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

What Is Juneteenth All About?

by Kevin Epps

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

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

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

This proclamation was delivered by Union General Gordon Granger:

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

Absolute equality

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

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Breast Cancer Facts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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All Who Are in the Graves Will Hear His Voice

John 5:28-29

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Father Raises the Dead

John 5:21

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

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

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

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

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Update.

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

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

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

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

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

Why Another D-Day Is Needed

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

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

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

A brief history lesson

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

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

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

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

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

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

A world held captive

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

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

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

Another invasion of liberation

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

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

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

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

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

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The My Pillow Controversy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Which Way?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Update.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coronavirus Prayer. CDC. Where Is Lent in the Bible? What Are Ash Wednesday and Lent? Update.

Coronavirus Prayer

“A controversial photo provides us an important reminder.

VP Pence ridiculed for praying with coronavirus task force

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

[Darris McNeely] We’re all still watching news about the coronavirus as it continues to spread among the nations. More than 80,000 people have been infected by it, more than 3,000 people have died as of the last news report that I had on this subject. And we are still very much fearful of where it will go and what will happen even as nations such as the United States take the necessary precautions to shield its citizens and to work toward a vaccine to ward this off. We’re not out of the woods yet, but there is hope and there is reason to expect that we will see better days on this.

An interesting picture came up on the internet recently. In the United States, President Trump has appointed Vice President Pence to head up the team, the task force that is dealing with the coronavirus. In a meeting in the offices of the vice president, before they began, they did something that you see on that picture there. They all bound their heads and they asked a prayer. Pretty good thing, to ask prayer for something like the coronavirus or any other type of a pandemic or serious national crisis and emergency. It’s unbelievable, the criticism that came as a result of this picture when it got posted on the internet and what people thought. Critics, people of different ideas about God, Bible, religion, criticizing leaders praying for wisdom and for God’s hand and his intervention in this world crisis that is developing this pandemic of coronavirus. It brought to mind a scripture.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, it says from God to the people of Israel what to do at a time of crisis. It says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Those were God’s words to His people. Those were God’s words to any people, and they are words that we should listen to today.

I have no problem with the vice president leading a group prayer as they try to tackle this problem, and seek a solution, and come to a point for it. We should applaud that, and we all should go to God and ask God to give us wisdom and to heal our land. There may be a bigger crisis that will hit this land that will teach us this very same lesson, to call out to God, and to ask for his mercy, and ask for his help.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/coronavirus-prayer

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Don’t be alarmed by the media’s reports on Coronavirus, just check with the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

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Where Is Lent in the Bible?

“The Bible shows the truth behind popular customs like Lent.

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

[Steve Myers] Christianity has now entered the Lenten season. Mardi Gras is passed, Fat Tuesday into Ash Wednesday, and now the Lenten season is recognized by much of the Christian world. But when you check out what your Bible has to say about Lent, you’re not gonna find anything. It’s a man-made tradition, and when you recognize what God thinks about counterfeiting his way, it’s a very serious thing.

There is a powerful passage in the book of Colossians, Colossians 3:23. This is what God inspired Paul to write. “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”  You see the problem with false Christianity, made up Christianity, false traditions, they do a disservice to God and dishonor him. And when you really check out the basis for these practices, you’ll find them rooted in false beliefs, paganism.

I hope you’ll take some time to check it out. If you’ll search on our website, just type in the words “Lent,” and you’ll find a number of articles where you can get into the details of how Lent is an imposter, how it is fake, how is it a counterfeit to what the true God wants us to observe. So check it out, I think you’ll be surprised by what you find.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/where-is-lent-in-the-bible

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What Are Ash Wednesday and Lent? Does the Bible Tell Us to Celebrate

These Days?

“After Mardi Gras comes Ash Wednesday and 40 days of Lent. Did the early New Testament Church observe these days?

Enterline Design Services LLC/iStock/Thinkstock

The Bible does teach the importance of fasting and self-examination, but it does not teach a 40-day period called Lent or an Ash Wednesday of putting ashes on the forehead.

The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or Lent, and the early New Testament Church did not observe these days. Here is how the BBC Religion page describes Ash Wednesday and Lent:

“Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches. It’s a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast.

“Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some other churches hold special services at which worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin…

“The Christian churches that observe Lent in the 21st century (and not all do significantly) use it as a time for prayer and penance. Only a small number of people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking” (BBC).

Lent is counted differently by those of the Western Catholic tradition and those of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. “The western church excludes Sundays (which is celebrated as the day of Christ’s resurrection) whereas the eastern church includes them. The churches also start Lent on different days. Western churches start Lent on the 7th Wednesday before Easter Day (called Ash Wednesday). Eastern churches start Lent on the Monday of the 7th week before Easter and end it on the Friday 9 days before Easter. Eastern churches call this period the ‘Great Lent’” (BBC).

Various biblical events and customs are referred to by those who celebrate these days. The Bible mentions people mourning in sackcloth and ashes. The Bible also talks about repentance and fasting, and the number 40 is prominent in various biblical events.

“The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus’ 40-day wilderness fast before His temptation by Satan (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, ‘Lent’; Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:13). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus’ supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible” (The Good Friday—Easter Sunday Question).

Some have suggested that Lent may be connected to earlier, pagan holidays. In Ezekiel 8:14, the prophet in vision saw women weeping for the pagan god Tammuz. “It has been suggested by some scholars that the practice of ‘weeping for Tammuz’ was the actual origin of Lent, the Roman Catholic 40-day period of abstinence prior to Easter (starting after Mardi Gras, ‘Fat Tuesday,’ on Ash Wednesday). Consider that the name Easter itself is derived from Ishtar, the ancient Babylonian fertility goddess and Tammuz’s mother”. (See the Bible commentary on Ezekiel 8 for details.)

The Bible does teach the importance of fasting and self-examination, but it does not teach a 40-day period called Lent or an Ash Wednesday of putting ashes on the forehead. These customs appear to have pagan origins.  We seek to follow the customs and practices of the early New Testament Church as described in the Bible. For more on the biblical religious festivals, such as the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, see God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-are-ash-wednesday-and-lent-does-the-bible-tell-us-to-celebrate-these-days

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Update.

Apart from the bible studies here and going grocery shopping in College Station, there hasn’t been much to report.  My medical situation changed so I had to confer with the agent to get a different policy with United Care.  She was very thorough and helpful so now I will have a DO instead of an MD for my doctor.  Most MDs, all they know is how to write prescriptions.  DOs have a different kind of training, I hope this one is like that!

The most notable thing this last week was that my little abused, rescued dog, Foxie, finally got the message that it was OK to pee, and no one was going to punish her for peeing again.  She used to be so afraid when she wet her blankie and would tremble and try to hide it she was so afraid of being punished.  With lots of praise every time she peed outside, she got the message that it was OK and then she would smile, like an American Eskimo can.  Now she will wait until she is taken outside and doesn’t pee on her blankie any more.  But she is still terrified of strangers and will tremble when she sees them.  Now she has gone to an SPCA friend of mine who has a fenced yard, who will train her some more, and get her spayed.  I miss Foxie, but she needed a place to run, play with other dogs, and not be on a leash all the time. 

For the church potluck I made a pot full of organic veggies.  They don’t serve meat there at that church. The sermon was “Why Keep The Sabbath” and why it is a Sabbath made for man to rest on the seventh day.

Memorial Day: A Day of Remembrance. Why Work? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Memorial Day: A Day of Remembrance  

“Memorial Day helps us remember those who have died in war. It can also help us long for the day when true peace will come to this war-torn world.

On Memorial Day Americans will honor those who died fighting in the many wars that have marked this nation’s 242-year history. Flowers will be placed on the graves of the dead, and ceremonies will take place around the country to honor those who gave their lives in defense of this country. Prayers will also be offered up for the safety of those actively serving in harm’s way.

As we honor those who sacrificed their lives in war, we might ask ourselves, will war or the threat of war always be with us?

A brief history

Memorial Day was proclaimed in 1868 (three years after the Civil War) by General John Logan and was first observed on May 30 of that year when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. More Americans were killed fighting the Civil War than both world wars combined.

After World War I the holiday was changed to honor Americans who died fighting in any war. It is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

Most have deep respect for those young men and women who willingly laid their lives on the line for the security of their families and country.

Sometimes in today’s ungodly world, it seems that there is no alternative to war.

A terrible toll

Though war is glorified in movies and video games, in reality it exacts a terrible toll on nations as well as individuals”

Continue Reading  at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/memorial-day-a-day-of-remembrance/

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Why Work?

“It is important to work so that we can provide, but what other reason is there for our labor?

YouTube: https://youtu.be/R_necpnsT_0

Transcript

[Steve Myers] “Why do you work? Well, most of us would certainly answer the question, well, I need to provide. I need to provide for myself, I need to provide for my family, I’ve got bills to pay, I’ve gotta take care of my mortgage or my rent, I’ve gotta put food on the table. Those are the normal answers and those are all good things, we do need to provide. God says that we’re supposed to do that, if we don’t provide for our own Paul told Timothy, “We’re worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

So we do have to provide, but is that the only reason why we work? The Apostle Paul gives us some insight into an important reason that may not normally come to mind, and it’s over in the book of Ephesians 4:28. He’s giving some instructions on how we can be more Christ-like, how we need to grow more Godly in our character and he says, “Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor.”

So we do need to work, we need to work and take care of ourselves, we can’t have dishonest gain. Can’t have it that way. So he says, “Working with his own hands what is good,” so there’s that concept I’ve gotta put food on the table, I’ve gotta pay the rent those kinds of things. But then he concludes the thought by saying that “He may have something to give him who has need.” So he’s expanding this idea of why do we work? Is it only for selfish reasons? Is it only to put bread on the table? Is it only to pay the rent? You see the Apostle Paul saying, “An important reason we work is to give, and to share, and to fill others’ needs.”

And so we see in a sense the working of the commandments here that first as a Christian I have to provide for my own family. I have to love God, provide for my own. But he also says I have to provide for others and help others that are in need, so it’s that fulfilling of the commandment, love my neighbor. Love my neighbor as myself. So let’s remember this principle that we need to work and then recognize the fact I have to help others, I should serve others, I should certainly work also in order to give to him who has need.””  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/memorial-day-a-day-of-remembrance/

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Update

Zach helped me a couple of times this week, but he doesn’t eat right and often gets sick.  He is 40, yes, forty years younger than I am, and is in terrible shape.  He gets overheated and tired very easily. He only eats processed, or fried food, hardly any veggies or anything with antioxidents in it. https://www.sharecare.com/health/antioxidants/a-good-antioxidant-for-me    And he drinks a lot of sodas.  You can’t run your body like that, just like you can’t run your car on water.  YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, AND WHAT IT ATE !!  Food is your only fuel, so eat what is right.

He pressure-washed the side fence while I cut down any weeds that might get in his way.  My houses are on a corner at the front of the subdivision so I originally had two border fences.  They (The Property Owners Assn.) said that I could keep the side fence if I maintained it.  They said that about my back yard fence which borders the front of the subdivision, but some silly sod that was working for them took that fence down without even bringing it up at a meeting.   So I have no fence between my houses and the main road behind me now.  The new board says that they will replace it with a better fence.  We will see!  Anyway, in the mean time we are working on the side fence.  As long as it looks good, maybe they will leave it alone.

We also hung the kitchen door back up in the mini-house.  We had taken it down to paint the jam to match the other doorways.  Zack tires so easily that we have to quit early. 

A feral mama cat had her kittens here, and they are so cute, three orange and two gray tabbies.  They run and hide when they see anyone coming, but one little orange bobtail one lets me pet him.  How do I know it is a him?  Because most orange tabbies are males.  The mama has moved them again, I don’t know where they are now, but I have been leaving food out for her as it must be difficult for her to make milk for five babies.  When I know where the babies are, I will catch them and trap her, then they can get spayed or neutered.  EVERY LITTER BIT HURTS.

My granddaughter, Michelle, from my son’s side, came to see me so that we could discuss getting all this stuff and this place sold, but no plan of action has been decided yet.  She wanted all the ribbons and stuff that I got when I was showing dogs, and as I have no more use for them, I gave them to her, along with my vintage Schwinn.

The broken church kitchen fridge was replaced so I took some of their stuff back.  I had to stop at the Post Office on the way, so I could only take what could be kept in insulated container with packs of dry ice.  The ‘new’ fridge isn’t as big as the old one, but it was donated, so we didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  I made a Chinese dish with grass-fed Angus beef, baby corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, snow peas, carrots, onion, etc.  and another crockpot of brown rice.  We also had chicken salad, butter beans, beef and penne, broccoli, sweet potatoes, several gooey pies and fruit pies.

The Bible readings were Lev. 25:1-26:2, Jer. 32:6-27 and Luke 4:16-21.  The Teaching was How Christ (Yeshua) Gives.  He gives us Rest, Keys to the Kingdom, Power over evil spirits, Living Waters, His life, and Peace.

The sanctuary was so cold that I could hardly stay in there.  The sanctuary doesn’t have a very high ceiling but the vents really blow hard.  Whoever put in that system didn’t account for that.  I can’t stand icy cold air blowing on me like that, my eyes watered, my head stopped up, and I was sniffling from the cold draught.  I tried moving to different places, but there was no escaping it.  I might have to go back to the afternoon church a few miles south of that one, next Saturday.

A World Where Weinstein’s “MeToo” Couldn’t Exist. “Liar, Liar, Plants for Hire”. Slaves of Sin. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

A World Where “MeToo” Couldn’t Exist

“For weeks now, victims of sexual harassment have been sharing their “MeToo” stories. The Bible promises a world where those stories will never happen again.

Sometimes I like to play a game called “What If We Just …?”

It’s a pretty simple game. Here’s how it works: Sometimes, when I come across a passage in the Bible where God tells us to do something, I ask, “How would the world be different if we all just did that one thing?”

The answer is almost always, “It wouldn’t fix everything, but things sure would be a whole lot better than they are now.”

Take the Eighth Commandment. How would the world change if no one stole anything ever again? A lot of insurance salesmen would be out of a job, for starters. We’d be less worried if belongings went missing—in a world with no thefts, things would only be misplaced. We’d be a little more trusting and a little less worried about being defrauded or scammed by a con artist.

You can do the same mental exercise with the other commandments. What if we lived in a world where no one lied? Where no one murdered? Where everyone honored his or her parents? Where everyone kept the Sabbath day holy? Imagine a world where any one of those things is true, and you’ll see how one little rule, universally obeyed, could really change things.

Weinstein and #MeToo

“What If We Just…?” is a fun game, but it’s also a sad one—because at the end of it, you have to come back to a world that frequently ignores all of God’s commandments (and not just the 10 big ones). You have to wade through depressing news story after depressing news story of things that never would have happened if people would just do the thing God said to do.

Consider the millions of stories reflected in the #MeToo hashtag.

Millions upon millions of women have made it clear that sexual harassment is pandemic.Last month, as allegation after allegation of sexual assault came out against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano suggested on Twitter, “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”

Within hours, #MeToo was everywhere. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—over the next few weeks, women around the world took to social media to identify themselves as victims of sexual assault and harassment. Overnight, #MeToo offered a staggering sense of scale:

Weinstein is not an anomaly. Millions upon millions of women have made it clear that sexual harassment is pandemic. It’s a serious problem in the workplace, in universities and even at home. For so many women, it’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “how often.”

Missing the point

How did we get here? How did we end up in a world where so many women (and even some men) have to deal with being degraded or violated—a world where the victims are often too afraid or too embarrassed to speak out?

Whenever this topic comes up, a lot of well-meaning people have asked a lot of well-meaning questions that have entirely missed the point. These questions tend to put the blame at the feet of the victims: What was she wearing? How was she acting? What part of town was she in?

If we’re trying to get to the heart of the problem, then those are the wrong questions. Is there a discussion worth having about how God expects His people to dress and behave? Yes, absolutely. But are those the real reasons men assault or harass women?

No.

Men who mistreat and abuse women do so because something in their mind is sick and twisted. That’s the reason.

The heart of the problem

Let’s play a quick round of “What If We Just …?” This time we’ll plug in the Seventh Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

How would obeying that verse change the world?

At first glance, the scope seems limited—at least until we consider the true depth of that commandment.

Jesus explained to His disciples, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

The Seventh Commandment isn’t just about what we do with our bodies; it’s about what we do with our hearts. It’s about where we’re looking and why. It’s about the places we let our minds go.

Now imagine a world where no one lusted after anyone. Where both men and women looked at each other with respect for their value as human beings and not as objects to be desired, used and discarded.

Would the #MeToo campaign have a reason to exist in a world like that? Would stories like the Harvey Weinstein scandal exist in a world like that?

No, they wouldn’t. They couldn’t. If we just obeyed that one single commandment, there would be no need for anyone to post their #MeToo stories. There would be no need for women to fear being violated or humiliated by strangers and coworkers. We wouldn’t need to be having this discussion at all.”                      Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/a-world-where-metoo-couldnt-exist/

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There’s a Proverb for That: Liar, Liar, Plants for Hire*

“The research into how much we all lie to one another is as prevalent as it is condemning. When it comes to lying, the book of Proverbs is not impressed.

People have been lying to each other for thousands of years. Evidence? A wisdom book written nearly 3,000 years ago addresses the consequences of, and God’s disgust with, lying.

“That’s pants on fire, Patrick*”

In the sophisticated and biting social commentary found within an episode of the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, the humorously dim-witted Patrick Star skewers the familiar rhyme about dishonesty by instead saying, “Liar, liar, plants for hire.” When corrected by the momentarily uppity SpongeBob, Patrick then retorts, “Well, you would know, liar.”

It’s easy to slip up and lie occasionally for a variety of reasons, even when we strive to be truthful. There are the so-called “little white lies” to make sure we don’t hurt someone’s feelings. We also have the whoppers to get us out of trouble when scared. Then there are the lies that have just enough truth in them for us to justify them as not actually being lies. The common thread? Our nose and seared conscience grow with each one we let slide.

It’s very hard for the truth to set us free when we twist, abuse, distort, neglect and run away from it (John 8:32). If those who love and practice a lie are not welcome inside the gates of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:14-15), there must be a pretty good reason to stay truthful. And, yes, there is a proverb for that.

Proverbs and implications

1. Proverbs 12:22: “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” 

Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/theres-a-proverb-for-that-liar-liar-plants-for-hire/

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Slaves of Sin or Slaves of Righteousness?

Romans 6:15-16

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

The apostle Paul, after describing in Romans 5 the incredible sacrifice of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of our sins and make possible the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life, saw the need to explain more fully.

We can do nothing to “earn” forgiveness or eternal life, but that doesn’t mean that God wants us to continue sinning. Obviously if God hates sin so much that He requires the death penalty for sin, He does not want us to go back to doing it. Sin causes pain and suffering and death. Obeying God’s law produces right relationships and life.

Paul points out that humans must choose whom they will serve: either sin leading to death or obedience to God’s good and righteous law, which leads to being right with God. Those are the only two choices; and as God said long before, He wants us to choose obedience and “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:16-19).

For more about sin and God’s law, see The 10 Commandments for Today”

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Update:

My little timid shy foster cat, Puddin’, came home for the holidays, so the other cat that I am taking care of, “Flower”, whose house drowned in Harvey, had to spend the week in my grooming room because she doesn’t like other cats.  She took it like a trooper, but was so glad when she could come back into the main part of the house and sleep on my bed when Puddin” went back to the Cat Habitat at Petco. 

Puddin’ was so happy to be here at home, and I loved having her.  I cried when it was time for her to go, but she doesn’t belong to me, she is an SPCA foster cat and they paid for her medical bills and everything.  Anyway, at my age, how can I offer her a “forever” home?  She doesn’t show well in the Habitat, and won’t come out of the little ‘cave’ to entertain potential adopters, so she will probably be back home when her time is up at the Habitat.  We were hoping that being there would help her get over her shyness.  The Petco employees and customers love to play with the Habitat cats through the plexiglass.

The chiropractor worked on my back twice, but it has been out for such a long time, and now that I am getting older it is more difficult for it to snap back into place.  My back is a little less sore after they massaged it, and my knee doesn’t hurt as much, so we are making progress.

For the Sabbath church potluck I made Angus Ground Beef and Brown Rice. Then it took most of one afternoon to peel, dice and roast all kinds of veggies, zucchini, celery, carrots, onions, bell peppers, sweet and white potatoes, but they are soooo good roasted, that it was worth it. Then because of the time of the year I took some seasoned black-eyed peas. 

The pastor’s wife was sick again, and the elder who usually helps with the kitchen wasn’t there either, so I had to do everything myself, but it went OK, and everyone was happy with the spread.  There was also lasagne, chicken bites and veggies.  Several folks took the left-overs home with them, so they must have liked it.

The Bible reading were Gen. 44:18-47:27, about Joseph’s kin coming to him in Egypt, Eze. 37:15-37:28 and Eph 2:1-10.  The Teaching was “The Nature of the Messiah”, but as usual it was difficult to concentrate on it as I was trying to get the pot luck together in the kitchen.

Now I have acquired a lovely 6 months old spayed Siamese kitten who needs a good home. It was heart wrenching to see the little girl give up her kitten due to allergies.

We are expecting a batch of freezing weather, so I have been going around checking the covers on the long trough of aloe Vera plants, pipes, etc. getting ready for the next few days.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trumpet plagues

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

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

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

The first resurrection to eternal life

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

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

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

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

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

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The Feast of Trumpets, A Turning Point in History.

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

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

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

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

The return of Jesus Christ!

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

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

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

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

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

Why the symbolism of trumpets?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Update:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Role of Women. Role of Men. Update.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:  Though, I am sorry, it’s late, as it is Monday today. On Sunday, I was busy talking to my son and daughter who called me for Mother’s Day.

Role of Women

“What makes a successful wife and mother? Where can you find a job description and practical principles for making the most of these challenging roles?

Human history gives a very confusing picture of the proper role of women in the family and in society. In some cases she is the dominant figure, while in many cultures and throughout much of history she has been viewed as second-class at best, and little more than property or chattel at the other extreme.

What did God really intend when He created Eve?

In the beginning …

The Bible gives many examples of women, including those who were righteous and those who were wicked, those who were strong and those who were weak. Through these examples, we can glean lessons about God’s intended role for the women He so lovingly created.

If we go back to the beginning, in Genesis 2:18, we see Eve was created after Adam as a “help meet for” (King James Version) or “helper comparable to” Adam. What does this mean? Was she just an afterthought?

After creating Adam, God gave him the task of naming all of the animals. It seems clear from verse 20 that this was to show Adam that none of them were “comparable” or suitable for him. To show Adam how special the woman was, God created her from a part of Adam himself—his rib, thus indicating that husband and wife truly are one flesh in God’s sight.

Then we read, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Together they were complete and whole.

A “help meet”

The expressions “help meet” or “helper comparable,” found in the King James Version and the New King James Version respectively, are sometimes viewed negatively. But God did not intend woman to be a weak or inferior person. The Hebrew word translated “help” or “helper” is used 21 times in the Old Testament, and most of those are in the context of the help that would come from God Himself. God’s help would not be weak or inferior!

The role God created for Eve was that of strengthening the family. Adam was not complete by himself, and Eve was given the ability to help him build that completeness. The woman’s role is not lesser or inferior, but it is different from the man’s. And God does not leave her without additional instruction in Scripture on her proper role.

Understanding submission

For many today the word submit is a highly offensive term. Some go so far as wanting to take it entirely out of their wedding vows, in spite of God’s instructions. Through the apostle Paul, God tells wives to “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). What does that mean?

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines submit as “to yield to governance or authority … to yield oneself to the authority or will of another … to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another.” Submission is yielding, consenting to the authority of another, in this case to her husband. Submission as God intended is something that must be given, not something that should be demanded or enforced. Within marriage, it is an act of love and respect!

God clearly gave the man the role of leader in the family (Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 11:3). It is important to note that husbands are charged with submitting to the authority of Christ.

God gives the husband further instructions for his role in the family, which we will discuss in the article on the man’s role below.

A wife is not to submit to her husband’s abusive or ungodly behavior, and a husband must not demand submission from his wife to yield to any of his abusive or ungodly behavior. But when both roles of submission are being righteously lived, it is far more likely that there will be peace and harmony in the marriage.”  

Continues at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/role-of-women/

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Role of Men

“What is the proper role of men in the family and society? History reveals extremes from the family dictator to the bumbling sitcom dad. What did God design?

Society has many different ideas about what the role of men should be. But what did our great and loving Creator intend?

In the beginning …

To answer that question we need to start in the beginning, at the creation of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2 we see that Adam was created before Eve. Adam was given the task of naming all of the animals. It seems clear that at least part of the purpose for this was to help him realize that none of these creatures were “comparable to him.” Every other creature had its mate; but Adam was at that point alone, the only one of his kind (verse 20).

After he was done naming all the animals, God then created a very special blessing for him—a woman fashioned from Adam’s own rib. The connection between them was undeniable. Together they had a oneness—they formed a family, a complete unit (verse 24).

New Testament instructions

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul very specifically outlined the leadership roles God intended within the family in Ephesians 5:23. Here we see that the husband is to be the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church. That sets a very high standard for men to live up to!

What specifically is this standard God expects men to live up to? Verse 25 makes two very important points. The first is that Christ “loved” the Church. There are many definitions for love. But one that would describe Christ’s love for the Church is “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).

The second point (which is an extension of Christ’s love) is that He gave Himself for the Church. What is described in these verses is authority as the head of the family and a commitment to fulfill the needs of the family. Jesus Christ demonstrated that real leadership and real love are self-sacrificing in order to provide what is needed to those who are led and loved.

The husband’s role is intended to be one of loving authority and not a harsh authoritarian role. And as a loving authority, the husband is accountable to God for the welfare of his family—physically, morally, spiritually and emotionally.

With understanding and honor

The apostle Peter adds to our understanding in 1 Peter 3:7. Here husbands are instructed to “dwell with them [their wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life.” There are three points made here:

1. The husband must dwell with his wife with understanding. Of course, this evokes many humorous comments because there are men who feel they can never “understand” their wives. Sadly, many husbands and wives simply do not take sufficient time with each other or even try to get to know each other well enough to “understand” what the other may struggle with or be going through. One-on-one quality time together is necessary, no matter how long a couple has been together.

2. What about the “weaker vessel” part of this passage? Women are generally smaller and not as physically strong as a man. So God is directing husbands to take care of their wives, to look out for, cherish and demonstrate tenderness toward them. When God created woman, He could have made her equal in strength and stature to the man, but He did not. Instead, He gave man the responsibility to protect, care for and give honor to her.

3. The third part of this passage is “being heirs together of the grace of life.” The Moffatt translation states, “You must honor them as heirs equally with yourselves of the grace of life.” The potential to be children of God in His Kingdom is the same for both men and women.

While God established certain roles for men and other roles for women in our physical families, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate one sex has more favor with God, or that one would have preeminence in the coming Kingdom. The relationship between husband and wife today should be harmonious and one of mutual love and respect, knowing that both are to equally inherit eternal life.

Role of a father.”

Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/role-of-men/

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Update:

Where do the weeks go??  Roy, my helper and I have made more progress in the mini-house.  I bought a new laminate router bit, so we cut off the edge of the front and side kitchen counters.  The sink and stove cutouts haven’t been done yet.  Then we built the cabinet across from the sink side, but that hasn’t been Formica-ed yet. It will be for housing pressure cookers, crockpots and such large items, and there are several outlets along that 6’ section of wall. That is where the coffee maker will be to keep it out of the work area.

One day I even had time to go grocery shopping here in Willis, but I haven’t been into Conroe lately.  I need to go soon as we need things from Lowes or Home Depot.  Two mornings I had to drive into Willis to get Roy as his friend wouldn’t get up to bring him here because they had been night fishing.

Here are pictures of the lights we installed last week:

This is in the kitchen, the celing is white, but you wouldn’t know it by my camera!

The fixture is a brushed nickel finish to go with some other things in the kitchen.

This little flat light on the left, is in the closet as that ceiling is lower.

It is a florescent light.

 

 

Then this is the ceiling fan/light in what will be the bedroom. It has little butterflies on it

 

 

 

 

 

One thing that I splurged on when grocery shopping in Kroger was some Bisto.   Shepherd’s Pie is British and it just doesn’t taste right without British Bisto gravy powder.  So for the church potluck and I took my homemade Shepherd’s Pie made with ground beef, peas, carrots, Bisto gravy and the usual mashed potatoes on top.  People were getting second helpings so I grabbed a small container and saved some to take home for Roy’s lunch the next day, as I knew he had never had it.  He liked it too.  Gary brought a chicken dish with German noodles, and the pastor’s wife made taco meat with all the fixin’s.  We had pizza, too, and all the dishes were good, as always.

But the biggest surprise was when Jay, my former helper, called and wanted to go to church with me.  Everyone there was so pleased to see him, and sober too.

One new thing that wasn’t a surprise, was that my daughter Wendy and son-in-law picked up their new white German Shepherd puppy from the rescue, all neutered and vaccinated.  They still haven’t come up with a permanent name for him yet though.  I suggested Ollie, like ‘Ollie the Donkey’ in the kid’s Christian cartoon because of the dog’s enormous ears, or Frankie for Sinatra because of his blue eyes, but Wendy seemed to like my suggestion of “Blanco”.  We will see.  He is getting along great, playing with their Australian Shepherd, Bowser, and he is another great joy for them.  Bowser loves to go jet-skiing with them (with his life jacket on of course) and maybe the new pup will too.  It is a three-seater jet ski.

Another surprise was that my previous foster cat, 12 year old Napoleon was adopted from the SPCA habitat at Conroe Petco.    My new foster, Gertrude is a strange declawed 9 year old lady.  She finds the darndest places to sleep, and she changes places every three days, but never comes up on my bed or ventures into the rest of the house. She just stays in my bedroom and bathroom.

One time, the tri-day place was my bathroom sink, so I had to wash my hands at my bathtub.  Another time it was on my closed toilet lid fluffy cover, so I had to use the other bathroom.  Then it was on my sweater shelf, and she pushed some on the floor.  The back of the linen cupboard has had it’s turn, and a shoe shelf.  I think she is trying to play games with me to see how I will react. I don’t like to disturb her as she is shy and just getting used to my place. This is her home, and she is welcome to go anywhere in this house except for counters or tables.

The Bible readings were Lev. 16:1-18:30, Eze. 22:1-22:19 and Rom. 3:19-28.  The Teaching was about the Different Bible Translations.

Upon arriving at the church, I was a hurry to get into the dining hall to help the pastor’s wife and forgot to put up the windshield sunshade, so you know what the car felt like when we got back in it because it such a warm day, so Jay complained until it cooled down.  He would complain if he was hung with a new rope!

There were two cakes at the potluck, one for a couple’s 50th Anniversary, and one for Mother’s Day.