What Is Juneteenth All About? Breast Cancer Facts. All Who Are in the Graves Will Hear His Voice. The Father Raises the Dead. Update.

What Is Juneteenth All About?

by Kevin Epps

“You may have heard of Juneteenth, but what is it about? It’s not listed on most calendars, but most states in the U.S. recognize it. What can we learn from it?

“Juneteenth,” a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” celebrates the freeing of the last remaining slaves in the United States on June 19, 1865. (It is also sometimes called “Freedom Day” or “Jubilee Day.”) It was on that day that slaves in Texas were finally given their freedom.

Technically, the process started two years earlier with President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, but for the enslaved people of the South, it really began only after the Confederacy was defeated earlier in 1865.

This proclamation was delivered by Union General Gordon Granger:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor.”   

Absolute equality

Perhaps the most significant part of the proclamation was the words “absolute equality”—not improved equality. Though it wasn’t realized at that time, these were the right words. From God’s perspective, race relations are about equality, not just improved rights.   More at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/what-is-juneteenth-all-about/?

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Breast Cancer Facts

“No money, no races, no ribbons, just breast cancer facts.

Before Breast Cancer Awareness month is upon us, I feel that it is important to help you better understand how to prevent this cancer, and quite possibly other cancers as well. The University of Virginia Health System has just published that an unhealthy gut causes breast cancer to become much more invasive and spread more quickly to other parts of the body (1). Mind you, this occurs after a breast cancer diagnosis. Let’s talk about preventing breast cancer based on real scientific data and give you a better picture of the role of healthy intestines in the prevention process. What we swallow ends up defining the health of our intestines. So, medications, food and drinks become our intestines!  Let’s take it from there, because these references are from some of our most respected medical sources.

• Use of antibiotics is associated with increased risk of incident and fatal breast cancer. JAMA. 2004; 291(7):827-35

• Compared to women who don’t drink at all, women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15%higher risk of breast cancer (2).

• A high carbohydrate and starch diet increases the risk of breast cancer. Eating sweets and starches causes a rapid rise in the body’s blood sugar levels, which in turn cues the production of insulin and triggers a biological process that ultimately can influence carcinogenesis by causing cells to proliferate.

No one increases their exposure to breast cancer with one round of antibiotics, one glass of wine, or one baked potato. When we think of carbohydrates we think of grains, and yes, even “whole grains” are sometimes contaminated with fungal poisons called “mycotoxins.” Mycotoxins do increase our risk of and do cause human cancer. It should surprise no one then, that our major exposures to these mycotoxins come from cigarette smoking, alcohol and antibiotics. Each expose us to mycotoxins. Armed with this information, I hope you consider appropriate lifestyle changes that might really have you sleeping more comfortably knowing that your cancer risks can be diminished.”  From: https://knowthecause.com/breast-cancer-facts/?

Related Articles:   Why Antibiotics Should be the Last Line of Defense

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All Who Are in the Graves Will Hear His Voice

John 5:28-29

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

Jesus Christ’s statement supports the biblical teaching of the need for a resurrection of the dead. Nowhere does the Bible teach that immediately at death we either go to heaven or hell. Instead it talks about those who are dead waiting in their graves for a future resurrection when they will be brought back to life to receive their judgment.

When all the passages about the resurrection of the dead are put together, it becomes clear that there is more than one resurrection described in the Bible. The resurrection of Jesus Christ to spirit life was the precursor of all other resurrections into God’s family. Then Revelation 20:5 talks about a “first resurrection” of the saints when Jesus Christ returns to begin a thousand years of peace (verse 4). The saints will become immortal in this “resurrection of life.”

Then the “rest of the dead” will not be raised until “the thousand years [are] finished” (verse 5). In this second resurrection to physical life, people come before the judgment seat of God (verses 11-12). The Greek word translated “condemnation” in the New King James Version of John 5:29 is krisis, which means “the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “condemn, condemnation”).

In this time of judgment, all will be declared guilty of sin (Romans 3:23), but God will ensure that everyone has a full and complete chance to repent and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). God’s Holy Spirit will be offered to those who repent (Ezekiel 37:14) to prepare them for eternal life in God’s family.

The Bible has much more about resurrections, but it is seldom taught in churches today. Read what the Bible says in our section on “Life After Death” and our booklet The Last Enemy: What Really Happens After Death? From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/all-who-are-in-the-graves-will-hear-his-voice/?

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The Father Raises the Dead

John 5:21

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.”

Jesus Christ explained that He had been given the same power His Father had—the power to bring a dead person back to life, and the power to give immortal life to mortal human beings! In fact, the following verse shows that the Father had delegated all judgment to Jesus Christ (verse 22).

We can be very thankful to have Jesus as our judge. He lived a physical life, understands our temptations and knows our weaknesses, and He was willing to give His life to pay for our sins. He is a merciful judge who greatly “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Read more about the resurrections in our section on “Life After Death.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/the-father-raises-the-dead/?

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Update.

My helper and I did some more work moving my items out of the large storage unit with the heavy lift-up garage door into the smaller storage with a regular house type door.  Oh, it is so much easier, I can go over there and sort stuff out by myself.  But on Friday he suddenly dropped it on me that he couldn’t work for me on Monday and Tuesday mornings because he had a two day job in Anderson, so we had to get the storage unit empty right then, because the end of the month is on Tuesday.  We made it, but it will take some sorting to get it organized.

A trip to College Station to the doctor for a check-up, and all is well, thank goodness.  My daughter had met me so we had a nice lunch together.  While I was there I looked for a TV stand with drawers and found one at the Goodwill.

My cat is still in Conroe at my vet tech SPCA friend’s home, he had a little problem with his neutering surgery healing like it should.  But apparently he is a lot younger than what I was told.  I really wanted an old cat, one that no one would want.

On Friday, once again my church neighbor and I went over the Bible study ready for the Bible study at the church on the Sabbath the next day.  Once again it was on Zoom, and the sermon was a live video of a campmeeting because our pastor had to do a funeral today.

Do You Talk Like a Racist? Connecting With Our Father. Update.

Do You Talk Like a Racist?

“Racism has been a scourge on humanity for thousands of years. What does the Bible say about racism? Do we unwittingly speak the language of racism?

Throughout history, the Bible has been misinterpreted by different people to condone racism. For instance, slave owners in antebellum America quoted select scriptures to justify their treatment of African-Americans. But the Bible does not condone the idea of one race being genetically superior to another. The Bible tells us: “[God] has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). The Bible is clear that all of mankind is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

Because all human beings are made in God’s image and have the potential to be in God’s family (Hebrews 2:10), to show partiality or disdain toward a person based on the color of his or her skin is sin.

The Bible speaks out very clearly about the reason that racism and other types of partiality are sinful: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9).

The intent of God’s law is love toward other human beings. In essence, God is saying that you can’t pick and choose who you will show love toward and who you will not—based on race, status or any other humanly devised factor! God expects us to “honor all people” (1 Peter 2:17).

But if you’re nodding your head, thinking, “I would never talk like a racist,” you might want to think again. Obvious racism isn’t the only way to display racism in our lives.

The language of racism

There is a large body of anthropological research about racism. Racist discourse takes a few general forms:

• Vulgar racism is direct, pejorative expression against someone of a certain race.
• Elite racism is when someone makes a denial followed by a negative presentation of people who are different than he or she is (“I’m not racist, but …”).
• Hate speech is a clear and deliberate verbal assault on people of a different race or ethnicity.
• Covert racism is a more subtle form of racism. A person practicing this would not make openly racist statements, but would show racism in the way he or she behaves. This can include tolerating and laughing at racist statements or jokes from others or using such things as mockery and stereotypes when talking about people.

Christians are expected to control their thoughts and words (2 Corinthians 10:5; James 1:26). It is very important that we overcome any form of racism and not allow it in any part of our lives.

Love your neighbor as yourself

What’s the bottom line? God makes Himself very clear about how He wants us to treat other people regardless of color—with love and respect. Every single human being was created with the equal potential to be born into the God family!

The great variety of human appearances is a product of God’s perfect creativity. But even though people of different cultures and ethnicities have differences, the much greater number of similarities shared by every human being is evidence of the unified purpose God has for each one of us!”     From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/do-you-talk-like-a-racist/?

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Connecting With Our Father

“This weekend is Father’s Day in America. I would like to pause from writing about the heavier matters of the news and world right now. If you will, focus with me for a moment on the Father we have. I am speaking of God. Whether we know Him or not, we have a Father who desires a relationship with His Creation. 

I often think of my physical father, who died 29 years ago. At times I will remember his words and instructions. Growing up I worked alongside him in his business. His words set the pace of work for the day and kept work moving through. People were served, big jobs done and a living was made. Such a mental image was formed for me that at times when I think about him I will “hear” his voice in my memory. It is unmistakable. I definitely bear his image.

I recently read again the opening verses in the book of Genesis describing the scene in the Garden in Eden when God went searching for Adam and Eve after they took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:8 says, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” 

There is much meaning in each phrase of this verse. What I focused on is they “heard the sound of the Lord God walking...in the cool of the day.” My marginal reference says it was the “voice” they heard and it was the wind or breeze. Now, much can be said about poetic imagery in this narrative. But just stop to consider the plain fact of what is being said. God came to be with the man and woman as if it was a daily ritual. It was a time when God and humans were together and communicated. They heard His voice.

God is a Father and we can communicate with Him regularly in prayer and study of His Word and through meditation on His glory. When we do this, we hear and we are shaped in His image. It is important we do this daily. I like to do it early in the morning when the other “sounds” of life are lessened. I get busy real quick every day. The phone rings, email beckons, social media calls. So much comes rushing into life. 

It is in the quiet moments of the morning or evening that the pace of life slows. If I read this verse right, it is when I slow down and remove the clutter and other noise that I can hear the voice of God. God created man in His image to have a relationship with Him. Think about your heavenly Father and seek a closer walk with Him. That is the purpose of human life.

The Scriptures reveal God in terms of a family relationship—God the Father and Jesus the Son together make up the God family. Take a moment of study, in the quiet of your day, and read this helpful study (A Family Relationship).

Happy Fathers Day to all our fathers.”

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Honoring Our Fathers

“Fathers deserve respect, and there are inspiring examples of men who sacrifice for their families to provide in difficult circumstances.

Danielle Macinnes/Unsplash

How can you honor you dad?

If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, you will remember the shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, and many more. The men in those TV shows were strong father figures. I certainly cannot forget to mention Happy Days or Little House on the Prairie with Pa Ingalls, where dads were respected for their wise advice and wisdom.

There were shows like Andy Griffith, and Danny Tanner on Full House represented the single dad. There was no problem they couldn’t solve with a “very special talk.” Many fathers today have fallen into that single dad situation, raising their kids for one reason or another. They have risen to the occasion while holding down a full-time job.

Then there were shows like The Brady Bunch with Mike Brady. The Brady Bunch represented a newly integrated family of six kids. He had three boys and Mrs. Brady had three girls from previous marriages, and they made it work. Mike Brady was still the respected father in the home with wise advice and encouragement for the boys as well as the girls. Many families fall into that category as they strive to bring two different families together.

How does God look at dads? He starts off by commanding us in one of the Ten Commandments to “honor our fathers and our mothers so that our life will be long upon the land” (Exodus 20:12). This is to be done not just once a year when it falls on Father’s Day but every day! The apostle Paul states, “ ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with a promise” (Ephesians 6:2). The first commandment with a promise: if you honor them, your life will be long upon the land! God takes this commandment very seriously. So how can you honor you dad?

1. Be respectful. You may not always agree, but always be respectful.

2. Say thanks and say it often for all his sacrifice. Don’t take the things for granted that he does for you.

3. Ask his advice. He has been there and with years of experience to share with you.

4. Show him you appreciate him by the way you live.  Do not shame his name. Do this by living his values.

5. Never forget to acknowledge your dad in your own achievements.

6. Remember your dad is not perfect, nor are you!

7. Honor your Father in Heaven first, and then all of the above will come easier for you.

While I do understand that some have had a horrible father, as I did, if you are in that group and cannot relate, we can still show honor to the greatest Father of all of us, our Father in Heaven. This is written to the people who have a father who is working hard to be a loving, hardworking dad.

So happy Father Day to all you dads out there! Thank you for all you do. God notices. And take the time to listen to this wonderful song, “My Dad” sung by Paul Peterson to his show dad on The Donna Reed show.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/honoring-our-fathers

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Update

My large storage unit here has a garage type door, the lift-up kind.  But I can’t lift it, so I just don’t get into it unless someone is with me.  It contains stuff for sale, but with Covid19, no one is buying.  Finally, they had a door-type storage unit for rent and so slowly stuff is being moved.  My helper could only help me Monday morning last week, but I have been over there sorting stuff out on several mornings.  The afternoons are too hot.

Apart from the usual (masked) shopping and chores, nothing new going on here.  The Sunday Bible Study has been cancelled for a long time now, but is going to start back up in July.  The Friday morning Bible Study that my church neighbor and I do at her apartment, never stopped.  We do that to be ready for the Sabbath Bible Study at church the next morning.  This week it was on Zoom again and at the church, and the sermon about Lazarus from the book of John was broadcast on FaceBook again today.

Three Beliefs That Will Kill Your Marriage. What Makes a Good Home? Update.

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Three Beliefs That Will Kill Your Marriage

“Do you know that there are “deadly” beliefs about marriage that may be affecting you? Discover these “killer” beliefs before they destroy your marriage.

Most newlyweds anticipate the “happily-ever-after” when they say “I do.” They don’t expect their marriage to end up in divorce, but statistically about half of marriages in the United States do.

Though there are a wide variety of reasons that marriages fail, over my years as a counselor I have seen common problems that I call marriage killers. Knowing what these are can actually help you be proactive in fighting them! Whether you are single, currently married, or divorced but hoping to remarry someday, you need to know what these marriage killers are!

Marriage killer #1: Love is only a feeling

Falling in love is an intoxicating experience. As a culture, we love the idea of being in love. We promote it in every aspect of our entertainment industry. Being in love, however, has very little to do with what is required to sustain a relationship.

Most of us have witnessed a rocket launch at one time or another. According to an aerospace engineer I interviewed, NASA’s space shuttle used solid rocket boosters (SRBs) to get into space. Their solid fuel, once ignited, was extremely powerful, which is necessary to get the rocket booster off the ground. But solid fuel burns up quickly.

In the takeoff phase of a relationship the emotion of love is like that solid fuel. It burns hot and strong, and contains a lot of power to get you off the launch pad. But once that initial emotion burns up, it’s gone.

Unfortunately, people make life-changing decisions while under the influence of this solid fuel: they have sex, move in together, get married, get pregnant and become financially entangled. When there’s no more solid fuel to keep their relationship in orbit, they come crashing back to reality. That’s because it takes more than just solid fuel to sustain a lifelong relationship.

That’s where liquid fuel comes in to play. Liquid fuel can be regulated and controlled. Though the solid rocket boosters quickly fall away, the shuttle carried a certain amount of liquid fuel to keep it on course. So, too, must a relationship.

Passion and love play an important role in a successful marriage, but rather than the intensity of solid fuel, this liquid fuel is a slow, steady burn. Couples actively engage in keeping their love tanks filled with liquid fuel by taking time to be with each other apart from the daily routine and stresses of life. They date. They have romantic, intimate time together. They make their relationship a priority, so that they never run out of liquid fuel.

In other words, a marriage doesn’t last based on the emotional feeling of love—it lasts through the consistent work the couple is willing to put into the relationship. A marriage doesn't last based on the emotional feeling of love—it lasts through the consistent work the couple is willing to put into the relationship.

Marriage killer #2: “My needs come first”

Once the shuttle was outside of the earth’s atmosphere, it experienced no friction. That means there was nothing to slow things down.

In most relationships, selfishness causes friction. People rarely love unconditionally. Instead they love as long as the relationship is satisfying their needs. In other words, people enter into a marital union but don’t act unified. They put themselves before the priorities of the relationship. Selfishness on the part of one (or both) mates is one of the major causes of divorce.

Successful marriages require both husband and wife to practice self-sacrifice and selflessness.

These characteristics do not come naturally to human beings. We generally think of ourselves first (Genesis 4:9; 2 Timothy 3:2). To be happily married and stay that way, we must change our thinking from “how will this impact me?” to “how will this impact us?” Remember, you are one capsule traveling the same path, not two (Genesis 2:24). It takes selflessness to unite with another person to form a successful, unified marriage.

Marriage killer #3: Love makes everything easy

After the space shuttle was away from the gravitational pull of the earth, it had to guard against other gravitational forces. Gravity can interfere with the shuttle’s trajectory, causing it to be pulled off course or even to fall out of orbit.

Couples, too, face gravitational pulls. But problems in the relationship are not a sign that it’s doomed or that they no longer love each other. Rather, problems are inevitable. Successful couples understand that there will be highs and lows throughout their marriage.

They must share common values to keep them on the right trajectory—values like commitment, trust, fidelity, integrity, loyalty, patience and perseverance. Those values are what keep couples hanging on when their emotions may be saying “we have nothing in common anymore” or “we’re no longer in love.” In fact, facing those pulls together and overcoming them, often strengthens the attachment couples have.

Are any of these beliefs killing your marriage? It’s never too late to rededicate yourself to building or rebuilding your marriage. The Bible teaches that the marriage covenant between a man and a woman has a great purpose in God’s plan (Ephesians 5:31-32).

The Bible contains many instructions on the purpose of marriage and how to develop the committed, unselfish love that will keep your marriage in orbit forever.

For more insight into building a successful marriage, read “How Great Marriages Work,” which was featured in the July/August 2014 edition of Discern magazine.”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/blog/three-beliefs-that-will-kill-your-marriage/

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What Makes a Good Home?

“For 6,000 years of human history, homes have been an important part of who we are. But what makes a home … a home? This Bible Study Starter will explore the elements God says belong in a good home.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

Proverbs 15:6, 16-17

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble. … Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.

STARTER QUESTIONS

1. There are a lot of ways to measure a home—square footage, construction quality, furnishings, resale value, number of occupants, layout, etc. According to the verses above, what qualities does God look for in the homes of His people?
2. When those qualities are present, how do they impact (directly and indirectly) those living in the home? How do they change the way those living in that home interact with each other or spend their time?
3. Name three things you can start doing to better cultivate those qualities in your own home. Are there changes you can make to your schedule or routine that would make it easier to do those things?
4. One of the most important parts of the home isn’t the structure itself, but the people who live in it. If you share your home with others, what can you personally do to make sure it’s a place “where love is” instead of a place “with hatred”?
5. Romans 13:9-13 reminds us that hospitality is an important function of the home (and of Christianity itself). How do you use your home to show hospitality to others? Are there ways you’d like to improve when it comes to hospitality?
6. Proverbs 24:3-4 lists wisdom, understanding and knowledge as three essential contributors to an established, well-stocked house. What are the key differences between wisdom, understanding and knowledge—and how do they factor into decisions about what your home should become?
7. Proverbs 14:11 contrasts “the house of the wicked” with “the tent of the upright.” Even when we know that the kind of life we live is more important than the quantity of things we own, why is it so much easier to focus on gaining physical possessions? When that happens, what can we do to refocus ourselves on the things that truly matter? (See Matthew 6:24-34 for ideas.)
8. Having a big house and expensive things isn’t a problem. The problem is when we make those things—and the money they require—our primary focus (see 1 Timothy 6:6-10, which reminds us that “godliness with contentment is great gain”). One technique for staying content is counting our blessings. Pick 10 things about your home—tangible or intangible—that you’re thankful for. When did you last thank God for everything on that list?”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/bible-study-starters/what-makes-a-good-home/?

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Update.

My week was mostly allotted to that dratted colonoscopy on Thursday, and going  backwards and forwards to the next big city, College Station. The pre-op on Monday was to test me for Co19, that’s all.  All that way, why could they do that here in Navasota? So I had lunch with my daughter at IHOP while I was there. 

Being already terrified because what had happened to me in 1961, I tried to get them to hospitalize me for the prep, but they wouldn’t do it. The nurse advised me to eat breakfast on Tuesday and just drink liquids for the rest of the day, then start drinking the prep stuff in two sessions on Wednesday morning, not afternoon.  I had already bought the required Dulcolax tablets, Miralax and two 32oz bottles of Gatorade.  So, on Wednesday, I took the tablets at 8.00 am, and started drinking half of that Miralax mixed with one bottle of Gatorade around 10.00 am.  It tasted so disgusting that I nearly saw it again, but I held it down.  I called the doctor’s office and she said that the only other thing that I could mix with the Miralax was water, so I did that.  Gatorade has aspartame in it, that is what I could taste because I am very sensitive to chemicals.  Why they put aspartame in something that is supposed to be healthy, I don’t know, that stuff is so bad for you. It would have been more healthy and tasty if they put unbleached sugar in it, not that I eat sugar either.  I mixed the other half with water and it was fine. What I liked the best was drinking clear beef and chicken broth for the rest of the day.

On Thursday, my medical insurance had arranged for the little Brazos Transit bus to come and take me to the hospital.  We picked up another passenger in Navasota, too, a gent going for his dialysis. They took my temperature as soon as I entered the building, and more forms to fill out, of course, and a plastic ID bracelet.  They took me to the back and made me dress in a paper gown which had punch out places for other equipment.  One place was to insert a nice comfy warm air heater, that felt great.

Then a lady, one of those vampire ladies, came looking for veins in my arms.  I couldn’t even drink water on Thursday, so I was slightly dehydrated so she had trouble finding a vein, but she finally got a needle in me and I didn’t feel it a bit.  I was surprised that I didn’t feel it because she was a student.  After a while the anesthesiologist came in with more questions and forms to sign, but after they had put something in the needle in my arm, I don’t remember anything until I was was back in that room !  A nurse brought me a decent cup of coffee, unusual for a hospital to have decent coffee, and I had brought some stuff like Ensure to drink, to regain my strength after fasting for so long.  My daughter was there to pick me up and brought me home. 

Friday, I didn’t do much except cook some food and freeze some of it. I made two trayfulls of Kale chips in the oven and pigged out on them. Then today, we went to church, real church for the first time for months.  For Bible study they still did the Zoom thing for those who couldn’t come, and the sermon was also broadcast live on FaceBook.  Quite a few showed up, but not like before.   It had been such a long time since we had had a church service that they did communion today.

D-Day 6th June, Why Another D-Day Is Needed. The My Pillow Controversy. Which Way? Update.

Why Another D-Day Is Needed

“On D-Day, the Western allies launched an invasion to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. An understanding of history shows why another invasion is necessary.

U.S. soldiers charge the beaches of Normandy under Nazi fire.  Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Seventy-six years ago, on June 6, 1944, 160,000 allied troops landed on a 50-mile stretch of beaches on the coast of France. Their goal was to establish a beachhead into Nazi-occupied Europe. This beachhead would then become the launching point for an offensive that would strike at the heart of Nazi Germany, with the goal of destroying it completely.  
The landing, backed up by more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft, was one of the greatest successes in military history—though the cost was over 9,000 casualties. Once the beachheads were established, it was only a matter of time until the war was over. Sandwiched between the massive numbers of Russian soldiers in the east and the massive amount of men and military equipment supplied by the United States and Britain in the west, the longstanding German fear of a two-front war was validated. Germany was totally defeated less than a year later.

A brief history lesson

To understand how such an evil regime managed to seize power in Germany, we must understand the end of World War I. At that time, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson used his power and influence to force the allied powers (primarily France and England) to accept an armistice that ended the war on Nov. 11, 1918. Wilson then personally led the negotiations that created the Treaty of Versailles. In his zeal to secure the creation of a League of Nations, Wilson allowed his negotiating partners to dictate the terms of the treaty to Germany. The terms were quite harsh.

Mankind has spent almost 6,000 years, as a whole, rejecting God and His law. This has led from one tragedy to the next. The harshness of the treaty was symbolized by Article 231, the War Guilt Clause. This essentially forced Germany to admit total guilt for the war and all the damages that it caused. This gave the allies the justification for demanding large reparations payments from Germany. In addition, Germany’s military was eliminated, except for a small force for peacekeeping.

The extreme harshness of the treaty caused great resentment in Germany. The allies, in their desire for vengeance, exaggerated the level of Germany’s responsibility. Regardless of the guilt they were forced to admit, Germans began to feel like they were victims of the victors.

Adolf Hitler was able to use that victimhood to gain support and attain power. On Jan. 30, 1933, Hitler was sworn in as chancellor of Weimar Germany. Within a month he had convinced the Reichstag to give him dictatorial powers. He immediately began to build up the military in preparation for war—a war that would bring lebensraum or “living space” to those who he believed deserved more of it.     

On Sept. 30, 1939, Hitler unleashed his blitzkrieg on Poland, beginning World War II in Europe. Within a year, he and his Italian ally, Benito Mussolini, had conquered most of Western Europe, including France where the D-Day operation was destined to take place almost five years later. Meanwhile during the long years of Nazi occupation, the people of the captive nations saw wholesale murder, rape and plunder of their material belongings. But this reality of the Nazi regime paled in comparison to the genocide known as the Holocaust that killed 11 million Jews and other minorities. The Holocaust was the worst genocide in recorded human history.

U.S. troops entering Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 (source: U.S. Army Center of Military History).

A world held captive

Sadly, the evil nature of the Nazi regime is not all that unusual in human history. True, the Nazis took it to a whole new level due to their mastery of technology as a tool for murder—but murder, rape and plundering are a common part of the human story.

This brings up the question, why does God allow this sort of evil to exist? The Bible gives a surprising answer to this question. When God first created man and woman in the Garden of Eden, He gave them the opportunity to learn how to live a way of caring and outgoing concern for others. Had they and their children accepted God’s way of life, the misery that has ensued since that time could have been avoided. Instead, they rejected God by listening to the serpent (Satan) and were ejected from the Garden (Genesis 3).
Since then, the majority of mankind has been held captive to the influence of Satan the devil (2 Timothy 2:26).

Since that time, mankind has spent almost 6,000 years, as a whole, rejecting God and His law. This has led from one tragedy to the next. That is why we have things like the Holocaust and World War II.

Another invasion of liberation

The good news is that there is another D-Day coming—a day of deliverance! The Bible reveals that Jesus Christ will return to earth during a catastrophic worldwide human conflict. He will fight the nations that will be leading this future conflict and forcibly stop their warfare (Zechariah 14:3; Revelation 19:19-21).

The returning Jesus Christ will not just be returning to liberate the world from these destructive armies but will be returning to liberate mankind from its own destructive nature! He will bind the ultimate source of human suffering and deception—Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9; 20:2)—and begin the process of establishing peace throughout the earth, based on His law (Isaiah 2:3).

Though D-Day was critical in liberating Europe from the tyranny of Hitler, this future deliverance will liberate an entire world held captive!”         From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/why-another-d-day-is-needed/?

To learn more about why we have evil in this word, read our free booklet, Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering?

To learn more details about Jesus Christ’s future liberation of humanity, read “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

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The My Pillow Controversy

”An interesting media story during the coronavirus pandemic brings us a helpful reminder.

Transcript of YouTube https://youtu.be/TIxEWQRf7k4

[Darris McNeely] You remember the pillow guy, the one who spoke at the White House back during the pandemic when we were all shut down and President Trump was having a lot of the businessmen from the various companies in the United States come in and speak and say what they were doing to help with all of the quarantine and the pandemic and all of that to deal with it in the American system. There was a man who sells pillows. His name is Mike Lindell. He was converting his factory over to materials that would help the frontline people who were fighting the COVID-19 virus. And he had a minute to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House.

And he talked about what his company, a pillow company, was doing. My Pillows is what he sells, and I actually have one of them. After he gave his talk about his company, he then had something else to say. And he was very appreciative of the President and his efforts, but then he made a comment as he spoke to the audience and to America in this one little soundbite that he had. He said, “We should be, while we’re shut down and in our homes, we should be spending time with our families. And we should be reading our Bibles.” And that kind of electrified everybody here in the White House in the Rose Garden, the press, the national media. People were shocked, in one sense, the Bible was being invoked at the White House.

Well, he sat down and everybody was a little bit uncomfortable in one sense. The President thanked him, they went on with the business but that’s been on YouTube and it created a bit of a talk for a while but interesting. We should be reading our Bibles at a time of crisis. I think he’s right. 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says this, through Solomon through a time of dedication at the temple, “If my people…” and it was in the context of a time of crisis “…who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

It’s a promise from God spoken through Solomon, during this time of dedication of the temple at a time when there may be a need, and when people would turn to God. And so here’s a man who manufactures and sells pillows in the American capitalist system. With his moment and his time in the national spotlight, he said “we should be reading our Bibles” and turning to God. What if he’s right?”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/the-my-pillow-controversy

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Which Way?

“What should we do when we are faced with different choices in our lives?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/vKmnq1OOatE

[Steve Myers} There’s no doubt we live in challenging times. So often in our life, we come to a point where there are quite a few options ahead of us. We could go this way, we could go that way. In a sense, we’re standing at a crossroads. We’re at a turning point. And in our life, there may be one or more ways that we could go. So what do you do? How do you come to a good decision when you’re challenged in that way? When we’re challenged in what direction to go? When we’re faced with more than one option? What do you do?

Well, I think of Yogi Berra. Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” But wait a second, it’s not that easy.

What do we do? Do we look to our Creator for His guidance and for His direction?

There’s a powerful passage in Jeremiah 6 I think that helps give us directions and really speaks to that idea of standing at the crossroads. What do we do? Well, here’s what Jeremiah 6 says. In fact, here’s what God says, “Thus says the Lord” verse 16, “Stand in the ways and see.” That word for ways can mean crossroads, you’re standing at the crossroads. He says, “Look, ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it.”

So don’t just assume you know the best way to go. Seek God’s will, ask His direction, seek His path. In fact, Jeremiah goes on and it says, “Then you will find rest for your souls, your life, you’ll find the right path when you seek that path.”

And so it’s interesting that it says, “The old paths.” Well, what does that mean? Well, the word of God talks about the path that we need to take. God’s way, His direction. So the old paths are the true paths, the true way, the sure path, the best way, this is the best way to go. And so seek it out. God prescribed the way to go. It’s by His direction, it’s by His standard, it’s by His method. And that is the best way, the good way. It may not be the way everybody else is going, but it’s the way God wants you to go.

So just don’t take it for granted that you know what’s best, seek it out, seek God’s direction, and head down His path, because you’ll be sure to find the ultimate journey’s end.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/which-way

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Update.

As time gets closer to the 11th and my colonoscopy, the more nervous I am getting.  So as not to scare folks who might be facing the same procedure, I won’t go into details about my past experiences with that.  The doctor is trying to arrange for me to be admitted to the hospital for the “cleansing” part, too. 

The stray cats here at the apartments are disappearing.  One was found dead behind the apartments. It seems that someone is poisoning them, how cruel! They needed to be gone, so as not to spread diseases, but not like that.

I miss my cat who is staying in Conroe until after the 11th so that he is safe and cared for while I am getting all this done. He is an indoor cat, like all cats should be. They get FIV and FeLV from the diseased cats outside, or get run over, or kill birds. He has now been vetted (vaccinated, checked for FIV/FeLV and neutered) and I can’t wait for him to come home.  When one is anxious about something it is nice to curl up with your pet, they seem to understand how you feel.  A lot more than people do!

My oldest great grandson graduated.  First, they had a virtual graduation and then yesterday, a ‘real’ one where each student could have 6 people attend.  As his mother was killed by a drunk driver when he was a toddler, my daughter stood in for her, and I know it must have been very moving for her. For some stupid computer glitch reason, I can’t post any of my own pictures in here, only ones in articles.

Finally, a storage unit with a regular, and not garage-type, door became vacant, really close to my small one.  I keep my own excess stuff in the small one, like the extra seats out of my van, some of my dog grooming tools, extra cages, bags of gardening soil and stuff that I don’t need to keep in the apartment.  My large storage unit has a very heavy garage door and it isn’t adjusted right, so I can’t even open it.  I keep stuff for sale in there but with this corona thing I haven’t had to open it recently.  The flea markets are closed down for now and people aren’t going around buying used things.  My helper and I just haven’t had time to move anything yet, but we have until the end of the month, God willing.

Well, we “Zoomed” for the Bible study at church today, even though the church was back to normal for the first time.  Not many people showed up, I guess it got too easy to do it at home. The pastor had been held up in traffic, so others in the congregation went to distribute some things among the neighbors and have the sermon afterwards. My church friend and I left, because she can’t sit very long, and so I watched sermons online.

Sabbath things aren’t quite back to normal, because we didn’t have a potluck today.