n0klu's Rants

  Feb X, 2022 at X:XX AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Peace as Prayers Rise Peace as Prayers Rise "But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice."     Psalm 55:16-17   Scripture Focus: Genesis 21:16-17 Without water, lost, and alone in the desert, Hagar sobbed as her son was about to die. The God Who Listens was not far off. He "heard the boy crying" (Genesis 21:17). In His love and mercy, He provided water and a promise for Hagar and young Ishmael.   A friend of mine with five children was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. At a point when he did not know if he would survive the disease, another friend commented to him that if he himself were ill and his future uncertain, his greatest fear would be that no one would pray for his children the way a father would.   The faithful, confident reply from my sick friend was life-changing for me. He said, "I know my prayers are constantly rising...

  March 28, 2022 at 1:16 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Jehoshaphat's Peace Jehoshaphat's Peace "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."       2 Chronicles 20:12 Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 20:1-21 Are you facing something bigger than your own might? Whatever it is, do you know that it is smaller than the Lord's might?   While the Israelites were about to be attacked by vast enemy armies, King Jehoshaphat prayed to his God of unsurpassable power. He spoke of God's past faithfulness to Israel and of His plan for them to possess the land. He talked about the sanctuary where God's people gathered to call on Him in need. Though distressed, he knew without question that God will "hear us and save us." The prophet Jahaziel assured the people they would not have to fight this battle; the Lord Himself would.   God could have struck down the enemy in a word. He could have dissolve...

  March 25, 2022 at 12:01 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Peace-Giving Priorities Peace-Giving Priorities "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."     Titus 3:4-5a Scripture Focus: Mark 12:28-34 Peace invades life when we know God's will and obey His commands. When Jesus spoke of the most important command (Mark 12:29), He wasn't implying the other commandments were unimportant. Rather, every part of     the law is encompassed by loving the Lord with all our heart, mind, and strength. Think of how much He loved us to give His own life to save us! So we love and honor Him for His sacrifice.   Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) once said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." There is wisdom in those words. Valuing others is part of loving our neighbor as ours...

  Mar 23, 2022 at 1:48 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Peace Like the Lilies Peace Like the Lilies "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For, your heavenly Father knows that you need them."       Matthew 6:31-32 Scripture Focus: Matthew 6:25-34 Any Christian who has been in business for himself knows that doing so pushes you to Jesus for dependence. For 18 years we owned a country market accessed by our customers from two bridges over a freeway. When one of the bridges was torn down for replacement and then the second one was closed for repair, traffic to our store nearly halted. Sales sank, and we faced some very lean times. But even in those times, we     could depend on the Lord's provision for us. It was evidence...

  Something to consider this election cycle as we are headed right down the exact same road:    www.askaprepper.com /10-most-sought-after-bartering-items-in-venezuela/ 10 Most Sought-After Bartering Items in Venezuela 10/14/2019 About 50 years ago, Venezuela was one of the most stable countries in the world. Even with huge oil reserves, however, little is left of the so-called Saudi Venezuela. More than 30 years of misguided economic policies unleashed what is now Venezuela: a country full of misery, long lines to buy food, and hospitals and public health centers in poor condition. We are also dealing with the largest exodus of professionals in the history of Venezuela. Since 1999, with the arrival of Hugo Chavez, the national currency (the bolivar) has suffered several devaluations. This is the result of inflation that is more than 40% per month. At the end of the last century, inflation led countries like Argentina, Brazil, and, more recently, Zimbabwe to devalue the...