For "Scripture Sunday": even though today is Monday!!
An Amazing Fact: "In a recent poll, many Americans showed extreme greed in response to the question: “What would you do for 10 million dollars?” About 25 percent would abandon their family or their church, 16 percent would walk away from their marriage, and 13 percent would allow their children to be put up for adoption.
The Pharisees were quick to criticize Jesus and His disciples for not observing their man-made rules. One of the points of disagreement was ceremonial washing. The Pharisees were ready to condemn people who disregarded their washing traditions; they thought it was a terrible sin.
Jesus responded, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).
Appearance was everything to the Pharisees. As long as they “looked good” they were pleased with themselves. But Jesus pointed out that what is inside a person is the most important thing. The Pharisees, who made such a show of washing in a particular way, had neglected to clean their hearts. Jesus saw right through them, as He always does. He saw the greed and sin, and He knew what they really needed: generous, giving hearts."
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. Luke 11:37-41
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Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate It?
Where did Halloween and its dark and demonic themes come from? What is its relationship to All Saints’ Day, and should Christians celebrate Halloween?
Origin of Halloween
“The Celtic festival of Samhain is probably the source of the present-day Halloween celebration. The Celts lived more than 2,000 years ago in what is now Great Britain, Ireland, and northern France. Their new year began on November 1. A festival that began the previous evening honored Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. The celebration marked the beginning of the season of cold, darkness, and decay. It naturally became associated with human death. The Celts believed that Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes for this evening” (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1990, article “Halloween”).
“Many of the customs of the Celts survived even after the people became Christians. During the 800’s, the church established All Saints’ Day on November 1. … The people made the old pagan customs part of this Christian holy day” (ibid.).
Halloween: A celebration of evil
In spite of its marketing as innocent entertainment for children, Halloween remains a celebration of evil, not a fitting holiday for Christians to celebrate."
More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/holy-days-vs-holidays/halloween/
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The Day of the Lord Comes on the Proud
Isaiah 2:12
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low. …
The Day of the Lord is the “great day of His wrath” (Revelation 6:17). Unlike human anger, God’s anger is never out of control or vindictive. But why is He angry? Because of sin—the breaking of His good and beneficial commandments. And one of the major sins, which is also a root of many other sins, is pride. The archangel Lucifer rose up in pride and rebelled against his Creator (Isaiah 14:13-14), and his attitude has permeated human society as well.
Consider from God’s perspective the audacity of His weak and ignorant human creation thinking we know better than God! The apostle Paul described God’s anger at men who thought themselves to be wise: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-22).
Paul also listed the attributes of humanity under Satan’s influence in these perilous last days: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:2).
A proud and haughty person cannot be taught and does not recognize the evil results of his or her way. Arrogance prevents us from learning the way that would truly bring peace and happiness. So God’s anger is for the purpose of bringing humanity to its senses, so that finally we will see clearly that His way is the best way after all and repent."
For more about pride, see “First Commandment: You Shall Have No Other Gods” and “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector.”
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Update:
Until last weekend, Jay was still working elsewhere, so progress on the guest house was slow. There are others in the neighborhood who I could hire to help me, but they just don't want to get up in the morning and go to work!
This has given me time to advertise items that I have for sale, and hopefully help pay for all these repairs having to be done because of the damage done to the guest house.
We did get the new back door installed though. It leads into the laundry room. It's not finished yet, but at least it is more secure than the old one.
Jay was working on Saturday, the 18th., so I went to church by myself. There was quite a crowd. Some folks who hadn't been for a while.
I took a red potato salad that had apple, celery and eggs in it. The pastor's wife also made a mustard potato salad, "Great minds think alike… or fools seldom differ?" Gary brought a big crockpot of lamb, and it was delicious.
The Bible readings were Gen. 6:9-11:32, Isa. 54:1-55, Luke 17:20-37, and the message was about 'The 7 Signs of the Times' and how many Jews are beginning to believe in the Messiah, and how Israel is so important that it is mentioned in the news nearly every day.
We all had a great time fellowshipping in the dining hall, and then we all went to the house of a family in the congregation and our pastor baptized their 13 year old daughter in a small pool. I wish that I had a picture of her face afterwards. I took some while she was being submerged, like everyone else did, but the best shot of all was when she got out of the pool beaming from ear to ear, but we had all put our cameras away.
Then Jay finally was through with working elsewhere, and so we have really ramped up our work on my guest house. We are working more hours a day on it. As the existing bedroom is now going to be a front kitchen with a bathroom behind it, we had to cut some new doorways in existing walls. One from the old kitchen into the walk-in closet, and another from the old kitchen into the new bathroom. Then we will build a wall between the new kitchen and new bathroom. These new doorways meant re-routing existing wiring over the top of them, but a few junction boxes later, we are all electrified again.
The fiberglass shower stall with glass door out of the guest house sold on Craigslist, and so I bought a bathtub and surround from Habitat for Humanity's Restore. The new bathroom will be larger so there is room for a tub/shower.
Friday was another great day, I had lunch with RVing friends Arlene, Lynette and Greg at Los Pericos (The Parrot) Mexican restaurant in Willis. We all enjoyed our food and the service there.
Last Saturday, Jay had to stay home with his sick mother so I went to church by myself again. This time I took an egg, celery, apple, cucumber salad, which quickly disappeared.
The Bible readings were Psa. 98,99,100, Gen. 12:1-17:27, Isa.40:27-41:16 and Gal 3:15-18. The message was about 'False Doctrines and Sound Doctrines'. We should not be deceived and really study the Bible to check up on what we are being taught.
Another great time in the dining hall, but we were all watching the stormy weather, and even cancelled another baptism. It was going to be held at a Jacuzzi in Montgomery, TX, but the rain stopped that for that day.
4 comments:
That is a nice looking door. Hope you can get someone to do the rest of things you want done.
Hi, DD, Thank you for your comment.
Yes, I bought that door on 105 E near you at National Supply. It will look better when it is trimmed out, and even better when it is stained to show off the wood-grain.
Jay is back working, but he doesn't eat right so he is often sick. He eats a lot of sugary and high-fructose-corn-syrupy processed foods and stuff made with the modern white flour which has had all the goodness taken out of it. That makes his blood pressure and blood sugar rise and he gets dizzy.
Hope you two and your babies are well. Happy Trails and Tails, Penny.
I was eating right there for awhile, but then Blue Bell started selling ice-cream again. . . grin.
Hi DD. Thank you for your comment.
Seeing people eating donuts and ice cream and doesn't bother me a bit. But I don't want any, I lost my taste for sugary things, though I do like my morning coffee sweetened.
Happy Tails and Trails, Penny.
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