Friday, May 9, 2025
Joy because of the LORD!
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
You, and Me, are Basically Sheep
-Scotland FB
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"Cults are characterized by a charismatic leader, strong social control, and isolation from the outside world.
They often involve extreme beliefs, manipulation, and exploitation of members."
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Tuesday, May 6, 2025
"Is this life all there is?"
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Monday, May 5, 2025
Friday, May 2, 2025
Cult Behaviors
Key Characteristics of Cults:
Charismatic Leader:
Cults are often led by a charismatic figure who demands obedience and unquestioning loyalty.
Strong Social Control:
Cult leaders exert tight control over members' lives, dictating their thoughts, actions, and emotions.
Isolation from the Outside World:
Cults often isolate members from family, friends, and traditional society, limiting exposure to alternative perspectives.
Extreme Beliefs:
Cults often promote dogmatic and extreme beliefs, sometimes involving apocalyptic scenarios or unique interpretations of reality.
Manipulation and Control:
Cults utilize various techniques to manipulate members, including "love bombing," guilt-tripping, and mind control tactics.
Exploitation:
Cults may exploit members financially, emotionally, or sexually, often under the guise of serving a higher purpose.
Unquestioning Faith:
Members are often discouraged from questioning the leader or the group's doctrines, and dissent is punished.
Fear and Suspicion:
Cults may foster a climate of fear and suspicion of the outside world, often portraying outsiders as enemies or threats.
New Doctrines:
Cults frequently invent new doctrines or interpretations of existing ones, often to maintain control and justify their practices.
Unresolved Insecurities:
Cult leaders and members may struggle with unresolved insecurities and a need for validation, which can be exploited by the leader.
Delusions:
Cults may promote delusions or unsubstantiated claims, often to justify their beliefs and actions.
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sources
What is a Cult? 10 Warning Signs
What is a Cult? 4 Types of Cults and Common Characteristics
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Thursday, May 1, 2025
You are the result of those who came before you. Respect them.
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Exodus 20:12
...“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."...
Leviticus 19:32
..." ‘You shall rise up before the gray-headed and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord."...
Proverbs 16:31
..."A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness."...
..."Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the glory of sons is their fathers."...
..."For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."...
"My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.
Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.
By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.
My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.
Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But He is intimate with the upright.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
The wise will inherit honor,
But fools display dishonor."
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Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Joyful Garden -Joyful Words!
"...For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
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Glorify the LORD with your life!
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Thursday, April 24, 2025
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Up From the Grave He Arose!
Jesus my Savior!
Waiting the coming day
Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign
He arose! (He arose)
He arose! (He arose)
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Vainly they watch His bed
Jesus, my Savior!
Vainly they seal the dead
Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign
He arose! (He arose)
He arose! (He arose)
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Death cannot keep his prey
Jesus, my Savior!
He tore the bars away
Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign
He arose! (He arose)
He arose! (He arose)
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign
He arose! (He arose)
He arose! (He arose)
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
-Robert Lowry
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Sunday, April 20, 2025
Christ The LORD is Risen Today!
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
-Charles Wesley
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Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Blue Bells of Scotland
Sunday, April 6, 2025
National Tartan Day, April 6!
The joy through the years of meeting and knowing people who are from Scotland, or their people came from this area. There is much joy in sharing, talking, playing, dancing...lots of good memories and sweet people.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
The LORD's Promises will not Disappoint
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Our Spring has sprung with early bulbs in bloom, budding of trees, and the promise of more perennials beginning to show their "baby" leaves.
Dangerous weather missing us so far, but other friends and family receiving much of it.
This all reminds me of how the LORD watches over us. He loves us, cares for us, mourns with us as we struggle in our sin-filled world.
Even when what seems to be the worst things happen, like death...He made a way so we and our loved ones will enter Glory and be with Jesus. We miss them! but we will see them when it is our turn to be with Jesus!
*If you do not know how this ever could happen:
-We live in a sin-filled world and even we are sinners! We need a Savior and the God of the Bible made a way with His own Son, Jesus, whose death and resurrection was our atonement for our sins.
The next step is for you to choose to turn away from your sinning and confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
Salvation is a free gift from God. No one can do any works to get there.
When a person trusts in Jesus alone we can look forward to eternal life in Heaven with Jesus.
Praises to our God and King!
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