DIRECTIONS FROM AN ANGEL – – – FOUR TIMES

December 28, 2023 By Leave a Comment

1 — Bad News
+ Angel gives good news directions.

2 — Bad News
+ Angel gives good news directions.

3 ? No News
+ Angel gives good news directions.

4 — Bad News
+ Angel gives good news directions.

1 — Your fiancee is pregnant—not yours—best to divorce.
+ It’s the Holy Spirit’s baby—get married—get blessed.

2 — The king is going to kill your baby.
+ Leave now, with the baby and his mother—flee to Egypt, tonight.

3 ? Time passes in Egypt.
+ The bad king is dead—go back to Israel.

4 — Bad king’s son is king in Judea—afraid to go there.
+ Go to Galilee—re-settled in Nazareth.

– – –

Think about all that !
Godly couple.
Doing right, God’s way.
Scandalous news warrants divorce.
What will people think ?
What will God think ? or do ?
What will happen to her ?
Divorce won’t fix pregnancy and the scandal.

Who will believe the couple, when everybody finds out (when they tell people, or when people see for themselves).
This was not routine, acceptable, normal, like in American culture now.
You may not have noticed that this pure, young girl, mother-to-be, did something practical in the situation.

The pregnant girl does something to bide some time peacefully.
She immediately left to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant, and stayed there three months. Hmmm.

– – –

This girl had one visit from an angel—and that started everything.

The honorable, God-fearing husband got directions from an angel four times.
He not only believed what he was told—he acted on what he was told.
Think of how his readiness to follow directions from heaven disrupted his life, their lives, repeatedly.
He had established integrity, reputation, responsibility, livelihood, plans for family.
Everything was upended—all for obedience—without consulting anyone.

God honored his obedience !

– – –

I found a simple truth fifty years ago, watching and respecting the ‘old school’ principal where we taught—Roland Rehmer.

“God honors what pleases Him.”

So also in this tribute to Joseph and Mary.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Financial, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

BASEBALL GAME OF LIFE

December 23, 2023 By Leave a Comment

There are few heroes with lasting legacies like the heroes of baseball.
Perhaps the rest of us could take heart and be encouraged when we feel life’s failures, by remembering baseball players’ number one statistic.
Two thirds of their times up to bat, they are not successful getting a hit to even get on base, before even getting a chance to score.

Question:
Is scoring the only thing that counts to make a baseball player feel successful ?

Question:
What criteria in your life count to make you feel successful ?

– – –

So, even if you are not a baseball fan, try to list things that contribute to a player’s total success.

– – –

So, even if you are not a fan of psychology or theology, try to list things that contribute to your total success in life.

Filed Under: Inspirational

OXYMORONS OF CHRISTMAS

December 23, 2023 By Leave a Comment

+ Made the universe in a week – – – Formed in a human womb nine months

+ Almighty God – – – Helpless newborn baby

+ Nobody knew – – – Magnificent angel announced—multitude of angels “glory to God”

+ Born in poor family – – – Worshipped by rich

+ Small town, silent night birth – – – In a few months, refugees on hour notice, babies killed

+ Born – – – To die

+ Uncomfortable birthplace – – – Comfortable with the creatures He made

+ Sinless Son of God – – – Took on my sin—“became sin for us”

+ “Peace on earth, goodwill toward man” – – – “set for the rising and fall of many”

+ “Peace I leave with you” – – – “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword”

+ Jesus came – – – We can’t “comprehend it”

+ Christmas celebration – – – Jesus left out—[Christ]mas

+ Jesus’ birthday party – – – Who gets presents ?

+ Jesus’ birthday party – – – Who sings “Happy Birthday” ?

+ Big deal everywhere months before – – – Day after . . .

+ Christmas—just the beginning – – – Then it’s all over for most

+ Wonderful time of year – – – Don’t know why, really

+ Merry Christmas – – – Many are not

+ Joy at Christmas – – – Fragile, elusive for some

+ Family together – – – Some missing

+ All about family – – – Doesn’t feel like it ?

+ All about family – – – Not like it used to be ?

+ All about family – – – Not like it should be

+ ‘Everybody’ is celebrating – – – Somebody is alone

+ Happy – – – Not this time

+ Delighted – – – Depressed

+ Somebody “Made someone’s Christmas Day ! ! !” – – – Someone got missed

– – –

Wherever you’re at—whatever you feel—you feel it more at Christmas.

Care about somebody this Christmas.

Ask God who that would be.

Show and Tell—
—Show someone Jesus loves them.
—Tell someone Jesus loves them.

Filed Under: Faith Based, Family, Fun, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

TOO MUCH ?

December 23, 2023 By Leave a Comment

“God doesn’t give us anything He can’t handle.”

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational

BE SURE THEY KNOW

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Gary DeSalvo was a long-time pastor of Temple Bible Church, where I went for nearly a couple decades.
He often made this emphatic point to parents:

“Be sure your children know your testimony of coming to a solid walk with Jesus. If I find out they don’t know, I’ll thump your head in the casket.”

Filed Under: Faith Based, Family, Inspirational, Time

“I CAN EXPLAIN” ?

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

I CAN EXPLAIN

On a tombstone—ridiculous.
In life—a waste of time, most of the time.

Filed Under: Inspirational, Time

“I CAN COMPLAIN” ?

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

I can—but will it make me feel better ?
I can—but will it make me better ?
I can—but will it do any good ?
I can—but will anybody listen ?
I can—but would I want to listen ?
I can—but does anybody care ?
I can—but maybe I don’t have to ?
I can—but do I have something better to do ?

Filed Under: Fun, Health, Inspirational, Time

DECISIONS – – – GOOD AND BAD

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes respectable choices, for success, can lead away from God as surely as despicable decisions.

We all need Jesus, equally, whether ‘down and out’ or ‘up and out’.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Inspirational

COMPELLED TO WRITE

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

When God reveals insights into life, history, theology, I must speak up and record, with or without an audience or a response.

I often imagine what a reaction might be someday, but until then I think and write without catering to anyone.

Perhaps that is good, because I tend to be too sensitive about what other people think.
Yet, that very sensitivity drives me to scrutinize my editing for the best communication possible.

And, since my writing also includes volatile subjects, some in real life, I use the following commentary to assuage as well as heighten the seriousness:
“Perhaps the smaller my audience, the longer I’ll live.”

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

WILL GOD JUDGE AMERICA ?

December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment

WILL GOD JUDGE AMERICA ?

No.
“WILL” is about the future.
God is judging America NOW !
As a nation, we have “refused to retain God in our knowledge”, so “God gave us up”, already.
If you read that whole chapter in the Bible, how can it not apply to America, literally, now ?

The full consequences of America “forgetting God” have only begun—the rest will be frightening.
“The wicked will be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

– – –

Pause that for a moment to make a distinction between nations and individuals.
No individual can turn so far from God, so far to evil, that he cannot turn to God and repent and be saved.
So it is with any person living, even today, even in America.
In fact, there may be greater opportunity, greater motivation, to seek God when it gets really bad, close to home.

Desperate prayer works when comfortable prayer fails.

So, for individuals—yes, the day of salvation is open.

– – –

Not so likely for nations, when viewed through history.
Not so likely for this nation, at this time, with such widespread bent on rejecting the ways of God, and overdosed prescriptions to invent and consume new evils continually.

No signs of it stopping . . .
. . . BECAUSE we are experiencing, in real time, as a nation, that “God gave us up . . . to vile affections . . .”—they’re listed in the Bible, and they’re listed in the news headlines today (same list).

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Political---Cultural, Time
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