Three Ways Pride May Be Infecting Us All. Compliments. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Three Ways Pride May Be Infecting Us All

“The Bible specifically warns us to avoid pride and arrogance. How do we recognize and purge this dangerous and infectious sin from our lives?

“The late New Testament scholar John Stott said, “At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend.”

He also said, “Pride is more than the first of the seven deadly sins; it is itself the essence of all sin.”

God reveals that He considers a proud look and a proud heart to be an abomination (Proverbs 6:16-17; 16:5). God also inspired Solomon to write, “Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13).

So, why does God hate pride so much?

The Bible defines pride as arrogance, haughtiness and conceit. Pride emphasizes the self over others, and it rejects God’s greatness.

Pride occurs when sinful human beings subconsciously aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him. Pride contends for supremacy with Him.

Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification. That’s the motive and ultimate purpose of pride—to rob God of legitimate glory and to pursue self-glorification, contending for supremacy with Him. The proud person considers himself better than other people, and even seeks to glorify himself instead of God, thereby attempting in effect to deprive God of something only He is worthy to receive.

A proud person has a distorted view of himself, not accepting Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:26, 29: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. … that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

Putting ourselves in the place of God is truly prideful, but pride also includes deciding that we know better than everyone else when we should be esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Even comparing ourselves too favorably over others would be prideful and certainly is not wise to do (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Ungodly and hateful pride is a growing reality in the modern world. Instead of emphasizing personal responsibility and gratitude, this world emphasizes self-worth and self-centeredness. From the time when Lucifer developed pride because of his beauty (Ezekiel 28:17) to today, when modern political candidates and celebrities flaunt their greatness, the entire span of history shows us how infectious and dangerous pride can be.

Pride can also affect us in subtle ways. It is always lurking in the background of our lives, and we might not even be aware of it.It’s no wonder God listed pride as something He hates and inspired multiple scriptures to be written showing why all humanity should overcome it. We are even told, “God resists the proud” (James 4:6). This alone should be a warning that pride has to go.

But pride can also affect us in subtle ways. It is always lurking in the background of our lives, and we might not even be aware of it.

Three ways pride may be infecting us

1. Social media.

Facebook and other social media can be amazing tools for staying connected with friends and family. However, social media can also be a breeding ground for personal pride. Here is one way pride can reveal its ugly face on social media outlets:

Constantly checking to see how many people liked or commented on something we posted, or how many “hits” we receive, and feeling upset if “not enough” people responded.

Challenge: Review past posts and comments and see how much attention we tried to pull toward ourselves. Also, we could go through our personal photo albums and see if we have an excessive number of “selfies” posted.

2. Conversations with friends.

There’s nothing like getting together with friends and having great conversations. But what happens when pride creeps into our conversations? It is easy to spot in others, but much harder to see in ourselves. Notice these examples:

One-uppers: Trying to beat the stories or experiences other people are relating (“My day was worse” or “I had a bigger problem”). This is an attempt to bring the focus back on us, no matter what other people are saying.

Conversation dominators: When one person dominates a conversation to the extent that the other person cannot get a word in edgewise. Conversation should be give-and-take, not just give.

Know-it-alls: Never admitting wrong and always pointing out wrong in others. Unfortunately, too often this goes beyond just conversation and turns into a full lifestyle of pride. It is very important to have the ability to admit when we are wrong.

Challenge: Ask a friend or family member—someone close enough to us to be honest despite hurting our feelings—to answer this question gently but truthfully: “Do you sometimes think I’m being arrogant or boastful in what I say?” If we are not comfortable doing this, we can still try to evaluate our own conversations.

3. Our spirituality.

Jesus Christ warned against pride in our own spirituality (Matthew 6:1, 5). Though Christ wants us to practice righteous living, He doesn’t want us to live righteously just to attract attention to ourselves or appear righteous to others. Constantly calling attention to our personal righteousness is an easy way to fall into pride (the epitome of unrighteousness).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus constantly corrected the Pharisees for practicing religion just to be seen by others.

The most famous example is in Luke 18:9-11: “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.”’” (For more details, read our article “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector.”)

Challenge: As we post things online or speak to others, we need to keep this instruction in mind: “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).

A hard road

Pride is not an easy sin to overcome, mainly because it is so easy to see in others, yet so painfully difficult to see in ourselves. Benjamin Franklin once stated: “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.”

Seeing the danger that pride brings—destruction (Proverbs 16:18)—should make us that much more eager to fight against this sin at every turn.

One of the best ways to deal with pride is to replace it with an attitude God constantly emphasizes in the Scriptures—humility. “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).

Another antidote to pride is to remember to give thanks to God (Colossians 3:15-17). Being thankful to Him helps us to realize that everything we have—including our lives and our blessings—comes from God, and He deserves all the credit and glory.

So, let’s crush insidious pride in all of its forms and replace it with humility and thanksgiving!”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/sin/three-ways-pride-may-be-infecting-us-all/  No more “It’s All About Me!”

________

Compliments

“What is the difference between compliments and flattery?

Courtney Prather/Unsplash

“An honest friend will love and respect you without the flattery.

One of the definitions of a compliment is “delicate flattery.” We appreciate compliments that are given in sincerity and with no hidden motives, but they often make us feel uncomfortable because we are not certain they are genuine. Human interaction can sometimes be complicated.

There are times when we want to tell the truth to a friend, or what we perceive to be the truth. That can be costly because we can lose a friend. Still, the wounds of a friend are a true showing of love. Choosing our words and comments carefully is important. A faithful friend may compliment you in truth, but he will also risk your friendship by being honest with you. An enemy who really does not care will not hesitate to flatter or be deceitful (Proverbs27:5-6). “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”

Flattery is a form of false love that does not actually show care about the person to whom it is directed. The motive for flattery is usually an attempt to gain something. It may bring ruin to someone else, but that is not the concern of the flatterer. We are often prone to flattery because we want to feel loved and respected. An honest friend will love and respect you without the flattery.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/compliments

________

Update.

Zack. my neighbor came and worked a couple of days so we got some more stuff done.  If I am here by myself, I spend most of my time on the computer, listing stuff for sale, or learning as much about the Bible and functional nutrition as I can.

The dining booth that I have for the mini-house had a couple of deep scratches on the table, so it was sanded down, stained, but not finished yet.  We fixed the upholstery hose on the carpet shampooer and cleaned the loveseat and ottoman again that had just come out of storage because it smelled musty.  Then sprayed it to make it smell better.  I have them, and the matching sofa and rug listed for sale as I won’t be able to use that whole set in the mini-house.  I just need a loveseat that is a hide-a-bed.

The rain was coming and my French drain hadn’t been dug deep enough, so a guy came and did that, just in time, because it poured and poured for a couple of days.  We also replaced and re-anchored the tie-downs on the motorhome’s canvas carport. The last few years of sunshine had rotted the ropes.

This week was another trip into Conroe to the eye clinic getting ready for my next cataract surgery on Thursday.  My daughter, Wendy won’t be coming to take me this time as she has a new pup and can’t leave him crated for very long.  Jay went with me into Conroe so that he could go thrift shopping and we both bought a few clothes.

Tried to do some laundry but the old Kenmore washer didn’t spin out enough water.  Either it won’t kick into high speed spin, or the pump is shot, so I’ll have to put my original Roper washer back in place when I have some help.  I really like the Kenmore that was in the mini-house better, so I will take it in to be fixed.

I cooked brown rice in ‘the rinsing and pasta style’ of cooking, to get the arsenic out, and added some seasonings, organic chicken and veggies for the church potluck, and it was all eaten up.  There were also tacos with all the fixin’s, roasted chicken, lots of veggies, salads, (potato and coleslaw) pies and cookies.

The Bible readings were Gen. 35:12-36:43,  Isa. 43:1-7, and Mat. 11:25-30 and the Teaching ws about ‘The Faithfulness of Yahweh (God)’. 

There had been so much rain at the church that we couldn’t walk on the soggy ground between the sanctuary and the dining hall and had to go a long way around.  But at least only our feet got wet as the rain had stopped for the day.

Well, a family just came and bought the sofa, loveseat, ottoman and rug, so I can pay people to help me for a few more days.

Veteran’s Day. This Is the Way... "I Will Fight No More Forever". Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

“Happy Veterans Day.  We honor our servicemen and women for their sacrifices with prayers for veterans.

Veterans Day first began as a celebration to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. It was known as Armistice Day during its original year of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. However, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to include all veterans, from both World War II and the Korean War, which both ended in 1945 and 1953, respectively. According to History.com, “In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.”

Veterans Day is a day to honor veterans but is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which is in May. Veterans Day celebrates those who served in the military, while Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the military.

According to Infoplease, 18.8 million are veterans as of 2015. Of that number, 1.6 million are female, 11.6% are black, and 6.8 million of them served in Vietnam. 3.9 million of veterans have service-related disabilities.

This Veterans Day, be sure to thank a veteran for their service.”

________

A Closer Look at Veteran’s Day

“Yet, here I sit - in the wealthiest nation on the earth - free to attend the church of my choice, to own as many Bibles as I can afford, to choose my own husband (or choose not to marry), to vote for the leaders of my government and even write a letter to the editor of the newspaper when I disagree with the decisions they make.

And why can I enjoy these freedoms? Because the men and women in our armed forces understand that freedom has a cost. And since the birth of our nation, brave men and women have stepped forward, weighed the cost and chosen to lay down their lives in service to their fellow countrymen.

Thank you just isn't enough. We need to pass these truths on to future generations - and Veterans Day is a great place to start.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13” From: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/a-closer-look-at-veterans-day-1295997.html

________

This Is the Way... "I Will Fight No More Forever"

“The cool days of November are upon us. Since I was a lad, this time of the year always causes me to think of the echoing pronouncement, “It was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month that the guns went silent.” In the Commonwealth nations, this is often rendered Armistice or Remembrance Day. In America, it is commonly called Veterans Day.

This is the day the guns went silent on the Western Front of what was then known as the “Great War.” Amazingly, it has been over 100 years since our grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought on the plains of Europe. It wasn’t supposed to be a great war. It simply wasn’t supposed to last long. But the complicated quilt of alliances that reacted to the assassination of the archduke of Austria at Sarajevo would have it no other way.

Surely, the wise men could have stopped it. Or certainly the cousins who occupied the thrones of England, Germany and Russia could have handled this in a backroom family way. But, well, the rest is history. Perhaps the various politicians and nations had to get the tensions that had been building for decades out of their system. And, as is so often the way with war, the troops were still fighting in the accustomed manner of the last century’s conflicts and were not prepared for the latest technological advances.

Charging horses were no match for newly devised automatic weaponry, and the big guns of war would do their job. The dead deserved a reason for dying.  As the “Great War” unfolded, many sought a great vision and hope around which humanity might rally. Certainly the dead deserved a reason for dying. Thus, this global eruption would be framed as “The War to End All Wars.” Certainly a better world would emerge!  It simply had to be. “  Continued at: https://www.ucg.org/world-news-and-prophecy/this-is-the-way-i-will-fight-no-more-forever-0

________

Update.

Not an awful lot went on this week, though some things changed.  The small fridge that was in the guest house (now mini-house) wasn’t working right.  So Jay and I loaded it up in my van with all his deceased mother’s clothes.  Then we found out that the appliance repair man now charges $30 to diagnose, and then that comes off your bill if you get it fixed.  I didn’t have any plans to use it when I move into the mini-house, so I was going to sell it.  I had bought that fridge new, many years ago, but even when working it wasn’t worth much, so I took it across the scales, and just sold it for scrap.  The consignment shop didn’t want Jay’s mother’s clothes, so we took them to the Women’s Center in Conroe. What they can’t use, they sell in their thrift shop.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, I was given a nice big, two door, working fridge.  They wanted it out of their storage unit to make room.  I knew it cooled properly, because I put thermometers in the fridge and freezer before it was loaded in my van.  But it couldn’t be put it in the mini-house yet, because it will take two strong folks to get it up the steps, even though I have an appliance handtruck.  So, until the floor covering is in, it is in the carpert wrapped up in a black tarp trying to look inconspicuous, as it is against the restrictions.

I also bought another flat screen TV pretty cheap because they didn’t have the remote.  Here, we have to have a cable box which comes with a remote, so it doesn’t make that much difference to me.  I tried it out on my computer, but it is just like my laptop, the screen isn’t high like on my monitor and I was scrolling all the time to see everything.  I didn’t like that, so I decided I will keep my desktop after all, if all laptops do that too.

For the church potluck, I made two potato dishes, one with grated potatoes made into fritters, and the other was roasted potatoes.  Then I took some cooked angus beef and veggies out of the freezer as I just didn’t have time to cook anything else.  I have really been trying to keep my nose to the computer grindstone, getting stuff listed for sale, but things aren’t selling very well right now.

The Bible readings were Gen. 6:9-11:32, Isa. 54:1-55:15, Mat. 24:36-46, and 1 Pet. 3: 18-22.  The teaching was about the “Search For God” and “to seek His Kingdom first and all these things will be added”. Mat. 6:33.

The weather has changed considerably.  One day I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and the next it was a pullover, sweats and jacket day.

Unleavened Bread. How Much Sin? DNA Born Again! Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Unleavened Bread

“Should a Christian observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Is that something that we should be doing today?

https://youtu.be/yFERqhonAmc

Transcript

[Steve Myers] “There is an interesting feast that falls right after the Christian Passover that’s called Unleavened Bread. You can read about that particular feast time in Leviticus 23. There is an outline of God’s festivals in Leviticus 23.

Now the question comes up. All right, we’re in the book of Leviticus, that’s Old Testament. And didn’t the sacrifice of Christ do away with all of those festivals that are mentioned in Leviticus 23? Well there is evidence in the New Testament that says without a doubt, no. Not at all. Should a Christian observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread? Is that something that we should be doing today?

Well, the Apostle Paul spoke to that very question in the book of 1 Corinthians. So at 1 Corinthians 5. He gives very direct instructions to the church in Corinth and he says this. He says, “You’re glorying is not good.” This is in verse 6. “Your glorying is not good. Don’t you know a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” So he begins to talk about leavening, and leavening goes in the dough and makes it rise. Then he says, “Purge out the old leaven since you are truly unleavened.” Then in verse 8, he goes on and says, “ Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

So Paul says a couple of interesting things here. First of all, there is an object lesson. By removing physical breads and leavening out of our home, getting rid of yeast, the things that make bread rise, there is a lesson to be learned from that. And so he uses that object lesson to say there is a spiritual thing that’s involved here. The spiritual lesson is get rid of wickedness, get rid of sin, get rid of malice and now put on the new man in Christ. Be sincere. The man of sincerity and truth.

So through this physical observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread and getting rid of that leavening out of our homes, we are recognizing that we should be a new creation in Christ. And so what does he say? He says, “Let us keep the feast.” Because of these things, because we understand the spiritual significance, we keep the feast. Some translations say, “Observe the feast.” Some say, “Celebrate the feast.” Some even say, “Continue the feast.” Not in a Jewish sense but in a Christian sense.

So should a Christian observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread? The answer the Apostle Paul gives for the New Testament church for us today, yes. Absolutely. And 1 Corinthians 5 bears that out.  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/unleavened-bread 

________

How much sin do you accept in your life?

YouTube: https://youtu.be/7RN298JMQ7k

Transcript

[Steve Myers] “How much sin do you accept in your life? The Apostle Paul, in a sense, posed that same question to the church in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 5 and in verse 6 he says this to them. He says, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” So the Apostle Paul is comparing leavening to sin, because when you put that leavening in the dough it causes that dough to rise and it, in a sense, infects that whole loaf.

So Paul says even the littlest amount spreads and grows. And in fact the church of Corinth had become so tolerant and so merciful that they accepted sin both in the congregation and in their own personal lives, and so God says no, we can’t do that.

The Apostle Paul was inspired to write, “Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump.” And then he connects that to Jesus Christ. He says, “You’re truly unleavened, for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)

So Paul’s saying look at yourself. How much sin is acceptable in your life? Paul says do everything you can to rely on Jesus Christ. Have him live his life in you and through you so that we choose to be truly unleavened.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/how-much-sin

________

Born Again! 

An Amazing Fact: “Tucked inside the microscopic nucleus of every cell in our bodies is a six-foot long strand of protein molecules, called DNA. The information contained within makes it possible for each parent to contribute one-and-a-half billion bits of genetic information to each of their offspring!

The DNA itself resembles a long, narrow, spiral ladder of pliable material. Before a cell is able to divide, the DNA must be “duplicated” so that each cell will have an original copy of the genetic code. As replication begins, an enzyme unwinds the spiral DNA ladder. Next, a protein molecule holds the two strands apart while another enzyme rapidly “transcribes” genetic code to RNA molecules. The code is then “proofread” and instantly corrected if an error is found. All of this happens in a matter of seconds! Finally, the RNA molecules exit the nucleus to begin communicating the genetic code to new cells.  

As the RNA molecule takes critical information from the DNA and communicates it to the body, so Christ took the message of His Father’s love from the “nucleus” of heaven and communicated it to our planet. “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me” (John 17:8).
And now it is Christ’s desire that we do the work of the RNA! “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).  

While we cannot help what genetic heritage we have been given from our parents, we can accept God’s offer to be our Father and choose to be “born again.” Let us bring joy to the Father’s heart today, replicating the peace of heaven, by letting Christ transcribe the genetic code of heaven into our hearts!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. John 17:25 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26”

________

Update,

So why am I writing about the Passover when most people have already celebrated it?  Well, the church that I attend, and quite a few other churches around the world, believe that it has to be celebrated after a certain new moon, and that it won’t be Passover until Sunday, April 29th this year.  Then there will be the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 days after that.

Zack and I have already pulled out my fridge and cleaned any crumbs out that might have been under it, getting ready to have all the leavening out of the house.

On Monday, it was Jay’s mom, Claudia’s funeral.  There were a few of her family there, even though they live in Houston.  All three of her grandsons said a few words and both her daughters.  Jay was there, her only surviving son, but he isn’t very good at public speaking, so he stayed seated.  Leon, her neighbor, and I, were her only friends there. They placed her urn in a box and put it in the ground under a great big oak tree. It was a graveside service, the wind was really blowing, then sometimes it would rain on the big canopy over us.  Most of us were cold because we didn’t know it was going to be an outside service, and hadn’t dressed accordingly. 

The two lots with the ramshackle cabin on it that I worked on cleaning up last year have been sold to a man who has torn it all down, so that undesirables can’t stay there any more.   He had to go past there several times a day to get to his lovely waterfront home and wanted to get it cleared off and leveled. That is a big eyesore eliminated.  I had asked for any of the wooden T1-11 siding, as I have a use for it, and they brought it here on a truck.  Zack and I cleaned up that lumber, pulled all the nails and screws, and stacked it in the greenhouse until we are ready to use it.

It took two mornings just to get all the dust from the road work cleaned up on my front screen porch, my “catio”, which is at the other side of the house from the road resurfacing. Another morning we spent cleaning the front door porch.   The dust and dirt travelled that far.

My new foster-cat is a little gray honey called “Gracie”.  She is one of the survivors when her home caught fire and was saved with just smoke inhalation. She played hide-and-seek with me for the first three days. After a couple of hours she would utter a little meow and I would go find her.  When she found out that I knew all the hiding places, she gave up and now sleeps on my bed.  She is so gentle, and the wounds on my hands and legs from the other cat have all healed.  I am now bandaid free for the first time since January.

For the church potluck I cooked some course ground bison, added chili beans, onions, green peppers. seasonings and called it Bison Chili.  They loved it. I just took the one dish this time and it seemed so much easier to load and unload the van. We also had lasagne, a beef and veggie dish, and lots of veggies and salads.  There was a very sticky, gooey, chocolate pie thing with copious amounts of white coolwhip stuff on the top, and they ate two of them.  How can anyone eat such sweet stuff ?

The Bible readings were Lev. 9:1-11:47, that is about the clean and unclean foods, then Sam. 6:1-7:17, and Heb. 7:1-19 and 8:1-6.  The Teaching was about the Resurrection.  We have been having some colder weather, and the church was cold as they never have enough heat in there for me, and it was a very cold day.

Hanukkah. Why Some Christians Don’t Celebrate Christmas. Update.

 

For “Scripture Sunday:

Jewish festival of Hanukkah

YouTube: https://youtu.be/k5waizmUdbI

“Traditional festivals of light miss the truth about the true “Light of the world”, both of them really miss the key scriptural teaching about light which is that of Jesus Christ.

Transcript:

[Darris McNeely] “The weeklong Jewish festival of Hanukkah has started. This is a very interesting festival - every year usually in December among the Jewish people. Hanukkah goes back - the story of Hanukkah goes back - to the 2nd century,  the Jewish story, when the people in Judea threw off the Seleucid yoke and had the opportunity to go back into the temple and there they we were going to reinstate all of their traditions and all of their ceremonies. They only found enough oil for one day of lighting the lamps in the temple but a miracle was supposedly performed and there was enough oil for eight days.  And, so the tradition and the celebration began around this has come down to the people today of Hanukkah being a season of lights. You have this menorah - which is an eight candled, eight branched menorah - used specifically for the Hanukkah season that relates to that whole festival of lights - which is an interesting period of time because we are also into the Christmas season.

[Steve Myers] Right, a lot of people feel that Hanukkah is the Jewish version of Christmas and they’re really not connected in any way. Except there is an interesting connection and it has to do with the lights themselves. At Christmas time so many people put up lights all around their house. They set up their Christmas tree. They put lights on the Christmas tree as well. And of course, at Hanukkah we got the candles that are on the menorah and they light those candles each day. In fact, some people have an advent candle that they light - for maybe many days before Christmas leading up to it. And so there is this connection of light but is it the kind of light that we should have?

[Darris McNeely]  And here in the darkest season of the year - in December. You have the Christmas celebration which is based upon an ancient period of the Saturnalia festivals in Rome. You have the Jewish tradition of Hanukkah and its lights. But both of them really miss the key scriptural teaching about light which is that of Jesus Christ. In John chapter 3 and in verse 19 it says, “…the Light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Jesus Christ is the true light of the world. And, still today people are not able to come to understand exactly what that light and the truth of Christ’s teaching does mean. We love evil too much and we wrap the teaching about Jesus Christ around ideas, traditions and fables. Neither one of which really teach about Jesus.

[Steve Myers] That’s right. Christ is left out. Commonly we hear that phrase “put Christ back in Christmas” - well He was never there. So, Christ is left out of Christmas and He is left out of Hanukkah as well. And so the challenge is much like Ephesians 5:8 says. It says, “…you are the light in the Lord, walk as children in light.” And so we have that challenge to walk in spirit and truth, and worship God in a way that pleases Him - one of light, that shines the evidence of Christ in our lives so clearly.

[Darris McNeely] So, with all these human traditions around us at this time of year - Christmas, Hanukkah and whatever the custom might be. Again we challenge you to really understand who is the true light - Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. And find and worship Him in spirit and in truth.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/hanukkah-christmas-and-light

_________

Why Some Christians Don’t Celebrate Christmas

Many feel that Christmas marks Christ’s birthday and that it honors Him. After all, can 2 billion professing Christians be wrong? At the same time, some few Christians don’t observe Christmas, believing that Jesus didn’t sanction it and that it dishonors Him. Who is right—and why?

Paola Chaaya/Unsplash

What do the major symbols of Christmas— Santa Claus, decorated trees, mistletoe—have to do with the birth of the Savior of mankind?

One day, years ago, someone asked me why I celebrated Christmas. “The Bible says to,” I responded. “Somewhere in the Gospel of Luke, it speaks of the nativity scene. An angel told some shepherds that were keeping their sheep in the fields at night that the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I think they went to see Jesus at that time.

“That was the first Christmas! And that’s why I celebrate Christmas, because the Bible supports Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ.”

“That’s not true, and here’s why,” my friend replied.

I soon learned that the Bible didn’t teach Christmas. I also found that its origins have nothing to do with the Bible. It was an important lesson about things I’d long assumed to be true.

Just because some 2 billion people observe Christmas—roughly 1 billion Catholics and another billion in Protestant faiths—does that make it right? Does it really matter one way or the other?

Why do so many people celebrate this holiday?

If you were asked, “Why do you celebrate Christmas?” how would you respond? Many would say Christmas honors the birthday of Jesus. Others feel that Christmas is a good Christian family get-together. Many do it simply because they’ve always done it.

Christmas can appear tantalizing to the eye and ear. People appear happy, generous, full of good cheer. Twinkling lights decorate many houses. Santa Claus and his reindeer are pictured as poised to lift off from snow-covered front yards or rooftops, although in the southern hemisphere and tropics there is no December snow. The colorful, peaceful-appearing Christmas scene can be intoxicating and addicting.

Shoppers pack stores, browsing for gifts they hope to buy at bargain-basement prices. Soaring strains of “White Christmas,” “Silent Night” or “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” resonate everywhere.

The December weather of the northern hemisphere might be frightful outside, but the feeling and warmth inside is delightful. Christmas trees with twinkling lights and bright, sparkling ornaments create a mystical and glowing environment. Entire families want to experience the special mystery that only comes with the Christmas season. There is no religious holiday quite like it for the vast numbers everywhere who celebrate it.

Was Jesus really born on Dec. 25?

But stop and ask yourself: Was Christ really born on Christ-mas Day? After all, the Bible nowhere tells us the day of His birth.

In fact, most credible secular historical writings tell us that Christmas, more than 200 years after Jesus’ death, was considered sinful: “As late as A.D. 245[the early Catholic theologian] Origen … repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ” ( The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition,1910, Vol. 6, p. 293, “Christmas”).

In A.D. 354, a Latin chronographer mentioned Christmas, but even then he did not write about it as an observed festival (ibid.).

There is no biblical evidence that Dec. 25 was Jesus’ birth date. In fact, the Bible record strongly shows that Jesus must not have been born then.

Continued at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/why-some-christians-dont-celebrate-christmas

________

Keeping Family When You Don't Keep Christmas

What do you do when your relationship with God seems to collide with your relationship with your family?

kaboompics.com

Let’s be honest—saying no to Christmas feels like saying no to family, right? All of the intellectual knowledge about the true origins of Christmas doesn’t keep your heart from breaking when someone asks, “Don’t you want to be with your family?”

What do you do when your relationship with God seems to collide with your relationship with your family? Tell your family you’re giving up Christmas, and you’ll find out rather quickly.

Four years ago this Thanksgiving, I decided to stop keeping Christmas. I’d bought airline tickets months before to go home for the holidays, so I went. As best as I could, I tried not to acknowledge Christmas while still honoring everyone around me who was celebrating it. No one knew how to act, including me. It was awkward for all of us. When I was told that I didn’t have to come home for Christmas the following year, it was both a relief and a punch in the gut.

Why does it sometimes feel wrong to say no to Christmas, even though you know you should? For many people, Christmas traditions are wrapped up in family. It’s often the family’s largest and most-anticipated gathering. Let’s be honest—saying no to Christmas feels like saying no to family, right? All of the intellectual knowledge about the true origins of Christmas doesn’t keep your heart from breaking when someone asks, “Don’t you want to be with your family?”

Learn more about the Feast days, and you’ll see how very much family is on God’s mind.

I couldn’t put it into words at the time, but the root of my struggle was, “How do I maintain relationship with my family and be true to my beliefs?” It is possible, and it doesn’t involve Christmas.

There are two points to consider. One, family relationships are about more than just a single day. And two, God has a bigger plan for family than you may realize.

How do you build a relationship with your family outside of trees, tinsel, and presents? Some people join their extended family for lunch or dinner and leave before gifts and other Christmas traditions, and that works well for them. I live many hours away from my family, so dropping in for dinner is not really practical. Since long-distance visits are usually for a few days at a time, I don’t spend Christmas with my family. It’s more respectful to them, so that they can observe the practices they enjoy without awkwardness, and I’m not caught in the middle of practices that I don’t want to keep. Instead, I spend that time with my Church family, because, frankly, it can be very lonely to un-keep Christmas all by yourself.

Throughout the year, I make a point to spend time with my family at other opportunities that are meaningful to all of us: Thanksgiving, birthdays, a summer family gathering, and other special events such as graduations and weddings. I make an effort to see them more often than before so they don’t feel I’m pulling away from them. It’s Christmas I’ve rejected, not them. You can keep the commandment to honor your parents and not keep their desire for Christmas.

You should be able to answer why you are choosing not to keep Christmas. My answer is, “God has spelled out His holidays in the Bible and how to keep them, so now I keep those instead.”

God’s holidays, His holy festivals as described in Leviticus 23, illustrate the greatest story ever told—a story that features Jesus in the starring role. But His birth is only a small part of that story. Christmas misses most of the action and the dramatic conclusion. God has created special opportunities for you and your family to celebrate together throughout the year and remember the incredible story He is telling.

Learn more about the Feast days, and you’ll see how very much family is on God’s mind. God is all about family, and His days reveal more about the plan of salvation for all mankind than Christmas traditions ever could. Man’s holidays are a poor substitute for what God has in mind for you and your family: to be part of His family, together.

The first year is the hardest, but you’ll find a groove that works. You are not alone. While your journey is uniquely yours, there are many people who walk with you, all sorting out how to keep family without keeping Christmas.”     From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/keeping-family-when-you-dont-keep-christmas?source=textbox

________

Do you want to start observing God’s Feast days? Start by learning how Christians observe the biblical festivals?      Read “A Guide to God’s Holy Days”.

________

Update:

Not much has been done this week. Somehow, I have managed to put my back out.  I am pretty sure that this is what is making my knee hurt, too.  I went through that in 1968, and found out my painful knee was caused by my back. That’s about the only time that I see anyone in the medical field, when I get my back manipulated. 

First I had to get a referral.  On Monday I called, but my doctor didn’t have any appointments until Friday, but said to call at 8.15 am each morning and they would see what they could do.

Nothing was available on Tuesday, but they could see me on Wednesday, the day I was to take Zack my neighbor to his doctor, so I couldn’t go.  But Zack didn’t show up, even though I called out and banged on his house for ages, but no Zack.  So I could have gone to the doctor’s office.

The following morning, Thursday, Zack shows up, wanting to work, said he had overslept the day before.  Sorry, guy, my back is still hurting, so you are not going to work until it is fixed.

Later that same day, Jay wanted to work, so he came to help me move some things, he washed the van so it would look good for church, and fixed a broken ladder.  Jay works less hours, so I don’t have to pay him as much as Zack. 

Friday, Jay went to the doctor with me just to get out of the subdivision, and he always hopes that we will stop at a thrift shop.  My PCP who is a DO, (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)(https://www.mommd.com/whatisdo.shtml ) saw me and looked at my back.  The referral for me to see the chiropractor that I had seen before, had just been approved, but she wanted me to see a different chiropractor this time.  I called and they said “Come In’”, but when I got there I found that they didn’t take my insurance.  By this time it was Friday afternoon, and you know all doctors are gone by then, so I still haven’t seen a doctor and my back and knee still hurt.

During the week, in spare moments, I had been cooking the different stages of a Shepherd’s Pie.  The Angus ground beef was cooked, strained, cooled and any fat scooped off the gravy.  The organic white potatoes were cooked, mashed with butter, cream cheese and scalded milk. (I just scald the milk in the pot with the potaoes before mashing). Some organic carrots, onions and celery had been cooked in bone broth.  So it just had to be layered on Friday afternoon, when Jay and I were cooking for the church potluck.  I took some of the gravy separately in a tiny crockpot.  They liked my red quinoa banana pudding made with the left-over eggnog, and I sliced up 10 yellow squash and made Ricotta Squash.  

Jay wanted to make a custard pudding from his mother’s recipe, but wanted to make it here.  Being AHDD everything about Jimmy has to be a big palava, disruptive and he doesn’t think ahead.  He was busy talking on the phone to his mother which he could have done later instead of tending to his cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen.  He messed up a bunch of dishes, pots, pans and utensils, but the Sabbath started at dusk and I was worn out before we could get it cleaned up.  He decided he wanted to spend the night on my couch as he doesn’t like to be alone in his mother’s house.  He can’t stand to be alone at any time, and that is why he associates with people who he shouldn’t.

I slept very well, but when I got up and turned on the coffee, Jay said he hadn’t slept at all.  Then I found out that after he had refused my decaf tea he had drank a lot of strong Earl Grey tea, and eaten a bunch of sugary things that evening.  Common sense tells you that you can’t treat your body like that, and expect it not to revolt. The basics of living are things we learned in school in England.

Anyway, we both went to church, and Jay said that he might fall asleep, but he would go in to another room at church so as not to disrespect the pastor.  I had to be there early as the pastor’s wife’s sister had just died and she had cried so much that it upset her immune system, and she didn’t want to go to church as she had all the symptoms of a cold.

The Bible readings were Gen. 37:1-40:23, Amos 2:6-3:8, and Mat. 1:1-6 and 16-25.  The Teaching was about Hannukah, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah)  but I could only listen to it with one ear as I was busy in the kitchen, and the one who was helping me wouldn’t stop talking.   Maybe I’ll do better when my back is fixed, as I sound an old grouch today!

Pearl Harbor. President Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital. Jerusalem In Prophecy. Temple Mount. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

I hope you didn’t forget the “Day of Infamy”, Dec. 7th. 1941.

While this defining moment in US history is commemorated in many cities all across the country, it occurred so long ago that few youngsters know how the events unfolded on that fateful day.

7th December Pearl Harbor 1941.

December 7th Is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

________

President Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

by Erik Jones - December 6, 2017

“President Trump has announced that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and will move the U.S. embassy there. Now the world holds its breath.

Palestinians play cards during President Trump's televised speech in the West Bank City of Nablus, Dec. 6, 2017. 

“On Dec. 6, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will now recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. Along with that announcement, he made it known that he would direct the U.S. State Department to fulfill one of his campaign promises—to begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

President Trump is actually responding to an act passed by Congress in 1995, which recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and required the president to move the embassy. Since then, every U.S. president has temporarily deferred fulfilling that requirement because of the perceived risk it would pose to peace efforts between the Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinian ambassador to the U.K. has said that this decision would be “a kiss of death to the two-state solution.”

The danger of this decision

President Trump had been warned by multiple world leaders of the danger this move poses. It has been condemned by almost every world leader who has commented on it. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned of “dangerous consequences.” The Palestinian position is that East Jerusalem would be the capital of any Palestinian state.

Scholar Aaron David Miller summarized the concerns about President Trump’s decision this way: “The problem is that Israel has declared the entire city to be its eternal and undivided capital, including the eastern part of the city where many Palestinians reside and where the Palestinian Authority hopes to establish a capital once a Palestinian state is created. If Trump asserts that US policy is that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, it would be tantamount to saying that Washington now recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the entire city. If he simply says that just West Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, he risks alienating the Israeli government by suggesting that the eastern part of the city isn’t included.”

The fear is that this will not only make an unlikely peace agreement even more unlikely, but that this could ignite a new wave of violence.The fear is that this will not only make an unlikely peace agreement even more unlikely, but that this could ignite a new wave of violence. The Palestinian Authority says it will not lead those under its authority to violence against Israel because of the decision, but Hamas (which controls the Gaza Strip) has said the decision will “open the gates of hell.”

Jerusalem is the world’s most dangerous powder keg, and today’s announcement may provoke a new wave of violence—”  Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/president-trump-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/

_______

What does the Bible say about Jerusalem in prophecy?

“With tensions between Christians, Jews and Arabs, what lies ahead for Jerusalem? Will peace come? What does the Bible say about Jerusalem in prophecy?

Jerusalem in prophecy: Conflict ahead

The Scriptures reveal that at the time before Christ’s return to earth, this region of the world and the city of Jerusalem will once again be in turmoil and conflict. The fragile balance of peace that currently exists will be destroyed.

The prophet Daniel was inspired to write that, at the time of the end, the Jews would resume animal sacrifices and that a religious power called “a little horn” would arise (Daniel 7:8, 11, 21-22; 8:9-10). With his influence and control over the civil government—called the “beast” in Revelation 13:1-4—this man will use the army of the beast to stop these daily sacrifices (Daniel 8:12) and set up an “abomination of desolation” on what appears to be the Temple Mount (Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15).

In a long and detailed prophecy, Daniel also prophesied of a conflict that would occur between the “king of the South” and “the king of the North” at “the time of the end” (Daniel 11:40). Jerusalem is going to be caught in the middle of this battle. The prophecy reveals that the “king of the North” is going to “enter the Glorious Land”—a reference to Palestine. This king and his spiritual adviser will take control of the city of Jerusalem.”

Excerpt from: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/middle-east/jerusalem-in-prophecy/

________

Temple Mount: Its History and Future

“The Temple Mount was an important location in the history of Israel and Judah. This same area is prophesied to play a major role in the end times and beyond.

The biblical history of the Temple Mount—a leveled area on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem—began long before the construction of the first temple. About 900 years before the first temple, Abraham was told to go to Mount Moriah (the Mount of the Lord) to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2, 14).

This location was near the village of Salem, which later became Jerusalem (Joshua 18:28; 2 Chronicles 3:1). It was here that Abraham came to give a tithe to Melchizedek and was “blessed by the better” (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-4, 7-8). This particular location seems to have already been chosen by God for His future temple.

Coming forward 400 years to the time of Moses, we see in the Song of Moses a reference to “the mountain of Your inheritance, … which You have made for Your own dwelling” (Exodus 15:17). At the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, God commanded through Moses that Israel should “seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place [habitation in the King James Version]; and there you shall go” (Deuteronomy 12:5).

When God first began working with the Israelites, His place of dwelling was a portable tent, called the “tabernacle” (Exodus 25:9; 26:1). It was the location for worship on God’s annual holy days, where God “put His name” (Deuteronomy 12:5).

Over the years, this tabernacle moved to various locations, including Kadesh, Gilgal, Shiloh, Nob and Gibeon. After approximately 400 years of the tabernacle being moved from time to time, a permanent temple of stone was built for God in the city of Jerusalem—the site being chosen by God Himself (Psalm 132:13; 1 Kings 11:13; 14:21; 2 Chronicles 33:7).

Acquiring the future Temple Mount

When David became king over all of the tribes of Israel, one of his first tasks was to capture and secure the stronghold of Zion from the Jebusites and rename it the City of David (2 Samuel 5:7-9). By capturing the stronghold of Zion, David gained control over the very strategic areas of the city and the citadel. Jerusalem then became the center of Israel and Israel’s capital. This made it possible for David to later negotiate the purchase of the area that would become the Temple Mount.” 

Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/middle-east/temple-mount/

________

Update:

“Palestinian protesters opposite Israeli heavy machinery on Sunday after a tunnel across the Israel-Gaza border was discovered.” CreditMahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

From: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/10/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-gaza-tunnel.html

______

Hans is back from his trip to The Holy Land. He showed me lovely pictures fron Israel, Jerusalem, Petra, and Jordan.  He brought me a beautiful grey and red, soft, polyester scarf with a hanging tag saying “Jerusalem”.   The design on it was a Paisley pattern, which is Scottish, (though it did originate in Persia eons ago), and the tiny tag said “Made in China”.    The Chinese probably distribute these with tags for every tourist city.  It is lovely, but I wish he had been wearing his glasses when it chose it and seen that tiny tag.  He forgets a lot of things, and that I had asked him to bring me a cheap Star of David necklace.

Zack, my neighbor and I moved some stuff out of the mini-house to make more room for working.  I had three microwaves in there for sale, so we put them on some shelves and used the roll-around table that they had been on, for a working table.  We needed it to make the curve on the counter top that goes in the mini-house kitchen.  It will be to the right of the doorway as you go in the kitchen, so a curved edge will eliminate a hip-catching square corner.   We cut a curved piece of plywood, to follow the curve and another to make it the right thickness the same as the 1 x 2” that would be on the edge.  We smoothed it with the belt sander, and filled in any ‘holidays’ with wood putty.  Now it will be ready for the Formica.

Jay acted like he was sober, so he worked on installing the door between the living room and kitchen for two mornings.  But the second morning he was defintely hepped up or hyperactive, and so I ddn’t have him come the next morning.  Hyper people make me so nervous, I had enough hyperactivity with my youngest son.

The following morning Zack and I quietly worked taking out the shims which Jay had installed that made the door jam have a curve, and reset the hinges so they wouldn't be in a bind.  

Jay is like "The little girl who had a curl, right in the middle of her forehead.  When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad she was horrid"   (Longfellow)

When he is thinking straight he can do a lot of good work, but when he has been imbibing or pill-popping…..that’s a different story.  His biggest problem is that he lies to himself… he thinks that he can stop at two beers and that they won’t affect him, but even the next day he is still under the influence.  Alcoholics delude themselves!

I have advertised for someone else, but no one suitable has shown up yet, and I have to get the mini-house done.

We had snow on the ground for a while on Friday!  Here in South TX!  Many photos were posted and ‘oohed’ and ‘wowed’ upon.  I took pictures of it here with my phone, then accidentally deleted them off my Micro SD card.

For the church potluck I made Mexican Cabbage. That was because I had a jar of salsa that was way too spicy for me and I didn’t know what to do with it.  I just dumped it into some cooked cabbage.  Several folks at church like spicy foods, so they loved it. 

For another dish, I had cooked several whole sweet potatoes in a crockpot but there were too many for me, so I mashed them and added some sauteed onions, red and green peppers. 

Jay had left some organic milk here, but there was no way I could use all that up.  So I made Bread Custard Pudding (Cooks.com) with some raisin bread that had got squashed.  I looked for the recipe which called for the most milk (1 qt) and the least eggs, (3) and that was it.  So it was made with local farm eggs which is all that I will use.  No store-bought eggs for me, they are so cruel to those chickens and their eggs have hardly any nutrition.  The farm eggs have deep yellow yolks and taste so much better.  Now that was really enjoyed, and I was asked to make more.  The pastor’s wife gave me some Eggnog which was going to be out of date soon, and asked me to make the Custard with that.  Why not? 

The Bible readings were Gen. 32:4-36:43, (that’s got a lot of begatting in it), Hos. 11:7-12, Ob. 1:1-21, Heb. 11:11-21, and Matt. 26:36-46.  The teaching was about “Everything is Built on Christ”, how He is the Cornerstone.

Jay didn’t go to church with me on the Sabbath, I didn’t expect that he would this week.  His mother, Claudia, is out of the hospital and in re-hab now.  She has GOT to get up and walk, and eat, if she ever wants to get out of there.  He was taken by his neighbor to see her today.

Thanksgiving, Purim and Hanukkah. Blessings of Abraham: How They Came to the United States. More than Turkey and Football! Update.

    

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Thanksgiving, Purim and Hanukkah

“Since so many holidays have pagan origins, some have wondered, is there anything wrong with national holidays like Thanksgiving, Purim and Hanukkah?

Since so many religious holidays have pagan roots, some have wondered if all modern holidays are suspect. What about national holidays such as Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, and the Jewish national holidays of Purim and Hanukkah?

Purim and Hanukkah mentioned in the Bible

Though Purim and Hanukkah are not commanded feasts of the Lord, they are mentioned in the Bible. The book of Esther describes the events that led to the establishment of the festival of Purim, as God saved the Jews from destruction by evil Haman. Hanukkah was also called the Feast of Dedication, mentioned in John 10:22-23. It celebrates the rededication of the temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes.

Days for giving thanks

Both of these holidays were established to give thanks to God, just as the American and Canadian Thanksgiving days are. Though some modern customs of these days may not be pleasing to God, they are not rooted in paganism and do not subvert any of the truths presented in the festivals of God.”       From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/holy-days-vs-holidays/thanksgiving/

________

Blessings of Abraham: How They Came to the United States

How did the United States become such a prominent nation? What made America great? How can we trace her roots?

The United States has been the most materially blessed single nation in history. Though few have recognized it, America’s rise to superpower status started with one man’s faithfulness to God.

Some 4,000 years ago God called a man named Abram (whose name God later changed to Abraham). God told Abram to leave his present country and go where He would lead him. God promised Abram that if he obeyed, He would cause many nations and kings to come from his lineage (Genesis 17:1-6).

Abraham continued to be faithful to God, and when Abraham passed the supreme test of being willing to sacrifice his son, God made an unconditional promise that his descendants would be innumerable and have world dominance (Genesis 22:16-18). The blessings of Abraham were then passed down to his descendants.

Promise of national greatness passed down

This birthright promise was passed down to Abraham’s son Isaac, then to Isaac’s son Jacob, and then to Jacob’s son Joseph.

Joseph had two sons while he was in Egypt, Ephraim and Manasseh. Just before Jacob died, he adopted these two grandchildren and, being guided by God, made them inheritors of his birthright promise (Genesis 48:13-16).

Jacob was also inspired by God to give a prophecy about his two grandchildren. He said that Ephraim would become a multitude of nations and Manasseh would be a great single nation (Genesis 48:19). Jacob foretold that in the last days the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh would spread (Genesis 49:1, 22). They would prevail in wars because God would be with them (verses 23-24). And they would also inherit great natural resources (verses 25-26)—all part of the blessings of Abraham.

Ancient Israel failed to receive the full birthright promise

God wanted to give ancient Israel national greatness. When He made the covenant with the 12 tribes of Israel in the wilderness, He told them they would become great if they obeyed Him.

We know that Israel did not obey God; and eventually 10 of the tribes, including Ephraim and Manasseh, went into captivity to Assyria in 721-718 B.C. From this point forward, they were scattered and seemed to disappear from the historical records.

What became of God’s promises to give the blessings of Abraham to his descendants? Many Christians understand that the promise of salvation through Abraham’s Seed was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). But what of the physical birthright promises? If we believe that God fulfills all His promises, we will look for a company of nations and a powerful single nation who have been blessed by God.

Where did the Israelites go?

Even though Israel was scattered, God said He would keep and preserve them (Amos 9:9). The Bible tells us in several passages, including Isaiah 49:12, that the Israelites migrated toward the northwest and to the “isles afar off” (Jeremiah 31:10). The British Isles are northwest of their previous homeland and the location of their captivity in Assyria.

Is it just a coincidence that the word British resembles two Hebrew words “beriyth-iysh,” which mean “covenant man”? The Bible repeatedly refers to the covenant (agreement) God made with Israel (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 4:13).

God’s people would also be known by Isaac’s name. Americans and Britons are known as Anglo-Saxons. “Saxons” is simply a derivation of “Isaac’s sons.”

The United States and Britain become world powers

Before 1800, both America and Britain were regional powers. But shortly after 1800, both suddenly received many blessings. First Britain then the United States became world-leading superpowers.

In 1803 the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase, which nearly doubled the size of the country. Britain’s empire suddenly spread around the globe, and the sun never set on her company of nations. At their peak, the United States and Britain came into possession of more than two-thirds of the world’s resources and wealth. God fulfilled the biblical promises to provide the blessings of Abraham to his physical descendants.

So what does it all mean?

There are many more biblical and historical clues that the United States and Britain (and the British “multitude of nations” including Australia, Canada and New Zealand) are indeed the descendants of ancient Israel. For more information about the United States’ roots in ancient Israel, read the related articles in “America in Prophecy.” To learn more about the promises to Abraham, read the articles “Promises to Abraham” and “God's Promise to Abraham.””    From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/america-in-prophecy/blessings-of-abraham/

_________

Thanksgiving: More than Turkey and Football!

Thanksgiving is about more than turkeys and football. It's a day dedicated to our Lord and Creator. As we approach the holiday this year, let's remember and acknowledge Him, and His role in our national blessings.

Video: An Englishman’s first Thanksgiving : https://youtu.be/SXSuBCgzBjQ

Transcript: “When I came to the United States a number of years ago, I was surprised and pleased to be invited into the home of some friends in late November. I knew little about Thanksgiving then, having just arrived from England, where we had no such national celebration.

What an enjoyable day it was! Lots of food, friends and football! I delighted in this very American national celebration, quite unlike anything I had ever done in my native land.  At first, it seemed to be a day just to stuff oneself, like the turkey on the table. But as time went by, I began to learn about the rich and meaningful history of Thanksgiving Day.  First observed in Plymouth Colony in 1621, Thanksgiving was a day for the pilgrims to thank God for having protected and provided for them in those perilous times. The day was later proclaimed by President George Washington, in the year 1789. Listen to these words of America's first president: 

“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have… requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God…" NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be... “

What's striking about that first Thanksgiving proclamation is the nation's readiness to acknowledge the Creator, and to dedicate a day to Him. Even in 1863, over seventy years later, the sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, was unabashed in his gratitude to Almighty God, as he set a date for the celebration. Here are some of Lincoln's words:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God… No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. .. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States… to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

The United States of 1863 was going through times of great crisis, just as we are now, in the year 2009. Yet now we hesitate even to mention God in public, much less to request His help in our national trials. It would today serve us well to remember Lincoln's words, and to make them our own.

Thanksgiving is about more than turkeys and football. It's a day dedicated to our Lord and Creator. As we approach the holiday this year, let's remember and acknowledge Him, and His role in our national blessings. For GN Magazine, I'm Ralph Levy.”        Transcript of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXSuBCgzBjQ&feature=youtu.be .

________

Update, late again.

Sunday was busy as it is the day when potential buyers like to look at items for sale because I am not available to show things on Saturdays, the Sabbath.  I showed a twin bed that Hans had for sale and they bought it right away.  Then a man came to look at a big old side-by-side refrigerator that is down at Roni’s old place, but he decided it was too big for what he needed. 

Several folks, including Jay, kept me busy on Sunday, so I was too tired to write this.  Jay says that he has given up drinking, and wants to have a better life.  So I let him watch TV and made him some dinner of Bison, Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts, with toasted Brioche for dessert.   I don’t suppose he has had a home-cooked meal for weeks, as his mother went to live with her daughter just to get away from drunken Jay.  Now she is in the hospital, with a bleak prognosis, so he is all upset that he treated her that way and might not have the chance to make it up to her.   

Do what you can for others while they are still around, you never know if you will lose your chance to make amends later.

Another morning, Zack and I cleaned the front screen porch.  It had become quite dusty over the summer, and we moved all the bins of potted soil, sand, rocks and broken pots (to put in the bottoms of potted plants) into the green house.   Zack and I placed the winter covers on my long trough of aloe vera plants, and moved all the potted ones into the greenhouse.  We are getting ready for winter and took the automatic timer off the hedge/aloe sprinkler system so that it couldn’t freeze.

The winds had blown pine needles and leaves all over, so that took a morning to get them raked up and burned, but I wouldn’t want to be without the shade trees here in TX. Even pine trees.   We unpacked some more of the boxes that Wendy had brought, and took more pictures of the things she wants me to sell. Then I went down to Hans with parts to fix his water leak.  He wants to get all these little jobs done as he is going on a cruise to see Jerusalem, Israel and Jordan.

One day, I just wanted a day off and went into Conroe shopping.  That means taking the paper to be recycled, going to a different Kroger’s, and maybe a glance in a thrift shop.  Zack went with me as he had something to return at Home Depot, so we shopped there a bit, too.  We took some unwanted clothes and things to be donated, and looked to see what they had in their shop, and I bought a leopard pattern jacket.  It should go well with my leopard purse, and the two-tone brown shoes that I bought.

Then Friday was Preparation Day again.  I had made some black quinoa, but decided not to take it to the church potluck.  I took some previously cooked gumbo as I had two containers in the freezer, and I really needed to make space in there.   Dumped them both in a pot on the stove to defrost and then into a crockpot.  Then, in another crockpot I made brown rice to go with it.  I also took some previously cooked frozen cabbage which I spiced it up with Cajun spices, and they loved it.

The Bible readings read by the Pastor were Psa. 136, God’s Love Endures Forever, Gen.23:1-25:18, 1 Kings 1:1-31.  Then Isa. 56, about the Sabbaths, was quoted by Gary, as a favorite place.  The teaching was about The Forgiveness of Sin, and Romans 10, which says there is no mediator except Christ.  For the potluck there was crockpot beef, chicken and rice, chicken and homemade noodles, my gumbo and brown rice, slaw, veggies and a lot more good food, plus a lot of camaraderie and conversation.  We have some new folks, so that is always interesting to listen to what they have to discuss.

Zack and I had the dog room ready for the kitten’s Thanksgiving week off from the Cat Habitat at Petco, and two arrived on Saturday evening, after I got home from church.  They were Tux and Marble, as I had expected, and they are just about inseparable.  They loved playing loose in the dog room, but I did lock them up in cages at night, for their own safety.  The following day I let them have the run of the house so that my foster cat “Puddin’” would get used to them being here.  I was hoping that they would all play together, but they haven’t so far.  Puddin’ stays away from them.  They are just like little toddlers, and into everything, but like granchildren, I am sure that I will miss them and will also be glad when it’s over and they go back to the SPCA Cat Habitat at Petco next Sunday.

The Feast of Trumpets: Alarm of War, Announcement of Peace. The Feast of Trumpets, A Turning Point in History. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:  The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated all over the world this week: 

Rosh Hashanah 2017:  Rosh Hashanah, The Feast of Trumpets begins at sunset Wednesday, September 20, 2017 and ends at nightfall Friday, September 22, 2017.

The Feast of Trumpets: Alarm of War, Announcement of Peace.

“Trumpets are used as signals of important events, and the Bible describes earthshaking end-time events that are pictured by the Feast of Trumpets.

The first three festivals, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost, reenact events that have already taken place and are ongoing in the lives of Christians. The last four festivals listed in Leviticus 23 preview dramatic future events in God’s plan of salvation. All four festivals occur during the fall harvest season in the Holy Land.

The fall festivals begin with the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets are used as signals of important events, and the Bible describes earthshaking end-time events that are pictured by this festival.

Trumpet plagues

The book of Revelation lists seven terrible plagues announced by seven trumpets (Revelation 8-11). These plagues will come in the times just ahead of us because of humanity’s sins. Consider the sixth trumpet and its announcement of a 200-million-man army preparing for a battle that will kill a third of humanity (Revelation 9:16-18). In spite of these punishments, human leaders and their subjects will continue to pursue selfish and ungodly goals and sins (Revelation 9:20-21).

Thankfully, the seventh trumpet also heralds good news: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).

Finally Jesus Christ will intervene in world affairs to stop humanity from self-destruction (Matthew 24:21-22). He will then begin to establish His long-promised utopian Kingdom of God.

The first resurrection to eternal life

At Jesus Christ’s return another incredible event will occur. The apostle Paul announced it this way:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Paul also made clear that this would occur when Jesus Christ was returning (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The Feast of Trumpets focuses on these pivotal events that signal the end of human rule and the establishment of God’s wonderful Kingdom on earth.

Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19 recount the final battle when the evil end-time “beast” and other world leaders try to fight the returning Christ. They will prove no match to our all-powerful Messiah, and the stage will be set for the fifth step in God’s plan, pictured by the Day of Atonement.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/feast-of-trumpets/

_________

The Feast of Trumpets, A Turning Point in History.

“The Feast of Trumpets depicts the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish the Kingdom of God.

God instructed ancient Israel in the appropriate use of trumpets—a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, and metal instruments—to communicate important messages.

The Feast of Trumpets introduces the autumn festivals—representing the culmination of the present age of man and the beginning of an incredible time during which God will play a much more direct part in world events. Indeed, this festival, a Holy Day, signals the intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis. The Feast of Trumpets thus represents a dramatic turning point in mankind’s history.

This particular festival also marks the beginning of the third and final feast season (Exodus 23:14; Deuteronomy 16:16), which includes the final four Holy Days of the year.

The return of Jesus Christ!

The Feast of Trumpets depicts nothing less than the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God! The book of Revelation reveals a sequence of earth-shaking events heralded by angels sounding a series of seven trumpet blasts. The seventh angel’s sounding of the last trumpet signifies that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, English Standard Version). The Bible foretells that at this time Jesus Christ will at last return to the earth. Of all the prophecies in the Bible, this one surely heralds the most exciting news possible for this weary, sin-filled world!

The Feast of Trumpets also marks the future fulfillment of the many Old Testament prophecies that speak of a Messiah coming as a king of the line of David who will sit on the throne of Israel and rule with power and authority over all nations. The concept of a conquering Messiah was on the minds of the apostles immediately after Jesus’ resurrection. When He appeared to them just before returning to heaven, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus had spoken of distinctions between His first and second comings. When Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, questioned Him before the crucifixion, Jesus stated clearly that He had not come to rule at that time. “My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus told the governor. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” So Pilate asked Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus responded that He was: “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (John 18:36-37).

After Christ’s resurrection, the apostles excitedly anticipated the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises. They were aware of messianic prophecies such as Isaiah’s that describe a time when “the government will be upon His shoulder” and “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

In answer to the apostles’ question as to whether He would then establish the Kingdom, Jesus told them it was not for them to know the “times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Instead, Christ told them to focus on spreading the gospel—the good news—throughout the world. Later, in due time, the apostles realized that His second coming was not necessarily imminent. Numerous scriptures describe the saints as eagerly looking forward to His return.

Why the symbolism of trumpets?

The excitement of this Holy Day, picturing these monumental events, is captured in the symbolism of this festival. Ancient Israel celebrated it with “a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Leviticus 23:24, NIV).

What is the significance of the dramatic sounds accompanying the observance of this day? To help us understand the symbolism of trumpets, let’s consider the use of that musical instrument in the Bible.

God instructed ancient Israel in the appropriate use of trumpets—in that day, a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, and metal instruments—to communicate important messages. The sounding of one silver trumpet meant a meeting of the leaders of Israel. Two sounded to call a gathering of all of the people (Numbers 10:3-4). God also used a shofar to herald His meeting with Israel when He descended upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16).

Trumpets could also sound a warning. Numbers 10:9 states, “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets.” In this case the trumpets sounded a warning of impending danger and imminent warfare.

Trumpets could also furnish a festive sound: “Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets . . . and they shall be a memorial for you before your God” (Numbers 10:10).

With their ability to transmit sound over great distances, trumpets were in ancient times excellent instruments for attracting people’s attention. In connection with this feast day, Psalms 81:3 exhorts, “Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon … on our solemn feast day.” 

Complete article at: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/the-feast-of-0

_________

Update:

I have been busy all week, but it doesn’t really show.  Just catching up on things around the house, and answering the ad that I put in the local website for some part-time help.  Jay got drunk and was nasty to me on the phone after I had caught him taking things that didn’t belong to him, so when he called again, all nice, asking if he could come back to work, I said “You’ve got to be kidding!!”. 

The four kittens left on Wednesday evening to go to Chris’ so that she could take them to the vet early on Thusday for their neutering surgeries.  She took care of them on Thursday night and Friday then took them to our SPCA Cat Habitat inside Petco on Saturday.  They will be there for about 4 weeks.  They should show well and there should be some adoption applications for them soon.  Also on Thursday she brought me a tortoiseshell cat called Flower to stay with me.  Flower and her folks were in the flood so I am taking care of her until they get their home back in order.  So now I have two ‘torties’ here and they look very much alike except for their body size.  My foster cat, Puddin is fatter.  Flower and Puddin just avoid each other, but at least they aren’t fighting.

So on Thurday morning I cleaned up my grooming room and cleaned the cages where I had kept the four kittens.  I have the cages up at table height as I can’t go grovelling on the floor to tend to cats in cages.  But the cages needed to be got down to clean underneath them, and I just can’t do it by myself.  Also I have a lot of stuff here that I need to get down to take pictures to sell it.  That’s when I knew that I have to have some part time help.  But even though the pay has not been discussed, people just don’t show up.

My van is back, but with the price of mechanics these days, it might as well have gone in for gold-plating, so I was able to drive myself to church.  I took a crockpot of organic chicken and veggies, and another smaller one with steamed, buttered new potatoes, and some more hydroponic butter lettuce.

The Bible readings were Deut. 7:12-11:25, Isa. 49:14-51:3, Heb. 11:8-12 and Rom. 8:31-39.  The teaching was about ‘Spiritual Warfare’, and also how we need each other’s fellowship to keep us on the right path.

Our church is going to celebrate the two day Feast of Trumpets on Friday, and then we will have another Sabbath the next day.  So we are going to take enough food for two days.