“Don’t let me be misunderstood…”

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021

by Ken Pullen

ACP — A Crooked Path

In 1965 a British Invasion band called The Animals released an LP in America titled “Animal Tracks”. One of the tracks that became very popular, a hit for them is titled Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood. It was one of my theme songs in my early years as I was born at the time to merge with what was going on musically and culturally in the 1960s;

Baby, do you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don’t you know that no one alive
Can always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem to be bad
But I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood

Baby, sometimes I’m so carefree
With a joy that’s hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that all I have to do is worry
And then you’re bound to see my other side
I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood

If I seem edgy I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems and I get my share
And that’s one thing I never meant to do
Because I love you
Oh, Oh baby don’t you know I’m human
Have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself long regretting
Some foolish thing some little simple thing I’ve done

I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood …

While the song is secular and someone finding themselves here now may be wondering Why did this guy put this here and what is he doing? please bear with me, because this song though 56 years old still resonates with a relevant theme that is universal in most people.

Please don’t let me be misunderstood.

I believe that is one of those thoughts most people hear in their heads speaking to them they don’t vocalize when engaged in any general conversation, at work, in a meeting, writing something. Throughout daily life. As time presses this is evidenced, for many reasons, one being people have real difficulty in listening, or even in reading and seeing what’s there in front of them. There also is this lust for brevity as if somehow meaningful gold stars, free meals, free luggage, and a good night’s sleep are given for constant brevity. So many with such impatience. And going where, for what is the rush and inability to be in the moment? The chronic difficulty in listening, reading, hearing, and so on.

This is unspoken but seen in the eyes and body language of having to move on to the next thing most times not even knowing why this burning locomotion is within us. Truly.

So, why am I writing this now? With a blues-based rock tune from across the pond at the height of the British Invasion of the 60s on a professing faith in Jesus place? From a band probably few know or remember?

Because as time moves along, as mentioned earlier, it is clear there is more and more misunderstanding than understanding. Ironic considering all the technology available now that wasn’t in years past, but there was greater understanding then than there is now. Funny, that, isn’t it? In a very tragic way.

It’s like that old experiment of sitting around and one person whispering something into the ear of the person next to them and by the time something is whispered into an ear of the next and the next and the next until 8, 10, 12 people have had hot breath and quiet words sent into one of their ears and the last person says aloud what they heard what they say rarely if ever, comes close to resembling what the first person uttered.

Our present age is like that multiplied about 100 times to the 10th power. While speeding along in a Lamborghini. With an open cardboard box of highly radioactive material. And an open hive of bees. Like that. Only worse. Our present communication and understanding skills.

The corruption, perversion, removal of words, and altering definitions. Everything has to be abbreviated. Sped up. Only so many characters. And as if this were not awful enough? Then we can only understand a very narrow spectrum of what we have been fed. What we align ourselves with. We visibly, vocally, clearly don’t want to hear or read or listen to anything anyone we disagree with> If we discover what they are thinking? What they have to say? In many instances passions escalate, anger ensues and a pitched battle occurs. At best. Sometimes with much worse occurring. And even if a person seems to be aligned? Sort of like-minded? Misunderstandings now so easily arise.

Just send someone an email. An innoxious not controversial little email. Even though the words are there plainly it’s a worse outcome at times than that room filled with a dozen folks sitting around playing the whisper something into the ear of the person next to you and let’s hear the result.

The point of putting the lyrics of an old Animals tune here, in getting to the point of sitting and writing this now is not wanting to be misunderstood.

Not an easy request in our present world.

If I include articles and commentaries of current events, news stories, cultural pieces far too often it’s misunderstood and construed that I’m being political. Perhaps I am pushing an agenda, a political side. That the politics, person, agency, issue so on is what is most important and why it is published in this space within cyberspace.

No, that is never the case. Please don’t misunderstand.

As I’ve written many times in the past to the point of making redundancy redundant — I’m nothing. Nothing but a watchman on the wall. Animate conduit living in the hope of being pleasing and acceptable to God. In the hope that in the wee bit done here perhaps it helps an individual to see how the Word of God is unfolding before everyone every day. And the importance, the utmost vital importance of making our dwelling place in the Word of God, making our dwelling place in God, in Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, in eternal matters. Granted, in the past, at the beginning of ACP I may have vocalized a more distinct secular view. Contact this person and let them know about this! We need to do something about this and this! Here, please sign this petition and send it along!

And I wrestled daily in doing such things.

Why?

Because all that really matters for any person that is a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, a true child of God rather than a child of disobedience, a person of, in, and consumed by the world is the gospel. Is heavenly eternal matters.

What matters is spiritual growth. A growing understanding of the ways and attributes of God, a growing understanding and closeness with Jesus and the Word of God. A growing understanding of the Triune One True God and what salvation, being a true disciple means.

Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to be misunderstood.

Our work, paying our bills, taking care of the children if you have them, cleaning your abode, seeing a doctor, dentist regularly, all the daily life things are vital. We need to pay attention, be responsible, be accountable, and do the best we can in every earthly matter. We need to do all those things to the glory of God. Really. Yes, and that includes going to the dentist. Be THANKFUL you can go to a dentist, and you are taken care of, provided for by God. None of us makes, creates, gives ourselves what we have of ourselves. It’s all provided for us by God. All of it. From our next breath and heartbeat to whatever numerals appear on the paycheck, to whatever food is on our tables, and, well, EVERYTHING! We don’t do it. God does it for us. And we must do what we need to do in order to receive it. It does take ACTION!

Please don’t misunderstand…

That isn’t the main point of writing this.

Please don’t let me be misunderstood in the content put in this place.

Here’s what I mean. I have included here more articles than I can count or recall pertaining to the subject of the premeditated murder of children. Or, abortion as it is known by most folks.

Today I had a very good conversation with a brother in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, a friend, and he mentioned how we’ve had more than enough time and opportunity in America since 1973 to put an end to making the immoral and lawless murdering of children immoral and illegal once again.

We discussed this at length. We said in the course of our conversation if abortion were made illegal once more then all the organizations, all the people, all the rallies, the various boards, speakers, and on and on and on would no longer have that issue to make money from. To appear on TV about. To belong to, head, partake of an organization. To get on a bus and march around carrying a poorly printed sign everyone has seen for the past 48 years and nothing has been done except more children murdered, more words spewed, and a lot more money passed around. And people making themselves busy. What would they all do then!?

As my friend and I discussed this there has been more than one prime political window to bring an end to this murdering of our children under the lie of rights, choice, and I am woman hear me roar! We’ve had occasion in this nation where we’ve had so-called conservative/Republican presidents that had, at least for a 2-year window a conservative/Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate — and nothing was done.

Known by their track record judges were installed in various courts and on various benches with the belief this would put an end to Roe v. Wade and abortion would again be illegal in America. And these judges more times than not do not write up their opinions, pass down their judgments based on how they were thought they would perform.

With so-called conservative presidents in office while so-called conservatives hold the majority in the House and Senate?

Well, if not then when?

If people, including the myriad pro-life organizations, the politicians, all of it — were really serious about ending abortion? And they did this in the correct manner? Repenting, turning to God, asking for forgiveness, humbling themselves, and not needing to have the money keep rolling in? Being in the news? Being on the board of that organization, this one? They actually truly cared about ending the immoral and legalized murder of children? Over a period of 56 years? It would have, could have been ended.

All too often the drums are kept beating and those pounding on them don’t even remember the reason they began pounding on them. The original tune they were singing. Because the money keeps pouring in. A feeling of importance, self-importance enters in…and so on.

Please don’t let me be misunderstood.

I abhor the continued legalized murder of our children.

But here’s the point…

Anything and everything that appears on ACP, that appears as, smacks of a political, cultural, current event or past historical mention is done solely, only to be held up to the SPIRITUAL WAR every person is engaged in. Everywhere. Held up to the mirror of the Holy Bible.

This fever pitch single-minded focus of politicizing EVERYTHING — and I mean EVERYTHING, of always having to divide everything into either its liberalism or conservativism, right or left, Republican or Democrat, it’s pro-Trump or everybody else, and having this millstone around the neck is dragging pulling down into a pit everyone making politics, issues, political figures, personages, institutions, nationalism, flag-waving, protesting, elections, voting volatile. This mentality of who do you support, this are you against such and such? On and on and on the focus, the priority is the worldly, the temporal even though that is denied. All these worldly things that go against God, removing what Jesus truly is, what is contained as daily nourishment in the Word of God those ought to be our priority,  THEE priority. We are not only what we eat, but what we spend most of our time on. What we talk about most, what we read, who, and what we listen to. What FASHIONS us? [The apostle Peter wrote about this. Search it out. It is important].

It’s now you’re either aligned 100% with how I think or you’re the enemy and this is all based on political ideologies and nationalistic tendencies rather than the spiritual matters, the spiritual ways, the Bible-centered, Bible-teaching, Bible-preaching, Bible-speaking way to live daily life.

But then, in order to do that a person needs to be immersed in the Word of God. To live with and by and through a Biblical viewpoint. In all things. To know the Word of God. To spend time, a lot of time, with face, eyes, mind, heart, soul, and spirit immersed in the Word of God!

And THEN, and ONLY then it is a true thing to think or say that if a person is opposed to God if a person is opposed and contrary to the Lord Jesus Christ if a person is opposed to the Person of the Holy Spirit, if a person is opposed to and contrary to the Word of God? Then they are the enemy. The enemy of the truth. They are the enemy of God.

And we are to love them. And live as light so they can see God in us and give Him the glory. Not us. But to give God the glory.

But they are NOT to be considered, viewed, approached, spoken to, written about as such in a worldly, politically divisive, and culture war manner. And that is how a person is packaged and defined. We do not know God’s plan for anyone He blesses with breath. They may be the very next person to awaken to hearing the Word and absorbing it by the power of the Holy Spirit working. And that individual then comes out from the darkness and in the light. The way, the life. The Truth.

For each person has been an enemy of God. At some point. Or still yet. Every person was and still is a sinner. Only those who come to the Lord and are His in faith, in obedience, are saved, are no longer His enemy. No longer God’s enemy. How can this be so? God has no part, cannot have any part in sin or evil. And unless an individual is transformed by the Supernatural power of the Spirit of God, converted, born again as the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus he must become can a person no longer be an enemy, but a friend, a child of, a disciple of the Lord, of God.

Every person has been an enemy of God, an enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, an enemy of the Holy Spirit, an enemy of the Word of God.

And it has been, it is only through the FREE GIFT OF GRACE offered by the Lord, by the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, by not merely an acknowledgment of Jesus but in making Jesus preeminent in our life, in making Jesus not only Saviour but LORD of our lives that we are the last bit different from the greatest sinner on this earth that has ever lived.

So, please don’t misunderstand.

I am not going to support nor say who, or what, or if I support a political person or issue. I’m very conservative by American and the world’s definition. But that is not political by nature. That is by my coming to faith and being a Bible-believing, Bible-centered person thankful he Lord chose me and I heard Him and submitted to Him and obey Him as best I can while I, too, am a sinner engaged in this constant spiritual war and as with every true Christian having to contend with the individual war of the flesh vs. the spirit. I love the fact I was born in America but I’m not a nationalistic person. I am a pilgrim here. A sojourner. This is a temporary place. And if objective about the place you live? Nowhere is the greatest place on earth. Not really. Some are a bit better than others t various times in world history. That’s all. Really. Let’s be objective, okay?

I don’t always like or agree with an article I publish here written by someone. I don’t necessarily endorse, belong to, pay, like, subscribe, so on any organization or company I may publish something they have produced.

Things are placed here for consideration. Contemplation. To see the decline, the erosion, the direction, the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. And nothing is separate from or devoid of having a spiritual context. Being in some manner able to be illuminated or related to Scripture.

Nothing can escape that.

Just as nothing and no one can escape God.

His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. And we must know, trust, and just leave all matters in God’s hands.

Please, don’t misunderstand.

That does not mean we are on auto-pilot and do not take an active part. We need to pray. To pray more pray stronger, pray more faithfully, fervently, more frequently. Not amiss.

We need to be active participants.

We need to act, serve, be responsible, accountable to the Lord, and bear fruit.

Enough for now. This will be continued, Lord willing I am blessed with more heartbeats and breath.

Please don’t let me be misunderstood.

I’m just a soul whose intentions are good.

Not political. Not cultural. Not Republican or Democrat. Not nationalistic.

I strive, I desire to be a true child of God. Thus a pilgrim. Belonging to the kingdom of heaven. Everything here will pass away and be forgotten.

So, how about we all begin to make Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, spiritual concerns, heavenly matters, eternal concerns our priority, our focus, our desire, our intentions, our daily life realities and we bring some balance in finally?

Imagine what a place where we live could be, would be if only we spent the time we do now in other pursuits, in other focus, in other efforts in all these worldly, temporal things in the Word of God instead. Increasing our spiritual understanding. Our nearness and understanding of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit? If instead of American politics, the culture war, this that and everything between while we lie we’re doing it all for God and we’re Christian — if we instead actually spent all that time in playful study, meditation, and reading of the Word of God? If instead of where we think it’s important to put our time and energy, our focus we put that time, energy, and focus into humble faithful prayer? Not asking God for things for ourselves. But praying large, deep, grand, holy, heavenly, eternal?

Imagine the place, the land, the people we could be, we would be…

How about it?

Are we true and real? Really? Then about time we live it as constant soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t it?

Don’t leave here with any misunderstanding, okay?

Thank you.

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