DAT'S JUST DA BEAST IN ME

Greetings O Ye Saints...and you know who you are...or are not.

A saint is usually thought of as someone who is perfect...no flaws...above the fray of the rabble of this world. Biblically...saints are not perfect but are forgiven...because it's not who YOU are...but who HE is in you.

SAINT: ko-desh=a sacred place or thing , a consecrated thing, a dedicated thing, a hallowed thing, saint, sanctuary

SAINT: hagios= an awful thing, sacred, blameless, consecrated

"Therefore...if any man...wo-man...hu-man...is IN CHRIST...he/she/they are new creations/creature...the OLD THINGS are passed away...behold...NEW THINGS have and are constantly coming." (II Corinthians 5:17)

In the movie JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)...Elvis' character...Vince...grabs Judy Tyler (can't remember her character's name)...and plants a wet, sloppy kiss on her. She pulls away and says..."Don't use those tactics on me!" Elvis...slightly smiles...and says..."Dem ain't tactics... that's just da BEAST IN ME."



"Even he who is pure in heart...and say his prayers by night...can become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms...and the autumn moon is bright." (From the movie The Wolfman quoted by the old gypsy woman over Larry Talbot who was cursed with the BEAST within him).

In the year 2000 there was a CD released by a group called KENNEDY, KIRKPATRICK, MADERIA & SPRAGUE...called COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE This was a collection of musical artists and writers who recorded the songs that they have written...but recorded by other artists. The title song off of that project is the one that caught my attention. It was NOT recorded by others...but a new song...recorded by the boys themselves. The title is COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE...ala the project title.

The first song sounds like CROSBY, STILLS, AND NASH...from the acoustic guitar (ala David Crosby)...electric guitar (ala Stephen Stills) and tight vocal harmonies (ala David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash). Here's a glimpse of the lyrics...

Left to myself...it's not a pretty picture
Me and my will...it's such a deadly picture
I am first...and you're the least
That's the NATURE OF THE BEAST

If there's any love...any evidence of...if there's any good inside myself...IT'S COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE

I draw from the WELL...I drink the LIVING WATER
I look through the veil...SEE THE MERCY OF THE FATHER
Leave it to the Prince of Peace
To CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE BEAST

Coming from...coming from SOMEWHERE ELSE
Somewhere , where there's PERFECT LOVE
Won't you take me there?
Take me there...SOMEWHERE ELSE

Well...those lyrics hit me where I feel like I am...and where I am NOT. In 1970...I was confused...paranoid...fearful...and felt as if I was controlled by the BEAST IN ME. I was a torn person. I was dating Brenda...in love...BUT at the same time...my life was a total wreck. I had a BEAST within me...that was craving many things...and the more I tried to fed DA BEAST...with drugs, booze, sniffing various chemicals, music, good times...DA BEAST was never SATISFIED. In the fall of 1970...Brenda led me to the Lord...and the hold of the BEAST was loosed. It was like night and day...I was FREE...but by 1972... the BEAST reared it's ugly head...and I was doing more sin and trapped by the beast more that I was before I became a Christian. I tried to CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE BEAST... but was unable to do so. It's like the song says..."Left to myself...IT'S NOT A PRETTY PICTURE...me and my will...IT'S NOT A PRETTY PICTURE.


Paul wrote of this struggle in Romans 7.

NOTE: The great theological debate is (1) Paul was talking about his life B.C... before Christ (2) Paul was talking about his life A.C....after Christ. I really don't care it was before or after...I have experienced in both time frames.

"I do not understand my own actions--I am baffled, bewildered. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe (which my moral instinct condemns]. Now if I [habitually] what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent ) and that I take sides with it. However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin[principle] which is AT HOME IN ME...and has POSSESSION of me. For I know that NOTHING GOOD dwells within me, that is, IN MY FLESH. I can will what is right, but no power to carry it out; For I fail to PRACTICE the good deeds I DESIRE TO DO, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing. Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it--it is not myself that acts--but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [fixed and operating in my soul]." (Romans 6:15-20 The Amplified Bible)

The question that Paul asks...and the answer the song COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE underscores is the same thing that Paul declares...

I draw from THE WELL...I drink the LIVING WATER
I look through the veil...See the MERCY OF THE FATHER.
Leave it to the PRINCE OF PEACE
To CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE BEAST

"O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God--HE WILL! Through JESUS CHRIST...THE ANOINTED ONE...OUR LORD!..." (Romans 7:24-25 The Amplified Bible)

Well...Dem may not be tactics...but just da beast in me...I know from personal experience...that my help...any good in me is...COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. I am drinking from the well...LIVING WATER...AND I look through the "veil of His flesh" and do see THE MERCY OF THE FATHER. Lord...thank you for changing...and constantly changing...the nature of the beast. I will proclaim who I AM (a new creation IN CHRIST...the OLD THINGS (da beast within me)...has PASSED AWAY...NEW THINGS...are constantly coming as I become transformed into the image of Christ...moment by moment...day by day...from glory to glory.

Love and Changed Kisses
Rodney "Coming From Somewhere Else" Boyd