Good morning.
Today's topic is "Entitlement."
This world is crazy. Let's go to the story
telling phase. Let's go back to the beginning of how we build our
understanding as to what is right and what is wrong. What are we
inheriting? That is the question; right?
In democracy and free society we talk
about entitlement and that is about basic freedom and human rights. It's a
fundamental thing that makes you who you are in relation to God. It's
the case that there are many people that see otherwise. It's basically where
we stem from. That's where we start. That is the conflict. If there is any
conflict in a fundamental sense, that's where it comes from; entitlement
issues. Why?
Because children of God have a certain
promise based on religious doctrine and some traditions that you have
something that is inherent in you because God exists. That's it. When
you take God out of the picture the entitlement issue disappears. It's every
man for him self. If you don't have parents you don't inherit anything; you
don't even exist to begin with. That's the fundamental stuff.
When you're dealing with people who don't
believe in God that's why anything is open to every kind of crazy stuff that
comes down the pike based on conflict or whatever situation that exists
based on voluntary issues ultimately things get crazier because it doesn't
have any root. There is no connection. It is very difficult when you
have to prove yourself on a momentary basis, how great you are, why you're
better that the next person if you don't have some kind of connection that
allows you to speak representing good.
It doesn't work. The only reason that
there is good accepted in the world is that we believe in God. I know you
never saw God. You don't call Him on a red phone or something. I know that
doesn't exist. The only reason that we try to take the moral higher ground
is because we believe that we have some kind of relationship with God.
Whether we understand it clearly, whether it is real to us, to what degree
that is true in every individual case, because there will be many variations
of it.
That becomes the focal point ultimately no
matter how you address it that will pretty much determine the outcome. When
it comes to dealing with what we have to face in reality there are people
that don't believe in God. Another unfortunate fact is that beyond that
reality it doesn't end there. There are many groups of people who say that
"My God is better than your God."
I'm not talking about polytheism here; I'm
talking about one single God, but my belief is better than your belief, my
faith is better than yours. It all comes from the concept of
entitlement. I deserve something because of a religious teaching. God
promised. God exists. God created everything. God gave me the opportunity to
be something. Based on that people try to translate whatever, however they
want to translate entitlement issues. That's it.
Let's go back to the Christian stories. We
kind of get along, okay; it doesn't matter how crazy the stuff we do is,
still we seem to get along because of the Christian concept. You have to
promise something. What is the entitlement? If you go to the mythological
story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the fall occurred because the
entity who was delegated to rear the primary ancestors of the human race,
Adam and Eve had a falling out with that particular entity based on
entitlement issues.
On a hierarchy level, jealously normally
comes from the bottom up; it doesn't come from up to down. Up to down you
will have contempt. "That is contemptuous; I am disgusted with that person's
actions." It won't be out of jealously or envy.
Jealously and envy are due to things that
you see and feel, tactile things, things you need to feel and you need to
have. This application will trigger jealously. If something is just out
there in theory, how can you be jealous of something that you can't measure?
Jealously and envy exist because it's measurable.
You want something. You want to take
something. "Oh he has more power." That's measurable stuff. Based on that
kind of thought provoking emotional thing you act upon it and try to claim
it for yourself. This causes all sorts of problems.
When you talk about entitlement then what
is the essence of entitlement? What are you really trying to... As the human
race if we believe in God and God is the Almighty, the Creator, we have to
accept the will of God.
What are we ultimately inheriting? Do you
think it is something that will trigger jealously and envy? I don't think
so. It has to be something better, Why? Because you have to ask the
question: What do you say when somebody says "I'm perfect?" What does that
mean?
Perfect in what? Am I perfect in suffering
like God? Am I perfect in forgiveness like God? Am I perfect in sacrificing?
What kind of perfection are you talking about? That has to be clear. And why
do you want to be in that position? Why do you want to emulate God? Why do
you want to assume God? What is your intent? Do you really know what God's
perfection is?
Or is your perfection or your desire just
a product of just human history in the general sense? It doesn't have
religious or secular. It's just filled with crap all over the place. Why do
you want to assume that position? Why is it important to you; and if you are
a representation of God then what can you do with that stuff? What is the
thing that makes a difference ultimately and not just in the present, but in
the future?
You can't judge somebody until they're
dead right? So I'll leave it at that. You will be judged, by your
children, and by God. You can't just think about yourself, my children, my
posterity, my people; there is no such a thing! We are obviously going
through religious strife in the most appalling way possible dealing with
racial differences and all sorts of crap.
That's why you have to talk in general
when you try to understand God because no matter how we try to understand in
detail it will take time. It's not going to happen like that. Why? Think
about yourself. Know your limits. You don't live that long. History did not
start from you.
There are many things you can be addicted
to. I've seen all sorts of addictions, but the most devastating stuff is
power and money. That will make you think all sorts of stupid things. If
you're high on drugs you do crazy things and its not you making the
decision; it's the drug making you do things that you will regret.
Ultimately you are responsible for it whether you like it or not. It
has to be that way if everybody is going to achieve perfection in the eyes
of God, "I didn't do anything wrong" To whose eyes? To what standard?
The world will change. No matter how crazy
it is, it will change. In the past it was crazier. We know a lot. That's why
we struggle in our discretionary measures. We do have a greater
understanding of how history works, of how human beings work in a basic
sense, physical, emotional, psychological. So basically its mind and body --
body and mind.
People 2000 years ago, 4000, 5000, they
were trying to have a relationship with God. We're still going through that
phase and we still struggle till this day to have a spiritual relationship
with God, a God that we all see, that we all talk to every day.
Obviously something has evolved in
betterment, we understand that, but still we struggle. Why? Because It's
Real! Because we can't control it to the level of our understanding what
the spirituality is just on the individual level. Remember that reality is
various. It is not uniform. It is different in all sorts of crazy ways. But
that's what it's about, nothing else.
When you talk about your entitlement, what
if you're a prince? What kind of entitlement do you allow yourself that this
is legitimate this is justifiable, and what gives you the right to do that?
Because I'm a prince? What if you're not? What if you're the lower rung of
the ladder?
Does individual responsibility differ from
the people at the bottom to the people at the top? Even society doesn't
allow that, secular, democratic society. Do you really think God's ideal
society will allow that? Just because it (our church) is based voluntary
participation that doesn't mean that it (this standard of responsibility)
doesn't exist.
It might not be coerced and enforced by
punitive measures, at every turn that you take, every little step that you
take, but it exists. There is nothing different in the end because it can't
be. Who cares? Why do you want to be that important? You have no idea
how miserable that is based on how Father prescribed it, based on His
pathways. It is miserable. It is not fun. It is not glorious. It is not
easy. It will be miserable and you're willing to do that.
That's something that I still have
problems with. I'll tell it to you like it is. A lot of people think that
they're more effective, more able, smarter, but they all want something, the
thing that I have been burdened with. Take it! I could care less,
because that was the source of my misery all my life. Take it!
I wish I could be like the other guy and
just kick you out and I'm better than you, live like that. I take care of
myself and do good in my own way and let God sort it out. But I still
care, No matter how selfish you want to be because of climate or whatever;
you care because of your blood, of your lineage.
Sometimes I get a call "I'm your brother,
I'm your sister, help me!" I need help too. (Laughter) What can you say? Can
you turn them down? That's part of your family.
When you've got nothing to look up to,
when you're hopeless because you're sitting in a hole somewhere and you feel
that pressure the enormous shame and uselessness, and hopelessness. It
bothers you. It eats you up. What are you going to do? Kill everybody?
In some ways when you talk about this kind
of human stuff the most fundamentally important stuff is that entitlement
stuff that created all this other stuff. When you open up to spirit
world it's a two-edged sword too.
I do preach a lot about dying. Life is
short. Do the best you can. Give the best you got. In this short span of
life you don't want to put your nasty stuff first. Try to build something
that will be lasting like the spirit that is given to you, that is entitled
to you at birth.
You have to acquire and earn that stuff
and make it matter because in the end you will be judged. How do you think
you will be judged? You will be judged by the standard of what the spirit
is. What is that? You are going to answer that on your own. Okay?
Am I helping you? If I'm helping you with
something so be it. I'm going to talk about God and I'm going to talk
about myself. If I'm making a difference, that's all I can do for you.
That's all that matters. Stick to your role. Stick to your purpose.
I started this for a reason and its
personal and I admit it and you know it. Take it or leave it. It
doesn't matter to me what you do in the end. I will not be your judge.
The fact of the matter is I don't even know many of you; it just happens
that I'm in the position where I can make myself useful if I choose to be.
If I did that it hurts and you get
disappointed to. I don't want to be hurt again. But that does not mean
something stops. You know its right and ultimately the practical
defensive approach that I have at this point, I know that can change.
I want to do the stuff that we need to
fight and win. At the same time I'm disgusted that I have to be defensive
about myself in my own world. It's just for now. I know it will change.
You can't be that selfish forever. You can't be that self righteous.
Try to control your angers, because anger
in certain cases lead to jealously and envy. It can lead to self
righteousness and superiority stuff. Hey, just be grateful that you
wake up in the morning and say "What am I going to do today?" Count
your days and be grateful that you can.
There are all kind of crazy people out
there. I have another audition (for a production on
http://www.definingmoment.tv)
We can deal with Christian stuff and with other stuff too. You just
invite all sorts of people and just let them talk about themselves, all
different Christian denominations.
We have access to their heads thanks to
modern technology. The more we understand the better. That's the basic
essence of communications. We're just going to do it because we have a
purpose as a church and something has to be done in fundamental ways. That
is essential for our success and the future.
The more we understand, the more we have
the better. Not guessing, we know exactly what you are. The difficulty is
that we are guessing (about people's views) half the time, more than half,
95%. We can be clear in dealing with humanity because we are clearer when we
practice that stuff.
Practice what we learn (from these
interviews) and that's good schooling isn't it? It's not just because you
have a Harvard degree you might have a lot of learning, but learning doesn't
stop there.
I don't think you can change the world
with physical things or intellectual things. The world will be changed when
we understand God. Spirit, mind and body all that has to be proper, not the
other way around. Any other mixture variation or alternative is crap. Either
you do that stuff or get out, because you're going to lose in the end.
No matter how secular you are, the world
will teach you. You've got to know your limit. No matter how gangsterous
you think you are, other men are tougher and stronger and bigger than you.
There is no doubt that America could nuke North Korea and pulverize it
theoretically, but they can't do it because of radiation fallout etc.
contaminate Russia and China. Let them see who can piss harder into the
wind. Let them do that stuff.
Let's get our act together and make a
difference. In our lives as an individual that is something of a good
legacy. If there is any value in anything, it has to happen with a purpose
intent and action. Okay? That's how we will be judged in the end. So
please the more you do that and make a difference not just to yourself but
to others, the whole hell, the human race all too, somehow.
Anyway how are you going to inherit
something, become a king and control everything? What does that mean? That
is the curse. That's why God suffers. Do you understand me?
Don't like that stuff to much. It don't
work like that.
Take care.
