“Discount – (verb) to decide that something or someone is not worth considering or giving attention to.” Cambridge Dictionary
If we were fortunate as children, we lived in a family where we were taught to not discount people because of their race, religion, ethnicity, or financial situation. We learned that people are not less valuable because of any of their inborn characteristics or outward circumstances.
For the past several years, people have also been discounting others because of their political beliefs. Our children in the university system have been taught to discount those who do not conform to the current norms at their institutions. On campus, they live in an echo chamber where only the accepted opinions are given any real credence or value.
This past Thanksgiving, a psychiatric intern at one university shared online that people might want to skip getting together with their families if their relatives voted for candidates they didn’t agree with. The “Northeastern Global News” stated that about one quarter of people were considering skipping the family get-together this year.
I come from a family where one of my brothers is on the far right and the other is on the far left. Would I ever consider not having dinner with them because of their political views? Absolutely not. Family is too important, and life is too short. Political candidates and opinions change like the ocean tides. To be so locked into our views that we must live in an ideological bubble where those with different views are discounted seems absurd.
Believe it or not, we can always learn from those who have different opinions than our own. We can learn why they believe what they do. We can learn to be tolerant of those who see life differently. We can learn to care about people who think differently than we do because they add to our understanding of the world around us. We can also learn to have a little humility because believe it or not, we are not always right in our opinions and we do not always see the whole picture.
Let’s learn to love those who have different political views this holiday season. Let’s not discount them as the world would have us do.
For the past few weeks, our society has been focused on the Presidential Pardons being given out at the White House. The President granted his son a full pardon and today has pardoned over 1,500 people. Some of his pardons have been controversial, and others, not so much. Like it or not, over the next several weeks, we are likely to see many more pardons.
Pardons are not something that we see happen a lot. Judges don’t usually give them out and there are not many other entities that are allowed to give out judicial pardons. Because pardons are such a rare thing, they gain a lot of attention.
A lot of us have not been in jail or prison and do not have a record that is limiting our life choices. We do not normally think about pardons in the judicial sense but we are aware of the need for them in our relationships. When we apologize for something we have done that may have offended someone, we want to be pardoned (or forgiven) our wrong. If people are unable or unwilling to forgive or pardon others, they can lead to a very difficult life indeed.
When I think about pardons, I immediately think about the fact that I was given a full pardon several years ago. I was in my mid-twenties, had lived a bit of a wild life, and needed the forgiveness of God for my sins. They were weighing heavily on my mind and I wished to make a change in the way I had been living. I learned that I was not alone and that the Scripture says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” I found out that God was waiting to grant me a full pardon; if only I would ask for it.
I was grateful that his Son, Jesus, had come to this earth to die in order that I might be pardoned for the sins I had committed. He paid the penalty for my sin so that my relationship with the Father could be restored and that I could live a new life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” John 3:16.
Did I deserve a full pardon? No. Did some people not understand how I could be forgiven and begin to live a new life? Yes. It didn’t matter to me. I was and am eternally grateful to the Father and his Son, Jesus, for the full pardon.
When we think about pardons, we should look inside of ourselves and see if we need a full pardon. Let’s not look at others and think about their unworthiness but look at our own unworthiness when it comes to the ability to stand before a holy and righteous God.
After looking inside, do you feel the need a full pardon? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Jesus and ask for it. He has paid the full price for all of your sins and He is more than willing to give you one if only you will ask.
When I was a teenager, I had a friend whose uncle had an airplane. We had a lot of fun when he would take us on one of his trips. I really liked flying in a small plane…it was a great way to get where you wanted to go in a hurry! Fast forward to my twenties. I lost a few friends in small plane accidents because they or their pilots were not instrument-rated. Both planesended up crashing into a mountain. In both accidents, when the search parties found them, no one survived the accidents.
You see, you can be a pilot and not be instrument-rated. You only have clearance to fly in good weather where you can see the horizon and the ground below you. If you get into the “soup,” as pilots say, then it is impossible to determine where you are in relation to the horizon. A person can be flying right side up, but it may seem like they are upside down. Perhaps the most famous incident in recent history is when JFK Jr. crashed when he was flying over the ocean. He was not instrument-rated, and when he became disoriented because of low visibility, he ultimately crashed into the water.
As we move forward in the future, it will be imperative to be instrument-rated in our lives. If we only have a cursory knowledge of God and his word, we can easily become disoriented and crash when events happen around us. Our survival will be dependent upon our skill in the cockpit of life. In order to become instrument-rated, we must become close to the Lord (the Control Tower) and take our guidance from him and his manual (the Bible).
It is fairly easy to become a beginner pilot, but it takes a lot of studying and over a hundred hours in the air to become an instrument-rated pilot. It will be the same for us in order to be instrument-rated in life. We need to spend a considerable amount of time studying his word and walking with the Lord in order to travel safely through what is coming. There may be economic upheaval, natural disasters, and incredible deception just over the horizon. Those who are not instrument-rated will crash and burn, but those who are instrument-rated will be able to follow the manual and handle each situation with an element of peace and a passage of safety that will be elusive to others.
Jimmy grabbed another beer and chugged it. He was already three sheets to the wind, but who cares? Tonight was the end of the season, and they had won; this party was for them. It didn’t hurt that he was the star quarterback and had a full ride to Arizona State. This was his night, and he had enjoyed every minute of it. He looked at his watch. It was late and he was ready to go home. “Hey, Bill, Tom, come on,” he said. Bill and Tom, his linebackers and best friends, were a bit hammered also. They grabbed their coats and followed Jimmy out the door.
Jared caught a glimpse of them leaving and ran out the door. “Hey guys, why don’t you let me drive you home. It’s time for me to hit the road also.”
Jimmy turned and looked at him. “Not gonna happen, you pipsqueak.” He laughed at the thought of the smallest guy on the team driving them home.
Jared looked at his three friends. He was the placekicker for the team. He didn’t drink but just came to the party to socialize and celebrate the end of the season. He knew he didn’t have the physical strength to stop Jimmy, and so he got in his car and thought he would follow them to make sure they got home okay.It had rained earlier, and now the temperature was freezing. The road was going to be slick for sure.
Jared waited about thirty seconds before he pulled out of the parking lot after Jimmy left. He then got on the narrow road and stayed a ways behind him. Jimmy was speeding up and he lost sight of them as they rounded a curve. Jared touched his brakes lightly as he came into the turn. His car slowed as he rounded the corner.
“Oh God,” he said as he saw Jimmy’s car up against a tree. The front was smashed in and the back had black smoke coming out of it. He quickly called 911 and then jumped out of the car. He saw that Jimmy, Tom and Bill looked unconscious. He prayed, “Help me God,” as he began shouting at them to wake up. Bill was the first one to start to come around and so he ran and opened his door. He unhooked his seatbelt and began talking to him. Jared helped Bill walk a safe distance and then sat him on the ground. He left him there and returned to the car.
By that time, Jimmy was beginning to come around. He had been protected by the airbag and was mumbling something about being knocked out at the game. Jared started shouting at him to wake up. He removed Jimmy’s seatbelt and half-dragged him out of the car. “Who hit us, dude?” Jimmy said. His legs were like rubber, but Jared managed to gethim to where Bill was. He let him fall to the ground and ran back for Tom. By this time, he could see flames shooting out of the other side of the car. He knew he only had a matter of seconds to get Tom to safety.
Jared opened the driver’s side back door and started shouting at Tom. Tom opened his eyes and looked at him. His eyes were glazed over but at least they were open. Jared unhooked his seat belt and pulled him out of the car. He fell to the ground and Jared helped him get up and Tom slowly limped to where the other two were.
Jared set him down, stood, and turned around to look at the car. At that moment, the car blew up and burst into flames. A piece of metal hit Jared in the chest and he was knocked to the ground. He put his hand to his chest and could feel warm liquid coming out where the metal had hit him. He started to lose consciousness and the last thing he heard was the sound of sirens coming to where they were.As the blackness was overtaking him, he thought, “Thank God my friends are safe.”
An hour later, Jimmy lay in the emergency room. He was finally awake and had sobered up enough to know where he was. His parents were there talking to the doctor. They looked worried, and he wondered if he and the other guys were going to be okay. When the doctor left, he said to his parents, “Am I going to be okay? How are the other guys?”
His father had a serious look on his face, “They’re going to keep all of you overnight for observation. The doctor said you can come home tomorrow.”
A few days later, Jimmy lay on his bed. He and Bill had been released the day after the accident and were being watched for symptoms of a concussion. Tom was still in the hospital with a broken ankle and Jared…Jared didn’t make it. He started to cry. Jared, the only sober one at the party, had risked his life to save them from the burning car. Not only had Jared saved his life, he had saved him from causing the death of his friends in the car.
The next morning, he forced himself out of bed to attend Jared’s funeral. He watched as Jared’s parents wept as the pastor spoke comforting words to them. He knew he was going to have to speak to them and tell them how sorry he was for his foolish behavior. But he knew that he would never be able to make it up to them for the loss of their son. The only innocent person that night was Jared, and he was the one who paid the price for his bad judgment. He started to cry; it was not fair, not fair at all.
We can all agree with Jimmy that it wasn’t fair that the one person who was innocent in this story was the one who paid the price for Jimmy’s poor decisions. I hope this parable somehow conveys the truth of what Jesus did for us. The Scripture says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ” Romans 5: 6 -8. That’s some kind of love, isn’t it? And it’s there just for the asking.
“Go ahead and hate your neighbor.Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end.”(From the song, “One Tin Soldier”)
Last evening, I went for a walk with my neighbor. She was talking about how she was cornered by a person at a gathering. This person asked who she was going to vote for. My neighbor said, “That’s my business.” We can all agree the person asked an impertinent question. Who we vote for is entirely our own business, but my neighbor felt pressured by this woman/ who is rabid about her politics.My neighbor is not a party person. She votes for the person she thinks will best do the job. She does not want to be intimidated by people or put into a box to be checked about which party she belongs to.
I think we can all relate to how my neighbor feels. We live in a climate where the media and influencers like to cause a rift or division among people because of their political views. You see, if people are busy hating their neighbor because of their political views, they will not look up and really evaluate what is happening in the government. A good, hard look at the activity or inactivity in Congress is a real eye-opener.
As citizens in this society, we must not fall for this manipulation. I grew up in a time when Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass bills in the House and Senate. The good of the country or state was more important than taking a hard line on issues and refusing to work for a compromise that would get the problems solved. We now live in a time where political gridlock is par for the course, and citizens are supposed to accept this inaction as normative.
Let’s wake up to this societal manipulation. Quit listening to media influencers who denigrate the people in the opposing political party. The majority of Americans have similar concerns about most of the important issues. How we address those concerns should include both sides of the political equation having a say in the solution.
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And yes, that includes the neighbor who has a Trump – Vance or Harris – Walz sign up on their lawn. Don’t fall prey to the notion that we should denigrate those who hold a different political view than we do.
I had a dream a few nights ago. My husband and I had moved to the coast, and we were standing on the shore. I looked up and there was a thirty-foot wave coming towards the beach. Someone yelled, “Everyone get to higher ground!” People started running. My hubby and I walked as fast as we could up the hill, and when we got there, the people had gone into a church. It was getting dark, and the lights were on.
Certainly all of my dreams don’t have a deeper meaning, but I think this one did. I have thought about it a lot. I believe difficult times are coming. They may be economic, viral, or environmental; I don’t know, but I think the best thing we can do to prepare for them is to get closer to the Lord and his people. So many people quit attending services during the pandemic because they just got out of the habit of going. They feel like they are doing fine and are watching the services from home, but it isn’t the same as participating in the body life of the church.
My hubby and I know about this firsthand. After his strokes, we didn’t attend church for at least a year. Like others, we watched the services from home but felt very disconnected from the body of Christ. Now that we have started going again, we feel much closer to the Lord and to his people.
Scripture tells us in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together and even more as we see the day approaching. What day would that be? He is talking about the return of the Lord. Even those who are not believers can see that the earth is on a collision course with disaster. Nations are at war with each other, and the Middle East is at a boiling point that could spill over, affecting many nations. The economies of several countries are barely holding onto their monetary systems, and others have already imploded. It just takes one EMP to detonate in the atmosphere to paralyze any country in the world. The viral labs are again working on gain of function, and who knows what virus will escape, causing yet another pandemic. I am not a pessimist, but the future does not look bright and rosy to me.
If any of these disasters do pan out in the future, we will need a large support group. What better place to find one than in the church where people will love you, pray for you and help you when you need it. Now is the time to get connected so that when difficulties come, you are fully supported by the body of Christ.
One day a young boy went out to the countryside to hear a man talk about the kingdom of heaven. He came prepared for a long day, and so he brought a sack lunch. Many people came out that day; in fact, there were about 5,000 men, not counting the women and children. They listened all afternoon, and it grew late. The people were getting hungry and there was no place to purchase food, so the teacher’s followers asked him to send the people away so they could go into the nearby towns and villages and buy what they needed. The teacher looked at them and said, “You give them something to eat.”
I’m sure his followers looked at him like he was joking. Finally, one of them took him seriously and found a boy who had a sack lunch. He said, “There’s a little boy who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’sa drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”The boy gave up his lunch, the teacher took the food, blessed it, broke it, and his followers passed it around. Miraculously, there was enough to feed everyone.
This is a well known story about Jesus and his disciples. There’s a lot we can unpack here but I would like to talk about one aspect of it. Our God is God of multiplication…not just simple multiplication but exponential multiplication. Knowing that, where does that leave us, and what do we do with the little we have?
So many times, a need arises and we think, “I don’t have much. The little I could give wouldn’t make much difference.” But is that really true? If we serve a God of multiplication, can’t he take what we give and make it go much further? I believe he can. In fact, I have seen it myself.
I have seen him take a bag of clothes and bless several families with them. I have seen him multiply food at dinner so that it served more people than it was prepared for. I have seen him take a box full of canned food and help feed multiple people. Why and how can it work this way?
The key is offering what we have to God, letting him bless it and then multiply it. Don’t be afraid to give five or ten dollars to a worthy cause. It can go a lot further than you think. This principle not only happens in the earthly realm but also in the heavenly one. One ministry I know of, “The Jesus Film Project,” goes around the world showing The Jesus Film in remote locations. Many places are hostile to Christianity, but it doesn’t stop the people from sharing the film. For every dollar a person donates, one person comes to the Lord. These are the statistics, and I believe they are true. Many times, a whole village will come to the Lord after seeing the film. So with just a small donation, people’s lives can be changed for eternity.
What do you have that you could share? Don’t be put off by the size of your offering. Believe in the God of exponential multiplication and let him take your gift, bless it, and bring physical or spiritual life to those in need.
“Apotheosis, also called deification or divinization, is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, or any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity.” Wikipedia
In other words, apotheosis is when we elevate a human or any other thing to the level of a god. Above is an 1865 painting by Constantino Brumidi, that is in the eye of the rotunda of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. It is called “The Apotheosis of George Washington,” and shows Washington rising in glory, flanked by Liberty and Victory/Fame.
Apotheosis is a subject of many an art painting, but it certainly doesn’t belong in our political landscape. When I listen to people talk about the candidates that are running for office this electoral season, I am amazed that some people sound like they are elevating them to an almost god-like status. Many view Donald Trump as a would-be savior of the nation. I heard one pundit say that when he walked into the Republican National Convention, there was almost a “religious” quality to the atmosphere.On the other side of the political spectrum, many Democrats are speaking of Kamala Harris as the one who can “save our democracy.” It is amusing to see how a person who was discounted by her own party for so long has now risen within weeks to be the one who can save our nation from the supposed fascism of those on the right.
I know that political rhetoric gets hyped during an election season, but let’s please not get caught up in it. Both candidates are only human, and their frailties are on full display. One cannot stick to a subject without disrespecting his opponent, and the other changes her policy views depending on which way the political wind is blowing. Let’s get a grip and tell it like it really is. The electorate will again have to choose between two bad choices in an effort to find the best person to lead this country. My hope is that someday we may be able to find people to run who have personal and political integrity and are fully committed to this nation. We may then have better choices when it comes time to cast our ballots.
Most of us are aware of the pushback that came after the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. People were especially outraged at the parody of Da Vinci’s Last Supper. To paraphrase the Art Director of the ceremony the day after, he basically said that we should all just have a good laugh and move on. The pushback continues, and now he has come out and said it wasn’t a parody of The Last Supper at all. It was supposed to represent a 17th century Dutch painting, The Feast of the Gods by Jan Harmensz van Biljert. Really? It only took him four days to come up with that explanation. If it was the truth, why didn’t he set the record straight initially instead of talking about how he accomplished his goal of inclusivity at the Opening Ceremony?
I’ve thought a lot about it and to say I was disappointed at the display is an understatement. My spirit was grieved that again Christian symbolism has been upended to make a point for those who wish to display their sexuality in a public in-your-face performance.
Those who put on that performance probably had a good laugh that night and several good laughs since then. But how do you think the Lord felt about the performance? Was he up in heaven wringing his hands and saying, “Oh dear, Oh dear!”?
I don’t think so. He knows those who oppose him and his moral laws, and he knows what their end will be. To quote Psalm 2, verses 1-5, “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains, they say, and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.Then He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath.”
Take comfort, there is coming a day when those who oppose the Lord will have to face him and it will be a very sad day indeed. Better to come to him now while it is possible and the Days of Mercy and Grace are still before us. His hands are always held out for those who will turn from their wicked ways and come to him. No sin is too great for him to forgive. Come while there is still time.
Last week I wrote a post about the gaslighting that has been going on by the press and government officials. As bad as it is, did you know that there will be a person that will come upon the world scene who will be The Ultimate Gaslighter? Many refer to this man as the Antichrist or the Beast. He will take the world by storm and have solutions for its problems. Initially, he will come upon the scene as a peacemaker, and people will think he is The Answer. In time, they will come to know who he really is.
Here are a few descriptions of him from Daniel 8:23 – 25 and 9:27. He will have fierce features, understand sinister schemes, and will have power, but it will not come from himself. He will destroy fearfully, he will destroy the mighty and also the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper. He will destroy many in their prosperity.He will rise against the Prince of princes (Jesus). He will ultimately be broken without human means (supernaturally).
He will confirm a covenant for one week (7 years) with Israel. After 3 1/2 years, he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering (in their temple). He will magnify himself above every god and speak blasphemies against God.
How can he do all of this? Where does he get his power? Revelation 13 gives us some insights. The dragon (Satan) will give him his power, throne, and great authority. He will have a mortal head wound and will be (miraculously) healed. This will cause the world to marvel and follow after him. The people will worship him and say, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
Do you wonder how the world will be duped into accepting this man? According to 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
This is not the time to freak out because we have been gaslit by the press and politicians. This is just an example of how easy it is to dupe the unsuspecting public. We must make it a priority to seek out the truth and get right with the Lord. The Ultimate Gaslighter could be alive today and waiting in the wings to make his appearance. DO NOT be taken in my him. He will not be the man of peace he pretends to be, but will be just the opposite.
Note: words in parenthesis are mine for clarification. Image courtesy of Pixabay.
Valerie Cullers 