Good Morning! Jesus is Lord! Today’s Posts to Ponder are a variety of articles gathered from my newsreader and Twitter throughout the week. You may be aware of some articles and unaware of others. I pray they are a help to keep you informed and motivate you to be transformed. At the end is the most important thing, a challenge to dwell on the things of God. Blessings! The Truth Is Stronger Still! Brian Mann | Pastor | Catherine Lake Baptist Church

The Purpose of Military

This article is worth a look. It says that the Military has two purposes: to deter from attack and to defeat the enemy if not detered.

Ötzi the Iceman: A Biblical Perspective

Ötzi, as the iceman has been affectionately called, was found in the Ötzal Alps. He was covered from head to foot in well-crafted gear to survive—quite comfortably—in this forbidding region. Just last year, investigators identified the animals used in the four layers of his waterproof shoes (bearskin soles, deer hide uppers, cow leather shoelaces, and tree bark “socks”).

He wore a coat made of hide from different animals stitched together. He also had a belt, leggings, and loincloth, each sewn together with animal fibers. On his head he sported a bearskin cap with a leather chin strap….

Ötzi didn’t travel alone. He had a copper axe lashed to a shaped yew handle. The axe head is 99.7% pure copper, which was cast, cold forged, polished, and sharpened. He also had a flint knife on an ash handle.

Canadian Trucker Protest Aggravates Some, Inspires Others

This article was written earlier in the week, but as of today, the Canadian government has reportedly passed measures to fine and arrest. I quote the article below, but before I do, here is a pic from Twitter about what Canada is doing against these Truckers.

Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church near Edmonton, Alberta, was arrested and spent a month in prison in January 2021 for keeping his church open and not requiring masks, social distancing, or limiting the capacity to 15 percent, a violation of Alberta’s COVID-19 restrictions. In a Jan. 29 Instagram Live post with his wife Erin, he said, “What’s happening right now across Canada is restoring my hope in this country and I’m thrilled the truckers have taken the stand that they have.”

In addition to speaking out in support of the convoy, some pastors like Sheldon Andreas are joining it. In an interview from the cab of his truck with Tucker Carlson of Fox News, he said he wasn’t concerned about the possible repercussions of the convoy: “Some of my friends have been arrested for pastoring their churches. We’re fully prepared to smile and push through for the greater good.”

Christians have brought food and written notes to encourage the truckers. The school at Reaume’s Trinity Bible Chapel and churches across Canada have also said they are praying for the protesters. A friend of Reaume’s went up to Ottawa to preach to the convoy.

Reaume said he wished pastors who stood up for in-person worship during COVID-19 had led the movement. “The churches and Christians need to assert the supremacy of God over the church, government, and legislation,” he said. “We need a reformation in church, culture, and legislation. I see a movement in the Canadian churches that took a stand—we’re at the tip of the spear.”

Miscellaneous

Lord of the Wings

Birds are the masters of the sky or, lords of the wing, but they are extremely greedy when it comes to food. While they are masters in the air with little to tempt and distract them, upon the ground they are thoughtless of the dangers before them. Because they cannot control their appetites, their appetites end up controlling them. This often leads to them getting easily caught and killed. In verse 19 we see that, “so are the ways of every one who is greedy of gain, which take away the life of the owners thereof.”

Mixed in with this profound truth we see a warning. God closes this section with the phrase “takes away the life of the owners thereof.” The word for owners is the Hebrew word for…Baal. Sound familiar?! Here we see Solomon framing the lord of the wing with the lord who is about to lose his life. Everything comes together as we see both the bird and the greedy fool about to lose their lives because of their selfish appetites. They might be the master/lord of a certain part of their lives but they are blind to the dangers that lurk around the corner. Their greediness is setting a trap that will inevitably lead to their own destruction.

However, there is hope. Later in the book of Proverbs we read that those who keep company with sound wisdom and discretion are guided by the Lord. Such a man does not need to be, “afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be his confidence, and will keep his foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:25-26) Those who learn to love what God loves and hate what God hates will be led away from temptation and terror and towards wisdom and delight. Being free as a bird sounds good but true freedom always comes at a price. If we live by the rule of giving more in value than we receive in payment, we may never be free as a bird but we will never be caught in the net of our own making. May we live with this perspective in mind!

Finally

Php 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.