Lost In Translation

Here's an example of how my ancient, wandering mind works. But it is also a testimony to God's faithfulness and the leading of His Holy Spirit.

It was Tuesday morning when I wrote this. I know it was Tuesday because I was looking forward to visiting my friends. I always do that on Tuesdays.

Scrolling through YouTube in the pre-dawn living room, I came upon a video regarding Psalm 23. It promised insight to its true meaning. Okay . . .

Click.

You know the text . . .

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul." - Psalm 23:1-3

Then comes this . . .

"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." - Psalm 23:3

In the video I watched (link at bottom) the featured speaker, a rabbi, was talking about the Hebrew meaning of the word "paths" that we English have translated as such. It's real meaning is "a circuitous path" of righteousness.

Circuitous? You mean like Israel walking through the desert for forty years? I always thought paths of righteousness were straight.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

So, I scrolled some more, searching for other things that might be getting lost in translation. That's when I saw a movie clip for a movie by that very name. I watched it. Maybe you've seen the movie before. I have not.

The clip was from the end of the movie when the lead couple were saying goodbye to each other. The young woman (Scarlett Johansson) was parting ways with an older man (Bill Murray).

The woman reminded me of my friend Kortney, who just had a heart and double lung transplant.

Their goodbye in the movie made me think of how fragile and fleeting my friend's health is. It is still quite possible that she might not make it through the entire transplant process. She currently has fluid building up on her lungs and is having that removed this week sometime.

So, I sent my friend an encouraging text this morning (Tuesday) and told her that I love her and am praying for her. That's when I realized something . . .

I had just been led on a "circuitous path for His name's sake." Interesting. Wherever my shepherd leads, I will follow.

[Update: I got a text back from my friend Tuesday afternoon. It turned out that THAT was the day they were going to remove the fluid on her lungs. My text (God's encouragement for her?) had arrived shortly before her procedure began. A portion of her text is as follows . . .

"Thank you so much! That was so uplifting this morning! 🥰 "]

God placed me on a circuitous path for His glory alright. They drained an entire liter from around her lungs.

When we are led by the Holy Spirit, our job is to follow, no matter how circuitous the path becomes. Praise His glorious name!

Psalm 23 Hebrew Meaning

Lost In Translation Clip

Sheeple

When I was a young lad, my grandfather took me for a walk in the field on our farm. We approached an old gate in the wire fence. It was a teaching moment.

"Whenever you come to a gate like this and it's closed, make sure you leave it closed after you go through it. If it's open, leave it open," he told me.

"Sure."

"You see, Bobby, if one of our sheep goes through an open gate, they ALL will go through it."

Sheep like to follow things. Even if it leads them into trouble.

People are no different when it comes to their desire to be led. We like to be fed and watered just like those sheep do. We like comfort and being taken care of as well. We're "sheeple." Here's the Internet definition of the word:

Sheeple - People who unquestioningly accept as true whatever their political leaders say or who adopt popular opinion as their own without scrutiny.

Look at our government. They take care of us and protect us, right? We will follow them in whatever they tell us.

"We want everyone to wear a mask and take this shot," they said. And so, we did.

What about the pastors in our churches? Do we trust what THEY tell us? Have they EARNED our trust? Or do they push their own beliefs instead of the truth in God's Word?🤔

I've been saying this a lot lately but it is bears repeating anyway. This is Jesus speaking.

"Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:4

And, as if that's not sufficient . . .

"Do not be deceived." - Galatians 6:7

"Do not be deceived." - James 1:16

The point is this: It is up to US, whether we are deceived or not. It is also worth noting that all three of these verses are commands to us. They are NOT suggestions.

And now this from our current events department: President Trump has appointed a false teacher to head up his new "faith office." Her name is Paula White. She was in his administration last time too. She preaches the prosperity "gospel." "Name it and claim it!" they say. Our president has been deceived. Don't let deception happen to you.

Watch the video below and you'll see what a false teacher look like. There are plenty of them out there.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

Paula White

The Shadow of Shaddai

When seemingly random things occur in life, repeatedly, I pay attention. Here's an example.

My wife and I were watching a documentary about Jimmy Stewart the other night. During a segment about Stewart's Army Air Corp service, the narrator referenced the actor's favorite scripture - Psalm 91. So, I looked it up. The scripture is all about God's protection - an understandable hope and prayer for those facing the ravages of war. Here's Verse 1 ...

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

In my Bible, after the word 'Almighty,' there is a little letter 'a,' so I clicked on it. It took me to a footnote that simply said, 'Shaddai.' What does that mean?

El Shaddai, or just Shaddai, is one of the names of God in Judaism. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty, God of the Mountains, or 'All-Sufficient One."

Then, one day later, I was scrolling through YouTube and I came across a song by Aaron Shust entitled Shadow of Shaddai.

Go back up and read Verse 1 again.

"The Shadow of the Almighty"

In other words . . . The Shadow of Shaddai.

So, what is my takeaway from all this?

I am being reminded that I am under the protection of Almighty God. I find myself remembering my two car accidents in years gone by - a collision with a deer at 72mph,  and a head-on, roll-over crash with a car that turned in front of me. I was doing 62mph. Both of my cars were totalled. Yet I survived both.

Why was I saved from death in those to instances? I'm not sure. But I KNOW that I "dwell in the shelter of the Most High," El Shaddai, through my faith in Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to read all of Psalm 91 and listen to the song.

"My God, in whom I trust."

Psalm 91

Shadow of Shaddai - Aaron Shust

Need A Sign?

My old, blue 2004 Saturn Ion was making some new strange sounds this past month. It was always made noise but these new sounds were a little concerning, like "I'm going to be dying soon. You might want to find another car, unless you like walking for miles in the cold. In the dark of night. FOR MILES!"

So, I went on AutoTrader.com and began scrolling. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just something cheap and reliable. Like ME! Lol! Right!

I found a nice looking Saturn Vue. It was at a dealer in Plover called Bruns & Sons Auto (only 20 minutes away). It was newer than my blue Saturn but it had 100,000 less miles on it. So, I made note of it, prayed about it, and thought I'd take it for a test drive. Maybe. Someday. I'm such a procrastinator.

Well, the following day I was on my way to visit some friends where I used to work. I stopped at McDonald's to grab a $5 Meal Deal (remember, I'm cheap). I placed my order and pulled ahead. That's when I noticed the F-150 in front of me.

Scroll back up and looked closer at the picture I took. Bruns & Sons! Seriously? Was this an answer to my prayer? Was it God telling me, "If you don't buy this car, you'll be walking back home from Appleton next week."

Do you look for signs of confirmation after you pray about something? Are your eyes open, searching for answers to prayer? They should be.

My new(er) Saturn is sitting in the garage right now. It took me to church on Sunday, and it didn't make ANY strange noises either!

God hears the prayers of His children and He often answers them in unexpected ways. WE are the ones who need to be watching.

"And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him." - 1 John 5:14-15

P.S. - I had a small issue with the car after I bought it and called the dealer. He got me right in the very next day, found the problem, and fixed it. For free! Sometimes, it's more than the car. It's the service found in a small town business. And sometimes, God gives you even more than you ask for in prayer. Thank you, Lord.🙂

Riley²

I watched intently as Donald Trump signed an executive order this past Wednesday. His EO banned biological men from competing in women's sports. That's kind of a no-brainer in MY opinion, but there are those who feel these so-called "men" should be allowed to do so.

Generally speaking, men ARE physically stronger and faster than women. That's just the way it is. So, to allow men to compete against women is clearly unfair.

The most visible woman in all of this transgender athlete debate has been Riley Gaines (pictured above, dressed in white, hands clasped). She finished second to another "woman" in a swimming meet or two. Since that time she has been fighting for women's rights, especially in athletic competition.

This past week President Trump signed his executive order surrounded by a sea of young female athletes, banning men from competing against women. Good for him. I was almost brought to tears while watching it. I'm not a huge Trump fan but he sure is doing a great job at the moment. In my opinion.

That brings us to Riley #2 - Laken Riley. Laken was murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela back in February of 2024. He was found guilty on 10 counts in November of the same year. He had previously been arrested for robbery in New York City but was released by their Soros-backed DA and liberal policies.

These two stories demonstrate several things but lets focus on just two - power in the hands of the corrupt, and vindication of the innocent through justice. What does the Bible say?

"Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

I thank God for these actions taken by #47 and our newly installed government, and for the women through which these things came to pass. Let us praise God for setting kings on their thrones for HIS purposes and glory. Not ours.

[This picture makes me think of artist Norman Rockwell and his paintings. Look at the faces of those young girls!]🙂

Of the NCAA's 530,000 athletes, less than 10 identify as trans. - MSNBC News

Trump Praises Riley Gaines

Wormwood

For those of us who follow eschatological stories (stories about The End Times), this one in The Guardian caught my attention. It's about a comet that, quite possibly, could strike the Earth in 2032. 😯

I'd like to share a bit of scripture with you from the Trumpet Judgements found in The Book of Revelation.

"⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Do any of those things the first three angels used sound like an asteroid hitting the Earth? Hmm.

And when is this asteroid supposed to hit the earth? 2032. That's seven years from now. Seven years. Where have we heard THAT amount of time before? The seven year tribulation period that Daniel spoke of? And Jesus spoke of? Hmm.

If this comet is THEE comet/asteroid in Revelation, it will strike the earth during the tribulation period. What is 2032 minus 7 years?

For us pre-trib rapture folks, this is just another sign that the rapture is imminent. The question is, are you ready? Is Jesus your Lord?

Asteroid Story - The Guardian

Pangs

Things just seem to keep getting weirder and weirder, don't they? Why is that? There is actually a simple answer, yet, at the same time, it is a very complex answer. Here's the simple answer . . .

Why are all of these bad things happening lately? It seems like they are increasing in frequency and severity. Why?

Simple answer: Because we are getting closer and closer to the end. Open your Bibles to Matthew 24. Jesus, our Lord and Savior,  is speaking to His disciples.

"⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pangs." - Matthew 24:7-8

Okay. Define 'pangs.'

Pangs - 'a sudden sharp bodily pain.' Or

'a sudden sharp feeling of emotional pain.'

If one goes back to the original Greek text it says,  "these ORIGINal OF-travails."

The word 'birth' is not actually there. Where did BIRTH pangs came from? It's not in the original Greek, but the 'birth pangs part is definitely there in the Bible I am reading.

Perhaps 'birth' pangs is in Matthew because 'pangs' appears elsewhere WITH a reference to the birthing process.

"At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor." - Isaiah 21:3

Or . . .

"You who live in ‘Lebanon,’ who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!" - Jeremiah 22:23

Are the 'pangs' that we are experiencing today actually signs that Jesus' return is imminent? Many believe so. Are they increasing in severity and intensity?

Personally, I believe we are close to Jesus' return, but I also believe that many more bad things will happen yet. Things worse that these events we are going through today. And the frequency of those events will increase.

If you are reading this, and have never fully surrendered your heart to Jesus, please do so today. He could return at any moment. There is no biblical prerequisite for His return. And, as SOON as He does return, well, it will be too late to repent. The open door will be shut.

It will be like the parable Jesus told about the ten virgins and the wedding feast. 

"The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut." Matthew 25:1:13

You do NOT want to be outside once that door gets closed.

These things we are experiencing today could be the birth pangs Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. Or they could just be the beginning of them. Either way, the time is short. Be ready!

Birth Pangs - GotQuestions.org

The Parable of The Ten Virgins

Light It Up

This time of year, when I get up, it is still dark outside. Cars drive by on their way to work. Their headlights light up the entire living room as they pass by. But soon it is dark again . . . and all is quiet.

It's the perfect time to pray. So, why don't I? I'm wrapped up in other things - scrolling through Facebook or writing one of these stories. I am missing out on what SHOULD be the best part of my day. What's wrong with me?

The room lights up again. Another car coming down the road? No. It's my phone! Someone sent me a message! How wonderful!!

And that's when I began to wonder, how does God feel when we pray? Does heaven light up when we pray? Does God's HEART light up?

When someone I love sends me a message, I know exactly how I feel. Does God feel the same way when we pray to him?

Of course, I don't have any answers to these questions. But I do know this. God loves us. It says so in His Word. Say it with me . . .

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

God sacrificed His Son, His ONLY Son, so that we might live. Of course He loves to hear from us!

I received a text message from someone this week. It truly made my heart light up. It was from a dear friend - a youth group kid from 16 years ago. Read it slowly. Does this sound like it's worthy of being a prayer?

"Good morning! I'm missing you a ton! Sorry that I haven't been in contact, it's been, a lot. I think of you often and I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

Gifts from God often come in unexpected ways. They are never what we expect them to be. But they are ALWAYS just what we need. And they are PRICELESS!

That message came from my friend Kortney (speaking of gifts from God). It's now been one month since she received a heart transplant and two new lungs.

Heavenly Father, how I long to see you coming in your glory, riding on the clouds. I love you and miss you so much. I'm sorry I haven't been praying as much as I should. The events in this world are just so distracting to me. There is so much hate in this world. But I do think of you throughout each day - whispered prayers of thanks and praise for all you do. I'm so grateful to have you in my life. My Lord and my Savior. And it is in your merciful name that I pray. Amen.