Yes, only God knows how tightly woven are the combined secrets of the multitude. It is all called unconfessed sin. And for those who refuse to acknowledge it, it grows undetected for the most part. When it does rear its ugly head, much of the time it is greeted with denial and plain old blame-shifting. Sin begins when life is not God-centered.

Now there is a big difference between what may be considered "good"-centered and God-centered. There are many good men and women in the world.  Many highly esteemed people, have had to overcome a huge tragedy in their life …and have done well.  But, most would say that character is simply developed along with an appreciation of commitment ...an offering of good guidance and direction.  

Many would say that is the primary factor in developing depth of character. But to be truly good, that guidance should be in the direction of God.   

Compromise is at times deemed a good thing; and at times it is considered bad.  Don't compromise the Word of God.  That which we have not adhered to ...makes it difficult to hear what we must adhere to. 

We must use discretion ...to avoid deception. And there must be a standard, outside of ourselves.

"The entire world must make their own choice ...though individually.  Right now there is a call to join together as a nation in the name of patriotism.   We claim that the highest honor we can bestow upon anyone is in reference to national loyalty, …those who fight for their own country, preserving the love of country through their devotion and purpose, and through their sacrifice for their country.   The opposite of a patriot is:  One who breaks faith with, fails to meet the hopes of, and leads others astray through deceitful words and practices.   That betrayal of one's own country, cause, or friends ---is considered unforgivable, and is labeled a traitor.   But who is it that breaks the trust, love, and loyalty ...of the only One who is worthy of trust?  There are many who have led us astray, and deceived us …not just because of greed, but for motives too sick to understand or to describe.   I don't know what drives such ruthless lusts of power …but once it begins, it does not need any help ---it thrives on, and drives itself.   Yes, it is confusing …but it is clearly evil.   Not only does it need to be exposed, all of you must likewise expose yourself to the truth …and ask yourself why you would follow any other path.  Any path away from the Bible just adds to the confusion.   It is part of the deception.  The Bible is the source of truth.   But what the truth has become, we have allowed it to become.  God is now either a small 'g', or generic, and Jesus is considered no more than a fable ---an unpopular one at that.   And instead of reflecting on things of eternal value, we have developed our own kingdom building.  Do you believe the one who has the vision of that kingdom should control the kingdom?   Who've you given that control to?  How many of you have put your faith in a plan of salvation for the economy and the security of our nation ---yet, you don't even acknowledge any substance of eternal security through God's plan of salvation."  

There are many reasons why you may not want to listen ...some are good reasons; some are not.

"You would readily call me ignorant, foolish, and stubborn.   Like Balaam, you would blame the donkey, when you are the stubborn one.   But sadly enough, most of you don't even know who Balaam is.  For years, you have turned away from the Bible and stubbornly ignored the truth.  The majority of you no longer believe in the truth.   You believe in the Essence, which in essence, is to believe in whatever you want to believe in.   You are like those described in the Book of Judges …believing that what you see fit in your own eyes is sufficient.   And your condition is also quite accurately described in the first Chapter of the Book of Romans …as you've been roamin' around, looking for whatever it is that satisfies your whims:  Because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations ……changed the glory of the incorruptible God onto an image made like to corruptible man.   So God gave you up to uncleanness through the lusts of your own hearts.  You chose to deceive yourselves …now you can easily be deceived by others.  Most of you want to believe in what the majority believes in.  You believe in the technological dabble, dabble ---trying to reach perfection through our informational Tower of Babel, babble, babble, psychobabble.  Sounding brass, tinkling cymbal, disguised by our symbol of freedom ---of speech and expression.  The majority of you, when faced with not being the majority …became the majority because most of you didn't want to be in the minority.  And you continue to be uncommitted to views that are unpopular.  Even those of you who still believe Jesus died for  you, don't choose to live for  Him …so others miss seeing your commitment, and fail to desire to live with Him.  Only a minority will believe, always what they alone believe in.  It is those who have strong conviction.  But among those who have strong conviction, you also have your divisions.  You have the strong wrong, and the fight for the right.  Sadly, the strong wrong feel they are right.  And those who fight for the right, often fight for what they feel is right, not the battle God would choose for them. They often stand firm when challenged and at times are rather convincing."    

You have to be cautious with who you listen to ...but mostly when listening to yourself.

"It may appear they are following Jesus' direction as described in the Book of Luke, Chapter nine, verse five:  And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.   We may say we have the same source of truth, but still pose great differences.  Now, I feel that I understand what Jesus meant here, just as you may feel you know what He meant.  Yet, in the event that my interpretation and your interpretation are different, I would have to ask if you claim to have ordained authority.   And if that be your claim, be careful not to hold your self-ordained authority over Christ's.  For I would have to ask one more thing:  The next time you shake the dust from your sandals, I caution you, for the vigor by which you bid their good riddance, may cause such a cloud of confusion that the dust gets in your eyes ---or a mote, or a beam ---so much so, as to cloud your vision …or perhaps ultimately destroy it.   Then you would not be a testimony to God, but merely to yourself only."  

There are leaders who lead us down the wrong path. But there are also good leaders, and it is so refreshing to hear what they say ...not because they are so good at saying it, but because what they are saying is good.

"We realize how truly confusing this may all be.  Our main intent is not to focus on the lies and deception, but to bring light to the truth.  Therefore, it may be beneficial to back up a bit ---to take a look at how it all began, to see when things were right, and to realize when the right could no longer be discerned from the wrong …and why that is.  We have purposed together to show you why that is ---to bring you the truth, and allow you to see how we have moved away from that truth to this confusion we now all live in.  Our story, The Evolution of Confusion, is only purposed to bring attention to His story, the only significant history that benefits us, beyond the past, to the present, and eternally into the future."  

                                     

God wants to enter your life ...but so do the ways of the world. Some of you embraced the ways of the world, and let it guide your life.

     Now that makes another choice a more difficult one for many of you.  There may be severe consequences for many of you ...for making the right choice.  

     For some of you, that may make it difficult. But some of you have a tendency to be difficult.  

     For me, the choice is easy.  Whatever consequences have to be endured for the right choice, are not nearly as devastating as the eternal consequences for making the wrong choice.   

     We must all choose.   

     Some of you may decide not to choose.  That is not an option.   

     By not choosing, you are still  choosing.  


      

Fear may make a stand …to keep you from the truth.  
But once you've embraced truth, fear will not drive you away.   

    True love is the love of truth.  That love will keep you.      

    The secret is to find truth.  It is not difficult to find.     

    It is merely found by the sincere seeking of it.    

    It was not meant to be a secret.    
Its purpose is to be sought.  
We share it so others may seek it.
Those who don't share it, are robbing it of its purpose.  

                    

Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

                                          

Love allows you to finish the race.            

               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Let me explain.

Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

I fear not listening to Dad.  My Dad does not believe in spanking.   He says his own dad believed in a whipping, not a spanking.  He said Grandpa used a milker strap, or milking strap ---something like that.   It was a thick leather strap with metal eyelets, to fasten the belt around the cow, which the milker was attached to.  Dad has a thick leather belt that he wears.  He used it on me once.  I can't imagine what Grandpa's strap felt like. It must have really hurt.  Dad says he behaved when he  was young because he feared the strap.

I thought about that.  At the time, I thought I would even prefer the strap ---to what Dad began to use.  He used his mind. He made me sit a time out, which I thought was a terrible thing for a boy like me who has so much energy.  And worse yet, while I was sitting there, Dad would  make me think about what I did.  I thought to myself, "I think I'd prefer the strap.  Sure it would hurt, but it would be much quicker."

That was not the end of it either.  The worse part was that I would have to talk about it afterwards.  As if thinking about it was not painful enough, I'd have to go through the pain all over again by telling about it afterwards.  So, I was really afraid that I might get a time out.   

Once I told Dad that, but he said I didn't fear it enough ---since I still didn't avoid it.  Dad had a point there.  I had a real problem with my focus. If I feared it so much, then why didn't I think about that in advance ---and avoid the trouble?

                                                                                                                     

When I turned 13 years old, or years young, as Dad would say, I asked him when I would get years old.  Dad said, "When I acted like it."

Well, this particular day I felt old.  Dad took me with him to the woods when he went for firewood.  He brought his chainsaw and some earplugs, so the loud chainsaw wouldn't damage his hearing, he said.  Dad said I wasn't old enough to operate a chainsaw, but I felt kind of old, just by the sole fact that Dad took me along.

                                                        
     Somewhere along the way though, I must have begun feeling young again.  Dad said there were bears in the woods and not to wander off.    But somewhere along the way, I got bored with watching Dad.  I could think of more pleasant things than standing there while sawdust and woodchips kept flying in my face.  So, I wandered off.  

I must not have been thinking of the time out, or worse yet, the talk afterwards …or even worse, the chance meeting with a bear, who would perhaps remind me of my disobedience ---in perhaps a much more severe fashion.

Nevertheless, I sadly have to admit that I wandered off.  And sure enough, there was a bear.  I saw the bear before he saw me.  I also quickly saw the wisdom in fearing to disobey Dad.  But since I hadn't respected that fear, I now faced a greater fear ---the quick wisdom and fear that comes naturally, in facing the bear.

I was already running as fast as I could, but I knew I could not outrun the bear.  I thought I had a good head start, but when the bear began to give chase, I realized I had no chance in running from the bear.  A change came over me then.  I found myself, not running from  the bear, but rather running to  my Dad.

I was afraid because I disobeyed Dad, but this was the very first time I eagerly awaited my time out ---and the 'talk'.  I now saw Dad differently than I had before.  I really believe Dad doesn't enjoy giving me time outs. He stresses obedience and is so rigid with his standards because he loves me.  And that's why I ran to him ---not fearing the time out.

Of course, this time Dad not only had me talk about the incident, but he also made me write about it.  I had to re-write it five times!  Anyway, you've just read the story.  I know it's not a long story.  By now, you probably know what it's like to read a long story.  But I thought I could make my point with a 2-page story, listing only the 'bear' facts.

Today, I have a bear rug to step onto as I crawl out of bed on cold winter mornings. And I don't dread time outs, or the talk afterwards. Actually, I find myself talking to Dad more freely.  I ask for a time out to talk with him when I'm troubled about having done something wrong. And I do something else I've never done.  I cry when I feel I've really disappointed Dad.   I know how much he loves me and the thing that matters to me the most, is that I please him.

     And I listen closer to some of the even more important things that   Dad has tried in the past to talk with me about.  Before I heard some, but didn't listen much.  Now, I think I am even beginning to understand. 

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

But the end, is the love of God …which never ends.

This is an obvious dedication to my wife and children. They have put up with me and endured a tired Dad who stayed up late at night, as not to interfere with 'time with Dad' during the day. I guess the greatest sacrifice came from my wife whom I missed so dearly during those long nights. That was supposed to be our time ---our quiet time, together.

But instead of getting complaints, I got another gift.  That gift we have already decided to name "David".    

As I am finishing up this book, he is only two weeks away from being born.  I was not able to write him into the story, yet he will be a wonderful chapter in our lives.  

And there is one book that we count on him being mentioned in ---The Book of Life.   

When I built anything around the house, it was always crude, yet functional. It certainly was not attractive. I feel the same way about my writing. I hope it provides some function.

      The truth always provides ...and I attempt to glorify the truth, which is very attractive. 

As a child, most all of us drew pictures and gave them to our parents. Perhaps they hugged us, kissed us, or perhaps both. Rest assured, they thanked us with various forms of affirmation and affection.

Sadly, not all children get that loving treatment.   But I did.  

And I'm thankful for it.  But what would really make me feel important, was when my parents placed my drawing where everyone could see it ---the most important place in the house ---on the refrigerator.   

It had to be the most important place ---because it held all those treasures. The most treasured of all treasures, were those mouthwatering 'Ting-a-lings'. They're made with my favorite ingredient ---chocolate.  I'll have to give Mom a call, and get you the recipe.             

Anyway, my picture remained there for weeks on the refrigerator.  I felt so special.   

I didn't realize my parents' apparent concern though.  My parents weren't disturbed by my drawing. Let me just say, they had loving concern. But they didn't verbalize their concerns.  The old standby was, "He will grow out of it, eventually."    

And grow I did.  Now things have come full-circle.  My children are drawing me pictures for the refrigerator.   

As for me, well, I've advanced from drawing pictures to writing books.  And now my parents are able to verbalize what they perhaps were unable to when I was young.  After reading my nearly 600-page book, they wrote me, "You have an amazing imagination."  

Now there is that word again, that one of curious popularity.  Would my Pastor also use the word? …"Simply amazing!"  In honesty, I don't know which of the two words was being emphasized.  

Anyway, I am a grown-up now.  At least that is my perception of it.  And I'd like an honest critique.  Has my writing graduated beyond the prestige of my refrigerator drawings?                  

           
     If not, then at least try the recipe I made reference to in the story,"The Princess and the Poppy".  

     Yes, those mouthwatering Ting-a-lings are good, but they are not the most treasured of treasures.               
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
     "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21)

                               Ting-a-lings

  Ingredients: 

• One box of flake cereal (my preference, Wheaties) 
• One 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (my preference being the semi-sweet. dark chocolate, special dark chocolate)

Preparation: 

• Put wax paper on a couple cookie trays and make sure a space is cleared in the refrigerator to place the trays in, once the cookies are made.  
• [You'll need a fairly large casserole dish, a large zip-lock bag, a measuring cup, a regular teaspoon, and preferably a rolling pin.]

Begin: 

• Measure out 6 cups of uncrushed flakes into the zip-lock bag.  
• Use the rolling pin (or the palm of your hand) to crush the flakes.   
• Crush them into fine pieces, but not into dust.  
• Empty the 12 ounces of chocolate chips into the casserole dish and heat them on medium power for a minute in the microwave.  
• Take them out and stir (if you can), then place back into the microwave for a minute and a half.   
• Take the dish out and stir immediately. Then add the entire bag of crushed flakes.   
• Stir thoroughly, as if you were mixing cement and gravel (special note for men).  
• Take a regular teaspoon (or a measuring spoon) and scoop up that portion to place on the cookie sheet. (By the way, hopefully you've already washed your hands, and don't lick your fingers until after you are done ...second note for men)    
• Then place the filled cookie sheets in the refrigerator.

The laborer's appetizer: 

• You've done the work, now you can lick the bowl.

The experience: 

• When the cookies harden, you can stack them in another container, as not to take up as much space.  
• And of course, you eat some as you put them in a bowl to be served to others.  

The real experience: 

• Psalm 119:103-105, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste!  Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."   

***serve others with His truth and they will be truly served ***