Comfort in Times of Trouble

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33 NASB) (1)

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2Corinthians 12:9 NKJV) (2)

Troubled times come to all of us, some more than others it seems.  Nevertheless, when it is our turn to have problems, we may find solace in Jesus.  He has the power to carry us through when we reach the end of our own strength.  His power shines through our times of brokenness and heartache.

As the old hymn says, “Turn your eyes  upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.  And, the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” (3)

(1) https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/

(2) https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/

(3) Helen H. Lemmel, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, (1950)

A Blessing

22 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 

23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: 

24 The LORD bless you, and keep you; 

25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 
26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' 

27 "So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."  (Numbers 6:22-27 NASB)*

May the Lord give you this blessing, as well.

* https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/numbers/6.html

Jesus and His Church

The Gospels record a number of confrontations between Jesus Christ and the religious leaders He met, during His earthly ministry.  The 10^th chapter of John’s Gospel contains one such encounter.

1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 

2 "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 

3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 

4 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 

5 "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." 

6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. 

7 So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 

8 "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 

9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 

12 "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 

13 "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 

14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 

15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 

16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 

17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 

18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." 

19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 

20 Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?" 

21 Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?" (NASB) (1)

What can we learn from this?  First, Jesus opposed people who rigidly followed the letter of religious law but missed the point of it.  He regarded such teaching and practice as fundamentally destructive.  Therefore, we should be careful about which religious teachers we allow to influence our thinking.  We mustn’t follow strangers … those whose teaching isn’t consistent with the Holy Bible.

The Pharisees and others he was talking to didn’t get it.  So, Jesus explained it over again.  They still didn’t get it, because they didn’t believe in Him.  They weren’t part of the flock that recognized his voice and followed Him.  Those who hear the Master’s voice calling them and respond are those who put their faith in Jesus and follow Him.  To them He gives an abundant life.

Jesus foresaw the Gentile converts.  He blends Jewish and Gentile believers into one body; His own.

Faith in Jesus is only one way to God, to salvation, to eternal life with God.  Jesus reiterated this truth again in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NASB) (2)

Jesus laid down His life for us.  He did it voluntarily.  He rose from the dead as the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)  The spirits of those who believe in Him will return with Him in the Rapture to be reunited with our resurrected bodies. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18), and we will be like Him. (1John 3:2)

There is no end to the Good News.  Praise be to God the Father and to His Son Jesus Christ.  If you get discouraged by this evil world and its cares, you only have to look into God’s Word to be thrilled by what is waiting for us.


(1) https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/

(2) ibid.

Prayer Request

I am asking for prayer today, the 18^th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.  Please join me in praying for peace, that humankind will set aside violence as a way of trying to resolve differences.

Points of Departure

I was not pleased when President Trump was elected in 2016.  I wrote in for Ted Cruz, because I believed he was a true conservative and a man of character. I was ecstatic that Hillary Clinton lost.

I will vote for President Trump in 2020.  During his time in office he has shown incredible insight into what needs to be fixed in order to restore America to a sustainable condition.  We were in decline.  Now we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Further,  President Trump’s personal comportment has improved during his presidency.  He is still flamboyant and egotistical, but he seems to have set aside the moral failures that marked his past.

Consequently, I have been very supportive of the president.  I agree with the overall direction he has taken.  I urge the U.S. Congress and others to support his policies.  I ask that we the people vote for senators and representatives who will support President Trump.  However,  I am not following blindly.  Just as with everybody else, there are times when I disagree.

At the G7 conference in France, President Trump has suggested that Russia be invited to the next conference, to be held (I believe) in the United States.  With all the greatest respect for the Russian people, I oppose Russia’s return to the G7; until their government stops fueling the ongoing civil war in Syria by their support of the Assad regime.  They should not return until they guarantee that they will not intimidate or interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia and the Ukraine, the countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic States; and until they allow the people of the Crimea to determine their own destiny.

Secondly, I oppose the creation of a Space Force as a separate branch of the U.S. military.  The Air Force currently has a Space Command, which should be expanded instead.  There is already too much competition between the services, which has wasted resources and interfered with the conduct of joint operations.  The third principle of war is “unity of command,” and a new branch of the military will only disrupt that further.  Our adversaries have begun to militarize outer space.  Our task is to find the most efficient and effective way to defend ourselves against it.

I am as saddened by the recent tragedies in Texas and Ohio as anyone else.  I reiterate that I will support any law that will help prevent “gun violence” … as long as it does not infringe the right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.

I am opposed to background checks that would create an additional record, directly with the government, of which citizens have purchased, or attempted to purchase firearms. We already have background checks, which can be expanded to screen for persons who are dangerous to self or others.  If you prohibit the “Prozac Nation” from buying guns just because they are taking “happy pills,” you will have to prohibit half the country from owning guns.

One more thing.  In Colorado, when the Democrats gained control of the executive and legislative branches (2012) the very first thing they did upon taking office in 2013 was to pass restrictive gun laws.  The requirement for background checks was expanded to include any time that a gun changed hands, regardless of whether it was purchased.  In theory, if I lent a friend a rifle so she could go deer hunting, we would be breaking the law unless we paid a gun dealer to run a background check.  The law also complicated giving guns as presents or the ability to inherit Grandpa’s shotgun.  This my friends is an abuse of power and a denial of Americans’ constitutional rights.  Those who want to do away with the Second Amendment need to amend the constitution.  Oh, but they don’t have enough support for that!  I am worried that President Trump might lose the votes of gun owners if he gives ground on restrictive gun laws, which could cost him the election.  Those of us who support your vision for America, Mr. President, would hate to see that happen.

Getting Good Character

One of the most inspiring things that the Rev. Martin Luther King said was, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”  Although this has special meaning for persons who are persecuted because of their race or ethnicity, it is a statement that rings true for all people.

It also bids us ask, “What is good character?”  I love brainyquotes.com.  Click on the link https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results?q=character and you will find quote after quote on the subject of character.  Les Brown said, “Our ability to handle life's challenges is a measure of our strength of character.” We agree that how we deal with life’s tests, and the persistence we show in dealing with them, reveals the “content of our character.”

My father told me that we make a mistake when we do wrong thinking that nobody will find out.  He said the truth about what we do will always be exposed.  In my own experience, my most embarrassing and humiliating moments have come at times when what Dad told me came to pass.

Jackson Brown, Jr. said, “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.”  J.C. Watts stated the same thing a little differently, “Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught.”  I found that the criminals I met while working in a prison often believed that their biggest mistake was not breaking the law; but getting caught.

Most of the wrong I have done in my life was done in the hope that, “Nobody will ever know.”  Some of it was also done because I didn’t care about good character anymore and wanted to do what I thought would gratify my sinful nature.  When you do bad things, it is difficult to like yourself; because it is hard to like a self-serving jerk. (read Romans 7:15-25)  You can become so calloused that you even congratulate yourself for the enjoyment you got from sin, but there is always something that gnaws at you … that won’t let you alone.  God knows all things and you know in your heart that you will have to face Him someday. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

If we try, in our own strength, to have good character, to live a good life and do the right thing, we will fail.  We may look good on the outside, but God knows what we are really like – what we think, feel, say, and do when we believe that, “Nobody will ever know.”  Or, when we just don’t care. I praise God that He showed me that good character doesn't come from the self.  It comes from God.

If we trust Jesus for our Salvation, the Holy Spirit resides in us.  If we surrender ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, He will give us the strength and desire to live in ways that please Him, and not to please the sinful nature. (Romans 8: 5-9).  God will cause you to, “… will and act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV)  Only surrender and let the Holy Spirit work.  That is why Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself  and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NIV)

Want to have good character? “Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them.  And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.”  (1John 3:24 NIV)

Israel's Courage - Banning Reps. Omar and Talib

Recently, Israel banned U.S. Congressional Representatives Rashida Talib and Ilhan Omar from visiting the country.  This week on a cable news station, we heard Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, say something to the effect that it was because Reps. Talib and Omar have promoted things like boycotting Israeli exports and withdrawing investments in Israeli concerns, (paraphrased).

In an article in the August 16, 2019 online edition of, The Jerusalem Post, titled “Rashida Talib and Ilhan Omar outmaneuver Israel – analysis,” Herb Keinon argues that these representatives put Israel in a “lose-lose” situation.  He states that if Israel agrees to allow the congresswomen to visit, “… they will use every opportunity … to bash the Jewish state.” However, “… if Israel doesn’t let them in … it will make Israel look undemocratic, and will give a full arsenal of ammunition to those who want to paint it as such.”

Mr. Keinon points out that there was little press coverage of a recent bipartisan visit to Israel by 72 U.S. Congressional representatives.  However, he anticipates the press will create controversy about the denial of Talib and Omar.

We think that Mr. Keinon’s assessment is correct.  However, we urge that those who read this post will reserve unto themselves the freedom to form their own opinions and refuse to allow themselves to be manipulated by people like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib.  We urge readers to use discernment when the biased, anti-Israel press plays into the hands of these two antisemitic, Muslim congresswomen.

Mr. Keinon’s article implied that President Trump may have influenced Israel to ban Talib and Omar as part of an effort on his part to paint them as poster children for the new, socialist Democratic Party.  He reminds that Israel is in President Trump’s debt for the extraordinary support he has given.  True.  We would point out, however, that Israel has demonstrated repeatedly that they will act independently if they believe it to be necessary.  The economic boycotts and “disinvestment” campaigns being waged against Israel, particularly in Europe, have had a negative effect on Israel’s economy.  We remind that Israel is in a life-and-death struggle with imminent, daily threats to its existence as a nation.

Israel is a sovereign nation.  It has the right to take action to defend itself from disruptive persons who oppose its existence.  Reps. Talib and Omar have repeatedly taken political positions and made public statements which confirm their hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.

We applaud Israel for banning Reps. Talib and Omar.  We wish our own government would show the same courage when regulating who is allowed into the USA.

Post Script:

We just learned that Rep. Talib was subsequently granted permission to enter Israel when she appealed to enter on humanitarian grounds - to visit her aged grandmother. In her letter, on Congressional letterhead, she said she would abide by any conditions specified by Israel.  However, when Israel later asked her to sign a list of written conditions regarding her behavior in Israel during the visit, she declined and cancelled her plans to go. Rep. Talib is reported to have objected to the conditions, which she found to be typical of what she feels is oppressive and discriminatory treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government.

An Israeli official involved in granting Talib permission to enter Israel is reported to have expressed the belief that this incident was premeditated and calculated to embarrass Israel.

We believe that it goes to show that there is just no dealing with radical extremists like Rep. Talib.  You give them a break, and they cut your throat.