Permissiveness. How to Avoid Temptation. Do You Know The Difference Between Flattery And A Compliment? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Permissiveness

We were taught to ask for permission to go places and do things when we were children.

Timothy Eberly/Unsplash

“God is merciful and kind as parents ought to be, but His goal is for our good always.

Responsible adults knew that there was a proper balance in giving permission and permissiveness. Permissiveness opens the door to doing what we please—we set the rules, guidelines and standards. Good parents make sure that we understand what consequences may come from our decisions. They shun permissiveness and know that their control will be a safeguard all of our lives.

God is the best parent. If He wanted to be permissive—allowing humans to determine right and wrong, holy and profane—He would have given us Ten Suggestions rather than Ten Commandments. Commandments do not include any permissiveness. Jesus came to magnify those Ten (Isaiah 42:21). God is merciful and kind as parents ought to be, but His goal is for our good always. His laws allow us to build character and define boundaries that are good for us.

We do not ask Him for permission to sin—He does not allow that. So don’t ask!”  From:  https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/permissiveness

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How to Avoid Temptation

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

[Steve Myers] “We all face it. Temptation seems to be everywhere in our world, and sometimes it just seems absolutely overwhelming. But you know there’s a key that we’re given in Hebrews 2:18 that I think is so powerful, because it points to our Savior, Jesus Christ. And here’s what it says. It says, “For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He’s able to aid those who are tempted.”

A couple of things that are very interesting about this passage. Christ personally has suffered through and experienced temptation, the way that we do and He’s uniquely qualified to help us. I love this word for aid that’s used in this particular passage, “He’s able to aid those who are tempted.”

That’s the very same word that’s used all the way back in Acts 27:17. If you’re not familiar with Acts 27, that’s where the Apostle Paul is about to be shipwrecked and he’s going through an amazing hurricane, it seems, and this ship is falling apart. And you know what they do? They take cables, and they run these supporting cables under the ship to help hold it together. And that word in that section of Acts 27 of those supporting cables, is the same word that’s used here as Christ aids us.

So imagine that, when we turn to Christ and we look to him, we pray to God the Father and ask for His help and His guidance, He wraps us around with His aid like those supporting cables that were holding that ship together in the most difficult storm. That’s what we can count on. We can count on our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can count on God the Father to wrap us up in His supporting arms and come to our aid even before sin. Even as we’re being tempted, God is always there to help us.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/how-to-avoid-temptation

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Watch Out!

Do you know the difference between flattery and a compliment?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/XP8NdZUtXPE

[Gary Petty] “All of us like compliments. We appreciate it when someone comes up and tells us, “Boy, that was a good job” or “You look nice today.” But there’s a real difference between a compliment and flattery. They may seem to be the same but actually, they’re not. You know, it’s interesting that in the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes this, “Ointment and perfume delight the heart and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.”

You know, it’s very rewarding. It can be very encouraging when someone we know who’s very sincere comes up and tells us what a good job we did or like I said, how good we look that day or just give us a compliment. Flattery is something else. Flattery is given by a person who is not sincere. Their compliments have a purpose. They’re actually trying to get something out of us. They’re trying to manipulate us.

Here’s what Solomon wrote about flattery. He says, “A man who flatters his neighbor, spreads a net for his feet.” You see, when someone is flattering you, what they’re trying to do is use the compliments to endear you to them so that eventually, they can manipulate you, get something out of you. But it’s not for your benefit. A good compliment is out of appreciation for your benefit. Flattery is something different. It’s very hard to tell the difference. And this is something that children need to learn. The difference between a compliment and flattery.

One of the greatest stories that teaches, especially children, about flattery is one of Aesop’s Fables. In this fable, there is a crow sitting up on a limb that has a huge piece of food in her beak. A fox comes along and says, “Wow, you are the most beautiful crow. The most beautiful bird. You’re beautiful. You have a great complexion. You have a wonderful shape. In fact, you would be the queen of all the birds if you could just sing.” Well, the crow is so taken aback by all the flattery, that she says she’s going to prove that she should be the queen of the birds by singing. Opens her mouth, the food drops out and the fox grabs it and runs away. And basically says, “I complimented her over her beauty, not her brains.” Important lesson.

So remember, when people keep giving you compliments, be sure and think about is that a genuine compliment? If it is, accept it in the spirit that it’s given. But if someone keeps flattering you in an insincere way, be aware, because they may be trying to take advantage of you.”    From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/watch-out

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Update.

Another week with two trips to the chiropractor in Conroe, but these will be last for now.  I am better than I was, thank goodness, because it looks like a move is in the near future.  That means moving everything out of my house, the mini-house, (furnished ex-guest house), both attics, all the tools out of the garage and shed, 2 motor homes, one station wagon, my van, plus all my resale stuff from my business.

We took my foster cat inside the air-conditioned title company in Conroe while I signed some papers after Chris and I had taken her to the vet for her check-up to go into the SPCA Cat Habitat at Petco, Conroe.  She checked out free from FIV and FeLuk, two deadly diseases that cats often acquire if they go outside.  That is why it s so important to keep them indoors. The techs said that “Silver” was really good when she had the blood drawn, her rabies vax and was micro chipped. 

These papers that I had to sign were just odd stuff that has to be done before the closing papers are drawn up, so I guess this Buyer means business.  I have had offers to help me pack, but I tell them that is jumping the gun.  It’s not over until the fat lady sings…… all the way to the bank !

To be somewhat prepared, Zack and I got down the many boxes of drapes and RV parts out of my attic.  All those years of working on RV’s, we had to have all colors of fabric for me to be able to make drapes for the different RV’s.  Most of them were sorted and boxed up to go to different thrift shops.  On one of my trips to the chiropractor I donated 6 big bags of drapes to the Assistance League.

Some of the dishes, cookware, sheets and towels that were stored up in my attic that came out of my 1968 vintage motor home, we call “Pugsy”,  will be used in my Holiday Rambler travel trailer that is now stored in Chris’ horse pasture about a mile way.  Pugsy is now on eBay, with no reserve, and there is already one bid.  (P.S. Which was later canceled). That will be one big thing that I don’t use, out of the yard. 

The electrician replaced some of the mobile home type outlets in the HR trailer, so now the outlets will be able to handle larger things better.

“Silver” got her other booster shots two days after her rabies shot.  We just don’t like to do them all on the same day.  Then the next day, Saturday, before I went to church, Chris picked her up and she went into the Habitat for all the world to see. She is a pretty, outgoing little baby and she should be adopted soon. I can’t have an animal in the senior apartment where I am going in Navasota, TX, if/when the house deal goes through. 

As I had bought some taco shells that were non-GMO, ( I won’t eat any corn unless it is non-GMO) I made some taco meat with ground turkey for the church potluck, and also took a lot of roasted yellow squash, but not enough, it went fast. We also had the usual lasagna, salads, other meats and veggies.

The Bible readings were Psa. 2, 100, Exo. 23:6-24:18 (that is about keeping the Sabbath and the Feasts Days), Isa. 60:17,18, Matt 26:27,28 and all of Matt. 22.  The Teaching was about how “We Are The Branches” in Rom. 11:17, plus many other verses, and how the Gentiles are grafted in.  Then after the potluck we stayed and had a Bible Study, so it was a well rounded day.

Be a Person of Principle. Spider-Silk Dairy. Works of the Flesh.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”.  Late again, as it’s Tuesday.

Be a Person of Principle, Part 3

Honesty  “The world sees dishonesty as a spectrum: from white lies to outright deception. Is God’s view on honesty equally complex?

YouTube:    https://youtu.be/0mTM2Ln8o0A

Transcript

[Steve Myers] “We’ve been talking about how to be a person of principle. To do that, there’s a number of principles to live by. I’ve kind of titled these the “no matter whats”. No matter what, we have to obey God if we’re to be someone that’s called out of the ways of this world. No matter what, we have to have confidence and trust and faith that God will do what He says He’ll do. It’s a promise. So we have to, no matter what, trust God, despite our circumstances.

There’s another principle to this whole concept – that no matter what, in our behavior we have to be honest. No matter what. No matter what, honesty is showing that we’re striving for that ultimate standard – the stature of Jesus Christ. And this is a challenge. It may seem obvious, okay, we can’t lie, we’ve got to be honest. But the problem is our world around us is not in that mindset at all.

I was reading through a number of different surveys – in fact, you could Google them on the internet – that talk about the number of times the average person lies. You might be astonished to see some of those numbers. One study I read said Americans lie, on average, thirteen times a day. Thirteen times a day, average. Average. In fact, in one survey that I read, 91 percent of the people said they lied regularly. Now I suppose the problem with that survey is you can’t tell if they’re telling the truth or they’re actually lying about lying. But nonetheless, I think we’ve all experienced this very thing, that there are problems with truth in our culture today, and we can’t venture into that area at all. God’s called us out of that world. And so we have to be honest, no matter what.

There’s a wonderful proverb that deals with this in Proverbs 11:3. Here’s what it says: “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Now, it’s said a little bit differently – the Living Bible says this, in verse 3: “A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty.” So we’ve got to make a choice every single day to be that honest person, no matter what. That’s what God’s called us to, that no matter the circumstances, no matter the reasons – white lies are just as unacceptable as any other kind of lie. We must be honest. We can’t be – well, like a story I heard about the politicians. Someone said, “Well, I think when I grow up I’ll go into politics because then I won’t get in trouble for lying.” Now, wait a second. You do get in trouble for lying. Lying has consequences.

I was reading a survey about lying and the effects even of what lying has on your health. It was a survey that was done at Notre Dame a couple of years ago. And they had a group of people, that they said, “Okay, you just be normal. Tell the normal lies you normally do.” Then they had the other group that they studied, that they told them, “Do your very best not to lie at all.” And so over a period of time they studied these two groups, and you know one of the things that they found? Those that tried not to lie had better health. They had less stress in their lives, their blood pressure was lower, they had less problems overall physically than the lying group. So that’s kind of an interesting thought, when you consider even the effects of lying. It can affect our mental health. It can affect our physical health. So no wonder God said don’t lie. Don’t lie. And He made it one of the big ten, one of the big Ten Commandments. And so, it’s important, if we’re to be a person of principle, no matter what, be honest.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/be-a-person-of-principle-part-3-honesty

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Making Spider Silk

An Amazing Fact: “One of the most amazing materials in nature is the light, flexible, yet incredibly strong compound spiders use to catch unsuspecting insects. It’s spider silk. Pound for pound, the threads produced by these little arachnids can hold more weight than the most sophisticated manufactured materials. The silk in a spider web is an extremely strong substance that has a tensile strength of 300,000 pounds per square inch and is both stronger and lighter than compounds based on steel.

For a long time people have known about the impressive properties of spider silk, and some have dreamed of being able to create it, perhaps the way that the ancient Chinese learned to produce silk from silkworms. But unlike the gentle silkworm, spiders are aggressive, territorial, and not easily domesticated. Up until now all attempts to synthesize spider silk have failed, but a new venture involving gene-splicing is showing considerable promise.

A Canadian company, Nexia Biotechnologies, appears on the verge of manufacturing a substance similar to spider silk through a surprising method, using the milk of goats. Researchers put the spider silk gene into milk animals, since there are close anatomical similarities between the silk-producing glands of spiders and the milk-producing glands of these mammals. The scientists spliced the spider silk gene into cells taken from the mammary glands of goats. The silk genes worked with amazing efficiency in the mammary cells, and Nexia scientists were soon producing high-quality spider silk.

Now the challenge will be to mass breed these transgenic goats and extract the pure silk protein from the milk and spin it into fabric. If the new stock of genetically altered goats produce as expected, Nexia will have the beginnings of a spider-silk dairy. The product, called “BioSteel,” may soon be used for a variety of applications, from medical sutures to artificial tendons or ligaments. It could be used to create lighter and stronger bulletproof vests, and even for the coatings of space stations to protect them from micro-meteorites.

It’s interesting to consider how many of man’s inventions have been plagiarized from the amazing creatures God has designed. The most amazing fact is that many people think all these wonders of nature have evolved by chance!”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalms 104:24

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Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The works of the flesh are actions and attitudes that are diametrically opposed to God’s ways. They violate the letter or the intent of God’s holy, just and good law (Romans 7:12).

The works of the flesh are the natural, default setting in this evil age (Galatians 1:4), but without repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ’s awesome sacrifice to provide for the forgiveness of our sins, these works will keep us out of the pure and righteous Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God will be governed according to God’s law of love, summarized in the 10 Commandments. Under God’s rule, eventually the works of the flesh and their natural consequences of suffering and death will be removed (Revelation 21:4-8; 22:14-15).

For more about the Kingdom of God, see our inspiring booklet The Mystery of the Kingdom. For more about the works of the flesh, see our blog series beginning with “Fighting the Works of the Flesh: Adultery.”

More to read
“Christ Lives in Me”
A Sure Hope
A Spirit of Power, Love and a Sound Mind
Strangers Become Family
Pentecost and the Birth of the Church

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Update:

Roy and I worked some more on the wiring in the new kitchen in the guest house.  We split up one circuit which had too many outlets on it, and fished the wires down for the under-cabinet lights.  We also planned the sewer part of the plumbing, and got the fittings ready.  We spent one whole morning getting things ready to take to the consignment shop in Conroe.  We were cleaning, mending, polishing and Old-Englishing lots of items which will be dropped off when I take my SPCA foster cats for their annual rabies shots in Conroe. 

We also installed the air conditioner in the part of the guest house which will be the new bedroom.  The inside wall dividing it and the living room isn’t built yet, so when it’s not too hot we just use that smaller air conditioner.  It’s a lot quieter and more economical than the big one which will be for the living room and new kitchen.

We also did a bit of work on the Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel that is for sale on my side lot.  I was glad that we did as a man who lives down the road saw it and is talking about buying it. It looks enormous. He had just lost his Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel in the recent floods.   I know that I will never drag a great big thing like that around, and anyway, I would rather have a Park Model, they aren’t so tall and foreboding!

I made some of the ancient grain, farro, ground beef and veggies in a recipe called Italian Style Farro, for the church potluck.  One of the ladies who doesn’t cook had given me lots of farro for the potlucks.

The Bible readings were Prov. 8: 22-33, Num. 25:10-30:1, 1 Kings 18:46-19:21 and John 7:1-31.  The Teaching was about The Gospel Differences in their descriptions of the End Times.  How it was foretold in Genesis 19 about the similarity to the times of Lot and the End Times spoken of in the Gospels.

Since they cut down the trees, there isn’t a shady spot in the church parking lot.  I put sunshades up on three windows but the car was still uncomfortable when I was leaving, as it was a very hot day.

Terrorist attack at Orlando. Why Does God Allow Evil? Making Wise Politicians. Update & Fifth Wheel.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Muslim terrorist carries out most deadly shooting in U.S. history

“In the wake of the June 12 terrorist attack at an Orlando gay night club, we need to consider what’s happened. Many call it “senseless violence,” yet there is in fact a sense to it that is quite disturbing—as is the failure of many to admit that.”

City of Orlando Police Department

Police respond to the June 12 shooting at a gay bar in Orlando, Fla., in which more than 100 patrons were gunned down by a Muslim male who had proclaimed allegiance to the Islamic State.

“The largest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11 of 2001, and the largest mass shooting in U.S. history, occurred June 12, 2016, at a gay night club in Orlando, Fla. A radical jihadist who swore allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) gunned down 49 people and injured another 53 before he was killed by police. ISIS quickly took responsibility, calling the perpetrator “an Islamic State fighter.” The attack followed calls by ISIS leaders to carry out attacks on non-Muslims during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Yet when President Barack Obama spoke in response immediately after, he would not refer to what happened as Islamic terrorism, following his established pattern, and used this as an opportunity to declare the need for more gun control.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump quickly said the president should resign if he could not identify the country’s enemy here. He also leveled criticism against his Democratic opponent in the presidential race, Hillary Clinton, for similarly refusing to make the identification—though she then said she could use such terminology but did not want to label the whole religion of Islam.

Regarding Obama not mentioning the words “radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said, “He doesn’t get it or he gets it better than anybody understands. It’s one or the other, and either one is unacceptable” (CNN, June 13, 2016).

The attack has thrown the progressive left into a quandary. Had a “right-wing Christian” perpetrated this act, it would have been used to vilify all conservative Christians who want to deny gay rights. But as it was a Muslim, great effort is made to distance him from “authentic Islam”—lest the left’s alliance with Islam against traditional Christianity be put in jeopardy. The shooter was portrayed as a troubled, unbalanced person—but what Islamic terrorist is not? The real problem is that, while those like him are in the minority among Muslims, they still constitute a sizable number of people—perhaps millions.

This should be a wake-up call to those on the left. Radical Islamists are not their friends. In a number of Islamic countries, homosexual behavior is punishable by death and gays are routinely jailed and/or executed. Commentator Mark Steyn said: “The arithmetic isn’t that complicated. The more Islam the fewer gays … In the end, you have to pick and choose which squares you want in your diversity quilt” (SteynOnline.com, June 13).

While we obviously do not agree with the lifestyle of those who were attacked, we stand outraged and saddened over this murderous attack. And we pray for a world of peace and right understanding under the rule of the Kingdom of God.” (Sources: CNN, Fox News, SteynOnline.com.)

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Hard Questions

Why Does God Allow Evil?

Although this question has puzzled many people, the crucial answer is offered in the pages of the Bible.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/pl-RGqftrk4

Transcript

[Gary Petty] “Do you have some hard questions you would like to ask God? I know I do.

Unfortunately, many people have become disillusioned because of what appears to be inconsistencies with what the Bible teaches about God. They question how a loving God can allow children to starve or why He doesn’t stop senseless violence. Why does God allow evil?

The result of this spiritual disenchantment is that more and more people are deciding that the Bible is a myth, or even worse, a book filled with dangerous superstitions.

If we really want to understand the God of the Bible, we must be willing to honestly face these issues. Deal with the hard questions.

If you’ve become disillusioned because God seems unreachable, arbitrary, unfair, let’s reason together and look at “Hard Questions: Why Does God Allow Evil?”” 

Video and complete transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-television-program/hard-questions-why-does-god-allow-evil

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Making Wise Politicians  (Dry humor here)

From:  “How to Avoid Toxic Metals and Clear Them from the Body”

“Until we can clean up the planet and our act, we fortunately do have a “dirt cheap,” stop-gap way of coping with metal toxicity. That solution is diatomaceous earth. The only caveat is that diatomaceous earth used for human or animal detoxification must be food grade. To detoxify with diatomaceous earth, dissolve less than one teaspoon to one tablespoon for every 100 pounds of body weight in a glass of pure water and drink before bed over a period of months or years. “……….

“…….In conclusion, we propose to treat the cause and not just the symptoms of heavy metal toxicity. To wit, this election year, we vote for detoxification with diatomaceous earth for politicians as well as all those in elective and appointed offices, including judges, police officers and FDA officials. If candidates were required by law to be free of mercury, cadmium, lead and other metal toxicities that affect their mental capacities, we could have more confidence in their leadership and appropriate use of power. Sanity regarding environmental and dietary exposure to toxic metals would, could and should become an inalienable right.

At the very least, it would be great to have an election where candidates avow to to get the “dirt into” themselves and not dish “dirt on” their opponents!”

^{More at: http://www.westonaprice.org/environmental-toxins/mad-as-a-hatter}

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Update:

Roy and I have made a bit more progress in the guest house.  But nothing that really shows.  Before we fill in the big old skylight with sheetrock that currently has a 4’x 6’ piece of Lexan there, we went up to that attic, moved the Lexan aside and pushed overboard all the rolls of carpet that were stored next to the skylight onto the floor of the guest house.  That was the quickest and easiest way to get that carpet downstairs.  Someone is coming to buy some of it.  There is one roll of carpet left up there, the very lovely Axminster carpet that I will be laying in the bedroom when the walls are finished.

We found a beige seamed rug that exactly fit the back of my van, so we installed it.  Now that all the back seats are out I have 4’ x 8’ of space, so the carpet makes it easier to load and unload things like plywood and sheetrock.

Then I acquired a Western style couch with matching loveseat and ottoman.  For staging my house for sale it would look better than my taffeta Old Rose couch.  So we cleaned the Old Rose couch with the carpet shampooer attachment, then we loaded it into my van and took it to the consignment shop for sale.  Then we cleaned the carpet where the Rose-colored couch had been.  The next day the Western couch arrived so we cleaned it.  Then we cleaned the rest of the carpet.  There isn’t any room for the loveseat and ottoman right now, so a friend is storing it for me.

As the carpet that was in the guest house is up for grabs, too, we tore it up with the padding, and put it all outside in the carport ready for the folks to come and get what they want.  So now there are bare floors in the new bedroom and the old living room in the guest house.  Much better to work in there.

On Saturday 25th, the Bible readings were Num. 19:1-21:35, Jud. 11:1-33 and John 3:9-21.  The Teaching was about “Knowledge” from Daniel 12:4 and how our knowledge has increased over the years.

The big pot of farro, beef, and veggies that I took to church which was liked, and I was able to keep some to feed Roy the next day. I try to feed him lunch before he leaves as he is so skinny from an esophogus problem. There are a lot of foods that he can’t eat, but he does better on organic and non-processed food.  He is going for surgery soon.

Friday, I went to the newly-rented apartment of some friends from church.  They have just hung up their keys after 15 years of fulltiming.  I bought their lovely 2008 29’ Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel, Silver Fox Edition. 

Two slide-outs, spacious rear kitchen.

 

 

 

 

It isn’t what I really want, but as it was in my yard for me to sell for them, I figured I might as well get it, as it is in such nice condition.  Now, I am really in debt!!  I hope that I can sell my house soon, or I will have to sell the fifth wheel.

Then on July 2nd. the Bible readings were Psa.100, Num. 22:2-25:9, Micah 5:6-6:8, and 2 Peter 2.1-21, and the Teaching was about “Life’s Purpose.”, and I took a big pot of skillet-buttered cabage with onions and carrots, which all disappeared. 

One of the other dishes brought for the church potluck, chicken in tomato sauce, wasn’t all eaten, so they gave it to me for my neighbor.  I had to do an emergency stop on the way home.    Fortunately, I had the food in a cardboard box, but some of the tomato sauce splashed on my new beige rug in the back of the van.  While we were sorting out which shampooer to use on that rug, we got engrossed in straightening out a bunch of stuff in the storage area, and that looks a lot better now.  Tuesday, when the consignment and donation thrift shops are open, I can take a lot of the stuff that we sorted out.  Hopefully it won’t take too long to empty out this house, as long as I keep clearing out stuff each day.

Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness. Question Evolution. Don't Get Caught! Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness

"A common axiom today says that we should not “cut corners” in life. An ancient biblical law could also be summarized by a different application of these words.

God gave many commands to ancient Israel. One of the commands may be confusing to people who don’t live in an agrarian society.

Notice Leviticus 23:22: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

You could summarize this command as: Don’t cut corners. The Israelites were commanded not to fully harvest their crops. God wanted a portion to be left in the fields and available for the poor to glean. The biblical heroine Ruth benefited from this law (Ruth 2:2-3).

Modern application of an ancient law

But how does this biblical law for an agrarian society apply to Christians today? Most of us don’t have farms. How can we avoid cutting corners today?

The answer becomes apparent when we understand the principle behind the law. Ancient Israel was not to forget the less fortunate and poor; the citizens of this nation were to make provisions to care for them. Though most of us cannot apply it in the same way the Israelites did, we can still apply the principle today.

How can we not cut corners today?"

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/blog/dont-cut-corners-on-kindness/

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A Science Teacher’s Bold Confession

"Although I’m a science teacher, I don’t believe in evolution. Let me give you two reasons why.

Why should we believe gravity, or any other natural law, for that matter, just somehow happened—appeared on its own out of nowhere?

Interestingly, all scientists call these natural forces “laws,” and indeed they are consistent rules that govern all things that exist.

Even more interesting, a source long predating Isaac Newton tells us where gravity and all the other laws of nature came from! That source is the Bible.

James 4:12 tells us, “There is one Lawgiver.” That Lawgiver is the Creator God who designed and made the universe and this planet we call earth. In doing so, He created the rules that control it, both the physical laws governing the behavior of creation and the spiritual laws governing the behavior of humanity.

The complexity of nature

Mankind has a long and fascinating history of attempting to comprehend and probe nature’s complexities.

Around 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Democritus imagined that matter consisted of tiny particles. He called these particles atoms, which in his language basically meant “indivisible,” (atomos, literally, “not cut”). Other Greek philosophers believed atoms came together to form molecules. They also thought atoms and molecules had mass or weight. It turns out they were far ahead of their time. Sad to say, other mistaken philosophical ideas gained precedence over these notions, suppressing for hundreds of years the concept of atoms."

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/is-there-a-god/proof-of-god/science-teachers-confession/

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Don't Get Caught!

"What does temptation have to do with getting caught?

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/dont-get-caught

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Update:

Still no word from Ray, but he did send someone over to pick up all his potted plants that were in the front yard of the guest house.  We moved all his things that were in the living room into the bedroom and there is so much of his stuff that it has the bedroom  piled high. Very strange for someone to just leave all their stuff.  This time he has been gone over 5 weeks now, but legally, I can't get rid of his possessions.

Somehow a rock hit the patio door on the guest house, so now it is all crazed and waiting to fall into a million pieces.  I think a weed eater did it.

The new helper, Roy didn't work out at all.  He worked on the floor for a few hours on the Monday, and then worked on his own job, mowing lawns, the rest of the week.  He always had landscaping tools spread all over the front yard and everyone thought I was having a yard sale.  I got so tired of people stopping and calling, that I asked him not to do that again.  When I went into the guest house I found out that Roy had moved a bunch of his personal stuff in at night time, and had planned on living there.  I told him that it was a construction area, not a living area.  On Monday, 12th. his niece came by and told me that Roy had been put in the hospital and it took two car loads to get the small stuff out of there.  I am still waiting for Roy's brother to pick up the large stuff, like a refrigerator and a trailer that Roy towed behind his riding mower. 

So back to Jay and me!   We have been cutting out the bad flooring in the kitchen/dining area in the guest house.  

 

When we removed the kitchen cabinets we found out that Ray had let the drain leak under the sink, then that water had gone through the floor and caused termites to climb up into the wall.  Needless to say, the lower cabinets fell apart as we were removing them. 

Then when we went to remove the upper cabinets we found that they were full of canned goods.  Now who puts canned goods in upper cabinets??  As an old RVer, I know not to do that.  Anyway, so many upper cabinets are held up there with just a few screws, and aren't made to support the weight of a lot of cans.  This was so mystifying as there is a big canned goods rack built in one of the big cupboards.

Yesterday, Jay and I went to church.  I took Opo Squash and Ginger Chicken Soup, and Jay made a strawberry pie with real whipped cream, not Coolwhip.

The Bible readings were Num. 30:2-32:40, Jere. 1:1-2:3, and Mat. 5:33-37.  The Teaching was about "Trees planted by water"  Psa.1:3 and Jere.17:7-8.  Another new couple came for the first time, and I think that they will be regulars.   Everyone enjoyed the potluck, and a lot of talk and teaching was done around the dining tables.  It was so sunny that we were glad that we had put four sunshades up around the front of the van.   These are the hottest days.

A Forgotten Memorial Day. Feast of Pentecost. Vatican’s Recognition of Palestine. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

A Forgotten Memorial Day: The Feast of Pentecost

"Monday is Memorial Day in the U.S. But there is another memorial day this weekend that commemorates one of the most momentous days in all of history.

On Monday, May 25, most schools, federal offices and some businesses in the United States will be closed to observe Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday remembering the Americans who died in all the wars fought throughout American history—perhaps 660,000 people.

But this coming weekend should mean more to us than just a three-day weekend of picnics and parades. In fact, this particular weekend is actually special for another reason. This Sunday, May 24, is a day even more important than Memorial Day—it is the biblical Feast of Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks).

The unique feast of counting

In Leviticus 23 God gave Israel a list of special observances that He declared “the feasts of the LORD” (verse 2). These festivals were to be observed by God’s people as “holy convocations” (verse 2). Israel was to assemble together on these days to worship and learn.

The third festival in this list was unique. Instead of having a fixed date, the date of its observance was based on counting: “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath [during the Days of Unleavened Bread], from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath” (verses 15-16). In fact, the name Pentecost is simply the Greek term for “fiftieth.”

This year, the counting began on April 5. Counting 50 days forward brings us to this Sunday, May 24." 

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/a-forgotten-memorial-day-the-feast-of-pentecost/

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Pentecost: God Gives the Holy Spirit

"Pentecost marked the giving of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church. What does this harvest festival show about God’s plan of salvation?

Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, is one of the harvest festivals that represent the plan of salvation.

Jesus’ crucifixion on Passover was a pivotal event in history. And just over seven weeks later, another watershed event occurred on the Feast of Pentecost.

Pentecost of promise

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4; for more about the miracle of speaking in tongues, see the article “What Is Speaking in Tongues?”).

During His ministry, Jesus Christ had told His disciples about the power of His Holy Spirit that they would need and would receive. By faithfully obeying God’s command to gather on His feasts, they were ready to receive this miracle.

God used the accompanying miracles to draw a large crowd to hear Peter preach a powerful sermon:

“‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. …’

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” "(Acts 2:36-38, 41).

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/pentecost/

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What Will the Vatican’s Recognition of Palestine Mean?

The pope’s recognition of a Palestinian state was denounced by Israel, but what will its impact in Europe and the Mideast be? How will peace really come?

The Vatican signed a treaty recognizing a Palestinian state Wednesday, May 13.

The National Catholic Reporter said, “The move comes four days before the canonization of two Palestinian nuns and solidifies the standing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday.

“Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told The Times of Israel that the government is ‘disappointed by the decision. We believe that such a decision is not conducive to bringing the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.’

“Israel insists that for the Palestinians to achieve statehood, they must first end their armed struggle against Israel and recognize its right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people.”

The pope’s play

Journalist Julian Pecquet wrote May 13, “From the beginning of his papacy Pope Francis hasn’t hesitated to jump into the bloody politics of the Middle East, starting with his September 2013 appeal for a day of fasting and prayer to protest the planned US military strikes on Syria. Since then he has recognized the Armenian slaughter of 1915 as a genocide and repeatedly called for peace in the region, all in the name of defusing conflicts that threaten to tear apart a rich mosaic of cultures in which Christians once thrived.

“‘We cannot resign ourselves to a Middle East without Christians, who have professed the name of Jesus there for [2,000] years,’ The New York Times quoted the pope as saying during his visit to Turkey last year.”

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/what-will-the-vaticans-recognition-of-palestine-mean/

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Update:

Monday, Jay and I borrowed his mother's truck and got the 4x4's out of my van which is still in the shop.Jay said that he could make his mother's washer spin, so we didn't take it to the repair shop.  While we were out, I bought trip tags for the Puddle Jumper at the courthouse.  We returned the 4x4's to Lowes and bought chain link top rail. The swaged end will fit in the parts of the carport canopy.

Tuesday, BabyGirl's adopters couldn't wait until Thursday to get their new dog, so Chris and I took her to meet them at Petco.  All the forms were filled in and she is now theirs.  They have a lovely house and a salt-water pool.  They brought their other dog and he and BabyGirl got along great and even played a bit.  We are all so happy for her. 

Wednesday, the Puddle Jumper had it's new muffler installed in Conroe, and Jay and I did a bit of thrift shopping, too.  I bought another shredder, and he bought some shirts.  It was very strange to drive the little Puddle Jumper out on the road, and as it hasn't left the subdivision in 6 years it smoked when it was first driven over 20 miles an hour.  Once it got all the soot off the cylinders and valves, it ran like a top.

Thursday, before it started to rain again, we put two of the new long poles (top rail) in the car canopy.  We are raising it 18" so that it can accommodate my motor home.  Jay drilled 1-3/8" holes in the treated 2x4's that we had laid out, and pounded the poles through, about 2 ft. into the ground.  That canopy is anchored!

Friday, we finished the carport. Here it is now.

Then, I went to lunch with my granddaughter at a very different place in Willis called YummyYummy.  They give you a bowl and you go through a buffet getting what you want.  I didn't really know what was going on, or I would have got some raw broccoli, cabbage, and cod, etc.  At the end of the buffet they take your bowl away from you and put the contents on a big grill.  You have a choice of different noodles and rice.  They give you a number and then your cooked food is brought to you. It was good, and enough to bring some home.

Over the weekend, Jay couldn't make his mother's washer spin any more, so we spun their washed clothes here.  I see a trip to the repair shop in the future after all.

Then we heard about the dam being weak at Lewis Creek Reservoir.  It will really affect me if it breaks, as I am at the highest place around and will get inundated with people!!  I have already been told by many "If we have to leave, we are coming to your place!!"  One RVer just left, she wanted to see where she could park her 42" motor home on my side lot!! The Corps of Engineers and Entergy are doing all they can to stop the dam from breaking. The reservoir was built to cool Entergy's power plant. Jay and his mother's houses will be in jeopardy as they are down by Lake Conroe.

Saturday, I drove the Puddle Jumper to church.  The readings were suitable for this Pentecost time.  Exo. 1:1- 4:20, Hosea 2:1-20 and 1 Cor. 12:12-31.  The Teaching was about "Emptiness and Fullness", and how everything is a choice and vanity is emptiness.  Psa.39:11, 62:9, Eccl. 2:2 "All is vanity". Then many verses which say how joyous it is to be filled.

The potluck was great, as usual.  Lots of fellowship and friendship.  One couple are full timers (live fulltime in their RV) and they are headed for Oregon.  We will miss them until they return to Thousand Trails Conroe next year. Some were staying for the evening Pentecost service. Some left and returned.  As we share the buildings with a Baptist church, we cannot use it on Sundays. 

Pentecost, like all the Holy Days, begins at sunset, so we had a small service after dusk.  I don't drive after dark so a church member who lives just past my house took me back at 7.30 for the evening service.  We had another great meal after the service and we didn't leave until after 10.00 pm. A really full and happy day.

When Was Jesus Born? Who Started It? Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Beyond Today -- When Was Jesus Born?

"Did His birth occur on December 25th? Can we even know when Christ was born? And, should we really be celebrating His birth?

Watch this video: http://youtu.be/XiVgLInIRJ4  
or read the transcript and request the Bible study aid "Jesus Christ: The Real Story" at:  http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/jesus-christ/when-was-jesus-born

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Who Started It?

"Who started Yuletide worship of sun, mother and child?

Source: Scott Brady

"She was beautiful, powerful, and devious – a perfect foil for the ancient serpent’s deceptions. Her husband Nimrod had made himself king over the migrants who came into the new land of Sumeria, a very rich alluvial plain in which things grew quickly, but wild beasts also multiplied and became a constant menace. The people had no weapons and they needed protection. Nimrod invited them to live together in one place and built a wall all around it to protect them. (The points expressed about the background to Nimrod and Semiramis are found in Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews.)

He became their king, a warrior king who built an army and taught men to make and use weapons, and he led them on profitable hunts to provide meat. Business was good, so he built other cities as populations increased, but he had a problem.

People still worshipped the One true God and looked to Shem, the son of Noah, as the man of God and leader of their faith. Faith was a powerful thing and Nimrod wanted that power, but how would he turn the people’s faith toward himself? His beautiful, scheming wife Semiramis provided the answer. She began to laud her husband Nimrod as their great provider and protector. We don't know exact details, but there are abundant examples in history from which we can draw such conclusions. (Bible verses about Semiramis; Bible Tools.org)

The Devil, that most subtle of deceivers (Genesis:3:1) and god of this world (2 Corinthians:4:4, Ephesians:6:10-12) is most likely the ancient source that inspired them (many people are tempted of themselves (James:1:14). This gave Satan an in and he cunningly inspired them to worship him as the Sun god, the source of knowledge and of life for all things on Earth. He backed up this idea by performing signs and wonders as people were converted to this new faith. It effectively turned people’s hearts to pleasure and to worshipping their god as they pleased. It was heady stuff and men and women of all kinds responded in droves.

It all made Shem very anxious for the people. He was very angry with the man who had brought about this growing apostasy and he acted at once to execute the self-proclaimed king and high priest of the Sun god. Ultimately, he had Nimrod's body cut in pieces to be distributed to the various civic centers as a dire warning of what would happen to others who had been deceived into forsaking the Creator by worshipping idols and demon spirits. (See Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews ).

Semiramis knew better than to openly defy Shem, but developed a mystery religion with herself as high priestess. Her followers used secret signs and symbols so as not to let on. She led them in worship of the god of love and fertility and took many lovers in her conquest of men. She then became pregnant and when she gave birth to Tammuz (meaning ‘son of life’). Semiramis daringly presented him at the Winter solstice as the son of Baal, the long expected Seed of the woman forecast in the Garden of Eden. Most likely everyone on Earth at that time knew the prophecy given to Adam, Eve and the Serpent before they were cast out of Paradise, because Noah and his family spread the gospel after the Flood. Satan used this knowledge to help thwart the coming truth that was to come.

Semiramis also had caused Nimrod to be venerated as a god after his death. She said he was made one with the "Sun in Heaven". She said that her son Tammuz had been supernaturally conceived in her womb by him, thus claiming to be "that" woman. Her child then represented new birth and the possibility of resurrection for all who believed. As the sun regained strength and rose up after the Winter solstice, so would mankind experience rebirth after death. After Tammuz died by being nailed or bound to an evergreen tree, she wailed for him until he was restored to her. Women of many nations thereafter wept for Tammuz, even in Israel. (Ezekiel:8:14) So began the worship of mother and child.

Meanwhile, the men of Babel were busy building a huge tower to reach high into the sky and make them famous and their city the foremost in the world. They planned to stay there in that place and not spread out and replenish and fill the whole earth as God had commanded. The Lord came down to see for Himself what they were up to and saw that they were of one evil mind and working together they would invent and create things far too quickly. People had corrupted themselves before and managed to pollute everything in the old world. They shared only one language, so God miraculously confused their ability to communicate, which forced them to move out in groups, each group bound by a different language and so they went about establishing separate lands of their own.

The small families scattered from Babel and became fully fledged nations, but unfortunately took with them the pagan worship of mother and child as they had learned from Semiramis. Thus began many counterfeit faiths spread around the world and even today cause so much confusion.

Whatever else we might say about the devil, he is industrious and clever in his opposition to God and the only church founded by Jesus Christ. This article simply illustrates some of the basic truths of Revelation 17, especially with regard to mother and child and the whole pantheon of gods and false worship.

Semiramis appears to be the source that started it all in human history, inspired by the devil who backed her up with visions and mirages. It all began more than 2000 years before Jesus Christ was born of Mary and it is no wonder that there are so many pagan parallels with modern Christianity. The counterfeit religion is that of the great deceiver and god of this world who actively blinds mankind to the truth, (2 Corinthians:4:4) but we are not ignorant of his designs (2 Corinthians:2:11). Satan has convinced so many that they are righteous in their false code of beliefs as they worship God.

History says Nimrod was the first mighty one ‘deified’ after the Flood. He was represented by a winged bull and called the ‘father of the gods’. His wife Semiramis became the ‘mother of the gods’ and Queen of heaven. The characteristics of that initial Chaldean mystery religion which she founded were: rejection of our Creator God, denial of His commandments, refusal to acknowledge Him as the source of all life, and a paranoid desire for self-exaltation – the making of God in man’s image! ‘You shall be as gods’ the Serpent told Eve, but in effect he became their god, the one whom they obeyed. (Romans:6:16). Little have men in all history realized that the devil could deceive them into worshipping him and his counterfeit churches.

For more information on what God truly wants us to celebrate, request the free study aids, Holidays or Holy Days: Does it Matter What We Observe? and God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise for all Mankind .

From: http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/who-started-it/       article by George Carter

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Update:

Last week's propane saga didn't end by going back to the propane place where I had bought the new pigtail, as they were closed two days in a row, and no one even answered their phone. 

Our local hardware store tested the pigtail for me, and it was good.  But they said that sometimes the gaskets in the gas bottles go bad, so that is probably why mine was leaking.   I took an empty gas bottle to Krogers and exchanged it, as I knew it would have had it's gasket checked.  It costs more to get an exchange bottle because you don't get as much propane as getting one filled, so that is why I don't usually do it.  Jay and I hooked it up, doused it with soapy water, saw no bubbles, so I am using it.   I'll have to get the other bottle's gasket looked at.

During any slack moments, Ray has been refurbishing a chrome RV two-burner propane gas cooktop.  It had been stored for many years and had rusted. It took quite a bit of sanding to get it smooth again. The top is now white, and the underneath is done in Rustoleum's Hammered Silver spray paint.  He had repainted the house's propane cook top with white High Heat Engine spray paint, he does that every few years to freshen it up, so he used up the rest of the white engine paint on the two-burner one.

While he was at it, he sanded and repainted an RV vent-a-hood that I have for sale.  It was just done with white spray paint, high heat paint is not needed for that.

The weather has been wonderful.  No heater or AC needed.  Windows and doors open most of the time, and just a smattering of rain now and then.

We did a bit more to the greenhouse extension on the storeroom, and when we went shopping on Wednesday, we bought some 2x6's for the ceiling joists.

As my house is going to be for sale, I wanted to install the concertina sides onto the bedroom window air conditioner, to make it look neater.  That means someone, Jay, has to be on the outside to hold it up, while Ray and I installed the concertina sides.  Then Jay cut some foam board and white paneling and put them on the outside.  Now it looks a lot better inside and out.  ( I do NOT like central AC)

On Friday, which we call Preparation Day, (preparing for the Sabbath, the day of rest) I made a ground buffalo and veggie pie with a pastry top for the church potluck.  I didn't want any pastry on the bottom as that usually just turns into a soggy mess.  Also, I took some roasted zucchini.

Roger and I went to church, our favorite one on FM 1097. Jay didn't go as he said he hadn't slept all night, and didn't want to fall asleep in church. The readings were Psalm 115, 118, Gen.37:1 - 40:23 and Amos 2:6 - 3:8. 

The teaching was "When The Time's Right".  How everything is done in God's due time, because he knows best how to make us appreciative for what we get.  He delays some things to let our faith grow.  Undergoing tough times strengthens us. Such as when Abram (before he was Abraham) had to wait a long time for his promised son Isaac to be born to aged Sarai (before she was Sarah), and even took matters into his own hands and begat Ishmael through Hagar, his wife's Egyptian servant.  Gen. 16, and 17.  Abram should have waited for God's timetable. 

The potluck was great, as usual, and my dishes were quickly eaten up, even though there were several meat dishes. There are always lots of veggies, and I 'OD' on them, especially the Brussel Sprouts.

It is so mild for December that it has been a 'tank top and shorts' day.

 

Xi Jinping: Another Strongman. Jesus’ Jewish Heritage. Health Science and the Bible. Pets and Antifreeze. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Xi Jinping: Another Strongman Arises in the East

"Throughout the past year, the world has focused on Vladimir Putin and a resurgent Russia. But another strongman is rising in the east. Meet China’s Xi Jinping.

The rise of Vladimir Putin as a strongman in Russia has been covered thoroughly in American media this last year. His actions in Crimea and Ukraine have made him one of the most distrusted men in America and Europe, and the world continues to watch what he will do in eastern Ukraine.

But there is another political leader in Eurasia that our readers should be aware of: Xi Jinping.

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/xi-jinping-another-strongman-arises-in-the-east/  by Erik Jones - November 19, 2014

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Jesus’ Jewish Heritage

Matthew 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

"The genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give context to the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who also was the descendant of Abraham and David. Both David and Jesus were of the tribe of Judah (verse 3), the tribe promised the scepter—the symbol of rulership (Genesis 49:10). As Jesus said, He was born to be a King, and He will rule all nations in the Kingdom of God (John 18:37; Revelation 11:15).

Jesus was ethnically a Jew and grew up with a Jewish heritage. The genealogies help to link the Old and New Testaments into the unified whole that God intended. Though Jesus argued against many human traditions that had grown up around the religion of the Bible, He always showed respect for the inspired writings of what we now call the Old Testament and the laws revealed in it. This only makes sense when you consider that Christ was the “spiritual Rock” that followed and worked with ancient Israel (1 Corinthians 10:4).

For more about the inspiration and unity of the Bible, see “Who Wrote the Bible?” and “What Is the Bible?""   From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/jesus-jewish-heritage/

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From me: As Jesus was a Jew, he went to the synagogue on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath.  It was the Romans who didn't want to have anything to do with anything Jewish who changed the day of worship to Sunday, the first day of the week.  But God didn't change it.

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Health Science and the Bible

"The Holy Bible was not written as a medical textbook, but the health advice in it is sound, pivotal and far ahead of its time.

The Bible is concerned more with spiritual soundness than with physical health. Yet surely the God who created us would understand what we need to be healthy. Certainly He would teach us the most important rules for caring for the bodies He designed.

Indeed, God provides sound guidance in the Scriptures to help us achieve the healthiest possible lifestyle.

Let’s see how seven of these biblical health tips stack up with modern medical advice.

1. Practice good hygiene and sanitation.

Deuteronomy 23:12-13: “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse” (see also Leviticus 11:32; 15:11; Numbers 19:14-15; Job 9:30; and Matthew 23:25-26). More….

2. Get checked out.

Leviticus 13:2-3: “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall examine the sore."  More……

3. Stay away from others if you are sick.

Leviticus 13:45-46: “Now the leper on whom the sore is, … his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” More….

4. Be faithful to your spouse.

1 Corinthians 6:18: “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (see also Exodus 20:14; Romans 1:27; and Leviticus 18:6). More….

5. Watch what you eat and drink.

…..Eat clean meats only.  According to a 2009 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, consumption of pork consistently correlates with liver disease across countries and over decades of research in epidemiology. Impressively, the strength of the association may be even stronger than the correlation between alcohol and cirrhosis. This pattern does not emerge with beef (a biblically clean meat).

God truly wants what is best for us. Scientists are still learning about factors that make certain meats dangerous choices for humans, but the Bible lit the way long ago.

A little alcohol (up to one or two drinks in a day) can have health benefits. However, the Mayo Clinic warns, “drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents,” alcoholism and even weakened heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). The Bible does not forbid alcohol, but it clearly shows that alcohol abuse is not only dangerous, it’s sinful. More…..

6. Get adequate rest and exercise.

Ecclesiastes 5:12: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet” (also see Psalm 127:2 and 1 Timothy 4:8). Modern medicine and the Bible agree: The sedentary, bleary-eyed lifestyle is not good for us. Sleep helps regulate our hormones and immune systems and provides time for cell repair. As a result, sleep-deprivation can make us susceptible to colds, heart disease, diabetes, accidents and even obesity, as WebMD reports. More…..

7. Cultivate a positive outlook.

Proverbs 18:14: “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” (see also Proverbs 17:22).

The Bible suggests that attitude affects our physical health. More and more researchers are finding that it’s true! For instance, older adults who expressed only low to moderate levels of satisfaction with their lives were, after eight years, “about 80 percent more likely than their happier counterparts to have developed mobility and functional problems,” as The Washington Post explains.

In contrast, subjects in another study were told to briefly write, once a week, about five things for which they were thankful. After only two months of “gratitude lite,” they felt happier and more optimistic. What’s more, they “reported fewer physical problems and spent more time working out,” according to The New York Times.

Need another reason to be thankful?

God’s Word doesn’t just encourage us to have positive attitudes. It shows us the best, healthiest way to live now and the amazing destiny God is offering each one of us!"  More….

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/is-the-bible-true/how-do-we-know-the-bible-is-true/health-science-and-the-bible/  by Heather Cole

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In the Animal Kingdom:

Poison Alert: Keep Antifreeze Containers Tightly Closed and Far Away from Your Pets

"Animals love the taste!  It is estimated that up to 90,000 animals are poisoned each year by the toxic agent ethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze. Poisoning most often occurs when an animal encounters an antifreeze leak from a car radiator. Dogs typically lick the fluid right off the ground; kitties are more likely to walk through it, then lick their paws.

The toxic agent in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, and it takes as little as 1 tablespoon to cause acute kidney failure in dogs. About 5 tablespoons can kill a medium sized dog, and just 1 teaspoon can be fatal to a cat."   More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/11/23/antifreeze-poisoning.aspx

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Update:

Last Sunday, 16th., Ray and I drove to Houston to buy a used small dishwasher to install in the guest house.  These are the little ones that some people install in RVs.  I have one here in my house and it works well, so I wanted one for the guest house.  The freeways were packed, the weather was horrible, rainy and wet, but it was the only day that we could go.  Sorry, I was too beat to post when I got home. 

Jay and I got a bit more done on the storeroom extension.  Then he came down with a cold.

Ray and I have been busy solving problems.  We are thankful that we have all this behind us.  Ray's brakes went out and he found out that it was a wheel cylinder. 

We had to cut another trapdoor in the floor of Ray's utility room to find a second drain leak.  When we had that slow water leak earlier on in the year, it had washed away some of the support to the house.  That caused a beam to sink and made the two drain leaks.

One night it was going to freeze for the first time this winter, so Ray and I spent the whole afternoon covering and moving plants. The next day it came back up to the mid 70's, so they are uncovered now.  10-day-weather shows that it's not going to freeze again in the next 10 days.  The plants all appreciated the day of rain, and then the sunshine.

Even with the bad weather, I am still selling aloe plants and shipping them north.  But I have to really insulate the packages with newspaper.

Ray's son's power went out during the freeze.  He lives next door on the other side of me, so he stayed with Ray for a couple of days.  Ray and I, armed with a long cord plugged into my house, work lights, flashlights, multimeter and other electrical tools, tried to fix it. This is a rare breaker box and the main breaker has to be removed with a 9mm Allen key.  Now if you have ever bought a set of Allen keys, if you look, you'll find that they don't come with a 9mm!   We went, or called every tool place in town.  Finally, after I looked through five tool boxes here, I found one.  We cleaned the wires with DeOxit, and then figured out that it was the main breaker that was faulty.  Now this is a rare Gould 200 amp breaker and so we had to go to the one and only electrical supply house that carried it.  We were too wary about doing the change-out ourselves and called Jim the mechanic down the street to come and do it.  He did, and so let there be light!

Then I had bought a new door bell, and it wouldn't work every time the button was pushed.  We messed with that thing for ages.  I wrote to the company that made it, and they said it was obsolete so they would send me a new one. Hurray!

Yesterday, Ray and I went to our church's Thanksgiving dinner.  Jay still had the sniffles and a wet cough so even though he wanted to go, he didn't.  The Bible readings were Gen 25:19-28:9, Mal 1:1-2:7.  The teaching was about putting on "The New Man"

Eph 4:24 "and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."

The teaching also reminded us to be thankful for everything.  At my age, I am just thankful to wake up this side of the grass!!  We all had a great turkey dinner for the potluck.  I took scalloped sweet potatoes with apple, Craisins and walnuts; and a big dish of mashed rutabagas topped with Parmesan, and some canned cranberry sauce.  Ray helped me by cleaning up my silver cranberry sauce server, so I took that, too.     It was a great day.

A Message Christianity Ignores. Don’t Copy Pagan Ways. 10 Ways to Unknowingly Crush Your Cat’s Spirit. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

The Kingdom of God:
A Message Christianity Ignores

"The Gospel accounts are very clear about the focus of Christ’s message. Yet the gospel of the Kingdom of God is nearly absent from Christianity today.

The Kingdom of God is currently in heaven. But it will be established on earth when Jesus returns.

"The myriad of churches that make up Christianity profess that their religion is based on Jesus Christ. Nearly all claim Him as their founder and say that their teachings are based on what He said and did 2,000 years ago. But, sadly, there are many doctrines where mainstream Christianity ignores or actually rejects the teachings of Jesus Christ.

This month’s column makes a bold assertion: Mainstream Christianity does not teach the same message that Jesus Christ brought when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago.

Jesus had a central message that formed the basis for His entire ministry and teachings.

He pinpointed this central message in the heart of His most famous sermon—the Sermon on the Mount. He made a statement about what should be the highest priority for His followers: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, emphasis added).

Jesus Christ’s words are clear—the Kingdom of God is to be the No. 1 focus and emphasis in the lives of His followers. In fact, it was the core of His gospel message.

Christ’s gospel was not just about Himself

Gospel is a common word in the Christian world. Some think of it in connection with a genre of religious music, but most understand that it describes a message. It literally means a message of good news. Most churches include the word gospel in their mission statements. Typically, the gospel is described as the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is seen as the message of His life, death and resurrection. (You can see this by doing a Google search of the mission statements of different denominations of Christianity.)

But was this the central message that Jesus actually taught? Was His message only about Himself?

A study of the Gospel accounts of Christ’s life pinpoints exactly what His message—His gospel—was all about!

Notice Mark 1:14: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” That statement is pretty plain—Jesus preached the gospel about the Kingdom of God!

There are many scriptures that reinforce this fact. For example, Matthew 9:35 says, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom.”

At one point in His ministry, Jesus was about to leave an area where He had been preaching for some time. The people of that area tried to persuade Him not to go (Luke 4:42). Jesus’ response was, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (verse 43).

Let that sink in.

Jesus Christ said that one of His primary purposes for coming to earth was to preach about the Kingdom of God! That was His gospel. That was His message. That was His purpose. That is what drove Him.

When we understand that the thrust of Christ’s message centered on the Kingdom of God, we understand better why He made the statement in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God.” He tells us to seek first the Kingdom because the Kingdom of God was His primary message.

This message is about the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth at the second coming of Jesus Christ. See our infographic on page 29 to learn more details about what the Kingdom of God is.

But where is that message in mainstream Christianity today?"  More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/kingdom-of-god/a-message-christianity-ignores/

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Don’t Copy Pagan Ways of Worship

Deuteronomy 12:29-32

“When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

God knew the traps that Satan lays with alluring ways of worship. He warned His people not to neglect His clear instructions about how He wants to be worshipped. He tells us to never assume that He would like to be worshipped in the way those who worship other gods worship them.

Yet Israel continually fell into this trap, creating a syncretistic religion that combined some elements of biblical commands with the religious customs of the people around them.

Looking at the history of Christianity, it becomes evident that a similar process took place, as pre-Christian customs and celebrations were accepted by much of Christianity, though rejected by those who remained faithful to the teachings of the apostles and prophets."  More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/dont-copy-pagan-ways-of-worship/ By Erik Jones

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10 Ways to Unknowingly Crush Your Cat’s Spirit

by Kathy Blumenstock

"Famously independent, sometimes falsely assumed to be immune to feelings, cats are in truth super-sensitive to emotions, sound and stress. Perhaps because felines lack the eager-to-please openness of their canine colleagues, humans overlook the big and small ways that they can break a cat’s spirit.  Are you guilty of any of these?

Not Cleaning the Litter Box: Leave the box filled with kitty’s waste because some new litters promise freshness for multiple days--so you wait till the weekend for that dreaded chore of cleaning the litter box. Imagine leaving your own toilet unflushed all week long, and you’ll know how your cat feels.

Shouting: Raised voices will terrify your cat. Feline ears are extra sensitive to loud noises, so yelling is amplified to extreme levels. A cat who hears shouting will flatten her ears, lower her head and look for a place to hide, away from the sound and fury.

Punishing: Yelling “bad cat,” throwing things, motioning in anger and scolding your cat when she misses the litter box or claws your sofa, tells her you are unhappy, even if she has no idea why. Grabbing him and shoving her face in a mess will leave her petrified. Her eyes will darken in fear, but will not alter her displeasing behavior because all you’re teaching her is to be afraid.

Ignoring The Pain: Looking away when your cat repeatedly chews at a sore spot on her belly or furiously scratches at her ears. Cats are masters at hiding their discomfort, whether an infected tooth makes eating difficult or a urinary tract infection means litter box visits are pure agony. Monitoring your cat’s wellbeing means being a pain detective so you know what ails your cat, even if she can’t tell you directly.

Leaving the Lights Off: Left alone in a silent home when darkness falls, your cat will feel abandoned. Yes, cats can see in the dark. But why not provide a radio for murmured sounds of companionship, and a nightlight, a small beacon of brightness to remind Tabby that you’ll be home soon.

Teasing: Pulling on your cat’s tail (or letting your kids do so), blowing in her face, ruffling her fur while she’s sleeping, picking her up if she dislikes being handled, jiggling her in your arms—such antagonizing behavior confuses and depresses your cat, who wants to love you. Why goad her into feeling dislike instead?

Skipping the Small Stuff: Never grooming your cat, allowing her to experience the discomfort of hairballs. Not trimming her claws, so she snags them around the house. Not checking her ears for mites, even when she shakes her head repeatedly. Ignoring her problems chewing, even if it signals gum or tooth trouble. The little things add up and can deplete your cat’s energy and health.

Hurting:  Hitting, kicking, physically harming a cat in any way, from a “light tap” to a hard smack, is inhumane, evil, morally wrong and guaranteed to instill fear in any cat, breaking her spirit, and her heart, in the process. Physical pain teaches cats to fear people.

Not Filling or Cleaning the Water Dish: Filling a small bowl with water and letting the cat drink from it no matter how long it sits, how much dust accumulates, what spills into it, then topping off the same bowl a few days from now without washing it—this gives your cat the opportunity to drink stagnant water, down to the last drop. And how many times have you enjoyed a bottled water today?

Neglecting Your Cat: Offering your cat no attention, no conversation, no affection, no interaction and no playtime leaves your cat confused. She craves even the smallest gesture or word of kindness in exchange for her pure devotion to you."

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Update:

As it was raining, Jay wrapped a piece of the inner tube over the drain leak, secured it with the clamps, and it held really well. Then he spent the rest of the week working on his neighbor's porch roof, which he couldn't do in the rain.

This has been a week of painting.

One day, Ray painted some places on the shed that the previous painter had forgotten.

Another day, Ray painted the back door.  We have gradually been painting all the doors, including the shed door, with a blue/gray paint to match the trim on the house.

Another day, we painted some places on the back of my van, where the paint had worn off. 

Then we worked on the Puddle Jumper.

 

 

 

 

 

See that black trim around the windows?  It had faded over the years, after all the PJ is an 88 Tracer! So we taped the car up, just leaving the trim showing, primed it and sprayed it with Hammered Black.  It looks like new now.

Yesterday, I went to church, and the readings were Gen.18:1-22:24 and 2 Kings 4:1-37 and Psa. 20.  The teaching was about Obedience to God, and the pastor quoted so many of the verses where God asks us to be obedient. Obedience is the Key to Spiritual Knowledge. 

The pot luck was great as usual.  The new family didn't share our food as some of it had been cooked just before the service.  They are real sticklers about the Sabbath, they won't cook on the Sabbath, they will only eat what has been prepared the day before, Preparation Day, Friday.

I drove home to take Ray a plate from the church, as he couldn't leave his house in case his illegal squatter showed up to get more of her things.  We will be so glad when all this is over.

Then I drove to Luby's in Conroe, and met Arlene from the RV-Dreams chat room. http://www.rv-dreams.com/chatroom.html.  About 50 RVers were having a GTG there.  I didn't eat as I was already full from the church potluck, but I enjoyed listening to everybody.  Lots of the RVers were staying at Thousand Trails, Conroe.  Many of the full-timers are gate-guarding at different locations.  Like anytime RVers get together, there was incessant chatter.  This is to show how the great big long table looked:

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures were taken with my new cell phone, so they aren't the best.  Then I scurried home, and only just got there before dark.  There was a wonderful and unusual sunset, and I wish I had stopped along on the road to take a picture, because it was gone by the time I got home.

It was a very special day.