Doves – Symbol of the Holy Spirit

Posted on April 17, 2025 by dtopliff

The Dove, symbol for the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the Bible, the dove is a messenger of peace, restoration, and safety.

The dove returns to Noah bringing an olive branch to show the flood had ended.

After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended onto Him like a dove.

Doves hide and nest in rocks and caves. We hear their moaning, sad, mournful calls. They are symbols of innocence and their attributes are described in Psalms 55, 68, 74.

Each of the nine times I’ve been blessed to spend time in Israel, I’ve been moved by the ever-present background cooing of doves—so much so that on my first lengthy trip in 1984 after quality time spent near the Garden Tomb, this poem spilled from my heart.

Jerusalem’s Dove

Temple grounds, David’s tower, the Western Wall,

Ancient scenes where people flock once in a lifetime,

Yet the dominant sound of the landscape is Jerusalem’s mourning doves,

Pearl-gray, gently cooing, with full-throated cries communing,

Interceding, like the God who gave ALL to bring peace,

And His Son, dove-natured, brooding, crying for peace in this city,

“Coo-roo, coo-roo,” still echoing, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

How often would I have gathered thee together

As a hen doth gather her brood . . . and ye would not,”

Then gave His life in sacrifice until every price was paid.

Our Father still sends doves as constant reminders,

Softly cooing from hidden corners, leafy gardens, distant rooftops,

Early or late, from darkness to dawn, so any traveler’s lasting impression

Is not the city, not the grandeur, not the history nor political contention,

But the harmless, helpless doves broodingly calling,

Echoing God’s voice heard from His Son’s breast,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, loveless city, hear My cries,

Yield to greatness, yield to gentleness,

Open your lives to be My home,

Bend your heads to give Me place to rest Mine,

Let hearts melt and tears wash down hardened cheeks

Until entrance is made and all men become free!

Then the pearl-gray doves gently folds wings around their nests,

Lifts love-filled eyes,

And mourning cries

Become songs of joyful praise! – Delores Topliff

He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

Have a most blessed and meaningful Easter!

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God and King by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 16, 2025 by jrcoggins

In His trials before His crucifixion, Jesus was asked two key questions.

The high priest asked Jesus, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61 NIV). The Greek word for “Blessed One” is eulogetos (from which we get our English word “eulogy”). It is a word compounded of eu (good) and logos (word, something said) and thus means “to speak well of” or “to praise.” Thus, the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Son of the One who should be praised. In asking this, he was asking Jesus if He was the Son of God. This was a crucial question because if Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God, then Jesus would replace the high priest as the highest religious authority in Jerusalem and Judea. Jesus was a threat to the high priest’s power and position.

Pilate did not care about the Jews’ religious squabbles. He asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2). Pilate cared about this question because if Jesus was indeed the King of the Jews, then Jesus would replace Pilate as the ruler of Jerusalem and Judea. Jesus was a threat to Pilate’s political power and position.

Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. (“Messiah” in Hebrew and “Christ” in Greek mean “anointed,” and prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil to establish them in their role.) And so the high priest and Pilate (the leaders of church and state) conspired together to crucify Jesus. They thus chose evil and death over good and life. The apostle Peter later summed up what they had done: “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead” (Acts 3:14-15).

We are not that different from the high priest and Pilate. As fallen human beings, we all want to be our own god, to have the authority to decide what is true, good, and important. And we all want to be our own kings, to have the sole authority over what we do and don’t do. And we, too, often choose death and evil over life and good. The better alternative is to submit to the true God and King and find life and good.

Put another way, we all want to be the hero of our own story when in reality, like the high priest and Pilate, we are (and should be) minor characters in Jesus’ story.

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From Palms to Praise: Finding Hope in the Easter Journey

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Author Mary Alford

There’s something sacred about the rhythm of Holy Week—the way it carries us from the joyful shouts of “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday to the somber stillness of Good Friday, and finally to the life-giving joy of Easter Sunday. Each moment tells a piece of the greatest love story ever written.

Palm Sunday: The Promise of a King

Palm Sunday is a day of celebration. Jesus enters Jerusalem, not on a stallion, but on a humble donkey. The people wave palm branches and lay down their cloaks, shouting, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” It’s easy to picture ourselves in that crowd, full of hope and expectation. How often do we cry out for God to move in our lives, just as they did, wanting Him to show up in power and change everything?

And yet, Jesus came not to conquer governments, but to conquer hearts. Not to overthrow, but to overcome.

Good Friday: The Silence of Saturday

By Friday, the crowds had turned. The same voices that cried “Hosanna” now shouted “Crucify Him.” The shift is jarring—and painfully human. We’ve all had moments where disappointment changed our faith, where we wondered if God had abandoned us in our suffering.

But Good Friday is not the end of the story. Even in the darkness, God was at work. Jesus bore the weight of our sin—not because we earned it, but because love demanded it. And in the silence of Saturday, when it seemed like all hope was lost, heaven was preparing for a miracle.

Easter Sunday: The Hope of Resurrection

And then—Sunday.

The stone was rolled away. Death lost its sting. Jesus walked out of the grave, victorious, and with Him came the promise that no darkness is too deep, no burden too heavy, and no story too broken for redemption.

Easter reminds us that even when life feels like a long Saturday of waiting and silence, resurrection is coming. Hope is not just a wish—it’s a Person. And He is alive.

Hope for Today

Wherever you are in your journey—waving palms, standing at the foot of a cross, or waiting in the tomb of a long Saturday—know this: God is not finished.

Maybe you’re carrying grief, doubt, or worry. Maybe you’re praying for a breakthrough or just trying to hang on. Easter is the beautiful reminder that we serve a God who brings dead things to life. His love meets us in our pain, walks with us through our waiting, and brings us out into the light.

This Holy Week, let your heart be lifted by the truth that Jesus didn’t just come to change the world—He came to change you. To give you life, hope, and a future that no tomb could hold back.

He is risen. He is with you. And He is always enough.

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Human-Trafficking Awareness by Vicki Hinze

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

human trafficking awareness, christians read,

 

In 2018, I wrote an article on Human-Trafficking Awareness.  Back then, it wasn’t on many people’s radars.  Today, word of it is more prevalent but because the topic is so distasteful, many turn their heads and ignore it.  We all wish there was no need for the topic to be newsworthy or to even exist, but there is, and it does.

We need to be aware (or to become aware) to protect ourselves and our loved ones as best we’re able.  We can’t do that if we’re not aware trafficking is an issue, or if we are led to believe that it only happens elsewhere.  We know now, it does not.  Trafficking happens everywhere.  To all kinds of people, women, men, teens and children, boys and girls, and even infants.

While January is the official awareness month, it seems anytime is an appropriate time to publish the article again.  Here’s the original article:

 

Human-Trafficking Awareness Month (from 2018)

In January, by Presidential Proclamation, the U.S. monthly observance was on Human-Trafficking and Human-Rights Abuse.  I want to share a bit about human-trafficking because there’s so much on it in the news right now—and likely will be in the near future.

How bad is it?

  • At $32 Billion a year, the human-trafficking industry has passed up the illegal sale of arms, and it’s growing.
  • Trafficking occurs in all 50 states. 
  • An estimated 4.5 million trafficked persons endure sexual exploitation.

There’s more to know.  It’s uncomfortable, but keep reading…

In 2010, my husband and I went to south Texas.  When we were returning home, we left very early to miss heavy traffic in Houston.  If you’re familiar with that route, you know traffic governs what time many get on the road.  Anyway, it was predawn.  We stopped at a convenience store for gas, and I noticed a sign on the store’s front window.  It was directing people who were victims of human trafficking to call this number.  Or if anyone was spotted who appeared to be a victim of trafficking, you could report it to this same number.

That sign sent chills up and down my spine.  That was the first mention of human trafficking in the United States I’d seen.  Until that moment in time, in my mind, trafficking was something that happened far away in distant lands.  Later that morning, we stopped again, and again I saw a sign about trafficking on the store’s front window.  That chill stayed with me the rest of the trip.

I decided to look into the situation and see what in the world was going on.  To be honest, I had hoped to put my mind at ease.  But that isn’t what happened.

I learned that trafficking happened here.  A lot.  That some saw it as a more profitable trade than selling drugs.  Drugs, they could sell once.  But people could be sold over and over and over.  I read about cases where ordinary women doing ordinary things were abducted and vanished.  Lost to trafficking.  Things like pumping gas, walking to their cars in shopping mall parking garages or lots, and broken down with a flat tire on the side of the highway.  Everyday situations we all easily see ourselves in and could be in on any given day.

So rather than setting my mind at ease, I became more disturbed.  So much so that I set aside the book I was working on and started a new one that delicately addressed human trafficking.  If I, a news hound, had been unaware of all this, I felt certain others were unaware of it, too.  We needed to change that.  Deadly Ties was born.

A year later, the book was released as the second book in my Crossroads Crisis Center series, and I began hearing from readers the same shock I had experienced on discovering trafficking was happening in the United States.  That there were routes where these imprisoned victims were forced to walk through the Canadian wilderness, being driven along the I-10 corridor in trucks and vehicles, being moved from place to place.  Some were sold for the expected purpose, but others were sold to “entertain” by fighting to the death against other imprisoned victims.  Under constant death threats and intense observations, some were being forced to work at outside jobs and to turn over all their earnings to their captors.

In the news lately, we’re hearing more and more about children being taken (or sold) and abused, even murdered and offered as sacrifices by cults.  We’re hearing stories of organs being trafficked, and all manner of evil things.

I hope that this news doesn’t shock you. That you too have seen the news articles and are aware of the atrocities being committed.  Bluntly put, we are failing to protect our children, and we honestly need to do a better job for them.  For all victims.

If you are shocked, I hope your reaction will be to look into trafficking.  The numbers are staggering.  I read an article a few days ago about 10,000 children being missing, so be emotionally prepared for what you discover.

Here’s a little more information to help prepare you for what you’ll find.  (Many thanks to Ark of Hope for Children Organization for sharing!)

 

  • In 2012 the (UNODC) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports the percentage of child victims had risen in a 3-year span from 20 per cent to 27 percent.
  • Of every three child victims, two are girls and one is a boy.
  •  Gender and age profile of victims detected globally: 59% Women – 14% Men – 17% Girls and 10% were Boys.
  • 600,000 to 800,000 women, children and men are bought and sold across international borders every year and exploited for forced labor or commercial sex (U.S. Government) 
  • When internal trafficking victims are added to the estimates, the number of victims annually is in the range of 2 to 4 million.
  • 50% of those victims are estimated to be children.
  • It is estimated that 76 percent of transactions for sex with underage girls start on the Internet.
  • 2 million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF),
  • There are 20.9 Million victims of Trafficking World wide as of 2012.
  • 5 Million victims in the United States.

 

The impact:

Human trafficking has surpassed the illegal sale of arms and in the next few years, will surpass the sale of illegal drugs.  Drugs are used once and they are gone. Victims of child trafficking can be used and abused over and over.  Again, as a $32 billion-a-year industry, human trafficking is on the rise and it happens in all 50 states (U.S. Government).  While

4.5 Million of trafficked persons are sexually exploited, be aware that up to 300,000 Americans under 18 are lured into the commercial sex trade every year. From 14,500 – 17,500 of those victims are trafficked annually into the United States.

  

There is hope.  President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have invested in stopping trafficking.  In the past year, there have been over 6,000 arrests.  There is so much more to be done, and to aid in the effort, the President started a new program called HERO Child-Rescue Corps Program.

 

 

In this new HERO Child-Rescue Corps Program veterans with specialized skills will be working on child rescue.

(From the HERO website)

The Human Exploitation Rescue Operative (HERO) Child-Rescue Corps is a program developed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in conjunction with the National Association to Protect Children.

The HERO Child-Rescue Corps Program is designed for wounded, injured and ill Special Operations Forces to receive training in high-tech computer forensics and law enforcement skills, to assist federal agents in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. Upon successful completion of the program HERO interns will have the knowledge, skills and experience to apply for careers with federal, state and local police agencies, and other organizations, in the field of computer forensics.

Learn more on ICE HEROS (from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement @ https://www.ice.gov/hero):

Too often, we think we’re one person. What can we do?  The answer is more than we think.  When we set our collective minds to it, we can move mountains.  We all know that.  Just as individuals we know that once you become aware of a problem such as this, thoughts of it never leave you.

The process of awareness has been a long and difficult one.  The idea of trafficking is so repugnant to us, so morally reprehensible, that we shun it.  We have difficulty wrapping our minds, much less our hearts, around it.  I know this. I too experienced it. But shunning does nothing to help the victims or to stop the abuse much less to solve the problem.

Which is why I am so grateful to our president for bringing trafficking to the foreground and declaring January an Awareness month.  There are organizations dedicated to rescuing these children and they have enjoyed some success.  We need to support them.  There are people tirelessly working the issue.  We’re grateful for them. Yet the problem is huge, and more people are needed to join in the fight.

While no one can do everything, everyone can do something.  Things like these:

We can insist that the legal penalties for engaging in trafficking are so severe that those who would engage don’t.

We can, as a civilized society, refuse to accept that this problem is just something that occurs in modern society.  If we object strongly enough, it won’t.

We can pray.  For the victims, for those rescued who must heal and recover, for the rescuers, and, yes, for those engaging in the illicit activity, that their hearts and minds might be turned, and they’ll stop.

And we can be aware enough that if we see something that doesn’t sit right, we report it.  We heed our instincts.

As I said, when we make up our minds and choose to act, we can move mountains.  And I hope we will.  The victims—women, men and children (boys, girls and infants)—are counting on us…

Please, read and share to increase awareness.

Recent Presidential Actions battling Human Trafficking

President Trump Working to End Human Trafficking

Loopholes in Child Trafficking Laws Put Victims–American Citizens–at Risk

President Trump Proclaims January-2018 National Slavery Human Trafficking Prevention Month

President’s Listening Session on Domestic and International Human Trafficking

President Signs “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act”

Presidential Executive Order Enforcing Federal Law Preventing International Trafficking

First 1/3 of 2018 National Monthly Observances by Presidential Proclamation:

January:  Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

                  Stalking Awareness Month

February:  Teen Dating Violence Awareness

April:  National Child Abuse Prevention Month

             National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

That’s the end of the original article.

It is now 2025, seven years later, and I wish I could say that this issue is no longer an issue, but despite efforts, the statistics have gotten worse, and we must recall that those statistics are not just numbers, they’re people, and many are children.  Now, in 2025, we have hundreds of thousands of kids missing.  So, the challenge has become more prevalent, and we now know, worldwide.

While we must be diligent in supporting those who fight these crimes, we must also be diligent in protecting our kids, our teens, and raising our own awareness so that if we see something, we recognize and report it.  So that if a new abduction tactic is being used, we know it.  We tell others who need to know it.  We do what we can.

Yes, this is a hard topic to think about and to discuss.  But if we ignore it, it will not go away.  It has and will continue to get worse.  Collectively, we all deserve better.  And we must demand better from ourselves for our kids, for all kids and women and men who fall victim to this horrendous and merciless crime.

If you look into this matter and discover information you think would be helpful to others, please feel free to add it in the comments.  Be sure to cite your source and where the original material can be found.

As I said, much has occurred on this topic since 2018, yet despite valiant efforts by some, the challenge persists.  That’s harmful to the victims and to our society.  This is not what we are about.  We want our people safe and living healthy, hopeful lives.

Blessings,

Vicki

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The Name of God by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 9, 2025 by jrcoggins

Most English translations of the Old Testament use two versions of the word “Lord.” “LORD,” in all capitals, translates the word YHWH, which is the name God revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:13-15). It means “I am,” referring to the God who truly exists and is ever-present. “Lord” usually translates Adonai, a more generic name for a lord/ruler/god. Sometimes, the translations use “Lord GOD” to translate the phrase Adonai YHWH. The translators did not want to translate this as “Lord LORD” so translated YHWH as “GOD.”

Since Hebrew does not use vowels, no one knows for sure how to pronounce YHWH. The best current guess is “Yahweh.” The ancient Israelites and Jews so revered this name that they would not pronounce it. Instead, they inserted the vowels for Adonai into the text, which produced the previous, mistaken English pronunciation of “Jehovah.” When they were reading the Scriptures out loud, the Jews would come to YHWH and say “Adonai.” 

Because of this, English-speaking Christians call God “Lord” since their Scriptures call Him LORD/Lord. This is a distortion of Scripture. As stated before, “Lord” (Adonai) was a generic name for God (similar to the English word “God”) used by many religions. So, when Israelites talked to other peoples, they might both use the word Adonai but have in mind two very different understandings of who God is. This led to much confusion. Therefore, there is much repetition in the Old Testament of the phrase “Name of God”—that is, YHWH—to distinguish the God revealed to the Israelites from the gods of all the other nations. This began with Abraham, who called on “the name of the LORD” (Genesis 12:8). In the law given to Moses, God said, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:7) and “Do not invoke the names of other gods” (Exodus 23:13). Sometimes the Old Testament just uses “the Name” (Leviticus 24:11, etc.).

In the third century BC, the Old Testament was translated into Greek for use by Greek-speaking Jews, Greek-speaking converts to Judaism, and Greek scholars who wanted to expand their libraries and were interested in what the Jews had to say. It was called the “Septuagint” translation because it was supposedly translated by seventy (or seventy-two) scholars. These Jewish scholars, following the Jewish hesitancy to pronounce the name YHWH, translated both YHWH and Adonai as kurios, which essentially means “Lord.” Therefore, when the writers of the New Testament (writing in Greek) quoted Old Testament passages, they quoted from the Septuagint, which did not distinguish between YHWH and Adonai. Following the Greek, English translations of the New Testament uniformly translate kurios as “Lord” even when kurios is a Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew YHWH, which English translations would normally translate as “LORD.”

Because of all this, Christians customarily call God “Lord” or “God,” which are not clearly distinguishable from other religions’ concepts of God—unless Christians are very clear in their own minds exactly who they are praying to.

Jesus also spoke of the name of God: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’” (Matthew 6:9) and “I have come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43). Jesus also spoke of His own name: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5) and “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). If we remember that the name “Jesus” means “YHWH saves” (Matthew 1:21), then we realize that when Jesus used the term “name,” he was referring to Himself and to God the Father, that is, Yahweh. This identification is carried through by Jesus’ followers, who wrote, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). This stress on Jesus as the only Name to offer salvation is very close to the Old Testament assertions that YHWH is the only God. Note also these verses: “[God seated Jesus] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21) and “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10). Repeatedly, the New Testament writers refer to Jesus as “the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 21:13, 1 Corinthians 1:2,10, 5:3, 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:12, 3:6)—Lord here is kurios, the Greek word for Lord, which is also used to translate YHWH and Adonai, God.

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Play Day by Tara Randel

Posted on April 7, 2025 by tararandel

If you’ve read any of my blogs, you will recall that my daughter and I love to take a day off and go to Disney World. We’re annual passholders and take advantage of the close proximity to the park in order to have a play day.

Right now, the Flower and Garden Festival is featured at Epcot. If there is one thing they do well at the park, it is creating beautiful, landscaped gardens and character topiaries. We walk around the park and admire the variety of flowers and plants, as well as the food kiosks along the way.

But more importantly, it’s a day to get away from the regular routine and escape. A time to recharge our internal batteries. For a few hours we get caught up in the magical world and leave the stress of life behind.

As a creative person, I find inspiration when I view all the lovely arrangements of flowers. It may be a make-believe world, but I can still see the beauty of God’s creation at every turn.

I think we miss out if we don’t take a day off once in a while. No matter what you like to do, getting away from the day-to-day busyness elevates our spirits and can make us excited about the days to come. We like going to Epcot and the other parks, but I also love to hike. No matter where you live, there are wonderful places to spend time outdoors. Or if you prefer, in a museum or at a movie theater. The point is to remember all the beauty in the world and to enjoy it.

So, if you get a chance to plan a play day, go for it. You’ll be glad you did!

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance THE SURPRISE NEXT DOOR, available May 2025. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. 

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RANDOM THOUGHTS OF NOT ENOUGH by Vicki Hinze

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

vicki hinze, Random Thoughts of Not Enough

I’m in a “random thoughts” kind of mood this morning, and I hope you’ll indulge me so we can discover where this leads together.

I’ve been thinking about helping others and when it is good and when it is not.  About wanting to help more but not feeling confident of being positioned to do so. In this case, I’m talking about helping other writers.  But with health issues of late, I’ve hesitated.  I don’t want to commit and not be able to follow through.

That’s one thought of not having enough or being enough to help.  But there are many different types of helping.  We want to be charitable and share with others—it’s our nature.  We want others to be charitable and share with us.  Many times, we and they think about it, but then we pause.

In the space that pause occupies, doubt floods in.  What if I get sick again and can’t do it?  (A few others are:  What if the air-conditioner breaks?  The car goes kaput.  I am going to need new tires soon.  What if utilities go up again?  With the way groceries have been skyrocketing, I’m sure to need that money myself to cover expenses.)

And so, though our compassion is touched, we decide against sharing.  Not based on anything that is, but on what could happen.  Or might happen.

Preparing for what’s ahead and for the unexpected is not a bad thing.  We’re supposed to prepare.  Being mindful so we don’t overcommit and disappoint others by not doing what we said we would do is, too.  It’s all part of the Adulthood obligations and responsibilities package.  But if we take that to the extreme, then what is really ruling us?

Fear.

The fear of not having enough, not being enough.  The fear of insufficiency to meet our obligations.  When you get to the bottom of the emotional heap, it’s a fear of lack.

No one wants to have any need and not be able to fill it.  No one wants to explain to the family that there just isn’t enough food or money to meet the family’s needs. Of course, we work to set aside for rainy days.  That’s not the point I’m making here.

The point I’m making is that, especially early on, in the struggling years (where we are trying to put together a home, get settled in a career, handle transportation, and all the daily stuff of life), we get into a mindset that uses that fear of lack to discipline ourselves to set aside for rainy days and to be prudent in our purchases and not waste money.  That same discipline is used to warn us to not make promises we can’t keep.  To not agree to do things and then not do them.

There are some who are trying to do the responsible things but life interrupts.  Every time their heads get just enough above water to be at a point where they can afford to put time or money aside, or stock the pantry with a little more than is now needed, or to take on a volunteer job they would really love to do, something happens and the dream of volunteering or feeding into a nest egg for that rainy day slips right off the radar.

When this happens, some get upset.  Others take it in stride.  In life, there are always plenty of both challenges and upsets.  The thing is, whether upset or taking it in stride, the people are still without a volunteer and the individual is still without a rainy-day fund.

For example, a person terrified of getting a flat tire before payday because there’s no extra money to fix a flat.

Another person, a single mom, works two jobs.  To be certain to have  enough money to feed her kids, she skipped breakfast, having only 2 meals per day.  When Covid hit, she feared a lockdown and began skipping breakfast and lunch.  Her kids ate, but mom, relying on one meal per day, got sick.  No, not from Covid.  From not eating what her body needed to function properly while overworking it.

That is what we don’t want to do.  To believe so strongly in the lack, we fail to see beyond it.  We believe we will be short on time, rent, money, or food.  We convince ourselves we’re being responsible, and sometimes we pay steeper consequences for that.

We internally worry and panic and forget that not even a sparrow falls without God’s knowledge.  That he brought water from a rock in the desert and food (manna) from heaven to feed the people.

We forget that ours is the God of Abundance.  That doing for another does not take away from us.  Giving does not diminish but expands.  We forget that when we see no way forward, God makes the crooked places straight and opens doors unknown or once closed to us.

Certainly, we understand that there are times when one must focus on family needs, and one should.  We also understand there are times to focus beyond the family.  To those outside our innermost circle.  To those who are unable to tend to their needs themselves.  Not unwilling, but unable.

Winnowing down the stories running through my mind to the heart of it is this:  Saving only to watch your bank account grow is elevating the fear of lack to new heights.  Some don’t realize that’s what they’re doing.  Some do realize it and justify it.  Often, they’ve struggled before, and don’t want to struggle again.  Everyone can understand that, too.

I think faith comes into this as well.  You trust God or you don’t.  You do what you can and have faith that if it isn’t enough, then God will step in for the rest.  In His way, in His time.  That isn’t farfetched.  He is a God of abundance, He loves us, and He wants great things for us.

We ask, He answers.  Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no.  We trust His answer is the right answer for us at this moment in time.

Two verses come to mind.  The first is Haggai 1:6:

“You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

 

That struck me as profound.  We try so hard, and yet we struggle and struggle and at best in hard times, we feel we’re treading water.  We do not feel content.

Few struggling feels content, though through Peter, when he was in prison, we see he was content no matter where he was, no matter what conditions were there.  Why?  Because he was walking in alignment with God, and he trusted God to bring him through his challenges.  To be there with him.  And He was.

The last line really snagged my attention: “Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

That strikes me as a warning not to hang onto money for the sake of hanging onto it.  When you are blessed with enough to meet your needs and your rainy day, look around to what you can do for one struggling.  Mow a lawn, pick up a few extra items at the grocery, offer to babysit a couple hours.  Make an extra casserole and drop it over so a tired or healing person doesn’t have to cook that night.  Imagine yourself in the other person’s position.  What would you want?  What would it mean to you for someone to offer or help you?

These acts of kindness, of compassion, are what I think of when reading the passage about adding your rewards to the storehouse of heaven, not in a bag with holes.

The holes are in us.  The lack of fulfillment in our lives. But walking in alignment with God, we invest in others.  That’s expressing love, and love fills empty voids.  Better filled with love than with doubt, right?

The second verse is from Malachi 3:10:

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”

That’s a firm commitment on common-sense sharing, in my humble opinion.  Yes, take care of your family needs, and include in those your tithes (first fruits belong to God, remember?).  Then with what is left, save some for your rainy-day fund and share some, storing your rewards in heaven.

It isn’t how much you share that matters.  It is the act of sharing itself.  The love you show in thinking beyond yourself.  In noticing another’s struggles and caring enough to do what you can to assist them, whether it is your time, your effort, or your money.  Jesus charged us to love one another.  He declared it the most significant thing next to loving God.

One thing is certain.  With the promise in Malachi above, we cannot outgive God.  A situation presents itself and we’re asked to assist in a way that seems huge or is huge to us, but it carries subtle certainties of a spiritual nature.  We know on some level that this hard thing we’re being asked to do carries shades of obedience, of charity, of love.  And so we make the call to answer or not.  If we do, the human aided might disappoint us, but the God who witnessed the act will never disappoint.

I think that might be a little disjointed but it got us where we needed to go.  At least, I hope so.  Thank you for your indulgence and for making this journey with me.  (My mind can be a messy place.  It’s an occupational hazard.)  I appreciate you!

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

P.S.  Heads up to my fiction readers:  My Breakdown novel, SO MANY SECRETS, is on sale for $2.99 this weekend.  And DEEP FREEZE, my StormWatch series novel, is on sale all of April for $2.99.  This is for the eBook versions.

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Part Two: The Modern World and Christian Churches by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 2, 2025 by jrcoggins

In an earlier blog, I wrote about the great movements that shaped Western civilization and thus the modern world—the Renaissance and Enlightenment with their emphasis on reason, science, and the pre-eminence of humanity, on the one hand, and the Romantic movement, with its emphasis on emotion and nature.

In this blog, I will explore some of the parallels and interconnections between these great movements and Christian churches.

In the Middle Ages (400-1500), the Roman Catholic Church dominated the religious life of Western Europe. That church experienced considerable development and considerable diversity throughout that period. It was far different from the early church and even quite different from the Roman Catholic Church today. Like the society around it, the medieval church often abounded in ignorance (even some priests were illiterate) and superstition. There was a great reliance on magic, ritual, relics, and prayers to saints.

The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 shortly after the Renaissance rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture with its emphasis on reason, science, and human realism. The Reformation was both a child of the Renaissance and sometimes a protest against it. Martin Luther’s emphasis on sola scriptura (the Bible alone) is, after all, an emphasis on a book and the study of that book, which requires education. As Renaissance humanists sought to rediscover the ancient Greek and Roman classics, so Protestant Reformers sought out ancient copies of the Bible to find the most accurate Hebrew and Greek texts (instead of relying on the Latin translation of those texts) and to translate them accurately into modern languages. It is no accident that when Martin Luther famously took his stand against the Roman Catholic Church, he stated that he would not change his mind “unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason.” Protestant Reformers often used reason to discredit medieval belief in the power of relics to perform miracles and other superstitious beliefs. They stated that the Lord’s Supper was a simple reminder of Jesus’ death on the cross, rather than a supernatural event in which bread and wine transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus. Protestantism produced notable Bible scholars. It is also no accident that many of the early scientists were devout Protestants. The connections between the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation are profound.

Many Christians believe that the division between Roman Catholics and Protestants in the Reformation of the 1500s was the last major development in Western church history. But history does not stand still.

The emphasis on reason in Protestant churches continued to grow. Not only did Protestants discredit the power of relics, rituals, and prayers to saints, but many came to believe that miracles, supernatural interventions of God, no longer take place. They began to doubt whether God is active at all in human history. The early Protestants used study and reason to find the most accurate copy of the Bible. Later Protestants in the 1800s used the same approach to analyze the Bible itself. Their “higher criticism” broke the Bible down into fragments until there was nothing left but dust, which quicky blew away. Dispensing with the Bible and God, they clung to reason and its children, psychology and sociology. These “mainstream” Protestant churches (Anglican, Lutheran, United, etc.) are now in great decline, demonstrating that a religion solely based on reason is a dead end.

But that was not the end. The evangelical revivals, occurring about the same time as the rise of the Enlightenment, preserved trust in the Bible. Evangelicals are often considered Protestants (that is, non-Roman Catholics), but the differences between Protestantism and evangelicalism are as great as the differences between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. (For instance, the difference between infant baptism and believer’s baptism is profound.)

And even that was not the end. There are also parallels and connections between the Romantic movement and church history. The charismatic/Pentecostal movement has echoes of Romanticism with its emphasis on experience and feeling rather than reason. While evangelicals stress, “The Bible says…”, charismatics say, “I think” or “I believe” or “I feel”—often disguised as “God told me…” or “the Holy Spirit says…” or “I dreamed…”

Of course, I have been writing about broad movements, not individuals. The Protestant and evangelical emphasis on the Bible is not solely about reason and the mind. When Martin Luther’s study of the Bible led him to understand that he was sinner saved by faith alone, it brought about a profound and heartfelt transformation of his life. John Wesley launched the evangelical movement when he was listening to the reading of one of Luther’s commentaries and felt his heart “strangely warmed.” Evangelical revivals, with repentant sinners falling on their knees in an alter call, are hardly examples of the triumph of reason. They are a product of both teaching (reason) and conviction/commitment (emotion).

I believe in the Bible. It is the record of God’s interaction with human beings and His revelation of His character and His will. It is to be studied with care and reason, but we must go beyond that. That study must lead to a heartfelt commitment to follow the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). 

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Guarding Our Words: A Sinner’s Reflection on Girl Talk, Gossip, and Un-Godly Bloodletting!

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Ann Malley

I’m going to DIVE IN because there’s just no other way. I’ve written and rewritten this column too many times already but, honestly, as a Christian, a sinner, a woman with her sins constantly set before her, I’m spent.

As writers, we know, better than most. Words hold power. We use words every day to communicate the deepest of human needs, heartaches, joys, fears, and fantastical imaginings. Our choice of words teach adults and children’s alike about who we are as men, women, human beings, etc. etc. etc. The right words at the right time can promote, inspire, entertain, empower, save a life, encourage struggling families, and move our Father in Heaven to have mercy when we need it most. We ALL need God’s mercy. But have you ever caught yourself slipping into a conversation that starts harmless and ends with tearing someone down? It happens so easily—maybe it’s a complaint about a friend, frustration with a coworker, or a whispered “prayer request” that’s really just gossip in disguise.

Worse still is the raging scandal of Christians tearing down everyone and anyone tasked with cleaning up the family mess in Washington D.C. and beyond. You’ve seen the memes all over Facebook. Individuals, with their pitifully narrow views and lacking global perspective, pretend that this or that politician isn’t Christian enough. Yet anyone who has ever had to retrench—that’s regency era speak for tightening one’s belt—will understand. Saying no to one’s children, accustomed to a certain level of comfort or feeling good about themselves is hard. It’s impossible for some. 

No, you can’t have all your friends come over every weekend. We cannot feed them all. We cannot afford to pay for your college, dear, or supply your back-to-school wardrobe. You can’t give your grandmother’s heart meds away. She needs them. You’ll have to get a part-time job. Maybe two. A small wedding is better than no wedding. Stop buying the brand name. Generic will do if we can get it. We may have to do without. Get teased about it? So sorry. Needs must, or the whole fort goes down. 

Others often criticize the person responsible for these impossibly hard calls, calling them unfeeling, cruel, blind, and heartless. Those in their own household hate him or her on. (The Crash of ’29 saw many a suicide because those who thought they were untouchably wealthy lost everything. That can happen again if we as a people ignore the reality of bloated spending and the pretext of charity that directly undermines our country’s ability to help its own.) The ankle biters in the house who are the biggest spenders of other people’s hard earned money are the loudest. They shout compassion while asserting that robbing Peter to pay Paul is holy. The Judas claims that he’s only concerned about the plight of the poor when, in truth, he’s stealing from all the people. Judas is snatching the gospel away from everyone by pretending that one may do evil that good may come of it. 

I’m sorry for rambling, but this Christian sinner is grievously scandalized by her brothers and sisters in Christ. I’d kindly ask all the would-be saints who are judging the one tasked with driving the bus to give it a rest. May we focus on the purity of intention? The wants and desires that we glimpse in the bathroom mirror when brushing our teeth are often the most accurate. What are you looking to achieve? To appear holy? To appear charitable? Okay, but at what cost? Being unChristian and vicious with another whom we do not know? Are we crying compassion because we truly grasp the whole situation or because we like to ‘feel’ good and check that box that says, I’m-a-good-Christian, but he or she could’t be!

There’s plenty of self-interest in being charitable. Don’t believe me? Matthew 6:1 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” 

The sacrifice asked by God is to step away from ones’ unchecked zeal in my experience. That goes out to the one crying, “We are told to judge the fruits!” Are we acting to please God in God’s time by our precipitous, out-of-context judging? Or are we pushing for perceived ‘virtue’ out of human respect and the unfounded notion that “we” will fix things? Are Christian engaging in such public displays of “Crucify him!” misusing the gospel to preach their own message? Are these zealots missing the point that even a politician is the least of our brothers. 

Our Lord himself said that we would always have the poor with us. Not because poverty is desirable, but more likely because all people need the daily opportunity to be truly charitable, not alleviated from the exercise. That said, what is poverty? Is it the lack of material goods? Or is poverty the Christian who, claiming faith in God, sets that faith aside to manage the how and when and why of making things holy in the manner he sees fit?

Consider this. The greater sacrifice can be that of prayer instead of dropping that cash we’ve been told will satisfy our obligation. Forgive us our trespasses as we give those who trespass against us. Praying these words, the Lord’s Prayer, is asking God to forgive us in the manner that we forgive others. We also ask the Lord to lead us not into temptation and yet we see Christians inviting temptation by judging with unjust judgment. They are judging by appearances, not just judgement. 

Okay. Rant over. I had to get that off my chest and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity. James 1: 26 And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  27 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.

Let’s speak love, not hate, even for those we consider an enemy.  Let’s attempt to imitate Christ instead of killing him, the truth, with the nails of unchecked, human zeal. Luke 23: 34 And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 

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Where do you recharge?

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Author Mary Alford

As a suspense author, I’m a huge fan of setting my stories in the mountains for multiple reasons.

Not only are the mountains breathtaking, but they are one of the places where I see God’s majesty displayed everywhere. Mountains make a great setting for suspense. Whether it’s for hiding the villain, or creating a surprise attack, they allow me to spread my suspense wings, and act as silent witnesses to the story unfolding around them.

There’s something awe-inspiring about standing before a towering mountain. Whether it’s the rolling Appalachians, the rugged Rockies, or the peaks of the Alps, mountains remind us of the power and majesty of our Creator. Throughout Scripture, God used mountains as places of revelation, refuge, and transformation. Today, they continue to inspire and call us to deeper faith.

Mountains Often Played a Significant Role in God’s Plan!

  • Mount Sinai – The place where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20).
  • Mount Carmel – Where Elijah called down fire from heaven to prove that the Lord is God (1 Kings 18).
  • The Mount of Transfiguration – Where Jesus was revealed in His glory before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1-9).
  • The Mount of Olives – A place where Jesus prayed and taught, and from which He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-12).

In each case, the mountains were a meeting place between God and His people—a place where hearts were changed and faith was strengthened.

Spiritual Lessons of the Mountains

Mountains are not just physical landmarks; they are spiritual symbols that can teach us valuable lessons:

  1. A Call to Seek God – Climbing a mountain takes effort. Likewise, drawing close to God requires perseverance and faith (James 4:8).
  2. A Place of Perspective – The higher we go, the more we see. Spending time with God lifts our perspective above earthly troubles (Colossians 3:2).
  3. A Symbol of God’s Strength – Just as mountains stand firm through storms, God is our unshakable refuge (Psalm 125:1-2).
  4. A Reminder of Our Smallness and God’s Greatness – Standing before a mountain reminds us of our dependence on God (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Climbing Our Spiritual Mountains

Just as hikers prepare for a physical climb, we must prepare for our spiritual journey. Through prayer, Scripture, and community, we strengthen our faith and find courage to face life’s challenges. And just like Moses and Elijah, we, too, can meet with God in the quiet places—whether on a literal mountaintop or in the stillness of our hearts.

The next time you see a mountain, let it remind you of God’s majesty, faithfulness, and call to draw nearer to Him.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2

All the best. . .

Mary Alford

http://www.maryalford.net

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Walking Another’s Path by Vicki Hinze

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

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Walking Another’s Path by Vicki Hinze

 

One of the hardest things a parent can experience is watching their child go through life, and—boom!—you see trouble ahead unless they change paths. If the child is young, you guide them, counsel them, direct them away from danger or pain. 

 

But the older the child becomes, the more independent s/he becomes.  The sphere of influence broadens to friends, teachers, and others and the less influence you, the parent, have.  You may not even know there is a problem until it goes so far that the consequences are huge.  Teens and adult children are notorious for this for a multitude of reasons.

 

Of course, when we are aware, we attempt to guide and offer counsel and learned wisdom anyway.  Of course, we do.  When we can.  But there are times when we cannot.  When we’re kept in the dark, or our counsel is unwanted. 

 

I have a friend going through such a situation now.  The actions of another directly impact her in ways unimagined, and yet she cannot say anything.  Cannot do anything…except love the other person through it and offer what support she can.

 

That sounds like small solace to her, but it is not.  It’s huge.  This is, after all, another’s path and no one understands all of that path as well, including the unspoken nuances and histories and triggers on it.

 

When someone comes to us with an issue, we want to solve it.  We want to help because we hate seeing another hurt.  The closer we are to that person, the more we hate seeing them struggle through a difficulty.  At these times, we all find it hard to remember that there is good in pain and hurt.  That sometimes we must endure the pain and hurt to gain insight and knowledge we need to avoid suffering greater pain or hurt later. 

 

This battle within can put our minds and hearts at war with each other.  It typically does.  Yet, as we mature, we learn that we need that insight and knowledge more than we need protection from pain and hurt.  It isn’t easy, or fun, or pleasant.  Still, we learn and grow and we’re better prepared for future challenges. 

 

I guess the points hitting me over the head are:

 

  1. We can’t assume we know best the steps another should take on their path when they have the best and most complete picture of their path.

 

  1. We can’t be sure that even the best advice and the most well-intentioned advice is the right advice for another in their situation, right now.

 

 

  1. As an outsider, we don’t know all the nuances or intricacies on any situation with anyone except our own. Often, we don’t know all of those about ourselves.

 

  1. Small hurts and pains teach us constructive coping skills for tougher challenges.

 

  1. We can’t walk another’s path. We can support them, love them, and pray for them, but we cannot walk their path.  We must walk our own.

 

  1. We can listen, we can care, we can support.  We cannot fix things for others.

 

  1. If another wants our opinion, they will ask for it.

 

  1. We can offer help in tangible ways we can, but it’s up to the other person to accept it—and should they choose not to, we must respect and accept that, understanding that they best grasp their situation and what is right for them.

 

 I’m working through this as I write, and the thread I’m seeing is one of respect.  Respect for the other person’s path.  Respect for their place on it. And respect for them. 

 

If we offer that—respect—then I think we’ve offered them the best of us, and what they most need.

 

After all, we must each walk our own path and, at its end, each of us is responsible for our own journey.

 

Blessings,

 

Vicki Hinze

 

 

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AI…It’s Not Going Away

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Patricia Bradley

How many times have you started a text, email, or a letter and a message pops up from AI wanting to help you? Bugs me to no end. I’m a writer. I don’t need AI’s help. Or do I?

If I’m honest, I do sometimes. I definitely need it for spellcheck. Then there are times when what I’ve written isn’t quite right, and if I click on the “corrections” AI wants to make, the sentence sounds better. However, if I worry the sentence around in my head, I will come to the same place AI wants to take me…except AI is a lot quicker. What’s wrong with that?

Nothing…Maybe…if you do it occasionally, but that’s like eating only one M&M. Using AI can become addictive. It’s so easy to rely on AI that we often don’t want to put in the hard work of getting it right on our own. Then again, what happens when we don’t use our muscles? They atrophy, that’s what, and the brain is a muscle. If you don’t use it, as the cliche goes, you’ll lose it. I really worry about the children growing up now. Public school students already can’t read or write cursive. At some point, we are going to have people who can’t read the Constitution.

How about the moral implications? Is there anything wrong with writers inputting their story concepts and characters into programs like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, and NovelAI, and others and having it spit out a book? Where do we draw the line?

Personally, I view AI as a tool writers can use much like the computer. Sort of. I’ve used it when searching for a title for the project I’m working on. I’ve created character images to put in the character section of my writing program, and I’ve used it to find names for those characters. And I definitely use it for spellcheck, but I would never use it to create a story. One reason is that the story would be flat. AI cannot create an emotionally rounded character because AI has no soul. It can’t write emotions it will never feel.

Writers must decide how much AI they want to use because like the title says, it isn’t going away. So how do you feel about AI? Is it a gift to writers or something we need to run away from? Or does it fall somewhere in between?

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The Making of the Modern World (Part One) by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 26, 2025 by jrcoggins

It is indisputable that the modern world has been dominated by Western civilization, based in Europe and North America. English, itself an amalgam of European languages, is the established norm for international communication, used by air traffic controllers all over the world, for instance. But what is the character of Western civilization? What are the central philosophies behind modern civilization?

Medieval Europe, between 400 and 1500 AD is generally characterized as an age of poverty, ignorance, and superstition. There is some truth to this, although it is an exaggeration, even a caricature.

This changed with the Renaissance, which promoted literacy and culture, supported by growing economic wealth. The Renaissance began in the 1300s in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe. It drew on ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and scientists and stressed reason and the centrality of human beings. (Especially in northern Europe, the movement was called “humanism.”)

The Renaissance movement was reinforced by the Enlightenment in the 1600s and 1700s, which elevated human reason even farther and refined the scientific method.

And that is the foundation of Western civilization. Reason and science led to technological, business, and organizational advances which allowed Europeans to spread their power and influence around the world and gain tremendous wealth and prosperity. Western civilization has also spread education, science, modern medicine, democracy, and human rights. The modern world is based on reason and science.

But, of course, that is not all there is to the story. History does not just flow in one direction. Historical movements often produce counter-movements.

An often overlooked component of the modern world is the Romantic movement, which flourished in the late 1700s and the first half of the 1800s. It was not romance in the sense of love between man and woman but love between man and nature. It was especially propagated through English romantic poets such as William Wordsworth. Scientists approached nature as something to be studied and analyzed and categorized by human reason. Romantics did not approach nature with the mind but with the heart and soul. In contrast to what they saw in the Industrial Revolution (using reason and science to extract wealth from nature, a practical application of the Enlightenment), Romantics wanted to commune with nature. They saw nature as nourishing the human soul. It was a religion in which Nature herself became god. Nature had no Creator but was self-created. (There are overtones in this in the idea of evolution.)

One aspect of Romanticism was “the myth of the noble savage.” Europeans went around the world to bring enlightenment, civilization, education, science, and modern medicine to Indigenous people. Romantics thought that it should be the other way around. Since Native peoples were closer to nature (they lived in the natural world rather than in structures designed by humans), they must be wiser, nobler, purer, and more moral than Europeans. There was some truth to this idea (Inuit knew how better to survive in the Arctic than European explorers, for instance). But the myth was more often developed and promoted by European Romantics who stayed in Europe rather than the explorers who encountered Indigenous people. As philosopher Thomas Hobbes observed, life in a state of nature is often “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Indigenous people often lived in fear of the spirits who lived in nature and resorted to magic to fight disease, famine, and other problems. All races and nations have strengths and weaknesses, and it is folly to proclaim that one is superior to others.

Like the Enlightenment, the Romantic movement continues to have an impact today.

The modern Environmental movement is often misunderstood. It is seen as the culmination of science and reason. In fact, its roots lie as much in the Romantic movement as in the Enlightenment. That is why so many of its pronouncements and policies are unreasonable. Protecting every tree as sacred will mean that we will have no shelters in which to live. Environmentalists want to replace gasoline-powered cars, which destroy the earth with carbon pollution, with electric cars, which destroy the earth with lithium mining. Environmentalists believe that switching to a green economy will magically lower costs and create jobs. It is an emotional enterprise, not a logically thought-through enterprise. This is not to say that protecting the environment is not a good idea or that there is not some science behind it. But the passionate commitment to environmentalism, often amounting to a religious fervor, has more to do with the heart than the mind.

The environmental movement even has a form of the myth of the noble savage, suggesting that Native people have superior wisdom when it comes to preserving the natural habitat and fighting forest fires.

The Romantic movement also has echoes in homeopathic, naturopathic, and “natural” remedies, often passed down from “ancient wisdom,” and even in the preference for organic foods.

The two movements, the Enlightenment and Romanticism, the appeal to the mind and the heart, continue to propel Western civilization. It might be noted that both of these foundational movements are secular. It is sometimes suggested that Western civilization is Christian in nature. It is true that Christianity has played a significant role in Europe and North America. It has influenced and been influenced by these two powerful secular movements and interacted with them in various ways. But to a considerable extent Christianity has remained apart from the mainstream. Even while many Western leaders claimed an affiliation with Christianity, their actions often said otherwise. While many people in the West have claimed to be Christians, most were nominal Christians rather than truly committed to Jesus. As Jesus said, many are called but few chosen. Christianity is an important current running through the history of Western civilization, but it has generally been a minor current, with fewer committed adherents than the other two movements.   

Next Blog: Part Two: The Modern World and Christian Churches

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A God of Second Chances by Vicki Hinze

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

 

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The Bible is full of cases where God proved He was the God of second chances.  He created us, knows our every wound and scar, and all that leads us to make mistakes.  It is by forgiveness and grace that He gave us a way to accept responsibility for our errors, to repent, and make amends:

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

The Bible does not need us.  But we do need it.  I firmly and steadfastly believe that.  It is an instruction book, the place we can look back through history and see how problems similar to ours were dealt with and the final results.  Was the Word shared with us an attempt to help us through our trials and tribulations?  A means to help us avoid making the same errors that have been made over and again?

I believe so, just as I believe it was shared to reassure us that hope doesn’t die with an error.  There is a path back to serenity and peace.  That too is revealed to us through biblical events.

When we mess up and need a second chance it’s worth remembering that we all do mess up and need second chances.

It is also worth remembering that God did not set tasks to perfect people.  Look to Moses, Job, to King David.  All those men and many more had a past.  All made mistakes and yet they were not abandoned nor forgotten.  They were shown the error of their ways, and the path back to God.  And they all went on to perform essential missions–essential to their people and in their time that had profound impact on themselves and many others.

Jesus instructed us to be perfect.  That was not a “be perfect or you’re out” order.  It was a motivational remark meant to inspire you to try to be perfect.  He knew you were human.  That you would err and falter.  But He also knew that if you aspired to perfection, you would err, falter and fail less often.  Inspired, you would progress further on your life’s journey, your life’s purpose, with you spending less time off the rails and more time on the right track.

Our country’s founders knew this, and understood the importance of values, morals and ethics in people and in a self-reliant society.  They understood the importance of faith in God, and several of them wrote about it so that we too would understand and benefit from their legacies.

This legacy of knowledge is evidenced in many ways, but one of my favorite (being an author and a descendent) is something I learned as a child in school.  The first book printed in this country was the Bible.  That printing was paid for by Congress.  The purpose?  To distribute copies to all schools to assure that every student had access to the Bible to read it.

That depicts the significance they placed on it.  While we each determine what significance we place on it, we can benefit from shared wisdom.  

Morals, values and ethics are essential to the functioning of a republic.  For a republic to survive, the people had to take in those traits and adopt them as their own. They provide a benchmark of decorum for civil society.

 These many years later, we understand that, and the importance of soul survival.

 Unfortunately, we have also seen many displays of what happens when these critical traits and faith itself are suppressed or ignored.  It isn’t pretty, or healthy, or in my opinion, in our collective best interests.

Fortunately for me, and those who share that belief, we can go to our instruction book, the Bible, and find what we need:

Proverbs 11:3

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

 

That one verse tells us to remain hopeful, faithful, and encouraged because if we adopt and maintain integrity, we will be guided, and those who are unfaithful will be destroyed by their own duplicity.

 Ours is the God of Second Chances.

 It is up to us to take them.

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

 

 

 

 

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Bible instruction for destroying idols

Posted on March 20, 2025 by dtopliff

In 1984, on my first of nine lengthy trips to Israel, I was eager to study Bible Archaeology to teach my Bible College students and friends. An English visitor who was boarding in the same Israeli home insisted I visit a dig ten miles north of the Sea of Galilee. I hopped on a bus and went to Tel Hazor, northern Israel’s largest archaeological site. It’s upper hilltop defense area covers 30 acres. Its lower populated city area includes 175 more.

Joshua conquered its Canaanite king, Jabin, and his confederate kings in a major victory. Scripture tells us Joshua  burned the city and put its inhabitants to the sword, but the Canaanites reconquered and rebuilt. Hazor returned to Israel’s control under Kings David and Solomon. Solomon rebuilt and fortified it, Megiddo, and Gezer as three treasure city strongholds protected by his complicated signature triple entrance gates safeguarding them from enemy invasion. I loved exploring despite getting heat stroke.

Back at my accommodation, my new English friend, Anne, gifted me the three inch pottery reclining calf she had found at the site for my students to see. It was cleverly made in more lifelike proportion than the nearest similar photo I can find to share below. It was red clay with painted streaks of black, red, and white paint added.

After I flew home, Anne wrote and asked me to destroy the object as she feared it had been used in pagan worship. I hesitated. At least 1200 years old, this hand-made item gave a glimpse into ancient times. However, when I prayed, I heard the question, “Why would you save something involved in pagan worship?” First my history-loving brain trotted out obvious historical reasons, and then the Lord asked, “What was it devoted to?” That settled it. I wrote Anne and her husband that I would destroy it. But how?

Exodus 32:20 KJV and other verses give instruction, “And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” One student wanted to help. First we burned the object in my wood stove. I sifted the ashes but couldn’t find the rascal. Had it disintegrated? Made of baked clay, it glowed like an ember and avoided detection until I finally found it. We used a hammer to smash it into powder, walked to a nearby stream, sang a song as we cast the bits into flowing water, and each drank a tiny portion as the Bible says.

That experience was an object lesson. If we don’t have literal pagan idols, we can parallel that process to be free of problem areas in the same ways. Parallel the process by committing them to the Lord for His fire to consume and accept them as happened to many Old Testament sacrifices. Next, let the hammer of God’s word smash them as written in Jeremiah 23:29 “A message from me is like a fire that burns things. It is like a hammer that breaks a rock into pieces.” And then let His living waters carry them away.

I’ve loved my 40 years of trips to Israel and continue learning from connections there. Best of all, scriptures from long ago are vitally applicable to our lives now. I’ve shared my travel lessons in A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel: Adventures, Wit, and Wisdom and tucked in recipes. It’s on Amazon in print, Kindle, and Audible or contact me to order signed copies. Have fun applying this redemption process in all ways the Lord directs.

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