Month: October 2018

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CLARITY- 10-16-18 Testy

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-16-18

Testy

 

What’s Happening: “The recent release by Senator Elizabeth Warren of a DNA test that indicates she has somewhere between 1/64th and 1/1024th Indian heritage (approximately the average of anyone from North America – though the testing company would not verify whether from North or South America), has Trump calling her “Pocahontas” again. Even the Cherokee Nation protested, decrying her use of their name for her benefit (https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-calls-elizabeth-warren-pocahontas-reveals-dna-results-125833322.html). ‘Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong,’ said Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin, Jr.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “Didn’t she claim ‘minority status’ to gain admission into Harvard?”

 

Biblical Response:  “Maybe, what’s more certain is that Harvard touted her ‘minority status’ when they added her to the faculty. DNA has become the standard for determining familial identity, even tracing us all back to Adam and Eve…sorry atheists (https://pro.stenglernaturals.com/p/HRV180420A/LHRVUA26/?h=true).  Whether Sen. Warren has any more Indian in her than….say…Trump, well, I’ll let you decide.”

 

“Christians? Tracing our physical lineage back to Adam and Eve, the original parents may be impressive to some, but I’d rather trace my spiritual heritage back to God (Gen. 1:26). I guess that’s the importance of being born again (Jn. 3:3-8).”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us not to “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:24), making a mountain out of a molehill; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-15-18 Not Ready Yet

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-15-18

Not Ready Yet

 

What’s Happening: “In addition to all the commotion over whether Saudi-born journalist Jamal Khashoggi was actually killed by a Saudi hit squad, Trump is also dealing with the trade situation with China. He says that their economy is going down while ours is going up…and the stats seem to bear that out. Still , he says they’re not ready to make a bilateral trade deal (https://dcalert.com/2018/10/14/trump-says-china-economy-not-well/). ‘How will you know when China is ready to negotiate again?’ A Breitbart News reporter asked.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “That will probably mean no more cheap ‘Made in China’ stuff, huh?”

 

Biblical Response:  “Yeah…kind of…it really depends on your definition of ‘cheap.’ Lower quality goods should cost less. Maybe we would rather buy less expensive stuff than the more expensive ‘Made in the USA”, better-economy-because-stuff-is-made-by-people-who-pay-taxes stuff that fills the Walmart shelves. Besides, don’t you usually get what you pay for?”

 

“Christians? We need to pray for all those lower-level bureaucrats that will do the real negotiating. They need to ‘be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.’  (Matt. 10:16 ASV)”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, since whoever has the best negotiators wins, help our leaders do what’s in Your people’s best interests; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 20-13-18 Toxic Red Tide

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-13-18

Toxic Red Tide

 

What’s Happening: “In the wake of Hurricane Michael, there is a toxic red tide that is sweeping Florida beaches. The symptoms are flu-like and temporary…at least to humans…but it may be fatal to marine life…it’s not clear whether it’s red tide that has caused thousands of fish to wash up or red algae blooms. (https://www.yahoo.com/news/hurricane-michael-victims-face-another-172702432.html). ‘Sometimes you get red tide up there in the Panhandle so that’s the issue, the tide’s right along the coastline and now the hurricane, with the storm surge, is going to carry the toxin inland,’ said Larry Brand, marine biologist.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “If it doesn’t affect me, I’m not interested.”

 

Biblical Response:  “That is truly reflective of most of America…for that matter, most of the world..and I’m sorry. When anyone suffers, we should commiserate. Sure, there’s a limit to largesse…or there should be, but to care nothing is going beyond the limit in the opposite direction. Where’s the balance? If God lays something on your heart, then act. But don’t be dismissive out of hand. Just because you don’t live in Florida doesn’t mean you aren’t to care about those who do (Rom. 12:15).”

 

“Christians? The Scripture commands to ‘bear ye one another’s burdens’ (Gal. 6:2). Besides, there is a ‘red tide’ whose toxicity is healing. I’m talking about the blood of Jesus…and its toxicity to sin is what makes it so…well, welcome…if uncomfortable. Of course, it’s a painful toxicity at first, but, like medicine, sometimes it’s the only thing that will work.”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us to care. Sure, it’s easy to go about life more self-focused, but that doesn’t bring anybody glory. We want to live a life that demands an explanation; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-11-18 Update

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-11-18

Update

 

What’s Happening: “Now the death toll (previously reported in CLARITY blogs of 9/29 and 10/4 – subdeo.com/) has risen to 2,045. The earthquake(s) and subsequent tsunami have displaced 82,000 people and damaged or destroyed 67,000 homes. I say quakes because they continue to hit the “Ring of Fire” islands of Indonesia with new quakes of 6.0 or higher, hitting Bali and Java recently.  Much of the world was focused on the Kavanaugh hearings or the progress Pompeo has made in North Korea lately, but all tragedy, like politics, is local (https://www.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-aftermath-devastating-earthquake-tsunami-slideshow-wp-190254814.html). One reaction was Kingkhan’s: …‘how can you try and help people who sabotage their own emergency equipment(?)’”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “Things are rough all over!”

 

Biblical Response:  “True…still, that doesn’t reduce our responsibility to be merciful (Rom. 12:15; James 2:16). The trick is, as the saying goes, to ‘walk a mile in his moccasins.’ Since I experienced the devastation and loss o life of a tornado on my own property in 2011, I have been particularly merciful (I highly recommend Samaritan’s Purse as a relief organization).

 

“Christians? It’s primarily our responsibility. I’m all for the Red Cross (was even on a board once), but their message of the Gospel depends more on their volunteers than the organization as a whole. Not so with Samaritan’s Purse…or World Vision, YWAM, etc. I REALLY want to help…long-term…eternally. Don’t you?

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us to give true help, not just a band-aid or temporal help; help us to point the way, eternally; earthquakes, tsunamis and tornadoes come…after all, we live in a fallen world…but there is hope; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-10-18 “…Don’t Know When I’ll Be Back Again”

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-10-18

“…Don’t Know When I’ll Be Back Again”

 

What’s Happening: “Nikki Haley just resigned her Ambassador to the U.N. position, effective as late as January, 2019 (giving Trump time to find a replacement and the Senate time to confirm his pick). In spite of media speculation to the contrary, she says she is not running for President in 2020…or any other public position; she’s already given 14 years of her life and wants to retire to private life, apart from speaking on  issues from time to time … (https://www.yahoo.com/news/nikki-haley-resign-u-n-ambassador-152258353.html).Trump has been pleased with her performance stating, ‘She’s done a fantastic job, and we’ve done a fantastic job together. We’ve solved a lot of problems and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems.’”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “I guess she’s had enough, huh?”

 

Biblical Response:  “Can you blame her? It isn’t easy to go from the U.S. being everybody’s patsy to being respected again. I’m sure it’s taken its toll. Still, she was obviously the woman for the job. I respect her for the consistent and selfless service she has willingly supplied, and respect her decision the ‘go private.’ She’ll be back when it’s time.

 

“Christians? The only retirement I’ve found sanctioned in Scripture is for priests (Num. 4:3 – at 50), which is good news for us as we are all called to the priesthood (Rev. 1:6).

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us to give our all, but know when it’s time to let someone else take over; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-8-18 It Should End

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-8-18

It Should End

 

What’s Happening: “After then Judge Kavanaugh officially became Associate Justice Kavanagh (the Senate, charged with advise and consent, voted 50 to 48), Christine Blasey Ford has asked that Kavanaugh not be further investigated or impeachment proceedings not be pursued (https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/blasey-ford-caves-legal-team-shuts-investigation-kavanaugh/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=CTBreaking&utm_campaign=breaking&utm_content=conservative-tribune). ‘What I can speak to is that when victims of sexual assault and violence go to their Congress people — when they go to their Senators and ask for their information to be confidential, I think that’s a request that needs to be respected,’ Katz, one of Ford’s attorneys, said.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “So her letter was shared…so what?”

 

Biblical Response:  “Truly, it’s no big deal… I mean, she did send the letter…however, she did ask for it to be CONFIDENTIAL. Will the Dems, who ultimately did not get their delay, let the issue lay? Probably not…in fact, I think they will add Kavanaugh’s impeachment to their desire to impeach the President…should they win in the midterms…especially if they win the House.”

 

“Christians? What do you do when the truth is uncertain…and you don’t have the evidence or the discernment to determine it? You wait for ultimate justice (Matt. 25:31-33). There may be collateral damage lack of justice on earth may wreak…whatever the truth may be…but there will be no such ambiguity in heaven.”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, if we can’t sort it out on earth, help us to be patient while we await Your judgment;  in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-4-18 It Gets Worse

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-4-18

It Gets Worse

 

What’s Happening: “The death toll in the Indonesian quake and subsequent tsunami (the subject of 9-29’s CLARITY) has gone from 384 about a week ago to over 1,400…and with the latest volcanic eruption and aftershocks (some of them registering as high as 6.0) the toll might go even higher. No one has yet heard from inhabitants of Donggala, near the epicenter of the initial quake, and the Red Cross thinks that is very worrying (https://www.npr.org/2018/10/02/653541283/in-indonesia-aftershocks-and-uncertainty-remain-after-deadly-earthquake). ‘There are more than 300,000 people living there. This is already a tragedy, but it could get much worse,’ said Jan Gelfand, head of an international relief organization.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “It’s not the end of the world…is it?”

 

Biblical Response:  “I doubt it…though I’m sure there are some in Indonesia that might beg to differ…at least it’s the end for 1,400. Something we must keep in mind: although all tragedy is local, so is all relief. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

 

“Christians? What an opportunity! Of course, we’re shattered at the large loss of life and property. But this is our opportunity to show just how much we care. If every church just gave $1000 the total would be staggering (83, 996 X 1000 = almost 84 million dollars!…and that’s just in America!) If help is not given, we have much over which to repent. Our myopic view of what is important (with all the brouhaha over Kavanaugh and the midterm elections) needs to be re-examined (James 2:15-17).

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us to put the right emphasis on what’s important…not that our problems aren’t significant…but they pale by comparison; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY -10-3-18 Unsoft Cotton

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-3-18

Unsoft Cotton

 

What’s Happening: “Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has been assigned by the GOP to find out who leaked Dr. Ford’s ‘confidential’ letter to the press (Christine Blasey Ford is one of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers): Feinstein, her staff, the California Congresswoman, or her staff…the only people who were privy to the letter Dr. Ford did not want to be made public. He has promised to get to the bottom of it (https://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA18J04&f=WU18J02). ‘Let’s just remember what happened here,’ Senator Cotton continued. ‘Ms. Ford sent a letter, confidentially, to Dianne Feinstein in late July raising these allegations…Dianne Feinstein hid it from Chuck Grassley, she hid it from the FBI. She and Chuck Schumer kept it in their back pocket until after Judge Kavanaugh’s hearing, until after they had a private session to ask about any sensitive matters, and then leaked it to the media right before the vote — solely to try to torpedo his nomination. The media got it, and only Dianne Feinstein and the Democratic Congresswoman from California and their staffs had it, so it had to come from them somehow. And I think Congress needs to get to the bottom of it.’”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “The Democrats are just trying to “Bork’ him, aren’t they?”

 

Biblical Response:  “Maybe…the court of public opinion is tricky… it may have worked on Judge Bork (strict Constitutionalist denied SCOTUS confirmation in 1987) but it may backfire in the midterm elections…the court of public opinion can be fickle.”

 

“Christians? The concept of the presumption of innocence is a biblical concept (Matt. 18:16). And leaking is not good…of course, there is the myth of confidentiality, too (Matt. 10:27); God is always a witness to everything…even if we pretend we are alone in the closet.”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, may the truth be known…and it will be ugly…but it will also set us free (Jn. 8:32); in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-2-18 More to Come

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-2-18

More to Come

 

What’s Happening: “Strikes over Israel celebrating its new Nation-State Law, passed by the Knesset in July of this year, are not the last of a reaction to a wave of religious nationalism that is sweeping across the world. (https://www.yahoo.com/news/palestinians-strike-against-israels-jewish-nation-law-102126675.html). Its counterpart, religious syncretism, the belief that all religions hold a piece of the truth – that no religion or faith has a corner on the truth-market (http://www.religioustolerance.org/tomek22.htm), is a popularly held feeling and a great contributor to a secular pluralism that may be the product of today’s political correctness. This may be just the First Act in a great play.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “Those are just big words for ‘let’s all get along.’”

 

Biblical Response:  “Religious syncretism and secular pluralism may be big words, but they describe a pervasive sentiment sweeping this world of partisanship. People may get so weary of fights between the left and the right that they welcome a peace that accepts all views as equally valid – you can believe anything as long as you sincerely believe it. This tolerance may sound good on its face – it’s just unbiblical. Soon, some may find that believing in everything is really believing in nothing.”

 

“Christians? We have a very dogmatic religion. To think that you have the ONLY truth (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) may seem arrogant…but it’s true. I understand Trump’s attitude of American superiority (America first), though it may be a faith statement. Christianity is definitely a superior faith,..it may be true…but it’s unpopular…it’s just too intolerant for many.”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us ‘condescend to men of low estate’ (Rom. 12:16)…even when no one wants to think they are of ‘low estate;’ in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent

 

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CLARITY – 10-1-18 Promises Kept

CLARITY

A Biblical Response to Current Events – 10-1-18

Promises Kept

 

What’s Happening: “The bottom line; NAFTA out, USMCA in. Just under the wire (US trade negotiators had set a deadline for midnight yesterday), negotiators from Canada joined the bilateral trade agreement Trump had struck earlier with Mexico making key compromises (https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-welcomes-canadas-entry-trade-104057060.html). ‘It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduce Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Nations closer together in competition with the rest of the world,’ Trump penned.’Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was a little more brief. It’s ‘a good day for Canada,’ he wrote.”

 

Knee-Jerk Response:  “Isn’t this small potatoes globally?”

 

Biblical Response:  “I guess it’s what you consider ‘small potatoes.’  I don’t consider $1.2 Trillion small anything! That Trump campaigned on promises of a border wall and more jobs…well, it’s not his fault that only half of his promises have been kept (he would argue that it’s only been two years and work has already commenced on the wall). “

 

“Christians? The whole Christian faith is built on promises (it’s not accidentally called the ‘Promised Land’). Some promises have been fulfilled (Luke 24 49; Act 2:39). Some are yet to be fulfilled ( Pet. 3:9). We must be patient. Some things have to happen before other things.”

 

Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray:  “Heavenly Father, help us to wait patiently for the fulfillment of promises…Yours…and others; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

Share as you like; just give credit appropriately. For buying any of Alan E. Sargent’s books or to subscribe or to comment on any of his CLARITY blogs, go to the following link: http://subdeo.com/. He also tweets on Twitter.com every day @alanesargent