Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet because of his deep mourning over the destruction of Israel at the hands of the Babylonians. Yet though his heart was broken, never did he worry whether God was there in his time of need. And we never need fear God won’t be with us in ours as well. During times of suffering it can feel as if God has turned a deaf ear and blind eye to our misery. But the truth is when we’re hurting and afraid, the Lord is there. Lovingly He’s whispering the same words to us as He did to Jeremiah. “Do not fear!” When His children cry out to Him for help, never will God let those pleas go unanswered. We just need to trust completely in the Lord. Trusting His perfect response, in His perfect timing. For when we call out to our Heavenly Father, He will always draw near to us, His beloveds.
Timothy warned that near the point of Christ’s return, society would degenerate to all forms of ungodliness. (2 Tim. 3:2) And we’re there. Yet no matter how evil the world becomes we needn’t fear. For very soon God is coming with a vengeance to make things right. Isaiah too faced the desolation of his culture. The Assyrian Empire was sweeping through the land destroying everything in its path. The Northern tribes of Israel had already been conquered and dispersed. And the Southern Kingdom of Judah was next. Yet Isaiah didn’t give in to fear or despair. Instead he calmed the anxious in heart with the promise of God. A promise we too can claim. The Lord will save those He calls His own! And in His perfect timing, goodness and righteousness, He will come to restore the land and banish all evil forever!
“Et tu, Brute?” Is Probably one of the most recognizable phrases from Literature. Latin for, “Even you Brutus?”, it’s from the play “Julius Caesar” written by William Shakespeare. They are the words Caesar utters while being stabbed to death, seeing his friend Brutus among the murderers. Sadly, no one is immune to the sting of betrayal, not even Jesus who was doubled crossed with a kiss. …
Living in a world ruled by Satan, many are the threats against Christians. In Proverbs these threats are to referred to as the fear of man. Of course we know about the physical threats. But more often for Believers the more dangerous threat is the one against our minds. The threat that tells us we need to listen to the world rather than the truth of God. To be people pleasers rather than God pleasers. Because if we don’t we’ll be shunned, ridiculed, ostracized, or worse. But when we give in to such wrong peer pressure, rather than saving us, it ensnares us. It keeps us trapped in fear, anxiety, and compromise. It steals our joy, our testimony, and the security found in Jesus alone. So that’s why we need to be bold like Peter and declare, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29) Never fearing what man can do to us, and focusing instead on how God saves us.
Clergyman Robert Jones Burdette once said, “There are two days in the week about which and upon which I never worry… Yesterday and Tomorrow.” Easier said than done. Especially when you have the rug pulled out from under you and your whole world is shaken. I think about Adam and Eve. Living in paradise, they hadn’t a care in the world. But with with one sin, everything they knew was taken away. Subjected to an unknown future, for the first time they felt the feelings of anxiety. Yet like He did for the Psalmist, God wasn’t about to let their feet slip and suffer a fall. And He promises to do the same for us. Never will God leave us to face life alone. He is an ever present comfort to our hearts, minds, and souls. The Lord is a great light in the darkness. And if we let Him, He will go before us calming our fears, and lighting each step of the way.
The duties of a shepherd involve more that just the physical care of the sheep. Living among the flock, the shepherd is everything to it; guide, physician, protector, and pastor. David, a former shepherd himself, knew how to care for his sheep because he personally experienced the loving care of his heavenly Shepherd, God. And the same loving care God gave to David, He gives to us as well. His blessings redeem the days of our affliction, fears, insecurities, etc. And when we look back over our past, we see how His precious love covered and healed the painful experiences. For as Psalm 30:5 reminds us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”. Our heavenly Shepherd quenches our thirst from the cool, still waters of His Holy Spirit! And by these blessings to which our Father leads us, we will find our souls restored; our whole being invigorated, and our spiritual life reborn.
Mother Sues School Over Teachers Manipulating Daughter To Change Gender Identity
Jessica Konen filed suit last week against teachers Lori Caldiera, Kelly Baraki and the Spreckels Union School District for allegedly manipulating her seventh-grade daughter to change her gender identity under the guise of the district’s “Parental Secret Policy” where teachers could counsel students and assert a new gender identity without notifying parents. At the time, the daughter, known as “A.G.” in the suit, was 11 years old. According to the suit the teachers coached students on LGBT+ identities such as homosexuality, bisexuality, transgenderism, gender non-conformity, etc., and how to express those identities. Read more about the lawsuit here.
Atlanta Pastor And Wife Arrested For Holding Group Of Disabled People In Basement
A Georgia pastor and his wife were arrested for allegedly imprisoning people against their will after eight disabled residents were found in the basement behind a deadbolted door. Pastor Curtis Keith Bankston, 55, and his wife Sophia Simm-Bankston, 56, of Griffin, were arrested for false imprisonment after authorities found eight people who were suffering from a mental or physical disability between the ages of 25 and 65 inside the basement of their home. Police also alleged that the couple controlled the patients’ ‘finances, medications, and public benefits’ and that they were often denied their medications and medical care. Read more about the arrest here.
Tennessee Pastor Claims Autism Is A Sign Of Demonic Oppression
Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, recently drew criticism after claiming that mental health disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and developmental disorders like autism are signs of demonic oppression. According to Church Leaders, Locke went on to say that people use medical terms instead of biblical terms, like spiritual oppression, because it makes them feel better. “Are you telling me my kid is possessed,” the pastor rhetorically told congregants. “No! I’m telling you your kid could be demonized and attacked, but your doctor calls it autism.” Read more about his controversial remarks here.
Billionaire Mark Cuban Opens Online Pharmacy To Provide Affordable Generic Drugs
The Shark Tank judge, and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, will be selling more than 100 generic drugs practically at cost through his new pharmaceutical wholesaler company, The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company (MCCPDC). Cuban’s company is seeking to combat the price gouging of prescription drugs by large pharmaceutical companies, pledging that MCCPDC will be “radically transparent” in its price negotiations with drug manufacturers. MCCPDC purchases drugs directly from manufacturers, bypassing middlemen to lower the price of more than 100 medications, the company said in a statement. Read more about his endeavor here.
The Bible often addresses the importance of having a spiritual mindset. According to the World English Dictionary, a mindset is about the ideas and attitudes with which a person approaches a situation. In life there will be situations beyond our control. And God wants us to look beyond those situations and focus on Him. To give the results and outcomes to Him. Caring about our duty to Him more than our duty to man. Now although it is a good testimony to be dutiful, hardworking, dependable, etc., we have to be careful not to make our priorities pleasing or performing for others. Instead focusing on the bigger picture, seeking guidance from God about our decisions and priorities. Not only is this spiritual mindset important for our day to day circumstances, but also for our grander perspective on life. And by focusing on our eternal purpose and destiny we can be freed! Free from the anxiety of wasteful toil and effort focused on earthly gain and recognition.
Josh Duggar Asks For Dismissal Or Acquittal In Child Phonography Trial
Josh Duggar’s defense team has filed a motion for acquittal following last month’s guilty verdict. The former “19 Kids and Counting” star was convicted in December of downloading and possessing child sex abuse images. The motion, which was filed on Wednesday argued in part that “The evidence elicited at trial does not support a conviction on either count.” Josh Duggar could face as much as 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. It is likely to take some weeks for the motion to be decided by a court of appeals. Read more about the appeal here.
Pastor David Jeremiah Warns Truth Is Disappearing From Our Culture
Saying Christians are living in a “post-truth world,” David Jeremiah on Sunday urged believers to be bold stewards of God’s Word even as the culture continually rejects it. Jeremiah, the pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., is quoted as saying, “We’re living in a post-truth world. If you watch television, if you read magazines, if you read the newspaper, [then] you realize truth is little by little just disappearing from our culture.” Adding, “Many U.S. churches today have “forgotten” their purpose, becoming entertainment-driven social organizations eager to blend in with secular culture instead of focusing on biblical discipleship.” Read more of his warning here.
Grammy Nominated Christian Rapper Renounces His Faith
Brady ‘Phanatik’ Goodwin, founding member of Grammy-nominated Christian hip-hop group, The Cross Movement, and in recent years an apologetics teacher, stated Monday in a video posted online that he has renounced his Christian faith. Stating, “I sent a letter to my church withdrawing my membership and saying that I am denouncing the Christian faith that I have believed, professed, proclaimed, and defended for the last 30 years of my life.” Comparing Christian theology to a Rubik’s cube he said, “I began to look at the faith and say, ‘Man you could turn this Rubik’s cube any particular way and end up with a different understanding.’ And who can say that understanding is right or that understanding is wrong?’ Read more about his statement here.
Study Shows dogs Can Differentiate Between Languages
MRI scans revealed that dogs‘ brains can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar languages, making them the first-known, and so far only, non-human animals to be able to tell the difference between human languages. The new study, which was published online Dec. 12, 2021, in the journal NeuroImage, was conceived by lead author Laura Cuaya, a neurobiologist at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, who recently moved from Mexico to Budapest alongside her dog Kun-kun. She wondered if her dog noticed that people in Budapest speak a different language. The brain scans suggested that not only were the dogs able to clearly distinguish between speech and non-speech, but they also reacted differently to familiar and unfamiliar languages. Read more about the study here.
Trying to discern God’s perfect plan for our life can make us anxious at times. We’ve prayed. We’ve weighed the pros and cons, sought the advice of others and still we’re not certain. What then? It’s those times we need to remember that God loves us! And He wants us to lean on Him. This includes listening for His voice directing us at all times. For God has a plan to get us there if we are obedient and willing to follow His leading. He knows the way and clearly sees the path ahead, knows the stumbling blocks that will try to trip us up, and wants to guide and help us get through even the darkest valleys. The answer hasn’t always come right away and definitely not in the same ways each time, but it has always come! Which is why I believe God is more interested in teaching me to lean on and listen to Him in times of indecision. If we are truly seeking His path, we can rest assured that we will hear and follow, so let’s not forget to enjoy the journey together.
