Sunday, June 23, 2019

Permissiveness. How to Avoid Temptation. Do You Know The Difference Between Flattery And A Compliment? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Permissiveness

We were taught to ask for permission to go places and do things when we were children.

A little boy playing.Timothy Eberly/Unsplash

“God is merciful and kind as parents ought to be, but His goal is for our good always.

Responsible adults knew that there was a proper balance in giving permission and permissiveness. Permissiveness opens the door to doing what we please—we set the rules, guidelines and standards. Good parents make sure that we understand what consequences may come from our decisions. They shun permissiveness and know that their control will be a safeguard all of our lives.

God is the best parent. If He wanted to be permissive—allowing humans to determine right and wrong, holy and profane—He would have given us Ten Suggestions rather than Ten Commandments. Commandments do not include any permissiveness. Jesus came to magnify those Ten (Isaiah 42:21). God is merciful and kind as parents ought to be, but His goal is for our good always. His laws allow us to build character and define boundaries that are good for us.

We do not ask Him for permission to sin—He does not allow that. So don’t ask!”  From:  https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/permissiveness

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How to Avoid Temptation

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

[Steve Myers] “We all face it. Temptation seems to be everywhere in our world, and sometimes it just seems absolutely overwhelming. But you know there’s a key that we’re given in Hebrews 2:18 that I think is so powerful, because it points to our Savior, Jesus Christ. And here’s what it says. It says, “For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He’s able to aid those who are tempted.”

A couple of things that are very interesting about this passage. Christ personally has suffered through and experienced temptation, the way that we do and He’s uniquely qualified to help us. I love this word for aid that’s used in this particular passage, “He’s able to aid those who are tempted.”

That’s the very same word that’s used all the way back in Acts 27:17. If you’re not familiar with Acts 27, that’s where the Apostle Paul is about to be shipwrecked and he’s going through an amazing hurricane, it seems, and this ship is falling apart. And you know what they do? They take cables, and they run these supporting cables under the ship to help hold it together. And that word in that section of Acts 27 of those supporting cables, is the same word that’s used here as Christ aids us.

So imagine that, when we turn to Christ and we look to him, we pray to God the Father and ask for His help and His guidance, He wraps us around with His aid like those supporting cables that were holding that ship together in the most difficult storm. That’s what we can count on. We can count on our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can count on God the Father to wrap us up in His supporting arms and come to our aid even before sin. Even as we’re being tempted, God is always there to help us.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/how-to-avoid-temptation

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Watch Out!

Do you know the difference between flattery and a compliment?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/XP8NdZUtXPE

[Gary Petty] “All of us like compliments. We appreciate it when someone comes up and tells us, “Boy, that was a good job” or “You look nice today.” But there’s a real difference between a compliment and flattery. They may seem to be the same but actually, they’re not. You know, it’s interesting that in the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes this, “Ointment and perfume delight the heart and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.”

You know, it’s very rewarding. It can be very encouraging when someone we know who’s very sincere comes up and tells us what a good job we did or like I said, how good we look that day or just give us a compliment. Flattery is something else. Flattery is given by a person who is not sincere. Their compliments have a purpose. They’re actually trying to get something out of us. They’re trying to manipulate us.

Here’s what Solomon wrote about flattery. He says, “A man who flatters his neighbor, spreads a net for his feet.” You see, when someone is flattering you, what they’re trying to do is use the compliments to endear you to them so that eventually, they can manipulate you, get something out of you. But it’s not for your benefit. A good compliment is out of appreciation for your benefit. Flattery is something different. It’s very hard to tell the difference. And this is something that children need to learn. The difference between a compliment and flattery.

One of the greatest stories that teaches, especially children, about flattery is one of Aesop’s Fables. In this fable, there is a crow sitting up on a limb that has a huge piece of food in her beak. A fox comes along and says, “Wow, you are the most beautiful crow. The most beautiful bird. You’re beautiful. You have a great complexion. You have a wonderful shape. In fact, you would be the queen of all the birds if you could just sing.” Well, the crow is so taken aback by all the flattery, that she says she’s going to prove that she should be the queen of the birds by singing. Opens her mouth, the food drops out and the fox grabs it and runs away. And basically says, “I complimented her over her beauty, not her brains.” Important lesson.

So remember, when people keep giving you compliments, be sure and think about is that a genuine compliment? If it is, accept it in the spirit that it’s given. But if someone keeps flattering you in an insincere way, be aware, because they may be trying to take advantage of you.”    From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/watch-out

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Update.

Another week with two trips to the chiropractor in Conroe, but these will be last for now.  I am better than I was, thank goodness, because it looks like a move is in the near future.  That means moving everything out of my house, the mini-house, (furnished ex-guest house), both attics, all the tools out of the garage and shed, 2 motor homes, one station wagon, my van, plus all my resale stuff from my business.

We took my foster cat inside the air-conditioned title company in Conroe while I signed some papers after Chris and I had taken her to the vet for her check-up to go into the SPCA Cat Habitat at Petco, Conroe.  She checked out free from FIV and FeLuk, two deadly diseases that cats often acquire if they go outside.  That is why it s so important to keep them indoors. The techs said that “Silver” was really good when she had the blood drawn, her rabies vax and was micro chipped. 

These papers that I had to sign were just odd stuff that has to be done before the closing papers are drawn up, so I guess this Buyer means business.  I have had offers to help me pack, but I tell them that is jumping the gun.  It’s not over until the fat lady sings…… all the way to the bank !

To be somewhat prepared, Zack and I got down the many boxes of drapes and RV parts out of my attic.  All those years of working on RV’s, we had to have all colors of fabric for me to be able to make drapes for the different RV’s.  Most of them were sorted and boxed up to go to different thrift shops.  On one of my trips to the chiropractor I donated 6 big bags of drapes to the Assistance League.

Some of the dishes, cookware, sheets and towels that were stored up in my attic that came out of my 1968 vintage motor home, we call “Pugsy”,  will be used in my Holiday Rambler travel trailer that is now stored in Chris’ horse pasture about a mile way.  Pugsy is now on eBay, with no reserve, and there is already one bid.  (P.S. Which was later canceled). That will be one big thing that I don’t use, out of the yard. 

The electrician replaced some of the mobile home type outlets in the HR trailer, so now the outlets will be able to handle larger things better.

“Silver” got her other booster shots two days after her rabies shot.  We just don’t like to do them all on the same day.  Then the next day, Saturday, before I went to church, Chris picked her up and she went into the Habitat for all the world to see. She is a pretty, outgoing little baby and she should be adopted soon. I can’t have an animal in the senior apartment where I am going in Navasota, TX, if/when the house deal goes through. 

As I had bought some taco shells that were non-GMO, ( I won’t eat any corn unless it is non-GMO) I made some taco meat with ground turkey for the church potluck, and also took a lot of roasted yellow squash, but not enough, it went fast. We also had the usual lasagna, salads, other meats and veggies.

The Bible readings were Psa. 2, 100, Exo. 23:6-24:18 (that is about keeping the Sabbath and the Feasts Days), Isa. 60:17,18, Matt 26:27,28 and all of Matt. 22.  The Teaching was about how “We Are The Branches” in Rom. 11:17, plus many other verses, and how the Gentiles are grafted in.  Then after the potluck we stayed and had a Bible Study, so it was a well rounded day.

Monday, June 17, 2019

70th Anniversary of NATO: Are Its Days Numbered? Great Commandment. The Big Discount. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday:

70th Anniversary of NATO: Are Its Days Numbered?

“With President Trump’s push for European nations to pay for their own defense and America’s growing isolation from Europe, are NATO’s last days drawing near as we approach its 70th anniversary?

70th Anniversary of NATO: Are Its Days Numbered?

President Harry Truman signs the North Atlantic Treaty Proclamation in the Oval Office on Aug. 24, 1949.

Just over six months before the end of World War II, the Allied powers met at Yalta to discuss the future of Europe after the war. Hitler’s Germany was almost totally defeated, and Europe lay largely in ruins, economically and militarily decimated.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin divided post-war Europe between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. At the conference they made some key decisions about Europe’s future, including that:

  • Nazi Germany must unconditionally surrender.
  • Germany would be divided into four zones controlled by the victors: the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union.
  • Germans would pay reparations for losses caused to the Allied nations.
  • Poland would be left under the control of a pro-Communist provisional government dominated by the Soviet Union, with a vague plan to hold free elections later.
  • A conference to form the United Nations would be held April 25, 1945, with five nations, including the Soviet Union, receiving a permanent seat on the Security Council.
The post-war strategic importance of NATO

After the war, it became clear that Joseph Stalin could not be trusted. He did hold elections in Poland but used Soviet troops to eliminate the non-Communist opposition. Poland provided the U.S.S.R. with a protective buffer from Western Europe and an area of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

In 1947 and 1948 the Soviet Union organized and supported a Communist coup in Czechoslovakia and implemented the Berlin Blockade, limiting access to West Berlin (which was located within Soviet-controlled East Germany).

This map shows the current member states of NATO. 

Because of the fear that Western European nations might turn to the Soviets for their security, U.S. leadership stayed engaged with Europe to prevent the spread of Soviet influence and to prevent a third world war. To protect Western Europe from the Soviet Union, in 1949 the United States, Canada and other Western nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

With Europe laid waste after the war, NATO provided the security necessary for the rebuilding of European industries and food production funded by the Marshall Plan. The Soviets refused to participate in the rebuilding of Europe or allow any Eastern European states to receive aid, heightening the distrust between the East and West.

NATO was successful at accomplishing its strategic goals. It kept Western Europe safe and secure from Soviet aggression in its delicate post-war rebuilding years; it helped West Germany to rebuild itself, peacefully integrated into Europe; and it helped ensure that Western Europe would be rebuilt along the Western economic and political model.

Fast-forward 70 years to today, and the role and future of NATO is uncertain. As America under President Donald Trump retreats from the world stage, are NATO’s days numbered?

A broken relationship

The United States was instrumental in the rebuilding of West Germany. When the Berlin Wall began to fall in 1989, the U.S. was ready to assist with the reunification of East and West Germany.

But since then a lot has happened between the United States and Germany. A number of factors have caused a significant rift between the two powers. Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/70th-anniversary-of-nato-are-its-days-numbered/?

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Daily Bible Verse Blog

Which Is the Great Commandment?

Matthew 22:35-38

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

The lawyer seemingly intended this as a trick question with many possible answers that would be considered wrong by those experts who had ranked the laws differently. But Jesus Christ cut to the core of all the laws to identify what is truly most important. Loving God with all our being means we will seek to please Him and do everything else He asks us to do.

This first, great commandment summarizes the first four of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-11) where God explains how to love Him the way He wants to be loved. Human ideas of how to worship God may be well-intentioned, but to be assured we are pleasing God, we must worship and obey Him the way He wants us to. The first four Commandments, and the entire Bible, show us that way.

Study more about how God wants us to love Him in our article “The Great Commandment.”

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The Big Discount

An Amazing Fact: “Shoplifting is a rampant problem in the United States, but can you imagine someone stealing from a charity event? Timothy Clark did just that. What’s more, it was an event at a Walmart store in Maryland, attended by 50 police officers! He allegedly tried to steal over $500 in video game products while the law enforcement officers were holding a “Shop with a Cop” program for the community.

The store’s security unit caught Clark cutting open and shoving video games and accessories into his shirt. They immediately contacted police who were … right there! The suspect had no chance to run out the door since officers were all over the place. Authorities found 26 PlayStation and Xbox games, two controllers, and various other video game accessories. Strangely enough, the purpose of the charity event was to “build good relations between law enforcement and local youth.”

Shoplifting, also called “boosting” and “five-finger discount,” is one of the most common property crimes in the United States. Most shoplifters are amateurs, but there are those who make a living at it. Retailers say that on average they lose about 0.6 percent of their inventory to shoplifters. One figure says shoplifting costs businesses about $25 million a day. Some businesses use closed-circuit television to catch thieves. Others pay personnel to watch people, some using uniformed guards to discourage shoplifting activity.

The devil, in one sense, has shoplifted planet Earth. He has stolen the innocence, the purity, and the safety of our world when he successfully tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, telling her, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Shoplifters believe that they will not get caught and that there are no consequences to their actions. But the Bible teaches that God sees all. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). The Lord’s surveillance system is without fault.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14”

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Update.

Two more trips to the chiropractor, ad the x-rays showed that my tailbone is permanently damaged and won’t get any better.  I am OK as long as I don’t get in certain positions, and then it catches, makes me go “ouch”, and takes my breath away.  The chiropractor doesn’t want me to to go walking like I used to, anyway, not yet.

Because it looks like the sale of my house and mini-house (guest house) will be going through and I will be moving to a senior apartment in another town, I had to do something about a feral cat who takes up residence here every time she has kittens because she knows that I will feed her.  I hated to do it, but I set a trap and caught her, and her kitten.  She only had one survive this time. She was poorly and had one of those deadly cat diseases that they get from being outside, either FIV or FeLu.  I felt like a traitor because even though she hissed at me and I couldn’t get near her, she trusted me. She would meow from under my van to tell me she was hungry because she knew that I would bring her something to eat and drink.  Chris took us to the shelter south of Conroe, where she would be put to sleep.  I knew that I wouldn’t be safe to drive through my tears.  This way she won’t die a painful lingering death alone, but just go to sleep peacefully. 

The fuel pump for my little Mercury Tracer was available but expensive at the local parts house, and then I found out how much less they are online.  I am not in that much of a hurry to get it fixed, so I will wait for it to get here for $120 difference!

I made organic chicken breasts and spaghetti for the church potluck, and there were two great dishes made by different ladies that were ground beef. One with rice and one with a cornbread topping.  Lots of salads, veggies and desserts.  We all get plenty to eat.

The Bible readings were Exo. 22:4-23:5, Isa. 49:1-7, James 1:1-2:4, and the Teaching was more about Pentecost.  The pastor’s voice was giving out so he didn’t read any of Matthew this Sabbath.

It was hot trying to get stuff out of my attic, it had to be done anyway, then  it was a lot cooler after the rain, so we should have waited until the next day.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

D-Day and Divine Intervention. The Power of Pentecost. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

D-Day and Divine Intervention

“On this 75th anniversary of D-Day, a crucial event in the push to Allied victory in World War II, we look back on the remarkable miracle of its success—an answer to prayer and the fulfillment of destiny.

With the Normandy beachhead secured, vast numbers of Allied troops and military vehicles flood ashore.Imperial War Museum

With the Normandy beachhead secured, vast numbers of Allied troops and military vehicles flood ashore.

It’s been 75 years since D-Day, June 6, 1944, when Western Allied forces during World War II launched the largest invasion in history with nearly 7,000 ships of all sorts and more than 11,000 planes, crossing the English Channel and landing more than 150,000 troops (and more over the days that followed) on the beaches of Normandy to free France and the rest of Europe from Nazi tyranny.

German leader Adolf Hitler had prepared a vast defensive network of artillery, gun emplacements, mines and other deadly obstacles stretching from the west coast of France up to Norway. This “Atlantic Wall” had to be breached for the Allies to press forward and defeat this evil, genocidal regime that with its Axis partners was intent on continuing the carnage of many millions while trying to conquer the world.

Famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle, who arrived at Normandy the day after D-Day, noted that the Allies achieved victory “with every advantage on the enemy’s side and every disadvantage on ours.” Yet, as he wrote, the total Allied casualties “were remarkably low—only a fraction, in fact, of what our commanders had been prepared to accept.” Pyle concluded, “Now that it is all over, it seems to me a pure miracle that we ever took the beach at all.”

What was miraculous about D-Day, and why would God have intervened?

The weather and other surprises—flukes or God’s handiwork?

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander (and later U.S. president), said later on the 1952anniversary of the operation launch: “This day eight years ago, I made the most agonizing decision of my life. If there were nothing else in my life to prove the existence of an almighty and merciful God, the events of the next twenty-four hours did it … The greatest break in a terrible outlay of weather occurred the next day and allowed that great invasion to proceed, with losses far below those we had anticipated.”

The Allies had tried to plan for every eventuality, but they had no control over the vital weather. They hoped for good weather to make the 100-mile sea crossing to Europe, as had miraculously occurred in the mass evacuation from Europe at Dunkirk early in the war. What they didn’t realize was that bad weather—the windiest in 20 years—would hand them success beyond all expectation.

D-Day was originally scheduled for June 5 and could only be postponed for the short term to the 6th or 7th, while the tides were still low and the moon was full for visibility (along with clear weather), especially for clearing or avoiding mines in the surf. Otherwise it would have to have been put off a good while later.

With the terrible weather that sprang up on June 5, it looked like the operation was a no-go, but meteorologists reported a break was about to occur in the weather to allow the 17-hour crossing, though there was as yet no sign of any calming. Eisenhower made the agonizing decision for the ships to launch on the 5th (to arrive the next day) in the face of severe winds. As it turned out, the weather was only marginally better on the 6th, yet enough for the invasion to succeed even with weather-related losses.

What really helped win the day was that the Germans could not believe the Allies would cross the English Channel in such awful weather, and they were caught completely unprepared. They had stood alert at low-tide and full-moon days in May, but they now did not see the need. Half the German division commanders and a fourth of the regiment commanders left for war games exercises in Brittany. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, in charge of the Normandy defenses, decided to travel 500 miles to Germany to celebrate his wife’s birthday. He came back at word of the invasion, but it took him all day—by then too late.

Also, Adolf Hitler and other leaders under him were convinced by Allied ploys and their own theories that the Allied invasion was going to be further east. And when it arrived they assumed it was a diversion, with the real landing to take place elsewhere—a belief that Hitler bizarrely clung to up through August!

Meanwhile, most of the Luftwaffe (German air force) planes based in Normandy had been relocated to Germany to defend against increasing Allied bombing. With that and the bad weather, German planes were not patrolling the English Channel. Moreover, this was the only night the German U-boat submarines did not patrol it. So the Allies encountered hardly any enemy forces on the way.

Confusion among German defenders

A key early step in the invasion was for paratroopers to come in gliders at 100 mph with no guiding lights and to land secretly next to two critical guarded bridges and secure them—to keep the Germans back and prevent the Germans from destroying them so the Allies couldn’t use them. The weather helped in this too, hiding the gliders in the low clouds as they flew by stopwatches until they dropped out at 200 feet, when the pilots could then see.

The first paratroopers to land were stunned, British platoon leader Maj. John Howard later stating: “When we came to our senses, we realized there was no firing. There was no enemy firing. It all seemed quite unbelievable.” The 22 paratroopers trotted over the bridge, the terrified guards dove into the bushes, and the garrison was taken in 10 minutes. But two German tanks arrived, with four more on the way. The paratroopers had only a single anti-tank gun, and with one chance succeeded in hitting the tank right in the middle, setting off all the ammunition inside—the burning tank now blocking the German advance and enabling lost paratroopers to be reoriented.

The Germans were not then able to counterattack there or across the wider area. They now had only two panzer (or tank) divisions near the Normandy landings. Early in the morning, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt ordered these to move in, not believing such a large-scale invasion could be a deception.”      Continued at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/d-day-and-divine-intervention

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The Power of Pentecost

The story of the first Pentecost contains powerful insight for Christians today.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/hYCTexnIs4M

[Darris McNeely] “If there’s one event in the plan of God that gives you and I the key to dealing with the challenges of our lives, making a successful life for ourselves and our families it’s probably the day of Pentecost. The meaning of that day with the giving of God’s Holy Spirit and power to the disciples of Jesus Christ. In the book of Luke chapter 24, the days that were leading up to that very powerful day of Pentecost, Christ was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples, and he began to instruct them out of His word. He began to show how the scriptures all pointed, many of them to His own life, to His life, His death, His resurrection, and the aspects surrounding that.

In Luke chapter 24, a lot of this is brought out. He walked with some disciples who were on their way to the village of the Emmaus. They were talking about God and Christ came up alongside of them and they began to talk with God. In time, they found out that they were actually talking with the resurrected Jesus Christ. But they were talking about God and the things of God, and they were conversing with God, which is an important key for you and I to understand regarding that relationship towards success and toward power. That we must have that contact with God.

Christ brought them into remembrance of many of those things. Christ also showed through that example of the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus that we have to invite Him into our life just as they had to invite Him into their home. And when they did, that they had their eyes open to to the Scriptures, and to the role that Christ was now going to play in their own lives. We have to invite Christ into our life. That is a key to opening the meaning of scriptures for us in our life.

But Jesus said in verse 49, at that time as He was with the disciples, He told them to wait. He said, “I will send the promise of My Father upon you but tarry,” which means to wait, “in the city of Jerusalem until you are imbued with power from on high.” And, He was pointing ahead to actually the day of Pentecost, one of the festivals of God. When we turn over to the book of Acts chapter 1, we find that in the last days of Jesus among His disciples before His final ascension, in the time leading up again, to the day of Pentecost, He repeats this promise that He will give them power. In Acts 1:7, He tells them, “Look, don’t worry about my return and trying to figure all that out, the Father knows when that is going to happen.” But in verse 8, He said to his disciples, and He’s talking to us, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

Putting all the pieces of the story, talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, appearing to the disciples in the room after again all of His resurrection, instructing them, revealing himself and His word. There are two critical factors here for us to understand in terms of this power, and what we need.

First of all, it is a correct understanding of the Word of God. In that understanding there’s power, there is power of truth, there is power of conviction.

Secondly, there is the Spirit of God, the very presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the spirit of both in us and that’s what Pentecost points us to. Because in chapter 2 of Acts, when they were gathered on the day of Pentecost, God poured that out to them, flames of fire appeared, wind came rushing through. The gift of the Holy Spirit was now available to those who would repent and in faith accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. The very power of God, they promised would be there from the Father in doing us, living within us, not only making us able to witness for the Word of God, but also to have the power to succeed, the power to deal with life, the power to overcome and to have a relationship with God. That’s the power of the Spirit of God.

That’s the meaning, part of the deep meaning of the festival of Pentecost. You should look into that, you should look at what your scriptures tell you about the key to having that relationship with God and leading to a successful life. It is having that power live within us, the very power of God through His Holy Spirit.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/the-power-of-pentecost

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Update

The one and only time my girlfriend and I played hooky from school, it turned out to be D-Day.  We walked to shops on the main street in Golders Green, a suburb of London, and suddenly there were so many planes going overhead we couldn’t hear each other speak. We were used to planes but this time there were so many.  Then we ran into my grandmother so that was the end of that hooky adventure, but that day marked the beginning of the end of the war.

It looks like the sale of my house and mini-house (guest house) will go through, but I don’t dare commit myself to anything, like the senior apartment, until it is a done deal.

Two more trips to the chiropractor, and my hip and back are still no better, so now x-rays are ordered.

On Friday, I made several large dishes for two church potlucks because Pentecost, another Holy Day, was the day after the Sabbath.  I made one crockpot with organic lamb chili, and another crockpot had wild rice and beans.   Apparently barley is a customary food for Pentecost, so for dessert I made barley, with milk and honey, (which was to be in the promised land), but I added cinnamon, apples and raisins.  That recipe was in great demand.  There were lots of other dishes, and we had enough leftovers from the Sabbath, so that we wouldn’t be cooking on Pentecost.

On the Sabbath, the Bible readings were Psa 22, 23, 24, Exo. 21:1-22:4, Jer. 34:1-4, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, and all of  Matt. 20. The Teaching was about Pentecost. On Sunday,  The readings were Exo. 19:1-20:23, Num. 28:26-31, Exe. 1:1-28 and all of Matt. 21, and the Teachings was about The Oil of Spirit and Anointing. 

This last week was so busy and time slipped away from me.  Last Sunday, when I was supposed to publish this, a mechanic was working on my little Mercury station wagon, the Puddle Jumper, again.  I was in the driver’s seat trying to start it while he hoped to diagnose it’s problem.  It is not getting gas to the new fuel filter so we think it is the fuel pump, which is in the gas tank as far as we can determine.   That will get fixed on a later day.

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Appearances. Did Paul Say We Can Eat Anything? Virtual Religion? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Appearances

“It does not take long for a person to realize the importance of appearance.

A woman with her arms open walking through a field.Fall Maple/Pexels

True beauty lies in the time and effort we spend the matters of our heart.

We want others to think well of us, and usually we take a lot of care in our appearance—the things we say and do. We want to leave an impression and be presentable. We also spend time and money on our personal appearance. Our face, hair, body and clothing all consume time every day. There are necessary parts that do need care.

But it is what is inside that really matters. True beauty lies in the time and effort we spend the matters of our heart. Jesus explained that to the leaders of Jerusalem that they were good at cleaning the outside of the cup and dish, but were full of self-indulgence and extortion on the inside (Matthew 23:25-27). First be sure the inside is clean, and then the outside will be clean as well. “  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/appearances

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Did Paul Say We Can Eat Anything?

“What did the apostle Paul mean in 1 Timothy 4:4? 

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/o3Wr4P3-e9M

[Steve Myers] “A question came in from one of our viewers about a program I did about God’s food laws, and they were pointing out a passage that they said I intentionally overlooked. So, as you begin to think about God’s food laws, the Bible has a lot to say about food. And the point that they brought up was what the Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1Timothy 4:4. They pointed out that that scripture says, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it’s received with thanksgiving.” Of course, I had gone through and talked about how God delineates certain foods are good to eat and others are not, according to Scripture.

Well, what they did is they pointed out this passage and said, “Well, wait a second, it says here nothing is to be refused. So, if I pray over my pulled pork sandwich or I pray over my crawfish, it should be just fine. That’s what the Apostle Paul was telling Timothy because, after all, we’re New Covenant Christians and we don’t have to keep that old law.” Well, they thought I intentionally skipped over that passage, but when you begin to put it in the context of what Paul is saying, in the very next verse he says something powerful. Notice what he says. This is in 1 Timothy 4:5. Once he says it’s to be received with thanksgiving, he says it’s sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.

So now we have a second aspect that’s added here. Not only should we pray over our food, give God the thanks for providing for us, but we see very clearly here what is it that sets apart food for us. What is it that makes something acceptable or unacceptable when it comes to us? Well, God does. God is the one who says this is what you should do, here’s how you should act, this is even the food that you should eat. So, here, we see this food is sanctified or set apart by the word of God and thanksgiving. So we should be thankful, but what does the word of God have to say about food?

And you see, that’s the critical part. We have to go to the Word of God to see what is set apart as good food. And that’s why we have to turn over to Leviticus 11 or we have to turn to Deuteronomy 14. And when we turn to those passages, it delineates very clearly what is good food to eat and what is not. So don’t be taken in by just taking one little passage and not seeing it in the entire context of Scripture. So you can check out these passages. We’ve got other literature that you can check out to find out what exactly is good food that is sanctified by the Word of God.”   From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/did-paul-say-we-can-eat-anything

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Virtual Religion?

“New technology in our modern world is now bleeding over into people’s religious lives. What does God expect of us?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/w1CeuxHKUdg

[Darris McNeely] “I was once called to a hospital emergency room to pray for and to anoint someone who had had a heart attack at work. I’d known the man, he’d been a part of my congregation at one time but he had stopped attending and he began listening to a minister from way off on cassette tapes.

Now, this goes back a few years, I realize and dated here. But that man became his pastor. But the problem was his pastor, off the cassette tape, lived more than 1000 miles away. When he needed me, he called me to come and pray for him in the hospital to anoint him as scripture says. Now, you know, I kind of smiled when I did that. The man got better and he actually went on to get better and was healed. And I thought to myself, where was his pastor, his virtual pastor that he was listening to on cassette tape when he really needed him?

You know, we’ve gone a long way from cassette tapes. Now, I was reading an article recently about what they call virtual churches, how with all the technology of virtual reality and the internet and streaming services, all of this invading churches and religions today, now people can go to Jerusalem in virtual reality. They can go to church from their living room with a virtual reality headset on and engage with other people virtually. They can even be baptized virtually, I guess.

It’s hard to imagine fulfilling the scripture of teaching in a virtual way but that’s what we’ve come to. And of course, the article here that I was reading in a newspaper was talking about how this is appealing to a new generation, how it’s bringing people who are not interested in religion into church at least in a virtual way and getting them interested in talking about God, the Bible, debating various things. But could there be something lacking? Well, I think that there may be.

One of the quotes that came out of this article was quoting some pastor of a church for us speaking about how he adapted to this virtual technology. It was all about being relevant to the times. He went on to say, “We have to begin to reimagine how a church has done because we’re seeking to minister to a generation of digital natives and the only way to reach them is to be intentional about your digital engagement.”

Now, what does that mean? I don’t know. But I do know that we do need to be together. That if you’re going to follow the scriptural teaching on the subject of religion, God, fellowship, the Church and it’s full of meaning, we need to be together. We need to be looking at each other in the eyes. We need to be hugging one another in that sense of fellowship and doing exactly what the scripture tells us.

In fact, in Hebrews 10:25, the Apostle Paul writes about not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, “Don’t forsake coming together as the manner of some are, but exalt one another,” which means to basically come together and encourage, to love one another, to help one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching.”

Virtual reality, interesting. Certainly, internet technology that can reach people with the Gospel does have this application. But there’s no substitute for getting to know people, problems and all, learning to grow, develop, worship God together as we are instructed within the scripture. That’s what we need. That’s what my friend really needed. And at some point in our life, we’re going to need that human touch of a friend who shares our faith with us.

So don’t get caught up in the technology and neglect basic scriptural teaching about the church, fellowship, and our need for one another.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/virtual-religion

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In Case You Missed it:

German Intel: Iran Wants to Expand to Weapons of Mass Destruction reported The Jerusalem Post May 29.

For prophetic background on weapons of mass destruction, see “Weapons of Mass Destruction and Bible Prophecy.”

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Update.

On Sunday, even though my back was still hurting, I accompanied my friend to the flea market out 105 east of Conroe.  He gets two tables so that he can park his utility trailer and SUV side by side.  A lot of the items that had been left over from the estate sales where he works, had been piled into boxes and stored in my 10’ x 20’ storage tent.  So, as none of them were heavy, hundreds of small teddy bears, Beanie Babies and such, I got them out and placed the boxes poking out of the back of my van.  I don’t like to put things on the ground because then I would have to bend down to pick them up!  But when he arrived, his SUV was full, so we pushed the boxes into my van and I drove there, too. 

We unloaded my van onto one table, and the contents of his SUV on another, and he backed his trailer up so that all his big items could be seen. He had bicycles, e-bike, wide and regular wheelchairs, Rollators, several metal flower stands and a Retro Rolling Display Cart Planter, etc.  Even though we arrived later than usual, nearly everything sold. 

The next day was Memorial Day, and the following day I had another appointment with the chiropractor.  This time he did adjust my back and it felt so much better. As I was in Conroe, I donated all the toys and things that had not been sold to the Asisistance League and The Women’s Center.  I also gave some comforters which had little holes in them to the Conroe Shelter for the critters there.  Better than them sleeping on the concrete.  Any way it gives the dogs something to wrestle with and “kill”!

We had quite a lot of Christmas stuff, and the only place I know that sells those items year round is Angelic, and when I was at the back donating, I couldn’t believe how much stuff they had in their warehouse waiting to be sorted and priced.  No wonder they had to move to a larger facilty a few years ago, and then expand to the stores next door.  It is a large store and they sell everything. 

While I was there I bought a convection toaster oven for $15, to replace my $150 digital non-convection Breville which only lasted 5 years. This one is NOT digital, is a Cuisinart, and it has aleady baked potatoes and roasted zucchini perfectly.  Now I don’t have to crank up my big wall convection oven which is so high up that I have trouble getting hot items out of it safely.  Height challenged people, like me, have to think of these things!

But I still prefer to donate to the Assistance League, because all the ladies are volunteers so it is a really non-profit organization, and they do so much good.   https://www.assistanceleague.org/montgomery-county/

A nice lunch at a local Mexican restaurant with my granddaughter, Michelle, on Wednesday.  I had potato nachos, I didn’t know there was such a thing, and they were good.

Another trip to the chiropractor, and now I am beginning to think that there is some milking of the system.  I am just about better, so why should my insurance have to pay for lots of extra visits?   Just like the medicine they prescribed for my osteoporosis.  I asked for a little to try it out as I am so sensitive to chemicals, but they prescribed a three months supply!  The doctors are pushing up the cost of medical care.

For the church’s Sabbath potluck I took Roasted Zucchini and Onions, Mashed Organic Potatoes, and Mushroom and Onion Sauce. 

The Bible readings were Psa. 130-132, Exo. 19:1-2-:19, Isa. 61:7-9, Luke 4:16-30 and all of Matt. 19.  The Teaching was about “Moses Fellowship with God”.  He certainly had great fellowship with the Lord, more than any others before Christ.  Next weekend we will be celebrating Pentecost.

A family who had been absent for the last few weeks were back, so that made everyone’s day.