The Sonoran Desert

We still find ourselves in the Sonoran Desert. We will maintain our position with regard to our location until around the middle of March at which time, I will finally begin my trek north heading through the Mojave Desert Plain. This journey will include, Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, the Mojave National Preserve and finally Death Valley.

The desert wildflowers will be beginning their amazing performance soon and I hope to share it with you as we travel along. With all the recent rain we have been experiencing, it’s sure to push along some pretty stunning landscapes, of that I am quite confident.

A Visit to Another World

While here, we have been pretty stretched to find ways to tell stories with video and build content. This particular desert landscape is arid and void of much scenery. It’s just dry and flat with a few outlying short mountain ranges.

We had done some reading and learned of a place called “Slab City”. Inside the “city” if you wish to call it that, are a few notable marks.

They are Salvation Mountain and East Jesus. Salvation Mountain is a plaster mound built and painted brightly by a gentleman named Leonard Knight. Leonard moved to the area in the 80’s and stayed put until he finally passed on from dementia in 2014.

East Jesus is a collection of organized trash put together by a group of around 1000 or so “Artists” over the years. All of which have collaborated through time to build this massive collection of garbage strewn across the landscape.

East Jesus, according to Joelle, is around 60 acres of property inside the 600 or so which composes Slab City.

The area is a hoarders paradise. I’ve not seen anything like it.

A Video Topic for Sure

As we drove through this area we were struck by the audacity of the utter chaos the area represents. It was depressing as hell. To see the way in which the 150-160 permanent “residents” are living is telling.

It appears to be a drug addicts final destination before passing on.

I thought it would be a great place to produce a video coming off a post on dealing with the trials of being a parent.

Meth and Drug Currency

While in the area I noted a number of signs which in one way or another glorified drugs. Drugs are used as currency here. People are not apologetic about asking for drugs through signage. In fact, in a few spots where gypsy types seemed to be selling wares of some sort, signs were posted to let you know they preferred marijuana as payment instead of cash.

With a drug use lifestyle comes certain expectations. This area met my assumptions as to what it would look like if a city legalizes drugs and let’s the people within live however they want in order to solve their own problems.

The people residing in this hellscape are seemingly all squatters. None have paid anything for their spaces and their land claim. From my research, they pay no taxes, and in fact, receive income from the tax payer in America either through food stamps, government handouts or in some cases military disability.

The Blindness Satan Creates

If you have ever known any addicts or people steeped in some kind of sin, be it adultery, addiction to drugs or alcohol, gambling fanatics and so forth, you know the way it is.

They do not have a problem, they are happy with life as it is and they all just want to be left alone.

“Don’t Judge Me” is an all too common demand among these types.

Not to mention the gas-lighting which becomes the standard way in which they interact with everyone on the planet.

You are never seeing with your eyes what you are really seeing. I speak from experience. I have had numerous people which have been a part of my life that would be drunk, high, or committing adultery (caught in the act even) and I was never really seeing what I was seeing. Not if I listened to them anyway. It was always me that was crazy. They were fine, normal, and living the life of Riley.

I had a similar experience in Slab City.

When we posted the video it drew immediate heat. One comment from a “resident” of the area lecturing me, through horrific grammar and punctuation of how I should get more educated before “casting judgment”.

For if I were to have really “done my research”, I would know, there are many nice “neighborhoods” in the area. Not all of the 600 plus acres are like what I SAW WITH MY OWN EYES.

Very similar to the past experience with those I have had dealings as addicts and cheaters and so on, I felt as if, perhaps, this nut case was the sane one and I missed something.

It was an odd, dark feeling which overcame me and at the top of the list was a serious concern that I not misrepresent the king and lord of my life Jesus Christ.

This is a subtle trick of Satan. He blinds us into actually coming into agreement with him, convincing us we are “happy” with our out of control life and the world doesn’t “get us” at all; just like this commentor seemed to believe.

So, similar to the residents of the Slab, we get away from everyone who sees through our lies and we move to surround ourselves with those of like mind.

We happily become part of a community, say, like Slab City, which is (again from my readings online) run in the style of a prison with a tyrannical hierarchy in which we must submit to the leaders in charge and their “laws”… or else.

While the Slab prides itself in being “lawless” (if that’s not a trick of the devil himself I don’t know what is) it does have, from what I have read about it from former “residents”, a set of unspoken laws. Laws enforced by “elders” of the area. And from what I’ve read, should they dislike you, want you to leave, or simply get rid of you, they burn down your home and collected trash heaps.

If that’s not hell on earth, I’m sorry, I don’t know what is.

Sifting through The Lies

So, because I never want to lie or misrepresent, I went on a mad hunt to learn more on line instead of reporting in the video on what my eyes told me with what I was actually seeing first hand. I temporarily pulled down the video as I did my research.

As it turned out, my eyes did not deceive me. There is not a Bloomfield Hills to Detroit scenario there. Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit, is one of the wealthiest areas not only of Michigan, but in the entire United States.

**A Hellish Scene in Slab City straight out of a Mad Max Movie**

This is, in essence what the viewer mentioned earlier was attempting to portray Slab City like in her rebuke of my video.

Upon reading multiple articles, while the Utopians among us would like the world to believe this Lawless Society, and others like it, is an Eden on earth, it’s all lies.

It’s an area populated with mentally ill people, a large number of which are addicted to drugs and it appears Meth to be a significant portion of it, although I cannot confirm I saw such a thing.

Only one time did we see such a scene, driving by a trashed out car with a young man, someone’s son, sitting naked and slumped over in the front drivers seat, mostly likely high out of his mind wondering if he were going to die.

My heart breaks for the parents of this boy.

Beyond that, we did see plenty of people who appeared to not have grooming talents or know how to wash their clothing, hair, or practice good dental hygiene. We purposely, out of respect for their dignity and privacy, left them out of the video footage.

How Might Jesus Respond

In the end, I want my thinking to be along the lines of Jesus and how he might deal with such a thing.

Today, in our world, we are living in a time where Jesus is being cast as some dope smoking hippie with a Dr. Feel Good approach to us.

“Hey man, if you like it, go for it, no one’s going to judge you (certainly I won’t) and if they do, they are from hell”.

The terminology “Don’t Judge Others” is running rampant today as a push back against anyone trying to make a point as to how sinful living ends up destroying us.

Case and point are some of the responses to the video about the area. If you take the time to watch, you will clearly see that we both express concern for the life these folks live and the way in which bad choices lead down horrible roads. The area demonstrates it.

Yet, we are “not to judge”.

Sin At The Other end of the Spectrum

I want to make it clear here right now. There is an opposite extreme to this. To me, it is those in the the Christian community today who think they are the judge and jury on who is going to hell, who is not. They are experts in pointing out all evil and all false teachers in the world. They are the extreme “righteous” among us.

While the addicts pull convenient statements from Jesus about no judgements upon anyone, the other side pull “false teacher” rebukes totally out of context from Peter and Paul’s writings in order to make their cases against Christians with whom they disagree.

These Christians believe anyone not meeting their standards, as set by the leaders they borderline worship, are destined for hell and they seemingly are the ones assigned by God to make the final determinations.

Both extremes are totally off base. Both of these extremes are the wrong way to live.

Here is what Jesus himself says about both.

First, the Lord has strong words against those who are critical against other believers.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 NLT

“John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.’

But Jesus said, ‘Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you’” Luke 9:49-50

This next one scares the hell right out of me.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew 12:30-32

This last one really reminds me of those today who tear into the preachers they don’t like. You know, the Osteen type, the Joyce Meyer type and anyone else the self professed “true believers” decide they don’t like.

It’s a very dangerous line to cross accusing another Christian of being a false teacher or a heretic. One is getting very close to the line of being the pharisee type Jesus was calling out when they decide they are justified in labeling another Christian as a fake or as a heretic, worse yet comparing them to Satan (blaspheming the Holy Spirit).

Let me finally say that I believe those who feverishly work to discredit those whom they call “false teachers” and “heretics” are creating significant damage to the cause of Jesus Christ. They are, and don’t even know they are, the ones who Jesus addresses in Luke 11.

“Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:14-22 NLT

This last set of verses to me really encapsulate my feelings about those who, through the twisting of the false teacher warnings, seek to discredit those who do not bow to their way of teaching and their beliefs about what is right.

I believe these people in our midst are the modern day versions of those who were accusing Jesus of being a tool of Satan.

I believe those among us that spend their days and lives railing against anything and anyone which or who does not fit their model of how to teach and preach are as blind and lost as those who Jesus tears into above.

Further, I believe were Jesus to come today, they indeed will miss him because I can all but guarantee you, like he was “back in the day”, he WILL NOT be what these pious experts believe he will be. He will be right under their noses and will be totally missed by them.

Likewise, I believe folks on the other side, the likes of which produced the now famous (Satanic in my view) Super Bowl ad “He Gets Us” will too miss him. The now infamous add was, in essence saying, “Live life your way, Jesus gets you, and he doesn’t hate…because anyone calling you to stop your sin…is full of hate”.

Let me flip the coin now and address those people using Jesus’ model of love to deliberately twist his words to support and condone their sin which is destroying not only their lives, but the lives of their children, families and anyone who cares deeply for them.

Jesus the Judge

Jesus, when he comes again, is given the full authority to render judgment and sift out all sin. He will be the final judge and jury and it is only he who will be the one to determine whether or not you will get to pass through the gates to join he and the Father in heaven.

We may be able to lie to ourselves and everyone else about the sin we love and participate in, but Jesus Christ knows just how to “cut through the crap”. And cut through it he will.

You think Jesus is okay with your living in your destructive ways?

Let’s see how he talked to those with whom he expected to see change.

A woman caught in adultery, bringing a death sentence in that day-

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, "‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” John 8:10-11

In addressing a crowd of Jewish people and leaders, he had this to say.

“The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent”. Luke 11:31-32

The implication here, in my view, is Jesus, the one they had been waiting for had arrived and they refused to follow him and enter into a state of repentance. Repenting meaning to turn from your former ways to embrace a new way to live. The way in which God directs us to live through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent. Stop doing the thing. Start doing a new thing.

Turn from your former ways, whatever they are.

It’s the “sell everything you own” metaphor Jesus made famous so appropriate to all of us wanting to hold dearly to those things which hold our minds eye. Those things we embrace which tear us down. Those things which stand in our way to true freedom in Jesus Christ.

“Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?…

…”Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” Matthew 19:21-22

Whoever you are, wherever you are, Jesus does not approve of anything which enslaves you and keeps you in bondage.

Nothing that comes before your relationship to the Lord is acceptable to keep.

There will be plenty of lies you will be fed by the enemy, all with the express intent of keeping you just one step short of a real, true, relationship to Jesus Christ. These lies convincing you that holding on to that one thing is really okay.

It seems this is a common theme in the world. In truth, it probably always has been.

I saw this on display in full color when we visited Slab City.

Please enjoy the video you see linked at the bottom of the post.

Until next time,

rob out

Sin Blinds Us