MARY, DID YOU KNOW THIS?

   Jesus’ “legal” earthly father’s family tree is listed in Matthew 1. Mary’s ancestors are listed in Luke 3:23-38 but Mary is omitted; her husband’s name is substituted in its place because women’s names often were not listed in Bible genealogies.

Luke 3:23 begins this way: “[Jesus] was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.” Mary is actually the child of Heli. Joseph’s father was “Jacob.”

Luke traces Mary’s lineage to Adam because Luke wrote to reach Gentiles. Matthew traced Jesus’ lineage to Abraham; Matthew wrote to Jewish people who saw Abraham as their important ancestor.

   A QUESTION about JESUS

Jewish tribal assignment was determined through a child’s father. Jesus’ legal father, Joseph, hailed from the tribe of Judah. Mary was from Judah. Both of Jesus’ earthly parents’ ancestries included King David.

Why didn’t Jesus’ “legal” parents come from the tribe of Levi? Didn’t men of that tribe serve as priests? Isn’t Jesus our High Priest?

Writer Juli Camarin says this: “Christ’s priesthood was not patterned after the Levitical institution, it was the other way around; they [the Levites] were patterned after Christ’s eternal position as High Priest. The office of priest as held by the Levites is patterned after what takes place in the heavenly sanctuary ( Hebrews 8:5 ).”

Camarin continues, “It is amazing that God kept the Levitical priesthood and Jesus’ eternal priesthood in completely separate lines. He did this to show us that the law could never make us perfect so we would never rely on it for a means of justification. … Being justified can only come through faith in Christ. … Jesus came in the order and with the rank of Melchizedek. Not only was Melchizedek the High Priest of the Most High God, he was also a King.”

   WHAT WAS MARY’S PART?

“Mary the mother of Jesus was godly and blessed, but she was not without sin. Jesus ‘had no sin’ (2 Cor. 5:21). Nothing of the sort is ever said of Mary or anyone else. Jesus Christ is fully human, but he is also fully God. He is the Lamb of God, ‘without blemish or defect,’ a title and description no other person can claim” (from GotQuestions.org).  

Jesus is called the Second Adam (and the Last Adam — 1 Cor. 15:45). The First Adam was without sin when created as a son of God.  

Jesus “came in the likeness of human flesh.” He did not inherit a sin nature as all other human beings do. Because God was his Father, he lived only in the likeness of sinful flesh. “Jesus inherited the flesh from his mother, Mary, but not the sin from Joseph” (GotQuestions.org). 

Did Jesus have Mary’s DNA or was Mary just a surrogate mother for Jesus? One source says Jesus grew in Mary’s womb but was not from the egg of Mary because the curse of death is passed through human DNA, causing all of us to be born spiritually dead and doomed to die physical death. Did Jesus need to avoid only the original sin of his earthly father — or did he need to bypass the sinful nature of both earthly parents?

“The simple answer is that only God ultimately knows how the Holy Spirit caused Mary to become pregnant,” says neverthirsty.org. “In Luke 1:35 we are told the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary and conception would occur. So, did the Holy Spirit cause Mary’s egg to begin the creative process? Her mitochondrial DNA would have been all that Jesus needed. This would be consistent with the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 which refers to her seed. Also, Galatians 3:16 states that the ‘seed’ in Genesis 22:12-18 refers to Jesus Christ. This strongly suggests that Jesus did have Mary’s DNA. The Holy Spirit simply causes the creative process to begin and cell division follows. Yet, we do not know what actually happened because Scripture is silent.

From GotQuestions.org: “To help bolster their teaching that Mary was sinless, the Roman Catholic Church invented the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (formally accepted as Catholic dogma in 1854). According to this false teaching, Mary was, from her very conception in her mother’s womb, ‘preserved free from all stain of original sin.’ That is, Mary had no sinful nature. This doctrine is neither biblical nor necessary. The virgin-born Christ Jesus was free from the stain of original sin, but it was not necessary for His mother to be.” 

The Bible relates that Mary was normal and needed salvation. In Mary’s prayer in Luke 1, she says, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

FAMILY BIBLE READING FOR YOUR FAMILY

  “Every parent wishes the best for his children — the best in health, in education, in opportunity, in companionship, and, most of all, in character.” — from “The Pentecostal Evangel,” August 3, 1958. 

The advice from that article, a reprint from an unknown writer for “Bible Society Record,” is still good. 

“The Bible has been the cornerstone of Christian homes,” that writer says. “The home is where the Bible was first used by Christians. The churches met in homes. The schools, likewise. These have outgrown the home, but the Bible still does its best work in its original setting.” 

The Sunday school movement, a cross-denominational effort, began because the Bible was neglected in homes. Sunday schools were first set up in England in the 1700s to provide education to working children. 

“Too much cannot be said of Sunday school,” the article writer says. “Wise parents will attend it themselves, not only to encourage their children to go, but to improve their own knowledge and love of the Bible. But far more can be done for the development of character through the use of the Bible in the home than anywhere else.”

Worshiping as a family is part of God’s plan for a Christian family, the writer says. “Should Bible-reading be a ‘must' in every Christian home? Are family devotions impossible in our crowded, busy life? The best place to learn and understand and love the Bible is where the family group reads and studies it as naturally as they read and discuss other matters.”

“Fathers, … bring them [children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 ESV).

The Bible is one Book that can be enjoyed together at home and supplies light to live by. The writer says the first step is for parents themselves to read, know, and enjoy the Bible. We should say, “There is one thing I can do, and I am going to do it. I am going to see that our child know and loves the Bible.”

The Bible can become one of the great links between home and church, the writer says.   

He says the church is doing a good job in training youths in Sunday school. Today, however, is that true? It now seems harder to get people to attend Sunday school. Churches with longer praise-and-worship services tend to de-emphasize Sunday school. People’s attention spans are challenged by long services, and Sunday school may seem unimportant. But, fellowship and line-by-line teaching are available in Sunday school, or “Bible study” if you think the term “Sunday school” is outdated.

Meanwhile, back at “home”: 

Bible reading with the family should not be about an exact amount of reading but the regularity of it — the habit of it, the writer says. By doing this, you establish your children in a Bible-reading habit. Read daily, if possible. Read at morning or evening meals or before bedtime. If you can’t read daily together, do it weekly, maybe on Saturday or on Sunday, the Lord’s Day.    

“Let great hymns and pictures help illuminate the message from the pages of the Good Book,” the writer says. “At dinner or after reading, diversion is often found in naming a place of importance and asking what event took place there. A Bible character may be mentioned and followed up by a statement as to why he or she was worthy of being remembered.”

Perhaps you can designate a place in your living room or den where a small family Bible could be kept. Perhaps a Bible dictionary or book of Bible maps could be kept there to help understand God’s Word, the writer says. “Besides its practical convenience, the visible presence of such a Bible corner lays constant emphasis upon the fact that the Bible is different from and more important than any other book in the house. The successful use of the Bible in the home lies with the parents. … If children are to love the Word, it must first be  in the hearing of the parents — not just in their heads, but in their hearts, directing their lives.”  

Wise parents teach the Word of God diligently to their children by making the Bible a part of their daily conversation, the writer says. Reading and quoting the Bible should be as natural in the Christian home as speaking about the weather. 

“When used reverently, intelligently, and regularly, the Bible can transform family living — and habits and actions of individuals within the home,” the writer says.

ANDREW, THE INTRODUCER

   RAYMOND WILBANKS and I met again after many years. During the 1950s, we attended Mountain View Elementary School together from first through fifth grades. His family attended Faith Temple, too. After our fifth-grade year, my family moved to Greer. 

Our first meet-up happened months ago. My wife Barbara’s middle child, Jack, works on cars on Saturdays behind our house. Raymond came to see Jack about his son-in-law’s truck, or something like that, and we renewed friendship.

Raymond played football at Blue Ridge High and then worked for Duke Power. He became a Sunday school teacher and served in churches they attended. I remember him as a quiet, kind, studious, tall fellow who could hit a softball a long way during recess at school. 

On another visit, Raymond brought a book he thought I’d like: Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. The book’s subtitle is “How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You.” It’s a good book.

Of the 12 disciples, MacArthur calls Andrew “the Apostle of Small Things.” Peter is the best-known of the four disciples in Jesus’ inner circle. Andrew is the least-known, overshadowed by Peter, James, and John.  

Andrew first followed John who baptized Jesus. The day after that famous baptism, this happened:

“John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’”

John pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, so Andrew started following Jesus.

“He [Andrew] first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas’ (which means Peter)” (John 1:41-42 ESV). 

“Andrew lived his life in the shadow of his better-known brother,” MacArthur says. “Many of the verses that name him add that he was Peter’s brother … where one brother overshadows another to such a degree, it is common to find resentment, strong sibling rivalry, or even estrangement. But in Andrew’s case, there is no evidence that he begrudged Peter’s dominance.” 

Later, Jesus called Peter and Andrew as they fished. 

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him” (Matt. 4:18-20 ESV). 

MacArthur compares Edward Kimball to Andrew. Kimball was a young Sunday School teacher who made it a habit to personally give each student in his class an opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior. On April 21, 1855, Kimball went to a Boston shoe store where Dwight L. Moody (born in 1837) worked, according to moody.edu. Kimball, a timid and soft-spoken man, talked with Moody in the store’s stockroom. At the time, Moody was “crude and obviously illiterate … untaught and ignorant about the Bible.” 

Kimball said, “I decided to speak to Moody about Christ and about his soul. I started down town to Holton’s shoe store. When I was nearly there I began to wonder whether I ought to go just then during business hours. And I thought maybe my mission might embarrass the boy, that when I went away the other clerks might ask who I was, and when they learned might taunt Moody and ask if I was trying to make a good boy out of him. While I was pondering over it all I passed the store without noticing it. Then, when if found I had gone by the door, I determined to make a dash for it and have it over at once.”

“Shortly thereafter, Moody accepted the love of God, devoted his life to serving Him, and eventually left the shoe business to become a great evangelist. 

Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus. Kimball introduced Moody to the Lord.

The Bible doesn’t record what happened to Andrew after Pentecost, but tradition says he was eventually crucified — after he introduced many people to Jesus.

FORGIVENESS: WE'RE DESIGNED TO FORGIVE

  “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you,” Lewis B. Smedes said.

People we know slightly may criticize us and stir us to ask What’s wrong with me?, but people we know intimately hold more potential to hurt us — think of the song “Only Love Can Break a Heart.”

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend,” William Blake said. 

Dr. Fred Luskin, author of Forgive for Good, says that to forgive is to let go of bad feelings or the desire for revenge after you’ve been harmed. He says that most of the reasons to forgive are for your own welfare. “When you’re remembering a hurt or a wound that you haven’t resolved in your mind and heart, that remembrance triggers stress chemicals. It triggers physical distress. When you remember it often, you are stressing your body on a chronic basis. That has a physical cost.”

Luskin says forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean reconciling with the person who hurt you, but reconciling is important in the relationships you want to keep — marriages, families, business relationships, friendships, and between siblings.

During a recent Faith Temple (Taylors, SC) Tuesday Morning Bible Study, Pastor Raymond D. Burrows talked about Mark 11:25-26: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (ESV). Verse 26 adds, “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

(Dr. John Oakes says verse 26 was probably added by a scribe copying the best manuscripts he had but that verse 26 is not in earlier manuscripts. Verse 25, however, tells us what we need to know about forgiveness.)

Pastor Burrows indicated that God is not “out to get us,” but if we do not forgive someone, we stop the process by which we receive God’s forgiveness. We shut off the Divine flow and clog up the spiritual pipeline. Someone said that God designed us to forgive. You may never forget an offense, but Jesus helps you forgive and heal.

Gordon MacDonald, in Restoring Your Spiritual Passion, writes, “One memory that burns deep within is that of a plane flight on which I was headed toward a meeting that would determine a major decision in my ministry. I knew I was in desperate need of a spiritual passion that would provide wisdom and submission to God’s purposes. But the passion was missing because I was steeped in resentment toward a colleague. 

“For days I had tried everything to rid myself of vindictive thoughts toward that person. But, try as I might, I would even wake in the night, thinking of ways to subtly get back at him. I wanted to embarrass him for what he had done, to damage his credibility before his peers. My resentment was beginning to dominate me, and on that plane trip I came to a realization of how bad things really were. …

“As the plane entered the landing pattern, I found myself crying silently to God for power both to forgive and to experience liberation from my poisoned spirit. Suddenly it was as if an invisible knife cut a hole in my chest, and I literally felt a thick substance oozing from within. Moments later I felt as if I’d been flushed out. I’d lost negative spiritual weight, the kind I needed to lose: I was free. I fairly bounced off that plane and soon entered a meeting that did in fact change the entire direction of my life.”

Craig B. Larson says, “Spiritual passion cannot coexist with resentments. The Scriptures are clear. The unforgiving spirit saps the energy that causes Christian growth and effectiveness.” 

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”
(Colossians 3:12-13).

Babies: Conception, Heartbeat ... Personhood?

  The Supreme Court legalized abortion in a Jan. 22, 1973, ruling (7-2) on Roe v. Wade, establishing a national right to abortion.  

“The Supreme Court made up a constitutional right to abortion out of thin air, only citing a constitutional right to privacy, which was also made up out of thin air,” says Stephen Strang, Charisma magazine founder. “Instead of interpreting the law already found in the Constitution, they replaced the law with their own opinion.”On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned (5-4) Roe v. Wade, after 49 years and more than 63 million abortions.

Abortion has not been outlawed. Decisions on abortion laws simply go back to individual states. The Constitution says most laws should be decided by states, Strang notes.

 

HOW DID THIS PLAY OUT?

   

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States — including former enslaved people — and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.” The Roe v. Wade case began in 1970 when “Jane Roe” — a fictional name used to protect the identity of the plaintiff, Norma McCorvey (1947–2017) — began federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, where Roe resided, sources say. “Jane Roe” sued the state of Texas because under that state’s laws, she was unable to get an abortion. The case went to the Supreme Court.

   

The Supreme Court disagreed with Roe’s claim of an absolute right to terminate pregnancy in any way and at any time, and the Court tried to balance a woman’s right of privacy with a state’s interest in regulating abortion.

 

In 1973, Supreme Court judges said the state had a “compelling interest” in protecting fetal life, but that the compelling interest had to be balanced with a woman’s right to privacy. That ruling struck down most U.S. state laws that restricted abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.

 

Writing for the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, Justice Harry Blackmun said that the court held that a woman’s right to an abortion was part of the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. The state of Texas argued that “the fetus is a ‘person’ within the language and meaning of the 14th Amendment.” 

 

Justice Harry Blackmun responded, “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment.” However, Justice Blackmun concluded “that the word ‘person,’ as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn.”

   

The 1973 Supreme Court set forth a “trimester” framework for legal abortions. First Trimester (up to 12 weeks): absolute right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. Second Trimester (up to 28 weeks): allowed the government to regulate abortion in order to protect the mother’s health, but could not ban it. Third Trimester (up to 40 weeks): Because the fetus is considered “viable” (can survive on its own outside the womb — about 24 weeks of pregnancy), the Court said states could prohibit abortion except in cases when the mother's life was at risk.

   

S.C. law in 2022 outlaws abortion after the point at which a fetal heartbeat is detected. A fetal heartbeat may first be detected by a vaginal ultrasound as early as 5.5 to 6 weeks after gestation (the womb-carry process between conception and birth), sources say. 

 

“Those providing abortions will be required to give the mother an opportunity to view an ultrasound, hear the child’s heartbeat, and receive information about her child’s development,” according to The Greenville News (July 1, 2022). The law allows abortion in a case of rape or incest or to save the mother’s life if the baby is fewer than 20 weeks along.

     

The Supreme Court’s 1973 decision was based on the argument that fetal life does not have constitutional protection. Many people believe life begins at conception and deserves constitutional protection at conception. Banning abortion after conception is the goal of many pro-life groups.

 

“For you [God] formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 ESV).

FEELINGS: SHOULD YOU TRUST THEM?

   Feelings are natural responses to how we see things. Should you trust your feelings?

“Feelings provide us with signals for what is going on in the world,” someone said. “When these signals are accurate, we can trust our feelings; when feelings are not proper signals, we cannot trust them.”

What is “intuition”?

Women are said to posses a superior intuition (women’s intuition) — a knack for knowing what others are feeling and thinking, sources say. (Experts say this intuition is based on an ability to read facial expressions and body language. Are women perhaps better at that than men?)

Intuition is feelings-based and is a thing that a person knows or considers likely because they have an instinctive feeling about a situation or a thing.

“A gut-feeling or gut-instinct is an understanding or knowing of a situation without specific data or evidence at the time. … Instinct is an innate, hardwired tendency. For example, humans have biological, hardwired instincts for survival and reproduction. Some folk can feel when something ‘seems off’ or ‘not right.’”  

Eric Bonabeau, writing for Harvard Business Review, says, “Intuition has its place in decision making — you should not ignore your instincts any more than you should ignore your conscience — but anyone who thinks that intuition is a substitute for reason is indulging in a risky delusion.”

Do you go by your feelings about something, or do you trust your thinking? What about trusting God’s thinking?

Ms. Tempe Brown, a Greenville, SC, speaker, says, “We must get out of the realm of just operating within our five senses. The Lord is calling us to come up higher. To have HIS thoughts, so we can be living in greater wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Who doesn't want that? Especially in these last days.”

“Feelings about life can be deceiving. Being wrong feels the same as being right – until you know better. … If you have no basis for what truth is, your entire life will be spent making decisions based on feelings,” says Mrs. “Mary,” a minister’s wife who writes at healthychristianhome.com. “Our feelings cannot be trusted by themselves. In fact, Jeremiah 17:9 says, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’”

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” 

“If you don’t have a guidebook for life, how can you know what is true and what is not?” Mrs. Mary asks. “It is much easier to not let your feelings guide you when you trust God and are spending time in His Word, the ultimate truth.”

“Sanctify them by the truth. Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

The Bible says some people will be terribly deceived.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-24).

Talk about being deceived! Wow!

The more we read, understand, know, and live out God’s Word, the more we CAN trust our thinking and feelings.

Mrs. Mary suggests that you start a journal.

She says, “This is my favorite way to process and understand my feelings and inform them with truth. For me, sometimes I don’t know what’s bothering me or what lies I’m believing until I write my feelings down. Prayer journaling really helps me see the big picture and what to pray/study about. I always write down my prayers, as if I’m writing a letter to God. Alternatively, you could also write journal entries of your thoughts.”

LET GOD'S PEOPLE SING OUT LOUD!

  On a Friday, I visited Aunt Frances. She will be 95 on April 26, 2022, and misses my Uncle Fred Crain, who passed on in 2018. Aunt lives in the memory-care wing of Spring Park, an assisted-living home in Travelers Rest, SC. 

Aunt sat in a wheelchair near her dining area. Ms. Lisa, introduced herself as the home’s assistant director and asked if I — holding my guitar case — had arrived to play for the group. I was there just to visit Aunt Frances, but Ms. Lisa invited me to sing and play for eight folk sitting near Aunt. Most memory-care residents (those who could walk easily) had gone on a bus trip, she said. 

“OK,” I said, getting out my guitar and finding a seat. I sang a few hymns and persuaded Ms. Lisa to sing a solo verse of “In the Garden.” 

“I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses … And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and he tells me I am His own,” she sang before hurrying back to work. 

Many older people remember the song “In the Garden.” A study reports that if songs spur personal memories, those songs can cause stronger positive emotions than even looking at photos of by-gone days. “Music represents who we are and how we feel, so it’s what we remember,” someone said.

“Music has a way of forcing itself upon our attention as no other art has,” someone said.  

Music can promote faith in God as we worship him in song. The Bible tells about people who sang: 

After the Israelis crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 15), they sang: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord … saying, ‘I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.’ … And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” 

Jesus and his disciples sang: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30).

The Apostle Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” (Col. 3:16). 

Does your singing have to be perfect? No. The Lord likes to hear all birds sing, even if they “can’t carry a tune in a bucket,” I think. “If only the best birds sang, the forest would be silent,” Henry Van Dyke said.

In 2017, Nielsen estimated that Americans spend  over 32 hours a week on average listening to music. Often it’s background music — muzak in stores, CDs, radio, or TV, says “Faithforward.” “Outside the church there are few opportunities … for people to sing together. Much of the popular music (including Christian music) composed today is for performance rather than for participation.”

Congregational singing is important. “Music unites the congregation so that God is worshipped with one voice,” someone said. 

Music is a gift of God and part of the created order, says Faithforward, adding, “The human voice has priority in praising God: Other instruments are to be used primarily in the service of the singing of God’s people. The congregation is always the primary choir. … While it is possible to be actively engaged in worship and in prayer while listening to an anthem or solo, a diet of worship which does not regularly include ample opportunity for all the members of the congregation to join in song will be impoverished worship, and the life of the church and the faith of its people will suffer.”

The main focus of congregational singing is to the Lord. “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth” (Psalm 96:1).   

Faithforward says that music is made first of all to the Lord and only secondarily to each other: “Music should communicate and express a sense of awe and wonder in the presence of God; it should lead our thoughts toward God rather than toward ourselves. … People tend to remember the theology they sing more than the theology that is preached.”

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2).

GINGER SMITH, A LADY WHO LOVED THE LORD, PASSES ON

Photos: (top) Ginger Smith, (middle) Ginger and Kylie at a younger ages, (bottom) Ginger.

 

  I had only seen Ginger Smith, a woman with red hair, one time: when she was rolling a garbage container to the roadside where Barbara, my wife, and I were walking. We said, “Hello.” We never really met her. Ginger lived in a mobile home behind the house to the left of our residence. She lived there with Ms. Loretta (her mother), and Ginger’s red-headed daughter, Kylie, 13. A firetruck and a county patrol car arrived at their home shortly after dark on Sunday night, April 3, 2022.

That Sunday night, Ginger, died. The next day, they called Kylie, who was being treated in Tennessee for health issues, about her mother’s death. She took it hard, they say. Vickie, our neighbor across the way, keeps up with community happenings, and she informed us. Vickie stays in touch with Loretta. After Ginger’s death, Loretta went to stay with Ginger’s 20-something daughter, Kaitlynn, in Travelers Rest, SC.

Strangely, a day after we learned of Ginger’s death, I looked on Facebook to view part of the Sunday service from the O’Neal Church of God located in our neighborhood. At 40 minutes into the program, as the pastor started his message, I saw the back of Ginger’s head as she stumbled to the altar. The pastor said, “Someone come pray with Ginger; she often has these health issues.” Ginger was lying there (out of my video sight), and several ladies and church “first responders” gathered around. They called an ambulance. The hospital released Ginger, but she died that night. The church held the memorial service on Saturday, with no charge to the family. 



  The Memorial Service for Ms. Ginger Smith at the O’neal Church of God, 3794 Berry Mill Rd, Greer, SC 29651:   

  

On Sat., April 9, 2022, we drove to the O’Neal Church of God, just south of Blue Ridge High School in rural, upper Greenville County, SC, about two blocks distance from our house. We attended the 3:00 p.m. memorial service for Ms. Ginger Smith, our late neighbor whose body was cremated. The weather was cool and cloudy but no rain fell. Our neighbor, Vickie, and her granddaughter, Whitley, 15, rode with us. 

Kylie, 13, a petite daughter of the deceased, greeted people at the outside front door of the church. Her pregnant, older sister, Kaitlynn, stood by her side, providing comfort to the weeping Kylie. Whitley gave her a hug, and Kylie’s crying increased. They are school friends and live 75 yards from each other. My wife, Barbara, hugged Kylie. I missed speaking to Kylie but spoke to her sister. “I’m sorry for the loss of your mother,” I said. Kaitlynn responded cordially. Ms. Loretta, Ginger’s mother, sat inside the church house with Ginger’s brother, Timmy. 

Two sections of pews supplied seating, along with a row of choir seats located behind the pulpit. Near the pulpit sat a piano and a section for band members. A tenor saxophone sat upright on a stand. The open altar in front of the raised stage where the pulpit stood provided a place for gathering. A large photo of Ginger Smith sat on the floor in front of a table-centerpiece located in front of the on-stage pulpit. 

Barbara, ahead of me, entered a back pew. I sat in the middle of that pew, next to a tall young man wearing a denim coat with a shoulder patch showing these words: “Enduring Freedom Veteran.” A small metal piercing adorned his left eyebrow. His white-walled haircut sported longer hair on top.

The deceased’s family sat on front rows. A good-sized crowd show up for the funeral, showing support for Ginger’s family. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Tim McConnell, a tall, trim man with gray hair and mustache, began the service.

“We, as a church family, today, miss her dearly,” he said. “Seems impossible to believe — just last Sunday, she was sitting right here where her mother is. … Don’t ever take life for granted. Ginger probably invited a lot of you to church, and you probably gave her excuses, but, today, she got you here. And you’re here, I know, because you love her.” 

Pastor McConnell prayed, “I know if she were here, today, she’d be sitting on the front row, smiling.” 

Attendees viewed a video of still pictures of Ginger and her family. The video was accompanied by touching songs, including “When I Get Where I’m Going” with these lyrics: “When I get where I’m going … there’ll be only happy tears. I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years. … When I get where I’m going, don’t cry for me down here.”

The pastor said they would always remember Ginger and her red lipstick. He read Psalm 91. “She knew this psalm,” he said. “Ginger trusted in the Lord. 

He invited Kylie to the platform and stood behind her as she spoke. 

“I didn’t know this day would come this soon,” Kylie said. “On April, 3, 2022, heaven gained a very beautiful angel. My mama … she loved God. The first time she stepped into this church, the very first footstep, she felt God, and she never stopped coming to church after that. … She welcomed Jesus in her heart, and when she did, she was immediately happier. You could see the smile on her face, the joy in her heart, when you saw her smile and pray. … My mom, she loved everyone … And she loved everybody, no matter what they did to her… My mom and my dad have had a lot of troubles before, but I don’t care what anybody tells me, my mom and my dad were soulmates; they were. They loved each other and that never changed. My mom was my best friend. When I found out that my mom was gone, it was like losing the other half of me. She always forgave me, no matter what … She would always understand. I’m gonna miss all our little moments together … She never lost hope … If you still have a mother-figure in your life, or your mom, make sure to keep her close to you. Make sure to tell that you love her and respect her, and let her know how much she means to you, because you never know when her last breath’s gonna be. I learned that the hard way … not being able to fix all the bad things I’ve done to my mom, you know, it’s hard and a lot of regret … You never know when your last moment with someone is gonna be. … I hope my mom forgave me before she left into heaven … .

“If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to say a quick little prayer before I head down: Dear Lord, I thank you for all the moms out there who are taking care of their kids and their babies. And I thank your for my mom and for the time I had with her. I thank you for showing me the smile on her face and the happiness … Thank you for the gift of life. Amen.” 

Kaitlynn, Kylie’s older sister, gave Kylie a hug before ascending the stage. She read from Psalm 92 that she saw in her mother’s journal: “God has created me and given me life.” 

She read her prepared writing: “Mama, I will always remember your infectious laughter … the way you hugged me, and all my fears and hurt would melt away. And I will cherish the memories, good and bad, in my heart forever. And the most important thing you taught me was to love deeply, endlessly, and without regret … Mommy, you taught me to be kind and forgive easily. You gave me life … you were destined to be my mama. I am forever grateful to have had you. You were my best friend, Mama … You loved me until your last breath. … It’s not goodbye, Mama, but until we meet again, you’re my special angel, and I love you eternally — your Doodlebug.” 

Pastor McConnell said Ginger took notes and came to church with a cup (and maybe ice), for the long haul. She sat at the front of the church. He said that Ginger said, “I sit at the front to be close to my pastor and the Word of God. If he wants to step on my toes, there they are.”

“I don’t know her history,” he said. “She said she’d been through a lot of hurt but God forgave her.” Ginger didn’t just want a handshake when greeted — she wanted a hug.”

He said that the Sunday morning Ginger died (on Sunday night), she started to the altar as he began his morning message. She “fell at the altar and had her Bible clutched under her arm.” Church first-responders attended to her and called an ambulance. The hospital examined her, and she returned home and died that night.

“She didn’t have a whole lot in this world, but that didn’t bother Ginger,” he said. “She had a Father who owns it all … Ginger was a daughter of God because she trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ. She said about her family, ‘I forgive them all whether they forgive me or not.’ … We celebrate her home-going, and we’re the ones left with the grief. Don’t be angry with God; be glad for Ginger.”

He read Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

“We need to tell people how much we love them, not tell them what’s wrong with them,” Pastor said. “One day, if you know Jesus, you’re going to see this lovely lady again.” 

He read 1 Thessalonians 4:15: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

“And the dead in Christ shall rise first,” Pastor said. “Ginger never felt like she was first in this life … but on that day … my comfort is in knowing it’s not a goodbye … Ginger prayed for many of you … she handed me a list of over 40 people she wanted to go to heaven with her.” 

He led a “sinner’s prayer” for anyone who wanted to accept Christ.

He mentioned the front seat and asked, “Who will take her spot?”

The church played a recorded song Ginger liked: “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” sung by Dolly Parton. 

The assistant pastor led in a prayer. 

Psalm 27:4 was read: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”  

Pastor McConnell said that the Ladies Ministry “prepared a meal downstairs for the family.” He prayed, “Thank you, Lord … we trust and believe she’s in your presence. In Jesus’ name … .”

    *Site for the Facebook showing of the funeral: 

https://livestream.com/onealcog/events/10319346/videos/230485473 

 

WHAT DID JESUS DO DURING PASSION WEEK?

 What did Jesus do during “Passion Week”? According to Doug Bookman of christianity.com, that week unfolded this way:

Day 1: Palm Sunday

Jesus rides into Jerusalem, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9b: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey … .” 

He spends the night in Bethany, a village on the Mount of Olives’ slopes, about two miles east of Jerusalem. Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus live there.

Day 2: Monday

Jesus leaves Bethany, curses the fig tree, weeps over Jerusalem, and cleanses the Temple for the second time in his ministry. Driving money changers out of the Temple, he says, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’” (Luke 19:46). He sleeps in Bethany. 

Day 3: Tuesday

Jesus leaves Bethany, finds the fig tree withered, and teaches on faith. Temple religious leaders intend to arrest him. Jesus evades their traps and says: “For you are like whitewashed tombs … inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy … Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?” (Matt. 23:24-33).

Jesus and his disciples go east to the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem. Jesus gives the Olivet Discourse, telling about the end of the age (Matt. 24:1–25:46). Judas Iscariot negotiates to betray Jesus (Matthew 26). Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany to stay the night.

Day 4: Holy Wednesday

Jesus spends the day and night in Bethany.  

Day 5: Maundy Thursday (“Maundy” comes from the Latin “Mandatum novum do vobis,” words Jesus spoke to his apostles: “A new mandate I give to you” — the command to love and serve one another.)

Peter and John prepare for Passover. After sunset, Jesus eats the meal with the 12. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane; Judas betrays him. The High Priest condemns Jesus. In the early morning hours, Peter denies knowing his Master three times before the rooster crows.

Day 6: Good Friday — Trial, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial

Pontius Pilate finds Jesus guilty. Jesus endures accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, a crown of thorns, and abandonment. After multiple unlawful trials (Thursday night and early Friday morning), he is sentenced to death and then crucified at “the third hour” (9 a.m.) on Passover day (Mark 15:25).

Judas Iscariot, overcome with remorse, hangs himself early Friday morning.

Jesus’ Seven Sayings from the Cross:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV).  

“Today … with me in paradise.”

“Woman, behold thy son … ” (darkness from noon till 3 p.m.).

“My God, My God … .”

“I thirst.”

“It is finished.”

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46, NIV).

About 3 p.m., the veil is torn, rocks are rent, and some graves are opened, and people rise (to mortality) and go into the city.

Jesus’ side is pierced.

Passover lambs are slain in the Temple.

Jesus’ body is buried by sundown. 

By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body from the cross and lay it in a tomb.

Day 7: Saturday the Sabbath — it ends at 6 p.m., and Christ’s body is ceremonially treated for burial with spices purchased by Nicodemus (John 19:39-40).

In the tomb, Jesus Christ pays the penalty for sin by offering the perfect, spotless sacrifice.

“For you know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV).

Day 8: Resurrection Sunday

Jesus Christ rises from the dead (before dawn). Early Sunday morning, several women go to the tomb and see that the large stone covering the entrance had been rolled away. An angel says to them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:5-6 ESV).

PALMS PAVED HIS DONKEY'S PATH

   Palm Sunday begins the Holy Week. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, known as “Resurrection Sunday.”  

Palm Sunday began with Jesus and his disciples traveling over the Mount of Olives. The Lord sent two disciples ahead into the village of Bethphage to find a donkey for him to ride. They found her and her colt, as Jesus had said they would. The owners questioned them. 

“Hey, what y’all doing there?” the donkey’s owners might have said. Maybe they thought the disciples were would-be horse thieves.

The disciples gave the answer Jesus had provided: “The Lord needs it.”

The Bible says this took place to fulfill what the prophet (Zechariah 9:9 ESV) said:

“Say to the daughter of Zion,
 / ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
 / humble, and mounted on a donkey,
 / on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them. 

(Cloaks are sleeveless, long, outer garments made of single pieces of fabric that hang loose. Matthew mentions a donkey and her colt. Though Mark, Luke, and John mention only one young donkey, that does not mean there were not two. Mark and Luke indicated that the colt they acquired for Christ never had been ridden. Matthew omitted that information. Cornelius a Lapide’s commentary on the passage says that Christ first rode the donkey up and down the mount and then transferred and rode the colt into the city. Others say Jesus rode the colt while its mother was led nearby.) 

Jesus rode a donkey for three reasons, according to amazingbibletimeline.com: 

1. The first one is a fulfillment of the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy about making his entry while riding a lowly animal. 

2. A leader rode on a horse if he was coming in war and a donkey to signify peace.

3. Jesus used the donkey to connect with the common people. 

Jesus rode the colt as he entered Jerusalem. 

Many people were headed to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the festival that remembers the escape of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. Jewish males were supposed to go to Jerusalem to the Temple for at least three “pilgrim festivals”: Passover (Pesah, a 7-day observance), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Booths (Sukkoth). On that Palm Sunday, a crowd probably was following Jesus because of his fame in Galilee.

“Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee’” (Matt. 21:8-11 ESV)

“Alleluia, how the people cheer and palm leaves rustle as the king draws near,” said John Beavis.

“This crowd understood that Jesus was the Messiah; what they did not understand was that it wasn’t time to set up the kingdom yet — although Jesus had tried to tell them so (Luke 19:11-12),” gotquestions.com says. “The crowds looked for a Messiah who would rescue them politically and free them nationally, but Jesus had come to save them spiritually.”

People celebrated as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. They paved the street with cloaks and palm fronds. I believe Jesus enjoyed the moment, though he knew what was coming.

JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF

 “Many would be scantily clad if clothed in their humility,” someone noted. 

Most of us may know of someone who was proud but “his chickens came home to roost” and he got his “comeupins,” a slang word for “comeuppance,” meaning “a well deserved rebuke or penally.”

The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:8 NKJV).   

James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

This Old Testament verse sums up the idea: “Before honor is humility” (Proverbs 15:33). 

“Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility,” Jonathan Edwards said.

Dwight L. Moody said, “God has nothing to say to the self-righteous. Unless you humble yourself before him in the dust, and confess before him your iniquities and sins, the gate of heaven, which is open only for sinners, saved by grace, must be shut against you forever.”  

“Humble” is defined as “having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance; not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive.”

“Humility is being free from pride and not thinking of yourself first,” someone said. “It is realizing your talents and gifts are from God, putting your worth in Him, admitting you can never live up to His holiness and perfection, seeing how much you need Him and asking for His help.”

Jesus Christ laid aside his Deity (his divineness) and demonstrated the greatest humility. 

Paul writes about Jesus’ humility in Philippians 2. Paul says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God … .” 

Paul says that Jesus was “in the form of God” but did not count equality with God a thing to be used for his own benefit. Jesus emptied himself, left heaven, and was born in human form, taking on the role of a servant. 

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).

Pastors refer to “the incarnation.” “Incarnate” means “embodied in flesh.” Jesus was born on earth as a baby — he took on flesh, was “embodied” in flesh. God assumed a human body and human nature and became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity. Christ was truly God and truly man during his earthly mission. 

In the New York Times Magazine, Nancy V. Raine told a story heard years ago from a friend named George: 

"In those days, work crews marked construction sites by putting out smudge pots with open flames. George’s 4-year-old daughter got too close to one and her pants caught fire like the Straw Man’s stuffing. The scars running the length and breadth of Sara’s legs looked like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. In the third grade she was asked, 'If you could have one wish, what would it be?' Sarah wrote: 'I want everyone to have legs like mine.'"

“When we suffer pain, we want others to understand,” says Craig B. Larson, who reported that story. “We want others to be like us so they can identify with us. We don’t want to be alone. … God does understand. When Jesus became a man, he did something far more difficult than having legs like Sarah’s.”

Jesus humbly put on a garment of flesh. “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

GOG AND MAGOG: WILL ISRAEL BE ATTACKED?

 The war in Ukraine is influencing gas prices. Food costs have risen. Ukraine and Russia make up 30 percent of global exports of wheat.  

Televangelist Pat Robertson has warned that end times are upon us, and Christians wonder if the Russia-Ukraine conflict will lead to a “Gog and Magog” attack on Israel?

“It should have been easy to predict that Russia was going to invade Ukraine,” says David Parsons, an attorney, ordained minister, and Middle East specialist. “It also was quite predictable that many Christians would instantly start connecting this conflict to the ‘War of Gog and Magog,’ the last days’ global confrontation described in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.”

Chapters 36 and 37 give prophecies of the great regathering of Israel in the last days. 

“Ezekiel’s vision of the ‘Valley of Dry Bones’ in chapter 37 depicts it as if the nation is literally resurrected from the dead – which in many ways aptly describes the miraculous rebirth of Israel [in 1948] as a nation just three years after the nadir [lowest point] of the Holocaust,” he says.

So what is the War of Gog and Magog? 

In Ezekiel 38, the prophet is told to deliver a warning to “Gog and Magog.” Gog is an individual and Magog is his land. (Other nations also will join in attacking Israel.)

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal

4 “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour … ” (Ezekiel 38:1-4 KJV). 

“Ezekiel is clear the attack comes from the north, and those supposing biblical prophecy is being fulfilled note that that Moscow is directly north of Jerusalem. Thus, it is claimed the Ukraine war heralds the beginning of the end times,” says Dr. Calvin Smith of King's Evangelical Divinity School.   

Speculation about Gog and Magog has largely centered on Russia, or the former Soviet Union, and their allies coming against tiny Israel, Parsons says. 

Some appear to think the move against Israel can happen any day now. Others combine the war of Gog and Magog with the Battle of Armageddon, arguing that they are the same conflict. Others place the Gog-Magog aggression at the end of the Millennium, relying on additional prophetic passages found in the New Testament.

“Chapter 39 continues describing this same battle against Gog [Israel against Gog], while adding that the victory at God’s hand will be so complete, Israel will need seven months to bury the dead and seven years to burn the weapons of warfare,” Parsons says. 

Does the war in the Ukraine mean that events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are about to happen now?

Parsons appears to believe that the “Gog and Magog” war may take place after the Millennium, “the thousand years mentioned in Revelation during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth.” In the Revelation to John, the names Gog and Magog are applied to the evil forces that will join with Satan in the great struggle at the end of time (Revelation 20:7–10), after the Millennium, he says.

7 “And when the thousand years are expired,  Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:7-10 KJV).

Dr. Calvin Smith says, “Biblical prophecy has an important role to play in the life of the believer, demonstrating how God is in control of events and human history. … Yet the Bible is not a commentary on current affairs and attempts to utilize it in this manner are often sensational and false, turning many believers away from studying biblical prophecy. … It is best to avoid being dogmatic in identifying current events with biblical prophecy. We do not know how today’s scenario in the Ukraine will play out.”

EAT HIS FLESH? DRINK HIS BLOOD? ... JESUS TALKED BOLDLY

 What type of fish did Jesus multiply when he used “two small fishes” and five barley loaves to feed a crowd on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (John, chapter 6)?  

Writer Mohan Anthony says it’s better that the Bible didn’t tell the kind of fish Jesus multiplied because some folk would have made that kind of fish into an idol, or erected shrines to it, or held feasts for it, much to God’s displeasure.

John 6 also tells that the disciples boarded a ship without Jesus, who stayed to pray. Night fell and the sea roiled as a strong wind blew. The disciples rowed three or four miles and then saw Jesus walking on the water. Frightened, they heard Jesus say, “It is I, do not be afraid.” They took him into the boat.  

In Feb. 1999, the L.A. Times printed this headline: “You Too Can Walk on Water: Tourists will soon be able to simulate Jesus’ walking on water on the Sea of Galilee.”

The article says, “Israel’s National Parks Authority authorized construction of a submerged bridge in the lake, which has been a pilgrimage site since at least the 3rd century.”

They planned to build a 13-foot-wide, 28-foot-long, crescent-shaped floating bridge to be submerged two inches below water, able to accommodate up to 50 people. To enhance the “walking on water” effect, the bridge was to have no rails, but lifeguards and boats were to be on hand in case a walker slipped off.

I don’t think that bridge was built. It sounded like a bad idea for a tourist trap — and was perhaps sacrilegious. “Sacrilege” is “a violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred.” 

In John 6, Jesus also said, preaching in the Capernaum synagogue, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe” (ESV). 

That didn’t sit well with the Jews. They grumbled about Jesus saying he was “the bread that came down from heaven.” 

They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”   

Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” 

Jesus said again, “I am the bread of life.” (Jesus was born in Bethlehem. “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.”)

Then Jesus told them that their ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, and they died, but that he was the bread that came down from heaven — the bread they could eat and NOT die.

“If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh,” Jesus said.

That threw the Jews into a tizzy. They said, among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 

Jesus went further, raising some of their blood pressures!  

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” he said. “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

That sounded like cannibalism: the practice of eating the flesh of one’s own species. But Jesus was speaking about spiritual matters. 

Many disciples quit following Jesus after his talk about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Jesus said to his chosen 12 disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?” 

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

  Some may follow Jesus for loaves and fish. Some may be intrigued by his miracles and his walking on water. But Jesus is the Living Bread. “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever,” he said.

REMINDERS OF GOD

My mother, the late Mrs. Eva F. Crain (1922-1989), wrote this article in the summer of 1975.

   My mother, the late Eva F. Crain, is pictured above as she performed her work at Roger Huntington Nursing Home (now closed), Greer, South Carolina. She worked there 20 years after becoming a practical nurse in her 40s. 
 
  Being in the middle of my “middle years” and being saved during my young years of life, I am made to think about and appreciate the “Reminders” of God that He gives to us during our years. 

I am reminded so much of several things I heard my late father speak about. He said, to him, it was better to live a Christian life, even if there wasn’t a Heaven to gain. Another statement that really sticks with me that I heard him say was “We get so busy working for the Lord until we forget to work ‘WITH’ Him,” and how true I am finding this. 

I have never understood exactly why I had to go through a serious stomach surgery at the age of 40, but after I had the privilege to enter Practical Nursing at age 45, I could understand better, for maybe without the surgery, I would never have had the compassion for a sick person that I should, or maybe for the elderly people that I work with now. 

I have always been a believer in the supernatural power of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I knew if I didn’t receive the benefits, it was my fault and not God’s. I love the Scripture that says He will do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think, and then I don’t want to ever forget to praise Him for the good things. 

Not long ago, I was reminded again of the wonderful keeping power of God. My aunt had called one morning in  May to see if I wanted to go to a cloth shop for a little while, and I was willing — but I decided while I was waiting I would boil some eggs to be ready when I returned to make some lunch in a hurry. So I started the eggs boiling on “high.” Always before, when I leave the kitchen, I look back to see if all the burners are off on the stove. That morning when my aunt drove up in front of the house and blew the horn, I grabbed my pocket book, locked the door, and never one time looked back. 

We had finished our errands at the cloth shop, stopped to visit my husband’s mother nearby, and she wanted to fix us a sandwich for lunch, choosing between banana and egg. My aunt said, “I believe I’ll have a banana one for I had my egg at breakfast.” When she said “egg,” I remembered turning the eggs on “high” to boil and never going back to cut the burner off. I told her what I have remembered, so we were then eight miles from home. We hurried out, and she is not a fast driver, so we had eight miles to go, and she said after we started, “Let’s just pray,” so you can rest assured we did. 

When I arrived there and got the door unlocked, the house was filled with smoke, and there was a flame over the burner of about four or five inches high. I pushed the “off” button and grabbed a box of salt and poured some over the flame, which smothered the flame. But months later, at times, we can still smell the odor of charcoaled eggs. The eggs were almost burned completely “up” and the pan was not glued to the burner but had holes in the bottom, and another miracle was that when I pulled the tray from under the burner, there was something almost like a dust. You talk about praising God as I was carrying what was left of the pan and eggs, my heart was really doing that and rejoicing. Thank God for reminding me that the burner was still on under the eggs after being gone for around one hour and a half.

Then in the first part of July of the same year of 1975, my husband was on vacation, so my supervisor arranged some time from my working at the nursing center to have a few days with him. We decided to visit Pigeon Forge in Tennessee, and my husband does not like to drive on long trips, so my brother-in-law marked him a route on the map that he thought he could follow. But with all these different highways, he was a little dubious about it. All the time, we thought we were doing fairly well, when we realized instead of being on Route 40 West, we had taken 40 East, so I could see he was getting pretty uptight by now and very frustrated. I thank God for reminding me that if we call on Him, He will hear. In my heart, I was praying, “God, help us to get on the right highway” — when my husband decided to turn off the exit to the left. Going just a short way, there was a “Transportation Information Center,” and the lady showed him how to go back just a little ways and we were on the right road. Thank God for His reminders.

REAL HOLINESS

 “Holiness is back in vogue, or it should be,” read a headline in the Jan. 29, 2022 Greenville News.

“Wow!” I thought. “I want to hear about that.”  

The article I saw, by Shayne Looper, pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County, Michigan, talks about H.B. Warner, who was cast as Jesus in the 1927 silent film “King of Kings.” 

Director Cecil B DeMille required Warner to sign a contract that kept him from taking roles for five years that might undermine his “holy” image in “King of Kings.” DeMille did not want Warner getting publicity that might impact the film in a negative way.

Warner was not allowed to play cards, go to ballgames, swim, or ride in a convertible. During filming, DeMille had Warner transported in a car with blings drawn. While walking from the car to the set, Warner had to wear a black veil, and he could not eat with other cast members.

DeMille’s effort to make Warner appear holy was not successful. 

The pressure to "look" Christlike drove Warner “over the edge,” Looper says. “During the production, he relapsed into his addiction to alcohol. It was the only way he knew to deal with all the stress.”

Cecil B. DeMille seemed to think that holiness was defined by the things a person does not do, Looper says.

The word “holiness” has lapsed into disuse in today’s culture and has often been misunderstood by those who think themselves holy, Looper says.

“Real holiness involves a return to the world [not backsliding into “worldly ways,” but returning to the world to affect it positively for Christ],” he notes. “Rather than seeking to escape the world, the genuinely holy person is God’s agent of love in the world. Rather than distancing oneself from others, the holy person is welcoming. Rather than being proud, which is the chief mark of counterfeit holiness, the holy person is humble.”

Leviticus 19 reveals what real holiness looks like in the real world, Looper says. “It does this by illustrating what it means to be God’s people in everyday situations.”
   
GOD IS HOLY

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’” (Leviticus 19:1-2 ESV). 

“God’s holiness is a term used in the Bible to describe both his goodness and his power,” someone said. “Holiness radiates from God like an energy.”

“God is unlike any other, and his holiness is the essence of that ‘otherness,’” says a writer at gotquestions.org. ” 

“… I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst … ,” God says about himself (Hosea 11:9 ESV).
 
  HOW CAN WE BE HOLY?
 
  “If we have not placed our faith in God’s Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain,” says gotquestions.org.

We must first make sure we are born-again (John 3:3 and 3:16). God makes us righteous (puts us in right-standing with him) when we accept Jesus who died for us. We can’t make ourselves righteous by our own efforts. 

All believers are saints (born-again people who are acknowledged by God as righteous) — not because we necessarily act like saints but because we ARE saints. Paul wrote, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ … ” (1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV). 

We are saints because of faith in Jesus, not because of efforts to be like Jesus. 

Only God can make us righteous AND holy. There is both “positional holiness” and “practical holiness.” Our positional holiness before God has been paid for by Jesus. Our practical holiness is something we can pursue as an offering in response to God’s directive to “be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” 

As we follow the Lord, we can dedicate ourselves (set ourselves apart) to him and practice doing the things he wants us to do. “Holy” means “set apart.” For something to be “holy” simply means for it to be dedicated to God, sources say. People who are positionally holy before God are holy because of faith in Jesus, but they are holy in a practical sense to the extent that their lives are devoted to God and their actions reflect God’s character.  

“ … [I]t is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16 KJV).