Tag: god

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

~ marythereseh

I was in our kitchen when the phone rang. Though the number was unfamiliar, I picked it up.

“Mommm,” cried the young adult male voice at the other end of the line.

I had seen segments on the news where swindlers would call unsuspecting persons, pretending to be a family member who is kidnapped and held for ransom. So often they would be scammed out of thousands of dollars. As someone who has never born a child, I suspected it was a scam rather than a wrong number.

“What’s wrong?” I asked with sincerity.

“I’ve been in an accident.”

“Oh no, are you hurt? Are you in the hospital?” I asked with great concern.

“No, but I’m in trouble.”

He went on to tell me he had been arrested and needed money for bail. My thoughts raced trying to come up with the right response that could have a positive impact on him.

“I’m so sorry,” he whined.

“That’s okay,” I replied sympathetically. “As long as you’re not hurt.”

He gave me the phone number of a lawyer and an account number for wiring the funds.

“Do you know Jesus?” were the only words that came out of my mouth.

“Everybody does,” he responded. Click!

I was expecting him to hang up, but not his verbal response. How sad he didn’t use his talent for good instead of evil.

There are so many people who fall for these fake callers. I’m surprised that some don’t recognize the voice isn’t that of their supposed family member. Perhaps they’re hard of hearing? Or perhaps they’re caught by the element of surprise? Or maybe they’re just naive?

It made me wonder how many of us recognize God’s voice when He speaks to us? I definitely know He’s spoken to me on several occasions.

One particular time was a few years after I became a Christian. I was watching “The 700 Club” tv show, and the guest speaker was sharing her testimony and a book she had written. At that moment, I thought, One day I’m going to be on this show, and I’m going to write a book. I was puzzled as to why I would think such a thing. I knew the thought had to come from God, even though it appeared to be from me. I had learned that our thoughts can sometimes come from God, or even from Satan, though they seem like our own.

About 16 years later I shared my testimony on “The 700 Club,” and 18 years after that I wrote my memoir, “The Road to Mercy.”

John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me.”

We would all do well to learn to recognize when God is putting a thought into our mind. When He speaks to us, He won’t be trying to swindle us, like that phone scammer. Quite the contrary. When He speaks to us, it will only be for our good.

How Does God Want us to Vote?

~ marythereseh

It’s almost Election Day, though millions have already cast their ballots. How does God want us to vote? Let’s look to see what the Bible has to say.

Abortion: This is a huge issue. Neither presidential candidate is completely pro-life. But one VP candidate is pro-abortion through the ninth month, and it is law in the state where he is governor.

    What does God have to say about this? Two of the many scriptures on murder are Exodus 20:13, “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” and Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things that the Lord hates….hands that shed innocent blood.”

    Gender Identity: One political party (the same one mentioned in #1) is pushing an ideology that there are more than two genders—ie, you can be either a boy or a girl, neither boy nor girl, half boy or girl, fluctuate between the two, or even be assigned the wrong sex at birth. In some states if parents object to their children wishing to “transition,” the government can intervene and strip the parents of their rights.

    God says in Genesis 5:2, “He created them male and female and blessed them.”

    Israel: That same political party referenced above does not fully support Israel. Many in that party are pro-Palestinian instead. There are those in this party who hate Israel and have been very vocal about it even before the October 7th attack on Israel.

    God says in Leviticus 25:23, “The land is the Lord’s land, and it is His to assign and dispose of.” Referring to Israel in Genesis 12:3, He says, “I will bless those who bless thee.”

    Border Security: That same political party has opened wide the border and let in millions of unvetted illegal immigrants who have wreaked havoc on this country in every manner–crime, housing, the economy, etc. The other presidential candidate wants an orderly, legal immigration system.

    Are borders and walls necessary? Absolutely. Even the Holy City in Heaven has walls and gates around it. Revelation 21:12-13 refers to it: “It had a great high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates…There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.”

    These are just a few of the important issues to look at.

    You may not like the personality of a certain candidate, but this is not a personality contest. This is about policy, and how a candidate’s policies will affect the future of this nation.

    As Christians, we are to be followers of Christ. When Jesus walked this earth, he always did what his father wanted, even to the cross. He lived a selfless life. If we are to be His followers, we should do the same.