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
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
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
Harold and I married in 1980 and lived in an apartment for a couple of years and then rented a double (duplex) for several years. We continued renting various apartments and homes for the first 15 years of our marriage. Actually renting was convenient for us during those years as we moved around quite a bit: from Indianapolis we moved to Tampa; from Tampa we moved to Los Angeles; from Los Angeles we moved to Jacksonville Florida; and from Jacksonville we moved to the Dallas/Ft Worth area. Amazingly the last four moves were done within a five year period.
So in 1994 we decided it was time for a change. While renting an apartment in Lewisville, Texas, we took the plunge and bought 10 acres of undeveloped land in Krum, Texas. It was pure country and it was absolutely beautiful! I could just sit and stare at the land for hours. In every direction we looked it was green, it was big, it was peaceful, and the sunsets were amazing.
Harold dove in immediately and began putting up fence. Within a few days we made a trip to the local ER after he busted his hand and broke his thumb with a post hole digger. Ouch!
A few weeks later we began the next chapter in our lives and moved out of our Lewisville apartment and on to our new land, and into a little travel trailer.
It was a really old travel trailer.
And did I mention it was little?
And that there were four of us!
It was so small, when the girls were sleeping, we had to climb over their bed (couch/hideaway-bed) to get to the kitchen! We didn’t even own it; we rented it!
While living in the travel trailer we built a 12-stall drive-through barn and made 4 of the stalls into living quarters:
⁃ one stall for the kitchen/bathroom
⁃ one stall for the living room
⁃ one stall for our daughters’ bedrooms
⁃ and one stall for our bedroom.
It was kind of like a log cabin except instead of logs the walls were made of untreated 2 x 4’s. Our bedroom was located next to the horse stall and on many an occasion the horse would wake us up by kicking the walls. Ha! We also had a few roosters 🐓 but that was very short lived because they “cock-a-doodled-do” way too early in the morning (I’m talking like 4:00 a.m.) so we gave them away to the first neighbor who would take them!
When the living quarters were finished we moved out of the travel trailer and into the barn. Actually our neighbor to the east of us needed a travel trailer so he took it and used it while he was having his home built.
Now Michelle, our oldest daughter, wasn’t very fond of living out in the country and was even less fond of living in a barn, although she did like the horses. Our other daughter Megan, was just the opposite. She absolutely loved living on the farm and loved all the animals. In addition to the horses and a dog, we managed to acquire a few cats, rabbits, donkeys, goats, sheep, and cows too.
We also had some emu’s but suffice it to say, that didn’t turn out very well. They were not very friendly either.
So having lived my entire life in the suburbs up until this time, living in the country was quite the culture shock for me. Living in a barn was very different than what I’d ever experienced before, but I decided to treat it like an adventure. It started reminding me of the old TV show, Green Acres, staring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. It wasn’t long before I found myself walking around singing the theme song to Green Acres:
Green acres is the place to be!
Farm livin’ is the life for me!
Land spreadin’ out so far and wide.
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. (As sung by Eddie Albert)
New York is where I’d rather stay!
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dahling I love you but give me Park Avenue! (As sung by Eva Gabor)
The chores! (Eddie Albert)
The stores! (Eva Gabor)
Fresh air! (Eddie Albert)
Times Square! (Eva Gabor)
You are my wife! (Eddie Albert)
Good bye, city life! (Eva Gabor)
Green acres we are there! (In unison!)
Not surprisingly Harold absolutely loved everything about living in the country, and he was just fine with living in a barn. So much so that I was a little concerned that we were never going to get around to building that new house that he’d promised me when we first bought the 10 acres.
So I prayed about it.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Although our address was in Krum, we actually lived closer to the town of Ponder and that’s where the girls went to school and where we attended church, Ponder Baptist Church.
Michelle and Megan came to faith in Christ there and were baptized, and my faith grew as well. I was involved several ministries; outreach visitation, VBS, Kid’s Hope, choir, and high school girls Sunday School. It was during this time I began to tithe. It wasn’t the first time I’d considered it but it was the first time that I was convicted to try it.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
Then, while living in the barn we had a little surprise; I became pregnant and gave birth at age 42 to our third daughter, Mackenzie!
When we were first married back in 1980 I remember thinking about our future and about having children; I daydreamed of having three children one day. God blessed us with Michelle in 1981 and Megan in 1986. But during this time I also suffered several miscarriages. So, by 1996, and in my early 40’s, I had long given up on my hope of having three children; but God had other plans.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
So in 1997, after 17 years of marriage, and after approximately a year of living in that little trailer, and a year of living the barn, we moved into the first home that we could call our own. Harold was 48, I was 42, Michelle was 15, Megan was 11, and Mackenzie was just a few months old.
First time homeowners! Krum, Texas This is Mackenzie in her crib in December 1997. This room was originally a formal dining room that I intended to use as a den, but out of necessity it then became Mackenzie’s bedroom. The house was a three bedroom home and the contract with the builder had already been signed before we found out I was pregnant.
We also added a pond (aka a “tank,” as they call them in Texas) in the front yard and a pool in the back yard.
It was all so very beautiful but eventually we found the 10 acres required more work than we were willing to do.
So,
In 2003 we sold the 10 acres and moved to a new home in the suburbs, in a two-story 2900+ square foot corner lot home; within walking distance to several restaurants, doctors’ offices, a movie theater, a gym, and several small shops and stores.
I look back on those years spent on those 10 acres with a smile and recall the many sweet memories we made there together as a family, including having my mom live nearby for several months in 1994.
God is faithful.
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1
I was a big fan of the Back to the Future movies from the 1980s and early 1990s. The movies starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown. The first movie, which was my favorite, came out in July of 1985. Parts II and III came out in 1989 and 1990, respectively. They featured a time-traveling car (a DeLorean), a memorable quote from Doc Brown, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads,” and my favorite quote from Marty McFly, “Eastwood, Clint Eastwood.”
The movies were so popular that Universal Studios Florida created a Back to the Future theme ride in 1991, which I rode on sometime in the early 1990s. The DeLorean sat near the entrance to the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios Florida for many years. The ride has long since been replaced with another ride, and the DeLorean was purchased by a car museum and relocated to Los Angeles.
Now the DeLorean was a pretty cool car in and of itself, but this particular DeLorean DMC-12 was a one-of-a-kind Space-Time Continuum DeLorean equipped with a flux capacitor. Ha!
Actually, I like a variety of movies, lighthearted comedies, action adventures, and well-written dramas that tell a story, but a lot of my favorite movies are those that make me think about the past. Movies such as, Back to the Future, Going on 30, Forever Young, The Family Man, and Groundhog Day, to name a few.
It’s movies like these that make us all ponder and think back on the events in our past. We think, wouldn’t it be interesting to go back in time and relive some of our most memorable moments with our family and friends? Or, what would it be like to go back and change something I did or didn’t do in the past? Or, what if I’d done this instead of that? Or, why did I choose to do certain things or not to do certain things? The list is endless.
In actuality, no amount of daydreaming about time travel, or escaping into the world of movies, can erase or change the events or choices we’ve made in the past; even events that weren’t in our control, but wish we could have changed in some way.
In reality, we all have a past, and very likely have some things we’d like to go back and change, but that’s not possible.
What is possible, however, is having a relationship with the only One who has the power to forgive our past, know us in the present, and that we can trust into the future, Jesus Christ.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
So while it’s good to remember the past, we shouldn’t spend time worrying about it. What’s done is done. Nor should we worry about the future. Don’t worry about what life will be like next year, or in 5 or 10 years.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34
What we should do is take care of what we need to take care of today. Is there something God is prompting you to do? Then do it. Tomorrow may be too late. Don’t let the cares and distractions of this world keep you from being the person that He made you to be or in doing the things that He prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
And,
“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
“You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.” The World Economic Forum
Hmmm 🤔
Interesting you never hear or see anything about the World Economic Forum in the mainstream news. Long story short, in the last quarter of 2020 I came to the conclusion that the mainstream news media can no longer be trusted. In my opinion, the average network news program toggles between the truth, half truths, and propaganda, with the token “heart warming” story at the end of the program. Nowadays I try to get my news and information from a variety of sources, including podcasts, Twitter, Rumble, American Family Radio Network, Newsmax, Redacted, YouTube, etc.
So in 2020 I started looking into The Great Reset after seeing some random posts about it on social media. I found several people speaking up about The Great Reset here and there, but I wanted to find out exactly what it was and specifically, and I wanted to learn about it from a Christian perspective. So I started listening to the first of four YouTube videos by Keith Malcomson, a pastor from Ireland. Initially I wasn’t sure about him, so I checked out his church (Limerick City Church) and their mission statement, what they believe, etc. I found his church to be of sound doctrine concerning the essentials of faith, and proceeded to listen to his first, then second, then third video.
I was convicted to go back and listen to the first three videos all over again when he came out with the fourth video in late December. The first three videos were made in October and November.
1. Part 1, published 10/16/20, THE GREAT RESET, The Coming Economic Crisis.
2. Part 2, published 10/30/20, THE GREAT RESET, The Coming Economic Crisis.
3. Part 3, published 11/24/20, THE GREAT RESET, The Coming Economic Crisis and The Rise of a World Socialist State.
4. Part 4, published 12/21/20, THE GREAT RESET, The Coming Economic Crisis and The Fourth Industrial Revolution.
First, a quick review about the first three Industrial Revolutions, which I’m sure we were taught in high school but most of us have long forgot. As a side note, I do remember thinking back then, “Do we really need to learn about this kind of stuff?!” And now, all these years later I wish I would have taken the time to actually learn about this sort of thing back then.
Actually I wish I would have done a lot of things differently back then and taken a lot of things more seriously.
Ah, hindsight.
But thanks to an quick internet search, here’s a simple outline of the first three Industrial Revolutions:
1. The First Industrial Revolution: “The first wave of the Industrial Revolution lasted from the late 1700’s to the mid-1800’s. It industrialized the manufacture of textiles and began the move of production from homes to factories. Steam power and the cotton gin played an important role in this period.”
2. The Second Industrial Revolution: “Historians have labeled the years from 1870-1914 as the period of the Second Industrial Revolution. While the First Industrial Revolution caused the growth of industries, such as coal, iron, railroads and textiles, the Second Industrial Revolution witnessed the expansion of electricity, petroleum and steel.”
3. The Third Industrial Revolution: “The third revolution began in the late 1900’s and brought forth the rise of electronics, telecommunications and of course, computers. Through the new technologies, the third industrial revolution oped the doors to space expeditions, research, nuclear energy, and biotechnology.”
The coming Fourth Industrial Revolution, as envisioned by the World Economic Forum (WEF), is problematic:
The Great Reset is about a global socialist elite power network (The World Economic Forum) that seeks to control us economically, politically, biologically, physically, and spiritually. They are anti-salvific at its core. They will not stop with technology being around us; they want to make it a part of us. They want technology to envelop us and be embedded in us. The WEF is the driving force behind The Great Reset. The WEF wants to change our way of living from capitalism to socialism, control everything we do, and usher us into their version of Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Here’s a quote from a 2016 article titled, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution, What it Means and How to Respond.” by Klaus Schwab, the leader of The WEF: “Now a Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.”
Hmm… Interesting choice of words.
In June of 2020 Klaus Schwab spoke at a summit meeting outlining The Great Reset master plan and of the advantages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting attendees included powerful and wealthy world leaders, including members of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations. Klaus Schwab stated that Covid-19 was a catalyst in advancing The Great Reset agenda and that, “COVID-19 has accelerated our transition into the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We have to make sure that the new technologies in the digital, biological and physical world remain human-centred and serve society as a whole, providing everyone with fair access.”
Hmm…. Interesting choice of words once again.
It’s about “Build Back Better,” Joe Biden’s catch-phrase, that he coincidentally borrowed from the World Economic Forum, and the Trojan horse of the merging of capitalism with socialism under the guise of Steak Holder Capitalism. It’ll still be socialism.
It’s about a Wealth Redistribution Plan that touts a digitalization of our entire economy, a cashless society, (CBDC’s) Central Bank Digital Currency, and a standard income based upon socialist idealism and control.
It’s about a revamping of our entire educational system into a Global Digitalized Education System where teachers no longer teach but are mere facilitators of the woke philosophies of the WEF.
It’s about the Green Agenda and Climate Change, Trojan Horses of the population control agenda.
It’s about the World Health Organization (WHO) controlling people worldwide by the use of vaccine passports; a QR coded digital permission system that will allow or restrict people to travel. Obey their rules = freedom to travel. Disobey their rules = no travel allowed. i.e. quarantines, lockdowns, etc.
It’s about Event 201, Agenda 2021, Agenda 2030, and Globalization 4.0 involving the digitalization of everything with the goal of merging of the physical, the digital, the technological and the biological; a trans-humanism society of designer evolution.
It’s about evil forces who’re attempting to destroy God’s creation and plans, and attempting to replacing it with man’s creation and plans. Worshiping the creation rather than the Creator.
“For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature ratherthan the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:25
Folks, we are nearing the Last Days.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:42-44
To be clear, I believe The rapture is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the rapture happens. The good news for born-again believers is that we’ll be taken up to heaven at this point. The bad news for everyone else is that they’ll be left behind at this point.
After the rapture, a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace. This man is the Antichrist. He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who will head up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist. The seven year tribulation will follow. During the tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness. The seven year tribulation will be the darkest moment the world will have ever seen.
Today is the day of salvation: “Today, if only you would hear his voice, Do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7–8).
“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
To learn more of The Great Reset, here are the links to the videos that I referenced above. Pastor Malcomson goes into great detail explaining The Great Reset, from a Christian perspective
Since our girls are all grown with families of their own now, we sometimes celebrate Christmas on days other than December 25. It may just be a day before or the day after, but in 2020 we had out of town business plans in late December so we planned our family Christmas for December 13. We decided it would be fine as this would give our girls a little extra time this year to celebrate Christmas in their own homes, visiting in-laws, travel, etc.
So on December 13, we started off with prayer, a BIG country breakfast, and a reading of the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth according to Matthew. We played a couple of games, including Spoons, caught some kisses under the mistletoe, had a gift-exchange between the grandkids, and a white elephant gift exchange for the adults.
We also sang “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with singing 🎶 parts for each of us. It was fun!
We also talked about the folklore of the hidden meaning of the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas. While some may dispute the origin and intent of the song lyrics, the popular folklore is that it’s a song of Christian instruction with hidden references to Christ and the Christian faith. Dating as far back to the 16th century, a time during the religious wars in England, the folklore is that the song was actually a device to secretly teach the basic principles of Christianity to children.
Thus,
1 The partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus Christ.
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments.
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity.
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels.
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation.
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes.
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments.
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles.
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.
It’s my hope and prayer that each of our children and grandchildren always remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas. It’s not about Santa. It’s not about traditions. It’s not about the food and it’s not about the gifts. All these things are fine to enjoy, but Christmas is about Jesus Christ. One of the most important things we will ever do is share our faith with our loved ones. I pray for each one of our family members to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, in God’s perfect timing. The truth is, it doesn’t matter what day you celebrate Christmas, the most important thing is that He is your Lord and Savior.
Have you heard of The Return? It’s been heavily advertised lately on TV and various social media’s so if you haven’t yet, I would be surprised. It’s headlined by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Rabbi/Pastor/Author, as “a national and global day of prayer and repentance” in Washington DC on Saturday, September 26, 2020, and touts over 50 guest speakers.
Do we all as sinners need to repent? Yes
Do we all who have wondered away from God need to return to Him? Yes
Do we all need to pray? Yes
All very good and all very well and true, but……
Christians need to be careful of who they’re following. Jonathan Cahn claims to have special revelation similar to that of biblical authors and has made lots of money writing books, (The Harbinger, The Mystery of the Shemita, The Harbinger II, etc.) all of which contain a mix of fiction, truth, mythology, suspense, and prophecy. That is problematic as well as his claim that America is the new Israel. America is not the new Israel nor does America have a special covenant with God as Jonathan Cahn claims. What he refers to as deep mysteries of biblical truth is more mythology than theology. His promotion of “new prophetic truths” makes his theology more akin to false teaching.
Quoting Marsha West of the Berean Call: “Only Israel was directly established by God and had a binding covenant mediated through Moses who God chose and appointed. America has neither a Moses nor a binding covenant. We are not the new Israel and never have been. The moral laws of God that do apply are found in the Bible and they apply to all people in all nations.”
At this event called The Return, of the 55 guest speakers, there are only 8 of which I am familiar with as Christian leaders. I’m assuming they’re lacking some level of discernment rather than actual Jonathan Cahn followers. America is blessed with solid Bible believing pastors and teachers, and that’s who we should be learning from, not authors of fictional prophetic books. And while repentance, returning to God, and prayer will always be the right direction for us as individuals and as a country, it is problematic when it’s led by someone who’s taken the mantle as a modern day prophet and refers to America as the new Israel.
So, will I pray on September 26? Yes.
Will I follow Jonathan Cahn? No.
“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
“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
I was in junior high school when I first remember learning of the Holocaust. I didn’t understand what it was all about at the time and I didn’t really grasp the horror of it all until some time later when I was looking at a magazine. I think it was Life Magazine. I saw several full page photos of the victims. It was shocking and made me wonder how could anyone do that to anyone, let alone to an entire group of people. So I did what a lot of us do when we see something horrible and we’re not quite ready to process it; I set it aside in the back of my mind.
Memories of the initial horror of seeing those holocaust pictures in the late 1960’s were revisited recently when I came across a New York Times article about the holocaust. As horrific as the killing of thousands of innocent Jewish people was, I was sickened to learn in this article that the Nazi’s gathered groups of disabled people and murdered them as well. This was especially hurtful to learn as I’ve long held a special place on my heart for the disabled. My dad was crippled by polio in the early 1950’s, my sweet little brother Doug, was born mentally retarded (now called mentally disabled) in 1957, our beautiful daughter Megan was born with Spina Bifida in 1986, and our sweet granddaughter Remi, was born with Down Syndrome in 2021.
The holocaust was born out of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. He was a German political leader in the 1930’s who rose to the rank of Fuhrer in the 1940’s German Nazi party. He believed that the Jews were Germany’s enemies, and that they were an inferior race. Full of hate and racism, he sought to get rid of the Jews by killing them, and create a country full of “perfect” people of which he, of course, would be their leader. Interestingly he did all of this while claiming to be a Christian, and denouncing Christianity at the same time.
It’s also interesting how he got so many people to follow him.
Thinking about all of this made me wonder if Hitler’s hatred for the Jews may have been fueled by his misguided so-called Christian beliefs. Regardless, whatever Hitler thought and did was wrong on so many levels. His basic beliefs were skewed to say the least. I suspect if he had a Bible he didn’t read it. If he’d actually read and studied the Bible, he might have learned that the Jews weren’t responsible for Jesus’s death on the cross, but it was us; it was actually our sins that nailed Him on the cross:
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2
By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:14
Secondly, all of us are disabled in some way or another.None of us are perfect; there is no such thing as perfect people or the the perfect race. We all have flaws and imperfections, physically, emotionally, and spiritually; including and especially sin.
Anyone who thinks they’re perfect and are constantly seeking perfection, are guilty of the sin of pride, and that’s regardless of whether they realize it or not.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the unplowed field of the wicked, produce sin. Proverbs 21:4
Only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are perfect, and it is not until we receive Jesus in repentance and faith does God change the way He sees us. If Hitler had read the Bible he would known this as well:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30
Fortunately I’m not Hitler’s nor anyone else’s judge, but the Bible tells us that when we become a believer there should be a change in our life, in the way we think and in the things we do; life before Jesus and life after Jesus, there should be a difference. In John 13:35 Jesus tells of one distinguishing characteristic of the believer:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Treasure In Jars of Clay 