<div style="color:black;font: 14pt Times New Roman, Times, serif;">Further explanation was that cats had been seen as evil and were exterminated, leading to an explosion of the rat population, on which the contaminated fleas proliferated. <br>
<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black"><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid blue; padding-left: 3px;">the Black
Death wasn’t caused by bad air.<span style=""> </span>It was
caused by germs that were on the fleas that were on the rats that were all over
the place.<span style=""> </span></blockquote></div>
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</div>
A very excellent Mothers Day sermon follows below:<br>
<br>
(Forwarded)
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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sun, May 10, 2020 6:01 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Facebook live video sermon for Easter 5A: "Happy Mothers' Day" or "Ring Around the Roses"<br>
<br>
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<div>Dear Friends,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Today's Facebook live video sermon is based on the gospel, John 14:6.</div>
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</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Happy
Mothers’ Day!<span style=""> </span>Did you hear Jesus say
that he is the way, the truth, and the life?<span style="">
</span>It’s that last promise, fullness of life that I’d like us to think about
this morning.<span style=""> </span>Do you have fullness of
life right now?<span style=""> </span>Are you accessing all
that life has to offer, or are you sidetracked?<span style="">
</span>If we’re old hands at walking with Christ, or if we’re newcomers, or if
perhaps we haven’t really started yet, let’s invest some time this morning
examining our lives to see if there are any possibilities we’re missing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">The
best example I could think of to illustrate accessing Jesus’ Way, Truth, and
Life is an old nursery rhyme. Do you remember the strange song we chanted as
children- “Ring Around the Roses?<span style=""> </span>”Yes-
you did hear me right- Ring Around the Roses.”<span style="">
</span>I used it as an example a couple of years ago, but I’m going to refresh
your memory about where it comes from.<span style="">
</span>Either I never knew or I had forgotten.<span style="">
</span>It comes from the 1600’s when a terrible disease, the Black Death, was
sweeping through Europe, just like COVID-19 is doing to our world now.<span style=""> </span>The reason it was called the Black Death was
that huge black splotches covered the bodies of the sick.<span style=""> </span>Apparently this disease started in England
with just a few deaths, but within a few years it was killing huge numbers of people.<span style=""> </span>Doctors were convinced it was caused by bad
air, so when someone got sick, the sick person would join hands with other sick
people and circle around and around a bed of roses or other flowers with
beautiful scents.<span style=""> </span>If someone was too
sick to walk, the doctor would stuff rose petals into his or her pocket, bring
the petals into the sickroom, and then place the flowers under the patient’s
nose so the smell from the flowers would purify the bad air that the sick
person had in his or her lungs.<span style=""> </span>If someone
was on their deathbed, the doctor would burn some rose petals and then place
the ashes under the nose of the dying person, hoping that the patient would
sneeze, thus forcing all the bad air out of their lungs.<span style=""> </span>On top of that, every day someone was hired
to push the body cart through the streets collecting all the dead bodies from
people who had succumbed to the illness the previous night.<span style=""> </span>As he pushed, he sang, “Ring around the
roses.<span style=""> </span>A pocket full of posies.<span style=""> </span>Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!”<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, hardly anyone got better from
this treatment.<span style=""> </span>Do you know why?<span style=""> </span>Because they had the wrong cause- the Black
Death wasn’t caused by bad air.<span style=""> </span>It was
caused by germs that were on the fleas that were on the rats that were all over
the place.<span style=""> </span>You can’t cure a disease
caused by germs if you have people breathe nice-smelling air.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Now
the people in that century can be excused for making that mistake.<span style=""> </span>They didn’t know anything about germs, didn’t
have microscopes, and were doing the best they could.<span style=""> </span>Regardless of how well-meaning they were,
however, people died.<span style=""> </span>Do you know we
make the same mistake?<span style=""> </span>How many people
make the wrong diagnoses about how to make decisions that are life-empowering?<span style=""> </span>They rely on everything and everybody for
decision-making except for God- in spite of the fact that Jesus promised; “I am
LIFE.”<span style=""> </span>They live by their own
preconceived ideas of truth instead of living the TRUTH as Jesus proclaimed it
to be.<span style=""> </span>Just because we sit in a pew
every Sunday doesn’t make us immune from being brainwashed by our culture to
follow its set of so-called truths.<span style=""> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Let
me tell you about one of the biggest, most incorrect diagnoses, successful
brainwashing our culture has accomplished- the meaning of Mothers’ Day.<span style=""> </span>Do you know how Mothers’ Day started?<span style=""> </span>Happy Mothers’ Day!<span style=""> </span>Do you know how Mothers’ Day started?<span style=""> </span>Listen to how amazingly their long-ago
situation matches ours today!<span style=""> </span>The first
known suggestion that the USA should observe a Mothers’ Day came in 1872.<span style=""> </span>It was proposed by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe in
response to the human destruction of the Civil War.<span style=""> </span>Her purpose for suggesting Mothers’ Day was
to stop wars; as women- protect our husbands and families and children from
war.<span style=""> </span>She and her husband wrote an anti-slavery
newspaper and she wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic (“Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the
grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His
terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. (Chorus) Glory, glory,
hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is
marching on.”)<span style=""> </span>Dr. Martin Luther King
often quoted from this hymn.<span style=""> </span>He ended
his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech with part of it: “Well, I don't know
what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't
matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop…Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming of the Lord.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">So
you see- the real meaning of Mothers’ Day wasn’t about beautiful cards
(although I love them), taking Mom out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant (because
of COVID-19 we’ll have to do take-out), or buying a lovely gift to show her how
much you care (and I’m surely not one to turn down presents).<span style=""> </span>Ladies- it was about sticking together to
find a way to protect our husbands and families and children from war.<span style=""> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">We’re
living through a war right now- a war with a virus that could destroy our
families, our faith, and our lives.<span style=""> </span>How
do we defeat the enemy and protect those we love and ourselves?</span></div>
<ol type="1" style="margin-top:0in;" start="1">
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Listen to the experts.<span style=""> </span>Socially isolate yourselves so you don’t
catch it and don’t spread it.<span style=""> </span>This
is not the time to start talking about your rights.<span style=""> </span>This is not the time to have an attitude
and talk about what they can’t make you do.<span style=""> </span>Since we’re all in the same boat, you
don’t have the right to go in your small cabin and cut a hole in your part
of the deck.<span style=""> </span>That’s how we all drown
and go down like “Ring Around the Rosie,” and some of those who die
because you gave them a hug or wouldn’t wear a mask just might be those
you love the most.<span style=""> </span>“Oh, I don’t
have the virus, so I can’t give it to anyone.”<span style=""> </span>How do you know you don’t have it? 25-50
% of infected people have no symptoms. </span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">It’s not enough just to protect our bodies.<span style=""> </span>We must protect our souls.<span style=""> </span>How are you handling the stress.<span style=""> </span>Do you sometimes get to the breaking
point and just lose it?<span style=""> </span>Please don’t.<span style=""> </span>And don’t lean on alcohol or other substances,
including food or tv or gambling, to keep it together.<span style=""> </span>Specifically,</span></li>
<ol type="a" style="margin-top:0in;" start="1">
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Do you swear at your children or loved
ones?<span style=""> </span>Never again!</span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Are you argumentative?<span style=""> </span>Don’t try to win.<span style=""> </span>If anyone wins, everyone loses.<span style=""> </span>Solve and resolve the problem.</span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Do you say things like “I brought you into this
world- I can take you out of this world!<span style="">
</span>You’re not God.<span style=""> </span>Don’t talk
like you are.</span></li>
</ol>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Get something positive out of this COVID-19
crisis for yourself and your family.<span style="">
</span>Use the extra home-time to pass on Jesus’ values to your children.</span></li>
<ol type="a" style="margin-top:0in;" start="1">
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Bring back dinner around the kitchen or dining
room table- NO TV, CELL PHONES, EAR BUDS.<span style="">
</span>Pray with your children before bedtime and in the morning.<span style=""> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Don’t stick up for your children when they are
wrong, just because someone else is criticizing them.</span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Talk and listen! Talk and listen!<span style=""> </span>Talk and listen!<span style=""> </span>And LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!</span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;">Happy
Mothers’ Day.<span style=""> </span>May we ladies enjoy the
goodies, but may all of us remember, it’s about PEACE, LOVE, AND THE ABSENCE OF
WAR IN ALL ITS FORMS.<span style=""> </span>Jesus said, “Blessed
are the peacemakers.<span style=""> </span>May God bless us
all as we serve as his precious peacemakers.</span></div>
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