Jalen and the Gnome

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." - Philippians 2:3-4

Today's story is a reminder for all of us that it doesn't take much effort at all to make someone's day; to turn a frown upside down. All it takes is thinking of others, first.

During my summer disc golf class for kids, we had a quiet young man do something quite unexpected. As you might have guessed, his name was Jalen. He was 10 years old.

One night, Jalen showed up with a handful of 3D-printed gnomes and gave one to every kid in the class. He even gave one to his instructor. Suddenly, Jalen was loved by everyone in the class.

This kid didn't have to do what he did. He wanted to do it. But he had the ability (the gift) to make those gnomes. So he did.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17

Was Jalen's gift "good and perfect?" I'd say 'yes' because I know how it made me feel. But the beautiful thing was, Jalen never expected anything in return.

What "gifts" have WE given to others recently? Does anything come to mind? Think about it. What was the last nice thing you did for someone? 🤔

Uhh.....

Maybe if we did unto others as we would have them do unto us ("Golden Rule," Matthew 7:12) we would all be better off. But we don't do that. At least not often enough. Why not? It's a command from our Lord.

Start off this work week "in Jesus' name." Buy some donuts for the office for no reason. Compliment someone on a job well done. Open a door for someone. Drop something in a tip jar. Donate something to the local food pantry. Donate blood or platelets. Clean out your office and donate the items to Goodwill. Take a walk and pick up trash. Give someone a hug.

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

The Intercessor

Chapter 5 in the Book of Jeremiah contains an interesting rant from God, through the prophet Jeremiah, against Jerusalem. As I read it, I soon began to wonder, "Am I reading my Bible? Or is this a sermon from my pastor about current events in the world of today? Here are a few examples that caught my attention.

It starts with this interesting question:

"But what will you do in the end?" - Jeremiah 5:31

The text is about Jerusalem, but it could also apply to us as well. It continues into Chapter 6.

"Peace, peace," they say. When there is no peace." - Jeremiah 6:14

Does that sound like today's world? How many ceasefires and memorandums of understanding can there be? I lost track.

"Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush." - Jeremiah 6:15

Are we ashamed of our conduct? No. We just keep right on sinning, even inventing new detestible things to do that could only anger God.

God continues . . .

"So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,”

says the Lord." - Jeremiah 6:15

And that we will. We will surely fall!

Unless.

Unless there was someone - an intercessor - who would step up and take away our sins. All of them, though they are many. Thankfully there is. His name is Jesus.

One more verse, and this one is from our Lord and Savior.

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” - Luke 21:28

Nearer My God To Thee - ThecSharin Singers

Thank You!

When you get to be my age (73), thoughts of mortality creep in. Aches and pains become daily occurances. And we begin "thinking" before we do things. Like "I should take my phone with me into the woods in case I fall," or, "If I sit on the floor with my granddaughter, how will I ever get up?"

Such things are all part of life as we get older. But there is another part of aging that is absolutely wonderful. Our relationship with God, and with others. This morning I am grateful for both.

God has blessed me with many young friends. These are mostly former youth group kids who are now in their thirties. I keep in touch with a few and we are all very close.

Then there's the older friends. I have a few of them as well, and again, we are all very close to one another.

The thing that binds us all together is what I am MOST grateful for. Jesus. The Trinity really. If it weren't for God, I would have none of these wonderful gifts (these dear friends) in my life.

Let me drop a Bible verse here, as I just finished reading Psalms.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" - Psalm 8:3-4

More personally, "Who am I, that you are mindful of me?"

All these gifts, friends, and blessings, are from God.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1:17

But why does He give us such amazing friends and family members? That's easy.

Love.

"God is love." - 1 John 4:8

We sure could use a whole lot more love in this crazy world right now. And I think we will be getting it soon. But in the meantime. . . . 

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

Who Am I? - Casting Crowns

Thank You Jesus For The Blood - Charity Gayle

Triple Threat

This past weekend, three storms were observed heading towards the United States. Left to right on a map, they were named Rachel, Simon, Isaias (or Isaiah).

Do you ever remember three hurricanes ever hitting the United States at the same time? I sure don't.

And did you notice that all three storms are named after Biblical characters? It's true!

Rachel was the bride of Jacob, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. In Hebrew, Rachel means "ewe" - a female sheep.

Simon was the disciple Peter's original name, before Jesus changed it to Cephas (Peter). It means "to hear" or "listen" in Hebrew.

And the name Isaias (Spanish or Portuguese for Isaiah) means "Yahweh is salvation." Isaiah the prophet prophesied about the coming of Messiah.

If you read the Hebrew meanings of these three names all together, left to right, you actually get a sentence!

"Sheep, listen, Yahweh is salvation."

But Hebrew is read right to left. No problem.

"Yahweh is salvation. Listen, sheep."

Even if you use "female sheep" in the sentence it works. In our relationship with Jesus, we are "the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3) But also remember, Jesus is the bridegroom, and we are the bride, the "female," if you will, in our relationship with Jesus. We are the female sheep!

So, what do you think? Coincidence? Or is this a warning from God Most High? I have no idea, but it sure is interesting.

If it IS a warning, what should we do?

Prayer - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:7

Care - "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." - Matthew 9:36

Share - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20

One last word about "storms."

"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet." - Nahum 1:3

Do you know Jesus? I hope you do.

Speak, Lord

"Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." - Acts 13:1-3

I have several questions . . . specifically about verse 2. My John McArthur Study Bible totally skipped "the Holy Spirit said" part. On to BibleHub.com to look at the various translations.

In every translation, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit/Ghost "said" or "spoke." Hmm. Then there's this from BibleHub's commentary. 

Here the Spirit speaks audibly or prophetically: “the Holy Spirit said.”

Scripture portrays the Spirit as a personal, speaking Being (John 16:13; Acts 8:29).

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." - John 16:13

That was Jesus telling the Disciples that the Holy Spirit "speaks" and "tells" us things.

Have YOU ever heard anything? I'm asking for a friend . . .

I have never heard the audible voice of God, but some people have said they have. If you have never heard the Holy Spirit speak, how do you know it's Him?

"Samuel . . ."

"Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” - Samuel 3:4-5

EXACTLY!!

I am not asking that God verbally speak to me. I am unworthy. But should He choose to do so, Eli has some words of instruction.

"Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy. ⁹"Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” - 1 Samuel 3:8-9

We don't all have an Eli in the next room who we can run to to get our questions answered. But, if God is calling us or speaking to us, somehow I think we will know. 😲

God Speaking - Mandisa

Three Years

Well, today is October 7th. It was three years ago today that the unbelievable happened. Israel was attacked by Hamas and 1,195 civilians and defense forces were killed.

People have differing opinions about the nation of Israel. Hamas has already stated theirs, in blood. Many other Muslim nations feel the same way and would like to see Israel disappear from the face of the earth.

The hatred of Israel extends to just about every nation on earth. Only the United States stands with Israel, but many in our nation side with the opposition. It won't be long before every nation on earth will shun the tiny nation of Israel. How do I know that? It's in the Bible.

First though, what's God's thoughts on the matter?

"I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Genesis 12:3

Okay. So, everyone who stands against Israel will be cursed. There's more about this in Zachariah.

"I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. ³Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle."

Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good. God wins EVERY battle. Let's keep reading.

"On that day His feet (this is Jesus now) will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him." - Zechariah 14:2-5

This is getting as serious as it going to get! And who do you think will win? God of course!

There are two questions here. 1.) Whose side are you on? And 2.) Do you know Jesus?

If you truly know Jesus, and your Bible, the answers to those questions should spring from your lips. If you stand against God in this matter, what do you think your chances are? Umm, zero point zero.

This hatred of Israel has been foretold in the Bible. It WILL happen. And it looks like tgese prophecies will be happening soon, based in current events. We need to pray for Israel, and continue to look up, for our redemption is drawing near.

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21-28

And just to be 100% clear, that was Jesus talking. The signs of His coming are everywhere. Are you ready?

Unspoken

There are things that the written word cannot communicate. A teardrop in the eye, an emphasis on a particular word, a loving smile, or a scowl. The hearer writes down what is spoken, but that's where it ends. Here's an example.

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." - John 3:5

Is Jesus saying we must be baptized with both the water and the Holy Spirit? Or is Jesus saying that we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not just water? There is a difference. Did Jesus emphasize the word "AND?" We don't know. Personally, I think He did.

Here's another conversation. This one's fictional. It exemplifies this same thing.

"So, how are you doing after the death of your mother?"

"Fine."

Without visually seeing the person's eyes, and the tears dripping off the cheeks, we would assume they were indeed fine, because they told us so. Face-to-face conversations are SO important in communication.

Here's something to remember....

When someone writes us a letter or sends us an email or text, there is, quite possibly, a WHOLE lot more going on than simple words on a piece of paper or a lit-up screen. The written word is good, but, in place of eyes to SEE the person, we need another "sense." We need another means of understanding than just simply reading.

"Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27

Do you truly know Jesus? I hope you do. 🙏 Only then can His children properly communicate and understand the will of God, our Father.

Self-Sacrifice

By now you all have heard what happened on Wednesday - the attempted hijacking of a flyDubai jet by the co-pilot of the plane. The pilot was stabbed, the plane descended over 14,000 in less than 30 seconds. There were 174 people on board.

Think about that for a moment. 14,000 feet. That's 2.65 miles in half a minute.

Yipes!

"A video shared by Netanyahu’s office showed passenger Yaniv Hayoun, who grappled with the attacker, wearing a bloodied shirt and hugging the prime minister, who told Hayoun: “I look at you and I see a lion. I see a great hero.” - AP

Is that something you and I would have done? Stormed the cockpit, knowing one of the guys in there had a knife? Hmm.

Many have theorized what the terrorist would have done. A 9/11 style attack perhaps? Or a hostage situation? It has been said that the Iranians were involved somehow. So what would you do? What would God want us to do?

We know that God does not like the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17). Nor does He want us to murder anyone (Exodus 20:13). But Jesus sacrificed Himself so others could live. Wasn't this similar in a way? This passenger was willing to risk HIS life to save others.

This incident reminds me of Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers stormed the cockpit on that horrible day. They were willing to sacrifice their lives, and they did.

I tried to think of other "sacrificial" examples from the Bible, and there are a few, but, next to Jesus, only one comes close. Sampson.

"Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life." - Judges 16:30

This is from BibleHub.com . . .

Biblically, sacrifice always costs the offerer something precious (Genesis 22:2; 2 Samuel 24:24). Samson’s life is the costliest asset he can lay down. His plea, “Let me die,” echoes the Hebrew nephesh, the entire self. The text stresses volition: he “pushed with all his might,” surrendering life at God’s directive moment.

Jesus's death, and Samson's, were both sacrificial. Both of them were betrayed for silver. Both were handed over to Gentiles to be publically displayed and mocked. Both Jesus and Samson stretched out their arms in death to defeat the enemy.  But only Jesus was sinless, sacrificing HIS life for the whole world.

Somethin's Happenin'

"Somethin's happenin' here. What it is ain't exactly clear."

Boy, ain't THAT the truth.

"There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered. ²Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." - Daniel 12:1-4

Interesting.

I have written about this topic before, but something seems different as I consider today's story. Something's happening or is about to.

Jesus told us to look for signs, indicators of His soon return. He also said that "no one knows the day or the hour" (Matthew 24:36). Well, those "signs" are happening right now, and at an increasingly frequent rate. But I have noticed something else. Something new. What is it? Well, God has been blessing me lately. A lot.

It's hard to explain, but it's almost like God wants to bless me before I leave this place. And, if that's the case, how and when am I going? I have no idea. But I am ready. 🙂 The average age of death for men in this country was 76.5 men in 2024. I'm 73. I'm not worried about it, but I DO think about it from time to time.

I no longer watch the news with any interest. Nor do I care who gets voted into office in the upcoming election. I'll still vote, but more so out of duty than activism. God chooses those who come into office, all for His purpose and glory.

But then I came across this verse in one of those Facebook Reels, seemingly at random.

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." - Daniel 7:25, KJV

At first I thought the video was incorrect. It stated that he (The Antichrist) would "wear out" the saints, but the NIV said "opress," but indeed the KJV, ESV, and NASB all say "wear down" or "wear out." Here's the NIV:

"He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time." - Daniel 7:25

Are you feeling worn down by everything that's been happening lately? I sure am. According to Daniel, it is something that happens to all believers before the Tribulation begins.

Is there someone on the world stage right now who is "wearing out" all of the Christians? I don't know. But, if the pre-tribulation rapture of the church is correct, we won't know who the Antichrist is. Why? Because we'll be gone.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:23-25

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield.

M.A.I.D.

Maybe you've heard about this. Our neighbor to the north (Canada) has gone off the deep end. They have taken this woke, warm and fuzzy, championship trophy for everyone thing WAY too far.

Let's start off with an acronym - MAID. A maid is someone who comes in and cleans our houses from time to time. They make the bed, do the laundry, you get the idea. However, this is not the case in Canada. MAID stands for Medical Assistance In Dying.

If you're not feeling quite right, you can walk into the hospital and they will put you out of your misery. Quite literally. In other words, they will kill you. No questions asked. Well, maybe a few.

The news story has some horrifying information in it, but the terrifying thing is, they are "pleased to bring it to you." Here's their "good news."

In 2024 - Canada recorded 16,499 MAID deaths. The population of Canada is 41,288,599 Canucks. So those MAID deaths accounted for .040% of Canada's people. That sounds small. But wait, there's more.

In 2024 there were 44,447 guns deaths in the United States. We had a population of 345,426,571 that year. That's .013% of our population.

Did you catch that? There are three times the number of assisted suicides in Canada (per capita) than gun deaths in the entire US of A! And MAID is well on its  way into OUR country.

Currently, 13 states (plus the District of Columbia), allow medically assisted suicide.

Let's open up our Bibles to The Book of Exodus.

"Thou shall not kill." - Exodus 20:13

Seems clear enough to me. Here's another one.

“ ‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death." - Leviticus 24:17

One more.

"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: ¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ¹⁹a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." - Proverbs 6:16-19

I think there is a difference between killing one's self, and being the person that someone hires to do the killing.

One last chilling sratistic: Total Medical Assisted Deaths in Canada since 2016: 31,664

Total Covid deaths, all time, in Canada: 30,281

Their MAID program has killed more Canadians than Covid did. We are literally killing ourselves. I wonder how that appears in the eyes of oyr Lord?

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Canada Sets New Record - CBN

Nice

My wife and I just finished a two-day, fall color, waterfall trip up to Superior, Wisconsin. It was nice. MORE than nice actually. But trying to cram all of our activities into two days was quite the challenge.

Weeks in advance, I had chosen a nice 18-hole course to play. Well, that got changed to nine holes, and the closest we could find to our hotel. But that change led to one of the nicest rounds I have played all year.

My wife had mentioned how she wasn't getting enough steps in, so I asked her if she wanted to walk with me as I played. Amazingly, she said yes. That was nice.

The first hole had a beautiful plumb tree near the fairway. Half of its fruit was already on the ground. My wife said she wished she had brought a bag along so she could take some home for the deer which frequent our yard. Nice. I offered one of my discs for their gathering on our way back to the car afterwards.

On Hole 2 my tee shot landed near some weeds and brush. I found someone's disc just lying there as I searched for mine. No name or number. So, I put it in my bag, intending to give it to one of the kids in my disc golf class when I got back home.

A few holes later my wife picked up a discarded fast food plastic drink cup. It was nice of her to do that. "I can use this to put the plumbs in," she said. Nice.

I finished the last hole while my wife picked up her plumbs. After putting out, I turned to head back to our car and observed another disc golfer coming out of the woods. We were both walking in the same direction. I reached into my bag and gave him the disc I had found. He was very appreciative. Nice. My wife saw me do this and said, "That was nice."

I gave the park a nice rating of 5 stars. It was a beautiful park and a wonderful time spent with my wife. It was a very, VERY nice day.

The word "nice" never appears in the Bible. At least not in the NIV, ESV, KJV, or NKJV. It DOES appear once in the NASB, but not in the "nicest" context. Ah, well.

My wife awoke this morning and went out to see if the deer had eaten then plums she had put out for them. They were ALL gone.

Nice.

May God bless you always. And have a nice day!

"We can say what we believe, but you will know who I am by the things that I do." - Mark Hall, Casting Crowns.

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Patterns

We all have patterns of behavior in our lives. We wake up, shuffle off to the bathroom, then go into the kitchen to grab some coffee perhaps, or some breakfast. That pattern is pretty typical for most people, I think. But what does our "Jesus pattern" look like?

We probably go to church most Sundays. But what else? A Bible study? Prayer time? Anything?

When we get stuck in a rut, or we feel like God is not listening to our prayers, consider these words from the Book of Deuteronomy.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

How are we doing in our faith when we compare it to what God commands? Not very well, I think.

When I examine my own pattern, I probably read more than most, but I am retired and have the time. I am not in a Bible study, but I study the Bible. I write these stories. But if I look at that list of things that God gave Moses in Deuteronomy, I am not doing enough.

God wants us to be consumed with HIM.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

ALWAYS. WITHOUT CEASING. IN EVERYTHING.

Uh-oh.....

Yet, the Bible also says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2 32).

Lord, I thank you that you consider me worthy to be adopted into your family, because I KNOW that I am totally NOT worthy. Yet your grace extends to someone as flawed as me. There is nothing I could ever do to make myself worthy. Nothing. It's all You, Lord. 100% You. And for that I am eternally grateful. Amen.

Just As I Am - Michael Eldridge