Sunday, April 25, 2021

Thrown Away Women



Thrown Away Women

Have you read about the women in the Bible who were thrown away?  They were discarded. Treated worse than trash.

These women had little value to the men in their lives. They were used for sex, and the examples below are horrifying.

Remember Lot? The one whose wife turned to a pillar of salt? God got tired of the city of Sodom’s evil ways, so he sent to angels to destroy it. Lot invited the angels to stay overnight in his house. During the night, the entire male population of Sodom surrounded Lot’s home and demanded the two men be brought outside. The male citizens of Sodom wanted to have sex with the new men. Lot refused, but offered his two virgin daughters instead!  He told the mob, “You can do what you like with them, but don’t do anything to these men. They are under the protection of my roof.” Genesis 19.

And the daughters weren’t under his protection? Lot was willing to throw away his daughters! Lot was a faulty thinker and isn’t eligible to win any Father of the Year award.

How about the story of the Levite and his concubine?

This Levite was lonely up there in the Ephraim hill country and acquired a concubine. He must not have been a very good companion because the concubine was unfaithful. She finally ran away and went home to her father in Bethlehem. After four lonely months, the Levite went after her. The Concubine’s father persuaded the desperate-for-sex Levite to spend the night. After spending five days and nights there, the Levite wanted to take his concubine and head for the hills. The girl’s father pleaded for him to stay, but the man took his concubine and left. (I’m guessing the dad knew something of the Levites character. He may have been protecting his daughter.) When night came, the Levite stopped in the town of Gibeath and was in need of shelter. A local man invited him and the concubine to stay in his house. Sometime in the night, men of the city knocked on the door and demanded the host bring out the man. They wanted to have sex with him but instead, the host offered his virgin daughter. (Another nomination for Dad of the Year. NOT.) The wicked male horde preferred the Levite, so in-order-to protect himself, the Levite threw his concubine out the door.

The wicked men abused her all night and left her for dead on the doorstep. The Levite put her on his donkey, returned home, and then cut up her body into twelve pieces. He sent the pieces to each of the twelve tribes asking them to partake in revenge. A war ensues. Judges 19. The early Israelites “did what was right in their own eyes.” Judges 21:25.

These two ghoulish incidents, Lot, and the Levite, demonstrate how women were often thought of as nothing in the early days of civilization. Except for the concubine’s dad, the other fathers had little regard for their daughters. Can you imagine offering your virgin daughter to appease a horde of men?

Jesus elevated women when He came to live on Earth, but there are many today who continue to abuse women. Sometimes the abuser is a dad, a husband, a boss, or a human trafficker.

Women are thrown away in today’s world. Abuse of women is now considered a crime instead of sin. But indeed, they are both: Crime and sin. When humanity ignores civil and moral laws, Godless actions happen.

My heart hurts for the abused woman. I’m sad for the women who are abducted into sex slavery by a human trafficker.  Laws exist for a reason, but they get ignored. Officers of the law also exist for a reason, but anarchy occurs in many American places. Folks, people need to give accountability to God. We need to honor our national laws. We can’t and shouldn’t allow ungodly incidents to occur, and we shouldn't let women be abused or thrown away.


 Mattie's Choice in Print or eBook


Thursday, April 8, 2021

Free Will, God, and the Government

 


God gives us free will. 

In other words, He gives us liberty to make choices. Remember Adam and Eve? That's where free will began. 

 Because of God's gift of freedom, we decide how to live our lives. We can be Christian, or not, alcoholics, druggies, do-gooders, church goers, family people, single, LSBGTQ, Republicans, Democrats, anything we pick. Some of us pick all of the above.  God gives us an enormous amount of freedom. There are consequences, of course, but the choices are ours.

While on earth, we can obey civil and moral laws, break all laws, or go into politics and make laws for others to keep.  

It's really a gift to us. A big, generous, gift from God. We get to decide our life's path and how we live. But guess what? The United States Government seems to want to change that.


It appears they wish to make our choices and take away our options. They do this through mandates, laws, and taxes.

The government says, "No free will for you, Mr. John Q. Citizen. You can't be trusted. You aren't smart enough.  Others must make decisions for you.  We, the government, know best, and we will decide for you." 

Many of those mandates, laws and taxes bring about good things, but the fact remains, you have no say-so in the matter. You follow the dictates or go to jail, get cancelled, boycotted, get bullied, lose your business, or perhaps life itself. Most of all, you lose freedom.

 Does the American government have the right to take away your self will? Your freedom? Your right to make choices? 

Not according to the United States Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/full-text

Notice the word liberty. The Blessings of Liberty.

God gives us the Blessings of Liberty. Our Free Will.

But it seems to me that we are allowing our government to steal our liberty and free will. We are handing it to them on the old proverbial silver platter.

Not so with God. He'll never take away our freedom to choose. He hopes we choose Him, His Salvation, and His goodness, but it is up to us. He will never make you accept Him. Choices are up to you.

Your government? Well, that may be another story. The powers in office may compel you to accept a lifestyle you don't want, force you to go places you don't want to go, or disallow you to go to places you do want to go.

God help us keep our free will.

Saturday, April 3, 2021

Easter Traditions



For Christians, Easter is the most important day of the year. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of our souls.  He was crucified on a cruel cross on a Friday, he died and was buried, but on the third day, Sunday, He arose. Jesus returned from the dead and lives today. 

 Why do we call it Easter?

An author in the Sixth Century believed the English word, Easter, came from an Anglo-Saxon goddess who represented spring and reproduction.  I think we should change the name of the day to Resurrection Sunday.

How about those eggs?


Easter eggs are founded in non-Christian festivities.  Dying eggs, hiding eggs, rolling eggs is an activity many Christians as well as non-Christians participate in each year.  Eggs represent fertility. 

Don't forget the bunny.



The Easter Bunny “delivers” candy and chocolates to many children on Easter morning.  Most of the time, these goodies come in an Easter Basket.  Why a bunny? No one knows for certain, but many think German immigrants brought the idea to America. Bunnies are passionate procreators, another indicator of birth and renewal.

Foods



A lamb is often the main entre. A lamb was killed for Passover, and now, Jesus is the “Lamb of God.”  Ham is another traditional favorite. Before the Resurrection and ascension, Jewish people couldn’t eat ham or pork. After the Resurrection, God told Peter all foods were clean.

He is risen! Enjoy your traditions, but remember the reason for Resurrection Sunday! Jesus lives!

Faith and Humor

PBG Insider: Gay N. Lewis Introduces her "Sarah" series

Sarah at Christmas