Seven Keys to Coping With the Trials and Tribulations of Life. Whose Prayers Won’t God Hear? Are Calcium Supplements Safe?

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Seven Keys to Coping With the Trials and Tribulations of Life

“Sometimes life is tough! In troubling times we often turn to God, but do we pray for the things that will help us cope? Here are seven vital elements to request of God.

If you have never experienced any difficulty in life, and never expect to, you can skip this article.

Ah, you’re still reading, as I suspected. Because if one thing is certain, it’s that tests and trials and problems do come upon us. They vary in origin, type, intensity and length, but come they will.

When we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man,”  we can easily list the most common ones. There are health problems, the death of a loved one, financial stress, job troubles, loneliness, mistreatment, troubled relationships, dangerous circumstances, etc. Even blessings, when misused, have turned into trials for some.

And when we see unusual trials, none are so rare that others have not faced them as well.

No matter how big or small the hardship, how long it lasts, how temporary or permanent the consequences, we have to cope. Sometimes we cope well, and other times we don’t. You may recall examples of both in your own past.

But we don’t have to cope alone!

Peter says we should be humbly “casting all your care upon Him [God], for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). He knows and understands our needs because “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (verse 16).

What are the needs that we should pray to God about? It’s easy to focus only on what seems obvious—I lost my job, so, God, please help me find work. I’m sick, so, God, please heal me. I’m lonely, so, God, please bring someone into my life.

We may always go to God, but we may not always ask for all the things we really need.

There is nothing wrong with asking for a specific answer to a specific problem, but is that the only thing we need in order to cope with the trial? Are there other things to ask God for as well, and maybe to ask for first?

Let’s consider seven needs—keys to surviving life’s trials—to cast upon God in our prayers.

First of all, we humans are heavily influenced by emotions, and in times of stress our emotions often fluctuate. We cannot afford to allow an unsettled emotional state to dictate our level of confidence in God. That means we need to …

1. Pray for faith

Four times Matthew records Jesus using the phrase, “O you of little faith.” Each situation differed, but in each one He identified an enemy of faith—worry, fear, doubt and human reasoning. When life goes well, those are nonissues. But in times of trial, those enemies tend to raise their ugly heads!

When the future is uncertain, when life is challenging, it’s not always easy to confidently repeat Paul’s words, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

That’s the time to pray, “Father, please strengthen my faith. Help me to remember this.”

“We know that all things work together for good” is a statement of faith, of confidence in what you will see in the future. Faith doesn’t tell us in advance how, or when, or what we will go through, or why it will work that way. Faith just says “we know.”

Do we? When God gives us faith, we do!

It’s called walking by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Sight only tells us one thing—when we see God has intervened. Faith tells us He will. We only see the past and present, and even then our perspective is often not very clear. But spiritually, God helps us see what lies ahead.

However, accepting that requires belief—faith—in Him, His Word, His way.

Why is faith important to God? Because He’s our Father. He’s in control. He wants His children to believe and trust Him.

If we have faith that God has the answers and will answer, we must also be willing to wait for Him. That means we need to …

2. Pray for patience

A scripture telling us to patiently wait for Christ’s return also holds a lesson for patiently waiting for Him to answer our prayers.

In James 5:7-8 we read, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Sometimes we say God is in control, but get impatient if He doesn’t control things on our schedule!

The moment we become impatient, we start living by the clock, not by faith: “I’m running out of time. I need this faster; I want it according to my time frame.” Impatience starts evaluating our situation according to the time passing, and if change doesn’t come when we want, our attitude easily shifts—our faith wavers.

Certainly in tough times we want quick relief. That’s understandable. But it’s so important to tell God, “My problem is in Your hands, but help me trust Your timing so I can wait patiently on You.” Patience turns off the clock; it doesn’t put God on our schedule.

James reminds us that in times of trial sometimes God is working to build something in us—perhaps an aspect of spiritual character—that doesn’t happen instantly.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Letting patience “have its perfect work” isn’t easy, but God can help you with it. Ask Him to!

Patience doesn’t imply that we do nothing, however. While patiently waiting for resolution, we must often take action and make decisions. That means we need to …

3. Pray for wisdom

James also spoke to this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (1:5).

Big problems often require big decisions. When the doctor is asking your permission to treat your sick child in a certain way, how do you, as an untrained person, know what is in your baby’s best interest? That’s pressure, but you can’t escape it. That’s when you need wisdom to sort through all the thoughts that come to mind, wisdom to get the advice you need, wisdom to weigh pros and cons, wisdom to discern what to do when logic fails to clearly tell you.

Consider Proverbs 2:3-7: “Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.”

Later in the same chapter we read, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things” (verses 10-12).

Wisdom is a subject far too huge to detail here. These few verses, though, make the point—ask God for it!

Humanly, we have our physical, mental and emotional limitations. Knowing our tanks can run dry, we need to find the capacity to be strong. This means we need to …

4. Pray for endurance

Ephesians 6:13 encourages us to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Sometimes there is nothing left that you can do but stand and ride out the storm!

“Recall the former days in which … you endured a great struggle with sufferings,” Paul said. “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:32, 36).

Sometimes we just need to hang on a little longer, not give in, and not give up.

James noted, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure” (James 5:11). Do we count as blessed those who quit and give up? Maintaining the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual stamina we need can nearly exhaust us at times, but God can and will grant us strength to endure. Just ask Him!

Likewise, most stressful situations in life carry the potential of fearful consequences. That means we need to …

5. Pray for courage

After the Israelites exited Egypt, they created their own trial, which led to a 40-year stretch of hardship. As that ended, Joshua assumed the reins of leadership when Moses died, and God, knowing new challenges would arise, encouraged him. “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

Then, three times in the next four verses, God exhorts him to “be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed.”

One needs courage when life is tough, when failure comes, when suffering mounts. And we don’t always have that quality on our own. So turn to God, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:13, to help you “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

In recent years some fascinating studies of people with life-threatening illnesses indicate that those who maintain a particular mental quality have a stronger capacity to deal with their ordeal. That means we need to …

6. Pray for hope

Paul listed in 1 Corinthians 13 three of the most important qualities we can possess—faith, hope and love. Love is the greatest, he said, but hope is huge.

Hope is our vision of what the future holds. It keeps in mind a picture of life that helps us see beyond our present circumstances.Hope is our vision of what the future holds. It keeps in mind a picture of life that helps us see beyond our present circumstances. Faith is the confidence, and hope is the inspiring vision.

Perhaps the most dangerous mental state one can be in is hopelessness. Paul’s fervent wish for us was that “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Please download our free booklet Finding Hope in a Hopeless World from our LifeHopeandTruth.com website, and never underestimate the need to ask God for hope!

Having asked God for all these things—faith, patience, wisdom, endurance, courage, hope—now is the time to …

7. Pray for your specific needs

Whatever you need—the healing, the job, the friends, the money, the relief, the relationship—yes, ask God for it!

Just remember that God knows our strengths and weaknesses, sees things we don’t see, and has the wisdom to know what is best for us. So His answer may be yes, no, maybe or wait.

That’s why, when we ask of Him something specific that we believe is the answer to our problem, we need to also ask for faith, patience, wisdom, endurance, courage and hope.

When we do that in time of trial, not only can we cope with our situation, but we can thrive in our relationship with Him.”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/christian-living/seven-keys-to-coping-with-the-trials-and-tribulations-of-life/?

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Whose Prayers Won’t God Hear?

Psalm 66:18

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

“Does God hear the prayers of sinners? Yes and no.

Yes, our merciful God always loves us and works with us, and Jesus Christ even died for us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). We were all sinners (Romans 3:23), so if God did not hear our cries for forgiveness, there would be no human He would hear. After sinning, David prayed, “Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Psalm 51:9). God heard that prayer.

But without repentance, as Isaiah wrote, “Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Psalm 66:18 talks about sin “cherished” in the heart (New International Version). “If I have known it was there and encouraged it,” then God wouldn’t listen (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Psalm 66:18).

To be assured God will hear and answer us, we must repent and work to root sin out of our heart with God’s help. See more about repentance in “How to Repent.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/whose-prayers-wont-god-hear/

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Are Calcium Supplements Safe?

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-calcium-supplements-safe/

“The unnaturally large, rapid, and sustained calcium levels in the blood caused by calcium supplements may explain why calcium from supplements, but not from food, appears to increase the risk of heart attacks.

In 12 short years, government panels have gone from suggesting widespread calcium supplementation may be necessary to protect our bones to “Do Not Supplement”. What happened? It all started with a 2008 study in New Zealand. Short-term studies had showed that calcium supplementation may drop blood pressures by about a point. Though the effect appears to be transient, disappearing after a few months, it’s better than nothing. And excess calcium in the gut can cause fat malabsorption, by forming soap fat, reducing saturated fat absorption and increasing fecal saturated fat content. And, indeed, if you take a couple Tums along with your half bucket of KFC, up to twice as much fat would end up in your stool, and with less saturated fat absorbed in your system, your cholesterol might drop. So, the New Zealand researchers were expecting to lower heart attack rates by giving women calcium supplements. To their surprise, there appeared to be more heart attacks in the calcium supplement group.

Was this just a fluke? All eyes turned to the Women’s Health Initiative, the largest and longest randomized controlled trial of calcium supplementation. The name may sound familiar—that’s the study that uncovered how dangerous hormone replacement therapy was. Would it do the same for calcium supplements? The Women’s Health Initiative reported no adverse effects. However, the majority of the participants were already taking calcium supplements before the study started; so, effectively the study was just comparing higher versus lower dose calcium supplementation, not supplementation or no supplementation. But what if you go back and just see what happened to the women who started out not taking supplements and then were randomized to the supplement group? Those who started calcium supplements suffered significantly more heart attacks or strokes. Thus, high dose or low dose, any calcium supplementation seemed to increase cardiovascular disease risk.

Researchers went back, digging through other trial data for heart attack and stroke rates in women randomized to calcium supplements with or without vitamin D added, and confirmed the danger and most of the population studies agreed—users of calcium supplements tended to have increased rates of heart disease, stroke, and death.

The supplement industry was not happy, accusing researchers of relying in part on self-reported data—like they just ask if people had a heart attack or not rather than verifying it. And indeed long-term calcium supplementation caused all sorts of gastrointestinal distress including twice the risk of being hospitalized with acute symptoms that may have been confused with a heart attack. But no, the increased risk was seen consistently across the trials whether the heart attacks were verified or not.

OK, but why do calcium supplements increase heart attack risk, but not calcium you get in your diet? Perhaps because when you take calcium pills, you get a spike of calcium in your bloodstream that you don’t get just eating calcium rich foods. Within hours of taking supplemental calcium, the calcium levels in the blood shoot up and can stay up as long as eight hours. This evidently produces what’s called a hypercoagulable state, your blood clots more easily, which could increase the risk of clots in the heart or brain. And, indeed, higher calcium blood levels are tied to higher heart attack and stroke rates. So, the mechanism may be calcium supplements lead to unnaturally large, rapid, and sustained calcium levels in the blood, which can have a variety of potentially problematic effects.

Calcium supplements have been widely embraced on the grounds that they are a natural and, therefore, safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures. But, it is now becoming clear that taking calcium in one or two daily doses is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food. And furthermore, the evidence is also becoming steadily stronger that calcium supplementation may not be safe. That’s why most organizations providing advice regarding bone health now recommend that individuals should obtain their calcium requirement from diet in preference to supplements. But if we can’t reach it through diet alone, would the benefits to the bones outweigh the risks to the heart? We’ll find out, next.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-calcium-supplements-safe/

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 Katie Schloer.

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Can A Christian Keep Passover? God’s Harvest Festivals. The Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes.

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Can A Christian Keep Passover?

““That’s not what we Christians do. We keep Easter. Jews keep Passover.” This was blurted out one day by a gentleman with whom I was doing business. It illustrates the traditional beliefs of many people when it comes to Christmas, or in this case, Easter versus Passover.

I am a Christian believer in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and a person who observes the Passover of the New Testament. I do not observe Easter. Every year I teach the doctrines of the Bible to students and I thoroughly cover what the Bible says about the Passover Christ kept with His disciples. The New Testament teaching is very clear. The Church Jesus founded kept Passover with the new symbols Christ gave them. As the Church spread to the gentile peoples, the same teaching was given to them. The Church of the New Testament did not teach or sanction Easter.

Let me show you one clear scripture to give you something to consider. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is writing to a gentile congregation about problems they need to deal with. After telling them to work with a moral problem he pivots to teaching about God’s festivals. He tells them, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Did you catch that? “Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” Christ’s death was the Passover sacrifice.

You are probably familiar with scriptures describing Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” At the original Passover in Exodus 12 a lamb was killed. Christ was the fulfillment of that symbolic lamb. Christ, in truth, was the sacrificial “lamb.” Before His death He gave teaching which enhanced the meaning for a Christian. He told His disciples to take bread and wine as symbols of His sinless life and shed blood. That is what I do at Passover—once a year, on the anniversary of His death. There are important lessons I learn each year during this service.

You can learn the same lessons of humility, obedience and thankfulness. Christ’s death opens life for us. A Christian cannot fathom the hope of eternal life without coming to understand the full expression behind the words, “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.” Christian identity is tied to this truth of Christ as our Passover. Keeping the Passover is a key to your identity as a Christian.

You need to study this topic from your Bible. Your eternal life depends on this.

To learn more about the Passover of the New Testament you will find this chapter from our study guide, God’s Holy Day Plan, very informative. It’s titled, “The Passover: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” It might also challenge your assumption that Passover is not for Christians.”

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God’s Harvest Festivals

Exodus 23:14-16

“Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.”

God’s seven annual festivals listed in Leviticus 23 are several times grouped together as three main festival seasons of the year.

• Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread fall in an eight-day period in the spring.
• The Feast of Harvest, called Pentecost in the New Testament, falls in late spring or early summer.
• And the Feast of Ingathering, better known as the Feast of Tabernacles, comes in the fall, along with the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Eighth Day/Last Great Day.

For an overview of God’s festivals and God’s plan of salvation, see “Festival Meaning: What Are the Meanings of Each of God’s Festivals?” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/gods-harvest-festivals/?

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Zech: 14: 16-19

^{16 “}And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This shall be the ^[i]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”  NKJ.

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The Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes

How does sweet potato baking compare to boiling and steaming, and should we eat the skin?

Transcript of YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwZ6Nbf7Dio

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“The only potential downside of eating sweet potatoes is if you eat too much, you could get a yellow nose. It’s called carotenemia. It’s a common, harmless condition due to elevated levels of beta-carotene in the blood, first noticed a century ago, when carrots were introduced into infant diets. It’s treated mostly by just reassuring parents that it’s harmless. But, if you don’t want your child’s nose to be yellow, you can decrease their beta-carotene intake, and in a few months, it will be gone.

But, color is what we’re looking for when picking out varieties at the supermarket. “The intensity of the yellow or orange flesh color of the sweet potato is directly correlated to [its nutritional] content.” So, the more intense, the better. Though, if you really want intensity, “sweet potato varieties…[range not only] from white [to] yellow…[and] orange, [but to] pink [and] “very to deep purple”—the natural pigments of which may have special anticancer effects of their own.

What’s the best way to cook sweet potatoes? Boiling may actually best retain the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. If you compare baking to boiling, microscopically, boiling helps thin out the cell walls and gelatinize the starch, which may enhance the bioavailability of nutrients, while at the same time the glycemic index of boiled sweet potatoes was found to be only about half that of baking or roasting. So, boiled gives one less of a blood sugar spike.

Make sure to keep the skin on, though. The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh—an antioxidant capacity “comparable [to] that of blueberries,” though it really takes a hit when baked, wiping out over two-thirds, whereas microwaving or boiling was comparatively much gentler. The same with the rest of the sweet potato. Baking can cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels—twice as much as boiling. So, “from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking can be recommended for sweet potato cooking.”

Boiling may be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy, the best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them—with the exception of deep frying, which can lead to the formation of acrylamide, a potential human carcinogen.”   From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-the-best-way-to-cook-sweet-potatoes/

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Biblical Masculinity. Did Jesus Celebrate Hanukkah or NOT? Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers. Update.

Biblical Masculinity: Becoming a Man After God’s Own Heart

“Many men are falling short of what God expects from them. What is causing the decline of biblical masculinity? What does the Bible say about masculinity?

Recently, musician Harry Styles was the first man to be featured on the cover of Vogue magazine, a periodical that focuses on fashion and is targeted toward a female audience. This was widely celebrated. He was shown on the front cover wearing a dress, and the photo was proclaimed as an “antidote to 2020.”

Referencing the photo shoot and his persona, Mr. Styles commented that the “lines are just kind of crumbling away . . . When you take away ‘There’s clothes for men and there’s clothes for women,’ once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play.”

Is this where society needs to go? Should the barriers that distinguish men and women (such as clothing styles) be totally torn down? Should Christians embrace these ideas? Or does God expect there to be universal differences between males and females?”

Continue Reading  

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/biblical-masculinity-becoming-a-man-after-gods-own-heart/?

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Did Jesus Celebrate Hanukkah or NOT?

“The Gospel of John seems to indicate that Jesus Christ celebrated the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah. Is that right?”

Youtube: https://youtu.be/sioxJ3t89Aw

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Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers

Psalm 37:1-2

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

In this world under Satan’s sway, things do not always work as they should. Sometimes it seems the wicked prosper while the righteous face troubles. But God offers us the long view. From His perspective, the passing success of evildoers is fleeting. Those who do good will win in the end.

David repeats this theme several times in Psalm 37. Verses 14-15 add: “The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.” God is a God of ultimate justice—you could even say poetic justice.

For related reading, see “When Life Doesn’t Make Sense.” For more about the ultimate reward of those who faithfully serve God, see the “Kingdom of God” section.

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/do-not-fret-because-of-evildoers/?

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Update

The weeks have sped along with the usual things, you know, grocery shopping, laundry, taking care of my hyperthyroid cat, housework, and the normal things to do.  Sherry one of my neighbors, and I finally got our hair cut.  On Friday we three, June, Sherry and I had the usual Bible study in Sherry’s apartment.

On the Sabbath, June went to Paige TX to the Torah study there, and Cherry and I went to Willis to my old church.  It was a long drive, but we wanted to do it. There weren’t many there, Covid still stops folks from gathering.  I hadn’t seen them for many months because I have been going to the church in Navasota, so it was great to see them, and we all hugged, Covid protocol forgotten.

The Bible readings were Gen.32:4-36:43, Obadiah 1:1-21 and Heb. 11:11-20.  If you follow the Torah Portions, you know that these readings are one week off from the designated week. That is because that church service was cancelled the week before because of nasty storms.   The Teaching was about the several times in the Bible when God has intervened and really small armies have overtaken huge ones, with His help.

We had great fellowship in the dining room afterwards. I had taken a carrot, apple, raisin, celery salad and a trifle made with pound cake, fruit cocktail and a non-gelatin non-GMO, JEL dessert. (Jello brand has pork in it). It was a long drive, but it was a great day.

Where Do We Find Contentment? Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

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Where Do We Find Contentment?

“Become rich in the things of God, and you will find contentment.

Chad Madden/Unsplash

Contentment is a state of mind that will fit any circumstance we find ourselves in.

By the standards of many people today, contentment comes from accumulating possessions and in increasing the amount of wealth that we have. To many, things like power and success pave the way to contentment. Yet in this world we can observe poor people who are laughing, singing and enjoying life, while wealthy and powerful people seem to be dissatisfied no matter how much they have or where they are. What is the difference? Where does contentment come from?

Paul wrote that he learned to be content in whatever state he was (Philippians 4:11). Contentment does not come from getting more and more—because the eye is never content with how much it sees (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). Contentment is a state of mind that will fit any circumstance we find ourselves in. We can be content with much or with little—if we diminish our wants and change our focus to be on the spiritual more than on the physical. Being rich in the things of the world and poor in the things of God is one great cause of discontentment. Being rich in the things of God is where lasting contentment lies.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/where-do-we-find-contentment

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How Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Changed the World

“Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution has permeated nearly every aspect of our world and changed it dramatically. How is Darwinism affecting you?

Evolutionary thinking is all around us. Anytime we visit a zoo or natural history museum, watch a nature program or read a science or wildlife magazine, we will likely be exposed to evolutionary concepts.

In most public schools and universities, evolution is a major part of the biology and science curricula. We’re bombarded from nearly every avenue with the idea that life originated by chance and eventually developed into the organisms we see today.

It’s had a major effect on our society. A 2019 Pew Research Center study reported that a total of 81 percent of American adults believe in evolution. This includes 33 percent who hold that humans evolved due to processes like natural selection with no involvement by a Creator, along with 48 percent who think human evolution occurred through processes guided or allowed by a higher power.

Rewind 160 years to the beginning of Darwin’s theory of evolution

Historically speaking, the belief in evolution is a relatively new phenomenon. Throughout the history of Western civilization, people in most cultures believed that humankind and all forms of life were specially created by God (or other deities, albeit false).

It wasn’t until 1859, when British scientist Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species,that the public began to think otherwise. This was a major turning point in history, because it influenced people’s decisions to turn their backs on God, the Bible and religion.

Nothing “right” about evolution

The truth is, nothing good can come from accepting Darwin’s theory of evolution or its modern adaptations. It is a cruel, depressing and hopeless approach to our existence. Without knowing that we have a loving God who’s in control and that there’s an incredible purpose to our lives, it is impossible to have a truly positive outlook.

Moreover, no culture can survive when individuals make their own rules and live for themselves.

Ruthless competition at the expense of others is the exact opposite of how God wants mankind to live. The Bible instructs the strong to help the weak (Romans 15:1-3).

The other major problem with Darwin’s theory of evolution is that it’s unprovable. If evolution were true, there should be abundant evidence in the fossil records of transitional forms between species and proof of new species developing in the wild—but there isn’t. The only proof has been for microevolution—adaptation, or minor changes within existing species—which we do not dispute. (See our online article “Microevolution vs. Macroevolution.”)

Furthermore, neither Darwin nor any other scientist has been able to come up with a credible answer for where the original single-celled organism came from.

Still, many people cling to the idea of evolution and insist it’s true. This is to be expected. Romans 8:7 says that “the carnal mind is enmity against God.” Human nature would rather believe there is no God and no purpose for life, rather than submit to a higher power.

The Bible tells us that “scoffers will come in the last days” (2 Peter 3:3). There will be those who doubt God’s existence and ridicule those who don’t believe in evolution, right up until the time Christ returns.

But that’s when the scoffers and all of mankind will learn the truth—that we do have a Creator, and submitting to Him is the only way to a truly happy, meaningful existence.”

Complete article at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/is-there-a-god/proof-of-god/darwins-theory-of-evolution/?

More on this subject at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/is-there-a-god/proof-of-god/can-christians-believe-in-evolution/

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Update.  

As usual, we had a good Bible study with the visiting pastor from a church in Anderson, TX.  I think it is so great that he comes all the way to our senior apartments in Navasota to do this on his own time every Sunday afternoon. 

It was cold, windy and wet most of the week and when I took the dog out on her leash it wasn’t very good for my health, so I was still coughing, though the sneezes had gone.  Oh! What a luxury it must be, to be able to let a dog out into a fenced yard.  I still wasn’t up to par, so I didn’t really do much, just the minimum of laundry, cooking, dishes, cleaning, and taking care of the dog.  She had come out of her shell and wanted to play, but didn’t really know how to play “nice”, and used my arms as tug-toys.  My old, thin skin can’t take much of that.  I bought her a tug-rope, squeaky bones, balls, chewy things, but she didn’t even know how to play with them.  She had been abused, ignored and left in a back yard most of her life so now she has to learn how to live in a house with people, and play nice, so that she can be adopted.  Learning things like “No toofies on skin” is something that her siblings would have taught her if she hadn’t been taken away from them too young. 

I went to therapy on Tuesday, but they still didn’t do much for my back, and I have been getting better doing my own exercises.  I went for the Thursday appointment, and they didn’t even have it on their schedule, so I came home.

Friday, my church friend and I had our usual Bible study, still in Daniel, ready for Bible school on the Sabbath, the next day.  I arranged different kinds of cookies in a pretty tin for the church potluck. 

The Sermon was “Who Are You?” from Acts 19:11-20, the gist of it was: Don’t mess with the devil, if you don’t know Jesus”.

Well, it is going to be up to 68° tomorrow, but going back down to 29° on Wednesday.

What Does God Say About Witches and the Occult? Do the Souls of the Dead Live Forever? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”.

What Does God Say About Witches and the Occult?

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

““There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”

God outlawed witchcraft and other pagan practices that appealed to the evil spirit realm for their power. To God, it was an abomination for His people to seek help from Satan and his demons. Still, the Israelites were enticed by these practices again and again.

This was not just an Old Testament concern. The new converts to Christianity also took the subject of magic seriously ( Acts 19:19 ). The apostle John also warns that those who practice witchcraft must repent or they will end up in the lake of fire—the second death ( Revelation 9:21 ;21:8 ).

How did Western, so-called Christian nations get caught up in a holiday like Halloween that dabbles in the darkness of evil spirits, witchcraft and the occult? See our article “Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate It?””  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/what-does-god-say-about-witches-and-the-occult/?

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Considering Halloween: The Unfruitful Works of Darkness

Ephesians 5:11

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

God’s way is symbolized in the Bible as light, and darkness symbolizes sin and evil. Many times the apostle Paul encouraged faithful Christians to avoid the darkness of Satan’s lawless thinking and evil influences. For example, he wrote, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

He also wrote to the Corinthians: “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

The custom of Halloween, derived from popular pagan festivities to appease evil spirits, is definitely a time of darkness.

Paul continues by quoting from Isaiah 52:11 , “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

God’s people are to live no longer as the ungodly do in lewdness and greed ( Ephesians 4:17-19 ). How better to describe the risqué adult costume parties and the demands for treats of the younger crowd but as lewdness and greed?

God calls on us to draw near to Him and to resist the devil ( James 4:7-8 ). Should we not resist a holiday of darkness that celebrates evil?” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/considering-halloween-the-unfruitful-works-of-darkness/?

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Do the Souls of the Dead Live Forever?

Ezekiel 18:4

““Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.”

The word translated soul is the Hebrew nephesh, which can even refer to animals ( Genesis 1:21 ) and corpses ( Leviticus 22:4 ). The Bible does not describe humans as having an immortal soul, but as being a living soul—a living creature. As God says in Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 , human souls can die. In fact, death—eternal death—is the punishment for sin ( Romans 6:23 ).

Only God has immortality ( 1 Timothy 6:16 ), and He offers it as a gift to those who believe and obey Jesus Christ ( John 3:16 ; Romans 6:23 ).

For a study of the subjects of the mortality of the soul and hell, see our article “What Is Hell?” Understanding what the Bible teaches about the mortality of the soul provides further reason for Christians not to celebrate All Saints’ Day and Halloween.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/do-the-souls-of-the-dead-live-forever/?

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Update.

It has been a very busy two weeks.  Including slow driving through pouring rain twice, once to Bryan to the Social Security Office, and once to Willis.  It was so cold in Bryan waiting for the Soc. Sec. office to open with the wind chilling us to the bone, that I think that is where I caught a cold.  

With the aid of my helper, Joseph, we have moved all the items from the storage in Willis to a storage here in Navasota. One day it was raining so hard you couldn’t see, then the next day the trip to Willis was in blazing sunshine.  With the sun being low in the sky this time of year, the visors wouldn’t keep it out of my eyes. They seem a lot more sensitive to bright light since I had the cataract surgery.  But at least that is all done.  Now I can start selling a lot of the stuff and empty that storage soon, I hope.

As I have so many lentils I have been trying to get them used up.  For one Sabbath potluck I made Chili Cheese Lentils, then this week I made a Lentil Loaf with shredded carrots, celery, onions and black olives in it . No meat is served at this congregation, and they seem to live a long time.  Our lady pianist is 89 years old and going strong.

The last Sabbath the theme was “His Mercy Endures Forever”  Psa. 136:1, and the Sermon was about Submission.  This Sabbath is was “This Is the Day The Lord has Made, Let us Rejoice and Be Glad In It”  Psa. 118:24, and the Sermon was about Detachment.  Phil. 3:78.  How we should be detached from earthy things.

It is so great to be in this senior apartment, they are sturdily made of brick and well insulated.  I am usually cold and my electric heating bills used to be 50% higher than my summer AC bills.  Now I am happy that I can economically run the gas furnace as much as I want night and day. 

The 10 Commandments: A Matter of the Heart. Storm Damage.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

The 10 Commandments: A Matter of the Heart

From Learning Center \ Video Series

“Which of the 10 Commandments is the most important? Did Jesus replace them all with the command to love? What are the 10 Commandments really and truly about?

Intro video:  https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-10-commandments-a-matter-of-the-heart/

Ten short videos about The 10 Commandments:

The First Commandment: Gods Before God

The First Commandment lays an essential foundation that all the other commandments build upon. How can we put God first in a world as busy as ours?

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-1st-commandment/

The Second Commandment: Putting God in a Box

Why does the Second Commandment still matter in societies where carved idols are a thing of the past? This commandment keeps us focused not only on what we’re worshipping, but how we think about what we’re worshipping.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-2nd-commandment-putting-god-in-a-box/

The Third Commandment: Carrying the Name of God

The Third Commandment isn’t just a commandment about how we should talk—it’s a commandment about how we should walk, too. Not taking God’s name in vain requires more from us than just the right words.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-3rd-commandment-carrying-the-name-of-god/

The Fourth Commandment: What God Calls Holy

Largely forgotten today, the Fourth Commandment is one of God’s greatest blessings to mankind. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy?

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-4th-commandment-what-god-calls-holy/

The Fifth Commandment: How to Destroy a Civilization

Without the Fifth Commandment, society can (and will) collapse on itself. What makes honoring your father and mother such an integral part of human civilization?

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-5th-commandment-how-to-destroy-a-civilization/

The Sixth Commandment: Murder Starts Somewhere

Can you break the Sixth Commandment without ever killing someone? The command to not murder focuses as much on our hearts as it does on our hands.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-6th-commandment-murder-starts-somewhere/

The Seventh Commandment: A Quick Way to Ruin Everything

Like the Sixth Commandment, the Seventh Commandment requires us to guard our hearts. Adultery can begin in the heart long before any action ever takes place. How can we take the offensive against it?

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-7th-commandment-a-quick-way-to-ruin-everything/

The Eighth Commandment: What’s Yours is Mine

The Eighth Commandment helps us focus on how we view our neighbors, and digging deeper into Scripture helps us see that not stealing requires more than just not taking what doesn’t belong to us.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-8th-commandment-whats-yours-is-mine/

The Ninth Commandment: Take it Easy, Pinocchio

The Ninth Commandment has its roots in integrity and honesty. Truly obeying the command to not lie requires changing how we think.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-9th-commandment-take-it-easy-pinocchio/

The 10th Commandment: Where Your Treasure Is

The 10th Commandment is the first commandment to focus explicitly on what happens within the heart. It also turns our attention back to the importance of the very first commandment.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-10th-commandment-where-your-treasure-is/”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/the-10-commandments-a-matter-of-the-heart/

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Update.

Somehow, I missed posting last week. Things got a bit hectic around here with getting ready for the storms and then the damage. 

After the first big storm and when Zack went over to the mini-house to get something, he came back and said that some of the ceiling sheetrock was on the floor.  The main roof had sprung a leak, water had gone through the attic floor into the bedroom. So we had to clean up dripping ceiling insulation, and soggy sheetrock.  Chris came to help because she didn’t want me to injure my back any more than it already is. They moved everything out of the mini-house bedroom, and ripped up the carpet and padding.  We draped that expensive carpet over stuff in the carport to dry, as it can be saved.  The padding had to go in the trash. We all went into the attic where I had two sheets of 1/2” plywood stored up there which we put lengthways on an angle, braced on two big totes, covered that with a tarp and covered everything with plastic. It was all slanted so that any more water would go through a place to the outside.

On Monday the 29th, I finally had the bone scan in Huntsville TX, three weeks after the original order.  Here we are, nearly two weeks later, and my doctor still doesn’t have the results, or has lost them, and my chirpractor still doesn’t have the referral, so my tailbone and hip are still bothering me.  I feel very helpless, and I am not used to that.  It really hurts to bend my right hip.  I wanted to go up the ladder to look at trailer roof, but that would incur more anger from Chris than I would care to get. I can get up in the mini-house attic by keeping my right leg straight and it is a short attic ladder.

On a nice day, over in Chris’ horse pasture where I have my trailer stored, Zack got up on the roof of the Holiday Rambler and removed the roof vent that was leaking.  He scraped everything clean, best he could, and re-installed it with new butyl putty tape and smoothed a bead of Dicor sealant over the screws and the edges.  We removed the broken antenna completely, and riveted a patch of butyl putty taped aluminum over the hole, and another bead of Dicor.  The soaked ceiling was still dripping from the rain into a bucket when we left.

More storms. This is May, what happened to April showers?  On Tuesday 7th., I went for my cataract check-up.  I didn’t know they were going to dilate my eyes, and it was blinding sunshine when I came out of there.  I donned my dark glasses and managed to drive to the Kroger across the street.  There, I got on an electric cart and rode around shopping until my eyes got better.  But in the meantime the weather changed to stormy, and on the way home everyone was driving at a careful 40 mph on the freeway.  I got home here on the hill before the road below flooded.

Zack didn’t show up on Wednesday or Thursday, and more storms were forecast, so Chris came over. We went up into the mini-house attic and made some more storm preparations up there, then we went over to the trailer and she got up on the roof and did some more scraping and Dicor-ing because there had been more drips in the bucket.  After the next storm she reported that the bucket was dry. Hooray!

Because of a severe weather advisory we had to cancel the church service.  Many of the congregation live in nearby towns where if it floods they can’t get home.  At least I have a back way to get up here on this hill if the road below floods, but they don’t.  We called everyone we could, but there new people all the time, so I printed up a notice on the computer, laminated it with some clear Contact paper, and drove over to the church and taped it on the door.  Then I went by Lauri’s place down my road, to see if she would like to have a little worship service of our own, but she had another of her migraines.

Then the rains came and it was another dreary, soggy day.

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Answers About The Genesis Flood. Lessons from the NASCAR "Spotter". Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Questions and Answers About the Genesis Flood

“The Genesis Flood is one of the most fascinating accounts in the Bible and also one of the most challenged. This blog post looks at some common questions that are asked about the Bible’s account of a global flood.

Noah’s Flood, as it’s commonly called, is one of the best known stories in the Old Testament. Yet in modern times many question the validity and historicity of Noah and the Flood. Is the Genesis account of the Flood an outlandish myth that could not have really happened?

Let’s look at some of the common questions asked about the Genesis Flood.

Question 1: Was the Flood really a global flood?

The Bible uses very descriptive terminology to describe the magnitude of the Flood. “The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered” (Genesis 7:18-19, emphasis added throughout).

Notice the phrase “all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.” This literally means that the highest peaks around the earth were completely submerged. Remember that water seeks its own level. The only way for the highest mountains to be completely submerged would be a global flood.

In verse 20, we read this added detail: “The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.” Though we don’t know how tall the mountains stood in Noah’s time, the Bible is clear that they were completely covered by water.

Question 2: Is there evidence of the Flood outside of the Bible?

According to the book of Genesis, humanity was reestablished from a single place (the mountains of Ararat in modern Turkey). Genesis 10 describes the repopulation of the earth from that area by the offspring of Noah’s three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Since the post-Flood civilizations sprang from this common source, then you would expect that stories of the Flood would spread with them. The farther they got in time and distance from Noah, the more we would expect the details to morph and change. This is exactly what happened! Stories about a flood that destroyed mankind are found in many civilizations, from the Sumerians to Native Americans.

Since the post-Flood civilizations sprang from this common source, then you would expect that stories of the Flood would spread with them.Many doubt the accuracy of this story because of geologic dating methods. This topic is complicated and beyond the scope of this blog post, but I recommend you read the article “Geologic Dating Methods: Are They Always Accurate?” In short, modern scientific dating methods have often been shown to be incorrect.

Consider this: A high percentage of the rocks near the earth’s surface are sedimentary, which means they were formed through the solidification of sediment, usually deposited by water. This is exactly what we would expect if the earth was covered by water for a period of time. During and after the Flood, there would have been a massive movement of water, causing erosion and sedimentary rocks. In fact, many sedimentary rocks include fossils in them, which we would expect from a rapid burial in sediment due to a sudden flood.

Question 3: How did Noah get all those animals on the ark?

Skeptics have claimed it would have been impossible to fit all species of animals found on earth today inside the ark. But there are some things to consider.

Remember that Genesis says God created different “kinds” of animals (Genesis 1:11-12). Many of those “kinds” of animals have become varied as they reproduced and adapted to the different climates of the earth. But not all of today’s thousands of different species would have had to have been placed on the ark.

For example, there are many species of cats today, but it seems only one pair of cats would have had to have been saved on the ark. The variety of cats we have today would have descended from this one pair. To learn more about the animals taken on the ark, read “Clean and Unclean Animals on the Ark.”

Feeding this large group of animals would have been a challenge, but not impossible. Today there are many examples of animals that hibernate in the winter. Remember, the Flood was a supernatural event brought about by God Himself because of mankind’s evil. God could have caused many of the animals to simply hibernate through the Flood, which would mean they wouldn’t have needed to be fed every day. Many dangerous animals (such as snakes and bears) hibernate, which would also have kept those on the ark safer.

But regardless of the exact number or whether or not some went into hibernation, note this important point: The ark that Noah built was huge!

Feeding this large group of animals would have been a challenge, but not impossible.In Genesis 6:15 God gave specific instructions for the dimensions of the ark (in cubits). Most scholars believe the ancient cubit was roughly equivalent to 18 inches. That would make the general dimensions of the ark 450 feet in length, 75 feet in width and 45 feet in height. It also had three decks. There was a lot of space for the animals, and God could have also brought younger animals to the ark, thus taking up less space.

God was very strategic in His instructions to build this huge barge, so it’s probable that the selection of the animals to fit within the ark was just as strategic!

Question 4: How did Noah gather all the animals of the world?

Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/blog/questions-and-answers-about-the-genesis-flood/?

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Lessons from the NASCAR "Spotter"

“Daytona 500 recently kicked off the season. What can be learned from the crucial role of the spotter?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/kq6lgY9qOlA

[Steve Myers] “The NASCAR season has begun. Daytona 500 recently happened. And now, we are off and running. In fact, it is interesting, when you look at NASCAR and the millions of people that love NASCAR. There are some intricate things about the races that occur that really have drawn my attention into the idea of racing. And one of those things is not just this crew that works on the cars during the race. There is an important member of the crew that isn’t in the pit with them. It’s known as the spotter.

The NASCAR spotter actually overlooks the race. And what they do is they watch for challenges, difficulties, maybe a little smoke coming out of that engine, maybe the tires that might be having problems. They stay in constant communication with the crew in order to help that driver do the very best that he can in order to finish that race in pole position, number one.

And so this spotter is so critical to the success of the racer. And if you begin to think about that in a spiritual sense, we have a spiritual spotter who wants us to do the best in this spiritual race that we’ve been called to. In Psalm 121, it speaks to this idea of God being our spotter. It says, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help.”

You know, God is looking down on our life and He wants to help us. He wants to stay in touch with us and communicate with us. The question is, will we listen to His direction, His guidance, like the NASCARs listen to their spotters?

He goes on in Psalm 121, “The Lord is your keeper,” verse 5, “The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun won’t strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”  Because we’ve got a God who cares about us, who loves us and wants the very, very best for us.

And so like the spotter in that race, we have God’s direction. We have His guidance. But, of course, we’ve got to listen to Him. We’ve got to stay in constant communication with Him.

Psalm 121 ends like this, “The Lord shall preserve your going in and your coming out.” And so as we look at Him like that race, like that spotter, our loving God cares for us. And so let’s make every commitment in our lives to listen to Him, to stay close to Him, to watch for His guidance in our life.

And like that spotter in the NASCAR races, our spiritual spotter will lead us and will guide us as we submit our lives to Him.”

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Update.

The really cold weather (to us Texans) has surely put a damper on any outside activities.  I had acquired some 24” tall metal garden border fencing, so Zack and I tried to stick it in the ground outside my hedge so that people couldn’t walk into my back yard from the main road behind me.  I will be so glad when the subdivision replaces the fence.  Even wearing two pairs of gloves, it was so cold that we had to quit.  He did get the mower going and mowed my straggly front yard, but then he had to quit that, too.  Everyone around me seems to have come down with a cold, except me. 

My computer keeps on acting up and shutting down suddenly, so I keep on losing my work. Google Photos and also Google Drive are leaving us, so I have been in a panic about getting my pictures into a cloud so that I can access them from anywhere before this computer breaks down.   One of the used flat screen TV’s that I just bought suddenly got that “Black Screen of Death”, so  I am very vary of all this new trechnology now. 

I thought My Picture were going into Google drive, but they weren’t.  I tried putting them on an external drive, but my old, sick computer wouldn’t recognize it nor a flash drive.  I was so upset that I spent most of my time this week trying how to figure out how not to lose all My Pictures as I have several hundreds of photos of the things I have for sale listed in there.  I had to find a way to get to My Pictures from my laptop.  Finally, I got them in DropBox, so I hope that I can access them now.  

I made Cincinnati Chili for the Sabbath potluck.  It has lots of seasoning in it, including chocolate, and is served over spaghetti pasta.  Now that was a hit!  Other dishes were BBQ and lasagne.  All beef dishes this week!

The Bible verses were Exo. 1-2:22, Isa. 27:6-13, Heb. 11:23 and all of Mat. 9.  It was the pastor’s turn to give the Teaching and it was more on “The Messiah, Our Advocate” , this time on Righteousness. It was a warmer day, so now they were running the air conditioning in the church.  Back to wearing a coat for me!

 The weather is finally decent for several days.

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!”

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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

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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.