Month: June 2025

Coyote Alert

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Our doorbell rang the other night. Our next door neighbor and his seven-year-old daughter popped over to introduce us to their new eleven-week-old puppy. He was a tiny thing and may only gain a couple more pounds during his lifetime. He’s such a cutie. That little girl was so proud of her new puppy. She said she lets him sleep with her. I told her that she could bring him over anytime she wanted.

A few months ago, I was having a conversation with that same neighbor. He had told me that, at one point, they had owned a dog. He said he wasn’t sure he wanted to get another one, because he was concerned about coyotes in our area. Now. They have a new puppy. All fears of coyotes attacking a very small dog must have been put to rest. Or. Perhaps it was the constant asking and asking for a puppy by his ever loving daughter. It doesn’t really matter the reason that worn him down. What matters is that they never let this tiny dog outside unattended. Especially in the dark. I’ve never seen a coyote in the area, but I have heard them. And they sound like they’re the ones being attacked and torn apart.

I’m reminded of the neighborhood we left ten months ago. For some unresolved reason, I still follow that neighborhood page on a popular social media site. That small neighborhood nestled in the midst of a large city has recently been targeted by a band of coyotes. And these coyotes aren’t being shy about their intentions. In full view, they follow people walking their dogs during the daytime. They’ve been caught on camera walking right up to someone’s front door or just sitting near the driveway. They’ve made themselves known, and not in a good way. They’ve become a menace to the neighborhood. Recently, one person who lived two doors down from us uploaded a video of the woods behind the neighborhood. The only thing visible was the trees, but the sound was ominous. The coyotes were in perfect harmony with the sirens going by on the freeway. I would hate to be a pet owner in that neighborhood these days.

As I said, I haven’t seen a coyote in my current neighborhood. I’m not sure what makes me more uncomfortable. Seeing the threat or not seeing it. It pays to always be on guard for unseen predators. We can consider ourselves warned when we see or hear predators in our neighborhoods. We have to be prepared for the unthinkable. And we have to know that a predator can appear at any time, ready or not.

I realize a coyote isn’t a wolf, but they both have cunning tendencies. The coyote likes to hide in tall grass in search of its prey. And there is a plot of land behind my neighborhood that the owner doesn’t keep mowed. The grass has been getting tall. It would be a fine hiding place for an animal of prey seeking its next victim. My neighbor has a rightful fear of leaving his small dog unattended near that area behind our houses.

Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

These situations remind me of a podcast I listened to earlier in the week. The president of a Christian university was being interviewed about how he makes sure the university he leads remains a solid biblical school. The conversation revolved around un-Christian biases that have penetrated biblically sound schools of higher education. They talked about secular schools where it’s common practice to teach from a secular worldview. And the fact that, at those schools, they don’t have to be dressed as sheep when they’re clearly wolves.

But a school that calls itself Christian is another beast. While the school may have the word “Christian” in its name, does it require students, faculty and staff to sign a covenant attesting that they are living biblically? Does it hire only sound Christian staff and faculty? Does it accept only students who are determined to live a biblical worldview? Because if the school doesn’t have a strong, unwavering standard, secular ideologies will creep in. Oh. It may takes years for the change to be noticeable, but there will be change over time.

The concern is that schools that have always been touted as Christian have been infiltrated by non-Christian leaders and teachers. They also admit a high percentage of nonbelievers into their student body each year. The belief has always been that they will convert the nonbelievers to faithful followers of Christ. But the statistics have shown that the opposite happens. The problem is that once people who don’t profess that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior are allowed into the school in different roles, they will begin implementing nonbiblical teachings and practices wherever they can. And over time, the school will be turned into a den of wolves, hardly recognizable in the Christian community. Is that what Christians want?

Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:15-20

Wolves don’t destroy the church from the outside — they lead it from the pulpit. ~Bible in Context

The church’s greatest threat today isn’t from other religions. It’s from false teachers within the church who are leading unknowing believers far from the truth. It happens not only in Christian schools, but also in churches and businesses. Any organization that says it stands for Christian values must be on guard against the devil’s ploys. Their hiring practices and organizational decisions must reflect a biblical worldview. Otherwise, it’s a counterfeit Christian organization.

Christian teachers and leaders must faithfully and humbly live a Christian life? Are they honest, or are they a hypocrite? Do they cheat or take questionable shortcuts in their work? We all know that actions speak louder than words. Evil and deception can be found in Christian settings.

As followers of Christ, we need to know what a sheep wearing wolves clothes looks and sounds like. We can’t claim innocence if we haven’t done our due diligence and can’t spot a fake. That means we need to study the Bible so we know what we’re looking for. We should be able to evaluate someone’s words and lives in comparison to the Bible. Do they pass the smell test of biblical Christianity? They may be friendly and nice, but they’re enemies of the kingdom of God. They are counterfeit Christians. Basically, they’re double agents. We have to be on guard against those who appear to be Christian, but inwardly they are agents of Satan.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the Axe, for the Axe was clever and convinced the Trees that because his handle was wood, he was one of them. ~Turkish Proverb

Don’t Make Me Spit You Out

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Amaziah became king of Judah when he was twenty five years old. His father had been assassinated, so he was next to ascend the throne. Amaziah ruled Judah in a similar manner as his father, Joash. They both served God, but not wholeheartedly. This simply means that they worshipped God, but they weren’t loyal to him. Let’s just say that they both compromised their faith, and each time there were disastrous results. This father and son duo were of the line of David, but unlike King David they served God with a divided heart.

Since Amaziah was a follower of God in name only, he did not destroy the pagan shrines in his country. His people were allowed to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Some things that Amaziah did, though, pleased God. But this one act of offering sacrifices to idols, which wasn’t a small matter, greatly displeased God. Oh. His father led the country the same way, you may argue. That doesn’t make it right. And it doesn’t make it any less pleasing to God.

And then there was that one day in Amaziah’s reign when he became too proud. He had defeated the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau. Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, also known as Israel. At this point in history, Israel had been torn apart by infighting. The Israelites had rebelled against the house of David, all because they differed on who should be crowned king after Solomon died. Ten of the twelve tribes favored Jeroboam, and the other two tribes chose Rehoboam. So the twelve tribes split. The ten tribes to the north kept the name of Israel, while the two southern tribes were called Judah. This split occurred as a consequence of Solomon’s sin.

After that short history lesson, let’s go back to Amaziah’s pride.

After he defeated Edom, Amaziah turned around and worshipped their idols. Why would he deliberately choose to worship idols that couldn’t protect the people who worshipped them? And then he arrogantly began plotting to battle against his neighbor, Israel. He thought his two small tribes were capable of defeating the ten tribes of Israel. Foolish. He couldn’t say he wasn’t warned. He shouldn’t have provoked a fight he couldn’t win.

Jehoash, the king of Israel, warned him of the impending disaster. So, Jehoash did the only thing he knew to do. He went to battle with Amaziah and the army of Judah. And guess who won. It wasn’t Judah, and it wasn’t pretty. Israel captured Amaziah and other hostages, and then they plundered the Temple of God taking vast amounts of gold and silver and other Temple articles. Jehoash’s men also broke down some of the wall surrounding Jerusalem and plundered the king’s house, as well. It was a sound defeat.

Amaziah went down in history, but not the way he planned. He made a fool of himself, all for personal glory. He failed miserably. He had let pride get in the way of following God. Oh. There were times he did what looked right to those looking on, but in his heart he was resentful. History tells us that after his loss to Israel, he was hated by his countrymen. In the end, he was hunted and killed by his own people.

You can read the full story of the life of Amaziah in 2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

The story of King Amaziah is a reminder today to people who call themselves Christians. We want to look good to those watching us, but we may be resentful and proud. We want to be known as Christians, but we don’t wholeheartedly live as one. We may be born again Christians, but have we fully committed to living a biblical life? Do we look at today’s culture through a biblical lens, or are we looking at the Bible through a cultural lens?

The George Barna research identifies two types of people who call themselves Christians. One group is the self identified Christians, and then there are the theologically identified born again Christians. Self identified Christians say they’re a Christian when asked about their spirituality. They believe they’re going to heaven because they’ve been a good enough person, not necessarily because their sins have been forgiven. The theologically identified born again Christians say they know they’re going to spend eternity in heaven. They admit that without Jesus they don’t have a shot of entering heaven.

People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their friend, and are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. ~Oswald Chambers

George Barna says that the church has so little power in our culture today because we can’t get clarity on what the Bible teaches us. Which is true if we think about it. If, as a self identifying Christian, we don’t believe the Bible is truth, why do we even call ourselves a Christian? Barna says we aren’t willing to put in the effort to live an authentic Christian life. We believe we personally have a better way, and we put ourselves at the center of our lives. We believe that we’re just basically good people. The Bible says exactly the opposite of those beliefs.

Most self identifying Christians don’t understand even the basics of Biblical Christianity. ~Natasha Crain

We want Jesus to be our friend, instead of Lord of our lives. What does it mean to us when we say we’re Christians? When we identify as a Christian, we must be sincere about our faith. It isn’t just an identity. It is a way of life. It is daily walking in step with Christ. Self-sacrificially bowing to his will. And we must do the hard work of reading our Bible, going to church and applying what we learn to changing our lives.

John, the writer of the book of Revelation, saw a vision of an angel speaking to the church of Laodicea. In that vision, he told the church that they were neither hot or cold. They were lukewarm and would be spit from the mouth of God. The same goes for us today. What kind of Christian life do we live? Are we on fire for God, or are we totally turned against him? Or. Do we say we are on fire for God, yet all the while living in violation of our claims? We can’t have it both ways. And we have to know that God knows our hearts. He will judge us accordingly. And yes, there is a heaven to gain and a hell to lose. It is our choice.

The lukewarm Christian has enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough for eternal life. ~David Guzik

In Times Like These

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King Ahab. He had every opportunity to turn his heart toward God, but he always turned away. Even when God gave him victory after victory over his enemies, his heart was hardened toward God. And instead of admitting that his blatant disobedience to God was his problem, he blamed the prophet Elijah for all his trouble. Oh. Ahab’s failure to bow to God’s will wasn’t Elijah’s fault. Ahab had a choice, as always. Go God’s way or make your own path. And he always chose his own path, which later led to the destruction of his nation. Sure. He had some momentary victories. But momentary victories are fleeting. Sooner or later, the truth will find you out. And it found Ahab at an inconvenient time. As if there is a convenient time to have the truth shouted at you.

There are consequences for everything we do. And the consequences do not always affect only the guilty party, but others, as well. Our family. Our neighborhood. Our city. Our state. Our nation. Our employer or employees. Someone pays the price for disobedience or greed or violence or any type of ungodly behavior. Ungodliness has a price tag.

And what does this have to do with us today? You ask. Have you seen the news this week? The videos of the out of control riots in Los Angeles? Have you heard about the attack on a world terror a few days ago? Have you heard about the two state legislators and their spouses who were gunned down because of they way they voted? And the continual wars and rumors of wars? Have you heard of the threats to every American base in the Middle East from one of our adversaries? Have you heard of out of control politicians, not only in this country, but other countries, as well? Have you heard of the outrage about higher taxes and political leaders stuffing their bank accounts with money earned under the table?

It isn’t just ungodly politicians and politics. It’s anyone who doesn’t call on the name of God and repent of their sins. Any of us have the potential to live ungodly lives and snub our nose at God. We are all born with evil in our hearts. It’s just our bent. Sinning, that is. But we also have the potential to repent and live a life that honors God. We must humble ourselves before God and turn from our wicked ways. Only then will God honor us.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:7-10

At times in life, it appears that evil is winning. We see it all around us. It was the same scenario in Elijah’s time. And Elijah was the bearer of bad news to King Ahab. But he knew that, in good time, Ahab would pay for his rebellious ways. The problem with Ahab was that he did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, even more so than other kings before him. And he had married the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Her name was Jezebel. And she led him further and further away from God. She actually led him into idol worship, further angering God while at the same time pleasing his wife. The Bible tells us that Ahab did more to provoke the anger of God than any other king of Israel before him. He was evil.

But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord ’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord , the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him. 1 Kings 16:30-33

No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord ’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites. 1 Kings 21:25-26

It wasn’t that King Ahab didn’t have opportunities to repent and turn to God. There were devoted followers of God working with him. He didn’t just hire rebellious thugs similar to himself. He had godly men in his circle, as well. One such man was a prophet named Obadiah. Imagine being in his shoes. A godly man working with the most ungodly king of all times. But Obadiah’s faith didn’t waver. He stood strong in a hostile environment. On one occasion when Jezebel was on a killing spree, he hid one hundred prophets who were as devoted as Obadiah was in following God.

Many devoted followers of Christ are walking in Obadiah’s shoes today. They stand strong in their godly convictions, determined to honor God, yet they work in an environment hostile to biblical teachings. Their jobs may prove to be on the line if they don’t bow to the demands to cater to secular ideals. They may feel compelled to hide their beliefs in order to stay employed. But they must know that God is with them. He will give them courage and strength to stand strong in their faith. They need only ask.

In times like these you need a Savior, 

In times like these you need an anchor; 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; 

This Rock is Jesus, The only One! 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

 

In times like these you need the Bible, 

In times like these O be not idle; 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

In times like these I have a Savior, 

In times like these I have an anchor; 

I’m very sure, I’m very sure 

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; 

This Rock is Jesus, The only One! 

I’m very sure, I’m very sure 

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

~~Ruth Caye Jones

So. The question is. What time is it for you? Do you have a Savior, or do you need a Savior?

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

Customer Service

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

After waiting on hold for nine minutes, I punched nine to receive a callback when the next customer service representative became available. The music playing while I waited had pushed me close to the edge. I couldn’t listen to it a second longer. It wasn’t nice, soothing music. It was country music. And it was awful. I’m not sure why a business would think that noise would be appropriate for customers waiting on hold for far too long. Now. I’m not against all country music. Just that song. Whatever it was. It was awful and unnecessary.

Later that morning, I had to contact another service provider to contest the balance on my account. The first contact was with an automated bot. The answer it gave wasn’t a thorough explanation, so I asked to chat with a live person. This individual was able to provide me with a thorough and satisfactory explanation. I appreciated his help and let him know.

That same day I sat waiting for an appointment. When I walked in, the person I was meeting with was helping someone schedule their next appointment. It was taking forever, but she was kind in helping this poor gentleman who was struggling with health issues. Once she got him scheduled and took his payment, she walked around the counter and gave him a big hug. She said she would see him in two weeks.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. Proverbs 3:27

Our service matters to God, because when we are serving others we are serving him. We may not see him, but when we do the least to others we are doing it to him. Some people work only as hard as they have to. If the boss is watching, then they’re giving it their all. But as soon as the boss leaves, or if they think no one is watching, then their true work ethic comes out.

And how we treat others matters. If our work involves serving others, we need to serve others well. Even when we’re having a bad day and we show up to work, we need to show up and work. We can set aside the bad mood and hurt feelings. We can treat others with respect and perform our job well, even when we don’t feel like it. Sure. It may be hard, but we can do hard things. Perhaps those we’re serving are also having a rough day. The worker is being paid to perform their job well, so it’s on them to provide good service regardless of what else is happening in their life. And, yes. The customer should be kind, as well. But life is never as we want it. Things go sideways, and people have bad attitudes. Something goes wrong, and we tell ourselves that someone has to pay. And I have to ask. Is the customer still always right?

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

Serving others can be a thankless job. Many people who are treated kindly do reciprocate or even acknowledge your efforts. Others don’t or can’t. Perhaps they don’t know who helped them, or they don’t know how to contact the person. It doesn’t really matter, though. The onus is on the one who is in the position to help someone in need. When we’re in a position to help others, we need to help them and help them well.

Consider the story of the Good Samaritan in the book of Matthew. A Jewish man travelling alone was robbed and beaten and left alongside the road to die. Different people passed him by, but they didn’t stop to help. And they were of the religious sort who would be expected to help someone in need. But they didn’t. Then a man from Samaria walked past him. When he saw the injured man, he felt compassion in his heart and stopped to help. He took him to a nearby inn and asked the innkeeper to take care of the injured man. And this Samaritan paid all the expenses. So. What’s the catch, you ask? The Jews and Samaritans despised each other. They wanted nothing to do with each other. Yet, this Samaritan laid aside all his political and religious thoughts and helped a wounded Jewish man. Can’t we do the same when we see someone in need? Even when we differ on anything, can’t we still serve someone well in their time of need?

You can read the story of the Good Samaritan at Matthew 10:25-37.

Better Together

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

We’ve spent the first forty two years of our marriage living side by side. Sleeping side by side. But these past nine months have been a separation of sorts. Oh, not the legal sort. And not the disgruntled or unloving sort. It was a decision based on his upcoming retirement, accompanied by a move five hours from the home we knew and loved. We moved back to my state of birth, where we’ll spend the remainder of our days. It was an easy decision, but it meant we would be separated as he finished the last few months of his career miles and hours from our retirement home.

But now those months have come to an end, and we’re once again united. It almost feels like we’re starting over, but we’ve got many years of marriage under our belts. And we’re looking forward to many more. Only God knows what’s in store for us as we walk the path of golden years. Our hope and prayer is that there are many left.

These nine months of living alone for each of us has had its share of ups and downs. We each have faced hurdles we’ve never before encountered and hope to never face again. We can laugh at those trying moments now, but in the moment there was no laughter. Nor were there tears. There was just frustration upon frustration. One hurdle after another.

As we were packing to move, we split up all our personal belongings. It seems like overindulgence to know that we had enough stuff to fill a small apartment and a mid-sized house. But we did it. I got the dog. He got the good car. I got the better furniture. He got the throwaways. I got the two beds. He got an air mattress. I got the iron. He got the steamer. I got the good sheets. He got the florals.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Through these past nine months, we each have had to mostly deal with issues on our own. He dealt with skin cancer and minor surgery. Early one morning as he slept, his car was hit while parked behind his apartment building. He cooked all his meals and did his own laundry. He faced unforeseen challenges at work. He got a new neighbor who so loud, he could identify the voice of the guy he had never met as they walked past each other in the hallway.

I, on the other hand, faced multiple challenges with the new house. I dealt with two roof leaks, and now part of the roof has been replaced. I faced three episodes of frozen pipes with two leaks in one of the bathrooms. The leaks have now been repaired. The furnace had a minor glitch in early winter. Our dog died right after Christmas. I faced down mice. Just last week, a bird got into the house. The washing machine started running on its own in the middle of the night. The security alarm went off at midnight a couple of weeks ago. Early in the fall, we unexpectedly had to replace the car that I had been driving.

The highlight of his time alone was his planned goodbye tour. He scheduled lunches and dinners with family, old friends and former coworkers throughout the months he lived alone. He visited a different church every Sunday he was in the city. He scoured bakeries and farmer’s markets for cinnamon rolls. He watched history and biblical documentaries.

The highlight of my time alone has been spending time with my sister and niece. I’ve met new people at church and joined two different small groups. I’ve begun playing pickleball with a group of strangers I met in a class at the local Y. I’m helping my sister plan a baby shower for her first grandchild. I’ve begun adding perennials in a blank landscape.

Some of these things may seem comical, while others were startling. But the point of sharing this is to say that God is good. He has blessed us beyond measure.  Oh, sure. The years have flown by, but we are content being in this phase of life. We couldn’t be happier.

Now we’re combining two households, and we’re settling in. We’re creating a new rhythm, and we’re humming along. We have a very long to do list for this house that we’ll tackle together. We’ll take road trips and explore unseen areas of our state. We’ll forge new friendships together.

After nine months apart, we’ve learned that we’re better together than apart. What God joined together almost forty-three years ago is still on solid ground. We don’t want to live apart. We’ll stick together for the remainder of our days.

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. Mark 10:9

Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made.

Robert Browning