Do you ask for Second Opinions? 2 Samuel 17:1-14

Men don't read instructions or ask for directions they say. I say a wise person gets second opinions on important decisions they are about to make. Absalom asked for one. It didn't work out too well for him. Find out how and why you should use them. Study 2 Samuel 17:1-14 with us on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/WeN2TRulThE

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What are you prepared to ruin so you can stay bitter? [ 2 Samuel 16:1...

Bitterness is something most folks dabble with at some point or another in their lives. It can be a devastating condition. It is also a ridiculous state of mind that does nothing for the person who holds it. Today we see how it affects individuals and a nation. Join us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wUcxcJ0DApE

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Suffering Humiliation -- When to Fight Back & When To Not (2 Samuel 16:5...

Ever had someone call you names? Throw stuff at you? Curse you? Misunderstand you? And so on. There's a time to fight back and a time not to. David gives us some hints. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 16:5-14 together. The passage has some gems for us. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/fQMywvo-1oE 

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We live in a world of Trojan Horses. David got caught, you don't have to...

Friends are friends till they're not. Employees are loyal till they're not. David found this out the hard way. So do politicians and other leaders. You don't have to. There are things you can do. Study 2 Samuel 16:1-4 with us on YouTube right at this link: https://youtu.be/A_LgcCFhTPc

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Comparing & Contrasting David and Christ. Studying 2 Samuel 15:30-37

I went back to my high school English class days when we were given two pieces of writing and we had to "compare & contrast" them. Do you remember? Well, this passage of 2 Samuel 15:30-37 gives us an opportunity to do just that with David and Christ. Most interesting. Join us on YouTube as we study together. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/_S6Z9vBRc54

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We Know Samson's Secret Weapon; David's Was Much Better -- studying 2 Sa...

Longer hair helped Samson. Bigger muscles may help you. But only for a time. There is one secret that lasts beyond this life and David had it. We can too. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 15:24-29 on Youtube. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/ufuTEFa7BZM

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Loyalty & Succession. David deals with both. 2 Samuel 15:19-23.

We're often surprised as to who ends up being loyal to us. What David experienced is experienced by many of us, I'm sure. We can learn a lot about loyalty and also about succession from this short passage. Join us as we study it together -- 2 Samuel 15:19-23. Watch the YouTube here: https://youtu.be/vwbGKR-Fz4g .

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Betrayed By Someone You Love (2 Samuel 15:13-18)

King David has to experience what many of us have experienced or will experience. The loss of loyalty from family, friends, colleagues. We can learn from what David went through as we study 2 Samuel 15:13-18. It's not the end of the world if you don't want it to be. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/9dd1UnFklOY 

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Absalom rebels and David's sin with Bathsheba plays a part. [2 Samuel 15...

Continuing to study the O.T. in detail, today looking at 2nd Samuel 15:7-12. Join us as we see the forgiven son rebel against his father, using deception. And are David's sins coming back to haunt him? Find out. Join us here on YouTube for a short study: https://youtu.be/xpwbyT8gFbk

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Sadly, Absalom would make our politicians look like amateurs. (2 Samuel ...

The story of David's dysfunctional family continues. Now Absalom is plotting to get rid of his father, and take over as King of Israel. We learn a few lessons as to what to look out for in our politicians today. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 15:1-6 together on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/yEjpfGZhfOE

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Signs that a person has not repented in their reconciliation. (2 Samuel ...

The saga of David's dysfunctional family continues. Forgiveness and reconciliation without repentance do not amount to a lasting relationship. Join as we see what Absalom does and why. You can catch our short Bible study today at this link: https://youtu.be/e6vsQC9rjP0

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Forgiveness and Pride Don't Mix. [2 Samuel 14:18-24]

Have you ever been advised by someone to do the right thing, but it's something you didn't or don't want to do? Of course you have. So has David. We can learn from his experience and discuss ours. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 14:18-24 together on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ZOOnw-Dnjxo

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Actress or Not, She gives David a number of lessons we can use today. [...

I know I have fallen into this trap of allowing exceptions. They come back to bite you. There's lots to learn here from David's experience in this area. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 14:8-17 together on YouTube. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/eRWrHEJmHjQ

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Broken relationship? Should you run intervention? And if so, how? (We stu...

You want to help someone out with their relationship. Okay, but are you free to plot and manipulate the truth in order to help out? Join us as we see what went on in King David's household. Lots for us to think about. We're studying 2 Samuel 14:1-7 and you can catch it on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/js4oivPz5Mk

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FAILURE AS A FATHER, BUT STILL LOVES HIS CHILDREN. (2 Samuel 13:30-39)

David suffers another loss, grieves, and moves on. We've been created in being able to do that. We hurt, we fail, we grieve, but we still love. All because God's love for us is unshakable. Study 2 Samuel 13:30-39 with us on YouTube. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/KVuucvXHcBI

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Taking Matters of Family Revenge Into Our Own Hands (2 Samuel 13:23-29)

We continue studying the saga of David's Household. After incest, comes murder. What a mess. Yet God's Mission takes David through it all. We need to keep our eyes on His Mission, not the World's Mess. We need to stay focused. Check our short study out on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/XqZVfpoyIeI

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A difficult subject: Covering Up Sexual Abuse in the Family [2 Samuel 13...

There are some very difficult topics that arise from one's study. This is one of the most difficult for many. But it needs to be addressed. Sexual abuse within the family must not be covered up. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 13:20-22. You can catch it on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/MBS3MoRal1o

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The Sins of the Fathers in the O.T. are still here with us today. [2 Sam...

Can love lead to rape? How does sin turn love to hatred? And then there's shame. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 13:15-19. The story of David and his family is at one moment victorious and at the next, a calamity. But God stayed with this greatest king of history. And now incest. Join us on YouTube at https://youtu.be/LjTGTP-cle4 .

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Adultery, Murder, and now Incest. How much can one household take? (2 ...

Ever felt like you couldn't take any more problems in your family? I'm sure you have. And I think David felt that way as well. God restored him after his sins of adultery and murder. But then his child died and now this. Join us as we dig deep into one man's trials. Hopefully we'll learn how to handle our own. You can catch the short YouTube here: https://youtu.be/XfX2-tq8D9c

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Was David a Torturer or a Benevolent Conqueror/King? Plus great e.g. of...

Even well-known Bible commentators disagree on whether this passage shows David as a torturer or a benevolent conqueror. You decide. And then can you believe the loyalty of Joab? Join us we study 2 Samuel 12:26-31. You can catch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/vMzejZNTRQA

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A Baby Dies, then God gives them another. Why? What do we learn about re...

Just two verses packed with some great lessons about "the Lord taketh away and the Lord giveth" -- you read that right; and also some thoughts on what David and Bathsheba's sin teaches us about remarriage. You'll be surprised. Join us on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/qSmAR97uPK4

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"The Child Will Die." Now what does David do? [2 Samuel 12:15-23]

In this study of 2 Samuel 12:15-23 we see a devastated David deal with the consequences of his adultery. We can learn a lot. And we deal with the issue of extra prayer and fasting. What's the use? Let's find out together. You can catch the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/JrjcaSANAGE

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Short, simple, sweet. "I Have Sinned vs. the Lord." No if's, but's, or ...

Two significant sins -- adultery and murder, yet David remains God's favorite and goes down in history as one of God's most loved servants. Find our why. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 12:13,14. You can this study on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DCBQeLPcF9Q

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A TIME TO JUDGE.

 

A TIME TO JUDGE.

Hi there: I just finished another article called "A Time To Judge" because I'm so tired of people telling me not to be judgmental. I'd appreciate your comments on my thoughts. Please ask for a copy absolutely free. You can send me a message with your email address or you can just put your email address in a reply below and I'll get a copy off to you. Ken.

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Forgiveness is one thing; impunity is another. ( 2 Samuel 12:7-12).

Join us on YouTube as we study 2 Samuel 12:7-12. David gets the shock of his life, but deep down he knew he deserved it. His fun with Bathsheba now turns to pain. But God still holds on to him dearly. Join us here for some insights from the commentators. Link: https://youtu.be/iVay8d48pUw

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Seeing Adultery & Pornography in a New Way [2 Samuel 12:1-6]

As we study 2 Samuel 12:1-6, the aftermath of David's adultery with Bathsheba, we consider that sin and also pornography, a little differently. One commentator has labeled it 'theft'. Find out why. Join us as we study together. Here's the Youtube link: https://youtu.be/jukucXkzOO8

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Why we, like David, sometimes fail to recognize EVILl in us. (2 Samuel ...

These few verses at the end 2 Samuel chapter 11 give us a sold understanding of how we fail to recognize our sin as evil. And why doing so puts the true Christian into great turmoil. Join us for this deep look at David covering up after he got Bathsheba pregnant and had her husband killed. See it on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/fIHeJMtMIdo

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Adultery Followed By Murder. How Low Can One Get? Pretty Low. [2 Samue...

.This video on  @Digging for Scriptural Gems  takes a close look at how David tried to cover up his sin with Bathsheba -- it's not unlike what some wish they could do today? We can learn a lot of how to say 'no' to the Devil and 'yes' to God. Join us at: https://youtu.be/qMH5GtcWDD4 .

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God Gives You a Chance Right After the Affair. [2 Samuel 11:6-13]

One of the sins most devastating to an individual and to others is that of adultery. But there is a way to overcome and live victoriously afterwards. Join us as we study David's sin with Bathsheba, Part 2 from 2nd Samuel 11:6-13. You can join us on YouTube at https://youtu.be/OUtFTqW_DGo . Please "like" our video and also subscribe to our YouTube channel: Digging for Scriptural Gems.

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David & Bathsheba, Part I -- The Back Story (2 Samuel 11:1-5)

We've all heard what happened. It happens every day. But in didn't need to happen then and it doesn't need to happen now. Join us as we study the "Back Story" to the adultery between David and Bathsheba from 2nd Samuel 11:1-5, now on YouTube right here: https://youtu.be/WynwV_MLiLE

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God's Enemies Don't Give Up. We Need to Heed God's Warnings. (2 Samuel 1...

It all fits together. David stays home, Israel causes enemies to flee. David leads the army, enemies flee and armies destroyed. God is trying to say something to David. If he (or we) fail to heed God's warning, there's trouble ahead. Join us as we study 2nd Samuel 10:15-19. Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/otFgEzPhHgw

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Facing Your Enemies. What have you got? (2 Samuel 10:6-14)

David gets insulted. Fumes. But doesn't initiate revenge. Find out what happened as we study 2nd Samuel 10:6-14 together on YouTube. We learn there are two things we can count on when facing our enemies. Check us out here: https://youtu.be/efeOIXdMpLI

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Kindness is sometimes rejected. 2 Samuel 10:1-5

David again shows us his true character is one of kindness, but don't cross him once he has extended it to you. In this study of 2nd Samuel 10:1-5 we see how third parties can really get things wrong and cause a war. Join us for that on YouTube. Click here: https://youtu.be/nMqD4Jely3k

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Grace Begets Grace. Have you done your part? (2 Samuel 9:9-13)

As one studies the Word of God, one starts to realize how much the Hand of God went into its writing. You'll be amazed at the parallels between David's grace shown to Mephibosheth and God's grace shown to us. What remains for us to do is obvious. Join us on YouTube as we study 2nd Samuel 9:9-13. Click here: https://youtu.be/CU2OxK5hujE

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Keeping our promises; and taking care of the less fortunate. David shows...

In this short Bible study of 2 Samuel 9:1-8, we learn more about David's character and learn some great lessons about the keeping promises, and helping out others who feel hopeless. Join us on YouTube, then write to us, and share this video. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/nBaVNbhiC6U

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Reigning Well. David shows us how. And what we're missing today. (2 Sam...

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Two difficult topics: Receiving glory; and dealing with having unsaved loved on...

It takes a little extra work to bring these gems out of this passage, but I believe they're there -- some help in dealing with glory thrown upon us by men, and some thoughts on how to deal with depression that is caused by the fact that a loved one is not saved and couldn't care less. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 8:9-12 on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/3BgCGJ2JUFA

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He kills, takes prisoners, slays horses, and plunders. Yet God blesses. ...

What exactly was David's secret? He kills, takes prisoners, slays animals, plunders the dead -- and God keeps on blessing. This is indeed difficult for us to understand -- from our perspective. We have to see from God's blueprints, not ours. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 8:1-8 and also see how Scripture keeps its integrity through the ages. Here's the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/6dBRpAlf5vM

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Until we get this response right, we haven't arrived as a believer IMHO....

I really believe that unless we can respond as David did after getting a big NO from God, we are somehow missing out on a lot of joy and blessing. What do you think? Take a look and let us know. You can catch the Youtube short study right here: https://youtu.be/hvx692G8EsE

A close look at 2 Samuel 7:18-29

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2 Samuel 7:1-17, Part 2. Digging further into the Davidic Covenant.

In this study, we look at the various nuances in this Covenant that God gave to David and consider what it may mean for us as we serve Him. Join us on YouTube as we continue tour detailed digging for scriptural gems. Today's study can be found at: https://youtu.be/v_kF4KcIRqY

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Feeling Sorry for God? Didn't work out too well for David. (2 Samuel 7:...

David's heart was in the right place, but his timing and his reading of God's wishes were a little off. Sometimes we make the same mistake. There are ways to guard against that. Study 2 Samuel 7:1-17 here as we see about what God thinks of David's concern. for God's dwelling place. On YouTube at: https://youtu.be/uW26_fklVRg

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There Has To Be a Better Way: Christian Schools and LGBTQ

There Has To Be a Better Way: Christian Schools and LGBTQ 

One of the saddest articles that I have ever read concerning Christian Schools appeared on my laptap on August 22, 2022. It was published by nextgennews.org, a company dedicated to presenting news to youth. Based on a review of their site, I believe the co-founders lean considerably to the left. Their bias shows in just about every article.

In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am a heterosexual male senior and a Christian. Now journey with me as we dig deeper into the article.

For starters, you may want to read the article here: Christian School Bans LGBTQ students. But don’t forget to come back.

Let’s start with the site’s headline – Christian School Says LGBTQ Students ‘Will Be Asked to Leave Immediately’. Certainly meant to capture your attention and get your ire up. And it does, rightly so. It then goes on to say the school cites the book of Levticus in the Old Testament as its basis for doing so.

Then there is an email from the school’s Administrator sent at the beginning of the school year – school starts in mid-August in Valrico, Florida. The article states that the school lumps “being LGBTQ, or engaging in acts including ‘bestiality, incest, fornication, and pornography’ as ‘lifestyles.’” It seems the left would encourage you to believe otherwise. However, I would say that all of these are lifestyles, just as being heterosexual, vegetarian, yoga practicing, teetotaler, church attender, hunter, concealed weapon carrier, and serial killer are all lifestyles.  And depending on who you are and what you believe in, they may be good or bad lifestyles, especially if you don’t believe in absolutes.

In my mind, the problem in this situation arises when a school administration believes that identifying yourself as a member of the LGBTQ community automatically equates to, and assumes that, you are a practicing LGBTQ member when it comes to sexual relations. There are people who identify as such, but do not practice it. I can think of three categories. First, those who have not yet gone public with their identity; second those who have found value in a faith that prohibits such practice so they are willing to remain celibate; and third, and especially relevant in this instance, because they are way too young to have sexual relations. For heaven’s sake, we’re talking about a K-12 school.

In my opinion, the school is totally wrong in including self-identification as an LGBTQ member in the same group as being a practicing one. What if I were a student in your school who ‘identified’ as a total sinner – would that get me kicked out as well?  Though the great majority of people who commented on this article whole-heartedly support the decision of the school, I maintain that there is nothing in this action that is, in my view, Christ-like.

On a secondary matter, the article says the email indicated the school’s decision to refer to students by their biological genders on their birth certificates – something I totally agree with. The article is quick to point out that the National Institute of Health (NIH) defines ‘gender’ as a ‘social construct’ as opposed to one of two sexes: male and female. Not sure who died and gave them the authority to change definitions on us. I believe that both traditionally and scientifically, gender has always been based on one’s sex.  But hey…

The school’s website claims they want to provide “the best Christian education and training for ALL children, for God is not a respecter of persons.” Well, they got that part right. But I would point out to the school’s administration that they are to provide Christian Education and training to ALL children, not to “all CHRISTIAN children”.  They are failing to take advantage of their opportunities with their latest decision.

I have no problem with the school calling “’humanism, materialism, secularism, and New Age’ philosophies ‘godless’” as the article points out. Sometimes the truth hurts.  But again, the intention here is to incite those readers who feel attached to one or more of those “isms” by pointing out that a Christian school is calling them ‘godless’ – yet in truth, they are just that.

While the article points out that the school says no one is admitted whose parents and their church are not in full support of their purposes and policies, one wonders whether the actual written and communicated policy to exclude students who identify as LGBTQ was in place from the start or is something new.

So what should the school have done? To answer that question, let’s first ask why we even bother to have so-called Christian schools.

As a former teacher, and currently a parent and grandparent, I believe the answer boils down to this – and this school’s stated principle as we quoted it above and repeat it here is not far off -- to provide “the best Christian education and training for ALL children, for God is not a respecter of persons.” This school, and and all other such schools, should stick to that rather than try to control a young child’s sexual identification, given all the media hype, social platform clips, and lifestyle examples of people they and their parents love to watch on screen. Any educator should know better.

Secondly, the policy should be re-written immediately to better reflect reality, and more importantly, a Christ-like New Testament attitude, rather than a Mosaic Levitical Law. Let me provide an illustration here.  Let’s assume, as I personally believe, that both the New Testament and the Old Testament agree that stealing is wrong and a sin. Without getting into the belief of ‘relativists’ we should be able to agree on that.  Now let us suppose that a teenager has this deep desire and urge to steal from her parents, sell the goods, and buy whatever she wants with the money. But doesn’t.  Does a Christian parent (or any parent for that matter, but especially a Christian one) ban her from the house and/or report her to the police?  Of course not. The urge to commit an act is not and should not be punishable if the act was never committed. Furthermore, even if she did steal from her parents and got caught, they would have an opportunity for further training and instruction, and there’s a chance she would never do it again.  If she continued to repeat the behavior, then they would have no recourse but to do just that – ban her and/or report.  Probably the best thing they could do for her at that point.

The school in this case, should explain why it believes certain actual behaviors are not in accordance with a lifestyle that God would condone. It should at the same time admit that the forces of society today are such that they would easily cause young people to feel they want to be, or believe they are, in the LBGTQ community. At that stage they should be willing to listen without condemning. They should offer the help that the student needs to deal with their feelings, with the understanding that any actual known practice of LGBTQ sexual activity cannot be accepted at the school.

There are more questions I would ask the school administration.  For example, what if a grade six student identified as an LGBTQ member, was banned, went to another school, and as she got older started practicing her lifestyle, and then in grade 11 or 12, she denounced it and asked to come back – would you allow her back?  I hope so.

Here’s another question…  How many of these students that you expel for simply identifying as LGBTQ do you think you will win over as true Christians once you’ve kicked them out?  I venture to say ‘zero to none’.  Or what about the family in which one of the parents is not a Christian but agrees to send the student to a Christian school to satisfy the other parent who is? How many of them do you think that your policy would help bring into the Kingdom?  Or do you even care?

Let me close with this thought.  I know that one argument could be that this is the “slippery slope” – knowing kids and especially teenagers – “if we allow these self-identifying LGBTQers in our school, they will influence so many other children.” Let me tell you, if you think that your policy will stop that, you’re dreaming in technicolor.  I submit to you that your actions will influence them more towards that lifestyle, than their friends who believe they want it. And what of children that you are causing to have to hide their sexuality feelings and confusion? What kind of damage does your policy cause for these young people when you should have a heart to help them?

In summary, I can’t see any “Jesus” in your position.

·      Ken B. Godevenos, August 22, 2022, Murrells Inlet, S.C.

·      I would appreciate your comments and thoughts.

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Have you ever been mocked for your faith? 2 Samuel 6:16-23

Many in the world have been mocked for their faith and worship over the years. A good number have been mocked by their spouses. Certainly some kings have been mocked like that. David was one of them. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 6:16-23 and try to get some insights into how we might respond. Catch it here on Youtube: https://youtu.be/W-gtVmIbksI

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To Dance or Not To Dance. It's Your Feet. But will you let someone else ...

This short passage gives rise to a number of interesting issues, not the least of which is 'dancing as part of worship' -- yes or no? You decide. I'd appreciate your views. Write to us after you see the video studying 2nd Samuel 6:12-15. Check us out on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/FYudrCSujyA

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Was December 1940 a Harbinger of What Awaits Us in the 2020's?

photo: gardeningknowhow.com

Was December 1940 a Harbinger of What Awaits Us in the 2020’s?

Britain was not succumbing to the pressure of Hitler’s insistence that she surrender. As a result, Germany’s Minister of Propaganda and Popular Culture, Joseph Goebbels decided to take whatever action necessary to fight anything that threatened to undermine Germany’s public morality. How the two were related is not certain.

Nevertheless, he gave strict orders. No strippers were to perform in rural areas, small towns, or in front of soldiers. Masters of ceremonies at cabarets and night clubs were forbidden to introduce any acts which made political wisecracks or used lewd erotic jokes in their performances.

But his biggest target was the celebration of Weihnachten, or as we know it, Christmas. Erik Larson in his book The Splendid and the Vile (2020) writes this:

Goebbels also brooded about Christmas. Germans loved Christmas – Weihnachten – more than any other holiday. They sold Christmas trees on every corner, sang carols, danced, and drank to excess. He warned his lieutenants against the creation of “a sentimental Christmas atmosphere” and condemned the “blubbing and mourning” that Christian holidays induced. It was “unsoldierly and un-German,” he said, and must not be allowed to extend through the whole period of Advent. “This must be confined exclusively to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” he told the group. And even then, he said, Christmas was to be framed in the context of the war.  “A sloppy Christmas tree atmosphere lasting several weeks is out of tune with the militant mood of the German people.”

Those sentiments and orders could certainly come from extreme leftist and atheist groups, and the politicians who support them in the United States today, if they had the power to do so… Or if they had the guts. My fear is they have the guts without the authority but haven’t found it prudent to do so just yet.  As far as Canada goes, our man in Ottawa could easily already be thinking like this. He would present it as “an action we must take for the good of the majority of intelligent Canadians”.  In other words: these Christians, who are a drag on progressive society, need to be controlled.

Our governments started whittling away at our freedom a few years back when they invented the Covid-19 Pandemic. They liked the psychedelic effect of the power that doing so gave them. They’re now addicted, and like all druggies, they want to increase the doses of what they’re taking. No matter how you cut the cake, we’re not far from orders akin to Goebbels’ coming our way.

But wait, there are still more similarities between Goebbels and our leaders in Washington and Ottawa. Right after writing the paragraph above, Larson writes the following:

At his own home, however, Goebbels found himself increasingly mired, not unhappily, in preparations for the holiday. He and his wife, Magda, had six children . . .. The children were excited, as was Magda, “who thinks about nothing but Christmas,” Goebbels wrote [in his personal diary].

Diary, December 11: “A lot of work with the Christmas parcels and gifts. I have to distribute them to the 120,000 soldiers and flak gunners in Berlin alone. But I enjoy it. And then the host of personal commitments. These are increasing from year to year.”

December 13: “Choose Christmas gifts! Make Christmas arrangements along with Magda. The children are sweet.”

. . . [Larson continues] He [Goebbels] authorized Christmas bonuses for his colleagues. “They must have some sort of compensation for all their work and their ceaseless dedication.”

Many of us who follow what our politicians say and compare it to what they actually do or what they want of us versus what they impose on themselves, will recognize Goebbels as a master hypocrite not unlike the leaders of many of our western countries today.  Just look at their cries for climate change policies while they run up thousands and thousands of miles in private jet flying.  Or look at the calls for tightening our belts and accepting some suffering while they give themselves and their colleagues annual increases, and in the case of Canada, large performance bonuses when hardly any of their target goals were met.

Hypocrisy in leadership was alive and well and living in Berlin and elsewhere during WW2.  Today, some eight plus decades later, we see it has spread and grown like the Kudzu Vine that ate the U.S. south.

As conservatives and Christians resist the wishes of the left and the woke, we will see an increase of attempts to tighten the screws of human freedom and at the same time grow the gap between the privilege of the few elites and the rest of the world. This happened in the 1940’s and it is happening now. But we first must recognize it and admit it is indeed happening to us right here and now.

And then, we must not give up.  We must fight to the bitter end in whatever way we can, as difficult as that may be. We can each do it alone, even if it kills us.  But banded together, they cannot ignore us all, or kill us all. After all, who will polish their boots?

n  Ken B. Godevenos, August 15, 2022, Murrells Inlet, S.C.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Go ahead. Do it your way. See what happens. (2 Samuel 6:1-11)

When will we ever learn? Hopefully this study of 2 Samuel 6:1-11 will help us do so. Let's avoid the consequences. Let's review what we may also be doing wrong in our worship services. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/HxQjnSf4KTM . Watch it YouTube, share it, and write to us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

HItler's Deputy May Have Been Wiser Than His Ideology Allowed Him To Admit

 

Divine Powers 1940 and Now – for the Atheist, Acknowledger, and Believer

On a Thursday in September 1940 Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess was desperately trying to bring about the fall of Winston Churchill as the Prime Minister of Britain so a more reasonable opponent would replace him – one with whom the Germans could negotiate with much more easily and advantageously. Hess charged with the task, arranged for a secret letter to go to the Duke of Hamilton, whom he knew was close to Churchill.

The duke did not reply. As Erik Larson writes in The Splendid and the Vile, “As the silence from England grew long, Hess realized that a more direct approach to [the duke] would be necessary.”

And here’s the interesting part for me. Larson continues, “He believed, too, that a mysterious hand was now guiding him. As he wrote later to his son, Wolf, nicknamed Buzz: “Buz! Take notice, there are higher, more fateful powers which should point out to you – let us call them divine powers – which intervene, at least when it is time for great events.”

Here was the second in command to Hitler, admitting to powers beyond his control, divine powers, that were indeed involved in the affairs of the world, or at least ‘when it is time for great events’ – either getting Britain to surrender or blowing London and the surrounding areas to smithereens.

Some 82 years later, as we watch world politicians criss-cross the globe in desperate efforts to keep the world from destroying itself, we see or hear very little, at least from them, in the way of any recognition that ‘fateful powers’ or ‘divine powers’ exist today and that they are to be reckoned with. (Not quite totally true as some politicians, notably the likes of Pelosi, are very quick to cling to their so-called faith when seeking to defend their actions or fishing for votes.)

Clearly any divine powers that did exist in 1940 are still divine today in 2022. They didn’t change. Man must have changed. I believe we have become so smug, so self-sufficient, so cocksure that we can handle all matters and so adamant we can on our own deliver the world from self-destruction, that any recognition of, or reliance on, divine powers as Hess alluded to, is no longer necessary. In fact, any reference to such entities would only be considered sheer, toddler beliefs and naivety, if not total lunacy.

However, there were back in 1940, as bombs were dropping over their lands and homes, people who did believe in the Divine Power and relied on Him for their safety and courage to keep on fighting the enemy.  Similarly, while we like to forget about them, or better still, wish they weren’t around (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called evangelical Christians the worst part of Canadian society), there are still those who believe in God and His Divine Power.

So, where are we in all this?

To answer this question appropriately we have to divide ourselves into at least two groups, maybe three.  Atheists, acknowledgers, and believers.

And oh, by the way, we have to state a supposition here: If God does exist, He exists for the atheist, the acknowledger, and the believer. If He does not, He doesn’t exist for the same groups.

Let’s start with the atheists.  For them, there is no god and certainly no ‘G’od. Saving the world is totally in their hands and no external assistance spiritual assistance is required, requested, or appreciated.  The problem is that they’re losing the battle badly no matter what laws they pass or what campaign they engage in. They will spend their efforts and resources trying, and ultimately will die, being remembered as ‘activists’ that never quite reached their goal.  Once dead, they will either die and everything stops (if there is no God) or they will spend eternity without God (if there is a God).

We turn now to the acknowledgers – those who either say “there may be a God” or “there is a God but I’m not too worried about Him (or her) being involved in my life and my goals”. Saving the world is still in their hands, but if there is a God, and He would like to help us out, they would have no problem with that – maybe even appreciate it. But since they would argue they aren’t getting a lot of help from Him these days, any doubts they may have had about Him are growing. Once dead, their lot in life will be similar to that of the atheist.

Finally, there are the believers. They believe God exists and that He is fully aware of the world’s state. He created it. He has a plan for it. And at the appointed time He will, as Hess believed the divine powers he alluded to would, “intervene, at least when it is time for great events”. True believers have also accepted God’s three big gifts to man- and woman-kind – namely His Son as Savior in the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit to guide us, and the Word of God to teach us about Him and to encourage. So when the believer dies, if there is a God, he or she will spend eternity with God. If there is no God, the believer loses almost nothing and ends up in the same state of affairs as the atheist or acknowledger – everything stops for him as he is dead.

Now, I did say he/she loses “almost” nothing because in fact, many believers will tell you that their life spent believing in God and accepting Christ as Savior is so much more rewarding than the life they had before making such decision.  So, even if there was no God, believing in His existence would be a net gain.

In 1940, Hitler and Hess on one side, and Churchill on the other, knew things were getting out of control quickly and thousands of lives were hanging the balance, not to mention the future of the world. Today, the world is in the same predicament.  You can try to fix it alone or with the help of your associates, but without God. Or you can recognize that while you have a part to play, the matter is under the authority and responsibility of the Creator.

Alternatively, you may want to come to the realization that your own soul and where it might spend eternity is a much weightier matter for you, and everyone else, to settle.

n  Ken B. Godevenos, 220814, Murrells Inlet, S.C.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Does God Give Us Guidance Today Like He Did David? (2 Samuel 5:17-25)

This is a great passage which enables us to learn how God can and does speak to us. I'd love to hear your reactions to it. And if you don't like what I say, well at least enjoy the barking of dogs from the neighbors' house. Check us out here: https://youtu.be/ZprlFd8bgOA

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Social Rejection and the Rush for Covid Protection

 

(It's raining, so I'm reflecting today from the screened-in porch.)

Did Fear of Social Rejection Drive Rush for Covid Protection?

According to the website Worldindata, 67.4% of the world’s population have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 shot. Full ‘vaccination’ ranges from a low of 0.1% in Burundi to a high of over 99% in Gibraltar. Canada comes in at 82.9% while the U.S. registers at 67.8%. Statistically speaking, those who advocated getting such protection should be satisfied, if not proud, of the results they were able to achieve, given all the controversies, the mixed messages, the players involved, and the politics of it all.

But what caused so many to oblige the elite who pushed the requirements and the restrictions – shots, certificates, masks, social distancing, quarantines, etc? Clearly, the number of driving forces are numerous and vary from one group to another, if not person to person. And the sources could be age, health, gender, faith, believes, level of independence, uncertainty, science, need to work, you name it. The list is endless.

However, a new study recently reported in Social Psychological and Personality Science indicates one main cause could be ‘social rejection’. I read about it in Newswise which indicates that “Interpersonal rejection can motivate people who do not normally worry about disease to protect themselves against Covid-19.” Feeling interpersonally hurt or rejected, also known as social pain, and the desire to avoid same, makes people more likely to feel that they need to protect themselves – not necessarily from Covid – but “from others”, that is, the rejection of others.

Interestingly, this current study goes contrary to prior research that suggests people may be less likely to take safety precautions even though they are concerned about their connections to others. The current authors found that people who felt invulnerable to infectious disease engaged in more concerted efforts to protect themselves against Covid-19 when they were in social pain. They found that pain to be a motivator. And they also found the reverse – when such pain is less, people take fewer precautions.

A cynical person would wonder who is really behind such research and the desire to contrary existing findings at this time?  I mean really what ‘scientific’ factor or variable has changed except the going agenda?  But, hey, let’s leave the cynicism to others. We just raise some flags.

Also interesting is that the main researcher is quick to point out that their study is “not urging people to reject others in an effort to motivate them to take actions to protect themselves against Covid-19.” However, they go on to say, “the study suggests that normal social interactions can change the way people respond to the daily threat of Covid-19.” As a minimum, they argue the current research “does suggest that it’s important to understand how people’s behavior is influenced by the non-physical threats that others pose to them.”

This is exactly what the likes of George Soros, Bill Gates, the ‘woke’ governments of our world, and the likes of the WEF want to hear.  The authors have made some solid friendships for the rest of their lives.  

All this caused me to reflect on what exactly caused so many of my family, my friends, my fellow churchgoers and other faith believers to take the actions suggested by their governments. For me, not to follow the government’s advice was a slam-dunk: lack of government credibility; rush to push it on everyone; lack of real medical trials and testing; the money to be made; the agendas of many politicians; the loss of freedom to decide for ourselves; and the silencing of the medical profession who, for the most part, eventually capitulated in order to save their jobs – to name a few. In addition, I must admit that I had a number of close contacts and friends that had similar views.  That indeed made the consequences of my decision easier, but only after it was independently made.

But why did so many of those that I knew and expected would have come to similar conclusions as myself, not do so. Why did they comply? I’ve received various answers when I asked including “I’m in the vulnerable age group”, “I need it to work”, “I need it to travel for my ministry”, “the science requires it”, “the government can’t possibly be trying to kill us”, “we as Christians need to comply with our governments where their requests do not require us to break God’s laws for us”, and so on.  The last one is a topic big enough to be addressed on its own at another time.

Not one person I asked said, “I complied because I didn’t want to be isolated from my friends.” Although I must admit when I shared this latest research with my wife who also did not comply, she did say she fully understood it. She reminded me that I am an “independent sort who doesn’t really care about what people think of you” while she has a greater “need to be included and not to stand out from the crowd.”  I, on the other hand, she contends, while I am an ‘includer’ (the more the merrier), I don’t care if people don’t want to join my campaign. It’s their life. Just as it is my body given to me by God.

But here is the rub for me.  And I address this primarily to my Christian family, friends, and associates. If it is so important for you not to be socially rejected, why is that? Why would social rejection trump your logical thinking about all your concerns about regarding the precautions you took or are about to take? Did Jesus not warn you about social rejection? From society, government, friends, and relatives?

Yes, I know that for some of my family and friends, life would have been much easier for all of us during the past two and a half years, had my wife and I complied with the forceful requirements of my government that, if ignored, had meaningful but not intolerable consequences. But I also wondered, as a Christian, that if I was forced to comply to something that I believed was not expedient for me to do so now – something as simple as Covid-19 protection, how would I ever be able to stand up to requests of me down the road that would definitely go against my beliefs, what God wants, and what God addresses in the Bible? I had to say “no”.

Let me end on a positive note from my recent observations of many friends who did get ‘vaccinated’ twice. When they stopped long enough, now that they had complied, to rethink all the data, they came to the conclusion that two shots are enough – no boosters for them and certainly not one every six months so that pharmaceuticals can make billions and so that presidents and prime ministers can continue to use fear as a tool in the kits to control us.

I welcome your thoughts.

Ken B. Godevenos, August 12, 2022, Murrells Inlet, S.C.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Wives, Concubines, and Children. Adultery?? (2 Samuel 5:13-16)

 Everything was going well for David, but every once in a while, he'd pursue things he should not have pursued. This was one of those times and we try to explain why and the implications of adultery on our lives. Join us as we study 2 Samuel 5:13-16 on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/yA15Lp9dNfg

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Christians have lost the 'Battle of France'. Only the 'Battle of Britain' remains.

Christians have lost the 'Battle of France'. Only the 'Battle of Britain' remains.

On June 18, 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British House of Commons on the matter of the French capitulating to the Germans. I quote from Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile, pages 92 and 93:

The “Battle of France” was over, he said, adding, “I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.” At stake was not only the British Empire but all of Christian civilization. “The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war.”

He marched towards his climax: “If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands; but if we fail then the whole world, including the United States, and all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more prolonged, by the lights of a perverted science.”

He issued an appeal to the greater spirit of Britons everywhere. “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

I read those words and moved on to read another page, maybe two. My mind kept going back to those three paragraphs. I went back and read them again, trying to decipher any possible lesson therein for us as conservatives and Christians today. Nothing. Any analogy drawn would have been too complex and it would have contained many gaps or holes. I went back to the point where I had stopped reading and continued. Somewhere in the next chapter, I was drawn back once again to the three paragraphs. And then it hit me.

For the Christian, the “Battle of France” is indeed over. The ‘dark side’ – the side opposed to God, conservative values, and Christian morals – has won.  Countries that once claimed to be Christian and included scripture in their edifices have capitulated to the dark side. Governments that claimed to represent our conservative views – both financial and social – lied to us, and in efforts to either maintain their power or regain it, they have opted to pursue more liberal agendas in pursuit of the all-mighty ‘vote’. So-called Christian denominations noticing their dwindling numbers have chosen to alter their stance on a host of issues in a desperate attempt to maintain members (even if they attend only twice a year) and somehow stem their ever-decreasing revenues from parishioners. Many in our own families, facing various difficulties in their own lives, are finding it too hard to maintain their Christian behavior and practices. The “Battle of France” is over. What remains to be fought by each true Christian is the “Battle of Britain”.

Churchill had tried to help France but she wasn’t interested, finding it easier to consider carving out a peace treaty with the enemy.  He was then left with only Britain to worry about – that is he was left with his own country, and in essence, the task of saving his own people, his own family, and ultimately himself. In fact, history tells us that a number of his key personnel and perhaps he himself, were relieved at France’s fall.  Trying to save her was too onerous.  Now they could focus on their efforts on saving the British Empire.

I do not pretend to speak for all Christians, but only for myself when I say, “I believe we are now at that point – that we would do well to help save our friends, our loved ones, ourselves” and worry less about the spiritual ‘French’ in our analogy.  It is possible that Jesus had such folks in mind in Matthew chapters 7 and 15 when he talked about dogs and swine.

Churchill knew that what was at stake was all of Christian civilization at the time. I believe the same is the case today. But somehow, we Christians have failed to know that, to see it, or if we did, to believe it enough to do anything about it. Perhaps that is because some of us have never valued Christian civilization and all that it entails enough to worry about it disappearing. If that is the case, then there is not much that can be done about it. We never really bought into the Gospel in a genuine way. It was primarily an insurance card in case of fire.

Many others of us, however, have bought into it with our whole ‘hearts’ as Christ intended for us to do, and we are greatly alarmed at what we see happening, if not for ourselves, for others, especially our loved ones.

Churchill realized that having defeated France, Germany was now about to turn on England. There was no way Hitler could win WW2 without taking Britain. And so it is with God’s arch enemy, Satan. He cannot win the war of the world and humankind without defeating each one of us Christians that are still fighting the fight. Churchill knew, through his intelligence operations, where Germany would likely strike first, and when, and how.  But Satan doesn’t leave clues as Hitler did. Thankfully, we have the Word of God which clearly describes all the land mines to be avoided, the actions to take, and the relationship with our Lord that is needed for us to defeat God’s Enemy and ours.

Churchill could say to fellow citizens, “If we can stand up to him [the enemy],” freedom will ring throughout the world for a long time. “But if we fail then,” all would be lost, and “a new dark age would become even more sinister.”

Thankfully, we have it better than the British did. God has ensured that He and His true followers will indeed win the war in the end. Our job is to win the various battles until then so that more will have an opportunity to accept God’s Son as Lord and Savior.

Interesting that Churchill alluded to the cause of the prolonged sinister darkness that was about to come if Germany won, would have been due to “the lights of a perverted science”. Today, we are all, doctors, educators, scientists, etc., included, forced to simply accept the various sciences the powers that be promote, without question, without true research, etc. That is the case in the areas of medicine, health, psychology, climate, economy, politics, and in many others.

The best Winston Churchill could do was to appeal to the greater spirit of Britons everywhere. He said “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty” in such a way that the world would be able to say “This was their finest hour.”

In our case, God has already appealed to us. He gave His only begotten Son to die for us that whosoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. What remains is for each of us to brace ourselves to our duty of service to the King of Kings in such a way that at the end of our lives or at the end of world system as we know it today, it could be said about us individually, and collectively, “This was their finest hour.”

Ken B. Godevenos, Murrells Inlet, August 11, 2022.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Overconfidence of Our Enemies (2 Samuel 5:6-12)

The first item of David's agenda once he was king of all Israel was to take Jerusalem, against all odds. Join us as we see how those who boast often end up being surprised. Join us on YouTube as we study 2 Samuel 5:6-12 by clicking here: https://youtu.be/FptXmU_siCo

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Thoughts of 'war' on a hot August day from my southern office.

 

(photo: courtesy Braedon Tomovski)

Thoughts of 'war' on a hot August day from my southern office.

In 1932 (14 years after the end of WWI), Winston Churchill and his friend, Frederick Lindemann toured Germany. They became aware of an undercurrent of bellicose nationalism in Germany which eventually led to WW2. They were alarmed.

But they did something about it. They began to collect as much data as possible about the rise of militarism in Hitler's Germany, and to awaken Britain to the danger ahead. Author Erik Larson writes, "Churchill's home became a kind of intelligence centre for amassing inside information about Germany."

As I read about this in Larson's book, The Splendid and the Vile, I thought that we, as both conservatives and Christians today, somehow failed in our opportunity to “read the room” of the world as Churchill and Lindemann had read Germany, seven years ahead of WW2. We failed to see that while Christianity appeared safe for many decades, nay centuries, there were forces at work to undermine it. Islam, atheism, socialism, and communism were all working independently and for their own reasons, to eliminate it from the face of the earth. As such, they may as well have been in cahoots. And in fact, they all now see their various strategies as being complimentary to their common goal. Lately, three more institutions of influence, namely, mainstream media, education, and the entertainment industry have joined their rankings. Ready to succumb entirely to their enticement, it appears that the sports world, scientists, and the medical world are on their way to total capitulation although thankfully, there are still some pockets of considerable resistance in each of them.

Perhaps we did see the signs, but if we did, most of us chose to ignore them. We have failed to act sufficiently. We have failed to systematically collect the data, the information, the evidence, that would enable us to defend ourselves and our cause. At least not to the point where we would be convincing to the world that may not see us just yet as enemies.

In fact, by giving up that effort, we seem to have permitted our enemies to fully indoctrinate the next generation to dislike us, nay hate us, from the get-go.

Such a situation, which many would deem hopeless, can only be rectified by the power of God and the Holy Spirit working miracles in the lives of believers, our local church leadership, and denominations. It is not too late. Yes, I believe that the end of the world as we know it will come, just as the book of Revelation and other scriptures prophecy, but I believe we still have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, those in our communities, and perhaps even entire cities, for eternity. 

Let’s get to work. Let’s confess our shortcomings to God. Let’s depend totally on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. Let’s roll up our sleeves as true followers of Christ. The alternative will not look like sirens, air raids, and bombs dropping on London as it did in Churchill’s campaign to defeat the Axis Alliance of WW2. It will be imaginably worse.

Ken Godevenos, August 10, 2022, Murrells Inlet, S.C.  

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.