MomBearTo4

No. I Peter 3:18-21 , MKV: For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; 19 in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water); 21 which figure now also saves us, baptism; not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; The baptism that is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh is the baptism of the Holy Spirit: Mark 1:6-8 6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a leather girdle about his loin. And he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he proclaimed, saying, There is One coming after me who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down to loosen. 8 I indeed have baptized you in water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

I get it. I'm hoping to be able to wait until it gets full approval, not emergency/investigational/experimental approval. But that's mainly because I did medical transcription for 20 years and that has shaped a lot of strong beliefs of what type of medical care I do and do not want. Unfortunately, I do administrative work in a health department with a very left-wing director, which could be problematic, but I will try to hold out as long as I can. It's not like I'm around anybody except at work, and I always wear my mask when in enclosed public areas (but not when walking the dogs when there's nobody around, which is permitted according to my county's public health order)

Boy, is that the truth! When I have gone through my worst times, I plug my name and life circumstances into Job chapters 1 and 2 and put my stubborn nature to work trying to be a person of whom God could equally boast, "Have you considered my servant Melinda..."

I am at peace, while remaining vigilant. A pastor I sat under for a number of years a few decades ago used to tell us that we should never fear persecution as Christians, because the fire of persecution burns off the dross (false believers), leaves the true believers, and gives the Church more power. I'm trying to prepare myself to not be comfortable if this happens. I work at the county health department and there are a lot of hard-core radical liberals who were despondent over the results of the last election and exhilarated at the results of this election, and I'm praying that whatever ends up coming down the pike doesn't cost me my job. The Lord has taken me through a number of incredibly difficult situations in my life. I really would rather avoid having to go through more at my age (60s), but I know whatever happens, the Lord will carry me through the same as He has before. Like I posted in another post, the Lord has led me to focus on Psalm 46 this week, and that's helping.

Probably because it's gotten so much more adverse media attention.

With the current political chaos and all the other upheaval in the US right now, the Lord put it on my heart this morning to mediate on Psalm 46 for this week. (I'm also going to wear black to work on Wednesday as my own "peaceful protest.") I'd like to share it with you in case it might encourage someone else as well. Psalm 46 (Green's Literal Translation) God is our refuge and strength, very much found to be a help in distresses. On account of this we will not fear when the earth changes and when mountains are slipping into the heart of the seas. Let its waters foam; let the mountains shake in its swelling. There is a river, its channels gladden the city of God, the holy tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be shaken; God will help her at the turning of the morning. The nations roared; kingdoms were shaken; He gave forth His voice and the earth melted. Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is a refuge for us. Come, behold the works of Jehovah, who sets ruins on the earth, causing to cease wars to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts apart spears; He burns the chariots in the fire. 10 Be still and know that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is a refuge for us. I hope this is a balm to your souls as much as it is mine.

I thought I had severe postpartum depression after the birth of my youngest child and I could have said the same thing that this lady did. I mean, it even took much energy to talk. After a year of ineffective mental health treatment that left me feeling even worse, someone suggested I go to my primary doctor. It turned out that my thyroid had quit working. I'm perfectly fine now when on my thyroid treatment, but when they were trying to change my dose and I was severely undermedicated, I felt like I had a combination of chronic fatigue syndrome, mid-stage Alzheimer's and moderate to severe clinical depression. I always suggest to people who all of a sudden have symptoms that feel like depression for an inexplicable reason that they get a full thyroid panel and make sure it's okay. Several people I suggested this to have discovered that their thyroids had quit working also.

A group of conservative Christian scholars have published a document online called the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. It's supposed to be a starting point to encourage conversation by Bible-believing Christians on how to respond to this very issue. There are also some other web pages that refute some of the points from differing theological perspectives that will also pop up if you search for Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. The New Testament believers lived in worse times than we think we are facing right now, and they thrived. We can, too, even though it is probably not going to be easy. I tend to agree that too many people want a Gospel that gives them political deliverance, and that was never Jesus's primary goal. This life is a drop in the bucket compared to eternity, and personally all of this mess reminds me that this is not my home and makes me want even more to go home to Heaven.

Romans 1:20 says that all people can see God through His handiwork of creation and have the opportunity to respond to that, so no man is without excuse. -- "For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse."

If three of them are already out of my life, would that mean that I would have to choose the fourth, or would it mean that I have already done this and don't need to worry about it? Sorry, I analyze absolutely everything. I will say that in my life I have given up things that were very difficult to give up because the Lord asked me to.

Psalm 15, MKJV A Psalm of David. 1. LORD, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; 3 he does not backbite with his tongue, nor do evil to his neighbor, nor take up a reproach against his neighbor; 4 in whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he has sworn to his hurt, and does not change it; 5 he has not put out his money at interest, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever.