Sincerity and Truth
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (Paul, 1 Corinthians 5:8).
We are in the midst of God’s set-apart Holy Days, Unleavened Bread. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am doing a lot more Bible studying these days, which is a good thing. In my studies, I reread Paul’s words, and I decided I needed to really reflect on the words “sincerity and truth.”
Pandemic and Pride
A pastor of a Tampa Bay church was arrested Monday for violating the State’s order against large crowds. The executive order was given because Covid-19 is spreading exponentially in the State of Florida. I watched some of the church’s replay from the Sunday services and it can be easily observed that the crowd was in the hundreds and closely packed together. They did this in defiance of government believing that their “faith” should be enough to protect them. This was considered a dangerous act that could seriously harm or kill someone in that congregation. The pastor faces criminal charges.
Good Can Shine During Hard Times
I know I have used the above scripture in a lot of my blogs, but it is just such a good reminder of what we need to be meditating on daily. Plus, I feel that it is especially fitting during this time. The times that we find ourselves in are not very enjoyable, and my heart goes out to the thousands of families that have lost a loved one during this virus. These times seem very dark and bleak, but there are lots of bright “lights” that are happening despite this virus. Thus, the reason for the scripture is to remind us to focus on the positives that are happening during this trial.
Virus Lessons
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wash over the world, there are some important lessons we must learn. One big lesson is that life can change quickly and dramatically. For many of us this would pertain to our economic situation. Many people who had a decent job are suddenly out of work. In some parts of the country, if this virus does not relent soon, we could have a national jobless figure of at least 20 percent. That would approach the jobless rate during the great depression. Hopefully, we will get back to normal soon. There is good news coming from China, where people are going back to work at the epicenter of the virus outbreak. For others, our retirement accounts may have taken a big hit. Hopefully, over time, we can recover that money.
God is Still in Control
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment (2 Timothy 1:7).
I usually do not blog about what is trending, but the pandemic of fear that is going on is a cause for concern. Yesterday, I went to Sam’s, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I live 40 minutes from the store, I would have just turned around and gone back home. The store was a nightmare. I just needed to go normal grocery shopping. You would think the world was coming to an end by how full the store was with people. At least I didn’t witness anyone punching someone over toilet paper because there wasn’t any toilet paper. I did say a prayer for the employees that were definitely overwhelmed. I understand being concerned, but I am witnessing more fear than just concern. We are not to be fearful. Fear is not of God’s Spirit. Fear comes from our adversary. Satan wants us to be fearful because fear paralyzes people. It also cripples rational thought. It makes one act foolishly.
Coronavirus Update
A lot has occurred since we first wrote about this subject about six weeks ago. Worldwide there are more than 136,390 confirmed cases with 5,065 deaths. China’s number of infections is down dramatically due to their Draconian measures in locking down large segments of their country. The interesting thing to watch in China now is what will happen when they decide to send everyone back to work. South Korea reported only 131 new cases on March 10 compared to its peak of 909 cases on February 29. The South Koreans were able to achieve this through widespread testing, rapid tracing, and isolating the infected people
Church Cancellation Recommendation
To all Ministers and Brethren:
In response to the increasing concerns surrounding the coronavirus, the Executive Committee for the Church of God International is recommending that our churches and fellowship groups consider cancelling meetings and church services for the immediate near future. This action is being taken out of concern for the potential associated with the spread of this highly contagious disease. Individual congregations are certainly able to decide what’s best for their members and are advised to do so with the consideration shared from the home office. Please be sure to check our website in the coming weeks for updates.
The webcast from Tyler will not be available this Sabbath, but we will webcast services at 11:00 AM central time from Atlanta. Regular viewers are also encouraged to view the webcast from Medina at 10:00 AM central time (https://www.cgimedina.org/live-sabbath-services/).
Vance Stinson
Spanking
Proverbs 13:24 states: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The point of the scripture is that there are times when corporal punishment can be utilized by parents in disciplining their children. But other scriptures should make it obvious we are not talking about abusing a child or physically hurting a child (Ephesians 6:4; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13). The Bible also talks about instructing and reproving more than using a rod (2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 13:1). So if we must use corporal punishment it should be a last resort. I say all this at the outset due to the world’s view of corporal punishment.
Competition
I have heard many times that there is a thing called “healthy competition” between people. Well, I believe the only “healthy competition” is when we compete with ourselves, not with other people. This type of “competition” is when we strive to do better at something than we did before, or when we are going after a goal, or ending a bad habit, etc. Basically, it is when we are competing with ourselves to become a better person than we were the day before. Now, this type of competition is only healthy when we are doing this in love and not in berating ourselves.
The Right Connections
My husband works in the sat-com industry. The company he works for builds satellite antennas. It is very technical, and honestly, the majority of what he does goes way above my head. However, one night when we were discussing our days, a thought came to my mind that the industry he works in actually has a Christian analogy/lesson.
Antennas are useless if they don’t connect to the correct satellite. It has to link to the correct satellite in order to send and receive information, and there are a lot of satellites out there orbiting the earth.
Empty the Pews
I recently read a book titled Empty the Pews, which contains twenty-one essays by people who left hardline, authoritarian Christian groups. As the numbers for Church of God and other Christian groups continue to decline, I think it is important to see if we can find anything in these stories that may help us keep our young people. According to one estimate, 40 percent of people under 30 in the United States are religiously unaffiliated.
Hospital for Sinners?!
Is the church what Jesus intended it to be? Many have been conditioned by the media and other sources of entertainment to see the church as this perfect entity. The world makes it seem like the church is no place for sinners. It is where everyone attends, their clothes are pristine, their lives are immaculate, and there’s just a few misfits. You have to look the part to attend many churches, and many feel they need to hide their sins instead of seeking the counsel they need.
Imperfect People
When you read the stories in the Bible, do some of the main characters ever appear to be like superhumans? I don’t know about you, but people like Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel, the apostles, etc., appear to be the equivalent of actual real-life superheroes. Maybe it is because that is how children’s Bible storybooks and lessons portray them. However, the truth is, they were just as human as you and me. They were imperfect people, and what is awesome when reading about most of these “greats,” God reveals their imperfections.
Origins of Mystery Virus
On December 31, 2019, a virus that has thus far killed 200 and sickened 8,000 was detected and linked to a dirty food market in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people, and many more will die before this outbreak subsides. The market is known for selling all kinds of biblically unclean animals for food consumption. These animals include wolf pups, civet cats, snakes, marmots, frogs, and hedgehogs. The Chinese believe the most likely source of the latest outbreak came from animals in this market. All of these animals are not permitted to be eaten by God (Leviticus 11).
Rejoice Always!
Many of us have been on this earth long enough to know things aren’t always easy-breezy. Some things we set our hands to happen with barely any effort, and other things drag us through the mud. No human being takes pleasure in the trials and tribulations that come with this physical life. In many cases those trials and tribulations can wear down our spirit if we aren’t careful. The Bible tells us how to handle these trials and tribulations when they come our way.
We Need Each Other
A little time ago, I went to one of the most beautiful memorials I have ever been to. It was for a young man who had died completely unexpectedly. He was fine one moment, and then the next he collapsed on his living room floor, gone, leaving a young wife and three young children. It is extremely heartbreaking. The death of a loved one is the most punch-in-the-gut sad life experiences that I can’t wait to finally end.
Raising the Dead
On December 14, 2019 two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal died. Her church, the Bethel Church in Redding, California asked that she remain in the coroner’s office while the church attempted to raise her from the dead. In an Instagram post on December 16, the church stated they believed in a Jesus who died and conclusively defeated every grave. They asked for bold unified prayers from the global church to stand with them and believe that God would raise the little girl back to life. After about a week they stopped the attempt to raise little Olive from the grave.
More than a Resolution
The New Year is always when many of us come up with resolutions/goals. It is a good thing to see something that you may need to improve on or change in your life. We are human; therefore, there will always be room for improvement. Unfortunately though, according to a survey by Statista, only four percent of people who made New Year’s resolutions actually kept all of them*. I am no expert, but I think maybe when the only person that we are accountable to is ourselves, we sometimes fall short.
Why Anti-Semitism?
Once again anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head. Two of the more prominent events in the last month include a shooting in a Jersey City, New Jersey kosher deli and a machete attack in a Rabbi’s house in Monsey, New York. Over the past three weeks in New York state alone 13 anti-Semitic attacks have occurred. In New York City there has been a 21 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the last year. Why is it that Jews continue to be a target for these crimes?
Gender Bender
A recent Washington Post article (12/6/19) titled “Argentine Teenagers Rewrite the Rules of Language” caught my attention due to society’s increased acceptance of transgenderism. Transgenderism is a male-to-female or female-to-male gender orientation or self-identity. The article went on to discuss an Argentine teen named Natalia Mira, 18, who used gender neutral language in a TV interview that made headlines in the Spanish speaking world last year.