I read that "The average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 95% are exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before." 

Wow! how sad, what a waste of potential, experience, insight and enjoyment. That very night I read this insightful piece by Martineau, about how God has implanted moral admirations and disgusts ready to awaken into power and do homage to the noble, and spurn the evil. History is long and rich, and the lives of the great and good are never far, but lie scattered like gems in biographies and good fiction that bring this various world before the mind, and in doing so it has a great effect on us. Here is how he describes, so eloquently and thought provokingly, its effect on us.  

"The effect of this wider experience is incalculably great. Opening fresh continents of character to mental survey, and throwing the human tones upon the ear in language unheard before, startling the young observer with the sigh of pity and the vow of justice and the prayer of sorrow, in dialect other than the vernacular, it acts upon the judgments of conscience like foreign travel upon those of perception; and imparts a quickness of insight and breadth of view which are unattainable within a narrow circle, and which, by the very presence within the memory of a thousand other scenes of beauty, bathe the home-landscape in a light of new endearment." 

 Beginning with the second century, the leadership of the Christian church passed to the early Church Fathers. 

They were men of Greek and Roman training and culture. 

Through them not only Greek philosophical ideals but also Greek methods of thought found an increasingly prominent place in Christianity. 

True to their inheritance and training, these great leaders regarded individual belief as far more important than social living. 

The church began to demand of its followers loyalty to a definite creed rather than loyalty to the service of their fellow men. 

As a result, the rank and file of the medieval church were wholly unconscious of the social dynamics which the scripture contain.

The Protestant Reformation put the scriptures again into the hands of the people; but unfortunately, it continued to fix their attention chiefly on the theological and largely ignored the social teachings of the Bible. 

The main emphasis was still on other-worldliness. Religion and practical ethics were regarded simply as the means whereby the individual might secure a title to future blessedness. 

There were a few striking exceptions; but a majority of the Protestant leaders failed to see that the message of historic Christianity is to the living, not to the dead, and that it must express itself in human society as well as in the soul of the individual.

Puritanism, with its splendid emphasis on personal ethics, still largely lacked the social passion. Its leaders, however, were powerfully influenced by the democratic ideals of the prophets and Jesus. Their heroic efforts to found a Christian commonwealth marked the beginnings of a new social consciousness. Until the close of the 19th century, however, a majority of the Protestant churches throughout the world were still under the chilling shadow of the Middle Ages. Even during the last quarter of that century, a prominent Protestant theologian declared: 

“Christianity is not a life: it is a dogma!”  

Charles Foster Kent, PH.D., Litt.D. from “The Social Teachings of the Prophets and Jesus.”  

 

 "But high hearts are never long without hearing some new call, some distant clarion of God, even in their dreams: and soon they are observed to break up the camp of ease, and start on some fresh march of faithful service.

They do the good only to see the better, and see the better only to achieve it; who are too meek for transport, too faithful for remorse, too earnest for repose; whose worship is action, and whose action is ceaseless aspiration." James Martineau.    

 

Each time I go to the Jail to speak I wonder 'what will God do tonight? Will I sense His presence in that miraculous way again? Will hearts be touched, will souls be moved and encouraged along their way?' 

I'm an old man, and as much as I complain about bodily aches and pains, age has its benefits. Jesus said we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God, and sometime I think being a grandfather or father figure helps. 

It always amazes me how my first impression of those who filter in to the meeting room transform after I get to know them. 

Last night a woman, thirtyish, entered first alone and she walked in boldly, but eyes averted from mine. We greeted each other and she was a very "rough cut." Browned skin, her neck completely tattooed; her face had two small tats around each eye, her teeth; suffice to say they were in need of a great deal of work. 

One might think she and I would have little to unite on, to connect with: oh! but when the sweet Spirit begins to descend, this rough cut of a woman changed before my eyes into a little helpless girl. 

For some, my old age reminds them of a caring parent or grandparent, and walls come down quickly, and God uses my age to soften and open hearts. Such was the case last night, this woman watched me, and was captivated by every word we read. She had no Bible knowledge, and would not count herself a Christian, but she did say she's always prayed. She didn't share anything about her past, but it was evident she's gone places she woefully regretted, and here she sat, heart open, mind clear and hungry to learn and find hope. 

I chose a passage beginning in Galatians 5:13 from The Passion Translation, which has a warmth to it that some translations lack. We began reading one verse at a time and discussing each line in depth; it began with,

"Beloved ones, God has called us to live a life of freedom." 

I couldn't help wonder if she ever lived in freedom? Freedom from grief, from oppression and dominance, freedom of spirit, freedom to grow and express herself, advancing spiritually, and as a woman, freedom to seek her aspirations and hopes, and....dreams. 

I can't recall anyone that showed such enthusiasm and delight reading the holy lines we covered; her poor scorched soul drank in every word, with a childlike joy and hunger. What a moment, what a joy, what a privilege to be there!

I don't know if I'll ever see her again, but Jesus met with us last night, and she felt it, saw Him in His word, and I have no doubt it was a divine appointment. 

 I visited some men at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Portland yesterday. The visit was very productive and I left sensing the Holy Spirit in the way words never capture. 

As I weaved my way through the streets laden with the homeless, and got into my car, I noticed a man across the street, fiftyish, pushing a grocery basket with what looked like flowers in it, not fresh beautiful buds, but rather something days old that may have been in a wedding? 

He was a lean white fella, straight blond hair and mumbling loudly to himself. I looked behind, him fifty feet or so, and noticed another man walking the same direction that also had straight blond hair. It was a beautiful warm sunny day, and the fella had his shirt off enjoying the sun I expect. 

As the shirtless fella got closer I was shocked to realized that this was a woman, and she had taken off all her clothes, down to her bare feet! 

She too, was fiftyish although her body looked much older. My first thought was she had no clothes, and I grimaced thinking how vulnerable she was walking the streets of Portland! A very dangerous place in the best of circumstances. At the beginning of the block, the police park on the corner because the crime rate is so high in this area, so I had to believe they saw her. Then I remembered in our cesspool of a city, there is no law against public nudity unless it's done for sexual pleasure. How one determines that is a mystery to me!

When I was a young teen, I had a loved one go through a very traumatic crisis and they had a nervous breakdown, and at the height of her breakdown, she walked out of the shower, through the living room, where every one was watching television, and walked out the front door, oblivious to her state. 

It may be this woman triggered that memory and contributed to the emotional reaction and feeling of helplessness I had as I frantically searched my brain for some way to help. When I prepared to come down to the mission it was a cool morning so I wore a T-shirt and a light outer shirt, so I realized I could give her my outer shirt and I felt the Lord would want me to do that. I drove my car to the other side of the street, lowered my window and said, "I have a shirt you can have."  She glanced at me with a scowl and turned and walked away. I knew that was all I could do, you simply never approach a homeless woman on the street, it never ends well. 

So I drove off in a storm of disturbing emotions that still haunt me today. What if this was someone I knew? Can no one come to her aid? Will the police do nothing? How have we as a country allowed things to deteriorate this far??? 

Sadly, oddly, in this part of town where so many are addicted and have mental problems, most people don't even notice, much less care, about a woman walking around naked. But make no mistake, she is in real and imminent danger. 

Later that day I talked with one of the staff members at the mission and shared what I saw; he said this woman has done that multiple times. 

So here we are, living in a world where a woman suffering who knows what, has put herself in the most dire circumstances and left to fend for herself.......

 

I realize many men have been deeply hurt by women, the door swings both ways, that being said, women are victims from men at a far higher rate. 

U.N. data cites 51,100 women killed by intimate partners or family members in 2023, averaging 140 per day. 

This reflects only femicides, a subset of abuse, so total daily victims (including non-lethal cases) would be far higher. 

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports 24 people per minute in the U.S. are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, totaling over 12 million annually (men and women). Assuming women make up ~75% of victims (based on U.S. trends where 1 in 4 women vs. 1 in 7 men face severe abuse), this suggests ~25,000 women daily in the U.S. alone.

So, 24 women per minute are abused, and we wonder why the radical feminist movement grows.....

 

"SHE GAVE YOU HER BODY, BUT TOOK YOUR DESTINY" – When sex is a transaction, the man always loses more.

There are two types of men in this world: those who build their future and those who trade it away for temporary pleasure. Many men don’t even realize when they’ve been robbed, not of their money, but of their potential.

She didn’t hold a gun to your head. She didn’t break into your house at night. But she walked away with your focus, your ambition, your discipline, and your financial future.

And the worst part? You willingly handed it over.

This is the silent robbery happening every day. Men think they are enjoying, but they are being emptied.

BRUTAL THREAD: How Sex Can Steal Your Future

1. THE COST OF FREE SEX IS YOUR AMBITION

You met a fine girl. She gave you her body for free. No stress, no commitment, just pure enjoyment. You thought you hit the jackpot? No, you entered the trap.

Each time you’re with her, you’re spending hours, days, and nights chasing pleasure instead of chasing progress.

You wake up late, you miss opportunities, your mind is distracted.

You thought you were enjoying her body, but she was taking your focus, your time, and your hunger for success.

2. EVERY TIME YOU SLEEP WITH HER, YOU LOSE ENERGY—SHE GAINS IT

There’s a reason great warriors, boxers, and kings of old practiced sexual discipline. They knew that their energy, clarity, and strength came from controlling their desires.

When you release carelessly, you are losing more than just fluid. You are losing drive, willpower, and aggression—all the things you need to dominate in life.

Now, check her: she is glowing, she is energized, she is more powerful.

You are weaker.

Why do you think they say "behind every successful man is a woman"? Because she collects his energy and multiplies it. But what happens when she takes your energy and leaves?

She goes to multiply it elsewhere.

3. SHE TOOK YOUR MONEY, BUT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS LOVE

At first, it was just small-small money—transport fare, lunch money, a little shopping. Then it became rent, hair, nails, and urgent 2K every week.

You thought you were investing in her? No, you were funding your own downfall.

She took your hard-earned money, but did she invest it back into you?

No.

She used it to look good for another man who had more focus than you.

4. SHE WASTED YOUR YEARS, NOW SHE'S GONE

How many men have given their prime years to a woman who had no plans of staying?

She took your time, your energy, your youth… then she moved on to the next best option.

Now, you’re in your 30s or 40s, starting over while she has already secured her next destination.

Reality check: A woman’s time is shorter, but a man’s wasted time is costlier.

5. YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS LOYAL, BUT YOU WERE JUST A PHASE

Some women are seasonal lovers—they attach themselves to a man for a period, take what they need, then move on.

You thought she was forever. She knew she was temporary.

You were just a “right now” guy. And when she found a "forever" guy, she walked away without looking back.

6. YOUR FUTURE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN HER BODY

Many men have traded their destiny for a few minutes of pleasure.

Ask Samson. He had superhuman strength. Delilah used love and sex to take it away.

Ask Solomon. The wisest king in history lost his throne because of women.

Even great men fall when they don’t control their desires.

Now, look at yourself. What have you lost so far?

7. WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

If you keep trading your time, energy, money, and focus for sex, you will wake up one day and realize:

The men you started life with are now ahead of you.

Your bank account is empty.

Your dreams never happened.

And the women who wasted your years are now with better men.

BOTTOM LINE:

Sex is not free. It is always a transaction.

Either you gain something from it, or you lose everything to it.

Choose wisely.