Happy Monday!

November is a month traditionally known for “counting your blessings”.  Getting in the mindset of Gratitude can be hard sometimes.  Life happens and it’s not always pretty.  You may be struggling just to breathe and I am asking you to be grateful??

I understand.  I see people who are faithful about naming one thing, every day of the month, that they are grateful for.  I guess I’m not that disciplined.  I do try to sit down now and then, throughout every month, to list things that I am grateful for though.  What I have discovered, for myself, is that if I think of all that I have to be grateful for, I feel happy!  If I think of all of the things that I could be worried or sad about, I get depressed.  So why would I do that?

How about you?  Where is your mind?  I know how hard life can be but I believe, with God’s help, we can choose what our attitude will be.

“You need to understand that the enemy is not really after your dreams, your health, or your finances.  He’s not primarily after your family.  He’s after your joy. 

 The Bible says that ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength’ Jerehemiah 8:10 and your enemy knows if he can deceive you into living down in the dumps and depressed, you are not going to have the necessary strength – physically, emotionally, or spiritually – to withstand his attacks.” Author Unknown

I choose joy.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Happy 3^rd Monday of October!  This year is slipping away so fast!

I have always appreciated the following article.  It originally aired in 1964 by the one and only “rest of the story” commentator, Paul Harvey.  He updated it several times and in 1996 this latest version was aired.  It comes around again every so often and I get goosebumps reading it.  We see all of what he talked about, every day.

There is nothing that I can add that says it any clearer than Mr. Harvey and Mr. Larsen have.  Read it slowly and really think about what it says from well over 50 years ago.

How long, how long, Lord will you tolerate us and our sinful nations.  God help us.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Paul Harvey’s warning to America: If I were the devil

By Richard Larsen

Many years ago, a courageous and devoted American broadcast a message to his listeners that served as a harbinger for where the nation was headed societally and culturally. In his broadcast he revealed what he would do if he were “the devil,” to destroy our culture and undermine our collective societal standards and social mores. That man was Paul Harvey Aurandt, affectionately known to the nation simply as Paul Harvey, and his message not only has proven to be prophetic, but serves as a warning to Americans today of where our society continues to trend.

Paul Harvey was a broadcaster who rendered daily news on the radio from the 1950s through the 1990s, and inspired generations of Americans with true stories of goodness and heroism with his daily, “The Rest of the Story.” He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for his contributions to the nation. At his peak, his broadcasts reached as many as 24 million listeners and readers, as 1,600 radio stations and 300 newspapers carried his program and columns across the nation.

One broadcast, which he titled, “If I Were the Devil,” ran originally in 1964, but he updated it several times over the years, and the version detailed below aired in 1996. In Paul Harvey’s own words, here is what he said he would do, if he “were the devil.”

“If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness. I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee. So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.

 “I’d subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’

 “To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I’d confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is square. And the old, I would teach to pray after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington …’

 “Then, I’d get organized, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

 “If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

 “If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I’d tell teachers to let those students run wild. And before you knew it, you’d have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. With a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and then from the houses of Congress. In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I’d lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

 “If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. What’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?

 “I’d convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.

 “In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

 Everything Harvey saw as nascent trends back in the 60’s has come to fruition. And realizing that many readers may not believe in the devil, per se, doesn’t change the fact that these portents have achieved fruition. Whether the causality is the adversary, other nefarious evil or injurious sources, or merely the result of wanton and hedonistic human nature, the culmination of these destructive trends in society has ripened dramatically in recent years.

Some benighted souls may interpret the dissolution of our most fundamental institutions, the defloration of our cultural mores, the rejection and denunciation of God, and the abandonment of standards of decency as “progress.” But to any with even a modicum of conscience, ethical grounding, or even objectivity in assessing our social viability from a historical perspective, we’ve not evolved as a society; we’ve devolved. Not unlike previous great cultures before us.

As intellectual historian Gertrude Himmelfarb has summarized, “What was once stigmatized as deviant behavior is now tolerated and even sanctioned; what was once regarded as abnormal has been normalized . … As deviancy is normalized, so what was once normal becomes deviant. The kind of family that has been regarded for centuries as natural and moral – the ‘bourgeois’ family as it is invidiously called – is now seen as pathological.”

Alas, where do we go from here? Do we continue to plunge to new depths of degeneracy as a society, or do we rise as a phoenix, reversing our downward spiral to nihilism? The answer lies in each of us, individually and collectively, and whether we, by honest introspection and appraisal, acknowledge our own failures and shortcomings, and determine to do better.

Humility

Do you ever find yourself feeling a little proud of your independence?  Just to be met with a huge dose of humility?  That’s where I am this week.

I had back surgery this past week and suddenly had all of my independence ripped away from me.  Mine was minimally invasive so the incision is much smaller and healing will be much faster.  It is a rude awakening though when you realize what all you can’t do if you can’t bend, stretch or reach.

I am learning to be much more dependent on my husband, sometimes to his dismay, because he is used to my being independent also!

Please note that I refer to independence and not pride.  I hope I am never prideful.  And I do strive to be humble and live according to God’s will for me.  God’s word says He resists the proud and give grace to the humble.  As followers of Jesus, should we be proud and arrogant or should we be humble servants?  I’m sticking with the humble servants.

James 4:6 says  “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

James 4:10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

 Proverbs 11:2 says ”When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

And this is just three of many verses!

We have the very best example of humility in Jesus Christ who followed God’s plan for His life with total commitment and humility.

There are numerous warnings in Proverbs of those who refuse to humble themselves.  There are also many blessings found in the New Testament for those who humbled themselves for the sake of others.

Abundance and blessings wait for those who are willing to let go of pride and follow the will of God for your life.

Father, as I kneel before the cross, let me be immersed in your Holy Spirit and will for my life!  Take away any pride and arrogance and bathe me in your humility and compassion.  In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

I have reached a point where I am very particular about what news I watch, what I read on social media (delete, delete, delete!) and what I read in the newspaper.  Too often you are bombarded by negativity, not once, but continuously.

While I understand that we need to have a handle on what is going on in the world and our local surroundings, it is getting harder and harder to find an objective piece that is news without an enormous amount of opinion added.

During the past several decades, we have progressed from “just news and nothing but the news” to a lengthy ramble filled with personal opinion and added innuendos to make it more sensational than it ever was.  The only objective that I can see is that it increases sales.  I find that very sad.

Not only do we see this in the news, but unfortunately, we see it in day to day interactions with others.  Are the people you see and associate with positive and uplifting, or does the atmosphere seem weighted down with negativity as soon as they enter a room?  Don’t misunderstand me, each of us have bad days and sometimes our circumstances weigh us down, but there are others who never come out from under that cloud.  You begin to dread seeing them because you begin to feel as sad, angry or pessimistic as they are.

So, what can we do?  Obviously, we can shut off the television and social media and, if we need to, stop reading the newspaper.  Our interactions with people are a bit trickier.  We can’t always avoid or ignore them.  Maybe they have a simple issue that just needs validation.  Sometimes, a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear means the world to them.  Other times, offering to help them find professional help may be needed.

I believe our mission is to equip, encourage, and energize those that are put into our path.  Maybe if we were surrounded by more joy and less negativity, the atmosphere would change.  Perhaps the opportunity won’t arise but I have heard from a couple of different wise people that the simple question, “How can I pray for you today?” might make the difference in darkness or light in a person’s life.  Isn’t it worth a try?  The worst they can do is say no.

 I went on a little search for scripture on negativity and came upon this little article by Jack Wellman.  With the political atmosphere heating up even more with the election next year, the first one is definitely my favorite.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Top 6 Bible Verses About Negativity

Jack Wellman

Here are my top six Bible verses about negativity.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

It’s hard to be ungrateful when you are giving thanks to God. It’s difficult to notice pain when you’re overjoyed. Like the marathon runner who is hurting all over, he or she is still rejoicing at finishing the race. The runner is not thinking about all that distance, pain, fatigue, headache, or dehydration…at that point they’re celebrating. If you think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, you’ll have a more difficult time in thinking negatively.

Proverbs 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

How does strife begin? It often begins with gossip but others are simply divisive people as Paul wrote to Titus “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him” (3:10). Division sometimes comes as a result of quarreling within the church and when division comes, a church can split right down the middle. I have read of many such examples. Better to stop any gossip, quarreling, or strife before it leads to division. If you do attempt to break up a quarrel, remember that “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1).

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you are giving thanks for everything, you don’t have time to be thinking about all your problems. A prayer journal is an excellent way to record your daily activities and prayer requests and then look back over time to see just how faithful God has been. It’s best to date them and write out specific names of people or needs you are praying for, then after some time, you can look back and stand in awe of how God has been so good to you and it’ll be completely natural “Giving thanks always and for everything to God.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

What this verse isn’t saying is that all things that work together are good or that all things will always turn out good. The idea is that God can evil use for good (Gen 50:20) and the best example of that is the cross. All things that do happen are “according to his purpose” anyway so why not just trust in that fact?

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

This is truly a negative for society today because we are so enraptured by charismatic, slick-tongued, sheep-fleecing shepherds that are really only wolves in sheep’s clothing. If you have a need, they’ve written a book about it! If you want blessed, send them some money! They make out God to be a “quid pro quo” God that if you do this, I’ll agree to do that. Many who don’t want to hear the real gospel of repentance and belief (Mark 1:15), which means turning from sin and seeking Christ first (Matt 6:33), seek out teachers for themselves to scratch their egoistic itch. They are being turned away from the truth, meaning they will no longer recognize the truth when they see it, and then they’ll “wander off into myths” of all kinds. These false teachers only want to “suit their own passions.” They’re not in it to change lives, to preach the gospel, or do bear their cross for Christ.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.”

You’re not who you think you are; what you think, you are! That seems to be what Solomon was saying. Whatever a man or woman is thinking of themselves they are or they become. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The man that Solomon was referring to in this case was a miser (Prov 23:6) but this isn’t just about someone who’s cheap. The Hebrew word for “miser” is “ra`” which means someone that is evil, disagreeable or bad. They might think they’re a pretty good person but in reality, they’re like all of us (Rom 3:10-12, 23). The only difference is that we who are Christ’s are now cleared of our sins but Jesus reminds us all that “none are good but God” (Mark 10:18).

Conclusion

Christians ought to be the most joyful people on the planet but some Sundays when I look out at the congregation, some look like they’re waiting for a dentist appointment. Can you imagine being cleared of all crimes you’ve committed and then being freed from prison? Then, you have a place to live that is indescribable (Rev 22) and you get to be with God, face to face (Rev 21:3, 22:4) forever (John 3:16). How anyone can be negative if they are in Christ and sealed for that great day (Eph 1) is beyond me?