Have You Become Desensitized?

We know pornography damages relationships and distorts our view of right and wrong.

But do we understand the damage of other evil influences in entertainment? God warns us of negative influences throughout Scripture (Psalm 101:3; Proverbs 4:23; Luke 6:45). And even secular authorities agree: 

"What we see has a profound effect on what we do, how we feel, and who we are." (Source: Reuters)

"Early research on the effects of viewing violence on television — especially among children — found a desensitizing effect and the potential for aggression.” (Source: American Psychological Association)

"There is now consensus that exposure to media violence is linked to actual violent behavior - a link found by many scholars to be on par with the correlation of exposure to secondhand smoke and the risk of lung cancer." (Source: NYTimes)

Shows that would never be considered pornography can still have a negative effect on us when they have themes that are evil, violent, or disturbing. In addition, LGBTQ lifestyles are presented as normal and good, and this has definitely changed cultural attitudes about these lifestyles which God says damage people's souls.

To guard our hearts, we must avoid these influences.

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret." Ephesians 5:11-12  (Source: God)

✜✜✜

Would you like to ponder three passages related to this subject? Then see today's Bite Size Bible Study. And I suggest that you read Are You Enjoying Popular Pornography?  

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. 

Would you like to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet offering quiet time encouragement? Find out more HERE.

BLN

Cultural Astigmatism

I've worn glasses or contacts since age ten because I'm nearsighted and have astigmatism. Astigmatism is an uneven curvature of the eye’s cornea or lens affecting approximately 30% of the population. It causes blurry vision and poor eyesight at night because a “refractive error” keeps light from focusing properly in the eye. 

The good news is that there are corrective lenses available to give us clarity.

I think astigmatism is a good analogy for our cultural decline. When men and women start seeing biblical truths from a cultural "curvature," things look distorted and they prevent the light of Christ from focusing properly in their spiritual eyes.

Without God's light, they have greater trouble navigating the spiritual darkness in our culture. Material gain looks more important than spiritual growth. Sexual sins appear attractive. Worldly philosophies seem wise and good, even when they directly contradict Scripture. Jesus looks like everyone's buddy instead of a pure and holy Savior.

The good news is that cultural astigmatism is also correctable. When a person looks through the lens of Scripture, their vision gradually improves. 

Our world is getting very dark, dear Christians. Let's make sure we are putting on the corrective lens of God's Word every day. 

I encourage you to check out my collection called Twisted Scriptures which addresses various misunderstandings that have influenced the church. And I want to announce that I am working on a second book called Half-Truths That Many Christians Believe. I'll be sharing more about it in the next few months, and I would appreciate your prayers. It will be quite different from my book Wisdom for Life, but just as dedicated to sharing God's Word accurately.

BLN

Special Sunday Post: What Doors Will America Open in 2025?

I thought I was done writing posts about the election as I felt I had shared my heart about Christians prioritizing platforms above personalities, being more interested in millions of babies' lives than in candidates' sins.

But the Democrats have opened the door to another evil that is every bit as biblically offensive as abortion.

In 2023, under Biden and Harris, the Democrats put out a White House Fact Sheet demanding that children who are too young to decide their bedtimes should be allowed to determine their gender. They also support trans drugs and surgeries for underage children. Please read more about this in A Public Holiday Mocking Our Lord.

This official fact sheet said any limitation on transgender drugs for children was "callous government overreach that threatens families." The reason for this last statement is the fact that the Republicans have been trying to close the door on trans drugs and trans surgeries for minors (AP News).

In 2024, Biden was the first U.S. President to issue a public proclamation proudly promoting Transgender Day of Visibility.

Biden did this despite the readily available studies that show the dangers of trans drugs and surgeries on minors and despite the fact that several other countries have shut down their trans clinics and cautioned the use of these drugs and procedures. 

Why am I bringing this up again? 

Because recently, Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy who heads the largest youth gender clinic in the United States at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles was found responsible for withholding the results of a $10 million taxpayer-funded study that proved puberty blockers provided no help for children suffering from gender dysphoria (Source).

She said she didn’t want these results to affect public opinion or be used to support the concerns of giving underage children trans-drugs.

In case you aren’t aware, because of a federally-funded research grant, children as young as 8 can be given these cross-sex hormones and by age 15 they can have surgeries that permanently mutilate their bodies. Furthermore, the drugs can cause lifelong bone weaknesses.

You don’t need to be Christian to understand the cruelty of these Democratic policies. For example, even though I don’t recommend her books, the Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling hit the nail on the head when she summarized what Dr. Olson-Kennedy was actually saying: "We must not publish a study that says we're harming children because people who say we're harming children will use the study as evidence that we're harming children, which might make it difficult for us to continue harming children."

This is definitely a biblical issue as well as a political one. It mocks God's design in creation, rejects God's sovereign choices for each man and woman, and denies God's Word. On top of that, it's child abuse!

If the Democrats win this election, more tax-payer money will be used to experiment on these confused children, permanently damaging their health and well-being. 

Will you open the door and usher this evil into our country or close the door and pray for the well-being of the children already suffering from these cruel practices?

If you have already voted for the Democratic platform despite their anti-God stands on transgenderism and abortion, I urge you to confess your sin to the Lord and memorize some of the passages in What Scripture Says about Abortion and What Scripture Says about Gender. In addition, I encourage you to spend some time reading about the brutal methods used to kill babies in late-term abortions and the dangers of trans-drugs on minors. In these ways you can renew your heart and mind and prove your repentance.

If you have not yet voted, I urge you to place the unborn babies and vulnerable youth above your feelings about the candidates. We aren’t simply voting for Trump or Harris. We are voting for their party platforms, platforms that will affect the lives of millions and bring God’s judgment or blessing on America. Trump and Harris will have to account for their personal sins, but we will have to account for our vote in regard to these two major biblical issues. 

For further study, see:

What Scripture Says about Gender (shorter article)

What the Bible Teaches about Gender (longer article)

A Letter Defending Male and Female

 

When Prosperity Devours Our Blessings

Cotton Mather, an early American preacher said, “Religion begat prosperity and the daughter devoured the mother.”  

Oftentimes when a country, family, or person seeks godly values, they are blessed financially.

I'm not talking about name-it-claim-it false teachings like those of Joel Osteen. I'm just saying that when someone is honest, hard-working, and frugal they often acquire wealth.  

In the last century, American families have grown increasingly wealthy. My grandparents were hard-working people who had very little, but they were able to acquire their own home and a few luxuries. My parents' hard work brought them an even higher standard of living. Today, poorer people in America have more than my grandparents had. 

But instead of making us increasingly grateful, our increased standard of living has made us feel less thankful and more entitled. 

Our honest, grateful, hardworking values led to prosperity, and that prosperity devoured those values. Of course, there are many exceptions, but even among Christians we have taken on attitudes of ungratefulness and entitlement. 

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

Where is your heart, dear Christian? What are your goals in life? What do you think you deserve? 

✜✜✜

As you consider these questions, please read through these passages: 

Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Luke 12:15: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Bible Love Notes will not be writing more devotions specifically about the upcoming election, but my husband shared his concerns in this post: In This Election Biblical Principles Are at Stake.

BLN

Comfortable on the Couch

Most of us have never lost a job, been beaten, or been arrested because of our faith.

We live such easy lives that we've come to believe we deserve our comfort and wealth. We complain when we have to give up one of our luxuries.

You've probably heard the term "couch potatoes," describing lazy people who spend most of their time on the couch watching TV. 

But what about "couch Christians" who are resting on the couch when they should be fulfilling God's purposes (Ephesians 2:10)? 

Studies show that the majority of American Christians don't read their Bibles even once a week (source). And only 15% tithe regularly (source).

Let's read the passage below and ask God if we've been sitting down in any area where we need to get moving:

"Then [Jesus] said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.'" Luke 9:23-26

✜✜✜

I encourage you to do the short Bite Size Bible Study based on this devotion: Couch Christians. 

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on other sites.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

 BLN

Slander Against Christian Friends and Family Is on the Rise

God told the godly Jeremiah: "Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you" (Jeremiah 12:6).

Jeremiah's family turned against the Lord, and they did their best to discredit Jeremiah.

This betrayal is happening in our present culture as well. However, unlike Jeremiah's family, this betrayal is usually not hidden. People are openly discrediting the faith of evangelical family members.

Jesus warned us that there would be times in history when family members would betray their loved ones, even having them killed (Matthew 10:16-26)! We aren't at that point in America, but many Christians are being betrayed and slandered by family members who've walked away from true faith.

It's important that we not believe everything we hear. If someone complains about a Christian friend or family member, don't automatically accept their claims, especially if they use the popular boundary-building descriptions such as "hateful," "toxic," and "unsafe."

"There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,(1) ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Yes, these evil behaviors may even come from someone who appears to be a Christian. Please pray that those experiencing this betrayal will feel God's comfort and strength.

✜✜✜

If you haven't read my post entitled Wilderness Wanderers, I encourage you to read it. It will help you better understand the kind of teachings that are inspiring this slander. And below I've shared a few popular lies coming from this movement.

Today's anti-Christian slander involves some unique lies. Here are a few I've heard from ex-vangelical sources:

"My parents raised me to believe women are responsible for the lust of men."
Truth: My parents believed women should dress modestly.

"My family raised me in a church where I was taught that women were second-class citizens."
Truth: My family church taught loving submission as described in Scripture, a type of submission that has to do with order, not superior or inferior personhood.

"My sister believes the government has a right to tell a woman what she can do with her body."

Truth: My sister believes women have a right to determine what they do with their own bodies, but when they choose to have unprotected sex, my sister believes the government should stop them from killing the babies they conceive. 

(1) This passage is discussing adults, and Bible scholars explain that this does not mean literally obeying the commands of their parents because adults are not required to do that. It means they no longer obey God's commands to respect their parents. Proverbs 30:11-12 describes arrogant adult children as a prominent source of rejection, but Satan's influence is affecting all kinds of relationships (2 Corinthians 4:4).

 BLN

4 Ways To Develop Our God-Given Purposes

From my vantage point of more than seventy years of life, let me give you some suggestions for finding your role in God's kingdom:

1. Try new things!

Don't limit yourself, especially during the first forty years of your life. Doing a variety of things, even things out of your comfort zone, teaches you important lessons. See Are You Taking Enough Risks?

2. Humbly learn from others.

I once edited submissions to a devotional blog, and I learned that many mediocre writers refuse suggestions or edits while most good writers welcome them (Proverbs 8:33; Proverbs 15:32).  See Spiritual Coaching and The Blessings of a Peer Mentor.

3. Never stop learning.

When we realize our lifework is to serve the Lord, we'll apply it to everything we do (Colossians 3:23). See Christians Are Lifelong Students of Jesus and Waste or Invest. 

4. Set your mind on God's plan.
Despite the popular saying that we can do whatever we set our minds to do, we can't and we shouldn't. Instead, we should seek God's will, not our own (1 Peter 4:10-11). See Can You Do Anything You Set Your Mind To Do?

Following Christ is a wonderful adventure if we are willing to be lifelong students, seeking Christ's purposes for our lives (Ephesians 2:10).

Let's do it!

💙💙💙

Let me add a #5 in this footnote: Learn from your difficulties and disappointments. I never would have imagined the blessings that would come from some difficulties in my life, one of which is my book, Wisdom for Life. If you haven't yet heard that Romans 8:28 story, you can read about it here or watch me explain it on YouTube here.

Please encourage your friends to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes HERE.

 BLN

When One Verse Leads to Another and Then Another...

Do you ever start reading one Bible passage and it reminds you of another and then another? 

That’s what happened one morning when I read Galatians 1:4: “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.” 

This spoke to my heart because I’ve been grieving over the evil in our world. The upcoming election highlights it for me. We aren’t choosing between the better of two good platforms. We’re choosing the lesser of two evils (e.g., mildly proabortion or wildly proabortion). 

Galatians 1:4 led me to 1 John 2:15-17 which explains we can’t love God if we’re focused on worldly pleasure, possessions, and popularity, all of which are temporary and distracting. 

Then 1 John led me to Ephesians 5:15-20 which tells us to be careful how we live “because the days are evil.” 

It encourages us to make the most of our opportunities, understanding God’s will, refusing to live wild or careless lives, and being filled with God’s Spirit. 

Then it gives suggestions for living this way: reciting psalms, singing spiritual songs, making music in our hearts to the Lord, and thanking God for everything. 

When our lives are focused on Scripture and gratitude toward God, it brings music into our hearts that helps us face our evil world and resist the sinful things it offers. 

I love how consistent and relevant God's Word is. I definitely need the music it brings to my heart! How about you?

💙💙💙

I encourage you to read the one-minute devotion:

 This Single Verse Says So Much about God's Word! 

I find it interesting that Ephesians 5:19 specifically mentions Psalms as something we should be reciting. When I wrote my book Wisdom for Life, it gave me a new appreciation for the Psalms, a book I've always loved. I think you'll enjoy the one-minute devotions in the book which are all based on Psalms and Proverbs. And there are some great sales on the book on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

BLN

Halloween: Pagan Celebration or Childlike Fun?

🍁 2000 years ago, Ancient Celts and Druid priests celebrated Samhain, dressing as animals and monsters thinking it would keep evil spirits from kidnapping them while they prayed for the dead. 

🍁 As Catholicism spread in the 10th century, the Celts tried to incorporate elements of Samhain into All Saints’ Day (All-Hallows Eve).(1) 

🍁 Then in the Middle Ages, “souling” was added to the celebration: going door-to-door, promising to pray for dead relatives in exchange for pastries. Eventually, children went door-to-door asking for gifts and food.

🍁 In the 19th century an Irish myth about the devil led to the display of jack-o'-lanterns which were supposed to scare away evil spirits. 

🍁 When Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the States in the 20th century, it was marked by “vandalism, physical assaults and sporadic acts of violence.”(2) 

This was also when the Samhain tradition of costumes was revived, and the pagan decorations emphasized death, witches, ghosts, black cats, bad luck, and tricks. 

Halloween has an evil theme, and it trivializes evil spirits, witches, and evil symbols, encouraging children to see them as fun and fictional.(3)

When we read Old Testament passages like Deuteronomy 18:10-12, we realize that paganism has always been sick and disgusting. But the more our world rejects Scripture, the more paganism thrives. That's why we see an increase in the display of evil symbols at Halloween.

Do you think the warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 applies to Halloween?(4)  

If you feel comfortable participating in Halloween, please at least use it as a way to share Christ.(5) 

Source: History.com 

My thoughts:

I’ve had an uneasy feeling about Halloween ever since I became a Christian. I tried to justify it at times, but eventually kept my children from participating. I just couldn’t feel comfortable with what it represents. However, if Christians avoided occult and pagan symbols and costumes, I've always seen it as a Romans 14 “allowed difference” among Christians. See Handling Non-Essential Differences. 

But I felt like writing this stronger warning this year because we are dealing with so much compromise and evil in our culture right now, and I think it’s more important than ever that we “come out from them and be separate.” 

If we fear that our children won’t “fit in” with other kids if they can’t celebrate Halloween, we should realize that fitting in is the worst thing we could want for our children. And the sooner they learn their need to stand against worldly influences, the better. See You Can Fit In or You Can Follow Jesus.

Many people have tried to tie Christmas to pagan holidays even though Christmas has a Christian name, is always defined as the birthday of Christ, and does not directly resemble ancient rituals or pagan symbols. Nor does it glorify Satan, witches, or demons. 

If a person wishes not to celebrate Christmas, this is a genuine Romans 14 difference, and we should respect each other's choices even if we disagree. But unlike Christmas, Halloween maintains its pagan emphasis, so I encourage you to pray about whether God would have you involved. See Christmas Confusion: Don't Accept Unsubstantiated Claims.

Please see my other posts regarding Halloween:

3 Ways of Looking at Popular Pagan Practices

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

 

Different Ways Christians Handle Halloween

I also recommend these resources:

Got Questions – Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary

Two-minute video – Can Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Short article – Christianity and the Dark Side...

7 Sides of Halloween with Mike Winger

Footnotes:

(1) All Saints' Day was established to honor saints hundreds of years before Celtic practices were added, and All Saints' Day has maintained its original meaning. Halloween is a holiday unto itself. 

(2) Halloween has always been associated with mischief. In fact, in the 1970s and 1980s, arsonists celebrated the holiday by setting fires. In 1984, Detroit had more than 800 dangerous fires lit for this purpose. 

 

(3) Halloween is celebrated by Wiccans: "Wicca, the largest of the modern Pagan, or Neo-Pagan, religions. Its followers, who are called Wiccans, typically identify as witches and draw inspiration largely from the pre-Christian religions of Europe." (Britannica)

(4) 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ And, ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

(5) Living Waters ministry sells tracts to hand out to trick-or-treaters. For example, see Albert Brainstein and Curved Illusion. They also sell another tract with a jack-o'-lantern on it, but I don't recommend using symbols of Halloween to share the gospel.

BLN

Don't Let Circumstances "Eat" You

Sometimes "detours" in our lives are part of God's divine plan. Read about one of mine: When God Changes Our Plans.

These detours happen when we misunderstand God's purpose or get ahead of His plans. That's when God uses a "detour" to prepare us for a future blessing.

But there's another type of detour that isn't natural or good. It's a "Jonah detour," and it follows what I call "the Jonah principle": 

"If you run from God, expect to be eaten by circumstances."

God called Jonah, Jonah ran, and God detoured him into the belly of a big fish (Jonah 1). We look at Jonah and think, "How ridiculous! You can't run from God!"

But I imagine Jonah's thought processes were similar to ours when we "run" from Scripture passages that tell us to:  

✔ Deny ourselves (See We Need It: Self-Denial)  

✔ Be holy (See What does it mean to be holy?)

✔ Earnestly seek God (See Seek God Wholeheartedly) 

✔ Seek His Kingdom first (See Great Wisdom in the Small Book of Haggai)

Today let's ask God if we're running away from any of His purposes in any area of our lives.  As soon as we acknowledge our sin, God can "spit" us out of the "belly of disobedience" and back into action.

🐟🐟🐟

Bible Love Notes will not be writing more devotions specifically about the upcoming election, but my husband shares his concerns in this post: In This Election Biblical Principles Are at Stake. 

 

Did you know that 1-Minute Bible Love Notes has three Facebook pages: Bible Love Notes, Psalms & Proverbs, and Doors of Joy (I love doors!). We also have a Bible Love Notes Discussion Group. 

On Pinterest we have a BLN Pinterest page and a Gail Purath Pinterest page. 

We also have a Twitter (X) account and an Instagram account. 

If you participate in any of these social media sites, please follow Bible Love Notes and like and share our posts, helping us to spread God's Word. Thanks! 

I also encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

And please encourage your friends to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and let them know they can get a free e-booklet when they do. Find out more HERE.

BLN