ron's

perspectives

'autumn 2003'

 

 

ron's perspective number one 9/25/03

 

At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

 

Jesus was not questioning God; he was expressing the anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world and thus was separated from his Father. This was what Jesus dreaded as he prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him. The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God. Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God. (published for A living water for the soul,@ by Tyndale House Publishers)

 

To conclude that others were wrong was as far as most of us ever got. The usual outcome was that people continued to wrong us and we stayed sore. Sometimes it was remorse and then we were sore at ourselves. But the more we fought and tried to have our own way, the worse matters got. As in war, the victor only seemed to win. Our moments of triumph were shortn lived. It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. For when harboring such feeling we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. (chap 5 pg 66)

 

how many of us have the hope of, "the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience?" i believe that god's unique son had the perfect spiritual experience, all of the way to his own crucifixion.

 

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built. That was great news to us, for we had assumed we could not make use of spiritual principles unless we accepted many things on faith which seemed difficult to believe. When people presented us with spiritual approaches, how frequently did we all say, "I wish I had what that man has. I'm sure it would work if I could only believe as he believes. But I cannot accept as surely true the many articles of faith which are so plain to him." So it was comforting to learn that we could commence at a simpler level. (chap 4 pg 47)

 

the not so good news is that before we can get to the cornerstone - a part of the wall, considering that i am an ole construction person, we need a foundation upon which the said cornerstone can be laid.

 

Never avoid these responsibilities, but be sure you are doing the right thing if you assume them. Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn't enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of many nights' sleep, great interference with your pleasures, interruptions to your business. It may mean sharing your money and your home, counseling frantic wives and relatives, innumerable trips to police courts, sanitariums, hospitals, jails and asylums. Your telephone may jangle at any time of the day or night. Your wife may sometimes say she is neglected. A drunk may smash the furniture in your home, or burn a mattress. You may have to fight with him if he is violent. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction. Another time you may have to send for the police or an ambulance. Occasionally you will have to meet such conditions. (chap 7 pg 97)

 

occasionally, a meditation is received that just hits home, on all fronts. will use something like this format, in the future, for those that would like to receive same. should you like to be deleted from "ron's perspective" please reply with delete in the subject line, and you will be removed from this list. hope that all of you do not reply with delete.

 

 

ron's perspective number two - creation 9/28/03

 

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV)

 

the obsession, for several years, of this one scripture, was the impetus that let the fulfilled mansions publishing effort begin, in the winter of 1991. with all of the mistakes that are still being made by this scribe might make some say, "and you sure do have a long way to go."

 

let us start with the last first. to turn means to repent, in the spiritual realm. for all that consider the bible important, repentance is not only important, it is imperative and mandatory. the third chapter of matthew admonishes us to do worthy deeds.

 

the big book states, "we were worldly indeed." it is very important to understand that "were" denotes past tense.

 

a milestone is when we experience, "we stood at our turning point." and of course, that is in "how it works," in chapter five, long before we get to working with others. two stepping, nor three stepping is allowed in purposeful recovery.

 

now the deeper meaning of the scripture. the one day deal reverses: a day is like a thousand years... a thousand years are like a day.

the crucial point is "with the lord, a day is like a thousand years."

 

the other six days were controlled by satan. unbelievable, but true. remember that adam and eve were sent out of eden, when they rejected life, because they went for knowledge? the spirit of jesus says, "i am life." adam and eve were the first human beings that were created, that had the privilege of visitations with god. since the entire world has been going the wrong way, for six thousand years, not understanding what life really is, no wonder we were maladjusted to life. like dusty says, there are no role models. but the higher power that a person can conceive, is the only true role model, which indeed can complete what god did start.

 

the truth for me is that genesis was written about 4,000 years before chirst. we are now at 2,000 years ad. i have seen in a variety of articles that theologians from centuries past, some how established the genesis's date of authorship was 4,004 bc, relative to spiritual time. i have not seen any article, nor commentary, that contradicts that date, yet.

 

"Instead of regarding ourselves as intelligent agents, spearheads of God's ever advancing Creation, we agnostics and atheists chose to believe that our human intelligence was the last word, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and end of all. Rather vain of us, wasn't it?" (Chap 4 pg 49)

 

it does not say that i am the spearhead, nor does is say that you are the spearhead. that too is important to understand. i know that it took me over fifteen years to really get a handle on the concept, "as we understood him."

 

friends, there are many lies in this world. all religions that i am aware of say, "peace on earth and good will to all men;" lie, lie, lie. let me introduce luke 2:13-14;

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God:

"Glory to God in the highest heaven," they sang,

"and peace on earth for all those pleasing him."

friends, in this day and age, with the defects that humanity does engage in, we need help and protection. what really got me intensely interested in anonymous recovery was revealed in the book of isaiah. the beginning of the noahhite literature, in a prebook section entitled, "greetings - opening," is as follows:

 

"We are pleased that you are interested in our topic, which is about the title, HIS FATHER'S TEMPLE. Because of your interest, you are now included, by the Grace of God. In a period of approximately fourteen years, we have come to understand what one man had, about two thousand years ago. We believe that what he had is now at last, available to all.

 

"We are simple, earnest folk who have never been to seminary, so our approach might be unlike anything you have been taught. Nonetheless, we were spiritually dead. We are now spiritually alive, and since Christ is rising from the spiritually dead, Christ's Spirit is teaching us.

 

"Let us point out, however, that we thoroughly understand the Scripture in Luke 11:52; "Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You won't accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it."

 

"God's Word in Isaiah 42:4 states; ". . .the distant, or coastal lands beyond the seas. . .." Considering the land of Israel, where most of God's Word originated, and looking beyond the Adriatic, Aegean, Aeolian, and Mediterranean Seas, we come first to the United States of America.

 

"The USA, we believe, is where a Fountain, the Living Water, will start the New Jerusalem referred to in The Revelation 3:12. In The Revelation 3:7 we find; "Write this letter to the leader of the church in Philadelphia," which we believe is the greatest church of God. Philadelphia in the spiritual realm represents brotherly love* in most Biblical dictionaries."

 

let us offer isaiah 42:1-4 for your consideration;

 

A Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will reveal justice to the nations. He will be gentle, he will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."

 

so, let me close this perspective with the thought that god, in his last day of creation, will achieve global truth and righteousness, and correct all wrongs, ALL THE WAY BACK TO ADAM AND EVE. anonymous recovery, in my opinion, is the only arena that will give any individual the opportunity to understand these truths. but like david miller says, "this is just my opinion, and i may be wrong."

 

let us have a controversial issue: god grows tobacco, not medicine. are we going to trust god, or the medical community?

* all are aware that the eighth step principle is brotherly love.

 

 

ron's perspective number three - hate 10/05/03

 

i had no intentions of doing a perspective today. but now that we are entering the four year cycle of america's political environment, much contemplation needs to be addressed.

 

to start with, the 12 and 12 states that we need to be "well informed" members. wow, what a job that is. next it states that we become "active guardians" of our great fellowship. will not bore you with how liberal i was, on many issues, when i arrived at the doors of sobriety. but having been here over a quarter of a century, my attitudes have become, needless to say, quite conservative.

 

as relates to politics, let me say that my favorite candidate for president would be ambassador alan keyes. he is as far right on the spectrum as you can get, and still be on this planet. am i glad that president bush is in office, yes, considering what went down in the 2,000 election. what i witnessed in that election is as follows:

 

during the confusion - tabulating the votes - a ms. green, a very articulate black republican - a graduate of yale, or one of the ivy schools, explained how she had requested a recount, in one of the four counties that were in the original gore target counties for recount, and she was denied a recount in her county, by the democrat's controlled county elections board, because she could not prove voter fraud, nor machine malfunction, which is the florida election LAW.

 

she lost her primary election, a few weeks earlier, for a florida seat in government. the margin of defeat was just over ten votes.

 

i watched every minute of the judge sander saul's court proceedings, where the dems and the repubs put on there cases pertaining to the recount. based on all of the evidence presented in that trial, judge saul made the only decision possible: no recount.

so, suits were filed in the florida supreme court, and all seven of the liberal judges overturned a legitimate trial, that was absolutely just and fair, and correct in its decision.

 

so, more suits were filed, taking the reversed verdict, all the way to the us supreme court.

please view:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/12/13/scotus.election.05/index.html for a seven to two decision preventing the recount.

can anyone explain to me why liberals are in such denial? every day i still hear on c-span how the republicans stole the election.

i have not voted for a democrat nor a republican in over fifteen years. but ALL of my friends are glad that president bush is in the white house, considering world events, without question and without exception!

 

but now to the topic of this perspective. my firm conviction on hate is that democrats that say hateful things, are not really hateful at a person, they just hate that they are not in power, and will say anything, to motivate their political base. but when they say hateful things, rest assured, they are judging themselves, not who they are saying things about. the scriptures declare, judge not, lest ye be not judged. my street language was, many years ago, it takes one to know one.

but why does a lot of the world, especially in europe, hate america, and its policy towards terrorism? the united nations could not get anything done, in twelve years of debate, and seventeen resolutions, all of which were ignored by iraq. three of the countries that have veto power, on the united nations security council, were never going to vote for a declaration of war because they had such monumental businesses dealings with the corrupt baathist party in iraq, and they knew they would loose them, if there was a war in iraq. no diplomatic effort would ever have succeeded in that environment, even though some democrats blame president bush for a diplomatic failure. bull shit.

over two dozen countries of the world community understood the killer regime in iraq had to end, and engaged in an iraqi freedom effort. even president clinton, in 1998, signed an executive order stating that there had to be a regime change in iraq. of course that was based on the intelligence that was available at that time. we need to remember that every member of the security council voted that there would be serious consequences to the iraqi government if saddam did not succumb to the wishes of the united nations community. and all nations were basically reading the same intelligence, as flawed as it might have been. but ALL were convinced of the dangers of the iraqi government. so, my comment is that america needs to learn how to get correct intelligence.

one of the funniest things that i have heard recently is the following: america lost the war in iraq on cnn, but america won the war on foxnews. how is it that people see things so differently?

but this is the final truth as expressed in john 15:18-25;

 

" When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? 'A servant is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me hates my Father, too. If I hadn't done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us - me and my Father. This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: 'they hated me without cause.' "

 

selfishness and self centeredness still seems to be the problem of this world, as a whole. hitler was the head of a national socialist party. russia had the largest socialist party, in the way of communism that wanted to dominate the world, that finally failed in 1989, and socialism has been on a decline every since. i think that is the reason that the hate speech is having to reach a higher and higher pitch, is to keep democrats tuned in. they are on the decline, and will stay in decline, as long as they keep pursuing a socialist agenda. it has failed, utterly.

but now as to the republicans. they are going to have to start to get rid of corporate welfare. let there be a true and complete free market system, without any intervention or manipulation from government. and soon, america is going to have to address its shame of taking over forty million lives through abortion. but we can not have that until america has the courts that will uphold the constitution of the united states of america. as long as we put in expansionist judges, that want to write new laws from the bench, without being elected to congress and changing the laws by duly elected officials, in the democratic process of this republic, america will continue to reach for a state of anarchism, which is to hell with all laws. and the aclu is good at putting out of sight and mind any and all things that pertain to god.

it seems to me that republicans are for lawfulness, and democrat's are for lawlessness. 2,500 protestors, against the war, were arrested in san francisco last year, because they had turned violent. most republicans understood that the iraqi regime was a threat to world peace. the scriptures state, "those that strive for peace shall be called the children of god." both houses of congress, with an overwhelming majority, approved actions against saddam hussein

let me finish by saying, god is love, and hate comes from satan. remember, the big book states that we have bedeviled emotions, that have to be cast out. there is only one that can do that, and he has all power, whether you like it or not.

 

 

ron's perspective number four - wwII memorial  October 9, 2003

 

no one in their right mind likes nor wants war. almost sixty years after seeming victory in world war two, a memorial to all that gave their lives, in defending freedom, will be displayed on the mall next year, when completed, in washington, dc. (watercolor attached) the reason that i say seeming victory is that when the war ended, we had to put up billions of dollars, helping to rebuild the nations that we had to devastate, during the conflict, in japan and in europe.

 

there is an attitude in this world that will do every thing possible to destroy everything that america stands for. maybe american foreign policy, over decades, caused it, but maybe it is fear and envy that is at work. we need to remember that the united nations is made up of dictatorships, that out number democracies. and socialism is the solution - the majority opinion, in the united nations.

 

at the end of world war two, there were only about a dozen democracies around the globe. now the number i believe is approaching one hundred, but is not even to 100 yet; short by 10 or 20, or so. there are one hundred and ninety one member nations in the un. so, world democracies are in a minority. please tell me why we should agree with the world, when there is a majority of dictatorships? generally, they oppress their people. some are brutal authoritarian regimes! god loves all people, and i believe, god desires all people to be free. but that can only be achieved in governments, with human rights, not dictatorships.

 

let us think one moment about what one man caused, in starting global domination, in world war two; one man.

millions of lives were lost. millions of pieces of weapons were destroyed in planes, tanks, ships, and subs, ad infinitum. what a waste, in the minds of some. but if there had not been a war, we would all be speaking german now. and when world war two started, germany was a socialist nation. thank god american power, through a military build up, bankrupted the soviet union, that brought an end to the cold war, without firing a shot. the soviet union was a socialistic federation of states - total and collective poverty except for the ruling elite, when it failed completely.

now, there are some that are perfectly committed to all american women wearing burkas. friends, if you do not understand that, you are in denial. along with the burkas, total and collective poverty, like palistine, will be our lot, if we do not address terrorism, on a global scale. president bush is correct when he said, if you are not with us, you are against us. it can be no other way. there is a huge challenge before us. even jesus said, "if you are not working with me, you are working against me."

a recent poll, in palistine, proved that over sixty percent of the people there approve of violence, to get their point across, for their own selfish interests, all based on resentment, in my opinion. i may be wrong on that, but palistine needs leaders that perfectly understand that only more force will come their way, to overcome their murderous ways, unless they are willing to disarm. and all nations that support terrorists will be dealt with, unless they change. the world must not sit back and say, please come and kill us.

One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. This is what he taught them: 

 

"God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

 

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 

God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too."

 

(our co-founders and pioneers studied these verses, matthew 5:1-12, in the earliest days of the formation of our society.)

 

it seems to me that globalization is causing problems that the world has never had to face before. globalization simply put is capitalization. no i do not like that either. enron etc. proved that capitalization is flawed too. but can anyone imagine what the world would look like with out any jobs. so, all of those that risk their capital, to make jobs for people, so they can make more money, to me, is better than seven billion people, all without jobs. but it too needs revision. it needs a spiritual solution. hope we can all pray that god's will be done in these matters.

 

Isaiah 9:6-7

 

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!

 

romans 13:1-5

 

Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.

 

so, where is our hope? let us learn how to wholeheartedly praise god for the above truths! an old timer told me, decades ago, that our only hope of being restored to sanity was in our ability to learn how to obey the laws of our government. friends, this is truly a process, not an event.

 

 

ron's perspective number five - god's temple 10/14/03

 

We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free. (big book pg 133)

 

What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What joys await us inside your holy Temple. (Psalm 65:4 NLT)

 

Access to God, the joy of living in the tabernacle courts, was a great honor. God had chosen a special group of Israelites, the tribe of Levi, to serve as ministers in the tabernacle. They were the only ones who could enter the sacred rooms where God's presence resided. Because of Jesus' death on the cross, all believers today have personal access to God's presence everywhere and anytime. We gain this access into God's presence by believing in the death and resurrection of Christ and turning from our sins to God's way of living. (Tyndale House Publishers)

 

well, some of us might be believers, but if the big book is true, we can not get to god's Spirit, and his presence, until we get to step ten, after the promises are fulfilled. that is what this perspective is about. the presence of god, in his temple.

 

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us is sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them. This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code. And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone, even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. (big book pg 84)

 

to get us started, on the right foot, let us introduce john 2:14-19;

 

In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; and he saw money changers behind their counters. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers= coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Don't turn my Father= s house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house burns within me." A What right do you have to do these things?" the Jewish leaders demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it."  "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

 

most of you know that the entire noahhite effort is based on 2 peter 3:8;

But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

 

theologians somehow established, in the fourteenth century, that genesis was written about spiritual time, in the year of our lord, 4004 bc. now we are at 2,003 ad. can every one do that six thousand year math, which equals six days of god's time?

 

in the gospel of john, above, jesus says that he will raise up his temple, in three days, if it is destroyed. well, they did destroy it by crucifying it. so, my conclusion is that we are now in the seventh day of god's creation, as well as being in the third day of god's son's spiritual resurrection of his temple, for those that choose the spiritual awakening, in recovery, from the ways of this world; being a money changer. the truth for me is that god's son has been gone two days, or two thousand years. and now his temple is finally available to us, if we choose recovery. friends, recovery has twelve steps. not two, six, eight, ten and a half, nor even eleven and two thirds. a full twelve, which states, "and practiced these principles, in all of our affairs."

my truth is that god gave his son twelve disciples. the father was able to teach his son what he wanted the son to learn, as he worked with the twelve disciples, always teaching about the kingdom of god. he even went so far as to say, "the kingdom of god is within you." the last words of jesus on the cross were, "father, i commit my spirit to you." please notice that it does not have a capital S. it is a lower case s. but god's Spirit does have the capital letter, as it is mentioned in the tenth step. the analogy of this is that after god's son had been gone from this world for about two days, low and behold, a twelve step spiritual program showed up, with twelve spiritual principles that will teach us all of the things that our father wants us to learn, if we are persistent in our efforts.

 

the truth for us is that the only joy we really hope for is having the privilege of being in his holy temple, as mentioned in the first scripture, in the book of psalms. yes, we experience joy in his courts, but his temple is our destination. holy to us however simply means dedicated to god. it has no meaning as to religion at all. our efforts are about faith, and faith alone. the title of the first noahhite book is "his father's temple." the gist of the book is that it supports anonymous recovery, with the scriptures, all two hundred and forty plus.

 

 

ron's perspective number six - repentance 10/19/03

 

let us start with several selections, from the third chapter, in the gospel of matthew. these are about john the baptist.

 

3:5-8; People from Jerusalem and from every section of Judea and from all over the Jordan Valley went out to the wilderness to hear him preach. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God= s coming judgment? Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God.

 

if we have only confessed the sins of others, we are only kidding ourselves, and are in some form of spiritual make believe, not to mention denial. we must learn how to confess what we did wrong, rather than what they did to us, or what they did wrong, if we expect to get on the path to god.

 

to turn, in the spiritual realm, means to repent. repentance, with john= s water baptism, actually, the living water, is a comforter, or counselor, that is provided, for those that mourn. to mourn means to loose something or someone that is very important to us, without complaining about it, in self pity. the early part of matthew chapter five suggests, "God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted." and when we get to step ten, we experience, john 14:15-16;  "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, who will never leave you."

 

when we are able to meet a few simple requirements, wholeheartedly, and the spiritual malady has been resolved, we are in an envelope that guides us through the first nine suggested steps of anonymous recovery, so that the promises in step nine will be fulfilled, completely. "At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol - cunning, baffling, powerful!" (big book pg 58) but the key issue is are we really turning to god, or are we still looking to the ways of this world to solve our problems? the big book states that spiritual principles will solve all of our problems.

 

3:11; "I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am, so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

 

first, let us state that our opinion of what sin represents is Self Imposed Non-sense; S-I-N. the third step prayer states, "...relieve me of the bondage of self....;" practice, practice, practice.

 

again, let us mention that to us, holy only means dedicated to god. it has nothing to do with any religion, in any way what so ever. the truth is though, that what we do every day is our religion. that is what we really believe. our actions prove what we believe, to god, even though we may try to hide some of the more devious aspects of our behavior from our closest friends.

 

the reason for this perspective is based on what is seen by many in the world today, concerning health issues. the two most powerful positions on this planet, the president of the united states, and the leader of one of the largest religions of the world, do not grant good health. one of the living past presidents, and that current religious leader have absolutely miserable health issues, in my opinion. "When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically." (big book pg 54) "We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative. We, who have recovered from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health. But we have seen remarkable transformations in our bodies." (big book pg 133) 

 

friends, i know of men that have been sober for over forty years, and still do not have a clue of what recovery is about, because they still depend on money, property, and prestige. they are generally control addicts, in my opinion. and several years ago, i saw a very successful man that i had worked with over twenty years ago, and his health was pathetic, even though he lives in irving park, and has many millions.

 

But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! (isaiah 53:5) until we understand what god's son did for us, we are not entitled to receive this healing, but understanding recovery provides it, free of charge. the big book states, "we were reborn."

if any of you good people think that it is easy to put one of these perspectives together, you are delusional.

 

ps: not through editing yet.  install sum OLD programs, get to work/see ol' stuff.  maybe even ask see if can get old parallel port key back; pretty layout WORK.  :-)