Prophecy Corner

By now you have all heard the news about the flooding in Iowa and the death of the four Boy Scouts in a tornado. Let us keep the families involved in this natural disaster in our prayers as they suffer through this unfortunate event, and let us do all that we can to render aid and assistance.

In this age of catastrophic size natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes, and tsunamis, the question many people are asking is this, "Are natural disasters a sign of God's judgment?" Many so-called modern day prophets of doom have used this argument repeatedly to rationalize the destructions caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Louisiana, the earthquake in China, the Tsunamis in Asia, and natural disasters in Third World countries. Is there really any true justification for such a rationale? Do these events occur because God is angry at us?

Jesus was asked these same questions when He was on Earth, and it is interesting to note His answer. Back in His day, when He walked the Earth, a tower had collapsed and killed eighteen people. Many were upset about this, and some wondered if this had happened because those eighteen people were evil persons. Some had concluded that those eighteen persons must have been evil for such a thing to happen to them. Surely God would not allow such a thing to happen to good people, right? The answer Jesus gave however was both eye-opening and startling. He said,

"...Those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4-5).

People who perish in natural disasters are not inherently more evil than anyone else. Natural disasters can happen to anyone whether good or bad. The thing we are to do then is not try to judge others when disasters occur, but offer prayers and help, knowing that disaster can strike ANYONE at any time. Yes, the eighteen people of Luke 13:4-5 perished with their sins, but not because their sins were more grievious than anyone else's. We are all sinners and have done wrong against God and others, so these things can happen to anyone of us at any time. Jesus is therefore calling us to repentance from sin, which is to turn away from sin in our personal lives, so that when a disaster strikes, our soul will not perish, even if our body perishes: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him will not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Natural disasters are going to occur, and even more frequently as we draw towards the end of time (Matthew 24:3-7). We need to do all that we can to prepare for such events, because their coming is inevitable. We must reinforce our homes, stock up on emergency supplies, plan an evacuation route, formulate an emergency plan, move away from disaster-prone areas if possible, etc. Most importantly however, we must secure the safety of our souls, so that if we perish in the disaster bodily, we are assured of the salvation of our souls. Let us therefore put away our personal judgments against anyone who has suffered in a natural disaster, and reach out in sympathy and love to offer comfort and aid, knowing full well that such things can happen to anyone.

Conserve Energy Without Sacrificing Comfort

With the rising cost of fuel affecting our country, the new buzz word in town is conservation. Energy conservation is good thing which not only saves you money, but is also good for the planet. There are many ways in which we can all do our part in conserving energy, but it does not mean sacrificing comfort in order to save on costs. Listed here are some conservation tips which will help in saving energy. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and all are welcome to add ideas and suggestions to this list.

Save on gas by running multiple errands in one outing. It is better to go to one or two locations to complete your errands than to drive all over town to multiple destinations. Try to choose stores and malls that offer "one stop shopping."

Try carpooling. Carpooling allows you to share the cost of fuel, saves on overall gas,decreases overall wear and tear to your car, and cuts down on traffic.

If possible, try working at home instead of at the office. Many companies now allow employees to work out from their homes instead of the office. This saves on gas, transportation costs, and costs associated with going to work in an office such as clothing, lunch money, etc.

Update your vehicle to a hybrid or an alternate fuel car.

Work closer to home.

Turn off lights when you leave a room.

In the cooler months try opening your windows to let in fresh air and turn off the A/C.

In the colder months, only heat up the areas of your home that you use. For example, if you live in a four bedroom home, but you only use two bedrooms, close off the vents in the other two bedrooms. In smaller homes, a space heater in one or two rooms may be all that is needed.

In the warmer months, set your A/C thermostat higher when you leave the house, eg. 84 degrees. The house will be warm, but not too hot when you get home. The higher thermostat temperature will cause the A/C to not chip in too often while you are away. When you get home, you can lower the thermostat to the temperature you desire. If you turn the A/C totally off while you are away during the day, the house will get oppressively hot, and it may take a very long time for it to cool off when you turn the A/C back on in the evening. This will also cause the A/C to work extra hard.

Wait for a full load before you use your washer, or dryer, or dishwasher.

If you have a private backyard, you can try sun-drying of laundry. This costs nothing!

Hang up clothing immediately after doing laundry. This discourages wrinkles and cuts down on the need to iron clothing.

Turn off lawn sprinklers during rainy months.

Landscape your home with indigenous plants. These require less fertilizers/pesticides, and adapt more readily to changes in the climate.

These are just a few suggestions for conserving energy. I welcome any additonal suggestions.

Hair Care

Are you suffering from dull, lifeless hair? It may be due to the build up of hair products over time such as shampoos, conditioners, mousse, setting lotion, etc. One easy way to remove build up and restore shine and body to dull, lifeless hair is to use plain old white vinegar. Apply a generous amount of vinegar to hair and massage it into scalp and hair for about five minutes. Rinse and shampoo hair, then condition or style as usual. Hair will look more healthy, and the natural shine will be restored. In addition, dirt and oil which tends to clog the hairshaft and cause the hair to break or fall out, will be removed. This simple home treatment can be done as often as needed, and eliminates the need for harsh and or expensive treatments. It can be used also on all hair types, natural hair, and processed hair, regardless of race or ethnic background. Give this treatment a try and let me know. I welcome your comments.

Devotional of the Week June 8-14

John 4: 21-26

"Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.'
The woman saith unto him, 'I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.'
Jesus saith unto her, 'I that speak unto thee am he.'"

Are you feeling confused about your worship? Are you unsure of where to worship, how to worship, and when to worship? Are you church hopping, looking for the "perfect" church? They have a saying (and I paraphrase), "when you find the perfect church do not join it because it would not be perfect anymore." Instead of trying to look at the externals of worship to fulfill us, such as our church affiliations, congregation size, church activities and programs, we should rather look to God Himself to come inside of us and fill our hearts with His presence. Only a true and close relationship with our heavenly Father can fill the hunger within our souls for a meaningful worship experience.