Tag: #Blog

The Tapestry

The Tapestry

I have several quilts and woven tapestry throws that I hope to pass on to my daughters one day. In the meantime I keep some of them displayed around our home on quilt racks, beds, and couches.

Recently, I noticed a food stain on one of the tapestries throws that I keep on our living room couch, so I threw it in the washer along with a load of white towels. Big mistake. I forgot to set the water temperature to cold. My red and white tapestry throw became my red and pink tapestry throw. My white towels came out light pink as well. The towels were not a big deal but my tapestry throw was ruined. I re-washed it in cold water and it helped it a bit but not enough.

So I went on an eBay search to replace it using the key words, red, white, and tapestry. While searching through endless photos on eBay, the poem, “My Life is but a Weaving” by Corrie ten Boom came to mind:

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

#CorrieTenBoom

Corrie reminds us that while the underside of a tapestry appears to be a knotted and frayed mess of disconnected threads, the finished product is a beautiful weaving which is revealed on the topside. It’s the events in our life which we consider the “messy” or “dark” things, that are actually instruments of God’s providential care for us that leads to His will being done in our life.

I like the way that Alistair Begg explains it:

“Satan often wants us to stay focused on such seemingly jumbled and discouraging circumstances, doubting God and His good provision. We so easily forget that what appears to be a mess is just the back view of the tapestry God is weaving. One day, though, when we get the chance to see His handiwork from the front, all of those strange and dark threads will prove to have been part of His glorious pattern. Today, remember that “coincidences” are no such thing, that uncertainties and difficulties are opportunities to trust in God, and that behind all of them He is working out His plans to prosper His people in faith and godliness, and to bring them home.”

As I see it, we all have messy and dark circumstances in our lives, sorrows and situations that we may wish would never have happened, and some of which we may not even understand. But I think the key is found in our perspective; a Christian perspective.

A perspective that trusts that the “messy and the dark,” the “gold and silver” are all a part of God’s plan in our lives.

A perspective that He has a purpose for that which we consider as bad, rather as something good, if it has drawn us to Him.

A perspective that God is the Grand Weaver of our lives and of our story, our own personal story of salvation.

A Romans 8:28 kind of perspective:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

By the way, in my search for a replacement tapestry throw, I found one that I like even more than the one I messed up!

Imagine that.

My red, white, and pink quilts and tapestry throws. I also have several others in a variety of colors.

The Sun ☀️

The Sun ☀️

The sun is simply amazing. It provides light, warmth, energy, and natural vitamin D to support our immune system. All provisions that God has graciously made to benefit and sustain us. Without the sun, life as we know it, would cease to exist.

I remember when I was in my early teens back in Indiana, my best friend had the prettiest golden tan. I figured I could have a tan just like her if I just laid out in the sun like she did. Right? One day after we had just spent the afternoon in my backyard laying out in the sun together, and just as I was beginning to think I was getting some color, her mom came to pick her up and said to me, “Elaine, you need to get out in the sun more!”

Later that summer, on a Florida family vacation, I stayed out on the beach all day the first day of our vacation. I walked up and down the Daytona Beach coastline thinking I was going to such get a good tan! Wrong. I was practically burnt to a crisp, from head to toe. I spent the entire rest of our family vacation sick in bed with sun poisoning. It was the absolute worst sunburn of my entire life. I remember I was so sick to my stomach, I was dizzy for days, and I fainted whenever I tried to stand up. It was awful!

I learned then and there that too much of a good thing, isn’t always good. I also learned, the hard way, that fair skin just doesn’t tan as well as other skin types.

So I’ve pretty much avoided overexposure to the sun in one way or another ever since. I began by seeking shade whenever outside, and made a conscious choice to give up laying out in the sun.

It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I started actually thinking about sun damage and started wearing sunscreen everyday.

In my 40’s I experienced the first of several Basel cell skin cancers that have emerged over the past 25 years or so.

In my 50’s I found some skin care products that lightened some of the brown spots on my face, and I also increased my sunscreen SPF to 50.

Now in my late 60’s and at the suggestion of my dermatologist, I also wear a sun 👒 bonnet whenever possible.

May 2022

Hat or no hat, the long term effects of sun exposure, especially the years of not wearing sun screen when I was young, has taken its toll on my skin. Regardless, I still enjoy the outdoors as much as possible and am thankful for all of God’s provisions, including the sun.

I say all of this to draw attention to a false theology involving the sun that I recently became aware of. This false theology actually started many years ago however it still exists today and is being practiced by people who claim to be Christian. It’s called Astrotheology and is best described as the combination of astrolatry (worship of the sun, moon, and stars) and Christianity, however anytime Christianity is combined with another belief system it becomes a false theology.

I find it quite disturbing that there are so many false religions and false teachers in the world today. What is it about false religions and false teachers that draws people into it? Why believe a lie instead of the truth?

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25

Anyway, to explain Astrotheology in more detail, the following includes excerpts from one of my favorite websites, Got Questions:

Astrotheology attempts to twist Scripture so that Jesus Christ, instead of being God’s SON, is actually God’s SUN. Astrotheology ties the gospel to ancient god myths and mystery religions.

True theology looks up at the stars, moon, and sun; sees proof of God’s glory; and worships Him for what He has made.

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

True theology does not worship the creation (which astrolatry does), and it does not view the creation as a symbol of God (which astrotheology does).

The false concept behind Astrotheology is that the story of Jesus Christ is the story of man’s relationship with the sun and the seasons. Early man was afraid of darkness and realized his dependence on the sun, waiting for the sun to come again day after day. Darkness became a symbol of evil (the devil), and God, who gave us the sun for light and warmth and growing food, was good. Eventually, says astrotheology, these ideas were expressed in the Bible as the story of Jesus Christ.

Astrotheology falsely teaches that Bible verses that say Jesus is the light of the world (e.g., John 8:12) are really referring to the physical sun. Additionally they purport that the twelve months of the year are represented by Christ’s twelve apostles, and the four Gospels represent the four seasons.

Additionally, Astrotheology falsely teaches that the mythologies of ancient gods such as Osiris, Horus, Adonis, and Mithras were based on seasonal cycles, and that the story of Jesus Christ is just a retelling of those ancient tales. Several books and two recent films, The God Who Wasn’t There and Zeitgeist, are making these claims popular.

The problem with such claims is twofold: 1) astrotheology and similar beliefs dismiss the evidence for the historical Jesus Christ, and 2) the so-called parallels between the Gospels and the mythical religions are invalid, as honest research will show. The claims made by the historical Jesus are unique and do not match the stories of the pagan gods.

Any attempt to allegorize the Word of God, pervert its plain sense, or deny Jesus Christ is abominable. The Bible warns us against “ignorant and unstable people” who distort Scripture “to their own destruction. . . .

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position” (2 Peter 3:16–17).

Trust in Christ alone, and

…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:16-17

Gilligan’s Island

Gilligan’s Island

What fun it was to watch Gilligan’s Island when I was a kid! I was 10 years old in 1964 when it first came out. It ran for 3 seasons and I suspect it’s been in re-run syndication somewhere in the world ever since.

As I’ve mentioned before in some of my earlier writings, I spent a lot of time watching TV when I was young. Probably too much. It kept me “busy,” a bit distracted from reality, but for the most part it entertained and kept me company.

🎼 “Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailor man, the skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour. A three-hour tour.” 🎶

It was all about a group of seven people who were stranded on a deserted island, and in which most of the episodes were centered around getting off the island. They also entertained themselves with crazy skits and just plain silliness.

The irony and endlessly frustrating thread throughout the series was that somehow other people came to the island but somehow always managed to get off the island. But, the seven castaways always failed to get off of the island! And invariably, it was Gilligan who sabotaged their attempts to escape the island.

Recently, I learned that the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, was noted as saying that each of the “Gilligan’s Island” characters represented one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

For example,

1. The Professor was guilty of pride.

2. Mary Ann was envious of Ginger.

3. Ginger was lustful.

4. The Skipper was a glutton.

5. Mrs. Howell was angry often.

6. Mr. Howell was wealthy and greedy.

7. And last, but not least, Gilligan was the sloth.

Interestingly, I also found an article that deepened the plot. The plot twist being that Mrs. Howell was actually the sloth, that the Skipper had two sins, gluttony and anger, and that Gilligan represented the devil. The writer reasoned that since Gilligan always wore a red shirt, and sabotaged every attempt to get off the island, aka “hell,” that he represented the devil. Hmmm…..

I prefer the first theory over the second. I always liked Gilligan, but who knows. I could be wrong. So maybe Gilligan was the devil and he just acted likable? The Bible does warn us that Satan sometimes disguises himself as an angel of light. Maybe Gilligan’s sabotages were ultimately to keep them all there in their private hell, forever bound in their sin….

Wait!

it was just a TV show!

Anyway, I found it interesting that the inspiration behind the creator of Gilligan’s Island was based upon the theology of the Seven Deadly Sins.

While I’m not a Catholic, I do agree that sin is deadly, but more so because it’s a matter of life or death as it pertains to our salvation.

Because…..

The bad news is that we’re all sinners, (Romans 3:23.)

And, the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23a)

But the good news is,

…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,… 1 Timothy 1:15

….the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23b)

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

So,

Whoever stays in their sin and never comes to an authentic faith and relationship with Jesus Christ will “never get off that island” and will spend eternity separated from Him.

Sin is a snare of the devil. Don’t be fooled. Don’t “castaway” your life for the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Turn to Jesus today in repentance and faith; place your trust in Him alone.

And rest assured,

Christians not only make it “off the island” but have eternal life beginning here and now and forever into eternity with Jesus.

Deceived

Deceived

While in Paris on our honeymoon in 1980, Harold and I walked by a bakery window and we saw some delicious looking pastry’s. So we went inside and picked out a couple of them along with some hot coffee.

But,

We were so disappointed! They didn’t taste anything like they looked. They looked so good but they tasted awful!

I had a similar experience in 2011, once again while in a foreign country. It was at the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera Theatre in Moscow, Russia. It was intermission time and I decided to buy a desert. I picked out a cute little cake that looked yummy, but as soon as I paid for it I realized it was way too expensive. I wondered why was this desert was so expensive? As I cut the first slice I suddenly realized that the cake was topped with caviar! I discreetly sat it down and left it there for anyone else who might be brave enough to eat it!

So the French pastries just didn’t taste very good.

And,

The Russian cake was an expensive mistake on my part.

But,

In both cases, my eyes had deceived me.

And now,

Living in today’s world, I think it’s safe to say that many of us have been noticing an increase in deception, and I’m not talking about French pastries or Russian deserts.

Deception such as the origins of Covid-19, the so-called Covid-19 “vaccine,” and the alarming subsequent increase of sudden-death among young healthy individuals.

Deception involving the mainstream media in their deliberate silence of the above.

Deception involving politicians, regardless of political party affiliation, and a several of our three-letter government agencies.

Deception concerning our God given gender and sexuality; a governmental push towards transgender indoctrination of young children.

Deception involving thousands of missing children. Deception concerning the so-called “climate change.”

And, worst of all,

Deception in mainline churches that boldly declare that homosexuality is not a sin, that abortion is perfectly fine, and that allow women to preach to men, all in direct defiance to God’s word. Churches full of progressive pastors who defile their Sunday morning pulpits by drawing more attention to themselves than God; putting on “Christian” rock concerts or entertainment productions, rather than preaching the inerrant, infallible word of God.

The Bible talks about deception in the last days.

The kind of deception that goes directly against God and His word.

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1

Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Matthew 24:11

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24:24

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The more corruption, falsehoods, and deception I see going on in the world today, the more I am reminded that this world is not my home.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20

In the meantime, what should Christians do?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

And

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Heart Surgery

Heart Surgery

First came the dress. Was it white and gold or was it blue and black?!

Then came the audio recording. Was it Laurel or was it Yanny?!

They were both quite the internet buzz when they first came out and I found them quite fascinating.

The “dress” was a viral internet phenomenon in 2015, and the “audio recording,” which was just as popular, was in 2018.

While I saw white and gold, it turns out the dress was actually blue and black.

And,

While I heard “Laurel,” others heard “Yanny.”

I wondered….

How can two people look at the same photo but see something different?

And….

How can two people hear the same audio recording and hear something different?

Apparently, there were scientific explanations for both phenomenons, but I still found them fascinating.

On a more serious note, I believe there is a phenomenon that relates to the hearing of the gospel message.

How can two people hear the same gospel message but only one actually listens, receives the message, and takes steps toward Christ?

Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction. Jeremiah 17:23

Likewise, a similar phenomenon that relates to seeing Christ in the gospel message.

How can two people see Jesus in the gospel message but only one receive Him as Savior?

The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

So the problem is not really our ears and eyes, the problem is our hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’ Acts 28:27

And people like their sins,

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. John 3:19-20

Keeping in mind,

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” John 6:44

And knowing that,

The root of our heart problem is sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

And,

The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

But God made a way,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Why do we need a new heart?

It’s like a heart patient who’s in need of heart surgery. Not someone who just needs some medicine, but someone who’s in desperate need of heart surgery; someone who must have surgery in order to live.

So how do we get a new heart?

By turning away from sin, and turning toward Christ, in repentance and faith.

By faith believing He is God’s only Son, who died a sacrificial death on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve. Believing Christ died and rose again three days later, according to the scriptures.

Trusting in Christ alone.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Hearing,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

And seeing,

To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 23:18

With thanksgiving,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Being born again,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

So,

Are you in need of heart surgery?

Don’t wait.

Your very life depends on it.

Book your appointment with the Great Physician.

Call out to Him in repentance and faith today.

Tomorrow may be too late.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12

Martin Luther and The Man on the Middle Cross

Martin Luther and The Man on the Middle Cross

It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors in Wittenberg, Germany and began what is known today as the Protestant Reformation, or simply, the Reformation.

During this time, the nailing of notices on the church door was a way of public communication and proclamation. As a devout Augustinian Catholic Monk, he was inspired to write his 95 Thesis in protest to the various corruptions and injustices he witnessed in the Pope and in the Catholic Church. One of which was the Pope’s solicitation and collection of money from the poorest of the poor to build St Basilica’s Cathedral, all while the Pope was one of the wealthiest men alive. The foremost corruptions included the “selling of indulgences” as a means of forgiving people of their sins, and the preaching of good works as a necessary means of salvation.

To further clarify “indulgences,” it was a corrupt means in which the priests profited from the rich by inferring that they could “buy their way into heaven” and provide “absolution for their sins” by the giving of large sums of money to the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, these “indulgences” inferred a condemnation of the poor as they couldn’t possibly have enough money to “buy their way into heaven.”

No doubt, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses caused quite a stir, as speaking publicly in this way against the Catholic Church was very much frowned upon at this time in history. Luther was subsequently excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 and went into hiding. Now during this time it’s interesting to note that the Bible was primarily only available in Latin. While in hiding, Martin Luther paved the way for the people of Germany to understand what the Bible actually said by translating the New Testament from Latin into German, which took him approximately 10 years to complete. For the first time in history, the Bible was made available for people to read in their own language. At this same in history, the printing press was created which made it possible for many copies of the Bible to be made available. Thanks to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, the Bible was translated into English and spread during this period as well.

Simply put, Martin Luther’s original intention was to reform the Catholic Church however instead of reforming the Catholic Church, the church divided. Those who agreed with Martin Luther became known as Protestants. Those who disagreed with him remained as Catholics.

As an adult I find Martin Luther and the facts about the Reformation quite interesting. I actually don’t recall hearing or learning about him or the Reformation when I was young. Nor did I realize that Martin Luther was of Calvinist persuasion until I became an adult. I also didn’t know about the differences in Calvinism and Arminianism when I was young. Basically Calvinism teaches that God is sovereign and in control of our salvation, also known as election. Whereas, Arminianism teaches that we choose our salvation, also known as free will. Perhaps more importantly I also believe that we’re not saved by our precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to us (Martyn Lloyd Jones.) There are many great theologians on both sides of the Calvinism and Arminianism school of thought.

In the past few years however, I find myself more drawn to Calvinism or Reformed Theology, as it’s more commonly called today. I believe that God is sovereign over everything and is in ultimate control, including our salvation. I also prefer Baptist churches that are not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as I have found the liberal, progressive, and corrupt leadership in the SBC to be intolerable. Perhaps the subject of a future writing.

So, I’m thankful for Martin Luther, and for his brave writing and posting of the 95 Theses. I’m thankful for his diligence in translating the Bible, and for the birthing of the Reformation; the foundation of Protestantism. Martin Luther established the fact that the Bible is to be the central source of authority for Christ followers, and that salvation is reached through faith, not deeds.

Martin Luther’s teachings also birthed the beginning of what we know today as the 5 Solas: sola fide, sola scriptura, solus christus, sola gratia and soli deo Gloria!

By Scripture alone.

By Faith alone.

By Grace alone.

Through Christ alone.

To the Glory of God alone!

So, I agree with Martin Luther; I am a Protestant.

I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and that,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. John 6:44

And,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

I repeat,

Ye must be born again. John 3:7

And that,

Salvation cannot, nor could it ever, be obtained through indulgences, sacraments, or good works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the grace of God alone. It is a gift of God.

We are saved as a result of what Christ achieved on the cross, as it was on the cross that He paid the penalty for both my sin and yours. On the cross He made a way of salvation for all who turn to him in repentance and faith.

It was over 2000 years ago, on a hill called Calvary, that Jesus and two thieves were each nailed to a cross. One thief turned toward Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

And Jesus, the Man on the middle cross, replied,

“…Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

I repeat, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Hot! ☕️

Hot! ☕️

Hot coffee! ☕️ My love for it first began when I was a little girl. It was the aroma! My mom drank hers black, hot, and in a small White Castle coffee cup. The first time I tasted it as a teenager, I was surprised it didn’t taste as good as it smelled. But, by the time I was old enough to live on my own I was an official coffee lover, although I took mine with milk and sugar.

Nowadays my requirements for a good cup of coffee are pretty simple. I prefer Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Crystals, with a little skim milk, Splenda Naturals, and most importantly, it must be hot! Lukewarm will not do!

So, you can imagine how excited I was to own my first microwave oven back in 1980. It was a wedding gift from my mom, and it wasn’t just any microwave; it was a Sharpe Carousel Microwave. I actually didn’t cook much in it but I found it perfect for making coffee and keeping it hot. ☕️

Fast forward to May of 2021, our youngest daughter, Mackenzie, got me an Ember Temperature Control Smart Coffee Mug for Mother’s Day. I love it! When used properly, it keeps my coffee a perfect 140 degrees.

Three things I’ve learned about using the Ember mug:

1. You need to start out with hot coffee. For example, you can’t pour cool or lukewarm coffee in the mug and expect it to work properly.

2. You need to start out with a full cup. It doesn’t work well if you only pour in a half of a cup. It needs to start out full.

3. You need to keep it charged. While it will work off of its charging base, it doesn’t work for long periods of time. It needs to be connected to its base often in order to keep a good charge.

Writing about this reminds me of the Bible verse. Revelation 3:15.

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!”

In this verse, Jesus was referring to the church at Laodicea. It was a dead church; their hearts were lukewarm and their deeds were hypocritical; done for show and not with the heart or the love of God. Basically, the church was full of unconverted, pretend Christians who saw themselves as “rich” believers, but in reality they were self-sufficient hypocrites who relied on their own prosperity and their own good deeds. The Lord saw them as wretched, pitiful and “poor” unbelievers, who he chastised using the analogy of the temperature of their water:

Interestingly,

Their drinking water was disgustingly lukewarm. It came from a viaduct via a nearby spring but it was practically worthless. It wasn’t hot like a hot springs that people could bath in, nor was it refreshingly cold for drinking: it was lukewarm, basically good for nothing and nauseating to drink. Thus the analogy of the Lord’s response to the Laodiceans who sickened Him like the lukewarm water:

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

A very stern warning!

And thus a simple analogy:

1. Lukewarm won’t do: You must be born again. Good works are not a substitute for salvation, nor is their any value in trusting in prosperity or possessions. Attending or being a member of a church doesn’t make you a Christian either.

2. You need to be full: There are no halfhearted Christians. To be a “lukewarm Christian” is the equivalent of being an unbeliever. You’re either saved or your not saved. Fully trusting in Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross, taking the penalty for our sins in our place, turning to Him in repentance and faith.

3. Stay close to God: Christians stay connected and ever growing in their relationship with God through prayer, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and grow in the truth of God’s word through meaningful Bible study. Good works are a result of salvation, not a means of salvation.

Something to think about the next time you enjoy a delicious hot cup of coffee. ☕️

More importantly,

Something to pray about.

Talents And Spiritual Gifts

Talents And Spiritual Gifts

My dad was bi-vocational, working for White Castle in the Indianapolis office as supervisor by day, and playing guitar by night (mostly weekends) at VFW’s (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and various venues. He also played guitar on a local TV show called Midwestern Hayride.

So, his day job was necessary to put a roof over our heads and food on the table, but his night job was simply because he loved playing the guitar. He was self-taught and quite talented, and more than just a guitar player, he strived to be an entertainer, and that he was. He would often point out other musicians that he believed were good entertainers, and although we had different taste in music, he was right about entertainers. There was something different about them; entertainers seem to instinctively know how to entertain.

As for me, I never went into the entertainment industry and rightly so; I don’t have an ounce of theatrical or musical talent! Although I do remember daydreaming when I was young about becoming a famous singer one day. Ha! Don’t we all?

Actually, it’s human nature to want something that someone else has. Unfortunately our human nature tends to cause us to envy a talent that we find attractive in others, all while ignoring a talent that we may have but are totally unaware of.

In reality, not everyone is supposed to be on stage. There are many wonderful talents that are in the background and not meant to be front stage and center.

Do you know what your natural talents or abilities are? It’s probably something that you enjoy doing; something that you’re good at; something creative; and something that stands out about you to other people.

While most everyone has some natural talents and abilities, spiritual gifts are different. Spiritual gifts are only given to believers and shouldn’t be confused with a natural talent or ability.

Spiritual gifts are given to believers by the grace of God for the purpose of doing the ministry that God has planned for His followers to do. Spiritual gifts are also known as gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual gifts include, but are not limited to:

• The gift of teaching others about God.

• The gift of exhorting or encouraging others in the faith.

• The gift of showing generosity to others.

• The gift of Christian leadership.

• The gift of showing mercy to others.

• The gift of administrative or organizational skills.

• The gift of helping in some way, service, etc.,

Spiritual gifts are to be exercised in the life of a believer for the glory of God, in service to Him, to further His Kingdom, and ultimately to point others to Him.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

In actuality, God calls us to obediently serve Him in all things, not just in one particular area of ministry. He equips believers with whatever gifts we need at the time to accomplish any task that He’s called us to do.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” I Corinthians 12:4-7

So, do you know what your spiritual gifts are? You can have more than one. It’s also OK if you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are. It’s really more important just to be serving God in some way. Ask God where he wants you to go and/or what He wants you to do. You’ll likely discover your spiritual gifts as you are “going” and “doing” for the Lord.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received.” 1 Peter 4:10

And,

As believers we should ask ourselves questions from time to time, such as…

“Am I using my spiritual gifts in the way that God intended?”

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Psalm 115:1

And,

“Am I glorifying God with my life, with my natural talents, and with the spiritual gifts that he’s blessed me with?

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Imagine

Imagine

Morning TV has taken a backseat in my daily routine, but I still catch the occasional morning news story as my husband still likes to watch morning TV shows. One morning in July of 2021 the TV news coverage was on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This was the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics that was originally scheduled to be in July of 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic, and was rescheduled for July 2021. It wasn’t the Olympic ceremony that caught my attention but it was the song they sang, Imagine; nearly 50 years after it was first released by John Lennon in September of 1971.

Fifty years earlier, I was just entering my senior year of high school. Imagine got a lot of air play and eventually became one of John Lennon’s biggest hits after the breakup of Beatles in 1970. I didn’t think much about the lyrics back then but remember thinking the words seemed a little odd. I wondered what did he mean by saying, Imagine there’s no heaven? Now, 50 years later I realize his lyrics were more than just a little odd.

Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will live as one.

#JohnLennon

I admit I used to be a big Beatle’s fan. I was 9 years old in February, 1964 when the Beatles first invaded America. Some of my favorite early Beatle songs were, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” I Saw Her Standing There,” She Loves You,” and “Yesterday.” By the time they broke up in 1970 their music had changed quite a bit, as did they, but they were still extremely popular.

Now concerning the lyrics to Imagine, I find them quite troubling.

⁃ Imagine there’s no heaven: Why would we do that? The Bible clearly tells us that, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

⁃ It’s easy if you try: Really?! “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.” Psalm 19:1-4

⁃ No hell below us: Wishful thinking, at best, for the unsaved. Denying the existence of something does not make it go away, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9

⁃ Imagine all the people living life in peace: The Bible warns about those who silence legitimate fears and complaints with soothing words that speak of peace; “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 8:11

⁃ Imagine no possessions: This is eerily similar to a statement out of the World Economic Forum; a huge proponent of The Great Reset, in which Klaus Schwab states, “You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.”

⁃ Imagine all the people sharing all the world: Sounds great but I fear the methodology in which the world is leaning toward in their execution to obtain this; Open Borders, Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Marxism, Socialism, Stakeholder Capitalism, etc.

⁃ And the world will live as one: While “the Bible does not use the phrase “one-world government” or “one-world currency” in referring to the end times. It does, however, provide ample evidence to enable us to draw the conclusion that both will exist under the rule of the Antichrist in the last days.” #GotQuestions

So we live in a secular world. Entertainment is secular by nature. The majority of TV shows are secular. Olympic Games and professional sports are secular. Pop music is secular.

To be clear, entertainment and music has its place. My preference is wholesome family entertainment and Christian music. I, like most of us, have some favorite TV shows. I have some favorite movies. I also like to listen to the oldies, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s music on occasion.

However, there’s a line that is crossed when entertainment ceases to be wholesome. When entertainment becomes heretical. When entertainment becomes apostasy. When entertainment diametrically opposes the word of God. When entertainment ceases to be entertainment. Such as John Lennon’s Imagine.

Imagine there’s no heaven? No way!

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Ephesians 5:11

In Everything By Prayer

In Everything By Prayer

I retired from Delta Air Lines in 2009 and am still grateful for having worked for Delta a little over 20 years in four different locations: Tampa, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, and Dallas. Interestingly Delta was first company that I worked for that only allowed a 30 minute lunch break. No big deal though. I just got used to bringing my lunch every day.

Except,

One day, while working in the Dallas office, I forgot my lunch. Normally when this happened I’d just get something from the vending machines but on this particular day I didn’t have any money with me either. Oops! I was hungry but was too embarrassed to ask someone for money, so I just sat down alone in the break room like everything was fine.

Before long, thoughts of a recent sermon from my pastor came to mind. In it he was reminding us that God wants to meet our needs and that He knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8). The pastor reminded us that God wants us to pray about everything, big or small. So, I prayed a short prayer and asked God to provide something for me to eat and to help me to not be so embarrassed to ask people for lunch money.

Before long my lunch break was over and I went back to work with an empty stomach.

A couple of hours later, still hungry and feeling a little down, I took my afternoon break and stepped outside of the customer service area to a guarded exit area to make a phone call. Out of the blue, the guard said, “Hello!” and offered me a slice of her pizza that she had just gotten delivered! Of course I accepted it and I was so grateful! It was delicious!! I told her that both she and the slice of pizza were an answer to prayer. It brought a smile to both of our faces.

God answered my prayers that day in such a tangible and timely way, and I made a new friend too.

I came away with an important reminder about prayer and also some reflection on my “feelings” of embarrassment.

For one,

I was more in the habit of praying about the bigger, more important issues in life, not the little things. I was reminded that I was not to limit my prayers to just the big things, but to bring everything to God in prayer, even something as small and insignificant as a forgotten lunch.

And two,

Why was I embarrassed to ask someone for lunch money? Was my embarrassment actually pride? Was I afraid of rejection? Was I overly concerned about how asking for money would look to others? Was I being too self-sufficient? I think the short answer to all of the above was yes. On the surface I was feeling embarrassed, but down deep I believe I was experiencing some of the negative effects of pride.

Pride is a sin.

Pride comes in all shapes and sizes, in actions and in lack of action. It gets in the way of healthy relationships. It also separates us from God.

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Galatians 6:3

So I was reminded that day that it’s ok to ask others for help. It’s not a sign that there’s something wrong with you. It’s a sign that you’re human and that you need help of some kind. Asking others for help connects us and helps us relate to each other.

It’s even more OK to ask God for His help. In fact, we’re told to do so throughout the Bible:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Prayer, or lack there of, reflects our current relationship with God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re failing to trust God for our needs.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re relying on ourselves instead of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re denying the sovereignty of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re acting as if we know better than Him.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re saying that we’re in control, not God.

God’s help is actually exactly what we all need, but we have to first be willing to humble ourselves toward God and then toward one another.

….Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Humility leads us to ask in prayer for His help,

In the little things.

In the big things.

In everything.

So,

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7