Seas and Pirates

Posted on 3 Nov 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

Thus far I have read a few verses from James 1.

This is not my first reading of James as I have notes written on the page. Over the word temptations in verse 2 I have written the word pirates.
I don’t know what prompted me to write it or even when I did; but, today it has given me many thoughts.

Pirates — temptations.
In times like these, I think I’d like to engage a zoom app on this screen to see and hear what you have to say about it.

Pirates and temptations. How could these be related?

I started by defining pirates at BibliaTodo Dictionary.
This is what I found:

An armed ship or vessel which sails without a legal commission, for the purpose of plundering other vessels on the high seas

A robber on the high seas; one who by open violence takes the property of another on the high seas; especially, one who makes it his business to cruise for robbery or plunder; a freebooter on the seas; also, one who steals in a harbor.

I wish I could know what thoughts are forming for you, but since I don’t, I’ll give you mine.

Temptations. Where do they come from? I am reminded of a verse of Scripture that tells me GOD tempts no one but there is one who does. How about that?! Those verses are right here in James 1!

¹³Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: ¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Yikes! Our own flesh will tempt us and as if that is not enough there is the evil one too. 1 Peter 5:8 has something to say about that.

Could temptations be like pirates? Navigating around in our seas seeking to steal from us? Things like trust, hope, strength, joy, patience, all the fruits of the Spirit? What else might temptations (pirates) seek to steal from us?
I think when we set sail on a course without permission or guidance from Holy Spirit we shall surely meet pirates and when we do we better turn that ship around and head for JESUS — like NOW.

Do you have pirates bearing down on you? Are your seas rough, chopping, or perhaps you have a calm – for now?
This we know pirates don’t give up until they are slain . . . the thing is we can’t rid our seas of the many pirates let loose in this world. So what are we to do?
Actually, the rest of James 1 tells us what to do.
I hope you will read it.

Love, Kathie

Trusting GOD

Posted on 1 Nov 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

Even when it doesn’t look like we should.
That is what

Hebrews 11

is about. Let’s look at a few verses.

Verse 9
Abraham lived as a temporary resident.
Do I? Do I live here as a temporary resident?
How tied to this world am I? How tied are you?
I’ve heard some people have dual citizenship. (see Philippians 3:20-21)
Which citizenship do I give the more allegiance to?
How about you? Which citizenship has your allegiance?

Verse 11
Abraham regarded GOD and the promises GOD made to him.
How many of God’s promises to me, am I so regarding — counting as sure?
How many promises can I actually name that He has given me?

Verse 13
All these people kept on trusting, until they died.
(And some promises they did not receive before their deaths)
Do we believe there are promises we will receive even after death?
They did.

On and on the chapter goes, speaking of Moses’ parents, Moses himself and Rahab, and others.
They all trusted GOD when circumstances looked like He was not coming through for them.

In verses 32-38 certain people are described this way: The world was not worthy of them!
I hope you will read about them. trusta 2

Love, Kathie

Remember Lot’s Wife

Posted on 30 Oct 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

I and likely thousand upon thousands were admonished by the sermon to Remember Lot’s Wife.

It was a good and valid sermon as far as it went. I am mindful now as I think of it it is like a surgeon with a scalpel – a cutting tool. Do we not know unless the surgeon cuts deep enough and wide enough diseased tissue will not be eradicated, and it will be left to invade and infect connecting healthy tissue?

32Remember Lot’s wife.

You can find the verse at Luke 17:32.

It’s written in red — JESUS spoke it with His GODMAN lips when He walked on this earth.
To whom did He say it?
We would have to read the chapter to answer that. I am providing you a LINK for immediate reading. And I hope you will read it. Verse one will answer the question.

1 Now He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! source

To whom is He still saying it?
Isn’t it safe to say He is still speaking to us, His Disciples of today?

Remember Lot’s wife
What did Lot’s wife do? I hope you will read Genesis 19 for the answer.

It’s been said she got stuck. I get that but let’s cut deeper.
Why did she get stuck?
Was it her house in the city? Was it her new king-size comforter? Was it her prominent lifestyle? Was it friends? Was it her lovely garden? A new chariot and that beautiful stallion in the stall?
We cannot say for certain and perhaps that is good because now it’s open for us to identify with her, learn from her sin and not sin in that way ourselves.
So just why did she die with the same sulfur that killed the people in Sodom?

Allow me to give you an answer to ponder. word of GOD

Because she disobeyed GOD!
Getting stuck my Friends in whatever state it may be (bitterness, unforgiveness, addictions, resentments, etc.) is a consequence of SIN.
Disobedience.
Why are we so afraid to use the words sin and disobedience in Christiandom today?
Why do we use softer words like stuck? Why do we not wield the Word of GOD like a skilled surgeon uses a scalpel?
People do not need band-aids. They need transformation — to become a new creation. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Remember Lot’s Wife.
Lot’s wife died Y’all. She died because she refused to obey GOD.

How many things in our lives do we love more than we love obeying GOD?
Remember Lot’s Wife. Luke 17:32.

Love, Kathie

The Real World

Posted on 27 Oct 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

The whole world will be celebrating from now till December 25; perhaps even longer. Stores started displaying trees back in September.
Isn’t it strange The GOD the world rejected when He came as The GOD MAN Baby more than 2000 years ago is now purportedly the reason for all these festivities?

Sentimentality abounds this time of year. So do depression, anxiety, and the feeling of being alone in a crowded room, all the while we pretty well idolize snow and
hot chocolate
evergreen trees
ornaments
candy canes
holly wreaths
egg nog
mistletoe
feasting and drinking — lots of parties
Christmas Movies 24/7 for 2 plus months and
buying, buying, and more buying (for giving to people we love, of course) — oh and we dare not forget the red-suited fat man who has god-like powers.

What does any of this have to do with The GOD MAN who actually has The Power today to save a world of people from the eternal destruction they deserve because of their very own sins?

And Merry Christmas. What do we mean when we say it? Do we mean anything at all — is it just a tradition?
Well, we have been saying it for a while now. A certain URL address says we have been saying Merry Christmas since the 1500s. I wonder what was said before then? If you’d like to check out the page — click HERE.

What do we mean when we say and do any of the traditions we have come to accept as CHRISTMAS?

I know, the likelihood of changing any of these traditions observed by the world is — well, it’s not happening.
Changing it I mean.

So, why am I here writing about it?
Not because I expect to change the world.
No. I just want to give a few dear people something to ponder.
To ponder how involved shall we stay in matters of earth that do nothing to advance The Real World — The Kingdom of our Father.

Perhaps from now until the end of the year, we will meditate on what we celebrate, what we hold sentimentally dear, asking ourselves does this bring The LIGHT of the WORLD to the people of my corner of the world? .jpeg1
It’s a hard question.
It may not be pleasant to answer. I am speaking from my present experience.