Hear the News? See the News? What Are YOU Doing to Help?

The TV news, the radio news, the Internet news, the newspapers . . . we seem to be overloaded with reports of bad news, scary news,  unacceptable behavior of all sorts, and more and more terrible disasters. 

What are we nice, normal people supposed to do?  Let’s not just flip it off and ignore what’s happening.  

• Let’s pray for the victims and their families. 
• Let’s pray for the criminals, the gangs, the hateful people.      
• Let’s pray for the police, the firefighters, the rescue groups.  
• Ask God’s blessing on our Armed Forces, the Congress, the President,  the judges, the local elected politicians.  
• Certainly, pray for your own protection, for help that you need, for your neighborhood and town.  Pray for wisdom for what to say and what to do.

Each of us needs a serious outlook on how to improve these situations.  If we care, we do something.                  Y E S !

by Elaine Hardt @2018

Ten Good Reasons for Complaining

So, how is life treating you these days? Are you consistently happy and positive in your outlook and cheerful in your conversation?

Oh? So you do whine and complain, but very infrequently, and only when totally justified?

Take a look at two guys who had ten good reasons for complaining. Their shocking experience is recounted in Acts 16:11-40. Paul and his friend Silas recently arrived in a foreign city:

1. They had done nothing wrong, nothing illegal, yet they were falsely accused,
2. Yelled at by an angry crowd, probably insulted and cursed by them,
3. Seized by the authorities,
4. Stripped of their clothes by the arresting authorities,
5. Beaten with “many stripes,”
6. Thrown into prison, most likely a dungeon,
7. Prison was dirty, dark, and smelly,
8. Lawbreakers, likely undesirable-types were chained in the dungeon,
9. Locked in the “inner prison,”
10. Feet were fastened down in stocks so they could not move around.

Any of this happened to you recently? Anything even remotely similar to this happen to you at any time in your life? Do you have ten good reasons for complaining?

Well, you’d imagine as they sat there in the fetid darkness they would rehash the terrible things that happened to them. Or, perhaps they’d sit in angry silence, each blaming the other for over-reacting?

No, that’s not the case. They prayed out loud, sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them. No silent sulking, instead a lot of noisy praying and praising. Maybe even two-part harmony as they sang their favorite songs to God, perhaps praises from the book of Psalms, well known to all Jews.

When you are going through some undeserved or undesirable conditions is there another believer with whom you can pray and sing? Or, are you alone?

Someone you aren’t even aware of may be watching and listening to you. What can you do?

Putting on a brave front and gritting your teeth is not the answer. . . . so, what is?

Those Aggravating Politicians !

The latest political ad just came up on TV, or Facebook, or Twitter, etc.  Maybe to irritate you some friend emailed you a link to it.  

What to do?  Quick!  Pray for that politician.   They’re labeled for prayer. 

Now, you’re doing something positive, something necessary, something that will also help you.  You pray for that person who obviously needs the LORD.  They’re saying something that’s a bad exaggeration, or a bold lie.  Pray for him or her or them to repent of their sin.  Pray for a change in their attitude and their outlook.  Pray that they don’t get elected and affect thousands of people for the worse.  Pray that they turn to God very soon. 

You are helping yourself develop an astute and devoted attitude.  People who talk like that, or wear a T-shirt with filthy language or pictures, or do suggestive actions to show off their boldness to get attention — they need help.  You care about their eternal soul,  as well as their influence on the younger generation, and people of your age, and even the old folks who are becoming careless in their decision-making abilities.

See ‘em, pray for ‘em.  The sooner you do it, then you’re less likely to forget.  The sooner you do it, the more of a burden you relinquish.  Don’t let the devil use such bad stuff to get your attention.  You have more important things to do with the life the LORD has given you.      + + + 

 

By Elaine Hardt ©2016

Relief From the World's Chaos

Chaos, troubles of every size

Assaults us from every side,

Wars and fightings are getting worse,

Evil men have increasingly lied. 

Many natural calamities

Are becoming worse increasingly; 

Politicians and government leaders

Make complications we might not see. 

Pay attention to these events,

Be cautious, alert, aware;

Each person’s life has an ending here,

But our Father in Heaven does care.

Eternal life is a Bible promise,

Tell everyone you can that you care;

Judgment day is coming for all mankind,

Now is the time to prepare. 

by Elaine Hardt ©2015