Our Lighted Path

  It's a song for the church: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ssVtxQnqXz4&pp=0gcJCRsBo7VqN5tD https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PewyvrM2QxQ And you can join in!

  Is Heaven's church losing its will to overcome sins? Maybe that's a needed question in our world today. For a little more perspective, let's look at a commentary that's more about overcoming sin than about the power of sin; and let's pray with all our ability.

What does prophecy to someone named John mean, when John says Jesus will judge with the sword of His mouth? Well, the prophecy is only saying Heaven's word is God's "sword," and that in the last of days, that word will become more of a divider in earth. In some ways, we've probably already seen that prophecy begin to unfold, in the pages of the Bible and in our day to day today. But let's look and see how a few others explain Revelation 2:16 .

  I don't know why I find some of the worst Bible commentaries anyone can find online, but I find the worst sometimes. One commentary tries to say the human race doesn't really have free will, because God, in His sovereignty, limits each and every one of us physically. ... Hhmm. That sounds like unrighteous slavery. That wrong article makes an argument that when a forceful, foolish leader threatens or imposes death on others, we pray that that leader will be defeated either physically or by limiting or outmatching his level of force. But, no, I pray to the one and only God who says not to repay evil for evil and who says to pray for enemies. For me, that means my heart first cries out to God that an enemy would be saved, that an enemy would be opened to know Jesus and to want life in Him. That's what I prayed the first time I realized a kind of enemy of state was in a nation's highest public office, years ago, when some election officials were asked to manufacture votes...

  This year, so far, hasn't been the most fortunate in our neck of the woods. On top of sickness and countless trespasses against us, things haven't been as should be to help nurture children, to the best of our calling and ability, in the community God placed us in. I remember the past two Easters, in 2024 and 2023, and how circumstances weren't good then, either. Although post pandemic, neighbors continued to pass away untimely: one woman shortly after we spoke at her gate on my walk from an Easter church service. But despite every problem in the past, Easter remained the time of the greatest hope . Easter 2023 was a long walk to get ice cream to add to a gift to neighbors who were having fun outside, doing so despite every assault against the soul. And in 2024, the Easter season was four or five little souls at a brightly covered daycare table, really enjoying small ice cream sandwiches and quietly hearing and peering at an Easter book we had been reading in days leading...

  Sometimes, those of us with roots from some places in Africa, have wondered why Israel's architecture and ancient artifacts have seemed more European than artifacts from Egypt, Cush, or other ancient regions the Bible highlights. With prayer, I settled on thinking Roman occupation must have influenced Israel very much, and Jews who survived the Holocaust and who migrated back to the land of their forefathers after World War II, must have brought European customs with them. Now, I know that's true. Years after my unspoken prayer, I decided to add some effort to actually looking for information about the origins of the blue stripes that some Israeli men wear on the prayer shawl. The blue stripe also appears on Israel's flag, yet none of that seems like the Savior we have in Jesus. When God walked among people through the only of His children who was begotten to live and die and rise again for our good, He didn't wear blue stripes, and His robes probably weren't blea...