Tag: #TreasureInJarsOfClay

Impressed

Impressed

Back in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s my sister Joyce and I used to go out to the airport to watch the airplanes take off and land. We also went inside the terminal just to walk around sometimes. I was in my early teens and this was before the days of increased airport security, back when we day-dreamed of flying somewhere, back when life was simpler, and back when the main airport in Indianapolis was simply known as Weir Cook.

So, one day while we were walking around Weir Cook, my sister recognized Bobby Gentry of “Ode to Billie Joe” 🎶 fame. She was standing near one of the counters and was obviously upset. The airline had lost her guitar and my sister talked with her for a few minutes about it. I didn’t recognized her at first, even with her signature poofy hair-do, but I could tell she was somebody famous by the way she looked. I just didn’t know who she was initially.

So as we walked away, Joyce explained to me who she was and I was both shocked and impressed! I remember thinking how cool it was to see someone famous. It was 1967 or 1968 and I was a young teenager, around 13 or 14 years old. Her song, “Ode to Billie Joe,” was a very popular song on the radio at this time. The song was basically a story put to music, about a boy who died jumping off a Mississippi bridge. The story included a girl who secretly loved him, some mysterious circumstances, and her family who spoke of his death with casual indifference while eating dinner.

So Bobby Gentry was my first encounter with someone famous. I have to admit I thought it was pretty exciting, but I was pretty young then too. I was easily impressed.

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or talking with a variety of famous people. I think most everyone has as well.

Here’s some of mine:

• Actors Jerry Mathers and Tony Dowell of Leave it to Beaver fame at a dinner theater (Beef and Boards) meet-and-greet and photo op in Indianapolis.

• Singer Mel Torme (“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”🎶) when he stood behind me at the America The Beautiful Circle-Vision 360° Movie at Walt Disney World in Florida.

• Actor Robert Ulrich (Dan Tanna in the crime drama series Vega$, and Spenser in Spenser for Hire) on a telephone call one day when I booked several flights for him and his family to/from Florida, while working for Delta Air Lines in Tampa.

• TV Show Host Gary Collins on a telephone call discussing his wife’s (Mary Ann Mobley) reservation, while I worked at Delta Air Lines in Los Angeles.

• Actor Ed Begley Jr. (Ghostbuster’s, St. Elsewhere) in a little store onboard a tour of The RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

• Actor Henry Winkler (The Fonz) photo op with my daughter Megan at a Dallas children’s hospital.

• Comedian Yakov Smirnoff (Soviet-Born comedian famous for the phrase “America: What a country!”) photo op with my daughter Mackenzie and me in Branson, Missouri.

• Artist Thomas Kincaid, “Painter of Light” photo op with Harold and me after we purchased a Hometown Morning Limited Edition Canvas in Longview, Texas at a Thomas Kincaid Gallery Event.

• TV Game Show Host Bob Barker when I was a contestant on The Price is Right TV show in Los Angeles in 2005.

• Comedian Jay Leno photo op at a Tonight Show taping in Burbank where my daughter Megan and I talked with him before the taping. He called us “The Dove girls.” 🕊

• Actor Ben Affleck at a Tonight Show taping with my daughters Michelle and Megan, where he came over to say, “Hello,” and to shake our hands.

• Singer Robin Thicke photo op at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, when he came over to speak with me and my daughter Megan after a show taping.

• Morning TV Show Host Robin Roberts photo op at NYC Times Square at a Good Morning America TV show taping.

• Singer Jason Mraz photo op in Los Angeles at an American Idol Finale with my daughter, Mackenzie.

• NASCAR drivers, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr (with my grandson Landon), Danica Patrick, etc. photo ops at TMS (Texas Motor Speedway)

• Reality TV Personality Willie Robertson (Duck Dynasty) photo op at TMS.

• TV Spokesperson Marie Osmond when she and I spoke on the telephone on two scheduled QVC/Nutrisystem TV show call-in’s. She called me “girlfriend” and a “silver fox.” 😂

• Singer Meghan Linsey (from The Voice) at a Nutrisystem photo shoot at a Tampa advertising studio.

• And honorable mention to Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s travel agent. Ha! I talked with her one day back in 1990 about some problem’s with their booking while working in the Los Angeles Customer Service Department for Delta Air Lines.

So, out of the list above, how many of these people have you heard of or remember?!

If you’re around my age, maybe most of them, but if you’re young, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of any of them.

Actually, I think it’s fairly likely that after a generation or two, most so called “famous” people eventually sink into obscurity along with everyone else.

In reality, we are all just people.

While being famous might make a person more recognizable than others, it doesn’t make a person any more special than anyone else.

While a famous person may be a great actor, artist, musician, or athlete, etc., in the eyes of God they are equal to people who cannot act, paint, sing, play an instrument, or play sports, etc.

Eventually no matter how famous a person may be during their lifetime, “this too will pass.”

And, the best of people are just people at best.

The Bible tells us that,

“God created man in his own image,”(Genesis 1:27) and “there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:11)

And,

Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands. Job 34:19

Most importantly, the Bible warns us about holding idols (people, places, or things) in higher esteem than God. God is to be honored above all things and to be worshiped in “spirit and truth.” (John 4.23)

Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own mercy. Jonah 2:8

Specifically,

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

So while it may be a pleasure to meet interesting and famous people along life’s highway, the Bible reminds us that we’re to keep it all in proper perspective.

We should look at everyone equally as individuals created in the image of God.

And we shouldn’t be overly impressed with anyone.

Except,

God.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Psalm 115:1

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11

Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,and he is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:23-25

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.

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.

The Great Reset

The Great Reset

“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

Merry Christmas 2020

Merry Christmas 2020

We celebrated our 2020 family Christmas 🎄 a couple of weeks early this year as we had out of town business plans in late December. We decided it would be fine as all three of our daughters are married with children and this would give them a little extra freedom this year to celebrate Christmas at their own home, visit in-laws, travel, etc.

So on December 13, we started off with a BIG country breakfast. Then we played a couple of games, caught some kisses under the mistletoe, had a gift-exchange between the grandkids, and a timed 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 that each of our children and grandchildren will never forget the true meaning of Christmas:

It’s not about Santa.

It’s not about traditions.

It’s not about food and it’s not about gifts.

All these things are all fine to enjoy but,

Christmas is about Jesus. Jesus is the reason for the season.

And,

The most important thing we will ever do is pass our faith on to 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,

Jesus did not come into the world to do good works or just to leave an example for us to follow.

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

My Creed is Jesus Christ

My Creed is Jesus Christ

The first church I became a member of was Southport Methodist Church.

Here’s a picture of me and my 5th grade Sunday School class sometime around 1964 or 1965. I’m on the second row, second from the left. This was the church our family attended while I was growing up in Indianapolis. I have some very fond memories from when I attended this church, especially when I was young. It was here that I first trusted in Christ around the age of 12, although I don’t believe it was a saving faith.

Around 3 years after this picture was taken, the church changed their name to include “United.” I continued my membership there into my young adult years, with increasing periods of inactivity on and off during my late teens and early 20’s, and then a resurgence in my mid-twenties. God got my attention one night after listening to Billy Graham speak on TV a few nights before. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about all the sin in my life, and I cried out to Him in repentance and faith. I believe it was at this time that I was born again, as it was from this point forward that my life began to change. I began reading my Bible and started going back to my old church. However, after a while a couple of things started bothering me. My Sunday School class studied books that seemed more philosophical than biblical, and many of the pastor’s sermons were light on Bible verses and heavy on modern day stories.

Around this same time, I was listening regularly to Charles Stanley from First Baptist Atlanta, on the radio. His sermons were jam packed with Bible verses and Bible stories. This style of preaching was new to me and I found myself very drawn to it. While I enjoyed my old church, God had different plans for me.

In 1988 I was convicted to be baptized by full water immersion at age 33. I became a member of Providence Baptist Church in Riverview, Florida. It was a series of events that lead up to both my change in church membership and in my relationship with God. I wrote about this experience in a previous chapter titled, Another Gospel. In short, God was calling me to draw closer in my relationship with Him.

Nowadays I do lean more toward Reformed (Calvinism) Theology, which makes me more of a Reformed Baptist I suppose. I respect the hero’s of the Reformation such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards. I like John Bunyan, a Puritan who famously wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. I also like Charles Spurgeon; I agree and appreciate his clear position on water baptism, aka believer’s baptism/credobaptism.

Spurgeon wrote, “Conscience has convinced me that it is a duty to be buried with Christ in baptism, although I am sure it constitutes no part of salvation.” In his testimony, he says, “I had no superstitious idea that baptism would save me, for I was saved” even prior to being baptized. Thus, baptism was an act of obedience for Spurgeon. He answers his own question, “Why was I thus baptized?” by saying, “because I believed it to be an ordinance of Christ, very specially joined by Him with faith in His name.” So, even though he did not believe baptism as essential for salvation, he would reject the notion that baptism is non-essential.

Though baptism did not save, it symbolized or was emblematic of salvation. Spurgeon says, “I regarded baptism as the token to the believer of cleansing, the emblem of his burial with his Lord, and the outward avowal of his new birth.” That word avowal conveys the idea of baptism as a public profession or declaration to the world that a person belongs to Christ.

Clearly, the Bible contains many verses about baptism, some of which may seem to infer that baptism is required, however based on the whole of the gospel, I too, do not believe that baptism is required in order to be saved.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

In my own personal experience for example, I was a 33 year old adult when I was convicted that I needed to be baptized by full water immersion. I understood that baptism is a step of obedience, and an outward sign of an inward change. At age 12 I had been “sprinkled” at my old Methodist church where I first trusted Christ, however was later convicted that neither the sprinkling or my salvation at age 12 was valid. Comparing my voluntary and obedient baptism as an adult, to people who get baptized because they’re told they “have to be baptized in order to be saved,” reinforces my belief that baptism is not required for salvation.

I also agree with Charles Spurgeon’s viewpoint on baptismal regeneration, the unbiblical practice of baptizing unbelievers and infants. Charles Spurgeon emphatically stated that, “We will confront this dogma with the assertion that BAPTISM WITHOUT FAITH SAVES NO ONE.”

Over the years, I’ve read many wonderful quotes and biblical teachings from Charles Spurgeon’s writings. In fact, I’ve been using The Spurgeon Study Bible since 2019 for my personal Bible study, and have grown in my faith by using it. He is one of my favorite Reformed preachers of old. John MacArthur, Voddie Bachman, Paul Washer, Sinclair Ferguson, and Alistair Begg top my list of favorite present day Reformed preachers.

At the same time, I also like Arminian preachers such as the late Charles Stanley from First Baptist Atlanta, Ray Comfort from Living Waters, Greg Laurie from A New Beginning, the late Adrian Rogers from Love Worth Finding, and of course, the late Billy Graham, who is probably the most well known evangelist of the 20th century.

I believe God uses both Arminians and Calvinists to preach the gospel message and to teach us about the Bible. I like this quote from Arminian pastor Leonard Ravenhill,

“Think like a Calvinist, live like an Arminian.”

I also like this quote from Martyn Lloyd Jones. So,whether you lean toward Arminianism or Calvinism it is a non-essential issue.

“I am a Calvinist: I believe in election and predestination; but I would not dream of putting it under the heading of essential. I put it under the heading of non-essential…. You are not saved by your precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to you.” #MartynLloydJones

So, whether you lean toward Arminianism or Calvinism it is a non-essential issue.

Now, I do find debates between Arminianism and Calvinism interesting to a point, but it bothers me when soteriology becomes an argument between believers. Those who find themselves in frequent debates on this subject would make better use of their time by instead sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world. Our job is telling. God’s job is saving. I believe God saves, with or without our help, however what a blessing it is to be used by God to help spread the gospel.

I like the response that Charles Spurgeon once gave to someone who asked him about his theology. Though he preferred to think of himself as a “mere Christian” he also said “I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist,” and “I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist, but if I am asked what is my creed, I reply, ‘It is Jesus Christ.’”