perhaps that called themselves) to preach your Word?  O, the false prophets.. O, the false teachers.. O, the false apostles and preachers..

Jesus came to shake things up.  Yes, He came to take back that which was taken, which was lost, which was stolen…but He also overthrew the money-changers’ tables in the temple and kicked those people out.  It was not a gently-executed ordeal..  I expect it was fairly bloody.  He chewed the elitist Pharisees up and spit them back out again on a pretty regular basis when He was accused or accosted by them.  He knew exactly what He was doing, and exactly what they were doing.  And He quoted scripture while He was doing it, which they knew, but did not believe, did not perceive right in front of them, and which they also hid from the masses of Jews, misleading them most of the time.

So, you see, this concept is nothing new.  There is nothing new under the sun.  Its just pervasive in newer, more far-reaching and more insidious ways.  The enemy has learned to use more subtle conditioning techniques, to get the masses accustomed to the concepts of watering down a thing, or making the artificial appear to be “clear” and ‘natural”.  Make them believe that its water, by having it look like water, smell like water, feel like water, sound like water and taste enough like water, that they won’t notice any subtle differences that are added in over time.  They drink it normally, increasingly, even, and then the more artificial we add in, until, they are drinking something completely different than water.  The world will never know.

Not just an analogy, by the way, that is actually a literal example.

The new world order is just about here.  And it will not be televised nor plop down with a loud bang.  It will seep in under the cracks and crevices of our lives.  The small capitulations, the slightly nuanced maneuvers, the light compromises, ever growing, ever more frequent, day unto day.

If you have NEVER actually cracked open a Holy Bible and actually physically read it, I highly advise doing so.  It amazes me what is actually written, it could actually be the exact opposite of what you may hear in a church service.  Multiple translations are good for study, too.. be Holy Spirit-led.  The main point is, don’t just believe what I say, or what any other somebody says about the Word of God, about what He is really like, about Jesus’ walk on this earth the first time… read it for yourself.  Actually physically read the first four New Covenant books, read the letters/epistles following, read the Old Covenant books for yourself.  Guaranteed, God will surprise you by what He actually says to you therein.  You may never hear/read it otherwise.  Its not considered ‘newsworthy’.

And then, drain that excess water from your view, add back in the color, put more flavor in your food (per your taste).  Throw on some bright red lipstick (if you are a woman) or deep plum, or frosty tangerine..find ministers who give you the Word full-stength, who bring you from milk to meat, and then mature you in the faith.  Find material and mentorship that sharpens and focuses and hones and refines and ignites using the Word.  

Now more than ever, we need that refiner’s fire of Holy Spirit, the washing of the water of the Word, the burning away of the dross.  Straight, no chaser, un-compromised, full-strength, undiluted, fear-free, bold and brassy Word of the Living God.

So be it.

Amen,

periphery

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