Northwoods Conservatives

5 hours ago

April 16, 2024, the 107th day of 2024 It is Not Brave to Disobey God One of the biggest lies of the Devil is that it is being brave to disobey God and go our own way. They are words that woo those ... View MoreApril 16, 2024, the 107th day of 2024 It is Not Brave to Disobey God One of the biggest lies of the Devil is that it is being brave to disobey God and go our own way. They are words that woo those who have already been doing so sneakily. Those who hate God and do not want to follow His ways, turn away from the truth to lies. They usually obtain positions of authority and respect when the society stops following God's word and has already been following the lies of the enemy. They spread those lies and many believe them to their detriment. Disregarding the truth does not change the truth, it just leaves us ignorant of it. Being willingly ignorant will not get anyone off when they stand before God on Judgment Day. Whether we admit it or not, God makes Hinself apparent to everyone. We can deny it all we want, but God knows that we know the truth. So, it is really foolish to ignore what God says, and act like ignoring it, or disobeying it, is brave. Many have spread these lies and they have brought destruction to so many individuals and families. It was the lie of the sexual revolution. Saying that it was brave to break free from the confines of morality, is just a way to enslave people to the whims of lust and impulses. A people who are no longer self-controled or grounded in the truth will become corrupted and fallen. Lack of self-control is terrible for individuals, families and the nation as a whole. When we are not self-controlled we can be easily manipulated. That is the point of making a nation of people with lack of self-control. If we do not control ourselves, someone else will control us. For a nation to be blessed, we need to be following God's guidelines. We need to be a people who are self-controlled, seeking to live righteously and understanding that God sees all, that we won't get away with something just because we weren't caught in this lifetime. Without understanding how choices in this life affect our afterlife, we will never get off the path that leads to destruction. Disobeying God will only sabotage our chances. Only a spoiled child sticks his tongue out at his parents. It is not an act of bravery, but a sign of childishness and lack of self-control. Disobedience to God is acting like that spoiled child, but it is to God who we are sticking out our tongue. It is not brave. It is stupid. It is foolish. And it shows lack of sense. Disobeying God is not brave, it is cowardly, because doing the easy thing, instead of the right thing, is cowardly. The Devil whispers his lies, and if we believe him, then we have chosen him over God, just like in the Garden of Eden. That is stupid, not smart. It doesn't take any bravery, any will power, any consideration to give in to sin. It just takes surrendering to it. If we have not destroyed our conscience, we will get warnings that we are choosing wrongly. But many have ignored their conscience and made excuses for their wrong behavior for so long, their conscience is no longer any help to them. It is easy to sin. It is easy to get puffed up in our own desires and wants and disregard what the Bible says about it. The Devil encourages these things because he knows we will be trapped in sin if we do. It is simple. When we disobey God, we are obeying Satan. We are the servants/slaves to whomever we obey. It is not brave to turn our backs on our Creator God and instead choose to listen to the Devil. Satan is a fallen angel who was so puffed up in himself, that he became corrupted. Putting ourselves before God, we put ourselves under Satan instead. "Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? " Romans 6:16 There are only two masters, the Creator God and anything other than the Creator God. And at the head of the list against God is Satan. Because we were made by God, in God's image, to be His childre and obey Him. When we disobey God--for whatever reason, no matter who we think we are following--we are following God's enemy, Satan. It is important to remember that when we don't obey God, we are obeying Satan. Any disobedience to God is obedience to his enemy, Satan. God gives us free will and a lot of leeway in our choices. God does not micromanage us. But many things are clearly spelled out by God and He expects that we will follow His guidelines if we want to claim His name and His blessings. Any time we put our own desires above what God would want, we are following the path of Satan. It is the broad way. It is the wide path. It is the easy way. God does not want harm for us, but Satan does. Satan will take credit for the good and blame God for the bad, but it is the other way around. There is no good without God. And if God had abandoned us when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, He would not need to throw anyone into Hell, we would be lving in it. God's way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. To claim the promises given to God's children, we first must be a child of God. We become a child of God through obedience, by following the way He has determined it. To obey God we need to repent of our sins, turn from them and turn to Jesus as our Lord and Master. Jesus is the only way to God. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" John 14:6 God knew that in our sinful state we were not capable of coming to Him, or even desiring to come to Him, so He sent His Beloved Son Jesus, to be the way back to Him. ‭ "But God demonstrates His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." Romans 5:8-9 God sent His Beloved Son, Jesus, for us, to be the redemption for all who would believe. "Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him!'” ‭Luke 9:35 And Jesus tells us so many things that we need to listen to. And to start with, we need to know that our love for Jesus is shown by keeping His commands, by being obedient. If Jesus is our Lord and Master we obey His commandments. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. " John 14:15 Jesus expects our love to show itself in our obedience to Him. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. " John 15:10 Jesus abides in God's love because He obeys God's commandments. If we want to abide in the love of Jesus we must obey His commandments. Rebellion has no place in love. We do not rebell against those whom we love. And disobedience is rebelling against God. Stay strong! Seek to live your life in line with God's word, not in disobedience to it. NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

Yesterday, 1:55 pm

April 15, 2024, the 106th day of 2024 Slow and Steady There are so many changes that zoom on by us, almost bulldozing over us while our attention is fixed elsewhere. That is the danger of distracti... View MoreApril 15, 2024, the 106th day of 2024 Slow and Steady There are so many changes that zoom on by us, almost bulldozing over us while our attention is fixed elsewhere. That is the danger of distractions. Fast paced does not equal getting a lot accomplished. It could, but more than likely it will not. Building upon a finished task with another gets a lot more accomplished than we may realize. When we are not focused on the amount we are accomplishing, but on the task itself, we will find that we accomplish quite a bit. The problem with trying to focus on too much at a time is that it starts to feel overwhelming and slows us down. We need to find a balance that allows the work to get done and does not thwart it because other work needs to get done as well. Time is not really our friend. It feels somehow wrong because it is only a temporary thing. Eventually time will have served its purpose and will be done, we will enter into eternity. But that will not happen until after the Tribulation, the return of Jesus and the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on Earth. For now, we have to fit everything into moments that pile up on one another. Work, house work, food preparation, eating, groomg and sleeping all need fit in. Christians add prayer and Bible study and usually some kind of fellowship with other believers. Most people also add hobbies, recreation and entertainment. Somewhere in the mix we fit in relationships with others, sometimes with our hobbies and/or recreation. We wind up multi-tasking, because some things overlap, and other things we just must overlap to get them done. In those moments everything that needs to get done, has to get done. And all that we want to do, just for fun, needs to be fit in as well. So, all of our lives are full. And what is going on down the road, or in town, or in our state, or in our counrry, or in another country has to vie for that time. And it only takes another distraction to pull our minds off the recent distraction onto that one. It is no wonder that people lose touch with one another and what is going on in the world. For all our advances we have not managed to create more time. And so many time saving devices actually cause us to try to fit more in, giving us less time. We can turn the lights on and fill our house with brightness, so we can work well into the night. We have vehicles that can take us to jobs we would not be able to reach otherwise. Washers and dryers can be used throughout the day and night, no matter the weather, no need for sunshine and enough time to dry the wash. A lot of time is saved, but once time that could not be used for it, is used for it. We have phones that come with us, which is convenient, but we can also be reached almost anytime for things that we once were not contacted about. Little slivers of time sliced out of a day, in so many places, in so many ways. But we were not made for these overpacked days and nights and this pace. We were not made for all of our time to be filled with things that keep us busy or distracted. Because it is in the quiet times and places that God speaks with us the clearest. During these times God speaks with His children, teaching us, leading us, comforting and encouraging us, strengthening us. God is always there with us, in everything. And in everything He can speak to us. It is just a richer fellowship when it is One on one with God, in the quiet. And in those times and places God speaks to awaken those who are not His children and to draw them to Himself. Those places and times hold sweet memories, even to those who don't follow Jesus, because Jesus was there with them. If they only realized that feeling of peace and contentment came not from the place, but from being in the presence of Jesus, they would seek Him out. Stay strong! Remember Who made you and seek out time with Him! It is never wasted time, no matter how busy you are! NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

Yesterday, 9:57 pm

April 14, 2024, the 105th day of 2024 Making Jesus our Passion If spending time with Jesus in prayer, in studying His word and hanging out with Him throughout our day, isn't something that we are ex... View MoreApril 14, 2024, the 105th day of 2024 Making Jesus our Passion If spending time with Jesus in prayer, in studying His word and hanging out with Him throughout our day, isn't something that we are excitedly passionate about, we may be one of the lukewarm people the Bible warns us of. I would not want someone hanging around me, just because they felt that they needed to do so. If it is not because they wanted to spend time with me, it would be pointless and I would feel it. And I am not God! We belittle the friendship and family connection of Jesus, when we treat it like a chore to come into His presence for one on one time. If we act as if discovering more of the wealth of information in the Bible requires us to suffer through, we are definitely out of sync with our Saviour. If that is how we feel about our time with Jesus, something is way off in our lives and our thoughts of our Lord. Jesus goes all out for us! Do we think He will accept polite society from us? Do we think that spending some distracted time with Him--as if we are doing Him a favor--impresses Him? I don't get it. To know Jesus is to know the most loving, wise, knowledgeable, compassionate, alive person we could possibly know, and He wants to hang out with us! What is not to love about Him! Jesus is more wonderful, more amazing, more understanding and all around glorious, than we can even imagine. We have no clue how utterly awesome He is! If we find ourselves lackluster or apathetic when considering anything we think we are doing for Jesus, we need to reconsider what we are doing and Who we are seeking. We need to stop, collapse before our Lord and just worship Him. Beg His forgiveness for our callousness and our hard hearts. We need to remind ourselves Who Jesus is and not lose sight of that. Because the awe will remain forever and will shield us from insincerity if we don't lose sight of just Who Jesus is! Stay strong! Loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength takes getting to know the Lord! NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

April 13, 2024 3:18 pm

April 13, 2024, the 104th day of 2024 Spring Fever? I am not sure what this is, but it is probably Spring Fever.... View More

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Nelani Nettrour

April 12, 2024 2:29 pm

April 12, 2024, the 103rd day of 2024 Hospitality Hospitality is the ability to bring the feeling of home to any situation. Hospitality makes people feel welcomed and cared for.... View MoreApril 12, 2024, the 103rd day of 2024 Hospitality Hospitality is the ability to bring the feeling of home to any situation. Hospitality makes people feel welcomed and cared for. It is easy for family and close friends to be hospitable with one another. We know one another and we want to make each have an enjoyable experience when we are together. There is a sense of acceptance and comfort in that. It is one of the reasons that Christians are considered a family and we are to treat one another like brothers and sisters. It is harder to be truly hospitable with strangers, but strangers are where hospitality is tested. To make someone we don't know feel welcome and at home, takes a relaxed attitude on our part, not an attitude of being bothered by them. There are only so many people who are truly hospitable. Even in the midst of those willingly serving others, it is unusual. More times than not, there is the "take it or leave it" attitude when people are in that position. And many times that leaves a person with the, "then I will leave it" response. My personal experience of having an allergy to one of people's most beloved meats, has taught me quite a bit about the treatment of those with allergies or intolerances. It usually is not good. And most of us that have these issues are used to that. It is the price we pay for fellowshipping outside of our meal control. We don't expect to be able to eat everything. And often we cannot even eat the foods we could eat because of allergens touching non-allergy foods, like meat touching cheese, touching crackers. But we do hope to find something to nibble on. It doesn't mean that we have to rework our meal, but we can make it easier for a variety of people to enjoy the food, no matter what they can or cannot eat. Hospitality would obviously take these things into consideration. By separating the cheese, meat and crackers people allergic to the meat or vegetarians can eat the cheese and crackers. Those with gluten intolerances can eat the cheese and usually the meat. Those with issues with dairy can eat the meat and crackers. The simple step of separating certain foods makes it possible for those with allergeries, intolerances and vegetarians to eat from the snack trays. Otherwise those groups may be excluded from things they could otherwise enjoy because of cross-contamination. Without any expectation of it, I have had some really sweet treatment lately, at events with food being served. It definitely leaves a wonderful feeling along with it, quite a bit different than the usual feeling. I can only think these people are truly acting like Jesus, giving that feeling of acceptance as Jesus would. It made me feel welcomed and as if it were not a bother to fix something special with me in mind. Going above and beyond, just for the one, to make the one feel welcomed and special is really the heart of Jesus, and we can feel it when someone actually treats us that way. Jesus dealt with crowds and He fed multitudes. He healed all who came to Him, even those who never came back and thanked Him. But Jesus also dwelt with His small group, His 12, and very often His 3 or His 1. Hospitality makes an individual feel welcomed, even when they are a part of a large group. It is a special ability we should all hone. And you just never know when you might be serving an angel! "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:1-2 Stay strong! Be hospitable. NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

April 11, 2024 11:41 pm

April 11, 2024, the 102nd day of 2024 National Pet Day This is a day to be grateful for our pets and the connection we have with them.... View More

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Nelani Nettrour

April 10, 2024 11:36 am

April 10, 2024, the 101st day of 2024 Inner Inflections We often give inflections to the written word that is not implied because of what we think about what is being written. Often they are unjus... View More

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Nelani Nettrour

April 9, 2024 8:23 pm

April 9, 2024, the 100th day of 2024 Watching Eclipse Video Since I didn't get to actually see the solar eclipse yesterday because of overcast skies, I decided to watch a recorded live video of it t... View More

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Nelani Nettrour

April 8, 2024 9:37 pm

April 8, 2024, the 99th day of 2024 The Great North American Eclipse Well, another eclipse this year--solar this time--was overcast for us. It even drizzled. We went outside throughout it, hoping ... View MoreApril 8, 2024, the 99th day of 2024 The Great North American Eclipse Well, another eclipse this year--solar this time--was overcast for us. It even drizzled. We went outside throughout it, hoping for the eclipse to break through the gray, but it did not. The Palm Sunday/Purim Lunar eclipse was also overcast, so we had really been hoping to be able to see this one. The melting snow and rain made wonderful viewing puddles throughout the property, but the weather did not cooperate. Still, it happened. And many, many people were able to enjoy it. I have been checking out pictures and they have been pretty great to see. I am sure as people look through their photos, more will be posted. It is a way of sharing an experience that we were a part of, but unable to view. It is yet to be seen if this eclipse signified anything for America, but eclipse or not, America needs to get back to Jesus. Christians need to stand firm in Christ, and repent of our sins, that if unrepented of, will hold back the protective hand of God over our nation. Signs in the heavens are great to study. We can find out all kinds of interesting things. But God also gives us warnings throughout the Bible to any nation that would abandon their Creator God in favor of the ever changing whims of mankind. As Christians we need to hold fast to the truth, whether it is popular or not. We need to endure whatever life, or the enemy, throws at us. We need to stay true to the gospel of Jesus. We need to be faithful and dependable. We need to shine the light of Jesus, knowing what we believe and why, so we can share the hope that is in us with any who would ask. Things like eclipses remind us of the magnificence of this Universe. When we gaze up on a beautiful evening sky and observe all the wonders, it brings that wow factor. That is part of the voice creation uses to show forth its Creator. We also need to remember that our entire Universe was created by God, that He spoke it into existence. Our God is an amazing God and we haven't seen anything yet! So much more is coming! We don't want to miss being a part of it! Stay strong! Let the signs in the sun and the moon and the stars lead you to their Creator! NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

April 7, 2024 9:47 pm

April 7, 2024, the 98th day of 2024 Why Wait? When we become true Christians, repentant and surrendered and living for our Lord Jesus, everything changes.... View MoreApril 7, 2024, the 98th day of 2024 Why Wait? When we become true Christians, repentant and surrendered and living for our Lord Jesus, everything changes. It is not like problems go away, sometimes they are worse because we made an enemy of Satan. But our problems are no longer our own. Our battle is no longer our own. We are connected to something eternal and we are suddenly aware of a history that had been going on since the beginning that most of us had been unaware of, a history in the Heavrnly places, on Earth and the in-between places most were not aware of. We find ourselves a part of something bigger and more wonderful than we could ever imagine. Because all the good that is, comes from God, and now we are a part of it, where we were always meant to be. The mask is removed from the evil that has been disguising itself as good, that we could not see before. We have left behind the darkness and are now children of the light, and light reveals. Righteousness, love, goodness, forgiveness, mercy and grace are no longer mere words. They represent how we have been dealt with and how we are to deal with others. Life takes on the spiritual aspect because we have become a part of the Heavenly royal family of God--every single one of us, who truly repented and truly surrendered. And though there are a lot of us children of God, each one of us is made to feel like we matter, that our concerns matter, that even if we were the only one, Jesus would have still come to save us. And it is not just a feeling, it is the truth. There is never again that feeling of emptiness, of being utterly alone, or feeling like no one understands or cares. Jesus is always with us. The Holy Spirit fills us. The Bible is alive and open to us. Mysteries once shrouded are revealed. Even in times of testing, when we may feel like we are alone and that God does not hear, faith tells us that He is there, that He hears and cares. Faith tells us that God wants us to trust Him even without our emotions agreeing with us. We can come boldly to the throne of God with our requests, because God is not only our High King, but our Father. It is different for a child of the King to come to their daddy's throne, than for a common supplicant--no matter their station in life--to approach it. No matter what else happens in our lives, we will never be as we once were. That change inside makes us eternal, of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are instantly transformed into a new creation, a child of the Kingdom of God, loved and welcomed into the most private of all places, the home of the Father. No one who has truly converted would ever want to go back to their pre-saved state. If anyone desires to return to that lost state, they missed a step along the way. They never fully surrendered to Jesus as Lord, so they were not put under His authority, and thus could not become a child of His Father. They did not choose to follow Jesus, the way Jesus said that He must be followed. They did not seek to understand the message of King Jesus, our Ruler and Master, but signed up for a different gospel, the gospel of man, not of God. Without both repentance and complete surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, there is no salvation. Merely saying Lord to Jesus, while ignoring His commands is to ignore His Lordship. Jesus must be our Lord in our action, not merely in our words. Calling Jesus Lord, while denying His Lordship over our lives is to deny that Jesus is our Lord. There is no new creation made in false conversion. A false conversion is one of the most dangerous things, because you think that you are saved, when you are not. You think that what you have is all that there is, and it is not. You do not think that you need to be saved, but you do. God is about truthfulness. He only accepts those of us who are truly repentant and truly surrendered to His Som, because He knows that anything else is a lie. And God knows that only the truth will set us free, lies enslave. To truly be saved, we have to know what we are doing, we cannot be deceived into it by others or ourselves. We have to know we are sinners, not just trying to escape the punishment we deserve. We need to be repulsed by our sin. If sin is not disgusting to us, we will not turn from it. When we are serious with Jesus, He is more than willing to show us the deceitfulness of sin, how we have been duped by it, and how it has enslaved us. If we are still making excuses for our behavior, blaming others and not taking responsibility for our actions, we have not repented. If we still do what Jesus has told us not to do, or we do not do what Jesus tells us to do, He is not our Lord. When we come to Jesus in repentance, we want to turn away from our sins and be cleansed from them, or we are not truly repenting. We may just be sorry about the consequences of sin. To understand how sinful sin is, how destructive and devastating it is, we have to look to the payment it took to cover it. The payment was that Jesus--God in the flesh--had to not only live the perfect, sinless life, but withstand temptation, be hungry, thirsty, tired, deal with misunderstandings even from those closest to Him. He was beaten, suffered and died on the cross. While suffering on the cross Jesus had to bear in His flesh the punishment for all the sin of the world, to feel the guilt, all the mental and spiritual anguish that goes along with sin. After three days He arose again, showing in His flesh the signs of sin's payment for all of eternity. Sin is something so toxic that if left unchecked it would destroy all of Creation! It would corrupt and warp everything. Without sin being dealt with--and the penalty paid--no one would have the chance to repent and be saved! We need to understand that without Jesus we would face destruction, and that we would deserve that destruction. If we reject Jesus--the only way to the Father--we reject salvation. Stay strong! Make sure that you have truly repented and made Jesus your Lord! It is not something to be unsure of, and if unsure that can be remedied by getting serious with Jesus! NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

April 6, 2024 8:00 pm

April 6, 2024, the 97th day of 2024 God Will Give Help to the 80% for the Sake of the 20% 100% of all people born at all times have the chance to repent, turn to God and be saved. But maybe, 20% ac... View MoreApril 6, 2024, the 97th day of 2024 God Will Give Help to the 80% for the Sake of the 20% 100% of all people born at all times have the chance to repent, turn to God and be saved. But maybe, 20% actually will. Does God ignore the 80% who will never be saved? No, He still works with them, for their sake, but especially for the sake of the 20%. I am using an example that is easy to understand, nice round numbers. I chose 20% because of the 10 Isralites who were sent to spy out the land, only 2 of the 10, Joshua and Caleb, stood faithful, believing God was able to do what He said the 8 were fearful and unbelieving. There may be more or less, but the idea is that God helps those around His people for the sake of His people. There are so many blessings that are given to a people and a nation because of the faithfulness of God's children--true Christians--even when those who do not believe God, live selfishly in the same family or land. There are blessings to be had by standing with Israel. There are blessings to be had by helping Christians. For a nation blessed of God because of the faithfulness of His children, and for no other reason, danger arises when God's children become lax and disobedient, because then discipline must fall on them to draw them back. Discipline is not very pleasant and can cause all kinds of disruptions. Then those who had been living in the blessings they never deseved, will suddenly find those blessings pulled away, and hardships in their place. It is one of the reasons that the enemies of God try to corrupt God's children, to make us fall, requiring discipline with punishment that will not be pleasant to any but those who hate God's children. When more and more Christians become like the world, then even the protection on our nation is threatened as well. That is why children are targeted. They are easily manipulated and if they grow up believing the lies, they will be used by the enemies of God. That is the ultimate goal of anyone who wants to overthrow our nation. Because it can never happen as long as we are under God's protection. Most people understood something of this, instinctively, their conscience bearing witness. Because until recently, even non-Christians respected Christians and wanted us to prosper. They would not dare to try to lead a child away from God. But now, many are turning on Christians because we hold fast to God's word, the one thing that still holds them accountable. Christians are special in God's eyes! People should be thankful to have a nation full of us! People have no idea how much protection comes from that alone. Stay strong! Be faithful and be a blessing to the people around you! NAN

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Nelani Nettrour

April 5, 2024 8:57 pm

April 5, 2024, the 96th day of 2024 Obedience There are things that will not happen in our lives until we are obedient to what we already know to do.... View More

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