January 2017
Wipe-Out! or A General Discussion of Helmets by Patricia Manning
Perseverance by Jonathan Saladin
Comments on Edward Rowland Sill's The Fool's Prayer by Cynthia Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Four by Bill Rollins
February
Distractions by Jonathan Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Five by Bill Rollins
Out of the Miry Clay by Jonathan Saladin
Serene Chaos by Jonathan Saladin
March
Why Do We Have Winter? by Jonathan Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Five by Bill Rollins
Time by Jonathan Saladin
April
John's Version of The Secret to Living Well and Longer
The Twenty-Four Elders of Revelation by Bill Rollins
Hills and Valleys by Jonathan Saladin
May
Be Strong in the Lord by Jonathan Saladin
Born to Win - A Review: Christians in Winter - How to Live in Hard Times by Diane Kleeschulte
Out of Egypt I Called My Son by Patricia Manning
Even If by Cynthia Saladin
June
Born to Win - A Review: Christians in Winter: Faith for the Hard Times, Part 2 by Diane Kleeschulte
A Hard Look at Yourself, collected from cybersalt.org
School Year's End, Graduation, Commencement by Cynthia Saladin
July
Science and the Bible by Jonathan Saladin
An Object Lesson From Pepper by Cynthia Saladin
Is it Right or Is it Easier by Cynthia Saladin
August
Disaster into Deliverance by Jonathan Saladin
You Must Not Be Afraid - Christians in Winter (Part 3) by Diane Kleeschulte
Spider Webs by Cynthia Saladin
September
Time's Flying by Cynthia Saladin
You can Win - Christians in Winter (Part 4) by Diane Kleeschulte
Fall and the Feast by Jonathan Saladin
October
Don't Cry Because It's Over. . . by Cynthia Saladin
November
Follow with Rejoicing by Cynthia Saladin
Far Too Easily Pleased by Cynthia Saladin
December
Following the Footsteps by Cynthia Saladin
Locusts and Losing Character by Dan White
Wipe-Out! or A General Discussion of Helmets by Patricia Manning
Perseverance by Jonathan Saladin
Comments on Edward Rowland Sill's The Fool's Prayer by Cynthia Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Four by Bill Rollins
February
Distractions by Jonathan Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Five by Bill Rollins
Out of the Miry Clay by Jonathan Saladin
Serene Chaos by Jonathan Saladin
March
Why Do We Have Winter? by Jonathan Saladin
Malachi - My Messenger (A Very Focused Commentary) Part Five by Bill Rollins
Time by Jonathan Saladin
April
John's Version of The Secret to Living Well and Longer
The Twenty-Four Elders of Revelation by Bill Rollins
Hills and Valleys by Jonathan Saladin
May
Be Strong in the Lord by Jonathan Saladin
Born to Win - A Review: Christians in Winter - How to Live in Hard Times by Diane Kleeschulte
Out of Egypt I Called My Son by Patricia Manning
Even If by Cynthia Saladin
June
Born to Win - A Review: Christians in Winter: Faith for the Hard Times, Part 2 by Diane Kleeschulte
A Hard Look at Yourself, collected from cybersalt.org
School Year's End, Graduation, Commencement by Cynthia Saladin
July
Science and the Bible by Jonathan Saladin
An Object Lesson From Pepper by Cynthia Saladin
Is it Right or Is it Easier by Cynthia Saladin
August
Disaster into Deliverance by Jonathan Saladin
You Must Not Be Afraid - Christians in Winter (Part 3) by Diane Kleeschulte
Spider Webs by Cynthia Saladin
September
Time's Flying by Cynthia Saladin
You can Win - Christians in Winter (Part 4) by Diane Kleeschulte
Fall and the Feast by Jonathan Saladin
October
Don't Cry Because It's Over. . . by Cynthia Saladin
November
Follow with Rejoicing by Cynthia Saladin
Far Too Easily Pleased by Cynthia Saladin
December
Following the Footsteps by Cynthia Saladin
Locusts and Losing Character by Dan White
January 2017
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27
Whoever closes his ear of the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10
Wipe-Out!
or A General Discussion of Helmets
by Patricia Manning
There is a show on television called Wipe-Out in which athletic people try to perform amazing feats under a tight time constraint. These feats include quick jumps, extended pull-ups, running across tilting surfaces, ducking swinging objects, etc. When contestants fail, they fall or are knocked off into water or onto a mat. Many times the competitors wear helmets to avoid serious injury when they completely wipe-out and fall on their heads.
Believe it or not, Christians wear a spiritual helmet to protect our heads when we completely wipe-out as well. It is the hope of salvation. 1Th_5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
Many people are more familiar with the armor of God in Ephesians Chapter 6 where the helmet is referred to as just “salvation” Eph_6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, but I like the verse in Thessalonians better because the action verb “hope” implies an action we can actually spiritually “put on” whereas we must wait for our Savior to provide salvation.
The point of protecting the head is that the head controls the involuntary actions of our bodies, and it controls our thoughts which control our voluntary actions. Spiritually, our head controls our vision, and without the correct vision, we can wipe-out. (Pro 29:18) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
This world will tell us that our vision should be for material things, or a good job, or money, status compared to those around us, or even long life. If we change our focus to these things, we will fall on our spiritual heads. The thing that will save us from this type of wipe-out is our helmet, the hope the salvation. Salvation – focus on it. Place your hope in it. Wear your helmet.
"All I Need to Know about Life I Learned From a Snowman.... "
--It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy.
--Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
--Wearing white is always appropriate.
--Winter is the best of the four seasons.
--It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
--There's nothing better than a foul weather friend.
--We're all made up of mostly water.
--You know you've made it when they write a song about you.
--Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!
--Avoid yellow snow.
--Don't get too much sun.
--It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.
--It's fun to hang out in your front yard.
--Always put your best foot forward.
--There's no stopping you once you're on a roll. cybersalt.org
Perseverance
by Jonathan Saladin
“The days of our lives are seventy years,
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,” Psalm 90:10a
Seventy or eighty years. Its length all depends on your perspective. In the scope of eternity, seventy years isn’t much. However, to someone facing hardship or trouble, seventy years can seem like a long time to battle this world. We can get easily discouraged by the things we face.
Why is it so easy to lose track of eternity? How can we forget that this will soon pass? It’s due to the fact that this is all we know. We’ve never been anywhere else, and this is what we have to live with everyday. Life gets too distracting because it demands our physical attention. And when something goes wrong, it causes us stress.
When this happens, it’s important to shift our focus back to God. Remember that this battle we face will only last for so long. This time is nothing compared to eternity. So don’t lost sight of why we’re here and where we’re going. We’re here to serve and glorify God, no matter what. And one day, we will receive the reward for our actions. Then we will see that it was worth it. All the troubles we face now for God will then be gone, and we will see it was only a light and momentary trouble. So don’t let your troubles get between you and God. Keep fighting the good fight and persevere until Jesus Christ returns. You’ll find that the glories you will receive then are worth the troubles you face now.
The Fool's Prayer
The royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool,
Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!"
The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile
Behind the painted grin he wore.
He bowed his head, and bent his knee
Upon the monarch's silken stool;
His pleading voice arose: "O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!
"No pity, Lord, could change the heart
From red with wrong to white as wool;
The rod must heal the sin: but, Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!
"'Tis not by guilt the onward sweep
Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay;
'Tis by our follies that so long
We hold the earth from heaven away.
"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend.
"The ill-timed truth we might have kept--
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?
The word we had not sense to say--
Who knows how grandly it had rung?
"Our faults no tenderness should ask,
The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;
But for our blunders—oh, in shame
Before the eyes of heaven we fall.
"Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;
Men crown the knave, and scourge the tool
That did his will; but Thou, O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!"
The room was hushed; in silence rose
The King, and sought his gardens cool,
And walked apart, and murmured low,
"Be merciful to me, a fool!” Edward Rowland Sill. 1841–1887
I have a vivid imagination and can visualize a court of finely dressed aristocracy, with a king who has too much time, too much wealth, and very little ambition to accomplish something worthwhile. How long would it take for the king to be struck by the powerful words of the fool? Edward Rowland Sill catches me in the line “ ’Tis by our follies that so long we hold the earth from heaven away.” It’s our foolishness which causes the messes in our lives.
The fool elaborates:
And then Edward Rowland Sill delivers the coup de grâce: the king himself is so convicted by the fool’s prayer that he sees himself, and all his faults. He does the only thing possible: he humbles himself before our God and asks for mercy. It’s something to think about, isn’t it. ~by Cynthia Saladin
Beethoven got rid of his chickens, because all they ever said was “Bach, Bach, Bach.”
Malachi - My Messenger
(A Very Focused Commentary)
Part Four
by Bill Rollins
Chapter 2: An admonition to the Priests.
We who are priests (1 Peter 2:9) have an admonition from YHVH of Hosts. Have we set our hearts to honor Him? Are we wholly devoted to Him? Are we understanding the lessons here in Malachi? There is no mixing the old man with the new. Do we take the old man with us to the feasts? Do we treat our festival “sacrifices” as a vacation, or worse, as a burden? It is in the festivals that God places His name (Deut 13:23). We become defiled (offal on our faces, verse 3) before God because of the defiled sacrifices we offer.
The name of God “YHVH” is very prominent in this book of Malachi. It is mentioned over and over. It is important to our God that we honor His name. The words, “My name,” is before us 8 times in 1:6 through 2:5. His name “YHVH of Hosts” occurs 20 times in this book and His name “YHVH” by itself occurs 24 times. That is a total of 44 times in 55 verses.
Our duty is reverence and awe for His name, for who He is and for what He is (verse 5). Truth is to be on our lips (verse 6). We are to walk with Him in peace and righteousness and turn many from sin (verse 6).
And then there is the covenant made with Levi, a covenant of life and peace. This is the covenant God made with our new man, the new creation in Messiah. But (verse 12 of chapter 1) we take our old man into the mix and defile YHVH’s table. The old man says, “what a burden;” the old man sniffs at this covenant contemptuously; the old man, when bought into our prayer life, our worship service, our festival occasions, defiles them all.
So what is this covenant with Levi? Let’s take a side trip and look. First in Exodus 32:26 “and [Moses] said, ‘Whoever is for YHVH, come to me.’ And all the Levites rallied to him.” Verse 29: “Then Moses said, ‘You have been set apart to YHVH today.’ ” Levi did not, at this point, follow Israel in “breaking faith” - they stood fast.
Numbers 3:9: “Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.” Numbers 3:11-13: “Then YHVH also said to Moses, ‘I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for Myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be Mine. I am YHVH.’ ”
Numbers 8:6-7: “Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.”
Numbers 8:11, 13-16: “Aaron is to present the Levites before YHVH as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of YHVH. Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to YHVH. In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be Mine. After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to Me. I have taken them as My own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.”
It is interesting that Malachi 2 starts off with an admonition to the priests. The priests have a greater responsibility than the Levites. “The lips of the priest” should be a light to those around him (verse 7). The preservation of knowledge and the giving of instruction is his duty. Why? Because he is “the Malachi” (the messenger) of YHVH of Hosts. This is a book of examination! Have we, by our actions (for we are always teaching by our actions), caused others to stumble (verse 8)?
Up to this point, the conversation has always been “thus says YHVH,” but from verse 10 until the end of the chapter we have no quotes from God, only the words of the author. This seems to be a literary technique because it leads up to verse 17, “You have wearied YHVH.” This is spoken in the third person unlike the first three questions. Could this silence on God’s part be symbolic of His weariness? And what is this section, that wearies God, all about? It is about “breaking faith.” First it is Judah that breaks faith with YHVH by “marrying the daughter of a foreign god” (verse 11). Then it seems to become personal, talking about the individual in verse 14: “breaking faith with the wife of his youth.”
In verse 16 God says, “I hate divorce.” Marriage is a type and the breaking of a type gets harsh treatment from the Almighty. When Moses struck the rock for water, the first time (Ex 17:6), it was a type of Jesus (The Rock) being struck the first time He came to earth. But when He comes the second time, He will be the King and no one will strike Him. Moses was told to speak to the rock this second time (Numbers 20:8) and yet he again struck the rock - thus breaking the type. No wonder God says He hates divorce; it is the breaking of the type of the marriage of the Lamb and His bride! And when we break the “type” we do not honor God as holy (Numbers 20:9).
Another interesting note is that twice we read, “guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith” (verses 15 & 16). The KJV says, “Take heed to your spirit.” We must take this as a spiritual admonition.
(We’ll pick up Malachi 2, verse 17, and the discussion in the February newsletter. If you missed any of the first three parts of this discussion, they are in the October - December 2016 issues of the newsletter and can be viewed in the website archives.)
Where do you go to learn how to make ice cream?
Sundae School
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27
Whoever closes his ear of the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10
Wipe-Out!
or A General Discussion of Helmets
by Patricia Manning
There is a show on television called Wipe-Out in which athletic people try to perform amazing feats under a tight time constraint. These feats include quick jumps, extended pull-ups, running across tilting surfaces, ducking swinging objects, etc. When contestants fail, they fall or are knocked off into water or onto a mat. Many times the competitors wear helmets to avoid serious injury when they completely wipe-out and fall on their heads.
Believe it or not, Christians wear a spiritual helmet to protect our heads when we completely wipe-out as well. It is the hope of salvation. 1Th_5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
Many people are more familiar with the armor of God in Ephesians Chapter 6 where the helmet is referred to as just “salvation” Eph_6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, but I like the verse in Thessalonians better because the action verb “hope” implies an action we can actually spiritually “put on” whereas we must wait for our Savior to provide salvation.
The point of protecting the head is that the head controls the involuntary actions of our bodies, and it controls our thoughts which control our voluntary actions. Spiritually, our head controls our vision, and without the correct vision, we can wipe-out. (Pro 29:18) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
This world will tell us that our vision should be for material things, or a good job, or money, status compared to those around us, or even long life. If we change our focus to these things, we will fall on our spiritual heads. The thing that will save us from this type of wipe-out is our helmet, the hope the salvation. Salvation – focus on it. Place your hope in it. Wear your helmet.
"All I Need to Know about Life I Learned From a Snowman.... "
--It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy.
--Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
--Wearing white is always appropriate.
--Winter is the best of the four seasons.
--It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
--There's nothing better than a foul weather friend.
--We're all made up of mostly water.
--You know you've made it when they write a song about you.
--Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!
--Avoid yellow snow.
--Don't get too much sun.
--It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.
--It's fun to hang out in your front yard.
--Always put your best foot forward.
--There's no stopping you once you're on a roll. cybersalt.org
Perseverance
by Jonathan Saladin
“The days of our lives are seventy years,
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,” Psalm 90:10a
Seventy or eighty years. Its length all depends on your perspective. In the scope of eternity, seventy years isn’t much. However, to someone facing hardship or trouble, seventy years can seem like a long time to battle this world. We can get easily discouraged by the things we face.
Why is it so easy to lose track of eternity? How can we forget that this will soon pass? It’s due to the fact that this is all we know. We’ve never been anywhere else, and this is what we have to live with everyday. Life gets too distracting because it demands our physical attention. And when something goes wrong, it causes us stress.
When this happens, it’s important to shift our focus back to God. Remember that this battle we face will only last for so long. This time is nothing compared to eternity. So don’t lost sight of why we’re here and where we’re going. We’re here to serve and glorify God, no matter what. And one day, we will receive the reward for our actions. Then we will see that it was worth it. All the troubles we face now for God will then be gone, and we will see it was only a light and momentary trouble. So don’t let your troubles get between you and God. Keep fighting the good fight and persevere until Jesus Christ returns. You’ll find that the glories you will receive then are worth the troubles you face now.
The Fool's Prayer
The royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool,
Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!"
The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile
Behind the painted grin he wore.
He bowed his head, and bent his knee
Upon the monarch's silken stool;
His pleading voice arose: "O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!
"No pity, Lord, could change the heart
From red with wrong to white as wool;
The rod must heal the sin: but, Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!
"'Tis not by guilt the onward sweep
Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay;
'Tis by our follies that so long
We hold the earth from heaven away.
"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend.
"The ill-timed truth we might have kept--
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?
The word we had not sense to say--
Who knows how grandly it had rung?
"Our faults no tenderness should ask,
The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;
But for our blunders—oh, in shame
Before the eyes of heaven we fall.
"Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;
Men crown the knave, and scourge the tool
That did his will; but Thou, O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!"
The room was hushed; in silence rose
The King, and sought his gardens cool,
And walked apart, and murmured low,
"Be merciful to me, a fool!” Edward Rowland Sill. 1841–1887
I have a vivid imagination and can visualize a court of finely dressed aristocracy, with a king who has too much time, too much wealth, and very little ambition to accomplish something worthwhile. How long would it take for the king to be struck by the powerful words of the fool? Edward Rowland Sill catches me in the line “ ’Tis by our follies that so long we hold the earth from heaven away.” It’s our foolishness which causes the messes in our lives.
The fool elaborates:
- “These clumsy feet, still in the mire . . .” We don’t pay any attention to the garbage we carry with us and we smash the beauty around us because of our careless inattention.
- “Hands we thrust among the heart-strings of a friend” We might mean well, but our actions deeply hurt our friends.
- “The ill-timed truth we might have kept . . . “ We don’t discern when to speak the truth. We talk when we should’ve kept our mouth shut.
- “The word we had not sense to say . . .” We don’t think to speak the truth when it could greatly encourage someone who very much need the encouragement or edification at that moment.
And then Edward Rowland Sill delivers the coup de grâce: the king himself is so convicted by the fool’s prayer that he sees himself, and all his faults. He does the only thing possible: he humbles himself before our God and asks for mercy. It’s something to think about, isn’t it. ~by Cynthia Saladin
Beethoven got rid of his chickens, because all they ever said was “Bach, Bach, Bach.”
Malachi - My Messenger
(A Very Focused Commentary)
Part Four
by Bill Rollins
Chapter 2: An admonition to the Priests.
We who are priests (1 Peter 2:9) have an admonition from YHVH of Hosts. Have we set our hearts to honor Him? Are we wholly devoted to Him? Are we understanding the lessons here in Malachi? There is no mixing the old man with the new. Do we take the old man with us to the feasts? Do we treat our festival “sacrifices” as a vacation, or worse, as a burden? It is in the festivals that God places His name (Deut 13:23). We become defiled (offal on our faces, verse 3) before God because of the defiled sacrifices we offer.
The name of God “YHVH” is very prominent in this book of Malachi. It is mentioned over and over. It is important to our God that we honor His name. The words, “My name,” is before us 8 times in 1:6 through 2:5. His name “YHVH of Hosts” occurs 20 times in this book and His name “YHVH” by itself occurs 24 times. That is a total of 44 times in 55 verses.
Our duty is reverence and awe for His name, for who He is and for what He is (verse 5). Truth is to be on our lips (verse 6). We are to walk with Him in peace and righteousness and turn many from sin (verse 6).
And then there is the covenant made with Levi, a covenant of life and peace. This is the covenant God made with our new man, the new creation in Messiah. But (verse 12 of chapter 1) we take our old man into the mix and defile YHVH’s table. The old man says, “what a burden;” the old man sniffs at this covenant contemptuously; the old man, when bought into our prayer life, our worship service, our festival occasions, defiles them all.
So what is this covenant with Levi? Let’s take a side trip and look. First in Exodus 32:26 “and [Moses] said, ‘Whoever is for YHVH, come to me.’ And all the Levites rallied to him.” Verse 29: “Then Moses said, ‘You have been set apart to YHVH today.’ ” Levi did not, at this point, follow Israel in “breaking faith” - they stood fast.
Numbers 3:9: “Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.” Numbers 3:11-13: “Then YHVH also said to Moses, ‘I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for Myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be Mine. I am YHVH.’ ”
Numbers 8:6-7: “Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.”
Numbers 8:11, 13-16: “Aaron is to present the Levites before YHVH as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of YHVH. Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to YHVH. In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be Mine. After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to Me. I have taken them as My own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.”
It is interesting that Malachi 2 starts off with an admonition to the priests. The priests have a greater responsibility than the Levites. “The lips of the priest” should be a light to those around him (verse 7). The preservation of knowledge and the giving of instruction is his duty. Why? Because he is “the Malachi” (the messenger) of YHVH of Hosts. This is a book of examination! Have we, by our actions (for we are always teaching by our actions), caused others to stumble (verse 8)?
Up to this point, the conversation has always been “thus says YHVH,” but from verse 10 until the end of the chapter we have no quotes from God, only the words of the author. This seems to be a literary technique because it leads up to verse 17, “You have wearied YHVH.” This is spoken in the third person unlike the first three questions. Could this silence on God’s part be symbolic of His weariness? And what is this section, that wearies God, all about? It is about “breaking faith.” First it is Judah that breaks faith with YHVH by “marrying the daughter of a foreign god” (verse 11). Then it seems to become personal, talking about the individual in verse 14: “breaking faith with the wife of his youth.”
In verse 16 God says, “I hate divorce.” Marriage is a type and the breaking of a type gets harsh treatment from the Almighty. When Moses struck the rock for water, the first time (Ex 17:6), it was a type of Jesus (The Rock) being struck the first time He came to earth. But when He comes the second time, He will be the King and no one will strike Him. Moses was told to speak to the rock this second time (Numbers 20:8) and yet he again struck the rock - thus breaking the type. No wonder God says He hates divorce; it is the breaking of the type of the marriage of the Lamb and His bride! And when we break the “type” we do not honor God as holy (Numbers 20:9).
Another interesting note is that twice we read, “guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith” (verses 15 & 16). The KJV says, “Take heed to your spirit.” We must take this as a spiritual admonition.
(We’ll pick up Malachi 2, verse 17, and the discussion in the February newsletter. If you missed any of the first three parts of this discussion, they are in the October - December 2016 issues of the newsletter and can be viewed in the website archives.)
Where do you go to learn how to make ice cream?
Sundae School
Sagar teaching the word of God; Bibles open in front of the children as they follow along. January 2017
February 2017
Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants you stressed and occupied.
Distractions
by Jonathan Saladin
There sure are a lot of distractions in this life. There can be little distractions, distracting us from our everyday responsibilities. There can be fairly large distractions that vie for our attention quite often. And there can be very large distractions that try to destroy our relationship with God and other people.
Distractions are powerful because we as humans have a way of letting little distractions keep us from focusing on the big things of life. Isn’t that so true? We can let ourselves get carried off track and distracted from the biggest things in our life by the smallest surprise or event. We easily lose focus of what matters. Especially when something bad happens.
One example of this is how grateful we are, or aren’t. We can easily forget and be distracted from all the good things we have by the little troubles we face. “Oh, I have a great family, a warm house, and live in ease, but I’m not happy because the Packers lost last week and . . .” etc.
I know how very easy it is to focus on these smaller things and forget the good, but let’s not let that happen. We need to fight those distractions, that discontent, and remember how much God has blessed us with. Instead of being distracted by momentary trials and small things, let’s look back and see all God has already done. Be joyful for the gifts He has given and praise Him. God loves a grateful heart. So let’s praise Him for the good He has done. Let’s not forget His blessings. Let’s keep our eyes on Him and praise Him, no matter what distractions come.
Malachi - My Messenger
(A Very Focused Commentary)
Part Five
by Bill Rollins
Question 4: Malachi 2:17, “You have wearied YHVH with your words. ‘How have we wearied Him?’ you ask.”
A side note here: This is only one of the seven statements and questions that does not come directly from God. It is originated by the author of the book. This is also the middle question and therefore is significant. The middle question is not spoken by God. One other point: the one question where God does not speak has to do with man’s words.
Once again it is the old man that is pictured here; it is impatient, it is unfaithful, it does not want to persevere. Because of the unfaithfulness of the old man, it desires to accuse God of being unfaithful by saying that God is pleased with those who do evil. Do we try to justify ourselves when we do evil? There are those who think they are doing good in God’s eyes by keeping Christmas or Easter. We end up creating God in our own image once again. “Where is the God of justice?” (Justice comes from the Hebrew word “mishpat” which means judgment or law. This is a very important word in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is worth studying.) I’m sure we have all heard people asking where God was when some tragedy takes place. (Is God fair? i.e. Where is God’s justice?) I should hope that we know God well enough to never do something like that! God answers this question in 3:5, “I will come near to you for justice . . .”
Chapter 3, verse 1: “See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare (unlock the scriptures for understanding) the way (Messiah is the Way) before Me.” We must maintain, or better yet, pursue holiness (Hebrews12:14) in the temple, for “the Lord you are seeking, will come to His temple.” No more blind, crippled or diseased offerings! He says, “The Lord you are seeking;” if we want Him to come to this Temple, we must be seeking Him. “The messenger (or Malachi) of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.” We must desire Him.
There are two messengers here, and it is our thought that the first is Elijah (see Mal 4:5), and the second is the Messiah. The first messenger prepares the way and the second comes with the covenant.
A footnote here: “Messenger” is, as we have said, the translation of the word Malachi. Malachi is the messenger to prepare the way for Messiah. It is no coincidence that the book of Malachi is the last of the Hebrew scriptures and if we tear out the several pages between, what we call the Old Testament and the New Testament, we have a seamless transition into Matthew. Verse 1 says, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The way is prepared (in Malachi) and so the Messiah is introduced (in Matthew).
No one but the new creature, in Messiah, can endure His coming (verse 2). Haggai 2:7 says, “I will shake the nations and the desired of all nations will come.” Hebrews 12:26 reads, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
He will refine and purify us, bringing out the last remaining dross of the old man. Then our feeble attempts to bring sacrifices will result in “offerings of righteousness" (verse 3). And the offerings will be acceptable (verse 4).
Those who in 2:17 said God is pleased with evil doers will see the testimony of God against this group of people who do not fear Him.
Question 5: We begin the discussion of question 5 in chapter 3:6: God says He does not change. It is we who are to change and return to Him. God’s nature is mercy, compassion and long suffering. The fact that it does not change is the reason He has not destroyed us. But we are to change from our obstinacy, rebelliousness, our unbelief, and disobedience. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return’?” “By keeping the decrees (“choq” #2706).” Oh!?! What decrees (verse7) are we to keep that we may return to Him?
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?” -C. S. Lewis
Out of the Miry Clay
by Jonathan Saladin
We got our first snow of the season today. It’s been a blessing that it didn't come sooner. But now it’s here and its arrival has already been felt.
Winter has a way of shutting the world down. Snow closes the roads and the cold temperatures keep everyone inside. The short days and cloudy skies make for a gloomy season.
The good news is that winter goes away and is replaced with the warmer, brighter spring days. The sun comes out, the days get longer, the grass and the trees start to grow, and life renews. The snow melts and it becomes warm enough to venture outside again. Spring can be a welcome boon after a cold winter.
Sometimes we can have our own spiritual winter. We can have times of doubt or fear, times where we feel like we aren’t doing anything for God. We can be down or gloomy, and our lights may not shine as much because of it. Spiritual winter can be no more fun than physical winter.
But, like winter giving way to spring, we can trust God to bring us out of our gloomy days and revive us. No matter how cold our spiritual winter is, we know God can bring us out to the new life of spring. And He has promised us a kingdom with a never-ending spring: eternal joy and fellowship with Him. That is something we can always count on and trust in.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40:2
Serene Chaos
by Jonathan Saladin
There’s a scene in Flywheel near the end of the film where Jay Austin is talking to his wife. He has to give up his car lot to pay his debt. The banker is coming the next day to make the transferral. Jay describes his emotional state as a “peaceful anxiety.” His wife calls it a “serene chaos.” Jay is saying that he has given the outcome to God, and he will trust Him. Even though his life is falling apart, he knows it’s in God’s hands. What happens the next morning? Car buyers swarm his lot and buy every car available. Jay is left with enough money to pay off his debt and a large profit.
A lot of times we can find ourselves in a situation we can’t fix. We look to God in desperation to make it right. We put it in His control and let Him guide it. We don’t know the outcome, but we know Who makes the outcome happen. And we know He will make it turn out for the best.
Not every situation will turn out like we thought it would. Giving God our problems doesn’t mean He will immediately set things right and give us what we wanted. Sometimes God has other plans. But we can trust that His plans are better than ours. Like Hawk Nelson says in their song “Diamonds:” “It’s not what I hoped for; it’s something much better.” We can trust that God’s plans are what is best for us.
If you are in a situation you can’t fix, leave everything to God. Let go of your worries and let God work. Find your serene chaos in letting Him lead.
What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
February 2017
Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants you stressed and occupied.
Distractions
by Jonathan Saladin
There sure are a lot of distractions in this life. There can be little distractions, distracting us from our everyday responsibilities. There can be fairly large distractions that vie for our attention quite often. And there can be very large distractions that try to destroy our relationship with God and other people.
Distractions are powerful because we as humans have a way of letting little distractions keep us from focusing on the big things of life. Isn’t that so true? We can let ourselves get carried off track and distracted from the biggest things in our life by the smallest surprise or event. We easily lose focus of what matters. Especially when something bad happens.
One example of this is how grateful we are, or aren’t. We can easily forget and be distracted from all the good things we have by the little troubles we face. “Oh, I have a great family, a warm house, and live in ease, but I’m not happy because the Packers lost last week and . . .” etc.
I know how very easy it is to focus on these smaller things and forget the good, but let’s not let that happen. We need to fight those distractions, that discontent, and remember how much God has blessed us with. Instead of being distracted by momentary trials and small things, let’s look back and see all God has already done. Be joyful for the gifts He has given and praise Him. God loves a grateful heart. So let’s praise Him for the good He has done. Let’s not forget His blessings. Let’s keep our eyes on Him and praise Him, no matter what distractions come.
Malachi - My Messenger
(A Very Focused Commentary)
Part Five
by Bill Rollins
Question 4: Malachi 2:17, “You have wearied YHVH with your words. ‘How have we wearied Him?’ you ask.”
A side note here: This is only one of the seven statements and questions that does not come directly from God. It is originated by the author of the book. This is also the middle question and therefore is significant. The middle question is not spoken by God. One other point: the one question where God does not speak has to do with man’s words.
Once again it is the old man that is pictured here; it is impatient, it is unfaithful, it does not want to persevere. Because of the unfaithfulness of the old man, it desires to accuse God of being unfaithful by saying that God is pleased with those who do evil. Do we try to justify ourselves when we do evil? There are those who think they are doing good in God’s eyes by keeping Christmas or Easter. We end up creating God in our own image once again. “Where is the God of justice?” (Justice comes from the Hebrew word “mishpat” which means judgment or law. This is a very important word in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is worth studying.) I’m sure we have all heard people asking where God was when some tragedy takes place. (Is God fair? i.e. Where is God’s justice?) I should hope that we know God well enough to never do something like that! God answers this question in 3:5, “I will come near to you for justice . . .”
Chapter 3, verse 1: “See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare (unlock the scriptures for understanding) the way (Messiah is the Way) before Me.” We must maintain, or better yet, pursue holiness (Hebrews12:14) in the temple, for “the Lord you are seeking, will come to His temple.” No more blind, crippled or diseased offerings! He says, “The Lord you are seeking;” if we want Him to come to this Temple, we must be seeking Him. “The messenger (or Malachi) of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.” We must desire Him.
There are two messengers here, and it is our thought that the first is Elijah (see Mal 4:5), and the second is the Messiah. The first messenger prepares the way and the second comes with the covenant.
A footnote here: “Messenger” is, as we have said, the translation of the word Malachi. Malachi is the messenger to prepare the way for Messiah. It is no coincidence that the book of Malachi is the last of the Hebrew scriptures and if we tear out the several pages between, what we call the Old Testament and the New Testament, we have a seamless transition into Matthew. Verse 1 says, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The way is prepared (in Malachi) and so the Messiah is introduced (in Matthew).
No one but the new creature, in Messiah, can endure His coming (verse 2). Haggai 2:7 says, “I will shake the nations and the desired of all nations will come.” Hebrews 12:26 reads, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
He will refine and purify us, bringing out the last remaining dross of the old man. Then our feeble attempts to bring sacrifices will result in “offerings of righteousness" (verse 3). And the offerings will be acceptable (verse 4).
Those who in 2:17 said God is pleased with evil doers will see the testimony of God against this group of people who do not fear Him.
Question 5: We begin the discussion of question 5 in chapter 3:6: God says He does not change. It is we who are to change and return to Him. God’s nature is mercy, compassion and long suffering. The fact that it does not change is the reason He has not destroyed us. But we are to change from our obstinacy, rebelliousness, our unbelief, and disobedience. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return’?” “By keeping the decrees (“choq” #2706).” Oh!?! What decrees (verse7) are we to keep that we may return to Him?
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?” -C. S. Lewis
Out of the Miry Clay
by Jonathan Saladin
We got our first snow of the season today. It’s been a blessing that it didn't come sooner. But now it’s here and its arrival has already been felt.
Winter has a way of shutting the world down. Snow closes the roads and the cold temperatures keep everyone inside. The short days and cloudy skies make for a gloomy season.
The good news is that winter goes away and is replaced with the warmer, brighter spring days. The sun comes out, the days get longer, the grass and the trees start to grow, and life renews. The snow melts and it becomes warm enough to venture outside again. Spring can be a welcome boon after a cold winter.
Sometimes we can have our own spiritual winter. We can have times of doubt or fear, times where we feel like we aren’t doing anything for God. We can be down or gloomy, and our lights may not shine as much because of it. Spiritual winter can be no more fun than physical winter.
But, like winter giving way to spring, we can trust God to bring us out of our gloomy days and revive us. No matter how cold our spiritual winter is, we know God can bring us out to the new life of spring. And He has promised us a kingdom with a never-ending spring: eternal joy and fellowship with Him. That is something we can always count on and trust in.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40:2
Serene Chaos
by Jonathan Saladin
There’s a scene in Flywheel near the end of the film where Jay Austin is talking to his wife. He has to give up his car lot to pay his debt. The banker is coming the next day to make the transferral. Jay describes his emotional state as a “peaceful anxiety.” His wife calls it a “serene chaos.” Jay is saying that he has given the outcome to God, and he will trust Him. Even though his life is falling apart, he knows it’s in God’s hands. What happens the next morning? Car buyers swarm his lot and buy every car available. Jay is left with enough money to pay off his debt and a large profit.
A lot of times we can find ourselves in a situation we can’t fix. We look to God in desperation to make it right. We put it in His control and let Him guide it. We don’t know the outcome, but we know Who makes the outcome happen. And we know He will make it turn out for the best.
Not every situation will turn out like we thought it would. Giving God our problems doesn’t mean He will immediately set things right and give us what we wanted. Sometimes God has other plans. But we can trust that His plans are better than ours. Like Hawk Nelson says in their song “Diamonds:” “It’s not what I hoped for; it’s something much better.” We can trust that God’s plans are what is best for us.
If you are in a situation you can’t fix, leave everything to God. Let go of your worries and let God work. Find your serene chaos in letting Him lead.
What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
March 2017
Why Do We Have Winter? by Jonathan Saladin
I know what all of you are thinking. No matter who you are, you’re most likely asking this question: “Why do we have winter?” It’s a valid question. If you’re like me, you don’t really like the sub-70º temperatures. One thing that we can trust in is that God made winter, and He made it for a reason. He doesn’t do things arbitrarily. Everything happens in its season for a reason.
As the people of God, we also have to realize that God does this in our lives over and over again. He works behind the scenes in our lives to lead us to a greater blessing or a lesson learned, and ultimately a closer relationship with Him. He doesn’t do anything arbitrarily. Everything He does has a purpose.
Sometimes we find ourselves going through a spiritual winter. Or maybe we have a hard choice to make. It’s hard to face the day and be strong. But it’s even harder to go on our way without God beside us. We can’t flee our fears or run from our decisions. We need to meet them head on in the confidence that God will be with us. We need to seek His will first and walk in His power, trust Him to help us through the rough times. And He will deliver us. He is always there to ultimately save us from our fears, pain, and downright confusion. He never leaves us or forsakes us. After all, spring comes after winter, doesn’t it?
Malachi - My Messenger
(A Very Focused Commentary)
Part Six
by Bill and Sally Rollins
Question 6: “You are robbing Me!” But you ask, “How are we robbing You?”
How do we rob God? What is it that He wants? Let’s take a deep look at this one.
We have mentioned defiled sacrifices previously, but it really goes beyond that. It has to do with devoting the new man wholly unto Him. Paul refers to this in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” This is really where the entire book of Malachi is coming from (in our opinion). Luke 14:33, “any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.” Matthew 10:39, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
If we are joining together that new creature with the “mountain of Esau” - society -, we are robbing God. If we partake of the trappings of this world, however innocuous they may seem, it takes away from our wholly devoting ourselves to Him. He wants all of us.
Perhaps the whole system of tithing is a type for us to learn from, just like so much of what we read and see in the Bible is a symbol or type of our giving ourselves to God. He knows that we need to eat and clothe ourselves, etc. So He inaugurated the giving of a tenth for us to show our obedience in our giving ourselves to Him. One might call it a down payment, but is that true to the type? He says that He gives us a “down payment” of the Spirit and then we find out that He fills us with that Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 9:17; 11:24; Ephesians 5:18). He wants all of us!
Verse 10 & 11 reads: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.” And then the crux of the matter is revealed to us in no uncertain terms - “test Me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the YHVH of Hosts. Malachi is not talking about bugs on the beans or flies on the plums.
Col. 1:10: “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” And what does scripture say about bearing fruit? John 15:1-2, 8: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful . . . This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.” That is a powerful statement - that we bring glory to the Father!!
Malachi 3:12: “ ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the YHVH of Hosts.” He is talking about us; we who are in the Messiah are His delight.
This is interesting, if this assessment is true. We want to please God, to be His delight. We want to be found as having “grace in the eyes of YHVH” (as did Noah). Paul talks about the war that rages in us between the spiritual and the physical. It is spelled out in Romans 7:14-24. Paul sums it up by saying, “Oh, wretched man that I am!” We know that Paul answers this statement and tells us that it is only through Yeshuah the Messiah - “Thanks be to God - through Yeshuah Messiah our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)
But perhaps it is here in Malachi that we are given a tool to help us grasp this. “Return to Me,” repent of our past and do not rob Him. Give to God that which He requires of us. And what does God require? All of us? Yes, but in His word He gets specific: Deut. 10:12 - “And now, O Israel, what does the Eternal your God require of you but to fear the Eternal your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Eternal your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Eternal’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
To sum up it may be said that when we refuse to be wholly devoted to Him, we rob Him. We have been bought and paid for and we belong to Him!
A couple of short side notes here: one option to what this means is that we, the firstfruits, are a tithe. At a cattle ranch, each cow will give birth to about 10 calves. This is not hard and fast but is a general rule. This means that each year approximately 10% of the herd is replaced and so a tenth of the calves are firstborn. Or putting it another way, the firstborn is a tithe. This probably does not work with sheep or other animals, so it might mean nothing!
We also find another option in the translation of Ferrar Fenton. The word “rob” literally means “to cover” (or possibly to defraud). The word “Man” in verse 8 is the Hebrew word “Adam.” Fenton translates as follows starting in verse 7:
You left My decrees, nor regarded My laws from the time of your Fathers. Yet now turn to Me and I will accept, says the LORD of the Armies. But you ask, “With what be returning?” Could Adam hide up from God? Yet you would be hiding from Me! Ask you, “What have we hidden from You?” The tithe and offering of harvest. You are cursed with a curse for you rob Me. The whole nation hides up.
It is interesting that Adam tried to hide from God (Gen. 3:8), and here God asks if we think we could hide something from Him. What part of us have we hidden and not wholly devoted to Him? (See Matthew 22:21, “Therefore return unto God what is God’s.”)
Question 7: Malachi 3:13 “You have said harsh things against Me, “ says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against You?’ You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?’ ”
This is the counterpart to question 4 where the thought is, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of YHVH.” Here in question 7, it is, “We who have acted good have done so in vain.” This is the same unfaithfulness of our old man; it desires to accuse God of being unfaithful. Here the unfaithfulness is in tithes and offerings. Isn’t it typical that when God accuses them of being unfaithful, human nature wants to turn it around - I believe this is called “transferral of guilt”? “Maybe I’m guilty, but it was your fault.”
The final three verses of chapter 3 are a most beautiful declaration of God’s lovingkindness toward those who will heed the message of Malachi. In Proverbs 3:6, we read: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” It is of utmost importance to always acknowledge God in all our ways. This is a major part in being wholly devoted to Him. If we do not do this, then we are not paying attention to the ways in which God is involved with us. So, when we don’t acknowledge Him and His hand in our lives, we are indeed saying, “What profit is there in serving Him? We have not seen His involvement.” But, if in the new man we see His hand and acknowledge Him in our lives, then we talk about it with our Brothers and Sisters. And God hears us and writes about us in His scroll: verse 16, “Then those who feared the Eternal talked with each other and the Eternal listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Eternal and honored His name.” These, in verse 16, are the ones who have not spoken “harsh words” against YHVH - their speech is acceptable and undefiled.
In looking at all 7 of these questions and their discussions, we may say that there are 7 areas for self-examination, to see whether we are wholly devoted or not. When we consider these areas, admit our shortcomings and repent, when we “fear YHVH” and “honor His name,” then God says, “They will be mine . . . they will be My treasured possession.”
Chapter 4 is a short epilogue. The wicked are mentioned in verse 1, the righteous in verse 2, and both are mentioned in verse 3, where the righteous are victorious. Verses 4, 5, and 6 are final reminders to repent or else! Remember the Torah and consider the Prophets before that awesome day. “To the law and the prophets.” (Luke 16:29-31)
1) How have you loved us? (1:2)
By calling us out of sin and destroying it; and making us inheritors with His Son.
2) How have we shown contempt for Your name? (1:6)
By not respecting and honoring God for giving us this new life.
3) How have we defiled you? (1:7)
By offering defective sacrifices and by combining pagan practices with His ways.
4) How have we wearied Him? (2:17)
By saying false things about God.
5) How are we to return? (3:7)
By keeping His decrees.
6) How do we rob you? (3:8)
By not giving back to God what is His.
7) What have we said against You? (3:13)
By saying there is no benefit in worshiping Him.
Time by Jonathan Saladin
Time. Nowadays it seems like time is a commodity that no one has enough of. Everyone is hurrying and bustling around, trying to complete their responsibilities quickly, because they don’t have enough time. This world is certainly wound tight.
In this day and age, time is valuable. Maybe that’s why spending time with someone means so much. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time. It shows them that you care enough to take the time to talk with them and spend time with them. On the flipside, if you want any relationship at all with someone, you re going to have to invest time in them. If you don’t spend time talking and communicating, you’re not going to have much of a relationship.
It’s the same with God. If you don’t spend time in His Word and talking to Him, you are not going to have much of a relationship with Him. Just like human relationships, our relationship with God gets better the more time we spend with Him.
So, in this hectic day and age, be sure you use your time wisely. Get your priorities straight. Make time for God first. Then fill in your day with what is important, like your responsibilities and friends. Just never forget that time is a limited resource. Use yours wisely.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12
As I watched the dog chasing his tail, I thought, "Dogs are easily amused;"
then I realized I was watching the dog chase his tail.
April 2017
John’s Version of a Tibetan Proverb
The Secret to Living Well and Longer
Stress zero
Eat half
Walk double
Laugh triple
Pray always
Love without measure
Someone threw a bottle of omega 3 pills at me!!
Luckily, my injuries were only super fish oil.
The Twenty-Four Elders of Revelation:
An Article! by Bill Rollins (3-8-17)
Why do we write articles? Even so, why do we read articles? What need do they fill in the human psyche? How many thousands have you read over your lifetime? How many billions have been written over the history of mankind?
I must stop and ponder these things as I sit here attempting to create one more article. Will it benefit anyone? Or is it just a pastime both for me, the writer, and you, the reader?
In some ways I guess these writings, these musings allow me to look at a familiar topic from another perspective, and if I feel it may be of some benefit to another, well, I submit it in this format for your perusal. My hope really is that you, the reader, might find the way to a more personal and intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father and with His Son.
There is a reality within these words that I share with you here. You may read them and then forget. You may read them and somewhat remember. You may read, meditate, and then live a life more fully devoted to God. It is, of course, your choice. By nature of “An Article” I have no more say in the outcome. Let me sow and let me water, but the increase is between you and God.
Here we go:
Just before the final Passover of Yeshuah’s earthly ministry, we find an interesting episode in the Gospel of Matthew. This episode is laid out for us in the form of a chiasm and is found in Matthew 26:2-19. It is not my goal here to lay out the entire structure of the chiasm, but only to center on the middle portion (that which is the most important part).
Oh, OK, if you insist, we’ll take a quick look at the entire passage, but only if you will get your Bibles out and go through it with me!
A: verse 2 - Passover is coming
B: verses 3-5 - plot to arrest Yeshuah is considered
C: verses 6-7 - introduction to a woman with perfume
D: verse 8-9 - Why this waste?
C’: verses 10-13 - woman’s good work with perfume
B’: verses 14-16 - resolution of plot to arrest Yeshuah
A’: verses 17-19 - Passover is here
This chiasm is brought to its highpoint in verse 8 by the statement, “Why this waste?” Indeed, why is there a waste of anything? The perfume was valuable and it was wasted (so it was said) upon the Messiah. The lesson in this chiasm is found in the fact that the Messiah Himself was wasted! Here was a man who could heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, feed the hungry, etc - and He is just going to be nailed to the stake to die? Why this waste?
When Yeshuah broke the five barley loaves and two fish so as to feed the 5000, He says in John 6:12, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So, why this waste in Matthew 26? Hmmmmm!
My thoughts as I contemplated this topic had nothing to do with the anointing of Messiah, but came from a completely different direction. I was contemplating my praising of God.
It occurred to me that oft times I begin my prayers by praising God, and so if I am driving down the road and waxing long about the wonders and attributes of God, might it be considered “vain repetition”? In other words, could it be
“wasted time”? I do not believe this to be true “IF!”, if my heart is fully engaged with the praise I have for my God. It was then that I thought about the 24 elders. What are they doing all day and all night?
Let’s consider these 24 enigmatic figures. Who are they and where do they come from? We meet the elders in the book of Revelation 4:4, “Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones and seated on them were 24 elders.” These elders are, to my mind, curious indeed. Again, who are they and what is their occupation? It is the answer to the second half of this question that gives me the cause for pondering the topic of “waste.”
Almost every time we encounter them, they are “falling down before Him who sits upon the throne and worshiping Him who lives for ever and ever” (Rev. 4:10). These 24 are not your average elders! These are they who surround the throne of God! The only beings closer to this throne are the four living creatures. These 24 elders who have the extremely prominent place near to God - arguably within the Most Holy Place - occupy themselves with the task of worship. And so, may I ask, “Why this waste?” Shouldn’t they be doing something? Isn’t there a saint’s prayer somewhere that might be answered? Or how about some lost soul that needs to find salvation? A lonely servant that needs comfort?
Intrinsically, you know the answer. They are not wasting their time.
And so, by the way, are you worshiping God to the exclusion of all other tasks? Would you waste your life for God in this way? (Can I get a “Hallelujah!”?)
Allow me to note at this particular time, that these elders are mentioned 12 separate times in the book of Revelation: 4:4; 4:10; 5:5, 6, 8, 11 and 14; 7:11 and 13; 11:16; 14:3 and 19:4. You’ve gotten your Bible out by now, so go ahead and read these scriptures. I’ll wait right here.
Who are these 24 elders? We know that much of the book of Revelation may be referenced from various places in the Old Testament, so perhaps we may find something in the Hebrew writings that will give us a clue.
There is one place in the Old Testament where 24 “elders” are mentioned. We know that there were 24 divisions in the priesthood as arranged by King David (see 1 Chronicles 24). So let’s now go to 2 Chronicles 5:1 to the dedication of the Temple that Solomon built to see an interesting gathering of all 24 divisions of the priests. There are several things that come together in the chapter. In verse 1, we find out that the Temple has been completed, but we must turn to 1 Kings 6:38 to find out that this completion took place in the 8th month of Solomon’s 11th year. This is significant because when we return to 2 Chronicles 5:2-3 we find that the dedication took place in the 7th month at the time of the festival. Solomon had delayed the dedication for 11 months! Why?
In my opinion, this may have everything to do with the template of “the feast” being placed upon “the dedication of the Temple,” just as in the future the true Temple, made without hands (that is, the people of God, the Bride of Messiah), will be dedicated during the wedding supper of the Lamb. But that’s another story.
As we continue reading this account in chapters 5, 6 & 7, we see that all the priests, regardless of their divisions, were present for this ceremony. They had all consecrated themselves, all 24 divisions, for the dedication of the Temple that the “Son of David” built.
OK, so you noticed I said that it was the Son of David and did not say it was Solomon. And yes, there is a reason, a typological reason. Solomon, in this instance, is a type of the Messiah. Remember how Matthew began his gospel account, “The genealogy of Yeshuah Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” It is in Hebrews 3:3 that we see Yeshuah is greater than Moses “as the builder of the house is greater than the house.” And in verse 6, “Messiah is faithful as a son over His house and we are His house. . .”
So let’s go back to 2 Chronicles 5 where all 24 divisions are assembled. From verse 11 to the end of the chapter we read that the priests withdraw from the Holy Place - all of the divisions. The Levite musicians were in fine linen and played instruments and sang. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. With one voice they sang and gave praise and thanks to YHVH, “He is good; His loving-kindness endures forever.” And then . . . And Then . . . AND THEN . . . “the Temple of YHVH was filled with a cloud and the priest could not perform their service . . . for the glory of YHVH filled the Temple of God.” Gives you goose bumps, doesn’t it!
And so in comes the template spoken of earlier. I believe we may use this description of the dedication of the Temple as a template to place over the end time dedication of God’s true Temple. And maybe this is true and maybe it is not, but I do find it interesting - so let’s get back to the 24 elders of Revelation.
I have written somewhere above that the 24 elders are mentioned (in one way or another) 12 separate times. But the significant times wherein they are mentioned occur at four very noteworthy events:
1. 4:4 & 10 - Here we are allowed a brief visit (via John’s description) into the throne room of God.
2. 5:5-14 - John now introduces us to the Lamb who is worthy “to open the scroll and loose the seven seals.”
3. 11:15-18 - This is at the 7th trumpet when “the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah.”
4. 19:4-8 - And now the wedding supper of the Lamb has come.
Consider, if you will, these four events once again: the throne of God, the introduction of the Lamb, the Kingdom of God set up here on earth, and the Wedding of the Lamb.
I do not in any way mean to downplay the rest of the book of Revelation (It is, of course, quite instructional.), but it pales in significance to these four events! At all four of these occasions we are told that the 24 elders prostrate themselves (fall down) and worship in word and song. The prayers they offer are no vain repetition. There is no vanity in the constant worship of God. Do we fall prostrate and worship God often enough?
Speaking of “vain repetition,” the word vain means “empty” and this should pertain to our heart and our mind. Whenever we begin to pray, do we have an attitude of emptiness or are we full of thoughts that pertain to and rejoice in our Heavenly Father? To just mouth words that say, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, holy is Your name” and not even consider what we are saying, would be tantamount to vain repetition. To focus in on the majesty and the wonder of our God, and to consider all that He has done in the world and in our lives, becomes a prayer that is alive and active and meaningful! Empty versus meaningful - I believe we realize which side the 24 elders are on.
Perhaps as another side point, I find it interesting that oft times in the Psalms, the Psalmist will say something like, “Give thanks to YHVH, call on His name, make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts” (Psalm 105:1-2). We read in Psalm 71:16, “I will come and proclaim your mighty acts O Sovereign YHVH.” And also in Psalm 9:1, “I will tell of all your wonders.” We are admonished to recount the mighty acts of our God as we prostrate ourselves before Him in prayers. Deuteronomy 10:14-22 is an example of Moses praising God before the nation of Israel. (Take a moment and drink in of the flavor of the words that Moses brings to Israel as he recounts God’s blessings - “He is your praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”) Another example, and quite possibly my favorite, is found in Nehemiah 9. This prayer “of the people” is most likely what Nehemiah himself said before the people as he praised God. This prayer is recorded from verse 5b through 37, and up to verse 32 we have the recounting of God’s mighty acts. When Nehemiah gets to his petition in verse 32, he spends time once again praising God. In the book of Isaiah, we have the Prophet beginning the second section (chapter 4)) with a most beautiful recounting of the mighty acts of God. And I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Psalm 103, 104, 106, and 107. Praising, exalting, thanking, singing praise and proclaiming God’s might - and that is only the first one or two verses of these Psalms!!
How is it that we might do any less in our prayers? We pray for ourselves, our relatives, our friends, and our neighbors. We desire to bring those who are closest to us before the mercy seat of God in prayer, and this is, of course, good. But how can we do any less than honor God in prayer with praise and blessings, as we recount all of His mighty works and all of His wonderful deeds. We have salvation, but only through His love. We reach repentance, but only by His goodness. We have provisions and protection, but only from His mighty hand. We have a calling, but only because of His will.
What of our zeal to seek His face, to keep our Father and His Son on our lips as often as we can? Can we glorify our God in our minds all through the day? To what do our minds turn when we find ourselves with a few minutes without a task at hand? In other words, what is our default setting that our thoughts turn to? The servants of God, in scripture, turned their minds to “things above and not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). They fixed their eyes, “not on what is seen but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporal but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). They understood what the Psalmist meant when he said, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire but you” (Psalm 73:25). These are strong ideas; let us not dismiss them quickly. We have so much precedence in scripture for following along with the 24 elders as they stop everything so as to worship our God! Our God is worthy. To state that as such is surely an understatement. How can we even understand the awesome being who calls Himself God?
I believe that when we, at last, bow before Him in His presence, we will wonder, regret, and hardly comprehend why we did not spend more time with our faces to the ground in worship of this most holy God. Why were this world’s “empty glories” so prevalent, so important, in our hearts while we were fed and nourished so freely and beautifully by our Creator?
When our eyes, our minds, and our hearts are finally opened to all that God is (or all that He will choose to reveal to us on “that day”) we will indeed “forget the former things, not dwelling on the past” (Isaiah 43:18). We will forever be on that highway of holiness. We will enter the true Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown our heads. Gladness and joy will overwhelm us. Our eyes will see the King in all His beauty, majesty and splendor.
Let us praise our God today, while it is called today. In every opportunity let us make the most of whatever time remains for us. There is no waste of time or effort that we expend upon our most worthy God and His beloved Son. I believe the 24 elders would agree!
Epilogue:
Might I make a suggestion as to how one may proceed in this endeavor? What if, instead of beginning our prayer at the beginning of time, the creation, we would praise God for the beginning of our time, our birth? We might give thanks for the family we were born into. And then go on to speak of some of the first recollections we may have of our childhood. We would acknowledge God in all the times He gave us protection, even before we heard our calling. And then we praise Him for our calling and how that took place. Go on and fill in your own details. Give thanks and praise to Him for all the mighty acts he has done in our own lives. Try this and see if it doesn’t lift you up into the throne room of God. Amen and Amen!!
Two lawyers walk into a restaurant. They put their briefcases on the floor and order two coffees. They get their coffee and pull out lunches from their briefcases.
"Sorry," the waitress says, "You can`t eat your own food here."
The lawyers look at one another, shrug their shoulders and swap sandwiches.
Hills and Valleys by Jonathan Saladin
There’s a song by Tauren Wells called “Hills and Valleys.” His point is that God is always God. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re facing. God is God in the good times, and God is God in the bad times. As Tauren Wells puts it, “You’re God of the hills and the valleys.” It paints a nice picture. When we’re on top of the world, when we’re at the highest of highs, we praise God! And when we’re in our own little valleys and can’t see past the situation eating at us, we still praise God!! It’s like the line of Coach Taylor in Facing the Giants, “If we win, we praise Him, and if we lose, we praise Him. Either way, He gets the glory.”
We all face our own valleys. We all stand at the top of our own hills. Sometimes we have so many ups and downs we feel like we’re on a roller coaster. This is when, as Colton Dixon puts it, we need an anchor to hold us through the storm. We need God to anchor us in hope, in His peace, when our life seems unsteady. No matter what happens, we can trust God to get us through anything we are up against.
So when you are in a valley, don’t let fear grip you. Don’t despair. Just praise God. As the Afters sing, “When I feel afraid, don’t let my heart be erased; let me always sing hallelujah.” Sometimes we just have to let God carry us out of our valleys. We need to just be held, and wait for God to carry us. We just need to hold onto our hope.
On the mountains I will bow my life
To the One who set me there.
In the valley I will lift my eyes
To the One who sees me there.
When I’m standing on the mountain
I didn’t get there on my own.
When I’m walking through the valley
I know I am not alone.
You’re the God of the hills and valleys.
May
Be Strong in the Lord
by Jonathan Saladin
You ever just pray for a break? Man, these past few weeks have been hard. From the Feast on, it’s been one thing after another. It feels like we’re under attack, in a big way. And it won’t let up. Something always comes up. It’s hard to hold on.
Times can be really stressful. One song by Skillet says, “Times will be bad, times will be good; things I wish I hadn’t done, and some I wish I would.” And they’re right. Doubts, fears, and second-guessing are a few of the things we do that just add to the mix. As Danny Gokey says, we “try to make it on faith in a struggle against the wind.” We fight all the things that life, as well as Satan, throws at us. We fight hard, but sometimes it seems to overwhelm us. Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, our doubts pull us under the waves.
What’s the good news then? It’s the best news of all. While you’re fighting these fights, don’t forget that the war is already won! The fate of Satan has already been determined. Like Christian, we can cross any river in our way with no fear. We can sign with Danny Gokey when he says, “There’s hope in front of me.” All we have to do, if we wanna win the war, is focus on God. Like Skillet says later in that song, “Cutting through the American noise, you’ve got a voice, and a song to sing.” Don’t be afraid to sing it. Don’t let the battle overcome you. Stay strong in the LORD, and be of good courage! He, as the great Warrior, has overcome the world!
Born to Win- A Review:
Christians in Winter- How to Live in Hard Times
by Diane Kleeschulte
The Church of God Faith-Fellowship has supported a radio program on KXEN, Born to Win, sponsored by Christian Education Ministries (CEM), for a very long time. The late Ronald L. Dart’s program messages have proven to be timeless and therefore very worthy for tuning in each Sunday morning. However, KXEN reception is spotty in our area of St. Charles County. To solve this problem, I have taken advantage of the CEM website, www.borntowin.net, where listeners may download many, many archived titles of the Born to Win radio program, as well as archived sermons and bible studies by Mr. Dart.
Several months ago I found myself accessing titles of the radio program and including them in my personal bible study and the reasons are quite simple-
1) Programs are about 28 minutes and 13 seconds long which is perfect for me, personally, to pause, jot down notes, and/or check my bible or online resource for his scriptural references.
2) Messages are scriptural and bible-focused. Mr. Dart was a very good teacher of the bible and his presentations of material are direct and easy to follow. Given the time frame for the program, he used every minute, every second to his advantage in getting out his message to the listener.
As an aside, I had the pleasure of watching and listening to Mr. Dart record one of his programs while in Tyler for a few days back in 2009. He was the ultimate professional but still when he misread a line he gave into the “blah, blah, blah” dialogue that would signal the recorder to stop the tape. Mr. Dart looked over to his wife, Allie, and I and just gave a little grin. It was quite an experience and obviously one that I will never forget.
There is an 8-part series that I have been listening to lately and one that I highly recommend called Christians in Winter. The first part is titled “How to Live in Hard Times”. A rather ominous title, wouldn’t you say? This program was probably recorded in the early 2000’s and begins with a statement that our country is in a state of general unease. Mr. Dart points to people having a sense that something is slipping away- a world that is receding not only economically, but also of old structure, old ways, both in America as well as in the world. He states that hard times bring out the best in us. They help us understand what’s important in our lives, and the hard times help us get back to basics as we seek to recapture something of who we are what we stand for. Hardship, according to Mr. Dart, reminds us that we need family, friends, church, and God. Hardship brings renewal. That’s quite an introduction to this program and it doesn’t sound very optimistic. However, I urge you to listen to the rest of the message especially if you feel the society and world around us leaves a lot to be desired. To further encourage you, I will say that Mr. Dart always leaves the listener with the understanding that as a believer in God, you were born to win.
Out of Egypt I Called My Son
by Patricia Manning
In his book, Knowing God, J. I. Packer makes the statement that our adoption as sons (children) is the highest blessing that has been bestowed upon us by the Father. Justification is a great blessing and indeed foundational, but as he puts it, “To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.”
It is as a father that God calls people out of Egypt. He called Israel. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” Hos 11:1.
He called Jesus. “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son’.” Mat 2:14-15.
He calls His disciples. “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls” Rom 9:11.
Notice that there are three groups including Israel, the Messiah, and God’s disciples. As a side note let me say that David and I are currently pondering the many sets of three found in the book of Luke. Examples include the three disciples (Peter, James, and John), the three lost things (sheep, coin, and prodigal son), the three testers (Pharisees, scribes, elders), people in the discussion at Lazarus’ house (Jesus, Mary and Martha), the three days and three nights, and etc. Some speculate that the number three portends truth, as though they were three witnesses. Some say every set of three signals a great event to come. I don’t know about the number three, but I do know that a great event occurs when one is called by God, for He calls us into glory. “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory”1Th 2:12.
One thing about fathers – They ask children to do hard things in order to help them mature – everything from riding a bike to getting a job. God too asks us to do hard things. He asks us to “walk in a manner worthy.” And he asks us to strive to enter before the door is closed. “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door…” Luke 13:25-25. The count to Pentecost reminds us that the time to answer the call and accept the blessing will end. May we be willing to do the hard things. May we continue taking the steps to walk away from Egypt toward the promise land.
Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."
"Here, have some cooking oil," her mother offers.
"Yuck," says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
"God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!"
God loves you so much! He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart and will live there if you will only ask Jesus into your heart.
I hope your day is a "piece of cake!" Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we can always choose to dance. ~collected from cybersalt.org
Even If
by Cynthia Saladin
Sometimes we are asked to go through hard things. If we belong to God, if we trust Him as sovereign, how do we react to suffering, pain, even the threat of death? Do we moan and wonder, “Why me?” Do we ask for the cup to pass from us? Do we examine our lives to see if God is redirecting our steps? Do we turn our eyes to God and rest in His goodness? When we don’t know which way to turn and what to do, do we echo the words of Jehoshaphat, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12)? I hope we answer as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did:
“our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).
What an incredible witness to everyone around them! What a fantastic example for our emulation!
I’ve been singing Mercy Me’s “Even If” for the past six weeks:
I know You’re able and I know you can
save through the fire with Your mighty hand.
But even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
would all go away if You just said the word
But even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.
And then they end the song with It is well with my soul.
That’s it, isn’t it? When you boil it down, when we get to the end of the matter, if you have a relationship with Jesus the Messiah, you are able to praise God regardless of what happens to you. You are able to say, “It is well with my soul” . . . even if.
Whiteboards ... they're remarkable.
June
Born to Win- A review: Christians in Winter: Faith for the Hard Times, Part 2
By Diane Kleeschulte
Are you ready for the 2017 hurricane season? The season begins on June 1 and many people who live in-land probably haven’t given it a second thought unless they’re planning a trip to one of the high-risk areas such as Florida. Perhaps you live in tornado alley and aren’t concerned with hurricanes and their effects on your livelihood, but still... you live in tornado alley! So here’s the question: Are you prepared to face disaster on a physical level - hurricane, tornado, or other natural disaster? If a terrorist attack should occur, what precautions have you taken to prepare yourself and your family? Is there a connection between physical and spiritual preparedness in times of trouble, and if so, what could it be? Ron Dart addresses what we can do to prepare for hard times in his Born to Win radio program titled “Faith for the Hard Times, Part 2” in the series, Christians in Winter. Since “faith” is part of the title, you can expect that Mr. Dart targets “faith” as a very important component of any kind of disaster preparation for Christians. In fact, Mr. Dart makes “faith” the focus of both our physical and spiritual preparation.
Before I began reading and studying the Bible, bad times would come in my life and I would “hope” them away or “wish” them away. And sometimes the bad times would end and I would feel so happy because I knew that, subconsciously, I had the power to made them disappear! What other explanation could there be? A problem was here one day and gone the next, almost anyway. But what happened when the problem wasn’t solved, didn’t go away, or a solution didn’t bring the desired level of happiness and contentment? Doubt, frustration, resentment - they all bombarded me, and I was left completely out of control! What happened to my power and ability to make everything right in my world?
God uses certain situations in our lives to bring us to Him. Everyone has their own unique testimony of how God got their attention and brought them to belief and faith that He is the one, true, omnipotent, powerful, Creator, God of this universe. In my case, it was the belief that I had the power to control my own destiny. I had faith in myself to bring about all kinds of desired outcomes that would bring me happiness. When I eventually gave up belief in me, myself and I, that kind of thinking brought me to my knees! There was such a sigh of relief from me that it came from deep within and was expelled like a rush of wind. Letting go and letting Him was a phrase I heard from someone as they described their experience of coming to know God. It certainly affirmed my feelings as well. The steps to letting go of one's carnal nature and impulses may be of the baby variety - bumps, bruises, and falls will happen along the way - or maybe the steps are more of the hard knock variety, but eventually you arrive at your destination - knowing, believing, and having faith in God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
The most important relationship that I have is not with myself, as I had believed in the past, but with Him. I have joy in believing there is one God and He is in control. He has a purpose for me, His child, and I am content in that knowledge. He is the reason life makes more sense now. I have faith that even if, and even when, life doesn’t make sense, He is my stronghold, my help, and my salvation, just as the psalmist David said:
I love you, LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer:
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my
Stronghold.
I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
And I have been saved from my enemies.
The cord of death entangled me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
My cry came before him, into his ears.
Psalm 18:1-6 (NIV)
So what kind of faith do you think Mr. Dart concludes that we, as Christians, must have or exhibit in hard times? What kind of faith does God look for in His children as they prepare for disaster - hurricane, tornado, or otherwise? Take time to hear this timely message from Mr. Dart as he explains that God does not promise He will always keep us safe from harm, but that we were born to win!
A Hard Look at Yourself
from cybersalt.org
It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started.
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the director what the criterion was that defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No," said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a room with or without a view?”
School Year’s End, Graduation, Commencement
by Cynthia Saladin
Do you know what people all over the country have been doing the past few weeks? Counting! Moms-to-be have been counting the final days to the birth of their babies. Students have been counting the final few days of the school year. Some students have been counting the final few days of their schooling, period. They were counting the days to graduation. Some people have been counting the days until the strawberries would be ripe. Some have been counting the days until they could leave on a vacation. And those of us who love God have been counting the days to Pentecost.
But were we all just counting to mark the days? Not likely! Those new moms-to-be were gathering newborn clothes, preparing a crib, collecting necessities for the newborn, and considering names. The students were studying for finals. The graduating students were either looking for jobs or visiting colleges in preparation for the next phase of their education. The gardeners were weeding and, possibly, watering, preparing for harvest. The vacationers were planning their routes, arranging lodging, making lists of what had to be done before they could leave and what needed to be taken on the trip. There’s a lot to be done before the end of the count.
So . . . those of us who love God, what were we doing as we were counting the days to Pentecost?
Some Christians were considering the days as they were passing, evaluating their lives and their service to the Lord. They were prioritizing their activities so as to be wise stewards. They were recalling God’s hand in their lives that their faith would be strengthened. They were considering anew the magnitude of God’s calling and their response to it.
Others of us were so busy counting down to vacations, the end of school, and the upcoming events, that we barely marked the passing of the count to Pentecost. Oh, no one knows on the surface because we’re good at math and when someone asks us each sabbath what day in the count it is, we can easily multiply sevens. But deep inside, have you felt a conscience prick that the days are flying by and you are not preparing very well, that you’re just counting? And maybe you’re not really counting all that well either. Maybe you’re just marking time. So does it matter?
In Leviticus 23:6, God says you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. In Leviticus 23:42, God says you are to dwell in temporary dwellings for seven days. And in Leviticus 23:15, God says you are to count from the day after the sabbath, the day of the wave sheaf offering. Leviticus 23:16 says you are to count 50 days to the day after the seven sabbath.
We eat unleavened bread during the Days of Unleavened Bread. We see an object lesson in the taking Jesus Christ, the One who was sinless, into our lives. We want to become more and more like Him. We choose the holy, not the sinful, in our daily walk. We have an awareness of some of the symbolism of the spring holy days.
We dwell in temporary dwellings during the Feast of Tabernacles. We see an object lesson in leaving our homes and being unsettled. It’s a powerful reminder that this world is not our home. We don’t belong here. Our citizenship is God’s kingdom. Additionally, we see the symbolism of living in Jesus Christ, drinking of the Living Water. The fall holy days, like the spring holy days, are rich in symbolism for how we live our lives.
But the counting to Pentecost is a different story. We can outline parallels, draw conclusions, make hypotheses. But perhaps because the Day of Pentecost is one day, perhaps because we haven’t set aside an entire week to celebrate, maybe Pentecost comes and goes in the midst of the busy-ness of late spring/early summer with hardly a second glance. We read about the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 and marvel at the tongues of fire and the speaking in tongues. But do we really consider the profound significance of this day and why God tells us to count?
God never gives us meaningless tasks. Therefore, there’s an important reason why we’re to count. I’m not sure I know either, but here are some interesting things to consider:
- Pentecost comes at the end of the barley harvest, as the wheat harvest is underway. What do we know about barley and about wheat? How do they relate to our walk with God?
- The count of 50 days is paralleled in the fall feast because the Year of Jubilee (the 50th year) is proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, a day of freedom and restoration. Can we learn something about the parallels between Pentecost and Atonement?
- Two loaves of bread, baked with yeast, were waved before the Lord on Pentecost. They were made with fine flour from the firstfruits of the harvest. Why two? Why fine flour? Why baked with leaven?
When we count down to the end of school, to graduation, there’s a commencement ceremony. The very name commencement infers the start of something new. When we count down to the birth of a baby, there’s inferred in the very concept, the birth of something new - a new life, a person never before seen in this world. When we count down to a vacation, the very name “vacation” means a change from the normal, but then an expected return to the normal once the vacation is over. Even the countdown to strawberries infers the need for action - the harvest of the fruit. God commanded us to count the days to Pentecost for a reason - more than for just knowing when it was going to be. As we count the days, and consider why we’re counting, may God give us eyes to see as He reveals Himself more fully to each of us.
July 2017
Science and the Bible
by Jonathan Saladin
How is it possible that science is thought to contradict the Bible? How is it possible that this world sees them as opposing views? No matter which branch of science you enter, there is great evidence of the Creator.
- In astronomy: the order and perfectly balanced laws of creation.
- In biology: the perfect and inconceivable complexity of life.
- In chemistry: the orderly laws dictating compounds and their properties, and the complexity of the atom itself.
- In zoology and ecology: the balance God has created to keep populations from over multiplying.
And what shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of horticulture, and archaeology, and anatomy and physiology and all branches of science; for every one of these points emphatically to a Creator. Science and its orderliness shows there is intelligence and design behind this world.
How interesting the irony present in this situation! The word “science” means “knowledge.” How ironic that those who claim to have a grip on “knowledge” are completely missing the knowledge of God. They have knowledge, but they lack understanding. Praise God that He has allowed Himself to be revealed to all manner of men, not just the “wise of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
An Object Lesson From Pepper
by Cynthia Saladin
Our dog, Pepper, has done a couple of very remarkable things in the past couple of weeks. First, when I was out weeding in the blueberries, I had my fork, rake, hoe, and dandelion digger. When I came upon another dandelion, I looked around for the digger. It had disappeared. I had looked for a couple of minutes, when I looked up to see Pepper trotting towards me from the front porch. When he got close, I shook my finger at him and said, “You took my tool, didn’t you?” He immediately turned, trotted out to the field, picked up the tool, and crouched with his tail in the air as if to say, “I have it and I’m not giving it back.”
The second remarkable thing happened when I was bathing the dogs this past Sunday. The water was warm in the outside tub, but cooler than the outside temperature. So I took the opportunity to cool Velvet off and get her clean at the same time. Ron thought perhaps the other two could also benefit from a bath. So I carried hot water out to the tub and mixed cold water from the hose until it was cool. Pepper was very interested in what I was doing, so I picked him up and put him in the tub and gave him a bath. Then it was Ebony’s turn. Ebony acted like I was mistreating her, so when I was all finished, I told her, “Ebony, let’s go up on the porch. I’ll grab the towels and rub you dry.” She loves being toweled dry. Pepper turned, sprinted up the steps, stood on his hind legs to grab both towels off the railing and drop them at my feet.
Remarkable. That dog seems to understand a whole lot more than I give him credit for.
So I was thinking: if dogs were created a little lower than humans, and humans were created a little lower than angels (Hebrews 2:7), then what do the angels think about our human behavior at times?
There are times when we act so dumb, they must be convinced that we might have potential - if we only had a brain! Seriously! We know that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and yet we obviously think that these created things are more important than the Creator! Obviously - because we spend a disproportionate amount of time working on, obsessed with, serving those things! Those things take up way too much of our thought processes, especially considering their fate is destruction in the fire!
The angels must shake their heads, at times, over our choices. If we know that God is sovereign and that He cares for us, why do we walk around as if we have no hope? Why aren’t Christians the most peaceful, content, pleasant people you would ever hope to meet? Don’t we know the end of the story? Don’t we know that we belong to God and He’s promised to never leave us or forsake us? He’s promised never to give us more than we can bear. Don’t we believe that?
The angels must wonder if our logic sequences are somehow damaged at times. How can logically, rational people know that Jesus died for their sins and yet think it’s okay to now commit those sins? If those transgressions are so grievous in God’s sight that He would send His only begotten Son to be cruelly tortured and murdered to pay the penalty for those sins, why would God now say that breaking those laws doesn’t matter any more to Him? Yes, Jesus Christ is so great, worth so much in the Father’s sight, that His death more than covers our sins. But to continue actions that necessitated Christ’s death? Why would we think that those behaviors are now acceptable to the One who made the laws, for our good, in the first place?
The angels must be embarrassed for our sakes whenever they see us arrogant or puffed up with pride. They know we have nothing of which we can boast!
The angels must cringe whenever we are unloving towards one another, holding a grudge, or harshly interacting with, especially, fellow believers in the faith. Do we not know how very much God has forgiven us? Do we think this little offense that we’ve blown up into a mountain is comparable to the debt we would owe without the mercy and grace of God towards us?
- But when we praise God with a full and grateful heart;
- When we give generously without any hidden agenda or expectation of repayment;
- When we keep God’s law out of love for Him, gratitude for what He’s done for us, and recognition that God’s laws were designed for our good;
- When we love each other genuinely, earnestly caring for the struggles and troubles, as well as sharing in the joys and victories;
- When we intentionally choose God first - eschewing the accolades of man, the desires of our carnal nature, the pulls of the flesh - acknowledging that God is God and worthy of everything we can give, of everything that we are;
- When we live our lives, demonstrating that we know God is sovereign by our patience, our hope, our faith in action;
And perhaps when we finally see the object lesson that God has designed to open our eyes to who we are, how we’ve been acting, and how that should change; then, perhaps then, the angels look at one another and say, “Did you just see that remarkable thing that person just did? Maybe they are more intelligent than I think they are.”
Is it Right or Is it Easier?
by Cynthia Saladin
Sometimes raising children seems like an uphill struggle - a constant testing of limits, rules, and authority. “I don’t want to go to bed right now.” “Why do I have to wear my hat?” “I don’t like green beans.” “I don't want to share with my brother.” “Why, Mommy, why?” “Please can I do it one more time? Please.” And sometimes I get very weary and worn down. Sometimes I give in to the entreaties because I’m so tired of the battle. I make a deal; I hear myself saying, “O.K. one more time, and then it’s time for bed.” Sometimes it works; sometimes it just prolongs the battle. Later, as I am thinking about the struggle, whichever of the many daily contests of wills, I find myself second-guessing myself. Should I have given in? Was I too lax? Was I too strict? Was it right, or was it just easier?
I was thinking of that phrase particularly this week - is it right or is it easier - because Ron Dart gave a sermon several years ago with that title - and the concept has really stuck in my memory. Many times we are faced with choices. Which do we choose: the right one or the one which appears easier at the time? I firmly believe that we are a collection of God’s people who love Him, who consequently love the truth and who are striving to become perfect out of love for our Father (Matt 5:48). Because we are individually God’s children, He has designed an individual education plan (Phil 1:6) - a plan specifically designed for you and for me to maximize the strengths and gifts He has given to us in our unique situations. Obviously, my educational plan is not yours, nor vice versa - truly it is the greatest example of home schooling there is!! And we know this!! We sometimes like the idea of living our lives as hermits, learning at the feet of the Master, with no interference (aka aggravation) from any other of God’s children!!
However, once we understand that salvation is an individual matter and that no one can ride into the Kingdom on another’s coattails (Ezekiel 14:14, 18:20), we learn with other believers to allow for differences in understanding, to be flexible, to be loving and open-minded, and to realize that iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) as we progress through our educational plan called life! And, to some degree we are successful - at least for a while.
The rub comes when we must come together to accomplish a specific goal. We have to figure out how to mesh these individual understandings into a working understanding with which everyone can live. It is at that point we find out that what we had considered basic isn’t basic to everyone - and we cautiously regroup, establish ground rules, and really work at keeping our patience. We know that God doesn’t want us to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25), so we try to find our way in love to maintain unity and love (1 Thessalonians 3:12, Ephesians 4:2-3), while not violating our own conscience in what we know God has shown to us on an individual level (Romans 14:23).
Many times, we let a lot of issues slide - knowing that it really wasn’t a big thing, even if we would have preferred a different outcome. But sometimes we hit our conscience head on. We cannot, in good faith, accept what someone else believes. What do we do? Do we, for the sake of unity, let “this” go too? Or do we quietly make our position and opposition known? Sometimes we take what appears to be the easier path - the one of acquiescing without comment. We don’t want to rock the boat. And we’re too weary to engage in yet one more conflict (Galatians 6:9). But that’s not good for us and it’s not good, ultimately, for the group. The right path is rarely the easy path. But it’s still the right path.
You’re probably tired. So many I talk to are tired. Most of us are crazy busy. We are all so bombarded every day with things, conflicts, choices, and battles which wear us down (Matt 13:22; Daniel 7:25). But make the right choice, not the easy choice! I need you to. Don’t you know that you are part of my educational plan. God is using you to teach me His will and His way. As much as I don’t like the idea of having to learn from you instead of at the feet of the Master, sometimes that’s the way it is. Don’t avoid the inevitable conflict because my ego gets in the way and I get mad because my will is thwarted. In many ways, you may feel that you’re dealing with a two-year-old, and you’re just tired of it. I know it’s a thankless job, at least right now. Please persevere. I know it’s important to pick your battles, because you just can’t fight them all. Just hang in there and consider your choices. Fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). Don’t give in because you’re tired and it’s easier (2 Thessalonians 3:13). Please make the right choice. You and I will both ultimately be the better for it. And God will give you the strength to keep doing what needs to be done (Phil 4:13).
Final Thought:
Ban pre-shredded cheese!
Make America grate again.
August
Disaster into Deliverance
by Jonathan Saladin
It’s easy to get caught up in this life. After all, this is all we’ve ever known. And this life can be very stressful. We know, as Christians, that this life is about more than living, making money, and dying. We know that there is a bigger purpose. But even then, we are still left as pilgrims and sojourners in this foreign land. And there sure are a lot of things to distract us! Jesus told us we would face adversity. He never said it would be easy. In fact, Christians go through a lot of hard times. Following Jesus is not a walk in the park.
What keeps us going? What can we hold onto to get us through these times of trial? Hope. Hope in God. Trusting that He is watching over us. As John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist religion, wrote, “God watched over the whole universe like it’s one person and watches over one person like they are the universe.” What you get when you put those two viewpoints together is the truth that God knows you, and He is working out every problem and situation in your life, and He is also incorporating your experiences into His master plan. Nothing is wasted. Nothing happens without a reason. And nothing happens to you without God knowing about it. Even when we face an extremely hard situation, we can find comfort knowing God is watching over us, and we can hope in His ability to turn a disaster into deliverance.
You Must Not Be Afraid- Christians in Winter (Part 3)
By Diane Kleeschulte
Have you ever tried to reason away something you fear, or has someone tried to do that for you? I have a fear of complete darkness. The ambiance of soft lighting on dark, gloomy winter nights is very soothing to my soul, as is a night light in a darkened hallway or bathroom. Keith tells me sometimes that he can't believe how many lights are on. I know what he's saying and understand it when I see the next month's electric bill. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't like the dark.
I also fear insects that fly. I think most of them have this annoying and bothersome trait of flapping their wings and waiting to land on an unsuspecting victim as myself. How gross is that? Grasshoppers? No, thank you, and don't try to convince me they are what every garden needs because of other types of bugs and such.
Reptiles? Yes, I fear them, too. Slithering around, coiling up, and those scales? Desert lizards used to park themselves on our front porch when we lived in the Mojave Desert, and I was certain it was because they knew my sisters and I would open the door and scream our heads off. Neighborhood entertainment was free courtesy of Diane, Stephanie, and Christine. Since my dad decided on the move to the desert, he knew he had a very precarious situation on his hand so he was liberal with the sympathy and reassurances.
I know that our Creator had His hand in all of these creatures, and I admire their purposes on this earth. I am convinced, however, that they can best be fulfilled while staying as far away from me as possible!
We live in a world that provides daily reason for fear- politics and media are usually center stage. Scientists are convincing us one day of global warming, and the next day's news headline tells us we should prepare for a new ice age. We read about toxins and poisons in our food and water. How do we decide what is healthy enough for consumption without being afraid of another article telling us the opposite? Concerns abound in politics, media, environment, and health, and even our public safety in worship. There is reason for fear. But what does God's word tell us about being afraid? How can we sleep better at night when we fear what the morning will bring us?
In the third part of Ronald L. Dart's series, Christians in Winter, he tells us that we "must not be afraid.” Mr. Dart uses Jesus' own words from Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:23, to explain how and why we must not be afraid in these troubled times. Mr. Dart does not discount anyone's fear during times of trial and tribulation but rather he leads us in scripture to conclude for ourselves that there a couple of things to focus on during the storms. If you're thinking right now that depending on God the Father rather than yourself is a good place to start, you would be right. We must always choose to be faithful children to the Father. God is always good, faithful, and He wants us to remember that we were born to be winners and overcomers of that which we now fear during these present times. This is a program that will definitely encourage you during your daily walk with the Lord.
Extend Your Bible Learning-
To further your understanding of fear or being afraid, I recommend a word study both in Hebrew and Greek. You can begin by simply typing in a word or phrase in a bible search engine. For example, Jesus's own words, " Do not be afraid " would be a great start.
Born to Win with Ron Dart is supported by Church of God Faith Fellowship and can be heard on KXEN radio station 1010 each Sunday at 8:00AM.
Spider Webs
by Cynthia Saladin
I like walking the dogs every morning. I do. But there’s one section of my walk that I have come to dread. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of my walk, just past the pond through the trees, shaded and cool. And in the winter time, I love that section; it’s very beauty soothes my soul. But I have come to dread that path. The problem first took me by surprise one morning this past spring. I was busy watching my feet. I have learned that it’s not wise to ignore where you place your feet. There has been more than one tricky tree root tripping me up. So I was walking, watching my feet when I was ambushed by a sticky gossamer - a spider web.
I hate the feel of the spider web across my face. It sticks. I feel like, even when I’ve brushed the web away, that there’s likely an inhabitant now crawling somewhere on me. Shudder!
So I started carrying a stick. Now my walk through the woods involves watching my feet and watching for spider webs strewn across the path. I thought I was pretty smart for carrying a stick in front of me so the webs would be cleared before they could wrap their tentacles around my face.
Much to my dismay, all the stick did was give the web a folding point so that the rest of the web would wrap itself around the stick and into my face - because of course you know that spider webs are stronger than kevlar used in constructing bullet-proof vests.
So I decided to swing and wave my stick to clear the path. That wasn’t always successful either because the trailing ends of the web can still catch me as I walk.
The other lesson I learned is that you can’t keep walking when you hit one spider web. Just as soon as you lower your defenses to wipe the web off your face, you walk smack dab into another one. And the second one usually not only has an inhabitant, but also a lunch wrapped up and ready to eat later.
I’ve learned that if I walk a little later in the day, then the sunlight glints off the webs and I can see them to avoid them. That’s good - but that means I’m walking later in the morning, when it’s hotter. That’s not so good.
So I tried another path - one that wouldn’t take me by the pond. That wasn’t such a good idea: the grass it taller, there’s poison ivy to wade through, and some of the tree branches are more difficult to avoid when you watching for everything else.
So, why am I telling you all this? I couldn’t help thinking about Satan and his wiles. Satan is constantly looking for ways to catch us unawares. He wants to catch us in his web and pull us away from our delight in following the path God has laid out before us. If we’re diligent in prayer and Bible study, we can detect some of those traps. But sometimes while we’re avoiding one trap, we are distracted into walking right into another. Sometimes we get so weary of the road we’ve been given, we try something very different. It doesn’t get us away from Satan; it just gives us new challenges that we might not have considered before. And we find ourselves right back in the middle of his web, wiping the mess off our lives. Sometimes we persevere on the path, but are unprepared for the ferocity of attack. We think we’ve successfully dodged one trap only to walk right into another one.
I’ve discovered another thing as I walk that wooded path each morning: I detest the spider webs so much that I am allowing that to color my joy in all the good things God has given me. We can do that when Satan throws problems in our life path too. We can become so distracted by his schemes that we forget how far we’ve come and how God has blessed us.
The truth is: those spider web’s time is short. It will be fall soon. We’ll get a killing frost and I’ll again be walking the path without wearing a sticky face mask. Similarly, Satan’s time is short. The next Holy Day we celebrate is Trumpets - a day of great joy for all believers in Messiah. Jesus will return and there will be no more of Satan’s schemes in our lives! That’s a great thing to contemplate as I’m waving my stick and watching my feet.
Oh, and the latest “joy” of the path? You remember I told you that I have been walking later when it’s warmer. The dogs know exactly how to take care of that: they wade into the pond as we walk by - which means that as I’m avoiding spider webs and watching my feet, there have been a few days when I also had to deal with dogs who just had to catch up with me and “share” their wetness. Why they have to catch up and then shake, I don’t know!! But I’m counting it all joy and persevering to the end of the path!
September
Time’s Flying by Cynthia Saladin
When your alarm clock goes off in the morning, what do you do? No, I mean, after you slap it, what do you do? Do you get up and jump into your day? Or do you wait for the snooze option to let you drift back into dreamland only to be jarred into startled wakefulness nine minutes later? How do you approach the time you’ve been given each day?
I like thinking about time:
- how everything takes so much longer than you expected, unless you budget an extra hour for it, and then it takes five minutes;
- how quickly the summer, August, this week has flown by, and yet how it seems like forever since we were last at church;
- how holding a newborn baby brings back incredibly familiar memories, but my youngest is now almost taller than I am;
- how the “new” dog has been here for two years already, and the “old” dogs are almost ten, and it’s hard to remember life without dogs in the house;
- how “just the other day” was actually a couple of decades ago.
So I’m very grateful that God gives us a calendar and seasons to help us mark time, to remember how fleeting life truly is. I strongly resist the tendency to say things like, “I can hardly wait until September when it’s not so hot.” I can all too clearly remember standing back in January thinking, “I can hardly wait until spring when I don’t have to layer so many clothes to stay warm.” It’s all too easy to wish our lives away, looking forward to a better season.
And yet, we are looking forward to a better season, a time when “the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.” I like thinking about that time, and I can’t help contrasting it with what we now have: a world spiraling into immorality and godlessness and depravity and violence. It’s a very natural desire for the Christian to eagerly desire the return of our Lord and the establishment of His kingdom. So that’s probably why we love the fall feasts so much! Trumpets reminds us that Jesus’ return is a promised event; He is coming and it’s nearer than when we first believed! Atonement reminds us of a time when we will be completely free from sin and debt, not because of what we’ve done or who we are, but because of the greatness and justice and mercy of our God. And the Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that this life is temporary - like living in temporary tabernacles or tents. But there will also be a time in the future when we will dwell (tabernacle) with Him and He will spread His tent over us. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes! We will dwell forever with the Lord.
I don’t know if you’ve been watching the clock. We’ve not only been watching the events around us, we’ve been watching the calendar in the skies, specifically, the moon. The new moon this past week started the sixth month of God’s calendar. We’re into the preparation month for the fall holy days. We’ve less than one month until Trumpets! We’re under 50 days until the Feast of Tabernacles. There’s no time to hit the snooze button. Time’s flying, and we’ve got things to do!
You Can Win- Christians in Winter, Part 4 By Diane Kleeschulte
Have you ever thought of yourself as a competitive person- participating in activities not exclusive to sports, but with the goal of winning in mind? Do you feel an adrenaline rush when the “finish line” is within sight and it looks like you’re going to be proclaimed the winner?
If we’re honest, we all would agree that we like to win, be it a board game, cards, or sport. But for any of those events, the thrill of the win is but a brief moment in time. Your hands may be raised in victory as you glance over at the loser but soon the adrenaline begins to subside. Attention and accolades begin to fade, and then what? On to the next competition? Rest and retire in your glory while shining up those medals and trophies?
Whether we have the competitive spirit or not, however, we currently find ourselves in a battle and our enemy is Satan. This fight is daily and at times the battle seems relentless. We gain an inch and lose a yard. The sweating never ends! We face a fierce competitor! We may find ourselves crying out, “Why me, Lord?” In this Born to Win radio program, Christians in Winter- You Can Win, Ron Dart throws this question right back at us- why not you (us)? Using Genesis 1:26-28 as a jumping off point, Mr. Dart emphasizes that these verses indicate a commission by, and from, God for mankind to subdue or “overcome” or rule over this planet. Mr. Dart also refers to Revelation 2 where the word “overcometh” is used by Jesus in describing the state of him who is victorious, who conquers, and who overcomes the enemy- Satan and his world. Mr. Dart, too, shares what he calls a personal profound truth- The reason for the dangers, pain, and Satan, is that we can overcome them! Our battle and race to overcome pain, suffering, adversity and trouble will leave us feeling overwhelmed. But when we overcome those trials, we know from Jesus Christ’s own words, what awaits us at the finish line. Listen to, and follow along in your Bible, while Mr. Dart guides you to understanding who it is that will overcome the world and how to demonstrate endurance through the battles of this world in our everyday lives. We were born to win and our thrill of victory will last for much more than a moment in time, will never fade, and will result in far more than just a medal or trophy!
The Born to Win radio program can be heard each Sunday morning at 8AM on KXEN, and is supported by Church of God Faith Fellowship.
Extend your learning- When we’re going through a trial or feeling attacked by the world around us, it’s hard to remember sometimes where those encouraging and uplifting words and verses are in the bible. Consider- (1) Writing out the verses on a sheet of paper and leaving them in the front of your Bible. (2) Making a bookmark of the verse(s) that you most depend upon in those hard times. (3) Keeping a journal of the trials and the verses that helped sustain you through them.
On August 9, 2017, Allie Dart, the widow of the late Ronald L. Dart, passed away. I was saddened to hear of her death but quietly rejoiced that her physical suffering was over. Allie was instrumental in creating the YEA (Youth Educational Adventures) program through Christian Education Ministries. YEA was the heart of Allie’s ministry, and those of us that worked with her in promoting them in our local churches and Feast of Tabernacles will fondly remember her drive and diligence in teaching children the word of God. During the Feast of Tabernacles, and other holy day church gatherings, it was Allie’s style to stop a child or teen and ask them if they had registered for YEA classes. If they had, Allie praised them and then asked them to remind their friends of the classes. If they had not registered, Allie found a way to lead them to the table to be sure that they were registered before they left her sight. Allie’s dedication will certainly be missed!
Note - YEA books and other youth resources are available on the Born to Win website. If you have any questions regarding the materials, please talk to me or Cynthia.
Fall and the Feast by Jonathan Saladin
I like fall. But why? I don’t enjoy the cold, dreary days of winter. So shouldn’t I be dreading fall? No, because of one very important thing: the Feast.
The Feast is the best time of the year for me. There is nothing like going to the Feast and seeing so many like-minded people with the mindset of praising God. It’s fun to go to a new place and meet new people. There really is nothing like it.
I can go to other get-togethers like Winter Family Weekend or Camp, but they don’t compare to the Feast. It has a feeling and a spirit unlike any other. It has never been duplicated, at least not to me.
Even in the spring, if there is a cool day, we take a breath and say, “It feels like Feast weather.” Feast defines the fall for us.
The joy we get from keeping the Feast is unbelievable. It’s like a Super Sabbath to build us up for the cold, dreary winter. Feast is the reason humans don’t have to hibernate.
We leave for the Feast in less than six weeks. While there is still a lot to do to get ready, it is all so incredibly worth it. We get to go to the greatest get-together of the year. We’re going to worship God and have fun. Are you excited?
October
Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. ~Dr. Seuss
I saw this quote on Facebook when we got home from the Feast and thought it accurately summed up how I felt after the sun had gone down that last Sabbath as we were scurrying around getting ready to pack up and go home. It’s always so sad to leave family, both physical and spiritual, and go back home. But we can’t stay at the Feast site; that’s not where God has placed us in this world. He’s given us a job to do, a place to live - a life in which we are to bring glory and honor to His name by the manner in which we live.
So as the dust settles, laundry is done (at least for the time being), mail is sorted (and mostly disposed of), and we’ve gotten a couple of good nights’ sleep in our own beds, it’s time to reflect on that appointment we just kept with our God. Having just spent eight days talking about Him, sharpening iron, immersed in fellowship and praise, and spending time with Him, what did we learn?
First, I am always reminded of how precious this time with God is! Yes, God set the appointment, but we are the ones who receive the blessing! I can imagine not going, but I wouldn’t like it and I would grieve greatly if we couldn’t go celebrate God’s Feast of Tabernacles!
Secondly, the very name “tabernacles” evokes two very powerful images in my mind: 1) We are tabernacling in this life. It’s temporary and our eyes need to be fixed on the heavenly city God is preparing for the Bride; 2) We are supposed to be tabernacling (dwelling, abiding) in Christ. How many verses can you think of which talk about our life in Christ? I believe that celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days (plus the Eighth Day) gives us a taste of what being in Christ is supposed to feel like - all the time. We’re supposed to feel that close to God. He’s supposed to be the focus of our attention. He’s supposed to receive our praise and worship. And we’re supposed to be drawing ever closer to Him. As we do that, a wonderful benefit are the other believers who are likewise experiencing that same walk - and we draw closer to them. One delightful gentleman this feast remarked that he’d gained 15 spiritual pounds this feast! That is one quote from this feast that I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Third, the Feast of Tabernacles is a great reminder that as we’re dwelling in Christ, meeting new people, making new connections, strengthening old connections, fellowshipping together, listening to seminars, discussing what we’ve heard, mulling it all over - it’s a great reminder that now we should be doing something with it. That is, we’ve tasted of the Living Water all week. We’ve drunk deeply of the things of God. Now it’s time to go back to the home where God has placed us and to begin sharing that water with the people around us. The living water is supposed to flow out of us. We’re supposed to have been so filled with Jesus Christ over the course of the Feast of Tabernacles that we’re ready to go water the dry and weary land around us at home. It’s not going back to the status quo, not trying to get things back to normal. We’re supposed to have grown more like Christ and learned more of Him, and now we’re supposed to be ready to share that with whomever God places in our path.
The Eighth Day is like the Commencement ceremony. You’ve spent a whole season taking in and learning. Now it’s time to get to work.
Sigh. Sometimes I still feel rather stuck on crying that the Feast is over for another year, that it’s six months to Passover. But it’s time to smile that we were given the privilege of meeting with God for eight days. It’s time to get ready to do the work that He sets in front of us. (article by Cynthia Saladin)
November
Follow With Rejoicing
by Cynthia Saladin
There are some wonderful hymns and Christian songs which remind us to be thankful to God:
Give thanks with a grateful heart;
give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.
Come, ye thankful people come,
raise the song of harvest home.
all is safely gathered in
e’er the winter storms begin.
We are so blessed, we just can’t find a way
or the words that can say, “Thank You, Lord, for Your touch.”
Count your many blessings;
name them one by one.
Count your many blessings see what God has done.
Many of these songs enumerate the manifold blessings from our God. He has given us His Son to reconcile us to Himself! Yet, our Heavenly Father didn’t stop there. The whole hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth” lists blessings from God for which “we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.” “In Thanksgiving, Let Us Praise Him” contrasts the extremes of life and yet reminds believers that God takes care of us and exhorts us to sing “songs of praise and adoration to our gracious Lord and King.”
I love these songs. I love the reminder of how loving and gracious our great God is to us. But I also appreciate those songs of thanksgiving which use the verses to acknowledge the struggles and problems that we face. We are not free from trouble simply because we are believers; God does not shield us from difficulties and storms in this life. He promises never to give us more than we can bear. He promises never to leave us. He promises to guide us (if we ask). But God doesn’t remove all the stones from the path, all the pain from the growing, all the cancer from our bodies, or the consequences of our bad [aka ungodly, sinful] choices. These songs remind us that just because we’re having trouble, we shouldn’t assume we are not in God’s will or that we no longer have His blessings or that we no longer belong to Him.
So I appreciate the songs which acknowledge the pain and struggles we face in this life. But the songs don’t leave our thoughts mired in the problems. Rather, they pull our eyes back to the blessings we’ve received from God, His goodness, His trustworthiness, His sovereignty. Simply put, they validate our lives as Christians who face difficulties while reminding us to keep our eyes focused on our Savior, our Redeemer, the only One who can save us from the problems we face.
It’s not just “count your many blessings;” it’s
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
when you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings;
name them one by one.
And it will surprise you what the LORD hath done.
Yes, we all have problems, but God is bigger than our problems! And, we can trust ourselves to Him in the midst of those problems.
Our goal is to get to the place where we trust God completely. Our default setting is automatically resting in our belief that God is good and God is sovereign. He’s got my back and He has my best interest at heart.
In the words of Charles Naylor, “I’ll Follow With Rejoicing:”
The future lies unseen ahead,
It holds I know not what;
But still I know I need not dread
For Jesus faileth not.
I’ll follow Him with rejoicing, with rejoicing, rejoicing;
I know He safely will lead me to my eternal home.
Doth He not know what I shall meet
upon life’s rugged way?
Will He not guide my halting feet,
Lest from the path I stray?
No matter how things look to me,
Nor if they threaten sore;
I know my way prepared shall be,
For Christ leads on before.
The glory of eternal dawn
shines from His smiling face;
So trusting Him I follow on,
with heart made strong by grace.
I’ll follow Him with rejoicing, with rejoicing, rejoicing;
I know He safely will lead me to my eternal home.
We’re going to be celebrating Thanksgiving Day soon - a day of historical, national remembrance of the blessings of our great God on this country. To so many, this day is a day of feasting and football, preparing for a huge day of shopping on Friday. But with us, with those of us who are called by His name, we will enjoy one more day, one more opportunity to take advantage of collectively pausing in our hurried lives to thank God for who He is and for what He has done. How could we ever praise Him sufficiently for how good He is?!
I hope there’s a song in your heart as you’re preparing the Thanksgiving meal and preparing to share it with others. I hope you are filled with the glorious knowledge of how much God loves us and how much we owe Him. I hope you find yourself carrying an attitude of thanksgiving with you through the next several months, through these winter months of cold and gloom (not necessarily just outside in the weather), regardless of what you may face up ahead.
We can’t afford to wallow in self-pity with ungrateful hearts. Here’s the reminder from Deuteronomy 28:47-48:
Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.
I don’t want to be found with an ungrateful heart. I want to be singing with all my being to my God:
Oh give thanks to the Lord. Call upon His name.
Seek the Lord and His strength. Glory to His name.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Sing to Him. Praise Him. Glory to His name.
Seek His face always. Bless His holy name.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
"It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
~C. S. Lewis
Far Too Easily Pleased
by Cynthia Saladin
It’s that time of year again: wood-gathering, wood-burning season. The boys and I took the pickup out this week to gather some branches out of the woods. The boys hopped into the back of the pickup. Pepper spied them and eagerly desired to be in the bed with them, but couldn’t convince himself that he could jump that high. When I told the boys to put down the tailgate, Pepper suddenly realized that I was in the cab. He lost all desire to ride in the back with the boys; he wanted to be with me. Even when the boys called and called him, even when Velvet obligingly jumped into the back, Pepper steadfastly ignored that he was even being called. He kept his eyes fixed on me, barking and “talking” to show his desire to be allowed to ride in the front. So I slowly drove up the road, across the top of the pasture, and down by the trees to the area where we would be scavenging wood. Pepper loped alongside, never willing to give up his quest to be allowed to ride in the cab, barking the whole time. He’d caught a glimpse of what he wanted and he would not be satisfied with anything less.
How often do we settle for less than the best God has for us? Probably far more often than we even realize.
Why? Why would we be content with less than God’s best? I think it depends on three things: lack of vision, unwillingness to persevere, and a degree of unbelief in God.
Until Pepper knew that I was in the cab, he intensely desired to be in the bed with the boys. Pepper could have settled for riding in the bed of the pickup, but it was no longer even an option for him once he glimpsed the possibility of something more desirable. So maybe it’s because we haven’t caught the vision of what God’s best for us could be. What changes our vision? What gives us that glimpse of something more desirable? 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 tells us that it’s the Spirit which reveals the things that God has prepared for us. But God’s not going to hit us over the head to get our attention; we have to be seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Pepper was confident that he would eventually obtain his goal if he just wouldn’t give up. Similarly, obtaining God’s best for us has to do with effort and persistence. It’s hard work to get “the best.” You have to persevere. It takes dedication, even in the face of obstacles and disappointments. How many times do we read an exhortation to run the race with endurance, to endure to the end, to run so as to win the crown (Hebrews 12:1; Matthew 24:13; 1 Corinthians 9:24)? God never said discipleship would be easy, but it is worth it!
Pepper probably has very good reason for believing that if he was persistent enough, he’d get to ride in the front. He has ridden in the cab with me so many times before. He believes that he knows how I will respond to him. In a similar way, if we are in covenant with God, then we know that He has good things for us. All good things come from God (James 1:17). If he gave us His Son, what good thing would He withhold from us (Romans 8:32)? Are we settling for mud pies in the slums because we have an evil heart of unbelief (Hebrews 3:12)?
I love that God uses my dog to show me things! Oh that I would have a heart desiring to be with my God always, to not settle for anything less than His best for me, to persevere for the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus with all of my heart, to be wholly devoted to Him. Oh to never to satisfied with mud pies when my God has planned a holiday at the sea!!
December
Following the Footsteps
by Cynthia Saladin
I love playing with Pepper.
I take the dogs for a walk every morning. I start out with Velvet on the leash. When I have a good head start, Ron lets the other two out of the yard. My head start gives Pepper a chance to burn off energy and excitement at getting to go for a walk. He usually catches up with me before I can get to the other side of the pond. This morning, I picked up the pace a little bit so that I was into the lower pasture and I could still hear him barking. So Velvet and I ducked behind a cedar whose branches jut out into the field - the dog and his person’s version of Hide -and-Go-Seek. Then we watched to see what Pepper would do. He came racing across the dam and around the corner and didn’t see us.
It occurred to me that as I am exuberantly galloping down the pathway of life, having asked God to guide me (Proverbs 3:5-6), sometimes in my excitement and assumption that I know where He’s leading, I miss the path. I’ve missed the mark, the path (aka sin). What do I do then? Do I plunge on, determined to take that path regardless? Do I stop? Do I cast about for ways of getting myself out of this situation through my own devices? Or do I immediately repent and get back to where I know I’m supposed to be?
When Pepper rounded that corner and realized we were nowhere in sight, he immediately reversed direction. He went back to where he knew I’d been. (There’s only one path across the dam.) Then he started using his nose to
track us. In the matter of a few seconds, he was bounding up to Velvet and me, ecstatic that he’d found us. And we continued on our walk - after he complained loudly at me for the game.
We continued on our walk. But the thought has lingered in my thoughts: Oh that I would turn back (repent) as quickly as Pepper did and get back on the path of following wherever Jesus would lead me.
I love playing with Pepper.
Locusts and Losing Character
By Dan L. White
During the locust plague of the 1870’s in the upper Midwest, the governor of Minnesota was fearful of giving government aid to the stricken farmers. He was afraid that government aid would harm their character.
The website mnopedia.org, which focuses on Minnesota history from a modern viewpoint, criticizes the government of that time for failing to expand their relief efforts. They do not at all consider the overall effect of government intervention on individual character.
County governments instituted efforts to rid the state of grasshoppers and to help destitute farmers, but counties provided much less help than farmers needed. Rural counties were less prepared to provide help to the poor than cities were. Rural areas also lacked the private charitable organizations that assisted the urban poor. In addition, despite extensive damage to crops, some questioned whether farmers' crops had really been devastated and whether farmers were really in need.
The state, governed by three different men during the grasshopper plague years, also failed to provide adequate relief to affected farmers. Under governors Horace Austin and Cushman K. Davis, the state provided small sums of direct, state-funded relief, but the governors focused their efforts on encouraging charitable giving to the cause. Unlike his predecessors, Governor John S. Pillsbury did not call for any direct, state-funded relief for farmers. Elected in 1876, Pillsbury believed that poverty was a fact of life on the frontier and that providing relief would make farmers dependent on the state. Instead, Pillsbury focused on efforts to eradicate the grasshoppers. This included a controversial bounty measure that required every able-bodied man in affected counties to destroy grasshopper eggs for one day a week, for five straight weeks.
Actually, when state governments paid a bounty for dead grasshoppers that was a form of government aid. It’s just that the farmers were paid a dollar a bushel for grasshoppers instead of wheat. Nicollet County, Minnesota paid $25,053 for 25,053 bushels of dead locusts.
That’s a lotta locusts!
There was some debate as to whether those were locusts, a distinct species, or just grasshoppers gone loco. Either way, that was a lotta locusts or a whole lotta ‘hoppers.
Character was extremely important to the pioneers on the frontier. If you did not have the character to take care of yourself, you and your family would die. No one else was out there on the newly settled frontier except for other pioneers, who were all in the same situation -- striving to stay alive. The government was far away.
But those Americans did have character.
First of all, Charles Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Pa, had a bumper wheat crop bumped off by the ‘hoppers. And those grasshoppers or loonie locusts laid enough eggs to take care of the next year’s crop, too. What was Pa to do?
Some local fellows went to the train station and tried to bum a free train ride to the big cities of St. Paul or Minneapolis so they could find work and feed their families. Pa did not do that. He had too much character.
Instead, he walked maybe a couple hundred miles east, where the locusts had not gone, and found work in the harvest fields there. When he trekked that trip, his boots were holey, because he had given his boot money to buy a bell for the new church in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
OK -- that, like, took character to walk that far in worn out boots. When the harvest was over, Pa walked the couple hundred miles back home, with enough money earned for the family to make it through the winter. And the governor of Minnesota was afraid that if people got used to taking government aid, they would lose that character.
Character means having individual responsibility. For example, the Hebrew Scriptures tell us to not donkey around with a neighbor’s donkey.
Deut 22:1-4 World English Bible
1) You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely bring them again to your brother. 2) If your brother isn’t near to you, or if you don’t know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks after it, and you shall restore it to him. 3) So you shall do with his donkey; and so you shall do with his garment; and so you shall do with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost, and you have found: you may not hide yourself. 4) You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely help him to lift them up again.
Even if no one was watching, you were to help your neighbor.
Pro 3:27-28 Good News Bible
(27) Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. 28) Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.
The Minnesota government did give some aid to the plagued farmers. Besides the locust bounty, the government gave two dollars in food aid to farmers. A copy of an assistance receipt listed these purchases with that $2: pork, $1.13; matches, .25; baking soda, .10, and molasses, .52. That kept a family from starving for a while and was deemed small enough aid to not injure their character. More government aid included bushels of seed wheat for the farmers to plant, since they had grown none.
In spite of the government not giving massive amounts of aid to the locust losers, no one starved.
Why not? Because the people themselves helped their neighbors, their fellow Americans. Churches were quick in their efforts to help those who needed it, and aid societies were set up so that those in the east who had not been plagued helped those in the Midwest who had. In those cases, not only were the locust losers helped, but the givers of aid were also blessed. As the Master said — “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
As government responsibility replaces individual responsibility, not only is individual character destroyed but people are robbed of the blessing of giving and helping. Socialism influences people to not do things for themselves, and not to do things for others. The great cry of the liberals is “Why doesn’t the government do something?” while they themselves do nothing.
We have been staying in Arkansas recently, and some older folks we know back home were having the problems that octogenarians have. They have children, but as is often the case in this endtime pellmell society, they live far away and are no day-to-day help for their parents. No local church folks take it upon themselves to help them, either. Nobody feels any individual responsibility to do that.
The husband had to go into the hospital for a medical procedure. Doesn’t medical procedure sound so antiseptic and clinical? However, when it’s your body that is being proceeded on, it’s not so impersonal and unemotional. The procedure was not very major, but the man had to stay in the hospital overnight. As his wife drove seventy miles toward home that evening, a radiator hose burst and her vehicle overheated. She had it towed to a garage in their home town.
The next day the garage in that small country town repaired the vehicle by doing the following.
1. They put on a new radiator hose, cost about ten dollars.
This was upcharged by the garage because they said it was the bottom hose and they had to put the vehicle on the lift to be able to get to it. I guess mechanics don’t crawl under vehicles any more.
2. They put in new antifreeze.
That meant pouring about a gallon of antifreeze and a gallon of water into the radiator. Again cost about ten dollars.
3. They changed the oil.
Garages get from twenty to forty dollars for that routine maintenance. Five quarts of oil and a filter retail for about fifteen dollars.
So the garage had a cost of about thirty-five dollars at retail prices, but of course the garage would not pay retail prices for their purchases. The time involved in this would have been about an hour, at most, even for a klutz like me. And this small town garage charged this little old lady, whose husband was in the hospital, $275 for that little bit of work and parts.
None of those people at that garage in that small highly Christian town feel it is their individual responsibility to help a little old lady in distress. They feel to is their rightful duty to gouge her for all they can get.
This is a largely unrecognized trait of socialist societies. They routinely cheat and rob, steal and swipe, pilfer and pillage. Witness the looting after every urban disaster.
Why? Simply because, as the governor of Minnesota long ago feared, they have lost their individual character. Their actions are more in tune with a socialist government than with the great God of the universe.
Pro 3:27-28 Good News Bible
(27) Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. (28) Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.
Do you know someone who needs help right now?
reprinted from Homeschool Helpers Newsletter, Issue #354 - October 27, 2017
"If any man think ill of you, do not be angry with him for you are worse than he thinks you to be."
~C. H. Spurgeon
