HOW TO STAND IN THE POWER OF OUR POSTURE

​DEAR PATRONS AND FOLLOWERS, AS USUAL NONE OF THIS CONTENT IS WRITTEN IN STONE. iT IS MEANT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES BASED ON BIBLICAL AUTHORITY. OUR AIM IS TO APPLY THESE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE TO PRACTICAL LIVING. TRY READING THROUGH THE ENTIRE POST. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE AUDIO SUMMARIES WILL OMIT MANY DELICATE DETAILS THAT WILL ENRICH ENLIGHTENMENT.

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WE CANNOT HAVE A STANDARD WITHOUT TAKING A STAND!

POSTURE IS THE WAY WE HOLD OUR BODIES WHEN SITTING OR STANDING. POSTURING IS THE WAY IN WHICH OUR BEHAVIOR AND SPEECH APPEALS TO, DECEIVES OR IMPRESSES OTHERS. THE WAY WE ACT WHEN DEALING WITH ADVERSITY OR UNCERTAINTY DETERMINES HOW WE REALLY ARE OR HOW WE'RE PRETENDING TO BE. OUR BELIEFS, BEHAVIOR AND SPEECH POSTURES US INTO POSITIONS! OVER THE YEARS WE CONTINUING DEVELOPING OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL POSTURE. THE WAY, WE NATURALLY POSITION OURSELVES THROUGH ALIGNING BODY PARTS WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MUSCLE TENSION CREATES OUR POSTURE. THE WAY WE DECEITFULLY OR FALSELY "REPRESENT" OURSELVES IN Any CALCULATED, HYPOCRITCAL OR MISLEADING WAY IS ALSO POSTURING. WE ALL HAVE A WAY OF POSITIONING OURSELVES ETHICALLY, LEGALLY, MORALLY, POLITICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. THE STAND WE TAKE IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE THINGS WE BELIEVE AND EMBRACE. MANY TIMES, OUR TRUE POSTURE WILL SPEAK FOR US. AT OTHER TIMES WE MUST BOLSTER OUR POSTURE WITH WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT REINFORCE OUR POSITIONS. OUR POSITION, POSTURE AND STAND DEFINES OUR OVERALL STANDARDS.

WE'VE BEEN SITTING TOO LONG IT'S TIME TO STAND

Standing is one of the most important postures in life. It is estimated that we spend one eighth (1/8) of our life standing upright. The average person's day can consist of 7.7 hours sleeping, 10.4 hours sitting, 3.1 hours standing, 1.5 hours doing light physical activity, and 1.3 hours doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Standing or "taking a stand" requires energy and work to maintain it. A standard likewise must be known, announced and sometimes enforced to be maintained. We all have standards. Standards set limits on thoughts, actions and expressions. Standards can posture us in ways that can cause us to "stand down" or take a stand. The ethical, legal, moral and political positions that compose our posture also determine our individual standards. The way we position ourselves and the posture taken towards the things we believe in give our personal standards a voice. We cannot leave things entirely up to our elected officials. Voicing our standards have an effect on how they govern. Silence simply becomes a form of agreement, whether we agree or not. When we posture our personal standards properly, we operate at a spiritual level. Our standards act as lobbyist without offering bribes or perks. The type of system we have can corrupt a politician if we don't hold them accountable. We are the watchdogs that maintain the standards. Money, pleasure and power are among the many things that test our standards. These and other tempting vices appeal to our self-serving interests. Selfishness is a great temptation. Temptations can entice us to adjust our position, our posture, and our thinking. This puts many of us in a clash with our own conscience. When our feelings, practices and beliefs are not aligned the inner turmoil must be managed. This is a dilemma. Most standards do not allow us to negotiate or have neutral positions. Applying and/or promoting standards requires wisdom. Standards are not laws they are an idea or thing used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations. There will always be logical and practical alternatives that appeal to our sense of fairness. Standards should be applied rather than enforced, both equally and equitably. Standards are more or less "principles of conduct" informed by notions of blended ethical, legal and moral values held as truths. Those of us who fail to stand for something are likely to fall for anything! Standards allow us to recognize and address our iniquities. In the realm of decisions and policies there will always be various truths and sides to issues. Truth is a standard bearer! Although it may appear to be counter-intuitive, different truths are not in opposition to one another. Truth is a standard! When truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is applied to any other true truth they must align. The wisdom of truth will always be revealed through the homogenous blending of multiple truths. Homogeneous truth combines and applies critical thinking to logic and reasoning. The "BIG LIE" about truth is that anyone can have their own truth. "SPEAK YOUR TRUTH" SIMPLY MEANS TO STATE YOUR OPINION! Upholding a true standard means measuring up to what we claim to believe even when it disadvantages us or is unpopular. Dying for truth is the ultimate act of upholding a standard! This is why Jesus Died for us. As "standard bearers" compromise becomes our enemy. This is where we can easily become conflicted. When discomfort comes as a result of conflicting beliefs or values it is called cognitive dissonance. When we corrupt ourselves by violating established standards through legal means people will welcome almost any change. Change always comes with a cost. When the standards we've been following are no longer embraced or practiced we look for an agent of change. The children of Isreal wanted change. They wanted a king. The Bible tells us that when Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. Unfortunately, his sons did not maintain the standard. They turned to politics and the love of money for gain. When the elders of Israel had enough, they came to Samuel with their grievances. They pointed out that Samuel was too old for the job and his sons violated the "law of standards." They wanted to make changes to the standards and the system. Regardless of the ramifications, they wanted a king. Samuel knew that this would destroy God's theocracy. He prayed to the Lord and was told to “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” Samuel told them that a king will take their sons and make them serve in his army. They would be commanders and soldiers. Others would plow the ground to reap the king's harvest. There would be others assigned to making weapons of war. Their daughters would also serve in different capacities. The king would create his own standards which would benefit his officials and attendants. The mentality of a king would see the people as his people and servants, not God's. Samuel told them that when it happens, and all is said and done, they will want relief from choosing a king, but the Lord would not answer them in that day.” Read the entire story in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Is this similar to the some of the situations we are dealing with today? Our moral standards have been compromised and continue to be corrupted. The ethical standards derived from our moral posture is suffering along with it. Our legal system is not meant to and cannot address every thought, action or decision that may not align with accepted standards of right conduct. The way we posture or conduct ourselves is a spiritual decision. We condemn or condone the "spirit of the day" through our expressions. What we say or don't say, what we do or don't do and how we stand or don't stand establishes and sets the tone of the shared consciousness defining our standards. WE TAKE A STAND, THROUGH WHAT WE SAY ABOUT ISSUES, NOT POLITICS! WE TAKE A STAND, BY HOW WE PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS RATHER THAN UNDERMINING THEM. WHEN WE DISAGREE WITH A POLICY IT ALLOWS US TO BE LOYAL TO OUR BELIEFS. CONSCIOUSLY FAILING TO TAKE A STAND IS THE SIN OF OMISSION. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF WE AGREE OR DISAGREE. NOTHING CAN BE DEALT WITH WITHOUT FIRST ACKNOWLEDGING IT! THE STANDARD MUST BE PRAYING AND SAYING FIRST! DIALOGUE IS A STAND.

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THE CHALLENGE: DECIPHERING AND UNDERSTANDING CONFLICTING BELIEFS & DISTRACTIONS

MANY ASPECTS OF MAN'S EXISTENCE IS EXPRESSED THROUGH HIS POSTURE. A POSTURE IS A POSITION WE TAKE OR PUT OURSELVES INTO. WE GIVE INVISIBLE THINGS "FORM" THROUGH IMAGES, VERBAL OR MENTAL ENERGY. BEHAVIOR AND SPEECH ADD TO THE "FORM" OF OUR POSTURE. WHEN A POSTURE IS ADOPTED, IT BECOMES A "WAY." WHEN A POSTURE IS EXAMINED, IT USUALLY CAN BE IMPROVED. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF THINGS THAT CAN AFFECT OUR POSTURE. AN ANALOGY OF OUR PHYSICAL POSTURE CAN OFFER US INSIGHT INTO OUR SPIRITUAL DISPOSITION. THE FIRST BOOK OF PSALMS FROM THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT MAN'S POSTURE BEFORE GOD. WE ARE BLESSED BY HOW WE WALK, STAND AND SIT BEFORE GOD. A GODLY "STATE OF MIND" ALLOWS US TO BE POSTURED LIKE A STRONG TREE SUSTAINED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES OF WATER. WHEN WE HAVE NO NEED FOR PLAYING ROLES OR PRETENDING, WE WILL BE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO PRESENT OURSELVES THE SAME WAY IN PUBLIC AS WE DO IN PRIVATE. BY CLEANSING OURSELVES FROM ALL FILTHINESS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT, THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY, PLEASURE, POWER AND PRIDE MAY NO LONGER ENTICE US. WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND AS SUCH ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO OTHER SPIRITS. WE MAY IGNOR OR NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THESE ENTITIES BUT THEY ARE FIGHTING AGAINST US COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY. WE CAN ATTEST AS A FORMER VICTIM OF MESSING AROUND WITH THOSE SPIRITS THAT THIS WAR IS WAGED IN OUR MINDS AND MANIFESTED IN OUR BEHAVIORS. OUR REAL ENEMIES ARE NOT OTHER PEOPLE, IT IS THE SPIRITS THAT HAVE INFECTED THEIR SPIRIT. TAKING A STAND IS SIMPLE BUT IT MAY NOT BE EASY. STANDING FOR AN ESTABLISHED PRINCIPLE WHILE BEING DECEIVED, DISTRACTED OR DIVERTED CAN EASILY DERAIL US FROM FOLLOWING A FUNDAMENTAL STANDARD. ONE TACTIC THE DEVIL USES REPEATEDLY IS TO OVERLOAD AND OVERWHELM US. BEING CONFLICTED, CONFUSED OR UNCLEAR ABOUT COMPLICATED MATTERS IS THE "WHAT ABOUT THIS OR WHAT ABOUT THAT APPROACH." DECEIT WORKS BEST WHEN WAVE AFTER WAVE HITS US AND WE DROWN IN A SEA OF PERPLEXITY.  THIS IS HOW THE DEVIL TRIED TO TEMPT JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS. STANDING FIRM CALLS FOR A STEADY POSITION AND A STRONG POSTURE. HARD TIMES CREATE STRONG MEN: STRONG MEN CREATE GOOD TIMES; GOOD TIMES CREATE WEAK MEN; WEAK MEN CREATE HARD TIMES.

THE ZEITGEIST:  A SUBCONSCIOUS POSITION, POSTURE AND STANDING

The "spirit of the age" or "spirit of the time" is the set of beliefs, ideas, policies and tactics that is typical of people in a particular period of history. What age, time or day are we in now? Being conflicted and overwhelmed has become the "spirit of the day." "Divisive spirits" are working to keep us fighting against one another by tricking us into being enemies. It's the oldest trick in the book since Cain killed his brother Abel. We all have individual biases and are all subject to deception. Some Biases may be defined as ignorance in its sincerest form. Without objectivity, taking sides may simply give additional life to a lie. "THE BIG LIE," an expression coined by Adolf Hitler, is a phenomenon of the human condition which effectively corrupts consciousness. It is such that the more often a lie is repeated the more believable it becomes. Aristotle's error(lie) about gravity was believed for centuries until finally someone named Galileo challenged it. Although it was not deliberate it was not true. To this day people still believed that the great Albert Einstein at some point in his education failed at math. Although this is another lie the story told again and again is believed as truth. The lessons of Pinocchio must have been ignored or forgotten. Initially anything that is thought or said starts in a seed form. Each time it is repeated or not discredited, the resulting plant is either figuratively water or pruned (reproved). Seeds germinate, grow and sprout in a direct relationship with the soil they are planted in. There has always been and will always be bad seeds, thistles and weeds. This is a byproduct of human failure and the curse it brought upon us all. We cannot stop people from sowing bad seeds, but we can determine how we fertilize the soil. What type of soil are people sowing their seeds into today? Let's ask ourselves this question. Is the spirit (attitude of behavior) we see today uniting us or dividing us? Is everyone waving a flag displaying patriotism spreading love or hate? Are we going to let the fertilized soil of liberty and justice for all be used to spawn more hate groups? WE ARE THE SOIL KEEPERS AND OUR STANDARDS SEED THE SOIL! Today's news is filled with lots of information and little credibility. Our biases play a significant role in "everything" we believe and makes us subject to deception. As stated in previous posts, we are obliged to follow truth wherever it leads. Even if the truth condemns us, exposes us or indicts us. It is our prayer that we maintain the integrity NOT to deny or refute real truth especially if we don't like it. Even if the party or persons we didn't vote for are elected, we shouldn't bad mouth or degrade them. Our battle is for good, and our fight is against evil. So why do we continue fighting one another? Selecting a candidate is a choice. Truth is an obligation. Choosing truth over a candidate is our duty. EVERY elected or appointed official generally makes some compromises. Truth NEVER compromises! EVERY official has their own agenda. Truth has no agenda other than honesty. EVERY official has a following or staff. Truth follows ethics, honor, integrity, morality and "principles of righteousness." EVERY official is flawed by their humanity. We must remind them of this fact. The truth is not flawed. Once we know the truth it becomes obvious.  ​

STUDY, SHEW APPROVAL unto god by RIGHTLY DIVIDing THE WORD OF TRUTH

Our posture affects the ways we feel and see everything. What we see and how we see it is perspective. Posturing is all about how we position ourselves to appear to others. We should posture our bodies in a way that is most beneficial for flexibility, motion and strength. Psychological posturing has many obvious and subtle visible signs. Anything that is associated with, affected by, or arise from within the mind, relates to the mental and emotional state of a person. These characteristics are a part of our psychological makeup. Our minds are at the frontline of a spiritual battlefield. This is where brainwashing, gaslighting, grooming and the propaganda that goes along with it begins their attack. Most advertising, campaigning, news, promulgation, publicity and soliciting will make use of some form of these tactics. The brain can only handle so much. Our R.A.S. (reticular activation system) regulates much of the overload. The reticular activation system acts as a filter for sensory information, determining which stimuli are brought to conscious awareness and which are ignored. In an information age, penetrating our spirits with propaganda is critical. FEAR AND UNCERTAINITY CAN BE WEAPONIZED! Propaganda can be defined or described as information purposely arranged and presented in a biased or misleading manner. Propaganda is used to promote a particular cause, doctrine, or point of view. When INFORMation is disseminated through news channels or portrayed by multimedia and television, usually there is a theme behind it. We have to realize that the majority of marketing and a lot of advertising amounts to legalized lying. This is especially true on the wild wild west called the internet. By filtering truth, we can create narratives that portray various beliefs and biases. Developing and producing realistic media depicting life is an art. "Life imitates art" is a cliché. It is used when something in real life occurs in the same or a similar way to something that was depicted in a piece of art or fiction. We are all being influenced by the media we consume. Like "Tik Tok," this is a subtle way to manipulate us. These techniques are used by businesses, governments, politicians and religious institutions. We have seemingly reached a point where whoever has the best propaganda machine will have the greatest influence. This is one of the newest weapons being deployed in this spiritual warfare. 

DEFINING AND DISTINGUISHING THE BATTLEFIELD

Waging war means to engage in armed conflict or military tactics against an enemy. It implies attempting to eliminate, destroy, or overpower someone, something, or some we are opposed to. In reality it involves using violence to achieve our purpose. “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” The world is a war zone! We are born into a battle for our souls, there is no way around it! Too many of us are fighting the wrong battle! Some of us are fighting the right battle with the wrong weapons. Others are trying to utilize the right weapons in the wrong way. Then there are those of us who do not realize that the battlefield is in the mind. When we practice keeping an open mind about anything we limit our attachments to everything. Our posture is a reflection of what is important to us. One of the most difficult challenges we undertake in life is how to properly balance equality with equity. Equity and equality are closely related concepts with different meanings. The distinctions are subtle. Jesus often applied this principle to the application of the laws of moses. The law of Moses, more specifically, the ten commandments, established a standard for our conduct towards both God and our neighbor. The spiritual standards imbedded within these immutable laws were illustrated within the life and works of Jesus. These "lawful standards" were often used to challenge the legitimacy of the miracles Jesus performed. Jesus understood the letter and the spirit of the law and applied them equitably. Equity refers to fairness and justice. Equity considers the individual circumstances and allocates its resources and rules accordingly. Equality is applied unilaterally in spite of any differences or disadvantages the impact of its enforcement might have. It means providing the same resources or rules to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.

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