How I could dream

And what could I dream? Many years ago a song was written titled, 'Imagine'.  Many people sing and dream about how wonderful things would be if only...  if only there was no pain, or sorrow,  no bad things that happen. 
This song erroneously blames many things including religion for killing and death in this world, and this song is a proposition that socialism is a good thing...if everyone were only free and equal, but take a look at the reality of what 'imagine' looks like:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
     First verse--no heaven, no hell, only people with nothing-- to live or die-- for.  People living as if they are animals.  Ecclessiastes 3:11 "He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end." Human beings are unique to our world.  Animals don't think about tomorrow.  They only live from day to day.  Yet, humans can think and reason into the future--just another way we are set apart from the animal world.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
     Second verse--no country, no religion, nothing --to kill or die-- for...  Killing isn't good--violent death is not good, but death comes to us all.  It doesn't always come with countries or religion.  As a matter-of-observation, without the proper religion, violent death comes more often, to more people.
Ecclessiastes 3:16  "And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there."
When our fellow man has no restraint he's no saint.  Where there is no admonition to 'love thy neighbor', we are less loving, caring, and forgiving.  True Christianity is is like that.  It offers a better life here on earth, and the hope of eternal life in heaven. We can know that there is a righteous judge and all will at some point be judged.
You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one
     This is another misrepresentation of the real world we live in.  Even if the majority of the population were of a similar thought, the reality is that there is always a fly in someone's ointment.  It isn't human nature for everyone to think, act, and live the same way. Not only isn't it human nature, but often the minority is the fly that maketh the oil of the apothecary to stink...Ecclessiastes 10:1  "Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor."

 Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
     No possessions?  That is not realistic.  There has to be some elemental possessions.  How can I share in the first place if I don't have something to share?  If I'm in need how can you help me, or how can we help one another, if we don't have possessions?  We don't live in a world where what is mine is yours, and yours is mine.  A world where, since everything belongs to everyone, I can just borrow or use anything that I desire because of course it's all public property. There isn't a need for greed, but greed and hunger do exist.  Odd, that the singer of this song seems to support the communist type government, yet when you look into history, the communist elitist governments have used food and food shortages to control their citizens.  These governments are far from the peace filled fantasies offered in this ditty.  In Jamestown, Virginia the very first government was that 'all should work, and share the fruits of that labor equally'.  What happened was some worked, all shared, and eventually the 'some' decided that the system wasn't working, therefore they weren't going to work either.  The system was changed to, 2Thessalonians 3:10  "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat."

 You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one
     Without good dreams a person has no goals, nothing to look forward to, nothing to strive for.  Nothing to live...or die for.  The dreamer here isn't dreaming for anyone, but himself.  Different countries keep each other in check.  No one seems to remember this idea.  Some, smart, educated people have at times believed a 'one world government' is the way to go.  They are not supported by history or logic.  If we lived in a perfect world, our perfect government wouldn't be needed.  No heaven, no hell?  For many in this life of trial and trouble heaven and its hope is a fair vision.  For would be evil doers a belief that someday their misdeeds would be judged and punished by a righteous God with an eternal punishment is a stong deterrent. 
A speaker was encouraging his listeners to 'trust people to do the right thing'.  "Given the opportunity people will usually do the right thing," the man said. 
I look around me, and some people are trustworthy, but...
Ecclesiastes 7:29  "Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. "

Ecclesiastes 3:17  "I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."  

No guarantees

In life there are no guarantees...the same situation that may lead to grand heights of accomplishments, may as well lead to failure.  Or at least a failure of sorts. 

When I was a youngster my cousin and I were being --youngsters.  We were running down the forest path (think Little House in a big woods) and me spying a branch hanging out over the path, and believing I could fly, I jumped up to grab the branch and swing on it.  The end of the matter was that, of course I couldn't fly, and although I was close that didn't count.  I landed with a thud flat on my back gasping for air. 

Did I fail?  In a real sense yes I did.  I made a split decision that didn't turn out well.  However, there were several lessons learned from the incident.  I learned my physical capabilities had limits, I learned that split decisions are not always good things--consider your actions more carefully, and I also learned when you fall down on the path of life...get up.

My cousin's favorite words to me during childhood must have been, 'Are you alright?' because of the numerous times I did something that left me gasping for air, or black and blue from the experience.  Being foolishly fearless is not a virtue. 

2Peter 1:5  "Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6)  and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; 7)  and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love. 8)  For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

These are virtues.  Real attributes to strive for and emulate.  Many times on the path of life we encounter situations that demand we make decisions.  Most often where our focus is will determine where our future is.  Virtue is a nebulous quality that we know what it is, but it isn't easily defined.  I think of the virtuous knight, or a virtuous saint, someone above reproach.   Virtue helps us make right (irreproachable) choices in life.  We need knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love in order to make virtuous decisions, and the foundation knowledge is of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In 2Timothy 1:7  we are told: "For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline."

There is a difference between foolishly fearless, and the fearlessness that God gives us.  So, as you run down the path of life remember strive for the virtues that will lead you to make right choices...and if you fall down on the path of life...get up.

Such a time?

1Kings 20:35  "And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.  36)  Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him."

There is a story here about a king by the name of Ahab.  He lives in the city of Samaria, and is besieged by another king, Ben-hadad of Syria.  Ben-hadad has sent a message to King Ahab and says I want everything -good- that you have; your wives, your children, gold, silver...all of the goodliest of your possesions.

You might think Ahab would take exception to this, but no, he accepts the terms, and is willing to comply...but the story continues.
  "And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, I sent indeed unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
  but I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away." 1Kings 20:5-6
Ahab, the King of Israel finally decides, I think this fellow is pulling my chain.  (That's my phraseology there.) But he goes to the elders of the land and says, "Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief:" I Kings 20:7

There are so many interesting things to glean from this lesson, but we are going to skip the story of the two battles that are fought wherein God blesses Ahab with victory over the pestilent Ben-hadad, just to show Ahab that there is a God in Israel: 
"...therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."
(1Kings 20:28)
So, after the boastful King Ben-hadad is defeated twice, and he has had to flee for his life, his servants counsel him to throw himself on the mercy of King Ahab: 1Kings 20:32  "So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother." The 'he' of the last sentence was none other than Ahab, calling Ben-hadad his brother...and in verse 34 Ahab makes a covenant with Ben-hadad: "And I, said Ahab, will let thee go with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go."

God was very unhappy with him, and to prove his point he used a 'son of the prophet' to get his point across, and that is where I Kings 20:35 comes in.   "Smite me, I pray thee" he tells his fellow, but the fellow prophet was disobedient, was slain by a lion, and so the story goes on:

1Kings 20:37  "Then he (the prophet) found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him. 38)  So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes. 39)  And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.  40)  And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.  41)  And he hasted, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets."
I don't know why Ahab made a covenant and let Ben-hadad go free.  The reason the prophet said he lost his prisoner was that he was busy 'here, and there'. 
Into our hands our lives are given, our opportunities are given, our time, our talent, yes, our very essence is given.  What are we doing with all of these things? 

1Corinthians 3:9  "For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building. 10)  According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. 11)  For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12)  But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13) each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is."
We don't want to lose our place in the kingdom of God.  It is important to remember that being about our Father's business is our task first.  Do we forget to trust on God? 

Matthew 10:29  "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father: 30)  but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31)  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."