God Rules With Strength and Gentleness. Want to Live to 100? Eat More Beans!

.

God Rules With Strength and Gentleness

Isaiah 40:10-11

Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.

“These two verses condense a tremendous amount of information about how God will rule when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth.

The book of Revelation explains that as Jesus Christ is coming down to this earth, the armies of the nations of this world will attack Him as if He were an alien invader (Revelation 19:19). Christ’s response to these unprovoked attacks will be with “a strong hand,” as He forcefully puts down the rebellion and makes it clear who is in charge (Revelation 19:20-21).

But that is just one aspect of Jesus Christ’s rule. Isaiah mentions that He will bring a “reward” with Him for His faithful followers who will then assist Him in “His work” of teaching His way of life to the survivors of the end-time troubles.

Isaiah 40:11 is a beautiful picture of our all-powerful God gently gathering people like little lambs and feeding and caring for them.

God is both strong and gentle at the right times. He wants us to learn to follow His lead in this area of life as well.”          Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture at:  https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/god-rules-with-strength-and-gentleness/?

For more about Isaiah 40, see “God’s Perspective on Prophecy.” For more about how God will rule in the Kingdom of God, see the articles in our “Kingdom of God” section. 

_________

________

Want to Live to 100? Eat More Beans!

“Want to know how to live to 100? Eat plenty of beans, says plenty of research studies on the longest-living populations in the world.

Campodimele, Italy, a hilltop village south of Rome, has so many centenarians that it’s known in Europe as the “Village of Longevity.” Daily, its citizens enjoy a diet full of beans like lentils, chickpeas, and white beans.

How to live to 100

A few years ago, scientists identified five groups of long-lived elderly people (aged 70 and older) – Japanese in Japan, Swedes in Sweden, Anglo-Celtic people in Australia, and Greeks in both Greece and Australia – and observed them for the next seven years, tracking their health status and food choices among nine different categories: vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, and monounsaturated fats. A total of 785 elderly people were followed.

Nowadays, there are many tasty varieties of beans on the market, not only staples like garbanzos but also choices like cranberry, cannellini, and fava beans. Eat beans and live longer, maybe even live to 100.

The researchers found that legumes were the most important dietary predictor of survival among the elderly, “regardless of their ethnicity,” they wrote.* For every 20-gram increase in daily legume intake (20 grams is about three-quarters of an ounce), “there is a 7 to 8% reduction in mortality hazard ratio.”

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect food than beans. They are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates. They’re very low in fat and virtually sodium-free. Plus, they’re filling.

And fiber? Even the lowest-fiber bean puts most other foods to shame. A cup of high-fiber beans, like pinto or black beans, tallies up 16 grams of fiber.You’d have to eat about eight slices of whole-wheat bread to get the same amount of fiber. And it’s primarily cholesterol-reducing soluble fiber, which makes beans an excellent heart-healthy alternative to meat.

Bean prep these days has gotten so much easier, thanks to the ready availability of cans of already-cooked beans, and you can find many “no salt added” varieties, which is really wonderful for keeping blood pressure under control. If all you can find is salted varieties, get rid of some of the salt by rinsing the beans through a colander.

Here are some simple tips for how to get more beans into your life (and how to live to 100):

• Toss a handful of beans into your salads (try the rich, buttery flavor of cannellini  beans)
• Stir beans into your pasta sauces or soups. Make an easy, sensational bean soup by combining canned white beans, any vegetables you already have, low-sodium chicken stock, and chopped fresh Italian parsley. Season with no-salt-added Italian blend seasonings and 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Fold beans, like black and pinto beans, into corn tortillas with salsa, shredded nonfat jalapeno cheese, and shredded lettuce.
• Puree beans for dips. For a zesty Mexican-style dip, combine pinto beans, chopped red onion, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime juice in a food processor and blend. Whip up your own delicious and inexpensive hummus dip in a processor with just five ingredients: two garlics, one can of no-salt-added garbanzo beans, three-quarter teaspoon sesame oil, two tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt, and two tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Source:   https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/healthy-living/eating-right/539-want-to-live-to-be-100-eat-more-beans.html

* Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004; 13 (S): S126.

_________

The Curse of Inflation, A Biblical View. Saying Thank You. Sugar vs. Corn Syrup. Mercury In Corn Syrup.

.

The Curse of Inflation,  A Biblical View

“The ramp-up we’re seeing in inflation in the United States is the reaping of a bitter harvest sown by wrong policies. It’s important to understand.

Among those hardest hit by inflation are the ones governments assure us they are dedicated to helping, namely the poor and the elderly.

Prices have been on the rise—whether gasoline, food, electricity, furniture, you name it. Inflation is hitting people’s wallets hard—especially in America, but in other countries as well.

The problem is actually worse than most realize. Real inflation is running much higher than the 7 percent reported in official U.S. government numbers, as calculation methods have changed. A more honest assessment at shadowstats.com reveals that if inflation were measured as it was in 1990 the rate would be 12 percent—or if figured as in 1980 the rate would be 15 percent.

Unemployment is also high. Government statistics put it at 3.4 percent in January, but it also has changed the calculation method for determining unemployment numbers. Going by more reasonable pre-1994 calculation, U.S. unemployment now shockingly stands at around 25 percent!

Another facet of the grim financial outlook is U.S. household debt, which for the first time passed $15 trillion in the third quarter of 2021. And in January 2022 U.S. national debt for the first time exceeded a mind-boggling $30 trillion as part of a dangerous money-creation experiment that is fueling the ramp-up in inflation.

Just what is going on? Where will it ultimately leave us?

The lure of Modern Monetary Theory

The Federal Reserve has gone into overdrive over the past decade in what amounts to creating more and more money out of thin air. We’re told not to worry about any repercussions of this massive money creation and the debt associated with it because of the new economic siren song of Modern Monetary Theory or MMT.

Writing in the American Enterprise Institute publication National Affairs, author Jonathan Hartley explains: “The defining feature of MMT—and what distinguishes it from more established, mainstream economic theories—is its insistence that, so long as a government’s debt is denominated in its own currency, there is no upper limit on the state’s monetary borrowing. In other words, public debt is irrelevant; a country’s central bank can always avoid default by printing more money. Such printing, MMT proponents further argue, can go on without any inflationary consequences” (“The Weakness of Modern Monetary Theory,” Fall 2020).

This especially appeals to those who want to fund an endless array of massively expensive government programs, but it gained wider acceptance as a means to buoy up the economy during Covid lockdowns. While MMT may be convenient, Hartley goes on to say, “MMT’s central claims regarding the harmlessness of deficits, debt, and mass currency production are not only flatly false, they are deeply dangerous” (emphasis added throughout).

He does note that the United States, due to the vastness and richness of its economy and the dollar serving as the world’s reserve currency, is able to borrow enormous sums. But this ultimately comes on the backs of everyone who holds dollars—in both America and around the world. Eventually investors, “no longer believing the government to be solvent, will refuse to buy bonds or lend to the government at manageable interest rates.” America is not there yet, but those calling for endless massive spending are driving the nation steadily to that point.

For years economists have warned that if the United States keeps ballooning up the money supply without commensurate economic growth and productivity, it is inevitable that other global economic powers such as the European Union or China will demand that the dollar be replaced as world reserve currency with the euro or Chinese yuan. This would lead to huge economic problems in America, including the hyperinflation nightmare.

The government is stealing from you

It was reported earlier this year that “U.S. companies are expecting to pay an average 3.4% raise to workers in 2022” (CNBC, Jan. 18, 2022). They’re forced to do so to retain workers, but this does not come close to keeping up with inflation. Likewise a Breitbart headline reads, “UK Wage Hikes Wiped Out to Zero by Soaring Inflation Rate” (Jan. 18, 2022).

Through policies that create inflation, governments are actually stealing from companies and individuals. How does this work? It’s really very simple. By artificially adding more and more money‚ the value of existing dollars is diminished. Therefore virtually everything you buy costs more—sometimes a lot more.

How bad is it? In 2020-2021, the U.S. money supply soared an astonishing 27 percent, the biggest jump in the nation’s history. This was far greater than in response to previous national crises such as the Great Depression (10 percent) and World War II (18 percent). Hundreds of thousands of businesses shut down and tens of millions of Americans were paid to stay home rather than work. The federal government sent “free money” checks to every American, including incarcerated felons. And now Americans are paying the price.

Among those hardest hit are the ones governments assure us they are dedicated to helping, namely the poor and the elderly. But since most of their meager income goes to such basics as food and utilities, inflation is especially devastating to their financial condition.

Besides the massive money creation that gives governments more wealth while diluting how much the money you have is worth, governments must keep interest rates low to finance that huge debt they’ve taken on. This keeps savers—especially those who are trying to preserve their income, such as those in or nearing retirement—from earning interest income and pushes many into gambling with their futures by seeking more dangerous investments just to maintain the same income (“How the Fed Is Driving Savers to Riskier Investments,” The Washington Post, July 1, 2020).

The truth is that the whole concept of fiat currency— money decreed into existence with no tangible basis—constitutes the biggest thieving scheme in history. Such currency manipulation contravenes God’s laws on maintaining honest weights and measures (see Deuteronomy 25:15; Proverbs 11:1; 16:11; 20:23).

God in the Bible repeatedly condemns stealing from others and mistreating the poor and needy (Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:11; Deuteronomy 24:14; Psalms 72:4; 82:4; Amos 8:4-6). And He warns against going into debt as a road to enslavement (Proverbs 22:7).

Former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson wrote to his friend John Taylor on May 28, 1816, that “spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”   Indeed, expanding government debt obligates future generations to repaying debt they never incurred or had any say in creating. Again, it’s pure theft.

Do what you can to prepare

Bible prophecy warns about coming economic upheaval and troubles increasing in the English-speaking nations and the ultimate collapse of the financial system the world over (see our free study guides The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled).

Yet in some ways all will seem to be humming along—until calamity strikes (Matthew 24:38-43).

Do what you can to prepare —to be ready (verse 44). As Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12 tell us, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (New Living Translation). Of course, humanly we can only do so much. We need God to see us through. Jesus promised that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness that our physical needs would be provided for—that we would not be destitute (Matthew 6:25-34; compare Psalms 37:25).

The sobering fact we all face is that a reckoning lies ahead. Let us all take God’s warnings seriously and do whatever we can to prepare. Above all, we must prepare spiritually (see Matthew 25:1-13), and God will see us through to the wonderful age beyond today when His laws—including His economic laws—will at last be followed the world over.”    From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/the-curse-of-inflation-a-biblical-view?

_______

Saying Thank You,  An Attitude of Gratitude

“Being grateful, to God and to those around you, can be beneficial to you, your relationships, and your spiritual life.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/yxr96HZQ6jk

[Darris McNeely] “The ability to say, "Thank you," is a very important character trait that every one of us must have, should have. And we should check ourselves on a regular basis to make sure that we are grateful to God, to each other, to those who do good things, kind things to us. Say "Thank you." Have an attitude of gratitude. And this is not just some trivial approach, it really enhances your life. It enhances the quality of relationships that we have.

Christ spoke a parable about it that I have long known about, you have as well, about this attitude of being grateful, saying "Thank you." It happened it says in Luke 17:11, "That as Christ went to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee," the regions to the north of Jerusalem, He was coming south. "He entered a certain village, and there He met 10 men who were lepers who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us'." Leprosy was the scourge of the ancient world, there was no cure for it, very contagious, and those who had it had to be ostracized from the community, and they were begging Christ, "Have mercy on us."

When He saw them, He said to them, "Go show yourselves to the priest." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed before they even got to the priest, it seems. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned and with a loud voice, glorified God and fell down on his face at his feet, at Christ's feet, giving Him things. And this man was a Samaritan, those who were looked upon as, kind of, inferior by the rest of the Jews at that time. And this was the one who turned back and said, "Thank you," to Christ, he gave him thanks. And in verse 17, Jesus answered and said, "Were there not 10 cleansed, but where are the 9?" The other 9 went on their way. Maybe they went on to the priest, maybe they thought they had to fulfill everything. We're just not told, but only one came back and said, "Thank You." He said, "Were they not found, who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner." And he said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you whole."

And so 1 out of 10, 10%, turned back and said, "Thank You," That's fine, what's the lesson for us? Be grateful. Have a spirit that recognizes when someone has done something well, good, a good job, either for us or for someone else, in the office, in the school, in your church, or your community, someone who has helped you, be sure that you say, "Thank you," and show an appreciation and gratitude. It's a Godly trait. It is what Christ called out, and one who was looked down upon by the rest of the community, the Jewish community of the time, say "Thank you." It's a good spirit. It's a good attitude to have.”

________

Sugar vs. Corn Syrup

“Mercury content aside, is high-fructose corn syrup worse than table sugar?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/aygf8vNXbJI

“Which is worse: sugar or corn syrup? Three choices: the sugar, the corn syrup, or, they’re both just as bad? Around and around it goes; where it stops, maybe some of you knew. Equally bad.

Now that was kind of a trick question. Regular, baking corn syrup is pure glucose; zero fructose. There’s no corn syrup in soft drinks, either. It’s all high-fructose corn syrup. Now, some of you may have heard the rumor that high-fructose corn syrup may contain mercury.

Let’s assume, for the purposes of this question, that there’s no mercury: pure sugar, versus pure high-fructose corn syrup. Is the sugar worse? Is the high-fructose corn syrup worse? Or, are they still both equally bad?

And the winning loser is—both of them. Table sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup is about 45%/55%. It doesn’t matter; it’s all just sugar. The Corn Refiners Association launched a $25 million PR campaign last year, boasting that high-fructose corn syrup is as good for you as sugar. True, but again, how much is that really saying?”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.” 

More about mercury at: “Mercury in Corn Syrup”  https://nutritionfacts.org/video/mercury-in-corn-syrup/

_______

Pray With a Psalm in Your Heart. Private Prayers. Avoiding Vain Repetitions in Prayer. New Study Links Keto Diet to Severe Long-Term Health Risks.

Point of Wisdom, Pray With a Psalm in Your Heart 

"It can sometimes be hard to know what to talk about with God in prayer. Some Scripture-based counsel to a struggling individual can help you too.

He described himself to the pastor and me as a former hippie who had been off the drugs for several years. But he and his wife explained that the hallucinogens' effects were still badly slowing his mental processes. We could see that from our conversation. My part was as a ministerial trainee participating in this pastoral visit with a young couple who had lived hard and wild during the hippie movement years of the 1960s.

The man now loaded freight on ships in the Thames River near London. He had muscles for the work but wished that he still had the muscle in his mind. She had many questions about the Bible and God's way, but one main question plagued his thoughts: "How do I pray? I can't think of much to say." There were tears in his eyes. He really, truly wanted to know how to talk to God.

As the novice on the job, I mentally scrambled for the scriptures that might provide him understanding. The so-called "Lord's Prayer" (in Matthew 6:9-13) came to mind. Jesus' outline for prayer.  It came to the pastor's mind too. He explained that it was actually a prayer outline—not a script for brief recitation. It included an introduction and conclusion of praise for God, requests for God's intervention in world affairs, requests for our daily needs, asking God in repentance for forgiveness of sins as we forgive others, help against temptation and evil—and at least two requests for God's Kingdom to come (which it will at Christ's return).

The pastor continued that when you break Jesus' prayer outline down like that and go into detail concerning each part, you could easily be on your knees for 30 minutes or more. "Half an hour? I can't think of anything to pray about for more than five minutes!" Overwhelmed, the fellow leaned forward shaking his head in his hands. It was a genuine heartstrings-pulling moment—and I was thankful that I wasn't leading the counseling. Amazingly, the pastor proceeded to unfold a point of wisdom involving two steps that has stuck with me ever since.

Go with a list and a psalm

Step 1: Make a list of things you know you want to pray about—however long or short. Take that list and your Bible to where you pray. Talk to God about every item on the list. When you're all prayed out, then go to step 2.

Step 2: Open your Bible to the book of Psalms, a very large part of which was written by King David of ancient Israel. Under God's inspiration David wrote his psalms first as prayers, then as songs. Pick a psalm and tell God in your prayer that you've personally run out of things to say to Him, but that now you want to read to Him this psalm that David wrote as your prayer too—thinking about how it applies to your own life. You can be sure that God will accept your borrowed prayer, because David was a man after God's own heart (see Acts 13:22).

The pastor provided a list of some of David's psalms that applied to circumstances any of us might face.

Need encouragement? Read Psalm 37.

Need comfort? Read Psalm 23.

Need to repent? Read Psalm 51.

In trouble and desperately need God's help? Read Psalms 3 to 7 (plus many more).

Want to thank God for His blessings? Read Psalm 30.

Feel lost, lonely and forgotten? Read Psalm 13.

Need spiritual strength? Read Psalm 11.

The tears in the young man's eyes disappeared. He had hope—he could learn to pray by praying David's prayers. He could draw close to God. So can you."  From: https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/point-of-wisdom-pray-with-a-psalm-in-your-heart

_______

Private Prayers

Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

"In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ laid out the foundations of Christianity; and in this section He addresses the wrong and right ways to pray. Prayer is not for show or to impress other people. It is designed to help us build a personal relationship with our Creator. The core of our prayer life is one-on-one, alone with God. When we pray in private, we can express our deepest emotions and be open with God in a way we could not be in public.

The example of the New Testament Church shows that this does not mean that there is no place for public prayer, as there are many examples of the Church of God praying together (Acts 1:14; 4:24-31; etc.). But we must always be on guard against the attitude of hypocrisy that Jesus warned about.

For more about what the Bible teaches about prayer, see our article “How to Talk to God.”"

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/private-prayers/?

_______

Avoiding Vain Repetitions in Prayer

Matthew 6:7

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

"God does not give us prayers to memorize and repeat mindlessly as a ritual. He is not interested in babble and hearing certain syllables intoned repetitiously, as it seems the pagans believed their “gods” did. He wants His followers to “avoid meaningless, repetitive prayers offered under the misconception that mere length will make prayers efficacious” (Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary on Matthew 6:7-8).

God is interested in us having an actual conversation with Him, listening to what He says in the Bible and sharing our thoughts, requests, cares and praise with Him in a focused and meaningful way. Repeating someone else’s words over and over again can’t help but become rote and ritual rather than building the relationship God desires.

See more about the communication God desires in our article “How to Pray.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/avoiding-vain-repetitions-in-prayer/?

_______

New Study Links Keto Diet to Severe Long-Term Health Risks

• “The negative long-term consequences of ketogenic diets may far outweigh any potential short-term benefits, according to a comprehensive new review published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Keto diets have skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade due to their ability to promote quick weight loss. Typically very low in carbohydrates, modest in protein, and high in fats, the aim of keto diets is to push the body into ketosis—the state in which the body uses fat for fuel. Foods like red meat, fish, nuts, cream, eggs, cheese, oil, and non-starchy vegetables are given the green light while starchy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, and lentils are avoided as much as possible. 

For this latest meta-analysis, a group of physicians, researchers, and registered dietitians analyzed more than 100 peer-reviewed studies on keto diets to identify long-term effects. They found that people who follow such diets have a significantly increased risk of developing heart disease, LDL cholesterol buildup, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. They also discovered that keto diets are particularly dangerous for people who are currently pregnant or may become pregnant. Low-carbohydrate diets are linked to birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, and gestational diabetes even if the pregnant person is taking folic acid supplements. Additionally, for those living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the high amounts of protein consumed on the keto diet can place excess stress on the kidneys and worsen the long-term internal damage of CKD. 

So why does this diet have such negative side effects? The study’s authors suggest that it has to do with the nutrient quality of the food being eaten.

“The foods that are emphasized on a keto diet are the very products that cause colon cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease,” says study co-author Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and an adjunct professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine. “New research also shows that these same foods raise the risk for severe COVID-19.”

This sentiment is echoed by lead review author Lee Crosby, RD. “The typical keto diet is a disease-promoting disaster,” says Crosby. “Loading up on red meat, processed meat, and saturated fat and restricting carbohydrate-rich vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains is a recipe for bad health.”

Originally developed in the 1920s as a treatment for patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy, the keto diet has been shown to be effective for reducing seizures in extreme cases. Scientists believe the diet decreases seizures by making less glucose available to fuel neurons. And although the study authors concluded that eating keto could be beneficial for seizure management, they say the risks far outweigh the rewards for most  people.

Instead of going keto, Barnard suggests a whole food, plant-based diet: “On a low-calorie diet, people might lose weight, but they have to go hungry to do it. On a keto diet, they might lose weight but they feel guilty if they have an apple, banana, slice of bread, or a cookie. On a plant-based diet, you get the best of all worlds: weight loss, delicious food, better overall health, and you’re never hungry.”

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path." 

From: https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/new-study-links-keto-diet-to-severe-long-term-health-risks/

_______

I Don’t Want to Be a Burden. Praying People. Top 10 Most HARMFUL Foods People Keep EATING.

.

I Don’t Want to Be a Burden

“Many desire to help friends and relatives who are growing older. But sometimes those who have helped so many others are not so welcoming of help themselves.

Growing old is nothing new—it happens to everyone. Accepting help as a person ages is not new either, but neither is it always simple or easy. And yet life often comes full circle with age. After a lifetime of serving, giving to and helping others, it can be a bitter pill to need help ourselves.

The circle of help

The cycle generally goes like this:

Requiring and receiving help: From the moment of birth, a child requires help with virtually everything. Whether it is eating, dressing or being comforted, children are powerless to do much of anything for themselves. Babies happily (for the most part) receive and enjoy all the help, love and attention that comes their way.

Helping others who require help: During the preteen to young adult years, children are taught to help with household chores. They also generally have their introduction to helping other people, often older people like Grandma and Granddad. Whether help is required or not, grandparents enjoy watching these young ones bring them books or drinks, or push their shopping cart.

As children enter adulthood, they’re given many additional opportunities to help people. These include helping friends, neighbors and coworkers, but especially family. Children, parents, grandparents and extended family members may all need help at times. Many adults spend decades helping and giving care as they can.

Requiring and accepting help: However, time marches relentlessly onward, and with age often comes the need to receive help. The need for help may come on gradually or it may come suddenly due to illness or accident. Chores once done with ease may now be too much to handle.

It is not always easy for one who is used to independence to ask for or accept help. Why? And what can be done to foster an environment where genuine help is gracefully accepted and appreciated?

The challenge to put things aside

After many years of a vibrant and active life full of mobility and lending assistance to others, an aging person can find it difficult to suddenly be on the receiving end of help. It was so natural to give help, so why is it hard to accept it?

Aging and needing help may mean a loss of privacy and adjusting to new routines. As a result, a person may feel frightened, frustrated, vulnerable or angry that he or she needs help. After being a help giver for so many years, one who now needs help may feel guilty and worried about becoming a burden to family and friends.

The loss of independence often plays a major role in the reluctance to accept help. People who spend the majority of their lives coming and going as they please never consider that one day they may be unable to do many formerly simple chores without assistance.

One author explains the situation this way: “Our parents spent their entire lives being independent and making their own decisions, as well as a number of decisions for us throughout our lives. It has got to be hard to accept help and even hard to ask for it. I know it is for me, why wouldn’t it be for them?” (“Why Elderly Parents May Not Accept Their Children’s Help”).

The potential loss of independence is real, but it should not prevent a person from accepting help. Most people do not want to be pitied, but we must be careful not to confuse a sincere offer to help with pity.

Another reason older people may refuse to accept help is simple human pride. And with pride comes the potential for hurt feelings. One of the proverbs reads, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).

So how do we get over feelings of being a burden to others? And how do we deal with the natural feelings of hurt pride?

Becoming a cheerful receiver

There are amazing benefits that come to those who serve others. Helping people is voluntarily giving part of your life to others in order to make their lives a little easier or more productive. But most people who have been cheerful helpers will see the day when they must become cheerful receivers of assistance from others who care deeply for them.

The apostle Paul describes the blessings that come to those who reach beyond themselves in an effort to help others. The love and service given are noticed and repaid. He told the brethren in Corinth, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

When the time comes, help will most often come from those who were helped in their younger years—children and grandchildren. It should be easier to accept help from relatives you know, love and trust.

But how does one become a cheerful receiver?

Accepting help with a healthy attitude

It begins with humility. The apostle Peter is a great example of a person who learned to grow in humility. On the night of Jesus’ final Passover with the disciples, He washed the feet of each of His disciples to set an example of humble service. Peter, thinking this was not right, initially refused to allow the Messiah to wash his feet. Only after a gentle rebuke from Jesus did he humbly submit to the will of Christ (John 13:5-9). He learned a powerful lesson about serving others as Christ was doing and also about accepting help!

As Peter grew older, he took this valuable lesson and passed it on to others. He knew from hard experience what happens when we allow our pride or our own human reasoning to get in the way. Apparently having learned to both give and receive help, Peter was inspired to write, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. 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 5:5-7).

Those who humbly and joyfully accept help as needed have an opportunity to share with the next generation the help they have received all their lives from a loving God. The concept of being “submissive to one another” leaves a bad taste in the mouths of some. But one aspect of submitting to one another is accepting help as we age—learning to humbly receive help from those who are also submitting in meeting the needs of aging friends and family.

What those who are older can share

God has promised to never leave or forsake those who obey His commands—no matter how old they are. The psalmist was inspired to write, “Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (Psalm 71:18).

Those who humbly and joyfully accept help as needed have an opportunity to share with the next generation the help they have received all their lives from a loving God.

Helpers of their joy

Submission, humility and wisdom are key factors in growing old gracefully.

Addressing the congregation in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). That inner self is the heart and character of the man.

Simply growing older should not have a negative effect on our core values and character. There are tremendous benefits to cheerfully accepting help when we are “feeling our age.”

1. It provides opportunities for young to learn from old. Yes, there are grumpy and grouchy old people, but there are also happy and considerate elderly people as well.

Paul told his young friend Titus that the older members of the Church still had a responsibility when it came to helping the younger people in the congregation mature. “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:1-5).

By remaining active in the congregation, the older members have the opportunity to mentor the young adults by modeling for them examples that reflect the sound doctrine established by Jesus Christ and the Church. It takes work to reflect God’s nature, but Paul wanted the older members to help teach these things to the young.

2. It allows others the opportunity to learn how to provide help. Though age will eventually cause one to retire from a job or lose the ability to perform certain types of physical labor, accepting help provides opportunities for others to become effective helpers. If the elderly have been setting a godly example, in time there should be a response from those who’ve watched.

James was inspired to write, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). The next generation will see the needs of those who are aging and will work to make life a little easier by offering to help physically, financially and even emotionally. Knowing when to accept help allows the next generation to practice pure religion.

3. It helps build relationships between people of all generations. There is a tendency for people to associate primarily with their own age group. Accepting help as you age opens up avenues for people of all ages to help, and it can provide opportunities to create new and lasting relationships, bridging the “generation gap.”

Asking God for help as we age

Vast multitudes followed Jesus Christ when He walked upon the earth, and many sought and gladly accepted His help. The psalmist, realizing that he would require help from God in his later years, made a request: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails” (Psalm 71:9). Asking for (and accepting) help from God is always the right thing to do, and we should do it daily.

We should also realize that God often uses people to answer those prayers—people who desire to lend a helping hand to serve those who are aging.

God describes those who live their lives in a close relationship with Him this way: “Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (Psalm 92:13-15). While God expects those who are older to continue to bear spiritual fruit, this fruit is now more likely to be teaching and encouragement than hard, physical labor.

Growing old is part of God’s design for human beings. But as the years go by and life comes full circle for you, consider your need and responsibility to accept help. There are probably many people who are willing and able to assist when and where they are needed. Having the humility to accept help at the right time is part of how we learn to grow old gracefully.

Find more biblical help in the article “Growing Old Gracefully.”  From:  https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/aging/i-dont-want-to-be-a-burden/

_______

Praying People

“We have a duty to preach the gospel; we need to pray for our leaders so that we have the ability to carry out this commission.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/4sQEj3S0obQ

[Steve Myers] “As God's people, we are to be a praying people. There's a section in 1 Timothy 2 that zeroes in on that very thing. 1 Timothy 2 begins with prayer and the importance for all of us to be praying. It says that we should give prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks for all men. In fact, it focuses in on something interesting. It then says, in verse 2, that we should pray for kings and all who are in authority. Now, that might take you back just a little bit, but why should I be praying for a king or a president or somebody that's in charge? What would be the point of doing that? Well, the Apostle Paul explains that and he says, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and reverence.

So part of it is praying for ourselves, that we can have peace, we can meet, and we can worship God. But then he also says something I think that expands that idea, that it's not just for that. But then he says, in verse 4, that God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

So, why pray for leaders? Why pray for kings or presidents? Why pray for those that are in authority? Well, its impact on us so that we can have Godly lives, we can have peace, but also so that the Gospel can go out. We can preach the Good News so that God may call people and that Word will go out, not only as a message that people can come to but also as a warning, that we warn this world that ultimately God is in charge.

And so, let's pray. Let's pray for those who are in authority, that we may lead Godly lives, that it may be peaceable as we worship God, but also that His word, that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ will go out in His power, His authority.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/praying-people

______

Top 10 Most HARMFUL Foods People Keep EATING

“Have you noticed when you are trying to eat healthy that everything has extra ingredients in it?  Make sure you don't eat one of these Top 10 Most Harmful Foods People Keep Eating. There are so many food products that, while they may taste delicious, are harmful to your health.”

See YouTube:  https://youtu.be/Hr1lW83qHCs   By  Dr. Sten Ekberg

_______

Overcoming Dangerous Emotions: Pride. How to Have a Happy Marriage.

Overcoming Dangerous Emotions: Pride

“The world doesn’t recognize pride as a problem, so how do we overcome something so sly and seemingly harmless? Part 7 of the “Overcoming Dangerous Emotions” series.

It is easier to see pride in others than to recognize it in ourselves.

One of the hardest things to recognize and confront in ourselves as Christians is our pride. For some of us, it has become a major part of our lives, sometimes without our even knowing.

The Bible warns time and time again against pride creeping into our lives. Perhaps the most well-known warning is in Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (emphasis added throughout).

Pride is different from the other emotions discussed in this series (with the possible exception of anger) because we don’t feel that anything is wrong with us. When overwhelmed with other emotions, we know for sure that something is wrong and we need to change. When overwhelmed with pride, we usually think that we are just fine, but it’s just that everyone else has to change.

How do we recognize pride, and how do we combat it once we know we have a problem?

Why is pride spiritually dangerous?

God expects Christians to be confident and strong in their beliefs and actions. However, the Bible is full of warnings against pride, which can manifest itself as undue confidence and strength in ourselves—not in God.

Pride can lead us to:

• Seek recognition to exalt ourselves.
• Treat others unfairly.
• Accept no responsibility for wrongdoing.
• Speak constantly without listening.
• Be only concerned with ourselves.

These are all actions that we know from the Bible are not Christlike. The apostle John warns, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

Notice 1 Peter 5:5: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. 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.’”

Pride makes it impossible to be clothed with humility. Christians cannot fool themselves into excusing their pride, since the Bible plainly says that God will resist the proud. Pride hinders our demonstration of the spiritual fruits of love and goodness, so our thinking must change.

Identify the cause of prideful thinking

Until we admit to ourselves that we have a problem, we will make no progress in overcoming pride. How do we know if we have a problem with pride?

Some possible questions to ask ourselves to find out and then identify the cause could be: “How often do I admit I was wrong?” “Why is it so hard for me to admit when I’m wrong?” “How often do I need to be seen or heard by others to feel good?” “Why do I want others to see or hear me?” “How many of my Facebook posts are directed toward me and my opinions?” “Why do I have to talk about myself and my opinions so much to others?” “How much do I brag about my accomplishments or do things so others will see me doing them?” “Why do I need others to validate me?”

Analyze and compare the prideful thinking to reality

When we start to really examine our thoughts, it is shocking how easily pride can be found. When we examine our motives honestly, we may find thoughts like: “That was my idea, but no one is giving me credit.” “I’ll just keep talking since everyone else here is so boring.” “I don’t need your help! I can do this on my own, thank you very much.” “I’m the man! Look at me, everybody!” “YOU are telling ME what to do? How dare you!”

Though we may never “say” these thoughts, in an honest evaluation we may find that we definitely think them or act on them.

We can justify and rationalize our prideful thoughts, but when we write them down and truly look at them, we will see they are so very shallow, arrogant, boastful, self-centered and jealous.

How do such prideful thoughts compare with reality?

1. Is it fair/rational to believe that we know everything about every subject ever discussed? Is it fair/rational to believe we have to constantly let everyone know what an “expert” we are?
2. Is it fair/rational to think that expressing our opinions about everything and dominating the conversation is a good thing? God tells us: “For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God” (Ecclesiastes 5:7). “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
3. Is it fair/rational to think that we are too good to need help from other people or too “whatever” to be associated with certain people or activities? Is it fair/rational to think that our talents, achievements or wealth in this life are solely through our own strength and excellence, rather than from God?

Replace the irrational with rational

The first place to start is to continually remind ourselves that God created us from dust. God remembers that we are dust, so we have to as well. Without going to the other extreme (self-degradation), we must always keep rational thoughts in our head about our limitations and our total reliance on God.

Our irrational desires of wanting more and more attention for ourselves must be replaced with godly desires of giving more attention to others. Instead of asking, “How can I make myself look good?” we can ask, “How can I build up others through recognizing and praising them for their good qualities, and sometimes through self-sacrifice for them?”

Satan wants us to think of ourselves only, while God wants us to have as much concern for others as we do for ourselves (Leviticus 19:18).

What if I’ve already lost control?

If we have a wonderfully clear moment in which we realize we are being prideful, we can immediately pray to God, thanking Him for showing us something that many people never see in themselves. We then can start backing away from the “me, me, me” mentality and move closer to the “love for others as much as we love the self” attitude, clearly demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

Satan wants us to continually believe we have no problem in the area of pride, but after we examine our thoughts and seek God’s help, we can move toward gaining control and overcoming pride.

This is the seventh in an eight part series on Overcoming Dangerous Emotions. To read part 6, see “Overcoming Depression.” To continue the series, see part 8 “The First Month.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/blog/overcoming-pride/?

_______

How to Have a Happy Marriage

“Whether you are considering marriage or are already married, you likely have questions about how to deal with the challenges and build a happy marriage.

Over 200 years ago George Washington wrote a letter to a friend saying: “I have always considered marriage as the most interesting event of one’s life, the foundation of happiness or misery.”

It seems the experience of all the intervening generations has not changed this assessment very much.

There are many differing ideas today about what marriage should be. But regardless of one’s approach, marriage always involves blending two different personalities, with unique experiences, biases and visions for the future, into one unit.

Having two people so intimately intertwined in each other’s lives is challenging by itself. But when the pressures of career, finances, children, aging parents and more are added to the mix, marriage can become a very challenging relationship!

With marriages today failing at an alarming rate, some might ask if there is any hope for the modern marriage! If you are contemplating marriage, are there things you should consider to give your future marriage the best chance of success? If you are married, but your marriage is struggling, can it be saved? If your marriage is solid, can it be improved and strengthened?

These topics and more are addressed in this section. It is our sincere desire to help strengthen marriages, and it is in that desire that we invite you to read and study the advice that is freely presented here.”  More at:  https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/marriage/

________

Is Your Life “Good Enough” for God? Repentance: What Does Repent Mean? Pride Hunting. Update.

.

Is Your Life “Good Enough” for God?

“So what does God expect of us? What does it mean to “get right” with Him? What does it look like in a person’s life? Let’s notice Jesus Christ’s own statements that give us the answer!

fantom_rd/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Getting right with God and receiving His gift of eternal life involve much more than just belief.

Considering the chaos we see in the world around us, it’s understandable that many people see a need to “get right with God.” But what exactly does that mean?

Many think that all God expects or requires is found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

But is it biblical that belief in God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is all that’s required to be saved? Clearly not! As Jesus’ own half-brother wrote in James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (emphasis added throughout). They likewise know that Jesus is the Messiah (see Mark 1:24).

Yes, the demons believe—but clearly they are not saved!

So what does God expect of us? What does it mean to “get right” with Him? What does it look like in a person’s life? Let’s notice Jesus Christ’s own statements that give us the answer!

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  Merely acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Master—calling Him “Lord, Lord”—is not sufficient. To inherit salvation in God’s Kingdom, we must do God’s will, as Jesus clearly stated.

Getting right with God and receiving His gift of eternal life involve much more than just belief. Our conviction that Jesus is our Savior who died for us must be more than just a comforting feeling or intellectual idea. It means actively doing God’s will in our lives, which starts with surrendering our lives to Him, studying His Word and praying regularly so we can understand how He wants and expects us to live.

Matthew 19:16 records how a wealthy young man asked Jesus a crucial question: “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Christ’s reply might shock those who think Jesus came to do away with the law or that He taught that obedience to God’s law is unnecessary. Jesus responded, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (verse 17).

Jesus didn’t tell the young man that all he needed to do was believe. Jesus told him he must obey the commandments of God. How plain! And then, to clarify which commandments He meant, Jesus listed as examples several of the Ten Commandments plus another summary commandment God had given through Moses. Jesus then told the young man to reorder his priorities in life to become a committed follower of Christ (verses 18-22).

In Mark 16:16, Jesus revealed another condition we must meet to receive God’s gift of eternal life: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Baptism—being fully immersed in water—is a symbolic act representing the death and burial of the person we formerly were, with our rising from the water signifying a resurrection to begin a new life committed to serving God and striving to avoid sin (Romans 6:1-23).

Scripture shows that baptism is to be followed by the laying on of hands by a true minister of Jesus Christ, through which we receive God’s Holy Spirit and truly become His (Acts 8:17; Romans 8:9). Unless we surrender our lives to God through baptism and the laying on of hands to receive His Spirit as shown in Scripture, we fail to meet this requirement for receiving His gift of salvation.

To those who ignore these and other clear biblical instructions—and there are more—Jesus replies, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?’”(Luke 6:46).

So returning to the question at the beginning, is your way of life “good enough” for God? In these passages you have seen the beginnings of His answer. And as Jesus states in Luke 14:33, “No one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me. (New Living Translation 1996).

Read the articles in this issue to learn more about what God expects from your life!"  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/is-your-life-good-enough-for-god

________

Repentance: What Does Repent Mean?

“A major message of the Bible is a call to repent and change. This isn’t popular, but it’s vitally necessary. What is repentance? Why does God require it?

According to the apostle Paul, God “now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30 ).

Repentance is not a popular subject in most of the religious community. Seldom is a modern-day religious audience exhorted to repent.

Yet Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, vigorously preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and told his audience to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:2, 8). Soon after John’s martyrdom, Jesus Christ continued the same theme by preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

Within weeks following Jesus’ crucifixion, the New Testament Church was founded. Peter’s inspired words to an audience of thousands of devout Jews were, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

What does repentance mean? Is it required for salvation? How important is this subject to you? Read more about what the Bible says about repentance in the related articles.”  See: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/repentance/

_______

AmericanTorah: Applying the same scriptures that Jesus & the Apostles used to real life in America.

Pride Hunting

“Pride is acting and/or depending on an assumption that could be easily verified.”

Identifying pride in your own life and ridding your life of it.

“Pride. I had a native German for a friend and mentor in the electrical field. We met when he was newly arrived. He spoke very little English and we worked together every day. He understood electrical very well and always carried around a translation dictionary so he could communicate with others on the jobsite. We got along very well and after a bit he made me a deal: if I helped him with English he would help me learn electrical better.

We talked during the day while we worked and at lunch. We were gossiping one day about the way others worked and how we cared about our work while most didn’t seem to. I remember saying, “It is like others do not take pride in their work.” He stopped me there and wanted to know what word I had used. He didn’t understand the word pride. I tried to explain it as he looked it up in his dictionary. When he found it, his reaction was memorable to say the least. “No! No! No! Danny this is no good.” He explained that this was not a good word in German. I tried to explain that there was a positive and negative use of the word in English, but he would not have it. No, he told me, it is no good.

I had never really thought about pride, and his reaction to the word stuck with me. Pride had always been mostly negative for me, I mean the sense of the word. I felt many people were prideful in my family and the phrase, ‘take pride in your work’ never really set well with me. I could not think of a reason why, except that pride seemed so negative. I never saw myself as prideful though. Others had called me arrogant and prideful before, but they just didn’t know the whole story, in my view. It was the way I understood pride that kept me from seeing it for so long.

The clearest way to describe what I understood pride to be is to watch Disney’s animated version of Beauty and the Beast, particularly the scene where Gaston sings his ballad. That has always been what I thought of as pride. Pride meant thinking highly of yourself and overestimating your abilities or knowledge. That was not me; I hated myself. How could I be prideful?

Let me illustrate what I mean.

Let’s say I assume my wife will want flowers, so I stop at the store to pick some up. I don’t want to ask her because I want it to be a nice surprise. Not being prideful here. I buy some flowers, her favorite, assuming, again, that she didn’t change her mind since the last time we talked about it. I start to go home and on the way I envision her response, she is going to be so happy, she is going to think I am a good husband and she is going to want to have some alone time latter to thank me.

PRIDE ALERT!!!

See the husband has now built on the assumption, he is now depending upon his original assumption for the rest of his assumptions. The wife is now hopeless unless she can read his mind. He gets home, she just finished with the bills and they have little money. She thinks she is allergic to those flowers now and she just started her period. Needless to say, she is not thrilled about the flowers, and all of his plans have come crashing down. This may be a fight now from what was supposed to be a very kind act.

If the husband had not built on his original assumption he would have come home and gave the gift, listened to the new information from his wife, thrown the flowers out, and went on with the evening. She may have seen his caring heart and, though the situation was a bummer, they now know each other a bit better. I plan to give more examples, but I hope you can see what I mean by ‘acting and/or depending’ on an assumption.

Lastly, what I mean by “easily verified” is that we take an assumption and build upon it when we could, with very little proportionate effort, verify the assumption.”    Continued...  Read the rest at American Torah!

_______

Update

My van and a truck “kissed” and so now there is a bit of fiberglass repair needed on my van.  Also an apartment managed by the same company has become available in Cleveland, TX. But the available apartment is exactly like this one which faces west, so I have blinding sun in the kitchen all day and really bright sun in the afternoon.  I had to install really thick pull down shades because it hurts my eyes so much.  I won’t be able to look at the apartment until mid-January, so maybe a more suitable one will be available by then. 

At least Cleveland has a Kroger grocery store, a health food store, a Walmart, a senior center, the church that I like, and lots of places that Navasota doesn’t.  Here you have to drive to another town for any of those things.  So I am going to wait on getting the van fixed until after I have moved.  Cleveland is close to Conroe, and I know where to get things done there having lived in that region for 40 years. I won’t feel so lost there.

The ophthalmologist examined my eyes, and now I have to go for more eye surgery next week.   I hope that cures my “light blindness”, because it is getting worse.  Even wearing good sunglasses, I am blinded by the sun.  This is one reason why I don’t travel outside of Navasota to the neighboring towns.  The open freeways here, with no trees, are so blinding.  In Cleveland it will be great to be able to get everything I need without having to get on a freeway to another town.

On Friday, Sherry, June and I had our usual Bible study and good discussions about it, ready for the Sabbath School the next day, but I went there alone because Sherry was feeling very tired.  June never goes there, she “Zooms” with her previous congregation.

On Saturday, when I returned from Sabbath School, June and I were driven to another town for the Torah Bible study in Paige TX, by some residents of Brenham. It is 75 miles each way! That was so great for us because neither of us can drive in the dark and we didn’t get home until way after 7 pm that day.

Why Can’t We Get Along? Communitarian Justice. Update.

Why Can’t We Get Along?

“Our world seems more divided than ever before. We’re seeing family division, violence and hatred. Why can’t we all just get along?

Why is everyone seemingly at each other’s throats right now? With so many outlets of expression (texting, Facebook, Twitter and so on), many are constantly letting everybody else know what they think and what others should think. When somebody disagrees with somebody, or everybody disagrees with somebody, or everybody disagrees with everybody (which seems to be what we have now)—watch out!

This can cause serious rifts in families and friendships, erupt into violence and public attacks, and destroy reputations and careers. Basically it results in all-around misery for everyone.

Why is this happening?

Let’s look at three reasons: pride, partiality and hypocrisy.

Pride

Pride, an unrealistic and elevated view of ourselves and our opinions, can affect how we think on such a deep level that we often don’t even know it’s there.

Consider the following examples of pride, and how it is causing so many arguments and misery between people.

• Pride of intelligence and knowledge: feeling like one knows more than someone else about an issue (which may or may not be true) and adopting a condescending attitude toward the other.
• Pride of appearance: having a sense of greater worth based on how one looks.
• Pride of race: thinking that skin color makes one inherently superior to someone of a different color.
• Pride of station: believing that one’s career, education, financial status, social status and so forth make one better than someone else. 
• Pride of spirituality: considering that one’s self-perceived righteousness is superior to that of others. 
• Pride of experience: believing that one’s experiences are more valid for making one’s perspectives closer to objective truth than someone else’s.

There are many more examples, leading to many more catastrophic interactions between human beings. The Bible tells us that pride disconnects us from God, but humility draws us closer to Him (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Likewise, pride also divides us from each other, but humility will bring us closer together.

Partiality

We all have preferences, making us all partial to different flavors, music, interests, entertainment and even personality traits. However, when we become partial in our dealings with other human beings, that’s when sharp division sets in.

Take, for instance, some of these examples of partiality:

• Partiality in justice: “I have more money to defend myself in court and more connections to get myself out of jams.”
• When we become partial in our dealings with other human beings, that’s when sharp division sets in.Partiality in outrage: “This horrible thing is okay because it’s being done by people I agree with, but I can’t stand it when this other horrible thing is done by people I disagree with.”
• Partiality in values: “This really important thing is not so important to me, but this other really important thing is.”
• Partiality in history: “We don’t need to know the messy parts of our history, just what enables us to feel good about ourselves.”
• Partiality in opportunities: “Wealthy people deserve more opportunities than poor people.”
• Partiality in facts: “I like these facts, but these other ones that clearly contradict them should be ignored.”

One of the truly great things about God is that He shows no partiality (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). He judges perfectly and without partiality (Deuteronomy 1:17) and views people without partiality (James 2:1-13). When partiality is present, there will always be conflict and fighting over fairness and the truth.

Hypocrisy

Jesus Christ, in Matthew 23, gives several scathing rebukes of hypocrisy to the religious leaders of His time, and for all time. Using some of these specific examples, we can see how hypocrisy is alive and well—and making us argue with each other all the time.

Consider just a few of the many ways we see hypocrisy in our world today:

Business dealings:

• Defending greed and selfish ambition inherent in driving the economy, but decrying those abusing welfare.
• Defending illegal behavior and lack of personal responsibility as people having no choice, but denouncing mistreatment of the poor by the wealthy.

Moral issues:

• Defending the biblical principles against sinful behavior, but secretly practicing the same sins.
• Defending poor moral behavior in someone we agree with, but condemning the poor moral behavior in someone we disagree with.

Hypocrisy makes us angry and distrustful of each other because it never feels as if we are getting straight talk or being respected.

Knowing is half the battle

What pride, partiality and hypocrisy share in common is that they are all spiritual and character issues. Just as we can all be susceptible to these sins subtly creeping into our lives, we can all strive to avoid them. Pride, partiality and hypocrisy are definitely not the only ingredients in the stew of hatred and division that is brewing to a boil right now, but they are huge factors.

It’s as if we’re dealing with a disease that has taken over our minds, so let’s start dousing pride with humility, partiality with fairness, and hypocrisy with genuineness.” From: From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/why-cant-we-get-along/?

For more insight on pride, read “Three Ways Pride May Be Infecting Us All” and “Overcoming Pride.”

_______

Communitarian Justice

Deuteronomy 16:18 – Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

“Anarchy and vigilantism are expressly prohibited by God’s Law. There must be judges and officers in the gates of every community. No criminal case can proceed legitimately without the involvement of the duly elected or appointed judiciary. How exactly these men or women are to be appointed is not specified, however the command is addressed to the community as a whole. Presumably a king or governor could appoint whomever he wills. If he does not, however, the community must still ensure the post is occupied.

There is at least one situation in which a course of action that appears on the surface to be vigilante is appropriate. This option should only be exercised in the most rare and extreme cases.

If the community refuses to appoint officers or cannot agree on which men to appoint, then individuals who already legitimately possess some other claim to authority must sometimes appoint themselves.

This is essentially the right of the kinsman redeemer extended to the entire community. There is biblical precedence: Pinchas, who was already a priest, appointed himself an officer of the court when he killed Zimri and Cozbi. Judgment had already been passed and executed on the guilty, but their blood had barely cooled when Zimri blatantly committed the very same crimes. A trial was hardly necessary as all the judges were witnesses to the deed. To stop a plague that was sweeping the camp, Pinchas immediately carried out the sentence already given.

Centuries later, Saul was neglecting his responsibilities in enforcing justice in his own lands and defending the border against the Philistines, so David, who had been anointed by Samuel as Saul’s successor, appointed himself judge.

These exceptions are not blanket authorization to engage in vigilantism or mob justice. In each case, the one who acted was acting to save lives and preserve the nation. Our God is a god of order and authority. He commanded that we create a justice system with a hierarchy of courts and that we obey the rulings of our courts. Every crime must be proved by multiple witnesses and a thorough investigation. All of this means that lynching and rioting are anathema to God’s standards of justice.” From: http://www.americantorah.com/2012/08/19/communitarian-justice/

_______

Update.

By Monday, I wanted to hurry up and get the blood tests done on Evie, my cat,  to find out what is wrong with her.  I called for an appointment at a vet here in Navasota, so I wouldn’t have to make the long drive to Brenham for our appointment two days later.  It was more expensive but I didn’t want to put Evie, or me, through that long drive in the heat of the afternoon.  I always worry, “What if I have a flat”, what would I do on the side of the road with no shade and a cat?  I am just not used to driving miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles!

At the vet, she was very good while getting blood drawn from her arm, and it took 20 minutes for the results.  It isn’t diabetes, it is hyperthyroidism.  The vet said that it was great that I realized that there is something wrong with her so soon after getting her, and he said “Just feed her plenty of good quality wet food, no dry, and keep her happy”.  He didn’t prescribe anything.  So I loaded up on more cans of Wellness at Tractor Supply. 

This is why she was waking her previous people up in the night, she needed food. It doesn’t bother me, I get up at least once a night anyway, so I feed her then.  I have a recipe for making feline raw food, but I don’t have all the supplements that have to be mixed in it yet.  Feeding people food to a cat doesn’t have all they need, nor a dog.

I trapped one more scroungy-looking stray cat and got him to the shelter. He had to be taken away from these senior apartments because he was scratching people.  Thank goodness this one didn’t give us any trouble getting him out of the trap and into their cage, not like the last one.  That one, a female, got loose in the shelter office and it took several people to catch her, poor thing, she was terrified.

My church neighbor and I went over the study for the Sabbath School on Friday, and we both enjoyed studying it again, with a few more from the congregation, at the church the next day.

Grudges Hurt You. He Who Regards a Rebuke. Choose Friends Carefully. Update.

Grudges Hurt You

Life is unfair and full of trouble, as we all know.    

Jez Timms/Unsplash

We cannot always resolve the cause of anger or a grudge, but we can “put it on the shelf” by leaving it with God.

Sooner or later someone will do or say something that upsets you to the point that you cannot forget the incident. That is how a grudge develops. Nursing a grudge does not make it better, and the longer we carry it, the more of a problem it becomes. Grudges simply do not belong in one who strives to have a good attitude toward life and eternity. Paul wrote that a bishop is not to be an angry person, but a person of self-control (Titus 1:7-8). Paul also wrote that anger will come, but when it does, we are to be careful not to allow it to bring sin (Ephesians 4:26).

Paul went on to say to “put off” things like anger and therefore a grudge (Colossians 3:8). We cannot always resolve the cause of anger or a grudge, but we can “put it on the shelf” by leaving it with God. We can meditate on the grudge and learn how much we hurt ourselves by feeding it. We can take steps to resolve that which we perceive as a hurt done to us and we can simply avoid the person that brings these strong feelings up in us. Most important is the need to face and handle the grudge—don’t let it grow. Take action.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/grudges-hurt-you

________

He Who Regards a Rebuke.

“Proverbs 13:18

Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

No one likes to be corrected. It hurts to find we’ve been wrong, and it stings worse if we feel we’ve been judged unfairly, harshly or hypocritically. None of the people who correct us are perfect, of course; but God tells us it is dangerous to ignore or even disdain all correction that comes to us. If we never accept correction, we will not recognize the steps we could take to avoid troubles, such as poverty and shame.

Wise King Solomon contrasts this attitude with the person who is humble enough to listen to rebuke and to note where it is valid. It takes humility to accept correction and change. But the end result of this humble choice is receiving honor. The positive changes will pay off, even if the correction was not given in the nicest way. Learn more in our article “Handling Criticism.”

The most important correction we can receive is from God. Learn more about how to discover and use God’s correction in the article “How to Study the Bible.””    From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/he-who-regards-a-rebuke/?

_________

Choose Friends Carefully

“Proverbs 12:26

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

People who accept God’s standards of right and wrong are in the minority in today’s world. Satan and the prevailing trends of his society try to pull Christians away from God’s standards. And one of the strongest influences in our lives is our close friends.

Good friends who support God’s way of life can be a tremendous positive influence in our lives. But friends whose actions and attitudes openly or subtly oppose God’s truth can tear us down and lead us astray.

The apostle Paul also wrote about our choice of friends in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”

See more about friendship in our section “Friendship: Keys for Finding and Keeping Good Friend.”

See more on communication and dealing with peer pressure in our article “Saying No.”” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/proverb-of-the-week-choose-friends-carefully/?

________

Update.

The spayed, declawed, senior cat Evie, that has been staying with me turned out to be a little gem. So I am adopting her.  I know she went through a lot of pain getting the first joint of her front paws removed, yes, that is how they declaw a cat.  But it is so great to know that neither my thin skin, nor the furniture, will be scratched.  She strokes my face and arms as if she knows she can’t hurt me, and she is telling me that she loves me.  Still no news on where she had her vaccinations, so I might have to get them all over again.  I just ordered a pretty faux pearl necklace/collar for her new tag. The collar she is wearing is stiff and uncomfortable but is does have a tag with the last person’s phone number, so it stays on her until her appointment on the 2nd. Sept, when I will also get her micro-chipped.

It was supposed to be a surprise for my 85th birthday last Monday.  My SPCA friends were going to bring back my boy cat, Casper who has been with them for months.  They finally found out what was wrong with him, a rare intestinal parasite Tritrichomonas so he was treated for that.

Of course, I had to make a big decision because I am allowed only one cat here.  I really love and missed Casper, but I always wanted a senior, declawed, female cat, and here, now I have one.  My SPCA friends will find young Casper a young family and ‘furrever’ home easily, because he is so gentle and sweet.  He had so many meds poked down him while he was there and never lost his sweet disposition, everyone there loved him.

The Animal Shelter here said that they had room for two more of the apartment’s stray cats, so I took the really skinny white one.  I couldn’t set the trap because I was going to the doctor the next day, but he was tame so I just put him in a carrier. I had tried my best with him, put Revolution on him for fleas and mites, de-wormed him and tried to fatten him up, but it was obvious that he had one of the deadly cat diseases.   The next day I took another cat but they refused to take anymore cats from here for now.  The white one had tested positive for FIV.  All their cats were ready for an adoption event so they couldn’t have any of our contaminated cats there until after that.  But with 7 stray cats outta here, already it seems so much more peaceful.  I also found out that we cannot have a permanent “mouser”, the city does not allow “an animal at large”.

The doctor’s visit was a dry run, they had not told me about going ‘fasting’, so I have to go again this week.  The Brazos Transit little bus took me and brought me home, I am so glad that I don’t have to make that long drive.  Seems like nearly everything you have to do, you can’t do it in Navasota, you have to go at least 20 miles to another town.

My youngest son turned 51 this week, and it doesn’t seem that long ago that I had him in that hospital in Dallas.  My daughter is recovering slowly from her accident in rehab, but because of the covid thing I can’t go see her.

Covid or not, Sherry and I still have our Bible study together every Friday morning ready for the Sabbath School the next day, just as we have done for the year since I moved here.  This Sabbath we went to the church and enjoyed the study in person.  It was on Zoom for those at home, and there were only 7 of us at the church yesterday.