America in the Balance

 

“My fellow Americans, I stand here with all the feelings that I do, disgusted with this lie, that Biden has been chosen…

As if we all don’t know the truth.
And when one tries to deceive we know that one can’t get away with it. There will be a price to pay. The ones who are jumping for joy now are jumping toward the harm they will be in for.

Because I know the promises being made from the Left to the American people will never come to be.

My friends of all colors, races and religions, this is now our greatest fight since the Civil War – the battle of Righteousness versus Satan. Yes, Satan.

Because these Leftists are evil, corrupt, and they want to tear down this nation.
We must not allow this. We must fight this corruption that has taken over and fight for the good that seems lost.

Let us give our trust to God and fight now for Trump‘s victory, because we all know this ballot count is corruption like they are. So let us not back down, let us fight this fight as if it is our last fight on earth.

As Muhammad Ali said, “It is not over, till the last punch you have.”

God bless…” – Jon Voight
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How the Left ripped this vid apart in scoffing, mockery and derision on YouTube is unbelievable. Obviously, they are very much unnerved by the simplicity of the message of this “old man.” For me, Mr. Jon Voight is not just an old man filled with wisdom from his years, he is also the celebrated Best Actor from the movie “Coming Home.” People of my age would remember that although many young people nowadays wouldn’t know that movie. It was one of the most poignant movies produced in my growing up years, inspired by the tragically infamous Vietnam War of the 1960’s. I do have great respect for Mr. Voight. Of course, most importantly, I admire him for standing up to his convictions and I agree with what he says. I’m posting this here for wider viewing just in case YouTube scrubs it off its platform. Enjoy!

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Reference:

LifeSiteNews. (2020, Nov 18). “Actor Jon Voight urges Americans to ‘fight now for Trump’s victory’” [Vid Post]. Retrieved Nov 28, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_a3Fmtf1ug

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Nov 28). “America in the Balance” [Blog Post]. Retrieved from
https://purejoyland.com/2020/11/america-in-the-balance/

New York is on PAUSE Over Coronavirus

As of today, a Google search on the latest on the COVID-19 yields this worldwide statistics:

To see the latest counts, click here.

New York State has overnight become the epicenter of this outbreak clocking in about 5% of the world’s total infections at 20,875 as of this morning. There are 12,305 cases in the city of New York alone and a total of 157 deaths in the whole state. New Yorkers like me are bracing for the worst. A week ago it was Italy, now it’s us.

Gov. Cuomo had put in place a state of “PAUSE” for the state of New York, instead of the more encompassing “shelter-in” put in place in California, another hotspot of the virus. PAUSE is the acronym for the 10-point “policy to assure uniform safety for everyone.” Effective 8pm on Sunday, Mar 22, all non-essential businesses are closed. Essential businesses are pharmacies, food shops and groceries. Public transportation is also running. Social distancing is mandated, which means that food shops serve only takeouts and people are supposed to stay home and go out only if essentially necessary. They are supposed to keep a distance of 6 feet away from one another if they are out. The use of sanitizers is also mandated and they are provided to the customers of business establishments that remain open. Outdoor recreational activities are discouraged and limited to non-contact ones.

As a Bible-believing Christian, this coronavirus scourge reminds me of the First Passover which happened roughly 3,600 years ago, in Egypt. The children of Israel had to stay indoors as the angel of death passed by and claimed the lives of the firstborns of Egypt. The blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the lentils and doorposts of the Israelites’ homes warded off the angel of death that swept through the region that night. The firstborns of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of their slaves and prisoners all died, but all of the children of Israel were spared. It was a grim picture of sorrow, death and loss for the Egyptians but a picture of freedom and hope for the children of Israel who, on the same night, received their freedom to leave Egypt and their life of slavery in that land.

How does that story impact us today? It would be so easy to just regard that Bible account as some strange phenomenon in the past, classified among the many mysterious events in history that no one can explain, curious and spectacular as they might seem. But the Jewish people still celebrate Passover to this day, and so do the Christians, indirectly. For the Jews it is the commemoration of their freedom from slavery as a nation in Egypt 3,600 years ago. For the Christians, the historic day that their Savior Jesus Christ was crucified and died was on the first day of Passover 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, Israel. According to the Bible, Jesus is the Passover Lamb who, 2,000 years ago, fulfilled the Passover sacrificial lamb foreshadowed by the First Passover in Egypt, 3,600 years ago. Yes, the first Passover was a prophetic event that had its fulfillment at the Cross in Calvary 1,600 years later. That day is traditionally immortalized by their annual observance of Good Friday. Easter, a most important Christian holiday second only to Christmas, falls on the third day after Good Friday. Easter Sunday is the day when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead after he died on Passover. Passover is celebrated for 8 days by the Jewish community. It spans a week. Now you would think Passover would fall on the same week the Christians celebrate their Good Friday and Easter. But no, they don’t, because they use two different calendars to calculate when this week falls in each year. Interestingly though, this year, Passover week for the Jews falls on the same week as Holy Week for the Christians. Passover starts on April 8, Wednesday and ends on April 16, Thursday. On the other hand, Holy Week starts on Maundy Thursday, April 9 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 12. It also looks like the coronavirus worldwide escalation might peak that same week.



God had been speaking through signs and wonders, moons and seasons to our generation. It looks like He is speaking loudly to us once again through the COVID-19. It is only fitting that we PAUSE, pun intended, stay indoors and ponder in our hearts about God and what He’s saying to us at Passover and Holy Week this year.



Keep safe, keep distancing, eat well, sleep enough and live healthy, dear friends! Young ones, this is not the time to visit grandma and grandpa. Use Zoom or Skype to spend “face time” with them. “A merry heart is good medicine.” Watch a comedy and chat with friends over the phone to keep happy and healthy! Let’s keep our spirits and immune system up as we weather through this coronavirus challenge. It will also do well to pray for protection for our first responders – the firefighters, doctors, nurses, caregivers and everyone in the front lines – and wisdom for our government leaders who have to make swift and wise decisions in these stressful times. Let us pray for provisions of more PPE (personal protective equipment) for our medical practitioners and more hospital beds as we are suffering shortages of those right now. Let us also pray for those already infected so they would recover, and for peace and comfort for the families who have lost loved ones. Let us connect with our communities and extend practical help, like monetary donations, where needed and if we are able.



Let us keep cheerful and prayerful.

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References Cited:

1) Danner, Stieb and Hart (2020, Mar 23). “Coronavirus in New York: Latest Updates” [ Mag Feature]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/new-york-coronavirus-cases-updates.html

2) Google.com (2020. Mar 23). (Search Result on Coronavirus Latest Updates). [Online Data]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://www.google.com/search?q=New+York%2C+latest+on+coronavirus&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS883US883&oq=new+york%2C+latest+on+coronavirus&aqs=chrome.0.69i59.7574j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

3) health.ny.gov (2020, Mar 23). “New York State on PAUSE” [Site Update]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Mar 23). "New York is on PAUSE Over Coronavirus" [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2020/03/new-york-pause/

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The Day After Valentine's 2020

Today is the day to shop for roses if you can still find them. They'll be half the price of yesterday - a real bargain! That's just for bargain-seekers like me, who also like roses, any day, anytime.

Well, I got expensive roses on a vase sitting in my living room, too! I know they are pricey because they were bought yesterday and it was Valentine's. The next most costly day to get them is probably on Christmas Eve. Hmmm, love... and roses. I'm just so blessed I have a daughter whose Valentine gave her flowers on the mandatory flower day.

I'm a mom and just like the many moms out there I just hope that my daughter will be happy and will actually one day marry her date, have a settled and stable life, maybe have kids. For life goes on and that's how it's meant to be. We can't run away from the realities that we all grow old, we pass on, and hopefully, we have children by our side who would help us in the years when we are frail and need help. We also hope that our children will have children who will have the same heart of compassion to do likewise for their parents, and so on. Yes, nursing homes and retirement plans are there, but it is never the same to grow old surrounded by your own family who care for you.

So, what do we have on our plate today? The raging Coronavirus in China, the threat of locust swarms in Africa, the impeachment acquittal of President Trump, the upcoming US presidential race, Krushner's proposed peace plan for Israel and Palestine, Brexit, Megxit, the Oscars, the passing of Kobe Bryant, the viral American Airlines vid of a man repeatedly hitting a woman's reclined seat  in front of him? Today we have these challenges, losses or wins; tomorrow they may be a little bit different, but quite like the same. But the faithfulness of God never ends, His mercies are new every morning, and we manage through another day. Win or lose, He is in control of everything. We may be in dire circumstances for which we have no answers - utterly clueless how to turn things around for ourselves - but we can always wait on God and He would do it. What a great, mighty and loving God we have!

Yay! Valentine's Flowers!

19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Feb 15). The Day After Valentine's 2020 [Blog Post]. Retrieved from  http://purejoyland.com/2020/02/the-day-after-valentines/ ‎

Why is the New Testament So Hard to Read Compared to Psalms or Proverbs?

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matt 5, NASB Version)

It's because of hard-hitting passages like the above. 😁 It's so much easier to read Psalms where you can cry to God with the Psalmist to help you with life's burdens and cares. But passages like the above from Matthew point us to the Savior in the Bible. We can't go through life without breaking any of God's commandments. Because that's what we are - sinners. But sin leads to entanglements, catastrophic consequences, illnesses and death - true signs that we need a Savior from sin and death - Jesus Christ. We need to receive Him into our hearts so we will have power to overcome sin. We need to be spiritually re-born.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1, NASB)

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
(John 3, NASB)

9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3, NASB)

It is this "seed" - a deposit of the Holy Spirit - that comes into us when we receive Jesus into our hearts that gives us the power to overcome sin. This happens when we repent of our sins and make a covenant with Jesus, that in exchange for the life He laid down for you and me on the cross, we lay our own lives in return, promising to obey His commandments in the Bible. Without that commitment of total surrender of our lives and will to Jesus, no Covenant Relationship happens. Of course, we are human and we make mistakes and we break promises. But If the repentance and total turning around is done in all sincerity at one point in one's life, Jesus recognizes that, and a transaction actually happens. Once that transaction is in place we can still break promises but God doesn't because He's the Covenant-Keeping God. So, what does that mean? He will always turn you back to the right track to make sure you finish the race of overcoming sin, as much as possible, to enjoy Eternal Life now and forevermore. That is what it means to be born-again in Christ and to have Eternal Life.

This is also what sets Christianity apart from Religion. All the religions of the world teach us to follow certain rules to achieve Heaven or Immortality. In biblical Christianity God Himself came down and lived among us and imparted a part of Himself to live in us so we can attain Heaven and Eternal Life. God does not just throw at us a list of rules to follow but He Himself dwells in man to enable him to live out those rules and be united with God. As such, Christianity is not a religion, it is being in union with God.

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Feb 6). Why is the New Testament So Hard to Read Compared to Psalms or Proverbs? [Blog Post]. Retrieved from   http://purejoyland.com/2020/02/why-is-the-new-t…alms-or-proverbs/ ‎