Sunday, April 26, 2020

Hippo Is Just Trying to Scare You. Fear and Coronavirus. Update.

He’s Just Trying to Scare You

“An encounter with an aggressive hippopotamus reminded me of a biblical source of courage.

My head snapped around, and without thinking, I crouched in fight-or-flight position. Fifteen yards away, a huge male hippopotamus had just lunged out of the Palala River, black eyes fixed on me, mouth impossibly open in a noisy explosion of water.

As I stepped back from the river bank, he slipped back beneath the surface. I looked at the ranger next to me. He had glanced at the hippo, before returning to the animal tracks he was following in the dirt.

Keeping my eye on the river, I kept the ranger between the water and me.

Danger lurks in Eden

In the pristine Waterberg Massif of South Africa, stream water is pure enough to drink without filtering. Baboons, monkeys, hyraxes, impalas, bushbuck, zebras, wildebeests and eland are plentiful.

Waterberg has been called an Eden, but not all the animals are placid. The leopard I heard rasping outside my rondavel the night before would not lie down with the kid. Voracious Nile crocodiles congregate in river pools.

While hiking, we watched constantly for rhinos. I was instructed always to have a tree to my front mentally selected, and if anyone yelled “rhino!” I was to sprint and climb my tree.

“But,” another hiker asked, “what if you find it’s a thorn tree?”

“If there’s a rhino,” the ranger assured, “you won’t notice the thorns.”

Back to the hippo

But at this precise moment, I was focused only on one conspicuous hippo. A big male with foot-long teeth can weigh 10,000 pounds, run more than 20 miles an hour and bite a crocodile (or a columnist) in half!

As he submerged, V-shaped ripples moved toward us. A few moments later I flinched again as the brute gave another explosive display of size and strength, much nearer than the last.

The ranger flashed a smile: “He’s just trying to scare you.”

I tried to smile back: “It’s working!”

He gestured to the vertical drop from the bank to the river. Hippos, it turns out, can’t jump. For all their size, a step up of even a yard or two puts them off. In spite of the aggressive spectacle, we had never been in any imminent danger.

A biblical key to courage

As the adrenaline in my blood slowly dissipated, a Bible passage came to mind. Our world is an increasingly frightening place; dangers lurk at home and abroad. Prophecies of what the Bible calls the end time show the world will grow immeasurably worse before it will get immeasurably better.

But the Bible says Christians shouldn’t fear: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19).

When we comprehend the depth of God’s love for us, and the unlimited power He commands to act on that love, we know we are absolutely safe in His hands. People in the world—and our evil adversary—will try to frighten us, distract us into rash and wrong thoughts and actions. But nothing can prevent God from accomplishing His perfect will toward you and me. It is His “good pleasure” to give us His Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

So, rather than fearing the hippos of the world, we can take courage by concentrating on perfection in love: our growing love for God and His perfect love for us.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/discern/january-february-2020/hes-just-trying-to-scare-you/

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Fear and Coronavirus

“The coronavirus pandemic is dominating everything in our world today. Beyond the immediate concerns to human life we have seen stock markets crater and a disruption of virtually all aspects of public life. Major sporting events have been canceled, schools are closing for weeks at a time and we are seeing empty streets and plazas all over the world. It is a sobering time when one stops to consider this is a very real threat that could spiral out of control without everyone taking it seriously, doing their part and heeding the best practices advocated by governments. 

From what I read, the best efforts to protect their people and stem the virus have been done by South Korea and Israel. When the virus appeared in South Korea, they immediately tested everyone for the coronavirus and quarantined any who tested positive. Israel banned flights and visitors from infected countries and, more recently, has banned all foreign visitors and instructed all arrivals by air to self- quarantine for fourteen days. These are tough measures taken by both nations—but effective ones.”  

We have been asked, “is this the beginning of the biblically prophesied period of global pandemic described in Matthew 24 and Revelation?”

While the present outbreak is a serious event, it is not of the scale predicted by Jesus Christ in these prophecies. There are other markers described in scripture that must occur before those age-ending events take place. What we are seeing with the coronavirus gives us an opportunity to soberly evaluate the serious days in which we live. This event can spur us to better understand what God’s Word does tell about end-time prophetic events and to seriously examine our lives and align ourselves with God’s righteous teaching. The world is having a wake-up call. 

How will you respond? 

I have been urging readers and viewers to understand this serious time, to read their Bibles for comfort—not to fear. Fear is a normal human reaction in a time when events seem out of control. Fear can paralyze the heart and complicate our response. God does not want us to be irrationally fearful—instead, be concerned, act prudently and take precautions.

Notice what Christ said about how the world will react at the time of end. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; with perplexity, the seas and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).  Fear will come from those who are caught unprepared for the cataclysmic events around them. Fear enters when the inner life is not settled by the presence of the spirit of Christ—a spirit that brings peace during turmoil. Jesus Christ never wants His disciples to be unduly fearful. Among His last words before His death was the exhortation to not be afraid but to be led by His peace (John 14:27).

I encourage you to read this short article about dealing with anxiety.

Beyond Today has many tools to help you sort through the mass of news reports about this current crisis. Our biblical worldview will help you put today’s events in the context of God’s purpose for this world. 

God is in control of history. Find your place in this divine plan and you can meet this crisis and those to come.”  From:  https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?e=72c729d811&u=1d04480cefc2e7c4492fe4a04&id=4178109007

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Update

The rescued cat that nearly starved, and I are doing well.  I call him Casper.  He is a Siamese, but his “points” are very diluted, almost ghostly. He is the sweetest thing, but eventually, when all this corona thing lets up so that vets and clinics can open up properly, he will have to be tested for FIV and FeLV, then fixed and vaccinated.  But for now he loves to eat, and lay stretched out on the couch. If I sit on the couch too, he is right there waiting to be stroked, and if I don’t sit there, he will come and get me !  He is eating very good food, Wellness, and on ProBios (Probiotic), so his coat is starting to feel a lot better.

My neighbor and I tried to participate in the Bible study with the folks at the local church through Zoom, but it kept on breaking up.  Her dog laid down quietly near my cat for two hours, while we watched two sermons from different churches on YouTube, for the Sabbath day.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught? Praying and Preying! Update.

Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught?

“People pray many different ways across the various denominations of Christianity. How do you pray? How did Jesus pray? What did Jesus say about prayer?

Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught?

Most would agree that one of the basic elements of Christianity is prayer.

But when you survey the wide variety of forms of Christianity, you find that there are many different practices and ideas about prayer. Consider:

  • Those who are Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox typically see prayer as the recitation of prewritten prayers. Roman Catholicism has hundreds of these prayers for people to recite in a variety of situations. For instance, there are specific prayers for Catholics to recite before and after meals, when dealing with depression, and in many other situations. Catholic and Orthodox traditions include the practice of praying to Mary, angels and saints as intercessors between God and man.
  • In general, the Protestant world is less liturgical about prayers. There are many different forms of praying in Protestantism—from emotional prayers spoken from the pulpits of churches to prayer groups meeting together to pray about specific issues.

Though the way people pray varies within mainstream Christianity, all major branches frequently pray “the Lord’s Prayer” found in Matthew 6:9-13. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will pray the Lord’s Prayer many times throughout their lives because they believe that Jesus instructed His followers to pray this prayer verbatim.

But is this what Jesus Christ intended when He taught His disciples about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount? What did Jesus really teach about prayer?

What did Jesus say about prayer?

The Lord’s Prayer is found in the middle of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount—the heart and core of what genuine Christianity is all about. Christ broached the subject of prayer in a portion of the sermon that explains Christians should not flaunt their good deeds for everybody to see. He said that good deeds—giving to charitable causes, serving others, etc.—should be done “in secret” (Matthew 6:4).

He didn’t mean that we should be embarrassed about doing good, but that our motivation should be to do good because we are trying to please God and do the right thing. Our motivation should not be for other people to see us!

After making that important point, Christ transitioned to the topic of prayer. He gave a number of points that are very important for all Christians to understand—and that contradict many of the practices found in Christianity today.

Prayer is not for show

Jesus applied the same principle He made about good works to prayer: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men” (verse 5). In other words, we shouldn’t use prayer to show off our spirituality to others.

Pray in private

Instead of a public show, Jesus taught: “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (verse 6).

In order to build a strong relationship with our Creator, we need to spend daily, concentrated time praying to Him privately, one-on-one. Instead of praying publicly to be seen by others, prayer is to be done primarily in private. There is an important reason for this. Prayer is designed as a means of communication to “draw near to God” (James 4:8)—to deepen our personal relationship with Him. In order to build a strong relationship with our Creator, we need to spend daily, concentrated time praying to Him privately, one-on-one.

Jesus Christ didn’t just teach about this; it was a regular part of His life (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12).

(Note that there are times when praying in public is appropriate, such as at a family meal, church service, wedding or a funeral.)

Pray to the Father

Jesus was very clear that our prayers are directed to God the Father: “Pray to your Father who is in the secret place” (Matthew 6:6). Now that Jesus Christ is in heaven as the Mediator between God and man, we pray “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus said we can ask the Father for anything in His name (John 14:13-14).

Though Christ was very clear, it is amazing how many churches pray in ways that directly contradict this instruction. Prayers are not to be directed to angels, Mary or any saints!

Pray from the heart

Jesus made another clear statement that is widely ignored: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

Christ was referring to the pagan form of recitation and chanting prayers based on the idea that repeating a prayer will bring favor from God (or the gods). This form of repeating or chanting prewritten prayers is practiced extensively in the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

God doesn’t want prewritten prayers to be repeated over and over. This does nothing to fulfill the basic purpose of prayer, which is to develop a close, personal relationship with God.

If you do a study of the many prayers recorded in the Bible, you will notice that they are distinct, personal and heartfelt communication between the individual and God. Here are a few prayers that are helpful to study:

  • 1 Samuel 1:11; 2:1-10: Hannah’s prayer requesting a child and her prayer of thanksgiving to God after He provided her a son named Samuel. 
  • Psalm 51: David’s heartfelt prayer of repentance for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah the Hittite.
  • 2 Kings 19:15-19: King Hezekiah’s prayer for God to deliver Judah from being conquered by Assyria.

To learn more about how to have real, meaningful prayers to God, read the article “Prayer From the Heart.”

Jesus Christ provides an outline for prayer

Then Jesus got more specific. He said, “In this manner, therefore, pray” (Matthew 6:9).

He then gave an example prayer that, sadly, has been misused by many in mainstream Christianity—in direct contradiction of His instruction in verse 7 to not use repetitious prayers! This is commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer” and is recited repetitively in many denominations.

But Christ did not give this prayer for us to repeat over and over.

So what was Christ teaching us in the so-called “Lord’s Prayer”? Essentially, Jesus was providing an outline to show the general structure and topics that should be included in our regular prayers to God. This outline would more accurately be called a model prayer.

Study the accompanying graphic to better understand what Christ was teaching through this example prayer.

God wants a deep, personal relationship with you. To build that relationship, you need to communicate with Him through prayer. In order for those prayers to be “effective” and “fervent” (James 5:16), we must allow Jesus Christ to teach us how to pray and remove traditions that contradict what He taught!

To learn more about the Bible’s teachings on prayer, read “How to Talk to God.”

View larger or download infographic PDF of Jesus' Model Prayer

Jesus Christ's Model Prayer

Learn How God Wants Us to Pray. Download Free Booklet

Learn More About God

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Praying and Preying!

“Even during a crisis, our society cannot escape human nature.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/xN4fpdlm7R4

[Steve Myers] This is a time that we have to be careful about praying. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, there’s a couple of different kinds of praying. Certainly, right now, during this difficult time of all the health challenges that we face, we definitely want to be praying. We have to be a praying people. We should be praying for our families. We should be praying for our communities. We should be praying for our government leaders. We should be praying for the church. Absolutely, we should be a praying people.

But there’s another kind of praying that we’ve gotta be very careful about. And that’s this kind of praying. Yeah, believe it or not, during this time, there are those that are out there that are preying in this way. They’re preying on people. There is cyber criminals out there that are taking advantage of the Coronavirus. If you ever get an email that says, “Click here for a cure,” be careful, it’s probably a scam. If you get a text or an email that says, “Get your COVID-19 tax refund,” don’t do it. It is a scam. You’ve gotta be careful if you hear from the WHO, the World Health Organization, be careful. They don’t send out personal emails. That is probably a scam as well. And if you click on it, it’ll record every keystroke on your computer and they can steal your information. So, watch out. In fact, I’ve also heard about people that are going door-to-door. And they’re claiming to be able to come in and sanitize your home, so that you won’t be infected. That is a scam. They’ll come in and they’ll steal you blind. So, watch out.

What this reminds us of, these two kinds of praying, it reminds us that even during a crisis, there are people out there that cannot get away from their human nature. The Bible talks a lot about our human nature. A passage that specifically comes to mind for me is one that’s found in 1 John 2:16. It tells us about normal, everyday human way of thinking. It says, “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.” It is against God and there are those that are out there that would take advantage of you.

So, be careful. And of course, it’s a reminder for us, too. We need to be careful. Don’t be a hoarder. Don’t take advantage of others. Be selfless. Try to serve others during this difficult time. That’s the Godly thing to do.

So, let’s be sure we recognize the difference between praying and preying. And let’s be a people that’s praying to our God.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/praying-and-preying

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Update

Like everyone else who is ‘sheltering in place’ there isn’t much going on here.  My neighbor and I ventured to Tractor Supply, mostly to get some of the good pet food that they sell.  I had something to return anyway.  My neighbor has a sweet Westie, West Highland White dog, they look like a white Scottie. We have to go past our little Walmart to get there, so we went in, donned in masks and gloves. That seems to be everyone’s uniform these trying days.

Yes, I still have the cat that nearly died.  I am pretty sure that he has Feline Leukemia, among other things, but I want to give him some happy time as a beloved housecat before he gets too sick and has to be PTS.  He has lots of scars on all four legs where he must have gone through some awful trauma, but still has a very sweet personality. He finally realizes that he is going to be fed canned and dry food regularly, and doesn’t try to pry open the dry food bin anymore.  He had chewed through the bag when I got him, so I had to put it in a lidded pail. I have to mix canned pumpkin in with his canned food to help his digestion and elimination.  That works for people too.

Bible study was on Zoom, and I finally figured out how to make that work, but I didn’t know how to turn on my camera. When I was given this laptop, I was told to tape over the camera, so that “Big Brother Couldn’t Watch Me”, so had to take that off.  But that was OK, they didn’t need to see me.  The folks’ faces participating in the Bible study were so distorted anyway, their cameras didn’t do them justice.  I watched several church’s services on my computer, and spent more time watching them than I would have if I had gone to church.

Now we just have to do our best to help slow the curve, so that we can all live for a better day.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

For Housebound Kids, Young and Old. Story of John the Baptist. Do Bunnies Lay Eggs? Delayed Passover. Update.

The Story of John the Baptist

“Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” We see this greatness as we study the story of John the Baptist.

The Story of John the Baptist

PDF to print for family reading and coloring

“John the Baptist was a fascinating man. He ate locusts and honey in the desert. Crowds came to him, but he constantly told them that he was nothing—that the coming Messiah was everything. In the end, his life was cut short because he criticized a king for sinning.

John the Baptist was an unusual character for sure. But incredibly, Jesus Christ called him the greatest of men (Matthew 11:11).

John’s miraculous birth

The story of the birth of the one who came to be known as John the Baptist gives signs of the greatness to come.

John’s parents were an older couple named Zacharias and Elizabeth. They were both descended from the priestly family of Aaron (Luke 1:5). The Bible says Elizabeth had not been able to have children. She was “barren, and they were both well advanced in years” (verse 7).

Then came the day when Zacharias, while burning incense at the temple, saw an angel (verse 11). Zacharias was startled by the appearance of the angel. But perhaps he was even more surprised by what the angel told him. Elizabeth would bear a child in her old age! They would name him John, and he would be set apart for a special purpose (verses 13-15).

The angel Gabriel told him, “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (verses 16-17).

Zacharias was shocked! He asked, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years” (verse 18).

Because Zacharias had doubted the angel’s words, Gabriel gave him a sign. He wouldn’t be able to talk until the birth of his son. Of course, the angel proved to be correct, and after nine months the priest and his wife had a son (verse 57).

There’s much more to this story, including the fact that Elizabeth and Mary the mother of Jesus were related and that in the womb John leaped for joy in recognition of Jesus (verse 41)!  The birth of Jesus came about six months after John’s birth.

God had performed a miracle and brought John into the world for a special purpose!

The work of John the Baptist

God had set John apart for a special mission. He was to preach about repentance and to baptize people in water. He was also to preach about the Kingdom of God and prepare a people for the Messiah’s coming.

That is exactly what John did. Instead of serving at the temple as a priest, he dressed in a camel’s hair garment and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). He told the crowds that came to see him that they needed to repent and that the Kingdom of God was at hand (verses 1-2). He preached the same message as Jesus Christ the Messiah (Mark 1:14-15) and prepared the way for Him (Matthew 3:3).

John the Baptist knew that he had been called by God to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight’” (Matthew 3:3, quoting Isaiah 40:3).When the religious leaders of his time came to see him, John showed courage. He rebuked them for ignoring God’s message of repentance. They believed that they didn’t need to repent since they were directly descended from Abraham. But he told them, “And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones” (Matthew 3:9).

John the Baptist knew that he had been called by God to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight’” (Matthew 3:3, quoting Isaiah 40:3).

John pointed the people to Christ regularly (John 1:6-8, 19-27, 29-37). When the time came for Christ to start His ministry, John pointed his disciples to Christ and encouraged them to follow Him (verses 35-37).

John even baptized His Lord and Savior. When Jesus was ready to start His public ministry, He came to John to provide an example for all mankind by being baptized. After John had baptized Jesus, he was privileged to see the Holy Spirit descend on Him. This confirmed to John that this was indeed the Son of God (verses 32-34).

The arrest and execution of John the Baptist

John the Baptist didn’t pull any punches. He called sin, sin. He even criticized King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife and was thrown in jail (Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17). After spending some time in his prison cell, John sent some of his disciples to Christ. He wanted to receive confirmation about the work and mission of Christ (Matthew 11:2-6).

John believed that Jesus was the Lamb of God and the Son of God (John 1:29, 34). He also believed He was the Christ—the coming Messiah who will conqueror and rule. But perhaps he was expecting Christ to start conquering then instead of letting him remain in jail. That was not to be, however.

While John was in prison, Herod threw a party. His wife’s daughter danced and pleased him so much that he promised her whatever her heart desired.

“So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter’” (Matthew 14:8). Herod was sorry, but because of his oaths he felt trapped into ordering John to be killed.

Purposes behind the story of John

There are many reasons the story of John the Baptist was recorded in the Bible. It still speaks to us 2,000 years later. His life story and his message point us to Jesus Christ, show God’s miraculous power and teach the importance of repentance from sin and baptism.

John the Baptist’s story also shows us an amazing example of humility. Throughout his life and ministry, John always directed people to Jesus Christ. When talking about Christ, he said, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry” (Matthew 3:11). The job of carrying sandals was the job of the lowliest slave. Yet John didn’t deem himself worthy of even this lowest of jobs in serving Christ.

To John, everything was about the Messiah whom he had been commissioned to prepare for. John saw his own needs and status in life as unimportant. He was not jealous about the crowds going to see Jesus. Instead, he humbly said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

The work of John the Baptist also reminds us that God has a detailed plan that He is carrying out. Though we, like John the Baptist, may not understand everything about that plan or our assigned part in it, we can know that God has a plan for us. Herod might have killed John the Baptist physically, but John will be a king and priest reigning on the earth in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10). We, too, can have a part of that plan if we respond to God’s calling, repent and humbly obey God.”   

This and many more stories to be read and colored at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/bible-study/bible-stories/the-story-of-john-the-baptist/?   

A Story of the First PassoverLike this one:

A Story of the First Passover

This story gives a child’s view of what it might have been like for families on that first Passover leading to the freeing of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 3-13).

PDF to print for family reading and coloring.

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Do Bunnies Lay Eggs? (And 4 Other Questions About Easter)

“Easter is considered the most sacred day on the Christian calendar. But there are many problems with it. Let’s address some major questions about Easter.

Every spring, the Christian world celebrates Easter. Though Christmas has more publicity and commercialism, technically Easter Sunday is considered the most important day of the Christian calendar. This year (2020), Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 12.

But what about the customs surrounding this holiday? Bunnies that lay eggs, colored eggs, Easter egg hunts and sunrise services on Easter morning?

What do any of these have to do with the resurrection of the Savior of maNew Call-to-actionnkind? In fact, none of these traditions that surround Easter—including the word Easter itself—have anything to do with the Bible.

Though we are not against all holidays, we do see serious problems with Easter and feel compelled to inform others about these issues. This blog post will address five big questions that people ask about Easter every year.”

Continue Reading


Keeping Passover at Home 

These instructions are to help you in observing God’s sacred ordinance of the Passover at your home.  If you are eligible to take the Passover, but unable to meet together with other brethren at the prescribed time, you may observe it in your own home in the first month of the sacred year or, if necessary, at the second Passover 30 days later (Numbers 9:11). The following directions are to aid you in partaking of such a service:

https://www.ucg.org/members/news/keeping-passover-at-home

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Update

Everybody is distancing here, or trying to. The tenants here at the apartments stay away from each other and back up to let others go by first.  Same thing at the grocery store when I went to get fresh veggies. 

A local church gave each of us a roll of toilet paper and it had a label:  “When the roll is called up yonder…will you be there ?” 

I took a neighbor to our small Walmart to get a car battery, and they had TP but only allowing people to buy one 4-roll package. 

Lots of interesting sermons about Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread to watch online, and being alone doesn’t affect me, because I am used to it.  I made some of my unleavened bread made with almond flour and it was delish.

Really, a sign of the times…..The local church’s Bible study was on Zoom yesterday.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Biblical Sanitary Laws and Quarantine. Why Should Christians Celebrate the Passover? Feline Update.

Sanitary Laws and Quarantine from the Bible.

There are things that Moses wrote about that science didn’t learn about until thousands of years later.

The biblical laws of sanitation were clearly ahead of their time! There was really no way to fully understand the reasons for these laws until the invention of the microscope, the discovery of bacteria and the pioneering work of pathologists in recent centuries, yet these ancient biblical laws have proven scientifically valid today! People who touched a dead or diseased animal or person—or even garments or secretions from a sick person—were to bathe and wash their clothes and avoid contact with others. Contaminated garments were to be washed or burned—important sanitizing principles that are still followed today.

Dwellings that showed signs of mold, or that had harbored sick individuals, were to be cleaned, repaired or destroyed, to prevent the spread of disease (see Leviticus 13–15). Porous vessels that came into contact with dead animals were to be broken, since they would harbor bacteria. People showing signs of sickness were to be isolated—quarantined—until examined by a priest and declared well. People were to wash after having sex. Tattoos and cuttings on the flesh were also forbidden (Leviticus 19:28), for reasons that include the risk of contracting disease. Modern physicians warn that tattoos and body-piercing carry a risk for contracting infectious diseases like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and HIV/AIDS (International Journal of Infectious Disease, 2001, 5(1), 27–34).

In Deuteronomy 23:9–14, we learn that human wastes were to be buried, away from human dwellings. Today we call this sanitary waste disposal, and its benefits are widely understood but not always practiced—especially in poverty-stricken areas. History is filled with epidemics of typhus, cholera and dysentery, linked to the careless dumping of human waste into streets and rivers, or feeding human waste to animals that are then eaten. Burying human waste breaks the life cycle of many parasitic organisms that spread disease.

This simple practice is much more effective, and less expensive, than treating disease after it breaks out—and God put this principle in the Bible thousands of years before mankind's science understood its benefit!

While some scholars assert that the biblical laws were not given for reasons of health, this same commentary states that "the spiritual and hygienic reasons for the laws may still be affirmed. They are remarkably valuable in the area of public health… These laws protected Israel from bad diet, dangerous vermin and communicable diseases... These were rule-of-thumb laws that God gave in His wisdom to a people who could not know the reason for the provision" (ibid.). Thus, the idea that these biblical laws are outdated and old-fashioned and have nothing to do with health is simply nonsense!”  Excepts from: https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2004/march-april/bible-health-laws

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Leviticus 13 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Law Concerning Leprosy

“13 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a [a]leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him [b]unclean. 4 But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days.

6 Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. 8 And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him [c]unclean. It is leprosy.

9 “When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him [d]unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

12 “And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. He is clean. 14But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. 17 And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean.

18 “If the body develops a boil in the skin, and it is healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil. 21 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days; 22 and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a [e]leprous sore. 23 But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white, 25 then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 26 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 27 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. 28 But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

29 “If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard, 30 then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard. 31 But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days. 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin, 33 he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days. 34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 “If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots, 39 then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin. He is clean.

40 “As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. 41He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean. 42 And if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body, 44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him [f]unclean; his sore is on his head.

45 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall [g]dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

The Law Concerning Leprous Garments

47 “Also, if a garment has a [h]leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather, 49 and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous [i]plague and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days. 51And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is an active leprosy. It is unclean. 52 He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

53 “But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, 54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days. 55 Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside. 56 If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather. 57 But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague. 58 And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.

59 “This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.” From: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+13&version=NKJV;NIV

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Why Should Christians Celebrate the Passover?

“Jesus Christ and the apostles kept the Passover. What does Passover mean for Christians today?

A man reading a Bible.Photos.com

Christians who observe this annual memorial marking Jesus’ death are reminded that eternal life is possible only through Jesus Christ.

The first of God’s seven annual festivals is the Passover (Leviticus 23:5). Passover falls in early spring in the Holy Land and is a reminder of how God spared His people from death in Egypt. To rescue His people from slavery, God took the lives of all the firstborn Egyptian males (Exodus 12:7, 26-29) but passed over the Israelites’ homes that had the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their door frames.

The blood of the Passover lamb foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which passes over the sins of people who repent in order to spare them from eternal death. The New Testament makes clear that Christ is the true Passover Lamb (compare Exodus 12:21 with 1 Corinthians 5:7). In observing His last Passover with His disciples, Jesus explained that the symbols of bread and wine represent His body and blood, offered by Him for the forgiveness (or passing over) of our sins and the death penalty our sins have earned for us (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24).

The death of Christ actually took place during the daylight hours that followed the Passover evening—which was still the same date according to Hebrew sunset-to-sunset reckoning. Christ was sacrificed on Passover.

The New Testament Passover is a memorial of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is also when baptized members of the United Church of God renew our agreement to come under the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Passover Lamb, for the forgiveness of our sins. We approach this period of the year with deep spiritual introspection. We commemorate the Passover on the 14th day of the first month of the sacred year with a service based on the instructions of 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 and the Gospel accounts of the New Testament Passover that Christ instituted.

This solemn service begins with a brief explanation of its purpose, followed by foot-washing (based on Christ’s example and instructions in John 13). Then the minister gives an explanation of the symbols of the Passover, unleavened bread and wine, which represent the body and blood of our Savior. Each baptized member of the Church eats a small piece of the unleavened bread and drinks a small glass of the wine (Mark 14:22-24).

Christians who observe this annual memorial marking Jesus’ death (1 Corinthians 11:26) are reminded that eternal life is possible only through Him (John 6:47-54; Acts 4:10-12). Jesus’ sacrifice is the starting point for salvation and the foundation of the annual feast days that follow. The next one is the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-should-christians-celebrate-the-passover

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Update

Just like most places, not much going on here.  No Bible studies, no church, except online.  A quick trip to the Post Office to mail a package, and to the grocery store to buy fresh salad and veggies.  Everybody ‘distanced’ and there were 6’ spaces marked out on the floor at the registers.

But I got a cat!  While I was in the store a lady was buying several enormous bags of dog food.  I commented that she must have a lot of dogs, and she said she was a rescue. I said well, "All I want is an old cat", and she said "I have one".

The cat’s human died and the cat was left in the house for ages before they found him.  They thought he was dead, but revived him.  He is still skinny and his hair coat isn't what it should be, but now he is here, safe in my apartment.

He probably has Upper Respiratory Infection because he was with a lot of other cats at the rescue and he sometimes coughs with a little sneeze, but with good care he should get better in a couple of weeks.  He is a very loving and well-behaved Siamese.

On the Sabbath, I watched sermons online, and it was a quiet and enjoyable day