I Think J. Vernon McGee Was Correct

While Glenn Beck* rails and rants about the Obama White House being involved with the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda, Jonathan Cahn**, and Joel Rosenberg***, warn that we are in the last days of planet Earth. While listening to and reading what these men have written, I couldn’t help thinking about J. Vernon McGee****, and Thru the Bible radio. My parents listened to J. Vernon faithfully every morning and studied thru the Bible every five years with him up until they went home to be with Jesus.  J. Vernon McGee believed in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church.  In other words, he thought that all Christians will be caught up into the clouds with Jesus before the terrors written about in the last book of the Bible-- Revelation, come to pass.  I believe he is accurate because God through Jesus Christ has promised that all those who are in Him will not be condemned, Romans 8:1, and John 3:18.

*(Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American television personality and radio host, conservative political commentator, author, television network producer,^[5] filmmaker, and entrepreneur.)

**(Jonathan Cahn is a messianic Jewish Rabbi and pastor best known for his best selling novel "The Harbinger" in which he compares the United States and the September 11 attacks, to ancient Israel and the destruction of Kingdom of Israel), click here for his website.

***(Joel C. Rosenberg (born 1967) is an American communications strategist, author of the Last Jihad series, and founder of The Joshua Fund.^[3] An Evangelical Christian), click here for his website.

****(John Vernon McGee, Th.D., LL.D, (June 17, 1904 – December 1, 1988) was an ordained Presbyterian minister (PCUS) and later became the pastor of a non-denominational church, a Bible teacher, theologian, and was also a radio minister), click here for the website.            

Sausage For Breakfast and Dessert Before Lunch

I have had many happy days in my life—a solid family growing up, a steadfast husband, healthy and wise children and grandchildren, many vacations, numerous loyal friends, and much much more. But one of the happiest days of my life was when I turned fifty-five.  It was then that I could get a senior coffee.  I could get the early bird senior dinner.  I could order off of the senior menu at Denny’s and Shari’s.  I could move into a retirement home.  What’s not to love?

One of the saddest days of my life was when I realized that I no longer had a waist. I’m shaped like a bar of soap, a tongue depressor, a book, a box, or a square tile.  I could no longer snap my pants. Bummer!

 Speaking of happy days, for me, they would include attending birthday parties in honor of a member of my family, or one of my friends.  On one birthday for our daughter it became clear that we would have to serve the ice-cream and cake just after breakfast, and before lunch, due to the ice-cream melting while out camping.  Heather coined the phrase “Sausage for breakfast and dessert before lunch.”  She made it into a joyful time for everyone.

A sad day for me is when I think of the over thirty years I’ve lived with chronic pain.  But the Lord looks after me in many ways.  My friend, Nancy, in Florida, encouraged me to sign up to take the Bible Study Fellowship class next year, as they are studying Revelation.  I thought I was not going to be able to, because the classes were so far away from me, and it caused me more pain to have to drive such a distance.  But a Moms in Prayer friend, Mary Anne, mentioned to me that one class now meets within 3 miles of where I live.  I was able to attend a welcome class and will be placed in a group for next year!

Life is happy and sad. To know the whole truth about God is the most important thing in living through good times and bad.  “God is judge, but because of Jesus, we can go to Him as our refuge.” Dave Branson

Mahdi Batto

 My dad on the right at an American Meteorological Society meeting.  

Mahdi Batto (not sure of the spelling) was a Christian Iraqi meteorologist who took part in an exchange program my dad was involved with through his work at the U.S. Weather Bureau.  It was back in the 60’s when my family was living in Alexandria, Virginia.  I remember meeting Mahdi Batto and enjoying the delicious hamburger shish ka bobs, with lemon dressed salad, on flat bread, which he taught us to make.  My dad had taken flat metal strips and cut them into 6 inch pieces.  The hamburger was mixed with flour and patted into a rectangular shape along the metal.  Then it was placed onto the briquette barbeque and grilled to a golden brown.  That is the extent of my memory. 

Because of this memory I’m telling my Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord that you may meet someone from Iraq and they may be a Christian.  Don’t jump to judgment that they are not.

But recently, in my case, I jumped to a conclusion because of my experience with Mahdi Batto.   We had a man who is Persian visit our church.  He had come over from Iran over 20 years ago.  I assumed he must have been a Christian but no—he had not become a Christian until two years ago.  His father is still a Muslim.   So I learned that Christians must work on a relationship first—(this is what Pastor Bill teaches us).  Then as you get to know a person’s story go from there with witnessing.

I hope my youngest brother, Wayne, will have more memories to add to this story.

Being An Idiot For Dummies

Many books have been written for dummies such as— “Business Writing for Dummies,” “Classical Music for Dummies,” “I Phone For Dummies,” etc.  Now another book should be written—“Being An Idiot For Dummies.”  Last week I was an idiot and here’s why.

In my blog I was writing about the need for social justice and truth.  Unfortunately I neglected to check on the definition for social justice---It is defined as redistributing wealth.  See here.  My friend Connie was kind enough to let me know about that explanation. (Also it could be called communism--Communism arose as a reaction to a distribution of wealth in which a few lived in luxury while the masses lived in extreme poverty. In The Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels wrote "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."^[10] While the ideas of Marx have nominally been embraced by various states (Russia, Cuba, Vietnam and China in the 20th century), Marxist utopia remains elusive.)^[11]

Because of this I changed some words in my last weeks blog.  Then I decided to do some research.  I was amazed at what Albert Mohler wrote back in 20 10 about the controversy when Glen Beck brought up questions about social justice on his show.  (Since Glen Beck is a Mormon I doubt that he has been schooled in the Bible.) See here for the article.

  

Another blog in 2010 takes on the issue.  Many young evangelicals are engaged in social justice issues simply because it's popular:

Click here to read. 

Next in 2013 John Piper, David Platt, and Matt Chandler discuss the relationship between social justice and the gospel. Click here. Watch the full 10-minute video to see Piper, Platt, and Chandler discuss the relationship between social justice and the gospel, contemporary distortions of love, and more.

The whole issue boils down to the heart.  Do we love others enough to be compassionate and to also tell them the truth?