Where Do You Get That Stuff...?
What am I watching?, who do I talk to? and what's the best recent article I've read
Today I wanted to point you toward some of the articles I’ve read or videos I’ve watched.
Please allow me to direct you to a common sense article concerning the Mrna and Covid response.
This morning’s article was written by a scientist named Mike Donio. His Substack is called “Still in the Storm”. He describes himself and his writing;
“Founder, Science Defined. Husband. Father. Writer. Senior Scientist. Molecular Biology. Biochemistry. Biotechnology. At the intersection between Christianity and science. Christ is All and in all.
You can find his page at https://substack.com/@mikedonio
He encourages people to use discernment when reading potentially inflammatory or emotion-evoking materials online.
The risk of being manipulated can be avoided by applying common sense and caution.
We’ve all seen the headlines of ads and articles intended to “get the click”. Maybe you’ve written one or two of them yourself? I know I have.
I think you’ll find it helpful for staying calm in the storm.
Here’s a glance at part of his article
A Ministry Moment
Every single Born-again believer in Jesus Christ is called to ministry!
To every one of us grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
The word “grace” is the word “charis” in Greek. One meaning for the word is “gift”.
Who has a gift from the Holy Spirit to minister? Every born-again believer! Even that nerdy-looking kid with glasses who might seem slightly awkward or socially inept has a gift from the Lord.
God uses the most socially adept and inept for his purposes.
God has a use for each Christian.
God has equipped you with the power of the Holy Spirit. As a teacher, one of the portions of ministry I’ve been given is to equip the Saints for the work of ministry. For me, the primary means is through the teaching of the Word.
Ephesians 4 spells it out for us.
Ephesians 4:4-16
(4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
(5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
(6) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
(7) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
(8) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men.
(9) (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
(10) He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
(15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Some readers know of my heart for the lost Jehovah’s Witnesses. Please, join me in praying for those souls that knock on your door.
The JW’s have a difficult life’s journey. My dad called it “between a rock and a hard place”.
The Watchtower organization uses fear to control its membership. Once a family is fully entrapped in their society leaving is a costly proposition.
Because fear drives them, I am full of pity for them. If they leave they face being entirely cut off. They are shunned by their family, friends, and social and emotional support systems. It is a bleak outlook.
Jesus said of such people,
Matthew 19:29
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”
It is in this same spirit that I point you to this video. Ray Comfort of Living Waters ministries interviews a few Jehovah’s Witnesses at a college campus in Southern California.
If the JW’s were able to think for themselves, I doubt many of them would want to trap others into the same system of bondage. Those who long to be set free have a right to be concerned that they will end up alone and isolated.
If the Lord leads you, tell them you will be their friend should they ever decide to leave. Anyone who leaves the JW’s may cling to you and demand lots of attention. Or they may stay quiet and reserved, acting more like a cowering dog that has been beaten often.
I’ll write an article soon to describe some of the Bible passages and questions I ask of these folks. I think that by love and compassion, we may reach a few.
Until next time,
May the Lord richly bless you,
Pastor James Beane