The Offense, the Offender and the Offended

“I try hard not to offend. I try harder not to be offended.”

- Dan Crenshaw, Former Navy Seal and US Congressman-elect

The offense, the offender and the offended. In today’s world, offense comes in the form of racism, sexism, Islamophobia, political correctness, and a host of other offenses that end with an, “ism”, “ia”, “ist” and “ics”.

But the focal point in all of this is not on the offense. It isn’t even on the offender. You would think that the crime (offense) and the criminal (offender) would be of upmost concern and interest. But it isn’t. In today’s world, the power, control, strength and focus rests with the offended. Not the offender. Not the offense, but the offended. In fact, being offended is the hope, desire and goal.

Offense today is created when someone from outside of a defined group, freely mingles and interacts within the domain of that group. The offense occurs when the outsider acts in a way traditionally reserved for and associated with the other group.

For instance, a black person can crack black racial jokes and use horrible, racially charged black epithets with no offense within the black community. But, if a white person did and said the exact same thing as the black person, then the black community would get offended. It’s not the offense nor the offender, for both the black and white person did the same thing. What changed was the offended.

The bottom line is this. It has nothing to do with the definable group nor does it have anything to do with the actual offense itself. The emphasis is placed on being offended. Being offended is the goal. 

But why?

Being offended makes you the victim. A victim is afforded special rights, powers and dispensations. Being a victim becomes leverage and a springboard to power. Being offended, whether real or perceived, has been the primary tool and weapon of choice with politicians, social justice warriors, sexual revolution advocates and world affairs.

The offense is just the avenue in which to launch the rights and privileges of the offended and to exploit any advantages that may be available to them. And if benefits do not exist, then the offended will demand that they be created and given to them!

The end game of the offended is not resolution. The goal of the offended is not to correct the offender and eliminate the offense. The goal is compensation and restitution for the offended. The goal is power for the offended. The offended have no desire to stop the offender or stop the offense, oh no, quite the opposite. The offended wants to encourage and perpetuate the offense and the offender, for that’s the only way for them to gain and maintain power and revenue.

NOTE: Above and below could be, should be (?) two separate messages. They came to me at the same time while writing. I decided to leave the two together.

Jesus and Offense.

Jesus warned His disciples about offences. Jesus said, “It is impossible but that offences will come” (Luke 17:1). Heads up everyone! It is simply impossible to avoid offences!

But pay attention to what Jesus teaches on how to handle the offence. Does He tell them to strike back? Does Jesus tell them it is their right to be offended? Does Jesus show them how to leverage the offense into profit and power? No, none of that.

Jesus tells his disciples, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4).

The first thing Jesus tells his disciples is to, “Take heed to yourselves”, or in other words, get a grip! Stay calm. Keep yourself under control and don’t let the offense rile your spirit! Most of our grief in life would have never happened if we had just taken heed to ourselves!

Jesus proceeds to tell His disciples to correct the offender of his offense, to bring to their attention that their actions are wrong. This requires the Bible and knowledge thereof, for it is not our will that needs to be done, but God’s will. How are we going to know God’s will if we are not completely invested in the Holy Trinity and His word?

Sin is a direct offense to God. It is our responsibility to repent of sin. We must repent of our own sin first, before we can we help another. We can’t help someone if we ourselves are laden with the same sin. So, we must, “first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye”. Read Matthew Chapter 7:1-5.

Problem resolution lies with the offended. The offended shows the offender their sin (the offense). The offended shows the offender how to repent of that sin and shows them the righteous path. Most importantly, if the offender asks for forgiveness then the offended is to accept it. No grudges or ill will. If the offender continues to offend “seven times in a day” but still asks for forgiveness then then we, “shalt forgive him”.

The power of offense lies in the hands of the offended. With the world, that offense is perpetuated and inflamed. Power is used for personal power and profit.

With Jesus the offense is immediately squelched. The offended seizes the opportunity to save the offender from their sin of offence.

Jesus gives fair warning to anyone that brings offense: “but woe unto him, through whom they come!  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones” (Luke 17:1-2).

So do you see what the offended is actually doing to the offender in getting them to repent of their offense? The offended is saving their life! We are trying to prevent the “woe”, the great calamity that Jesus warned about from happening to the offender.

But what happens if the offender does not heed the warning? What if they ignore your attempts to save them?

Jesus told His disciples, “whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:7).

Shake off the dust of apostasy and sin from where you’ve been treading and move forward. It is not our job or responsibility to convert someone. It is our job to be obedient to Christ and to spread His word.

The word of Jesus Christ is spirit and life. That spirit will quicken (waken and excite) the spirit within God’s elect. Those who are not God’s chosen, with that person the word will fall flat unto deaf ears. There’s nothing you and I can do about it.

Keep in mind that for whatever reason, the word may not take hold immediately with someone. Sometimes it takes years for the planted seed of truth to germinate, sprout, and grow. So never give up. Sometimes it just takes time. Sometimes it just takes some extra watering for that seed to start growing.

Bill Hitchcock

Spiritual Blessings In Heavenly Places

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3)

Isn’t this exciting? God has already blessed us. “Who hath” is past tense. We don’t have to wait to die to receive this benefit or for some miraculous event to occur. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have already received these spiritual blessings!

And what exactly is this benefit? It is spiritual blessings. ALL spiritual blessings, not just some. All spiritual blessing in, “heavenly places”, or more accurately put, all spiritual blessing that are of heaven. “Heavenly places” is not a location, but rather a reference to the type of blessings. The phrase “heavenly places” is used three other times in the Bible, all by Paul and all to the Ephesians. (Ephesians 1:20, 2:6, and 3:10). Each time the meaning is the same.

So, God has blessed us, each of us, individually. God didn’t give a blanket blessing to the world in one fell swoop. No, God receives each of His children, His elect, one on one, one at a time, and blesses each as the individual miracle that He has made us to be.

What are these spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ? We know that the fruit of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23).

But we have to broaden our range of view and increase our field of vision to begin to see and “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” (Ephesians 3:18), the scope of the spiritual blessings that we have already received from Jesus Christ. These blessings include redemption, salvation, grace, mercy, forgiveness, forbearance, the Holy Ghost, and the very word of God itself. That Bible you hold in your hands is nothing but one big spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ!

Spiritual blessing don’t necessarily come in a pleasant hue. Chastisement, judgment, justice and equity are spiritual blessings from God too. Being obedient to these gifts will lead us back home to God.

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11)

God so willed all of these spiritual blessings for His children. They are His gifts to the chosen. These gifts aren’t necessarily meant to make our life more pleasant here on earth. But all of them are designed to get us from this earth and back home to Him, the Father.

Realize that we have all of the blessings now. Realize that all of these blessings are gifts, created by God, made for our benefit. All too often we take certain things for granted, we assume that many things have always been, not realizing that each and everything comes from God, made with a specific purpose.

Bill Hitchcock

Woe and Will

The Woe

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin” (Isaiah 30:1)

We mustn’t overlook the very first word, “Woe”. It is a very strong and powerful statement. It communicates great sorrow, sadness and distress. This suffering and remorse is directed towards the “rebellious children” and is addressing their fate. These children, so called in reference to God the Father, are self-decided, ill-willed, stubborn, active apostates. Peter calls these rebellious children, “selfwilled”. They are full of pride and “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government” and are not afraid to, “speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10).

These rebellious children do not seek nor take counsel in the Lord. They resist and struggle against anything to do with God. But they gravitate towards and cling onto sin. Only a prideful person could do this for they place themselves in a superior position to God. Rebellion is open defiance, a conscious effort and a willful act against God.

With such a person it is easy to see why the prophet begins with “Woe”, for nothing ever turns out well that works in opposition of God.

The phrase, “cover with a covering” comes from the Hebrew word, “Maccekah”. It is a reference to pouring out of wine or some libation as an offering when forming a compact or covenant (Genesis 35:14). Or it is sometimes a reference to casting molten metals in making a statue or idol (Isaiah 44:10).

In either case, the rebellious children are not seeking God nor His Spirit. They are forming bonds, alliances and allegiances from without, not from within. Whatever is not of God and faith in God, is of sin (Romans 14:23).

The Will

Rebellion is the effect with the will being the cause. The will sets rebellion in motion. But what of the will? Is the will a product of the spirit or is the spirit a product of the will?

Cause and effect. The will is the cause. The act is the effect. The act is the will in motion. What triggers the will is desire. The thing desired becomes the goal. To achieve the goal the will sets in motion the act best suited to achieve it.

With an evil spirit comes evil desires. The will of an evil spirit will set into motion whatever it needs to, so that it is able to achieve its evil desire.

The same holds true with a Godly spirit. The will of a person with a Godly spirit will set into motion whatever it needs to be able to achieve its Godly desire.

But there is one very big difference between the evil spirit and the Godly spirit.

The evil spirit cares not what it sets into motion in pursuit of its desires. Good or bad acts is not the concern of evil. Attaining its desire is evils’ only concern. The only parameters evil may set are to safeguard from being caught. Evil sometimes does good things in its quest to obtain its desires.

The Godly Spirit will only act in a Godly manner and only with Godly intent. The end does not justify the means if the means involves sin. Nothing justifies sinning. If something requires sin, then it is not of God.

The spirit within a person will determine their desires. Once desire is establish the will sets into motion the necessary things in which to obtain those desires. The child of God will always remain on the path of righteousness and will be always be headed towards things of God. The final desire and destination is to be with God Himself.

The evil spirit will be repelled by righteousness and drawn towards evil. It is the will that propels towards the desire. Change the spirit, and you’ll change the desires. Change the desires and you will change the will. Change the will, (the cause) and you will change the motion (the effect). Finally, once the motion has been coursed corrected aright, your destination will be set aright.  

Bill Hitchcock

Active Participation

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 17-21)

Remember what the Apostles of Jesus told you. There will be self-serving, lustful folks who will make fun of Christ and of your faith. Notice how these folks will not have the Spirit of Christ in them. They are not of the chosen, of the elect. They will freely choose to have nothing to do with God or you! Never forget, it is their choice to reject Christ and embrace sin!

But you choose differently. You choose to grow your faith. You choose to pray not by rote, but by Spirit!

Please note our active participation in all of this. We remember, we build our faith, we pray to God and keep ourselves in the love of God. We actively look for the mercy of our Lord and are searching for eternal life through Christ.

There is nothing passive or sedentary about our relationship and faith. God is nothing but a forward motion and we must keep up.

We are on His Holy Highway, the path of righteousness, judgment, and equity. This Holy Highway is the way, the truth and the life found in Jesus Christ.

God preserves His saints who travel His road and is a buckler to them that walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:8-9).

But there are evil men who leave the paths of uprightness, that walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the wicked (Proverbs 2:12-13).

But we are to take “hold of the paths of life. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.” (Proverbs 2: 19-22)

Just remember what the Apostles have already taught us in word and by example. Actively, diligently work to, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” and everything will alright.

Bill Hitchcock

White Racism In America

(These are morning’s thoughts as I sipped coffee.)

Why would the white race want to keep the black race down and disadvantaged? In America, everybody wins, everybody benefits when people succeed, when folks are able to produce. Everyone is disadvantaged in some form or fashion, to one degree or another when a race or any segment of the population fails.

The unemployed and uneducated do not advance a society. Propagation without education or income does not advance a society. The irreligious do not advance a society. Violence and criminal activity does not advance a society. Suppression of a race cost. It cost in terms of money, time, values, morals and effort.

The American culture is one thing and one thing only. This one thing is what attracts people from all around the world to it. It is the one thing that unites us together into one big family. America is not the great melting pot, which in reality, is nothing more than, “cultural appropriation”.

What defines America, what makes America the greatest country in the world is the knowledge, belief and practice of the following:

- “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

- The definition of racist is one, “who believes that a particular race is superior to another.” Has anyone ever stopped to think that if America was a racist country that was founded by a bunch of racist white males, then why would they proclaim in their Declaration of Independence that all, not some, but ALL of mankind (All humans, both genders) are created equal?

- And if these racist white males were without religion, then why did they source all powers and rights in God?

- And if these rights come from God and are impossible to take away from someone, then why would these racist white males even attempt to deprive blacks of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

- And if these racist white males, who clearly believe in God and in His supreme power and in His Godly attributes and characteristics, then how could these racist white males even be concerned with race or gender to begin with, for that certainly would be unGodly?

The unity of a society is dependent, absolutely dependent upon the equitable rights for all of its members regardless of race. Equitable rights amongst male and female is mandatory if a society is to be healthy and well-functioning. This is God given and established.

“The Mosaic account of the creation, whether taken as divine authority or merely historical, is full to this point, the unity or equality of man. The expression admits of no controversy. “And God said, Let us make man in our own image. In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” The distinction of sexes is pointed out, but no other distinction is even implied. If this be not divine authority, it is at least historical authority, and shows that the equality of man, so far from being a modern doctrine, is the oldest upon record.” -Thomas Paine/Rights of Man.

Why would the white race want to keep the black race down knowing that it is unGodly, impossible to do/maintain, gains nothing but costs so much? There is no advantage for the white race to be “racist” towards blacks or any other race. None!

Bill Hitchcock

Freedom From Religion or Forced To Another Religion?

Since 1978 The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) has been successful at eradicating Christianity from the public square. FFRF, usually targeting small towns, communities and municipalities around the country, has sued to remove prayer, Christian invocations and any mention of Jesus, removal of the Ten Commandments, removal of the Christian cross in cemeteries, banned Bibles and Bible study ,and in general FFRF has mandated, restricted and prohibited local communities Christian practices that are of not only religious significance, but of historic and traditional value.

In the FFRF mission statement, this anti-God, pro-government activist organization proclaim that they, “promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism”.

I have some questions for FFRF. If separation of church and state is your mission, then why is it that you only get involved when it is the Church’s involvement in government, but never fight to get government involvement out of the Church?

Separation of church and state puts a wall between the two. The wall should block both sides completely and equally, not just stop one from the other.

Why then FFRF, do you only get involved when you perceive that the Church is climbing over the wall to get to government, but are completely silent when the government crawls over the wall and infiltrates the Church?

FFRF targets, “American cities for expressing religious ideas in public.” (CBN News). Those “religious ideas” happen to always be Christian. No other religion, including Islam and the Muslim faith have been attacked by this religious terror group.

What is happening is that the FFRF is attempting to eradicate one religion, Christianity and supplant it with their own religion. The mission statement clearly states that FFRF is, “to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism”. Nontheism is a religion. The religion of FFRF is Nontheism.

By their actions of the past 40 years, FFRF has proven that their purpose is to eradicate Christian beliefs and practices in the public square. They have sued local cities, towns and municipalities, causing them to terminate their Christian beliefs, practices and to literally shut up the Christian.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is not trying to stop religion. They are trying to eradicate Christianity by secularizing it through government intrusion and the Godless religion of Nontheism.

Bill Hitchcock

The Horseleach, The Person That Sucks Your Life Dry

“The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough” (Proverbs 30:15-16).

This is a fascinating proverb. It is of depth most infinite. But what first may seem confusing or complex is actually simple. These are principles (and origins) we must know and understand. But first, there needs to be a little bit of explaining of some of the words and terminology.

A “Horseleach” is a parasite, a leech. It lives in waters and marshes. A worm like creature with mouth and teeth suited for grabbing, biting and sucking blood out of animals and people. It is so called a “Horseleach” due to its ability to latch a hold of the nose of a drinking horse.

Horseleach is transliterated from the Hebrew word, “aluwqah”. It is only used just this one time in all of the Bible. It has many meanings and inferences in many cultures. But in short the word horseleach is a reference to a person (usually female) who metaphorically is a “blood sucker”. It is someone who will use another person and take everything they have including money, possessions, dignity and humanity. The horseleach will suck its victim dry of their physical and emotional life.

Adam Clarke explains the horseleach thusly, “There are persons so excessively covetous and greedy, that they will scarcely let any live but themselves; and when they lay hold of any thing by which they may profit, they never let go their hold till they have extracted the last portion of good from it."

The horseleach has been compared to a vampire or a succubus.

“The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give”. The daughters in this metaphor are diminutive to the horseleach. Well taught and well bred, they possess the true nature of the parent. They exhort, expect and even demand to receive.

“Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20).

Hell and destruction (avarice) are never full and never satisfied. Both hell and sinful man take and consume constantly. But what the earthy, sinful man does not realize, (or does not care about) is that his lust and desires acted upon are actually his path to hell and destruction. He is joyful in his sins. Metaphorically speaking his car is sin, the cliff is life and righteousness (truth). Man is singing at the top of his lungs with a smile on his face as he drives off the cliff into the pit of Hell and destruction. So joyful in his sin, earthy man is still singing at the top of his lungs all the way down to his eventual and fatal crash.

“There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough” Four in total that are never satiated.

“The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough”

The grave. More than the shallow pit we are placed in at death, the grave is “Sheol”. It is the underworld of death and absolute despair and despondency. No hope of God or salvation. All is lost. All is pain.

Job describes Sheol like this: “Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:21-22).

Bound in affliction and oppression, this is Hades. It is never full. It is never satisfied. There are never enough sinners to fill the infinite abyss of this darkness and “Hell” beyond comprehension. The desire, lust and lasciviousness of man are but Hell’s invitation and calling card. The earthy man will always respond and go the route of the wide gate of Hell, gleefully riding to his own destruction.

The man of God will not do this. He chose God, and God’s will and way. The man of God does not lean on his own understanding but at all times trust’s the Father. The man of God knows that sin is easy, generally requires no effort and is often quite pleasurable. But he also knows that, “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7: 13-14).

The grave allures man with sin. It is in a very real sense suicide when he indulges in the forbidden fruit.

The barren womb. It may be difficult to comprehend how something barren could want more. But the death and riddance of children has been the devil’s desire ever since the news that Jesus Christ was born. Herod filled with the devil wanted to know where Christ was. When he couldn’t find him Herod had all children of age of two and under to be killed.

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not” (Matthew 2:16-18).

The barren womb crying “not enough” is demonstrated today by the worldwide acceptance and practice of abortion. At the time of this writing there have been over 1.3 billion abortions worldwide since 1980.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3).

That verse from psalm could not have stated it more clearly. Children are God’s continuance and reward. They are the result of man being obedient, fruitful and multiplying. God is always about life and creation and abundance. The devil does all that he can to prevent it.

God knows us and handcrafts each and every one of us in our mother’s womb. God knows our inner being our “self” even before we are born!

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:13-17).

The horrors of our time; a child of any age can get birth control pills from organizations such as Planned Parenthood. Parental knowledge or consent is not required for a minor child to have an abortion.

In some states no parental knowledge or consent is required for a child to have an abortion. In other states parents must be notified if a minor wants an abortion but parental consent is not needed for the procedure. Few states require parental permission for a minor to have an abortion.

Planned Parenthood is a federally funded organization receiving $528.4 million in 2014 from the government. It performs a third of all abortions in the United States. Planned Parenthood clinics did 327,653 abortions in 2014.

Abortion is death. It is murder. It is answering the call of the barren womb. It is a device of the devil to work against God and His reward. God loves children. Abortion is eliminating the very child that is most precious to Him.

“The earth that is not filled with water”. Water is essential. It is the element made by God that is the very essence of this planet.

“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:6-10).

The earth is more than just covered in water. It is composed of it. Literally the continents are floating on water. New research has discovered a mineral called ringwoodite which is said to hold ocean’s woth of water underground.

"The surface water we have now came from degassing of molten rock. It came from the original rock ingredients of Earth," says Brandon Schmandt, a seismologist at the University of New Mexico

This adds credence to the Biblical accounting of the great flood of Noah.

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11).

Water is essential to human existence. The human body is composed of approximately 60 percent water. Although humans can go three weeks without food, they can only go 3 days without water.

But may we not see the water has the living water and word of Jesus Christ? We like the earth will be dead and parched without it. And no matter how much of the living waters are poured upon us we can never have enough while we are on this.

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14)

We can only drink and retain so much of the living waters of truth while we are in our earthen vessel. But when we are made whole, when we are made compete, we will become the whole body of living waters.

“The fire that saith not, It is enough” Fire consumes everything. In this respects it is identical to sin. Sin will consume everything and rages all the more as it feeds.

If fire (like sin) is not fed then it will not exist. The more it consumes the hotter the flames the more it must consume to maintain itself. Fire is just like the desiring eyes of man. Sin is never satisfied regardless how hot it burns.

The horseleach epitomizes sin. It consumes, wants and takes. It is selfish and self centered. It denies all others and serves itself and its own purpose.

Hell is a horseleach. The grave is a horseleach. And those who rebel against God, a sinner, are a horseleach. Their interest is you and what they can subtract from you be it money, possession, by ruining your life on earth or your by damning your life for eternity.

Those who love, edify, uplift all others are of God. They give, not take. They have love, joy and peace here on earth and for life ever after.

Bill Hitchcock