The Roman army reportedly had a very special “turtle” they used in war. I caught about 30 minutes of the 4 hour movie, Cleopatra (staring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison), on Turner Classic Movies last week. 

In one scene, Harrison, as Julius Caesar, called for “the turtle.” According to the movie, this “turtle” was what they called their unique method of moving strategically into battles where the enemy was not just in front of them, but surrounded them. When my Bible study group was doing the Armor of God study (Pricilla Shirer), we learned that the Romans did use this method of creating an shell with their shields.

Malachi 3:16 [NKJV] Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard [them]; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

If you are thinking of the Beatles song, Come Together (Abby Road, 1969) – yes, that popped into my head too. However, that clearly not an “appropriate for New Church Ladies” song. But that one line of lyrics “come together right now over me” does make me think about Malachi 3:16 and about getting together over God and Jesus – over the love of the Father and the Son, over the teachings of the Word, over the worship and praise of God and Jesus. 

Imagine you were deathly ill. Imagine in spite of calling for the elders to anoint you, and after many heartfelt prayers, and after all the doctors could do for you, and after suffering for days or weeks or maybe even longer you succumb to the illness and die.

Then, imagine hearing the voice of the Messiah, the Teacher, who spent many evenings at your home preaching and teaching and sharing food, yelling, “Lazarus, come out!” Only to you, it sounds a bit muffled since you are wrapped up tight in burial garments. 

Or possibly both at the same time. At least it was interesting times.

For Daniel and his friends, being taken away to a strange land as teenagers, to serve a foreign king in a country with foreign customs, it probably seemed like the worst of times. 

For Esther, yanked out of her cozy home as a teenager to be put on parade before the king, knowing that one night doing something you had no experience at (the prerequisite was that you did not have any experience) would change your life either to one of cloistered captivity or high privilege, and knowing she had a terrible secret to hide, it probably seemed like the worst of times.

This past week was the start the Chinese New Year. And, wow, do the Chinese know how to party. Unlike the USA, where we have a one-day celebration, the Chinese have 15 day celebration for the New Year. They decorate doors and windows, serve special foods and hand out traditional “red packets” of money.

You may already know that each year in China is related to an animal and cycles through dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey and rooster. Similar to what some people think about the Zodiac signs, the Chinese believe that you can predict how the year will be, according to the animal of that year, and that those born in the year of a particular animal have certain qualities themselves. 

I have to say that Christians in India definitely have some “skin in the game” when it comes to practicing their faith. At the Feast of Tabernacles in Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky this past year, Michael Deering gave a presentation about the life of Christians in India. It was at once appalling and also inspiring to see our brothers in Christ rejoice in the Lord in spite of the poverty and persecution they face. 

The children’s book author, Linda Grayson, said, “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” I might say, “Or one who brings you Starbucks in the morning and remembers just the way you like it.” 

If you were taking out a “friend wanted” ad, how would you describe the perfect friend? Loyal? Thoughtful? Caring?

If you watched the movie City Slickers, you may remember this pivotal scene (cleaned up and abbreviated):
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This.

Mitch: Your finger? 

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean (anything). 

Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?" 

Curly: [smiles] That's what you have to find out. 

I don’t know if Lenny Cacchio is a fan of the movie, but about a year ago he gave similar advice when it comes to overcoming as a Christian. I believe he gave the sermon in CGI Tyler around the spring Holy days last year on May 7th. In it, Lenny mentioned that it can be overwhelming to try to overcome all our faults and said that what he does is pick a single focus for the year. 

I was watching a part of The Sound of Music on TV last week and I had a “yelling at the TV” moment. Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter and her boyfriend, Rolfe, are singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and Liesl sings, “I need someone older and wiser, telling me what to do. You are 17, going on 18, I’ll depend on you.” WHAT???!!! The LAST person a 16 year old girl needs telling her what to do is a 17 year old boy! And, yes, I actually yelled at the screen, “Are you CRAZY?!”

It’s popular to ask if someone is a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of a person. Often that is followed by encouraging those “glass half empty” folks to see life, lessons, trials, etc. from a perspective of the glass being half full. 

I’d like us to forget for a moment any concern over how full the glass is and think about the container itself. 

I confess that I am still learning. I can still read a scripture and gain new understanding - even realize that my previous understanding was all wrong. That was the case recently when Beth Moore used a scripture as part of one lesson in her Daniel Bible study that I had read many times before and it hit me with a fresh meaning.

The English language is interesting in that a single word can have multiple meanings. I’m sure it isn’t unique in that way, but I haven’t studied any other languages. So, I cannot comment on French or Hebrew or Pashtu. 

Take the word fall for example. I might say, “Don’t fall for that Ponzi scheme,” meaning “Don’t be taken in by it.” I might say, “Be careful so you don’t fall on the icy steps,” meaning to keep you from face planting and injuring yourself. Or I might say, “Fall is my favorite season of the year.” Any one of these is the correct use of the word in context.

From Nancy White: This week’s blog is penned by my friend and “sister from another mister,” Latresa Powell. Her passion for Christ and the word of God is an inspiration.

The Anchor

As I was checking my bank balance online this morning, the website flashed ads while I waited for my account information to load.  That’s when I saw it - one simple quote – “The storm proves the anchor’s worth”.  Maybe it caught my eye because of the recent hurricane, but it made me stop and think about the power of my spiritual anchor.

Does God love me more than Adolph Hitler? Does God love me more than your average member of ISIS? More than an abortionist? Is the message of the Old Testament that He loved Israel more than Moab (or other nations)? Before you answer, let me offer some ideas on the subject. 

Who doesn’t want to be “Daddy’s favorite” child? My mother often told about how I’d sit on my Dad’s lap and eat exotic cheeses that he liked (and I did not) just to try to become his favorite among his children. Some human parents do, in fact, show favoritism among their children and it often causes a lot of trouble in the family.

When I was a kid, my parents always insisted we clean our plates at meals. No dessert if you didn’t and no getting up from the table until you did. I remember sitting at the table long after others were gone and slowly choking down liver and onions that I really would rather have skipped.

Many of us will fast from food and water for 24 hours on the Day of Atonement.