Lead us not into -

Temptation.  That's a word we don't hear often anymore, due to the fact that the world is such an evil place these days. It's not even discussed much in the church anymore.  But as Christians, we should be very aware of temptation and how it can affect our relationship with God. Let's start our study by looking up the definition of temptation.  Merriam-Webster defines "temptation" as 1: the act of tempting or the state of being tempted, especially to evil; and 2: something tempting: a cause or occasion of enticement.

There are plenty of stories in the Bible about temptation, but we will just look at three.  The first story in the Bible about temptation is in Genesis 3, where Satan, in the guise of a snake, tempts Eve into eating an apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve must have been used to having animals talk to her because she wasn't afraid at all of a talking snake.  Unfortunately, Eve gave into temptation and ate of the fruit of the tree and even worse, gave it to Adam to eat.  

Another story about temptation in the Bible is the story of Samson and Delilah, which you can find in Judges 16.  Delilah, in league with the Philistines, used her powers of persuasion to have Samson tell her how to make his strength go away so that the Philistines could tie him up.  Samson got the last laugh, however - he leaned against the pillars of the temple and pushed them so that the temple fell on the Philistines and killed them. 

The last story we will touch on is the story of Jesus in the wilderness and how he was tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days.  Satan tried tempting Jesus with bread, with angels saving Jesus from bodily harm, and with the power of ruling all the countries of the earth if only Jesus would bow down and worship Satan.  Jesus, of course, didn't fall for any of Satan's wiles.  He is God and God can't be tempted.

In the first two stories, Satan used other people to tempt his targets.  In our third story, Satan himself was the tempter.  Satan, or someone he is working through, is always the tempter.  God never tempts us.  James 1:16 states: "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone."  

As Christians, we must always be on our guard against Satan and his wiles.  In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Satan loves nothing better than to take a Christian down.  If we see a fellow Christian being led astray, we should encourage them and help them keep their eyes upon Jesus. 

So how can we keep from being tempted?  If there is something in our life that causes us to sin, Satan will use that to his advantage.  So we should stay away from what causes us to be tempted to sin, whether it be pornography, alcohol, drugs, etc.  We should keep our eyes on Jesus, using prayer and staying in God's Word to keep us on the straight and narrow.  In Philippians 4:8, Paul states: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things."  Meditating on good things will keep us from getting tempted by bad things. 

Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!

Diane

Ruth, the humble

This blog post is about Ruth, one of the many ladies in Scripture.  Before I start discussing her, however, I'd like you to actually read the book of Ruth, if you haven't lately.  Don't worry, it's only 4 chapters long. It's an engrossing story, so you should be able to get through it quickly.  If you don't have your Bible handy, you can right-click on the word here and select "open in new tab."  Click on the arrow at the right to move to the next chapter.  Or you can switch tabs back and forth between this blog post and the book of Ruth if you prefer.

Ruth is an important person in the Bible.  She is one of only two women to have a book of the Bible named after her (the other woman is Esther).  She is also only one of the two women listed in Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1.  Ruth is listed in the genealogy because she is the great-grandmother of King David, and you can read about that in Ruth 4:17. 

Not only is Ruth an important person in Jesus's family line, but she also has character traits that we would do well to emulate.  I'll discuss them here.

Ruth was loyal.  You will recall that Ruth's husband died, as well as both of her sons.  Naomi told her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah to go home to their mother's houses.  But Ruth would not go home to her mother's house.  She wanted to stay with Naomi. In Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth says some of the most beautiful words of loyalty in all of Scripture.  She tells Naomi that Naomi's God will be her God and wherever Naomi would go, she would go too.  

Ruth was resourceful.  She knew that she and Naomi would need food if they were to survive since they did not have a man to support them.  So Ruth asked Naomi if she could go to the field and glean heads of grain to provide for them.  

Ruth was obedient.  Ruth followed directions and didn't ask questions.  When Boaz told Ruth not to glean in another field, to stay close to his young women, and to get water to drink when she was thirsty, she listened and obeyed.  When Naomi told Ruth how to make it known to Boaz that she was interested in him, Ruth followed Naomi's instructions exactly, although to our modern way of thinking, uncovering a guy's feet and laying next to them is a really strange way to let a guy know you're interested in him. 

Ruth was respectful. When Boaz spoke to her, she bowed down to the ground and spoke to him respectfully.  Ruth also spoke respectfully to Naomi. Ruth didn't have a bad attitude nor was she ungrateful.  

Ruth should be an inspiration to us. If we take Ruth's character traits and apply them to our own lives, it will help us in our relationships with others.  

Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!

Diane

  

Constancy in a raging storm

This past week has been the craziest week in recent memory.  At the beginning of the week, the only thing that changed was the change to Daylight Savings Time, which throws my body off for about a week anyway.  But by the end of the week, however, it seemed like the whole world had fallen off its axis, thanks to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus.  The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Whole countries have shut down. 

In the United States, all professional sports have either postponed or canceled their seasons (and being a baseball fan, this makes me very, very sad). Schools in my home state of Illinois are closed until the end of March, colleges are only holding classes online, and courts are postponing trials.  Stores are running out of toilet paper, sanitizing wipes and paper towels.  Grocery stores are crowded and people are stocking up on groceries like it's the day before Thanksgiving or there's a blizzard warning. Churches are either canceling their services altogether or just providing Facebook Live or Zoom services, including the church I attend.  Some cities and counties are limiting gatherings to certain numbers of people, which canceled concerts.  Every day brings new challenges and new crises with the coronavirus outbreak. 

The Christian, however, has one thing in his or her life that never changes.  There is an old saying, "The only thing constant is change."  But for the Christian, that saying is not true.  For the Christian, the only constant is Jesus Christ.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). This constancy is reflected in some of the names for Christ.  Jesus is our Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4).  Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last (Revelation 1:8).  

No matter how crazy the world around us gets, we Christians can cling to Jesus Christ.  He never changes and He is always with us. As long as we focus on Jesus, we can have peace in the midst of any storm.  If you feel scared or anxious about what's going on now (or at any time, really), turn to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to calm you.  

I hope you are well physically as well as spiritually.  Don't forget to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer when soap is not available, and if you're not feeling well, be sure to call your doctor. Thanks as always for reading!  

Diane  

The threefold cord

This blog post is based on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which reads: 
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The "two" is two people, obviously. And the "two lie down together" refers to a married couple. But what or who is the third strand of the cord?   The third strand of the cord, of course, is God.  

Perhaps an illustration will be helpful.  In the 1970s, macrame was a popular craft. Macrame is used to make plant holders, wall hangings and bracelets. Macrame involves taking two cords, tying them around a dowel and then weaving the cords together into knots. The process to make a square knot involves taking the two outside cords and weaving them around the inner two cords.  The inner two cords are called knot-bearing cords.  The other cords are called the right knotting cord (the cord next to your right hand) and the left knotting cord (the cord next to your left hand).  

In a relationship then, the knot-bearing cords (2 and 3 in the diagram above) represent God.  The knot-bearing cords stay in the center of the knot. like an anchor, and like God, they never move.   The right and left knotting cords (1 and 4 in the diagram) represent the people in the relationship.  The knotting cords weave around the knot-bearing cords (God) and around and through each other.  

The finished macrame cords are very strong and can support heavy weight, such as a pot with soil and a plant.  Christian couples should make God the center of their relationship.  If God is the center of a couple's relationship, the relationship will stay strong and withstand anything.  But if one of the human parts of the threefold cord takes God out of his/her life, the cord will not be stable. If that happens, the cord will become weak and may unravel.  

If you're in a relationship, take some time to examine whether God is in the center of your relationship and how strong your relationship really is.  

Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!

Diane

Trophy case

The National Hockey League recently held its annual All-Star Game in St. Louis.  My son is an avid hockey fan, so we attended the Fan Fair since the price of tickets to the All-Star Game was not in our budget.  The Stanley Cup was the main attraction at the Fan Fair, especially since the St. Louis Blues had won the Stanley Cup the year before. When we arrived at the Fan Fair, however, the line to have your photo taken with the Cup was six hours long. We weren't able to stand in line for that long.  However. we did peek into the room where the Stanley Cup was and saw it.  

I thought Major League Baseball had a lot of trophies, but the NHL has many more.  Per NHL.com, NHL has 21 trophies and all but two of them were on display at Fan Fest, in cases with lights.  

Trophies are made of metal and plastic (and in the NHL, they're made out of wood and metal).  Trophies can be destroyed or stolen.  The Stanley Cup gets passed on to the next team who wins it, so it doesn't stay permanently with the last team that won it.  

For Christians, trophies or medals are not that important.  In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes:  "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run so that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."  In Paul's day, winners of a race received a crown made of laurel leaves.  Those laurel leaf crowns, of course, eventually died.  But Christians, however, receive an imperishable crown, that is, one that does not die.  There is an admonishment from Jesus Himself in the book of Revelation that we should hold fast to our crown so that no one should take it.  

There are three types of crowns that believers will receive.  There is a crown of righteousness for those who love Christ's appearance (2 Timothy 4:8).  There is the crown of life for those who endure temptation and who love Jesus (James 1:12) and for those who are faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10).  Finally, there is the crown of glory which does not fade away, which we receive when the Shepherd appears (1 Peter 5:4).  

But the accolade that is the most important is when Jesus welcomes us to Heaven and says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Those encouraging words from our Savior are more important than any trophies, medals, or even crowns.  

Thanks for reading!  See you next time!

Diane

The three Omnis

This post isn't about a 1950s doo-wop group, although "The Omnis" would be a cool name for such a group.  This post is about three $10 dollar words that describe some of the attributes of God:  omnipresence, omniscient, and omnipotent.

First, let's take a look at the "omni" part of the words. Per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the suffix "omni" comes from the Latin word omnis, and it means "all."  For example, an omnidirectional microphone would be able to pick up sounds from all directions.

The first attribute of God that we will look at is that He is omnipresent. A literal translation would be "all present," but a better translation would be "always present."  God is not just in one place - He is everywhere all the time.  I discussed God's omnipresence in a blog post earlier and you can find that here. There are several Bible verses that discuss God's omnipresence, and I'll quote some of them here: 

Genesis 3:8 (all verses are from the NKJV): And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Psalm 139:2-4:  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 

Prov. 15:3:  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Hebrews 4:13:  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 

The second attribute of God we will look at is that He is omniscient, which means "all-knowing."  God knows what you're going to say or do before you even do it.  He knows everything on the earth and in heaven.  

Here are some Bible verses that outline God's omniscience:
Matt. 9:4:  But Jesus, knowing their (the scribes) thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?"

Mark 12:15:  ". . . Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their (the Pharisees) hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." 

Luke 11:17:  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls."

Romans 11:33-34:  Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!  "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?"

The last attribute of God that we will look at is that He is omnipotent, which means "all-powerful."  No one on earth or in heaven has more power than God Almighty.  He created the earth, the heavens and everything in them.  Nothing is impossible for God.  

Here are some Bible verses that discuss God's power:
Genesis 1:3:  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

Psalm 66:5, 7:  Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. . . . He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.  Selah

Hebrews 1:3:  Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 

Rev. 19:6:  And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"

You may be wondering about that photo of a car at the beginning of the blog post.  That car is a Dodge Omni, which was manufactured by Chrysler from 1977-1990.  My friend Gail Yagge had a white Omni and we rode in it to the Mississippi River Festival at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville to see the late Andy Gibb in concert in 1979.    

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post.  Thanks for reading!  See you next time!

Diane

Blue Christmas

Christmas is one week from today and the holiday season is in full swing – Christmas movies are on TV, the malls and stores are busy with Christmas shoppers, and Christmas parties and family gatherings are on everyone’s agendas.

But for some folks, Christmas is not a very happy time of year, and it’s because they are separated from loved ones by death, distance, and/or estrangement.  The Christmas season brings back memories of spending the holidays with that loved one or loved ones and the pain of the realization that they will no longer be able to see that loved one may be too much to bear. 

The song “Blue Christmas” was written in 1948, and the most well-known version of “Blue Christmas” was recorded by Elvis Presley on Elvis’ Christmas Album.  In the 1974 Rankin/Bass special The Year Without a Santa Claus, the children poignantly sing “Blue Christmas” to Santa after he announces he’s taking a year off from delivering toys.  The lyrics to “Blue Christmas” perfectly express the feelings of those who are missing their loved ones.

Sometimes the blue Christmas feelings hit you when you least expect it.  One night, the husband and I were watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.  The last song played in the movie was “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” and I suddenly had the realization that my estranged loved one was not coming home for this Christmas holiday and would likely never come home for any Christmas holiday ever again.  I had to go to my bedroom and weep for a while.

So what should you do when the blue Christmas feelings hit you?  Go ahead and find somewhere to grieve for a while.  It’s okay to do this; remember, Jesus wept over Lazarus when he died. However, if the sad feelings go on for more than a few days, you may need to obtain professional help.  I have noticed that I get more emotional whenever I’m exhausted.  If this is the case for you too, make sure your schedule is not too busy and that you get enough rest.  If certain items or situations remind you of your missing loved one, try to avoid those if you can. 

Some churches have blue Christmas services on December 21, the longest night of the year. These services recognize the grief and pain that people go through at Christmastime in a religious setting.  Being with others going through blue Christmases too may help you get through it. 

The most important way to help get through a blue Christmas is to focus on the reason for the Christmas season – the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to Earth to die on the cross to save us from our sins.  Read the Christmas story carefully and reflect on everyone involved in the story – Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the angels.  If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He will always be with you even when others are not.  He will never leave you. 

Please accept my best wishes for a happy and blessed Christmas! 

Diane