Our Turning Point

     Will our nation be great again, or will it struggle with political war, never knowing who we really are?

     Views sets aside the blog we wrote for this weekend. 

     Last night on TV - an incredible speech by a young woman who fought off emotions to tell America what we needed to hear. We hope you saw it also. 

     Erika Kirk, only two days after her husband's murder, had the courage to address America with her love for him, and a promise to continue - no - accelerate the work Charlie began 13 years ago. 

     Democrats have long accused people on the right of being "fascists." What is fascism? Authoritarian right-wing system. Intolerant. Oppressive. Domineering. 

     That better describes most Democrats in power on the left. They criticize other people for attitudes they themselves own. Anyone who knows about Charlie's work knows that he was respectful to those who disagreed with him. Never hateful.    

     Parents of the accused man are Republicans. He, 22, an all-A student in high school, chose to read falsehoods on his computer. His dad turned him in. The Kirks have been stout Christians. Truth! 

Two Battles One is the fight to save America's founding principles. The other is spiritual. Satan and his demons hated a man who was reaching young people with faith they otherwise might not know. 

           Jimmy

  

      

Squandering Our Blessing? 

    2 of 2    Mark Mitchell

     "In a culture that abandons objective truth, language undergoes radical transformation. It is an instrument for controlling people. Without a Christian account of moral law and human nature, abuses cannot be criticized. They must be embraced.

     "C.S. Lewis said, 'A culture that refuses to affirm objective moral truth can have no consensus about right or wrong, good or evil. Society fragments into factions, allowing elite leadership to seize more power.' 

     "That is why both sides see every election as an existential struggle for survival, and every crisis must be used to secure and amplify the prize: power. Many Americans remain faithful Christians. But those unclear about objective moral truth can fall into a watered-down version of the faith.

     "People still speak about right and wrong but based on emotion of desire. People interpret faith in psychological terms rather than truth. People want to feel good or fulfilled, and truth fades into a pop psychology jargon. Modern religion is deistic" God is a deity who wants people to be happy, and if they behave, they will go to heaven. 

     "If Christians even are losing the foundational ideas...it's not hard to imagine how our political disease will worsen. The delicate balance rooted in basic consensus is breaking apart. Classical liberalism cannot long survive. Eventually the politics of power will be all that remains. 

      "Americans have been blessed beyond measure. But we risk squandering our blessing if we fail to recall and embody the basic Christian principles upon which our liberal constitutional order was built."

 

Charlie Kirk

😔

pray for his family

Views will resume on Friday

Where Are We Headed? 

     1 of 2 

Where is the country of Franklin, Adams and Jefferson going? Article by Mark Mitchell, college dean: 

     "Classical liberalism is a remarkable marriage of man and law: rule of law, separation of powers, federalism, respect for private property and freedom of speech. 

     "Shaped by centuries of Christian thinking, the result was freedom, self-restraint and self-government. The constitution, separation of powers and the rule of law supported political liberty. There are two fundamental questions: What is a human? What is law?

     "At our founding, the answers were in Christian consensus. A human inherited dignity and natural rights. Law was a fixed moral order. Tocqueville understood that laws, a constitution alone, will not maintain a free society. Answers to these two questions are shifting. Many doubt that humans have inherent dignity. Rather than law as a fixed moral order, law reflects what is expedient or what the majority desires. 

     "Many understand human nature and law in ways that would be foreign to early Americans. Humans are seen as free agents with no essential nature, and we have no obligation to live according to a created order. The strongest desires will prevail. 

     "Morality is reduced to personal preference; identity is merely a matter of choice, and law is a competition for the power to define reality."  

                           Tomorrow: Squandering our blessing?

Making Government Work 

Phillip Howard, government efficiency advocate:

     "The real waste in government stems from red tape. Building a transmission line to a city takes 10 years of permits and hearings. In healthcare, administration eats up 30% of every dollar of spending. That's a trillion and a half dollars per year. 

     "Government is like a household that never throws anything away. Get rid of obsolete programs and thick rulebooks. Create a framework where one official makes the decisions, and another official oversees it. An act in 2021 includes the goal of no more than two years for permitting of major projects. And it limits environmental impact statements to 200 pages.

     "In the 1960s avoiding human error and responsibility resulted in 1,000-page rulebooks. Teachers lost control of their classrooms. Every public dollar is a moral choice. If you waste it here, it's not available there. The Dept. of Education just created red tape. 

     "Washington today protects the status quo. Interest groups make sure nothing changes. Some of the worst actors are public employee unions. There are probably 15 levels of approval in government. Give an authority to decide and another person authority to oversee. Now you know where to shine the spotlight.  

     "Leaders must have the spine to consider the hard trade-offs. Democrats, the party of the status quo, have no vision of how to govern effectively. Republicans don't know how to fix it. Both sides fail. 

     "We need to re-empower the spirit of each American. Give people back the freedom to speak freely, live by their values, and lead with accountability. That's the spirit that can make America great again."

Don't miss Thursday and Friday

 

What do a hedge fund manager, a firefighter and a car salesman have in common? 

Three CEOs in the Senate

     New senators Dave McCormick, Tim Sheehy and Bernie Moreno flipped Senate seats in Pennsylvania, Montana and Ohio to the Republican Party. Life in the Senate is a far cry from their old jobs. They have a mission to get the nation's budget in order, continuing Elon Musk's mission of saving taxpayer dollars. 

     They found that Washington resists being treated like a business. 

     McCormick said, "When you're a CEO, there is a scoreboard which shows success or failure. The Senate has none. It's designed to check the emotion of the moment. So how do you be effective, recognizing that the institution is designed to go slowly?"

     Moreno said, "When I ran a company, every day the comment was, how do we do more and deliver better service for less money? In this place it's always more money, more people equals better results. Elected leaders don't fear their voters at all." 

     Sheehy was surprised to find his expertise was what Congress needed when wildfires devastated Los Angeles. He has his fingerprint on more than a dozen bills to address natural disasters. 

     All three say that any businessman would scrutinize the books and make cuts. Trimming the budget is about protecting future generations. "There's a healthy tension," McCormick said. "I feel a responsibility to get the balance right."  

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 Silly Saturday #2  

Read this out loud

    Well (not a well), yes. It dawned on me when the son came up that my mother was a twin. Knot identical twins. 

     Sew it is with words. Sum identical words have the came spelling; others due knot. Of coerce, wee learned in awe course that the course we take might bee awe golf course. Sea what eye mean? At leased I'm knot mean. 

     Can you believe there is awe foot that is awe foot long? We don't no about the other foot. Just no that too feat are quite normal at awe fete. Don't let that floor you. It doesn't take a fox to outfox sum won. 

     Now, the surface of the earth is ground, a field is ground, beans can bee ground, an idea can bee ground, we can bring hour thoughts two the ground, connect electricity with a ground, shop on the ground floor, start a project from the ground up, watch the batter hit a ground ball, and sea his teammates batter him. Did I run this into the ground?

     OK, relax while eye comb my heir. Maybe I'll drive a nail into my fingernail. That wood bee grave but knot my grave. Eye could blow my horn, what awe ram can't due with its horn. Hour our isn't up yet. We could ask hymn to sing a him.  

     Hear here, what's going on hear? Is the idle idol? Can ewe weight until we check are weight? We went into a joint too rest hour joints. That's just the just thing two due. The key too this is the key that opens adore. This is what we due because it is kind two others. 

     Fair well four two day. Their will bee know fare four you, while we check hour bear feat. C u next Saturday.

              Gimmy  

Joy to the World               Conclusion

James, half-brother of Jesus

     Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. - James 1:2 

Author uncertain

     Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. - Hebrews 12:2 

Paul, the Hebrew of Hebrews

     I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that...your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow. - Philippians 1:25-26

      In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit. - Thessalonians 1:6 

     The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23 

     I had confidence that you would all share my joy. - 2 Corinthians - 2:3

     In all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. - 2 Corinthians 7:4 

     For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. - Romans 14:17

     May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

NOTE: In the Old Testament, the word joy is found in 18 books...53 times in Psalms, 32 times in Isaiah, and 14 times in Proverbs. In some verses, joy is lost. Joy is not found in Revelation, which ends in victory for believers. 

 

Joy to the World     Part 2

Jesus Rose to Life  

     At the tomb, an angel rolled back the stone, telling the women, He is  not here, just as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then, go quickly and tell his disciples. So, the women, afraid yet filled with joy, ran to tell his disciples. - Matthew 28:2-9 

Jesus Ascended

     While he was blessing them, he was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. - Luke 24:52

Peter, the rock

     Though you have not seen him, you love him, believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. - Peter 1:8 

     Quoting David in Psalm 16: You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. - Acts 2:28 

Luke, the gentile 

     And the (persecuted) disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. - Acts 13:52 

     He (God) fills your hearts with joy. - Acts 14:17 

John, the disciple 

     And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. - 1 John 1:3-4 

Part 3, tomorrow

Joy to the World 

     Think there's little happiness in our world? It doesn't need to be so.

     Lowly shepherds were terrified by the glory of the Lord...an angel in the night sky. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

     Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. - Luke 2:8-14 

Jesus in Ministry

     Looking at his disciples, who experienced hate, exclusion, insults and rejection, he said, Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. - Luke 6:23

     He told his disciples to remain in his love and to love each other. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. - John 15:11. 

     You will grieve but your grief will turn to joy. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. - John 16:20, 22

     Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. - John 16:24

     The 72 men returned with joy, reporting, even the demons submit to us in your name. At that time, Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth. - Luke 10-21

 Tomorrow: Part 2 of 3

What To Learn 

   2 of 2

     "Liberalism itself has led to a laundry list of problems: powerful bureaucracies, cultural meaningless, erosion of freedoms and social inequality. Self-interest begets greed, nihilism and eventually social collapse. 

     "Liberalism has failed because it exalts individual choice and self-interest as the highest good. Alliance for Responsible Citizenship's leaders believe liberalism is not yet a lost cause. Some speakers said that underneath the liberal values of successful Western societies lies the bedrock of Biblical principles. 

     "Trying to renew liberalism without a Christian foundation is futile. With one recommendation, it might be possible. Some attendees at the conference say that those unfamiliar with Christian principles need to learn them, even if they don't believe them." 

#

What to expect on Wednesday

     If you are grumpy or otherwise unhappy, Views has a three-day treat for you. We will focus on one word. 

     Is it love? That's God's priority. Or, obey, or kindness, or holy?  

     Join us Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for one word.

                 Jimmy 

Top Down, or Bottom UP?

     What did John Locke, Davia Hume, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Jefferson and Friedrich Hayek have in common?

     They were voices of classical liberalism, which found its place in the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. 

     What about the future of Western civilization? That's the question for as group who came together in the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC). Reporter Jenny Schmitt checked it out.

     "The World Economic Forum is business, political and environmental policies to promote top-down policies. ARC is an alternative that offers a positive view of humanity and bottom-up solutions. 

     "With renewal, replacement or decline in our future, ARC's choice is renewal. It stands for the moral, cultural, economics and spiritual heritage of Western civilization. People at the ARC are products of classical liberalism - ancient philosophy, Judeo-Christian values, stable governments and powerful economies. 

     "There's a sense among some conservatives that classical liberalism has lost its way, values given way to forces that threaten to end Western civilization. The early American political system, doing good for the individual also meant good for the community and right before God. Self interest meant community interest."

 Tuesday: What principles?

Wednesday: Joy to the World 

A Blogger's Crazy Saturday

read it out loud

     We awoke before don, rose at ate and eight our breakfast. Combed the hare on our hair. Still in the mourning this morning, we opened adore to view the sky. 

     Our ant would appreciate there are no aunts in the house. She will meat us at noon for some lunch meet. If there is a be, we will bee quick to set it free. I must a void avoid, and be a wake in the event of awake. My hands are bear, unlike that of a bare.

     I'll raise the blind, so nobody's blind, and put down my book, cause I must book a flight. My ant has a buoy, who makes boys for boats to pass by. He was bread years ago, and often eats bred. You've noticed I have a write to right. 

     Is there a deer dear looking for dessert in the desert? If so, I will dish a dish for hymn. If he needs a doctor, I will doctor a form. Say, did you no you can drop a drop of water in a can? You won't dye, because we'll give you a red die. Eye have a good I. If the dear doesn't want an egg, we could egg him on. 

     By now, I can't face seeing your face. It would be fare not to charge you a fair. Fall is coming, and we don't want to fall. Football is for fans, and they don't need a fan. Players fast in the morning so they can run fast on the grass. 

     I'll take a break, before I break something here. I'll bye some time, then bid U good buy. 

            Gymmy 

       

   

Battle over renaming U.S. Navy ships 

     "The Navy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the renaming of several ships - a class of civilian operated oilers. 

     "Tradition: Ships were named for pivotal battles, ideals, commanders, or other important figures. Now, politics has infected ship-naming. 

     "What the Navy officially recognizes as history matters deeply to the rank and file. For those who have served on a U.S, naval ship, there's always history. 

     "In military units, there is an esprit de corps that develops around the unit's history. Think of the Army's 101st Airborne of Band of Brothers fame, victorious in Europe. 

     "Several ships set for rebranding were named for civil rights heroes, such as Congressman John Lewis, who led 600 peaceful protesters over the bridge in Selma, Alabama. But, their history is not naval. 

     "Hegseth, a veteran and Christian, wants to reestablish a 'warrior culture' in America's military. Despite more than a decade of official 'reeducation' to get the military to accept homosexuality, sodomy, and pedophilia, sailors I talked with still consider such to be unacceptable and immoral." 

Lynn Vincent, WORLD magazine

Saturday: When two sound like one

                          Our type looks different because our computer is misbehaving  😒

 Death: Fire or Freedom? 

     In the Old Testament, God promised to destroy death - Isaiah 25:8.      In the New Testament, He tells us how He did it - 2 Timothy 1:10. 

by Ray Comfort

     "We all have broken 'the law,' and to deny our guilt is a loss, not gain, because it lessens the likelihood of conversion. The Bible reveals all liars in the lake of fire...lust seen as adultery, and hatred as murder.

"Sin is so serious to a holy God we have a death sentence. We're on death row in a nice holding cell, the world. 

"Why did Jesus die on the cross? He told his Father on a dark night in an olive grove, 'Your will be done.' He paid our fine. He said, "It is finished.'"

"What was finished? Our death sentence. He suffered on our behalf. God can legally let us live forever because of the death of Jesus. Of course, Jesus is God. He arose from the dead and showed himself to many people, starting with the woman sobbing by the tomb on Sunday morning.

"We repent of our sins and trust Jesus to write our new names in the Book of Life. Not because we are good, but Jesus is good and rich in mercy. We must be born again to spend eternity in his glorious presence."

Born Again? 

      A young man with many failures threw up his hands in resignation, "Well I guess I was just born wrong." 

     He was much nearer the truth than he realized.

the late Billy Graham

     "The Bible plainly teaches that all of us - rich, poor, high, low, kings or commoners - were born wrong. 

     "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, - Romans 3:23.

     "When Nicodemus came to Jesus one night, he in effect represented the whole of the human race. The question of eternal life. 

     "Jesus gave Nicodemus a concise answer: 'Most assuredly, I say, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, - John 3:3.' 

     "Jesus did not attempt a logical explanation of the full meaning. He knew that our finite minds cannot grasp the meaning of spiritual things. 

      'If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? - John 3:12. "Here Jesus implied that spiritual things can only be known through experience."  

More Success...More Hatred 

There were no schools or formal education.

There were no desks, blackboards or teachers.

His stepmother Sarah taught him to read and write...in a cabin.

He read the Bible, Aesop's Fable, Shakespeare and Robinson Crusoe. 

He studied law.

He was a rail splitter and whatever hard work men had to do. 

Then he went to Washington.

Then he was elected president. 

Then he delivered the Gettysburg Address.

Then he was killed by John Wilkes Booth. 

Then they pictured him on the $5 bill. 

Then they built a statue for him in Washington.

Then they killed President McKinley. 

Then they killed President Kennedy.

Then they tried to kill President Trump...and still try. 

     Readers: add your own conclusions 

What Attracts God?

     A man without formal Biblical education preached to a handful of people in sinful Brooklyn. Today, thousands of people flock to his services. Numerous worldly/immoral men and women have surrendered to Christ.

     Jim Cymbala, in his book, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire," asks what happens when God's Spirit enters the hearts of his people? He answers: 

     "God is attracted to weakness...those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. For his disciples, Jesus chose fishermen and such, not graduates of rabbinical schools. 

     "We needed to be natural and sincere. 

     "We had to have a visitation of the Holy Spirit, or bust. God speaks in words heard not by ear, but deep within my spirit. 

     "My hunger for Him and his transforming power would be satisfied...as our congregation calls out to him in prayer." 

This summarizes the first chapter of his 1997 book. Truth for today.

      

Three paragraphs from articles we read

     Include helping her by showing her from the Bible that there is a God in heaven who loves her. He knows from the depths because He formed her in the womb. He binds up broken hearts. He offers hope and a future, giving meaning to temporary sufferings. He forgives sins so that we can start again with a clean conscience. He offers His trustworthy rules for living, that we may escape our moribund, self-sabotaging ways. 

*

     God bless the child who does not short-circuit the struggle but, elects to stay in the crucible, enduring the heat, trusting in the process, until meaning is forged and growth is attained. For we are not a list of symptoms but His much-loved child, meant to thrive.

*

     Christ stretched out His own hands and let strangers take Him where He dreaded to go. He knew what was coming when He prayed: "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you?" - John 17:1. Glory began with the most ignominious death. God has a goal in mind. If humiliation is the seed of a glorious bloom, how can I complain?

Monday: What attracts God?

 

Is NATO Going Nuclear? 

     Nine countries have nuclear weapons, while Russia and the United States control nearly 90 percent of the world's approximately 12,000 warheads.

WORLD magazine

      It is estimated that Russia holds some 5,580 warheads, the U.S. 5,225, and China has around 600. France, the U.K., India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea also have nuclear stockpiles. 

Views: Let's see...there is this...and that...divided by 50 ... Russia could drop 110 nukes on each of our 50 states, with some left over.

     The U.S. extends security guarantees to NATO members that don't possess nuclear weapons (and France and the U.K. who do), and to Japan, Australia and South Korea. 

     Security guarantees form the basis of a "nuclear umbrella," a pledge to retaliate if any country under the umbrella is attacked with nuclear weapons.

     As Views writes today, President Trump has convinced NATO members to boost their defense spending. Some Europeans are skeptical of U.S. loyalty. 

     A member of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says, "This world order and peace is underpinned by American nuclear weapons. We need to ensure that our European and Asian allies are comfortable with our word...that we would intervene if they were attacked."

              Jimmy 

From 'boo' to 'yea' 

     In January 2007 my undefeated Buckeyes played Florida for the national championship. OSU scored first, but the speedy player who scored was injured by celebrating teammates. Florida, with sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow, dominated the rest of the game, winning 41-14. So, I didn't like Tebow one bit. 

     Years later, we learned of his life and faith, and I reversed my attitude. Tim and his wife now run an organization that helps troubled, high risk children.  

     This Spring, Tebow co-hosted the National Day of Prayer broadcast. 

     "Our God is so great," he said. "He loves us so much and He cares for us. He asks us not only to bring our excitement and dreams to Him, but also our burdens. We get to show up in prayer, not only with our joy but with our worries and anxieties."

     "Prayer can bring peace to any situation," Tebow said, pointing to John 16:33. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

     "Watching my parents' prayer life was so encouraging and convicting for me," Tebow said. "My mom taught me how to give things to the Lord. I learned how to praise Him in disappointments. Going to Him not only after wins but also after losses helped me handle disappointments, defeats and rejection. I am continually reminded that I am connected to the source of life." 

Note: We were already living in Florida in 2007, and I don't remember Tebow having losses, disappointments, defeats and rejection. 😏 Okay, he lost maybe two games. His team won two national championships. He won the Heisman Trophy, set records and is in the hall of fame. Goggle him.     Jimmy

Trump and Jesus? 

     While our president devotes time to ending the historic loss of life in Ukraine (and Russia), we recall his quiet time at Easter when he and wife Melania proclaimed they were: "...celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - the living Son of God." 

      President Vladimir Putin would never say that. Years ago, we heard him acknowledge that Russians once had churches. On his way to hell he cannot say he never heard the name. Putin worships himself, and praises Joseph Stalin, who dominated the communist world for 30 years. 

     Some world leaders believe in Christ, while others believe in themselves, not realizing that Satan exists and is ruling them.

     Franklin Graham spoke at the White House staff Easter service. He said later, "I am grateful for how President Trump marked the significance by saying, 'We remember two of the most monumental events in all of history, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'"  

     On the National Day of Prayer President Trump signed an executive order to establish a Religious Liberty Commission to protect America's founding principle of religious freedom. 

     Most movers and shakers could care less, but they too will know what Stalin already knows. 

John 12:32, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9-11 

            Jimmy    

 

National Debt...Criminal? 

     Our national debt is not $35 trillion. They don't count $67.1 trillion in unfunded Medicare promises. Or $51.6 trillion in unfunded Social Security promises. That adds up to $161 trillion...according to the non-profit group Truth in Accounting. 

     Senator Dr. Rand Paul of Kentucky says the government creates its own rules. Congress goes along with it every year, the true debt now $974,000 for every taxpaying household. 

     "The swamp's answer to every "problem is - throw more money we don't have at it." "Almost every day" he wrote, "I witness firsthand how addicted Washington is to spending." 

     "For the first time in history America's credit rating was downgraded. Year after year, Washington runs massive deficits - nearly $2 trillion last year alone."

     As for hope, Sen. Paul notes that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered billions in waste, fraud and abuse. Discovery is good. Action is necessary.

     Views thinks we saw Sen. Paul vote no - the only Republican - on the upcoming budget. Give him applause. All Democrats voted no for political reasons.    

     As for the "Big Beautiful Bill" itself, apparently it is very positive. That's why Democrats hate it. 

                Jimmy  

                                    Have you heard? 

Someone wants to build a home for you...                                                                                with a design you would love. 

     The builder is a master...and you don't have to pay for it. 

   No mortgage.   No taxes.   No utility bills.   No mold.  No leaky roof.  No rotten wood.     No pests.    No diseases.    No storms.    No crime.                      No politics.

NO KIDDING! 

   All you have to do is join the builder's family while there is still time. 

                Beware. We never know when our "time's up!" 

        It's heavenly there.           A certain glory provides light. 

                                  The music is out of this world.

     The people you meet are all loving...most of all the builder himself.

                   And the fruit is soooo good! 

     Not only that, you can roam the "new earth," enjoy adventure and friends > way beyond anything you have known before. 

         You will never get hurt or sick or weep again. 

What do you think?

The Better Way 

  Part 3

     "Happiness is not guaranteed. There is a better way: 'The kingdom of Heaven is not whether you get what you like, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17). Christian joy depends on a personal relationship with God.

     "Jesus told his disciples, 'These things I have spoken to you...that your joy may be full' (John 15:11). No pagan philosophy, no atheistic ideology, no deep sorrow can dislodge the joy that Christ gives. 

      "We must recognize the relationship between Christianity and healthy social conditions. One of the most far-reaching social revolutions in history grew out of the evangelical revivals of the 18th century under John Wesley and George Whitefield." 

Billy Graham

Note: If you doubt that we can have a personal relationship with God, I recommend the book, MY JESUS, from heartache to hope by Anne Wilson. If you can find it. She and her family suffered horribly when her much loved older brother died in a crash in 2017. Already dedicated to Christ, she and they had aching hearts that would not mend. Still, Anne knows the joy of a relationship with Jesus. She is now an award-winning Christian singer who helps others in emotional pain.    Jimmy  

 heal. Anne sought a relatins

Hope for the World

   Part 2

     Billy Graham met with Konrad Adenauer before he retired as chancellor of Germany. He told Graham "The most important thing in the world ... is 'the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is alive, then there is hope for the world.' 

     Graham wrote, "This risen Christ, taken by faith, is great enough to cope with every problem the human race faces. His power has world implications. 'The government will be upon his shoulder.' (Isaiah 9:6.) He is still the Lord of history.

     "When he was crucified, the Roman governor ordered an inscription written over his cross that said, This is the King of the Jews, in three languages. He still is King. One of our failures is not seeing Christ as King of the physical and material as well as spiritual, of the mind as well as the soul, of the government as well as the heart. 

     "In this country we debate the separation of church and state. But Christ cannot be separated from life, for he 'is all and in all,' (Colossians 3:11). Nazism arose in Germany only after the church failed to fill the vacuum following World War I. Germany was robbed of a Savior and gave birth to a dictator." 

Saturday: A better way 

 

The Power of Christ 

If you missed "Are you ready," scroll down. 

     "Most people in the world look to politics, science and education for solutions to life's problems. I believe part of our dilemma is that we preach a weak, watered-down Christ...and Gospel. 

     "It was the resurrection that caused disciples to go out as burning revolutionaries to change the world. The risen Christ wants to come into our hearts today. Beware. He is a disturber. 

by the late Billy Graham

     "He came to bring a sword (Matthew 10:34). He came to divide even families. People reject Christ because it costs too much to follow him in this secular, pleasure-mad age. We Christians share the guilt. We limit Christ to the sanctuary, to the temple, to our religious area. 

     "Between Sundays he is rarely mentioned. We spend too little time reading his word or praying. The impotent Christ of (some churches) bears little resemblance of the Christ that Isaiah wrote about...the Christ that dared to challenge the world. 

     "Christ went to the temple. Then he went into the streets. His love and compassion broke the bounds of class, race and creed. 'The common people heard him gladly.'" (Mark 12:37). 

Friday: coping with every problem

Are you ready? 

     The 34 chapters of Deuteronomy conclude 40 years in the desert with their worldly "promised land" finally in sight. The people wanted kings, and they got them...good and bad. It didn't last. 

     A heavenly promised land awaits.   

     Prophets prophesied about it. In the New Testament, God reveals what is yet to come. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul writes of the rapture, when the Lord comes near the earth, but not on it, to gather the believers of that age. Then chapter 5 predicts the "day of the Lord" when God's wrath covers the earth. 

     2 Timothy tells of godlessness in the last days (chapter 3). 

     Peter in his second letter also mentions the "day of the Lord." The millennium begins. Followed by fire, judgment, destruction...and the heavens and earth disappear. 

     These "authors" were descendants of Abraham.  

     Long ago I played a trumpet and owned a Triumph automobile. Well, there are many trumpets and triumphs in Revelation. The apostle John put revelations of Christ on paper. Victory for the faithful, judgment for others. In the new heaven and earth, there will be no Christians or Jews. All will be God's "bride of Christ" saved over many centuries. One King.  

     John quotes Jesus in Revelation 22:7, 12-16 and 20.    

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Prosperity, demons and Moses

  Deuteronomy > where it leads us > 

Chapter 32. Prosperity was a major factor in Israel forgetting God and embracing idols. In times of ease and plenty, God's people are most prone to stop seeking him. In adverse circumstances, God's people are more likely to approach God earnestly. 

     Behind the false gods and religions of the world are the spiritual powers of demons. They may act through their followers, even performing miracles. The New Testament urges Christ followers to oppose them through his power and authority.

Chapter 34. Those who live in fellowship with God do not fear death. They can anticipate death with peace and joy. Like Moses, they have received only a glimpse of the promised land. They will inherit the "city without foundations whose architect and builder is God."

     Moses' distinctions were his intimate fellowship with God and his understanding. All believers should know God and experience his close fellowship, as God's children. The fellowship of God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - is the believer's greatest promise and reward. 

Wednesday: The promised land foresees the eternal promised kingdom

Gathered from the nations 

    Deuteronomy

Chapter 30. Moses prophesied a restoration involving repentance   a return to God   restored fortunes   release from captivity   regathering to the Lord   spiritual renewal   and blessing. In verse 6: The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts...so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 

     Our commentary includes some 50 verses throughout the Old Testament prophesying (still in our future) Israel's gathering, repentance, renewal, blessing, (and judgment) restoration, and in the book of Revelation, the Messiah reigning over Israel and all nations. 

     In this chapter, the Israelites were commanded to maintain their relationship with God...to recognize their inability to fulfill the law ...therefore to bring sacrifices of atonement. (Scholars say this will be the norm in the Millennium). Life and salvation were never promised as a reward for perfect obedience. The law assumed the imperfection of faith and obedience and thus provided a sacrificial system that atoned for sin. 

     Israel's ultimate hope rests in God's mercy and grace.......as it is for Christians.   

Chapter 31. "The Lord himself...will never leave you nor forsake you." 

     The New Testament applies this promise to all who receive Christ as Lord and Savior (Hebrews 13:5). True believers love God above all else. We must be "strong and courageous," v. 6, persevering in trials, resisting temptations, trusting in and loving the Lord. 

 Tuesday: Which economy is best?

     The New Testament applies this promise tsincerely receive Christ as Lord and Savior (

 sunday

First things first

  Deuteronomy

Chapter 26. Israelites were to remember that their existence and redemption came about by what God had done for them. They were to confess this truth publicly, and respond with offerings, thanksgiving, joy, goodness toward others and obedience to God.

     As believers in Christ, Christians likewise owe our lives and salvation to God's mercy through Christ. We have been redeemed and purchased by his death ... his own possession. We must not be conformed to this world but transformed by the Holy Spirit and do his will. (Romans 12:1-2)

Chapter 28. The scattering of Israel occurred several times in their history - taken captive by Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. 

Chapter 29. Promises of life and blessing were made to Israel as a nation as individuals entered into a faith relationship with God. Eternal life and temporary blessing could be forfeited by any individual who turned his or her heart away from God. No opportunity for forgiveness. 

     Those in the church who make no effort to follow God's will: God compares them to a root that spreads defilement and death like a poison. Judgment will come. 

Monday: Israel's final restoration

 

The standard for truth 

     Deuteronomy

Chapter 15. Obedience to God's law was expected to grow out of a sincere desire to help those in need. God cares about our attitude regarding help to the poor and unfortunate.  

     The New Testament emphasizes compassion, empathy and kindness toward those who experience unfortunate circumstances. 

Chapter 18. The ultimate prophet like Moses was Jesus Christ the Messiah. Like Moses, this prophet was to be an Israelite who would speak God's Word. Jews of Jesus' time expected the coming of this great Prophet. 

Chapter 24. Aliens, Fatherless. Widows. God is especially concerned for the refuge orphan and widow. Help for the disadvantaged greatly pleases God. 

Sunday: The Lord brought them out. 

Not by righteousness

Chapter 9. Israel's possession of the land was not a reward for their faithfulness. Rather, it was God's gracious gift based on his love and mercy. Moses warned that continued possession of the land was contingent on their perseverance in faith and obedience. 

Chapter 10. "And now O Israel, what does the Lord ask of you?" Repeatedly, God emphasized the necessity of love that comes from the heart. God did not want his people to substitute heart felt love with mere outward religious forms such as keeping the commandments, offering sacrifices etc. 

     For New Testament believers, faith and love from the heart are also essential. It is possible to read Scripture, pray, and attend church without a heartfelt devotion to God. That is legalism. Outward obedience and religious practices have validity only if they are based on knowing Jesus Christ through sincere faith in and love for him...who he is and what he has done for us. 

Chapter 11. God set before his people a choice - blessings or curses. Not everyone took God seriously.

     New Testament believers have the same choice. To depart from God and his ways, we lose his presence, help and covenant protections.

 Saturday - yes we're extending this series over the weekend -        starting with "A Poor Man"  

beginning with 

A consuming fire  

     Deuteronomy

Chapter 4 continued. "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." This refers to God's holy jealousy, anger and judgment against those who depart from his ways and adopt some form of idolatry. He will not tolerate unfaithfulness. Likewise in marriage, a holy jealousy guards the love of one spouse for the other. 

     Moses gives six predictions about Israel's future in the event they become disobedient and unfaithful. To find God and know him, a person must seek him with wholehearted devotion. This does not come easily; it happens only to those who earnestly seek God and desire his nearness, his Spirit and his gift of eternal life.

Chapter 5. The Ten Commandments, repeated from Exodus 20. Plus...

     "Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me." The Biblical history of salvation is God's tireless attempts to draw people away from their sin, and to himself. 

Chapter 6. "Hear, O Israel. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This one command (repeated in Matthew and in Mark) will attach them to himself. They will know and enjoy him in a covenant relationship. True obedience is possible only when it springs from faith in and love for God.

Chapter 8. The Lord tested and brought troubles in the desert to teach them that life does not consist merely in the physical, but spiritual...a relationship with God and obedience. Difficulty/discipline trains us to depend on him more firmly and willingly. 

Tomorrow: Not by righteousness 

 

 Deuteronomy's teaching 

     Jesus quoted this book when Satan tempted him in the desert, so let's agree - there are teachings we all can appreciate. 

     The late missionary Donald Stamps and others saw the need for a study Bible. Some of his commentary...

Chapter 1 - Israelites were to enter the promised land 39 years earlier, but their disobedience delayed them. We (Views) don't know if anyone who left Egypt was still living, other than Moses, age 120. The younger generation born in the desert entered Canaan under Joshua's leadership. Failure to live in God's will and his Spirit can result in a delay or even a loss of God's plan for our lives.

     Notice God's blessings...reserved for those who follow the Lord "wholeheartedly." 

Chapter 2 - God will continue to bless and guide those who repent, in spite of their failure and their temporary departure from a life of holiness according to God's law.     

Chapter 3 - Israelites faced powerful enemies. When committed believers face difficulties and overwhelming opposition, God promises to be with them and to give them strength. God saved Moses, but denied him entry into the promised land, to teach that sin by a spiritual leader has grave consequences and stricter judgment. 

Chapter 4 - One reason God had for Israel to remain faithful to his law was to draw other nations to the Lord by demonstrating the wisdom and benefits of following his ways. 

Thursday: a consuming fire

 

    

           

Threat Assessment 

    WORLD magazine, Part 2

Just War Theory: Just war doctrine requires the U.S. to have a nuclear deterrent adapted to today's adversaries. This is compatible with laws of armed conflict - targeting military, not civilians, proportionality and discrimination.

Trump's Approach: Too early to tell. He is pragmatic, nonideological. He wants outcomes based on what he believes will be beneficial without fighting wars. His first administration began modernizing our nuclear program, while he was engaged with Putin. You had hard power and cost impositions at the same time as diplomacy. I hope they go back to it.

What About Allies?  Trump did a great job making NATO allies stronger in the first administration. We want to encourage our allies, but we don't want to push them away or break NATO or key alliances in Asia. China is investing heavily in nuclear weapons. 

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What About Moses? 

     There were Israelites in 1405 B.C., getting schooled big-time by God and Moses before they entered the promised land and knocked off their enemies...without nuclear weapons. 

     This in Deuteronomy, the 5th book in the Jewish Torah. God's laws on and on and on. We have a big-time idea for you. Our commentary - not on and on and on - in our Bible is of interest to both our Jewish and Christian readers. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy. 

Starting tomorrow   

 

the 5th book of the Jewish To    

Threat Assessment

Excerpts from interview with military policy expert Rebeccah Heinrichs. 

WORLD magazine

     Danger: Chinese leaders are committed to Marxist Leninism and invest in massive military and nuclear weapons...teamed with Russians.

     Golden Dome: Our ground-based defense is vulnerable. The Chinese and Russians are hot after their own air and missile defense systems. GOP and Dems agree we must adapt our missile defense system. We can field a robust defense maybe in three to five years.

     Ukraine's Plight: Nuclear coercion works. Russia's nuclear brinkmanship - Chinese learned this 10 times over.

     Attack Taiwan: I think the Chinese will try to take Taiwan as soon as they are convinced that they can defeat the U.S. or any other effort.

     Christian Attitude: Government's responsibility is to protect citizens or impose a cost on the adversary threatening the innocent. Allowing subjugation, death and destruction is worse than potentially employing a nuclear weapon.

 Continued tomorrow

 

 Monday and Tuesday

         Military threat assessment. 

Consider your body

     "When our mortal bodies are not clamoring for attention, we ignore them. When they embarrass us, we're disappointed in them. When they age, we wish they didn't matter so much."

Article by Janie Cheaney

     "But the Resurrection says they do. Matter matters." She wrote that intellectuals centuries ago and today - philosophers, educators, and Satan - emphasized the mind. 

     "But Christ does not: Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 

     "Body and mind together. My body doesn't hold me prisoner. It holds my joy. Christ does not disregard this body - on the contrary, He loves it. He has big plans for it. He became a body. He formed His own body, birthed it, grew it, walked it through a short lifespan, and took it to the grave."

      "It was planned from the first moment in Creation when 'Let there be' brought forth earth, sky, water and rock, root and leaf, feather, fin and flesh. He breathed in the Fall and breathed out the New Creation, battle-tested, victorious and no longer bound by corruption."

     "For our song, turn to the hymn, Up From the Grave He Arose."

  

Who to Marry? 

     So many to choose from. There was Amy    Betty    Bonnie    and   Becky.   Along with Cathy   Dorothy   and Ginny. 

     We remember Jamie    Judy    and Jenny   as well as Kathy    Lucy   Mary    and Nancy. 

     Peggy might have been the one, but there was Rosemary       Sally     and Sandie.   Tracy and Wendy were on my list, but holy moly, what's a guy to do? 

     I didn't know it...but the Lord had reserved Marge for me. Not the right spelling, you say? 

     I know, I know it; she is only one syllable. But friends call her Margie. So, she meets my test. And always will.

                              I met her test too.   Jimmy

  

 Shipwreck: Then What? 

     This story gets more interesting.

     Imagine 276 wet, hungry and tired men dropping on the beach of Malta. No JCPenney's store. Or Burger King. 

     Luke doesn't tell us how they managed. How would he know? Luke was on the ship with Paul. That's how. He wrote the gospel "Luke" and the amazing book of Acts, this story in chapter 27. A Gentile, Luke went where the action was, like any good reporter, and left for us much knowledge otherwise lost in time. 

     Where were we? Malta, a small nation of three inhabited islands. It is believed Paul's shipwreck occurred on the northeast shore of the island Melite in A.D. 60. A historical marker is located there. Did they ever find the four anchors?  

     We don't know what others did with their time. But Paul learned of Malta's "chief officer" and went to visit him. It happened that the officer's father was quite sick, and Paul healed him. 

     That opened the door to faith. Paul preached there for three months, and today more than 90 percent of citizens are Christian (mostly Catholic). Other faiths and Muslims are represented too. 

     So, was the event a near tragedy, or divine intervention?  

     If you want to visit Malta, go to Rome, then south where the boot of Italy becomes Sicily, and go 50 miles south from there. You will be east of North Africa, and Tunisa. Oh, you will need a ship, or a plane. They do have an airport.  

          Jimmy

Centurion and Shipwreck

4.   The apostle Paul and other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment. He led an "Augustan Cohort," ten sailors. Aboard ship, 276 people sailed along the coast of Asia. 

     Later, they all boarded a ship bound for Italy. Now the headway was slow, as the wind didn't cooperate. 

     Paul realized this could be disastrous. He predicted the loss of boat, cargo and their lives. But the centurion followed the advice of the pilot. 

     A wind of hurricane force drove the ship. The next day they began to throw cargo overboard. On the third day, the ship's tackle went overboard. They went without food and gave up hope.

     Paul spoke: "I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel ...stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'" 

     In an effort to escape to safety, the sailors let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to lower anchors. Paul told the centurion, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." The sailors let the lifeboat fall away. 

     Near land, they planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and ordered everyone to jump overboard and swim to land. 

Acts chapter 27 

Tomorrow: Who else was on the ship?