WHEN PIGS FLY

Happy Sunday, everyone! We had a wonderful day at church, new people visiting, the whole worship team back, vibrant music and singing, good teaching and preaching, and breakfast for lunch served afterward as a fundraiser for our Bible memory program!

When Pigs Fly....well swine flu! Have you heard some of the jokes like that going around? Well, I said the other day I wanted to comment on that. I feel like I'm sticking my neck out a bit here, but lately that's happening alot. I have never before in my life felt such a "squeezing" and "tightening" of things concerning my faith as I have in the last few years and more specifically in the last few months. The days are surely coming when Christians need to be sure of what they believe and willing to stand for their faith.

Concerning the flu: One day last week, I heard nothing but flu, flu everywhere I went. It was on the news, it was on Christian programming, people were talking about it. Someone confronted me about it in a store, etc., etc. Ever since that day, it's been the same, more and more talk and more and more fear. I heard it at church today, of all places. The reason I want to comment on it is this. I think we can get ourselves feared into alot of things.I believe we need to be wise and cautious and take common sense precautions for WHATEVER might harm us, but truly, has all this talk of flu done us any good? I know there are reports and people have died and my heart goes out to their families. But when we fear, the possibility of panic results. The bottom line for Christians is that we need to live above these situations--and that means alot of things. It could mean that you are first of all not fearing epidemics of any sort. The Bible speaks of fear coming from the enemy. God has not given us a spirit of fear. You need to be discerning truth and not just accepting whatever the news or anyone else is telling you. I think we sometimes create our own problems by magnifying what we fear until it takes hold and wreaks destruction. The enemy loves to play on fear. Read Psalm 91 and learn all about how a child of God should view plagues and threats.


One of the people that talked to me that certain day about the flu was an older lady, a seasoned Christian that I very much respect. Just out of the blue as we met in a store, she said to me, "What is all this panic about the flu?" (or a very similar statement) "I remember when we were young (so do I) that flu came and went each year, it lasted about 3 days and made you think you were dying." But there was not all this panic and you just dealt with it. We are becoming a society that thinks we have to insulate ourselves from every possible threatening organism to the point of ridiculousness. I am very much a clean freak type person that takes above average precautions with cleanliness, but I feel like even I can strike a balance. I do all I can and believe the Lord would have me to do and then I trust Him to keep me from harm. I use the brains He gave me and then I must walk by faith. And having said that.....why not walk by faith and learn to use the scripture, take it literally (like medicine--Proverbs suggests that, you know) and learn to walk in divine health. Christians should be the last people that promote all the fear talk about the flu or anything else.

Divine healing being my favorite biblical subject, I could literally preach the angles of this for days and days and I know my readers don't want to hear that (if you do, let me know!), but let me make one last point. When we participate in the negativem,fear promoting discussions that characterize our society, what are we conditioning ourselves into? Ask yourself that question. If someone can make us believe something that causes so much fear what else can they talk us into? That means we've given them a certain power over us to influence us. Watch your tongue. Proverbs is filled with that admonition. Our mouths can be our own worst enemies. Study those scriptures that deal with what you say and the effect your words have and your life will change!

The surprise item is currently in pieces in my basement and is being conditioned piece by piece with tung oil. Any guesses? It's almost ready for assembly. PS: My speaking engagement went very well yesterday, thanks for your prayers! Be encouraged in the Lord! Isaiah 53:4 Blessings, LORI