For “Scripture Sunday”:
Permissiveness
We were taught to ask for permission to go places and do things when we were children.
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.
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