Week Twenty, 2025
But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth! (Rev 3:16).
Perhaps you missed it. After all, it is so frequent these days that sometimes the press doesn’t pick it up, like days of old. I remember the banner headlines in every paper in the country when October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, marking the beginning of the Space Age and the space race. Now a satellite launch is commonplace.
Launches are always West to East so that the earth’s rotation helps produce thrust. But last month was different. Rather than launching a space capsule around the earth, SpaceX launched four people to orbit pole to pole, over the top and then to the bottom over and over.
There is a spiritual parallel here. The earth rotates and space routes vary, but the center remains in place. Several years ago, my bride and I went to the equator in Ecuador. We straddled the yellow line, one that remains constant, she in the southern and me in the northern hemisphere.
Jesus calls on us to make a decision. He draws a solid line in our spiritual following. Many Christians have one foot in the world and another in Christ. That’s not what we are called to do. The saying “one foot in the world, one foot in Christ” can be interpreted in a few ways, often referring to a state of being divided between worldly desires and spiritual commitment. It implies a lack of full dedication to either realm, potentially leading to a struggle for balance and stability. Some interpret it as a warning against compromise, while others see it as a reflection of the human experience of living in the world while also seeking spiritual growth.
Which side of the line is your life on or do you one foot in one and another in the other?
Sometimes True Stories
In the New Testament – Jesus made…
132 public appearances – 122 were in the marketplace
52 parables that Jesus told – 45 had a workplace context
Of 40 miracles in the Book of Acts – 39 were in the marketplace
Work, in its different forms, is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible – more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise and singing combined.
Don’t minimize your daily work – it is nothing less than a Holy Calling
God has you right where He wants you… Right now!
Remember – Jesus was a Carpenter most of His adult life. Marty Stubblefield
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The U.S. hit an all-time low ranking in the annual World Happiness Report, tumbling eight spots to 23rd.
Why it matters: Some countries, like Finland and Denmark, consistently rank among the world’s happiest. The U.S. isn’t one of them.
The big picture: A steady supply of studies has found that Americans feel glum about issues ranging from loneliness to the economy and the country’s political leadership.
It’s the first time since the report launched 12 years ago that the U.S. did not rank among the world’s 20 happiest countries.
Between the lines: Gallup, whose data powers the World Happiness Report, pointed to “Americans under 30 feeling worse about their lives” for the steep drop.
Today’s young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices, more stressed and less satisfied with their living conditions, Lara Aknin, an editor of the report, told Axios.
People under 30 today also feel less confident in government and have increased perceptions of corruption, she added.
The report also found that older people are now happier than young people in North America — the opposite of many other regions.
Zoom out: Many Americans have expressed low levels of trust in the political system and fears of political violence.
The pandemic also shed light on the high rates of loneliness hitting America’s younger generations.
The U.S. has also been combatting inflation rates that have affected everything from dining out to the real estate market.
By contrast, we know that the “abundant” life we were created to experience is found only in Christ (John 10:10). Asking for material prosperity to make us happy is like asking your car to fly you to Hawaii. That’s not what it was made to do.
Quotes You Can Use
Passion is what drives men and women to desire more than what is expected. It’s a fire in the belly that drives one to go deeper… to try harder… to give that extra push. Marty Stubblefield
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. Albert Einstein
Prayer is about getting God’s will done, not ours. Dan Shock
The person and work of Jesus demands a response from every person. Edgar Aponte
Despite what secularists say, you are not here by chance. You are alive today by the creative act of your Creator. It is by his providence that you were not alive a hundred years ago or a hundred years from now. And God makes no mistakes. Jim Denison
Many professing Christians today seem to have the same curious fascination with evil. Florida Marketplace Ministries
Do you understand that without Jesus you have no hope? Edgar Aponte
When you come to Jesus, your search is over, for you have then discovered God. Dan Shock
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)
Let’s be honest. You and I have sinned against a Holy God. And a penalty (sacrifice) must be paid to atone for those sins. That sacrifice must be pure, or it would have to pay for its own sin. Jesus Christ, because He led a sinless life was the only one who could pay that price. Rich Jensen
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. Marie Curie
Find Jesus. Find Joy.
Just as God was ready to forgive the Israelites, He is ready to forgive you —no matter what you’ve done. Dan Shock
I was in psychology class yesterday… and we couldn’t stop laughing about how stupid Pavlov’s dogs were. Then the bell rang, and we all ran off to lunch. John Grant
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