pastoryancy

I Corinthians 13:1-13  “The Love Chapter”

In the King James version of the bible the term “Charity,” is used in place of love.  This is probably because that charity denotes the type of love being talked about.  We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, with a self giving relationship.

On this Valentines weekend it is appropriate that we speak of love.  We celebrate love in its many forms, not just the erotic love we have for another.  If we were to look at love in the Greek mindset of the first century, we would find that there are many ways to love one another.  All are appropriate in the proper context.

Too often we resist the command to love one another because we may be thinking of an inappropriate form of love.  But in the proper context, all love comes from God, for He first loved us.

So, on the Valentines weekend think of your different relationships and determine what the best expression of love is, in the right context.

Love God, and Love neighbor, for there is no better way.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

We have come to another milestone in our evolution as an organization.  When I was still a young lad, I had visions of having my own business.  As I matured, first as a teen, then young adult, and still maturing to this day; the vision never ended, however, it did morph into something I couldn’t see when I had those first dreams.  Today marks another transformation.

I spoke with a lawyer today about the steps we needed to take to become a 501c(3), non-profit.  That led to some further research on my part, and boom, a light in the fog.

What started as a dream for my own business, evolved into sharing the proceeds with God, and has finally come to this.  It is all God’s.  Before today I envisioned a joint venture, where we had this business that gave 10% to ministries to help people live their best lives.  With that, we would also have a non-profit to raise and disburse funds for the same purpose.  Glitch, law says one person can’t have both entities under their name.

So, next month I’ll be filing paperwork with the Secretary of the State to form, “The Charlois Co.,” an entity that combines both expressions into one unique organization that will do everything the previous two did, but as one non-profit that gives its all for God’s mission.

This is where we stand.  As of March, we will be a certified non-profit under the name of, “The Charlois Co. LLC.”  We will continue the process by getting our tax ID number and filing for the 501c(3) status.  “Fellowship of ALL God’s Children,” will continue being the social arm of the movement, “charolaisphilosophy.com” will still be the website, and we will start working to add a revenue producing arm.

This is all new to us but we are confident this is the path we are called to be on.  As with any new endeavor, there is a level of uncertainty, but we believe we’ll grow into the role.  It is our hope that our readers will support our efforts, and make this a successful project; one that will benefit many.

Keep us in your prayers and ask God how He would like to see you contribute to the movement.  Peace and blessings,

Robert A. Charlois III

“I have come that you may have life and that more abundantly” John 10:7-10 NRESV

Once we have come to know the truth and that truth has set us free, then we enter the realm of abundance.  Every good and pleasurable thing is ours to have.  The universe, and God as its creator wants us to be filled with our every need.

But this abundance comes at a cost.  We must first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness.  Then, and only then will all the rest be given to us.

How do we seek Him and His kingdom? By prayer, study, and commitment to His principles.  If we are truly following where He is leading then we will know the way, for the Holy Spirit will show us the steps we need to take.

It’s not about following a bunch of restrictive laws but rather an involvement in a loving relationship.  Out of chaos God created an ordered universe, and we must share that love with our fellow inhabitants.

So share the gifts you have been given and receive your just reward.

“If you make my word your home, you will come to know the truth, and that truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-31 NJB

This is one of my favorite Bible passages. It contains four words that bear examining in great deal: word, home, truth, and free.

The word that it speaks of is the Greek, Logos, or the self-revealing nature of God.  God wants us to know Him so He fills the universe with examples of His presence and nature.  The most obvious being His Son, Jesus.  When we encounter the evidence, we can’t help but be changed.

Being changed, we need to make Him our home; living out the truth of His presence and love.  As with our physical home, it is here that we find safety, resources, and happiness.

By living these we will come to know the truth; we are created by God and invited to live in Him in perfect relationship.  That truth will set us free.

Free, in that nothing more is expected of us than to love Him and our neighbor.

Living an abundant life is both easy and at the same time difficult.  It is easy in that the principles leading to this abundant life are simple and straightforward.  Become the best you can be and you will naturally receive abundance.

It is difficult because we have a lifetime of programming our subconscious minds want to keep intact.  In order to become our best selves, we almost always need to change this programming in order to put on a new identity.  Changing the very scripts, we’ve been living our whole lives with takes commitment.

In the soon to be released book, The Charlois Manifesto, the authors lay out a program of self-improvement that if followed will lead to your being a better version of yourself.  It gives 13 principles, everything from a belief in the interconnectedness of all of creation, to sharing your abundance with others.

As a part of the living organism, called creation, we need to keep the big picture first and foremost in our minds.  When we care for the universe, the universe rewards us with the abundance we seek.  This sharing attracts what we desire, and thus fulfills our quest.

It has been questioned, “if your prayers were answered, who would be better off, you, or those around you?”  This is a question we need to be asking ourselves.

So care for each other and receive your reward.

Robert A. Charlois III

Principal 12) Having attained that which we desire then we are best served by relinquishing control of self and all that we hold dear.

This comes from my reading of Matthew 16:3,4 where we are called to give our lives up for God, and other readings on sacrifice as well.

“Treat people with dignity, honor, and respect; esteeming them higher than yourself and they will give their lives to make you successful.” (Robert A. Charlois, 2017)

Giving of oneself is the foundation on which the future society must embrace.  We live in a world that like no other time in history we see the interconnectedness on a grand scale.  States are more and more relying on each other for basic, and not so basic needs.  The law of reciprocity served primitive civilizations well and it can the modern equally as well.

“It’s not what you get from life that matters, rather, it’s what you contribute that makes the difference.” Robert A. Charlois

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Romans 12:2a NRSV

As a part of a Mystical Journey, the renewing of the mind, being crucial to being transformed into someone that is holy, is a part and parcel of the trip.  In our basic configuration we are less than perfect, but by the transformation that is offered by the renewing of our minds, we can become “perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 NRSV

We were created in the image of God, so therefore in some way we must be like Him in our capacity to become perfect.  In fact, that is our true nature.

Many people believe humans cannot be perfect, short of Heaven, but if we look at scripture, we’ll see that the opposite is closer to the truth.

So, on this journey, remember your birthright and be transformed into the person you were created to be.  A perfect copy of the Creator of the universe.

Be transformed, and live.

It has been over two weeks since the first of the year, and nothing much has happened.  It’s a slow start but that is not necessarily indicative of how the year is going to go.  Sometimes we have to fight our way through the underbrush of life to get to our desired destination.  This is true even for those who follow the Charlois Philosophy.  In fact, when we are striving to be the best we can be, which is what Charlois calls for, then there are going to be even more obstacles.

In my life there are many things I plan on accomplishing this year.  However much of it has to do with reprogramming my brain.  When we try to change who we’ve been, into who we want to be, our sub-conscience starts putting up roadblocks.  If we’re diligent we can get past these obstructions and realize our goal.  However, it takes discipline.

Stay the course, never give up hope, victory is mine says the Lord.  Even people like me that lack self-discipline can build that muscle within themselves.  Anything worth having is worth putting in the work to attain it.

So, continue working the program.  The end result is worth it.

Robert A. Charlois III

Principal 11) Personal self-reflection is of no benefit unless we engage in a comprehensive program of continual self-improvement.

Michael Gelb wrote in his book, “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”, about the nearly unlimited potential of mankind and gives a 7-step process for attaining our best self.  This process serves the reader as a way to become renaissance people.  In an article about becoming the more academic term, polymath, ******* writes…

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly; specialization is for insects.”

In order to attain the title, “Renaissance Man” there are certain things our lives need to consist of.  The first is Curiosity.  We need to have an insatiable thirst for everything the universe has to offer.  There are ways to feed that thirst.  By becoming voracious readers, we expose ourselves to a wealth of knowledge and experience.  Never before has information been so readily available.  Today, with the advent of computers and the internet, we have access to most of what has been written, the ability to travel to foreign lands, and explore the cosmos in its entirety.

Second, we must be willing to test that knowledge through personal experience.  Facts have a way of being distorted by people’s use of them.  For this reason, we must test everything so that we don’t just know “stuff” but have experienced “stuff” for ourselves.

The most practical way of testing facts is through our senses.  Therefore, refinement of our natural senses provides a way to get in touch with reality.

We cannot neglect the idea that our senses sometimes present conflicting information.  Thus, we need to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.  It is because of these conflicts we realize that differing ways of seeing cause us to use different parts of our reasoning faculties.  Therefore…

We must develop all parts of our brains in a way that allows us to think with both logic and imagination.  Using the two approaches to work on issues increases our chances of coming to resolution.  Research has shown however that it is not just our brains where sensory input is processed but throughout our bodies.

Developing our whole selves is crucial to realizing our full potential.  Therefore, the cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise is a must for any polymath. Once we have all those pieces together it is time to work on the totality and tie it all together.

This interconnectedness of all things calls for a systems approach to dealing with life.  Once we have the processes in place nothing will be beyond our reach.

Study to show thyself approved

2 Timothy 2:14-19,  “…Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by Him,…”

After the baptism of Jesus, He was driven into the wilderness to be tested.  In essence, He was being prepared for His life to come.  We too must prepare ourselves for our future life.  Without preparation we are more likely to fail at what we are being asked to do.  The Stoics taught training in expectation of the worst was critical for success in life.

We, not unlike those Stoics, have before us a universe full of possibilities, both good and bad.  Unless we prepare for the unknown, we are sure to miss opportunities, and be subject to all manner of problems.  Therefore, we need to set before ourselves a curriculum designed to enhance our God given abilities.

This course of study would involve self-reflection, journaling, physical, and mental calisthenics, as well other areas of preparation.  Ways to present ourselves as approved by God.

How are you preparing?  I pray it is enough. 

Pastor Yancy