Rise up to the Sermon on the Mount

           “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3-10, New Living Translation)     

          If you have your Bible handy, turn to the book of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, and read all of chapters 5 through 7. If you don’t have a Bible, click on this link to get you to the Bible Gateway website.

          These words of Jesus in Matthew are known as the Sermon on the Mount. If you read nothing else in the Bible, study these words of Jesus. Take them to heart. Memorize the verses that stick out the most for you.

          Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, those forty days leading up to Easter when we should take time to reflect on the life and death of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

          Back in the day, all my good Catholic friends gave up something for Lent (I’ve written about that here in the past). This year, let’s all give up hatred, anxiety, and fear. 

Let’s devote more time for prayer and studying the Bible. Let’s take more deep breaths. Let’s tell our friends and family how important they are to us. Let’s review our budgets to find a way to give a little bit to a worthy charity. Let’s carve out some time each day to just be at peace. And let’s share that peace with everyone we meet. And not just for the next six weeks, but for the rest of our lives.

Let us be a blessing just as God blesses us. 

(The picture is from my trip to Kenya in 2015. I’ve unfortunately never been to Israel, but maybe the location of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount looked something like this.)

What Is Freedom?

     Near Sauk City, Wisconsin, are the grounds of the former Badger Ammunition Plant, which I blogged about after visiting it a few years ago. I ran across this post the other day and thought it was worth reposting. 

Inside the Badger Army Ammunition Museum, I found the following poem, hanging on one of the walls. I tried searching for it on the internet, but came up empty. I hate reprinting articles without giving proper credit, but all I can say is that at the end was a blurb that it was used by permission of the Louisville Journal-Courier, as shown in the second picture. Hope that gets me out of plagiarism charges. In any case, I love this poem and am willing to risk arrest, because, well – that’s what freedom is. Don't take it for granted; we all need to keep fighting for our freedom.  

What is Freedom?

From the archivea of broken peace we are bringing out old words and dusting them off for use again, as shining lanterns to lead us through the darkness of another war.

Words like freedom, justice and truth – all of them hard to define, none of them used more frequently than freedom.

You cannot say what freedom is, perhaps, in a single sentence. It is not necessary to define it. It is enough to point to it.

Freedom is a man lifting a gate latch at dusk and sitting for a while on the porch, smoking his pipe, before he goes to bed.

It is the violence of an argument outside an election poll, it is the righteous anger of the pulpits.

It is the warm laughter of a girl on a park bench.

It is the rush of a train over the continent and the unafraid faces of people looking out the windows.

It is all the howdys in the world, and all the hellos.

It is Westbrook Pegler telling Roosevelt how to raise his children; it is Roosevelt letting them raise themselves.

It is Lindbergh’s appeasing voice raised above a thousand hisses.

It is Dorothy Thompson asking for war; it is Gen. Hugh S. Johnson asking her to keep quiet.

It is you trying to remember the words to The Star-Spangled Banner.

It is the sea breaking on wide sands somewhere and the shoulders of a mountain supporting the sky.

It is the air you fill your lungs with and the dirt that is your garden.

It is a man cussing all cops.

It is the absence of apprehension at the sound of approaching footsteps outside your closed door.

It is your hot resentment of intrigue, the tilt of your chin and the tightening of your lips sometimes.

It is all the things you do and want to keep on doing.

It is all the things you feel and cannot help feeling.

Freedom – it is you.

 The website for the Ammunition Plant is: http://www.badgerordnancehistory.org/

 Here is background information on the names mentioned.

Westbrook Pegler was a columnist in the 1930s and 1940s, who opposed the New Deal and criticized the Supreme Court, the tax system, and labor unions. Pegler initially supported President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but soon became one of Roosevelt’s sharpest critics, feeling the president was abusing his power. The journalist also had a strong dislike for Eleanor Roosevelt. In general, everything I read about Westbrook Pegler made me consider him to be the writer’s version of a loud-mouthed jerk.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor had five sons and a daughter, although one son died in infancy. He was not very involved in raising his children, as he was so occupied with his work. He also believed that childrearing was a wife's task, but that was a common view in the early nineteen-hundreds. No matter what Pegler’s opinion was of the Roosevelt children, they turned out just fine.

Lindbergh refers to Charles Lindbergh, of course. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he had been opposed to the United States getting involved in World War II. One of his journal entries at the time stated: "it seems improbable that we could win a war in Europe.” He also seemed to have a dislike, or maybe more a distrust, of President Roosevelt. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, and our declaration of war, he joined the fight in the Pacific.

Dorothy Thompson was an American journalist and radio broadcaster. She had been working as a journalist in Europe, when in the late 1920s, the New York Post appointed her head of its Berlin bureau in Germany. There she witnessed firsthand the rise of the Nazi party and in 1931, she interviewed Adolf Hitler, writing the book, “I Saw Hitler”. She wrote about the dangers of him winning power in Germany. The Nazis considered both the book and her articles offensive and, in August 1934, Thompson was kicked out of Germany.

General Hugh S. Johnson was a U.S. Army officer, businessman, speech writer, government official and newspaper columnist. He is best known as a member of the Brain Trust of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1932–34, writing numerous speeches for FDR and helping plan the New Deal. FDR fired him, however in 1934, for having Fascist inclinations. As World War II began raging, Johnson endorsed isolationism—staying out of the conflict. In a story he had written previously in 1911, he had Japan invading and conquering California.

Anointing His Feet

          

          Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house.

One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot—the one who was going to betray him—said, “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:1-8, Good News Translation) 

From these verses, you might take away that Mary had given this gift to Jesus – He already has everything, so what other gifts could He receive? Or you might think only of that scoundrel Judas, knowing what he is going to do next by turning Jesus over to the authorities. Or you might think about this perfume being used to prepare Jesus for His burial a week before His death.

I looked up references to these verses on different websites and in my study Bible. You can find all the nuances in those places as well. But it was in my “Children’s Bible in 365 Stories” that I found what I wanted to say today.

When Judas rebuked Mary for wasting so much money – a year’s worth of wages by some estimates – her face fell. She had wanted to show her love for Jesus by this generous gift and the humble act of washing His feet. She might have thought, “Oh, no, I messed this all up for my Lord, and now His disciples think I’m wasteful.”

But Jesus immediately jumped to her defense. Today, I’m going to remember that Jesus will always jump to my defense as well. There is nothing I can screw up so badly that I can’t turn to Him with tears in my eyes and an apology on my lips.

He will always smile at me and reassure me. He will always love me.

Is There More I Can Do? Is There More You Can Do?

 

I've been debating whether or not I should post these thoughts. However, I continue to read various news sources, including everyone's opinions on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and I feel I need to make my voice heard as well. 

After the presidential inauguration on January 20, it didn't take the new administration long to start turning our secure United States world upside down. By the end of the month, I started writing letters to my members of Congress with my concerns, mostly about immigration and other human rights issues.

I received a welcomed email from my Democratic senator in support of my thoughts but nothing from my Republican representative. Last Friday, I finally heard from my Republican senator, Ron Johnson. Let me share that email before I tell you what I thought about it.

    Finding Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Federal Spending

    Dear Christine,

    Sen. Johnson's top concern as a U.S. Senator has always been our federal debt and deficit, and the ongoing spending that is mortgaging our children's future. He calls it immoral. Sen. Johnson has consistently and persistently called out bloated spending, Big Government, and unaccountable bureaucrats who have thwarted his oversight.

    President Trump's launch of a temporary advisory committee — the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — with Elon Musk as a special government (non-paid) employee, is a new approach to correcting waste, fraud, and abuse within the executive branch of the federal government.

Creating a new department while eliminating others that are actually helping people is beyond me, but here's the email I sent back.

Dear Senator Johnson,

I sent your office an email on January 31. No one in your office seems to have read it, as I hadn't heard from you until I received a "form letter" email yesterday. Nothing in your message addressed my concerns; instead, it infuriated me.

In your message, you praised President Trump for slashing government spending and hiring Elon Musk to oversee this. Certainly, cuts need to be made somewhere, but not at the expense of the American people.

How does it help the economy to fire many middle-class residents from their government jobs? Hasn't the United States government historically helped create jobs instead?

Also, most government agencies being slashed were created to help the American people, whether providing aid to those living in poverty or allowing them to enjoy beautiful outdoor spaces and educational institutions.

Here's where cuts need to be made - the outrageous salaries and benefits packages of high-ranking government officials. Are any of their jobs or expenses being cut?

Also, the wealthy need to pay more in income taxes. Leave the working class alone - we have been the backbone of the United States since the very beginning, and we are always the first to suffer monetarily.

However, what incensed me the most while reading your email was the championing of Elon Musk. Have you ever read the Bible? Have you ever heard of two people - the antichrist and the false prophet? In the End Times of this planet, those two, along with Satan, make up the Unholy Trinity.

I hate making this email so long, but I wanted to tell you about these guys in case you've never heard of them.  

The antichrist will win people over with his charm, charisma, and promises. He will unite the world under one global superpower, one currency, and will attempt to change the dates, times, and maps. He will essentially try to play God.

The false prophet will be appointed by the antichrist to give him more credibility and pave the way for this evil ruler to exercise his injustice and corruption.

And, of course, there is Satan, who controls these two men and has the single most agenda to bring down the entire world. Are there two such men working in Washington right now?

I've been praying to God to save this country and this world for a long time. My prayers have become more fervent and frequent. As a Christian, I know that the world is going to take a horrible turn before Jesus returns. I didn't think it would happen in my lifetime, and I pray that non-believers see what's happening before it's too late. I pray that you can see that, too.

Sincerely, Christine Kincaid

I will continue to pray and continue to write. Maybe there is more I could do, but God hasn’t called me to do anything else right now. What about you?

To contact your representatives and senators, click this link. 

Jesus Brings a Deadman Back to Life

 

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him. (John 11:38-45, English Standard Version)

Just as the other stories I've shared the past few weeks, you know the story of Lazarus. I haven't copied the entire incident here, but it would be great if you pulled out your Bibles to the book of John and read all of chapter 11. (Or click on this link to the Bible Gateway website.)

I could write a good six blog posts on the first 45 verses of that chapter. But here we are, short on time with Lent creeping up on us.

Anyway, the siblings, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, are friends of Jesus. Lazarus falls ill, and his sisters send word to Jesus, asking Him to come. Jesus didn't jump up and run off to their home, a few days' walk away. No, Jesus hung out with His disciples two days before announcing, "Let's go see Lazarus, who has fallen asleep (meaning he has already died)."

They arrived at Lazarus's tomb, and Jesus called His friend to arise and come out. Miracle of miracles.

But here's my takeaway verse from this story. Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Believe and see the glory of God! What beautiful words! No matter what you are going through today, have faith, believe. You may not see God's glory with your eyes today or tomorrow. But someday you will if you only believe.

Up North – Where Were We Wednesday?

Last Friday, Hubby took me and Hannah up north for Valentine’s Day.

Our first stop was the Ice Castle in Eagle River.

We each had to get a picture with the pooch.

She wouldn’t cooperate for a selfie with all three of us.

I hope you can read the sign about the Ice Castle. I was too lazy to type it here for you. But I did hear that they were going to dismantle it in another week or so.

Further up the road, we stopped at Bluff Valley Park, just outside of Bessemer. The joy of taking a dog on a road trip – lots of stops!

Then finally arrived at Black River Harbor on Lake Superior.

Even though I didn’t tromp all the way to the shore, I could still feel the awesomeness of the greatest of the Great Lakes.  

The stillness in the frigid air in the winter always stuns me.

Hannah was not nearly as impressed, but she was a good pup.

And had to make sure that Poppa came out of Joe’s Pasty Shop in Ironwood. 

I hope I don’t have to rename this blog after Hannah? What do you think? 

Jesus Walks on Water, and so does Peter

Then Jesus made his followers get into the boat. He told them to go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. After he said good-bye to them, he went alone up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. By this time, the boat was already far away on the lake. The boat was having trouble because of the waves, and the wind was blowing against it.

Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat. Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. When the followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.

But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, “Have courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid."

Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, then tell me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus said, “Come.”

And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

Then Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”

          After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind became calm. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:22-33, International Children’s Bible)

Another great story, one you are probably familiar with. What does it tell us? That Jesus can do anything – in addition to all the other miracles He performed, He can walk on water too. He can even cause one of His disciples to walk on water.

But what’s the real take away? Three simple words. “Lord, save me!”

No matter what you are going through, what battles you are fighting, you are not alone. Jesus is with you. You need only believe, reach out your hand, and say, “Lord, save me!”

At the time, it may not seem like He is there for you. You may feel yourself continue to sink in whatever trouble surrounds you. But have faith! God is with you.