The Virtual Pew Daily: Pastor Mike and the Demon Slayers

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Sunday, December 6, 2020

If I Die Before I Wake, I pray

Coronary Heart Disease, one of those things we like to things we like to think we can control and know about, but in reality, we don't until often times, it is too late.

On the surface there are those who would like to throw out blame or suspicions of things, like, I should have eaten better, I am to big, on and on, but here are the facts. In the last 2 years now I've lost close to 50 pounds and am still safely and appropriately loosing weight. My resting heart rate as of last week was 72, my blood pressure was 114/60, my blood sugars are averaging less than or right at 120. All good things, in fact, according to my doctor and cardiologist, "If you weren't in such good shape you would be dead. It's a miracle you're alive." A Miracle? Yes, a miracle.

You see after the cauterization of my heart on Thursday, (this all started on Tuesday) it was discovered that there is a "GREAT" vein on the right side of my heart, however, there are 3 blocked arteries on the left side, not just with some blockage, but blocked 100%. Thus the miracle that I am walking and alive.

So, if things are so great, why me? After all, a couple of weeks ago I was walking around Branson Missouri and Eureka Springs Arkansas, feeling fine except for this lingering issue that has been bothering me now for almost 2 years, heartburn. I had been to the doctors to have it checked out. It was originally diagnosed as an ulcer after Mary Jane's death. I was taking ulcer medicines that seemed to help and was as of the last month or so eating and heartburn medicines like candy. Yet, at Branson and Eureka Springs I started having severe "heartburn." I had in the past gotten in a hot shower which seemed to help but that was once every now and then. Well after multiple episodes of having to do this over several nights, at the encouragement of a friend I have written about, I went to the doctors and there it was discovered. I needed emergency surgery sooner than later.

Here are some of the contributors that help bring about heart disease.

1) the use of tobacco: I don't use tobacco.

2) Diabetes: Yes I am diabetic I am doing so good in that area that there is serious discussion of coming totally off of my medications.

3) High Blood Pressure: well my blood pressure is really good, see above.

4) Cholesterol: here, my cholesterol levels fall within the normal categories and bad cholesterol is down, good cholesterol is up.

5) Diet: again, folks around me are typically surprised at how little I eat and how healthy I eat.

6) Hereditary: BINGO! I come from a family history filled with heart issues but I didn't worry, after all, look at the numbers above.

7) Stress: BINGO! Do you know my story, of fighting and being with my wife for over a year and a half being her only caregiver, begging at times for help, and being able to work or have time to myself? How about a former daughter in law, lying through her teeth, violating a court order and taking one of the only bits of joy from me, not allowing me to see my granddaughter in almost 7 months now because apparently I love my son and have a great relationship with him, btw, I have the texts that show her expressing and lying about this.

Those last 2 things are the likely contributor to my issues right now, the truth is, there is little if anything I could do about either of them. I'm likely not the only one to fall into this category, likely so do some of you.

The purpose of this post: It really is quite simple, I can't change my situation, I don't see outside of a miracle or having my former daughter in law put in jail for a violation of a court order helping me see my granddaughter and there is nothing I can do to change my family history. I can continue on a heart healthy diet, see my doctors, and do what I am told, all will help, but little else will without the elimination of stress issues and this don't even touch things like still having to wait on Sedgwick County to take the criminal action against the contractors that put my family literally through hell in my wife's last days on this earth.

Here is what I want to say, if you have any symptoms, fall into any of the above categories, take your health seriously. Sometimes people don't think I do, it frustrates me, because those who know me know how much I do. I go to doctors every three months or as I need and more. Yes I can be stubborn but I don’t' like insinuations that I am stupid. When a cardiologist says it is a "miracle" I'm alive, I understand doctors use that word with extreme rarity.

If or when I die, one of the things I want people to say about me is that I cared about others because I do. I know what God has done for me and if He would do it for me He will do it for you. I want people to know I love Jesus who has commanded me to love others unconditionally and to love Him with my all. It's simple, I care for you.

I beg, I implore you, keep up with your health, see your doctors, don't take any symptoms lightly, I'll be honest I did, after all, "heartburn," thankfully my friend Pam who I have written about before got on me and made me promise to see a doctor. Sometimes, it takes the actions of others to push us to the place we need to be.

I post this not for sympathy, but as a way to say, stay on top of your own health. I say that, well, I say that because I care for you. The last thing I need is the stress and pain of losing another friend. I've experienced that way too much in 2020. God let 2021 be a better year, if not, let us at least learn to love each other more.

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Friday, November 20, 2020

Daily Devotion, Matthew 13 Are You Telling Stories

Daily Devotional, Matthew 13
Are You Telling Stories?

I am only doing one chapter for the devotion today. It is a chapter I have studied and taught on for many years as I do movie reviews and write stories.

This chapter is filled with Jesus telling stories, stories that on the surface seem to have little or no spiritual relevance to the disciples, and those around him. Those hearing the stories didn't understand; why was Jesus telling stories? Was He just trying to entertain people or was there something to what He was saying? Jesus later takes His disciples to the side and explains things to them. Much of this applies to us if we get over the often times religious controls we like to place on ourselves and others.

In Biblical terminology, Jesus is using what are called parables/ One of the thing we don't understand in today's religious conversation is that parables, a story with underlying meaning, allegory as an example, can be used in various forms be it movies, books, and even video games among others. The key is not just what is entailed in the story, but how WE interpret the story. Did you get that, how we interpret a story is important.

A number of years ago, I wrote a short story called An Alaskan Affair. The story is available in the archives if people want to check it out, I'll tell you, I'm quite proud of that story and one of the reasons is the response I often get from others after they read it. It is an open ended story left open to interpretation. People ask about the ending. When they do I ask them what do they think the ending was about. They tell me and I tell them they are correct because the ending depends on the reader, the hearer. They often get confused but sometimes the author of a story is just trying to get people to think about certain concepts. That is what a parable is and although there may be an intent in what people think about that isn't always true. That is what Jesus is doing here, over and over.

There are questions I can draw from this reading and study, ones that while can be taken lightly, should also be taken seriously and be challenging for each of us. I'll be brief, but think about each of the following questions.

First, do you understand the people around you, be they Christians, non Christians, weak Christians and so forth? Do you understand their world, experiences or the things that are a part of who they are? I have often said you can tell a real friend because they will know how you drink your coffee, assuming you drink coffee. They know your details, your experiences. When communicating with others and trying to encourage spiritual growth or acceptance, you need to know the person you are speaking to, whether they be individuals or an audience. If I am speaking to a group of fishermen, I better have some understanding of fishing or at the very least make the effort to know something. Then I can speak about something they will understand and relate to.

Second, do you limit where and how your stories can be told. My experience, especially since doing reviews since 1978 is that people like to limit the source of the story, especially if in a way they don't like, say horror. Some people love horror that aren't Christians, even a lot of Christians, yet, some are critical of those genres. I experience this in movies, writings and other ways. Yet, those kind of stories can still get through. Here is a point, if the television series South Park can have some spiritual truths in them, you can use those truths to point to the ultimate truth. We see Jesus doing something similar here and the Apostle Paul later on in another book addresses this concept spot on.

Another question is are you at the place where you can see and recognize spiritual truths in stories to share with others? There are definitely times this is true of all of us because we may not be familiar with the genera or concepts within a story. This is why Jesus takes the disciples aside and tells them the meaning of the stories, He is teaching His followers how to listen and how to use story. Sometimes we are so caught up in ourselves or the things around us that we don't take the time to listen, think about, and apply how we use story to communicate to others. For some, if it isn't loaded with what some call Christianeze, (language only Christians understand) then it isn't appropriate. From the Thee's and Thous to the words we think everyone understands like Lordship, Anointed, Sanctified, and I could go on and on. Jesus does something remarkable here, He is teaching His disciples the concepts on how to speak in the language of the people in a way they will understand. Are we at the place where we can do that?

This passage deals with story, how to tell them, how to hear them what they are for and so much more. Maybe, just maybe we should start learning to be like Jesus. Think about it, this passage goes so far as to say, "He NEVER taught them anything without first telling them stories." Hmmm, wonder how we could apply that in our lives with those we love that need to grow in the faith or for the first time discover faith in Jesus?

To see this post in it's original setting, along with information on how to support The Virtual Pew, click on the link in the comments. of who is his mother and father, and the importance of obeying.

To see the post in it's original form, and to support The Virtual Pew, click on the link in the comments.

To see Matthew 13 Click the following link:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13&version=CEV

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Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Daily Devotional, Genesis 29, 30, Love, Deceit, More and More Wives

Daily Devotional, Genesis Chapter 29, 30

Love, Deceit, More and More Wives

In this story, Jacob goes and takes a trip to visit his uncle Laban. Laban who lives some miles a way, has a daughter that Jacob loves, her name is Rachel. Immediately upon seeing her, he falls in love and wants to marry her. The only problem, Laban tells him he has to work for him for seven years and after that seven year period he can marry Rachel.

Well a series of events happen that I honestly have a hard time figuring out. Laban is deceitful and somehow Jacob marries his older daughter Leah. He doesn't realize he has married the wrong woman until the next morning. See what I'm talking about.

Naturally he is a little upset and has a talk with Laban. Laban makes another agreement that he can marry Rachel if he works for him for another 7 years. Jacob agrees to it and puts in another 7 years of labor.

Through Jacob's life he has at times practiced deceit, and now, it is being used against him. A lot of people in today's world talk about the concept of Karma, while I don't personally believe in Karma, there are definitely times where God gives us some of our own. In other words concepts like "You reap what you sow" and other come to mind.

There is another interesting concept here, these two sisters are jealous for all kinds of reasons, children being the main one. Jacob and Leah have a number of children and it is sometime before Rachel is able to bear children. As a result of the jealousy they both give their servants to Jacob to marry, (brining him up to at least 4 wives,) and he has child after child. Can you imagine that type of jealousy. I know times were different then in a lot of ways, but I can't imagine more than one wife, especially since Jacob so loved Rachel and it was obvious to all of those around.

In life, we need to find peace with where we are at, we need to accept that to get some of the things we want in life, we need to work for it. In Jacob's case it was 14 years. In the end God provided for Jacob, there would be multitudes of descendents and he would accumulate wealth for his hard work habits. There was a price to pay though, one that I can only imagine, and thankfully have never had to experience. Another lesson though, that reap what you sow thing can cause all kinds of problems if you're not careful, so for me, for you: be careful.

To see Genesis Chapter 29 and 30 Click the following link:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+29%2C+30&version=CEV

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