Terrible judgment is coming on the earth.
The Scriptures predict it.
All around us we see signs.
Jesus said we should watch
And notice the signs.
Daily we are exposed
To the rampant evil in our world.
Our hearts cry out for justice
As evil dominates
Nearly every realm of life.
Our food, our health, wars,
Parental rights, personal freedom.
There is predicted climate chaos,
Drug addictions, our toxic environment,
Destruction of the planet.
Slavery, human trafficking, hunger,
Racial inequality, discord.
Some seek to change or fix
What they see is broken
The only fix apparent to me,
is the fix Jesus provides.
The fix every individual human heart
Desperately needs.
Yes, there is coming judgment
Against the evil plots we see all around us.
But we don’t need to fear
We can look forward to the return of Jesus –
Whom God raised from the dead*
Whom the disciples saw ascend to heaven
Forty days later.
He is the one who has rescued us
From the terrors of the coming judgment.*
As we embrace God’s message with joy
Realizing “God loves me,
And has chosen me
To be among His very own people.”*
Ever confident that
He will rescue me.
*see further 1 Thessalonians 1
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the true route to health, freedom and joyful family living!
What does the Bible say about itself? What do some of the authors have to say about the books or writings that make up the Bible? What is the evidence?
This is just a short consideration of one viewpoint: Peter
Peter wrote 2 books included in the New Testament, 1 & 2 Peter. We also learn a lot about his life and his interaction with Jesus in the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and from the historical narrative in the book of Acts. Peter was one of the twelve disciples and considered a leader among the twelve. Peter wrote his two letters to encourage and instruct “God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners” in various provinces outside of Israel.
Peter shares about his experience of being with Jesus in his letter:
“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; in Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard the voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18
Luke records one of Peter’s first speeches “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!” Acts 3:15
Peter also explains his view of the reliability of Old Testament books:
“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it as to a light shining in a dark place, until the daylight dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ABOVE ALL*, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things, for prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 19-21
Again, Luke records Peter’s words regarding the Old Testament prophets, “Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. “ Acts 3:24
It is particularly noteworthy that Peter was the same guy who followed Jesus from a distance after Jesus’ arrest and during the various mock trials and beatings Jesus was subjected to before He was finally crucified. Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times during this period. We can imagine Peter’s fear of being recognized as an associate of Jesus and the potential that he too might be beaten and killed. Peter was not listed as a witness to Jesus’ death, as were many others. Peter’s hopes were dashed when he saw Jesus’ suffering and learned of His death. He was not bold. He was fearfully holed up in a safe room when Mary came to announce that she had seen the resurrected Jesus.
Peter’s experience of the resurrected Jesus significantly impacted his life to the extent that he became a bold vocal spokesman and spent the rest of his life sharing the message God wanted people to know. Instead of hiding, he endured imprisonment and suffering in order to share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
Peter’s first encounter of imprisonment for speaking of Jesus happened like this:
After a man who had been lame and unable to walk for more than forty years was instantly healed at the word of Peter in front of a large crowd in the temple, Peter are John are imprisoned. When given an opportunity to speak in his own defense Peter states,
“Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man?
“Do you want to know how he was healed?
“Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Notice what Peter said about the exclusivity of Jesus.
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
When Peter and John were threatened by the council and ordered NEVER to speak in the name of Jesus again, they boldly proclaim,
“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.
Peter went from cowering and denying Jesus to a bold proclaimer of the message of God in a very short space of time. The catalyst for this remarkable change was his encounter with the resurrected Jesus Christ.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.
The source of our evidence about the earthly life and ministry of Jesus is primarily four different eye-witness accounts, which have been collected in what we know as the New Testament part of the Bible.
Matthew was written by a tax collector who was called personally by Jesus to be in the group of 12 known as disciples who followed Jesus during his three years of travels in the area of Israel. Matthew said yes, left his tax collecting position and his life was never the same!
Mark was written by a young man who was able to hang around on the edges of Jesus’ time on earth, and he also got a lot of information from Peter, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus.
Luke was written by a physician of his day who wanted to research all the events carefully and put them together to inform. He also wrote the book of Acts, which is a detailed account of the events of many of the key followers of Jesus in the years after Jesus’ ministry. Luke includes many historically accurate facts that enhance his accounts.
John was one of the 12 disciples and he wrote his account of his time with Jesus much later than the first three. John clearly states his purpose in writing his book:
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you many continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name. John 20: 30-31
Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25
The rest of the New Testament books, from Romans through to 3 John, are mainly letters to a variety of different individuals or groups with instructions about how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection impact our daily life.
The last book in the New Testament, Revelation, was written by John after he wrote his account of Jesus’ life, while he was exiled on the island of Patmos “for preaching the word of God and for telling others about Jesus.” He describes a vision he had and was told, “Write down what you have seen – both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.” Revelation is known as a “prophetic book” or book of prophecy and is studied by many for clues of how future times will unfold. It is not particularly easy to understand, but ends with this promise:
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”
If you are new to reading the Bible, I highly encourage you to start with the first four books of the New Testament which presents a lot of strong evidence for Jesus. Many people have opinions about the Bible, or about Jesus, but they haven’t actually read or studied what the Bible says about itself and about Jesus. I urge you to examine the evidence in the Bible for yourself.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.
Honest researchers in every field will gather, examine, weigh, and discuss evidence. Dishonest researchers will ignore, hide, alter or falsify evidence. They are generally not open to a rational discussion of ALL the evidence, and do not readily change their conclusion even when faced with overwhelming evidence that is contradictory to their conclusion.
Dishonest researchers aren’t all terrible evil characters. There may be many reasons for the way they deal with evidence. They may have some preconceived convictions or theories that prevent them from viewing the evidence rationally. Many times there are financial concerns that strongly influence the interpretation of evidence. Sometimes certain life experiences and the interpretation of such experiences can strongly influence a person’s views.
We are all subject to our own bias. We are often deceived. It is hard to see our bias and the nature of deception is that we are not aware that it is happening. I admit my bias falls toward believing the Bible, understanding it and applying it to my life. That may disqualify me from being taken seriously by some people. I challenge anyone to read the Bible for just 30 days with an open mind.
Intuition, hunches and feelings may all be valuable in leading us to uncover further evidence or to interpret the evidence we have, but these are not reliable on their own. All honest evaluations must proceed based on clear evidence. Faith is another factor to consider in evaluating evidence. For me, faith is only as significant as the thing I put my faith in. If I have faith that my government will never fail me or lead me astray, I might be disappointed. If I put faith in my own wisdom, I could be deceived or wrong. If the object of my faith is the eternal God, creator of all things, who alone has power to bring everything under His control, I can be confident in HIM. The object of faith is very important.
I eagerly seek to know and understand truth in every area, but when exploring historic events the evidence may be limited.
In the field of medicine most informed people seek an ‘evidence based’ approach. Their health is too significant to accept popular opinion or hectic marketing. They want to research and discover the true facts regarding all medical or life-style practices. Often they question or research standard medical recommendations. It is wise to seek truth and evidence in the realm of health care treatment.
I propose that the subject of God, what we believe about the existence of God, and the possibility of life beyond death, is probably the most important aspect of our lives. Our physical health concerns will pale in comparison to such an eternal reality. This is the most significant subject that we could possibly research and get to the truth. Eternity is too important to be wrong about.
What evidence is available?
I have spent many years studying the ancient scriptures collected together into what we know as the Bible. Many people have opinions about the Bible but haven’t read it. Some start at the beginning, thinking the Bible should be read from beginning to end as most books. The Bible is not like other books; it’s actually more of a library filled with books. It can be challenging, but a serious exploration is well worth the effort.
What does the Bible say about itself? What does the Bible say about Jesus? What did Jesus say about Himself? What does the Bible say about future events?
I hope to explore some of these questions in future blog posts.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.
The extent of evil
Oozing in every sphere of life
Forces me to seek the LIGHT.
Wholeheartedly.
Unreservedly.
Not on my terms or conditions
For how can I impact or dictate
To the LIGHT?
I seek the totality of the pure LIGHT.
The LIGHT of truth.
The truth that brings healing; wholeness.
The truth that seeks good;
Demands justice.
The truth that fully accepts.
The truth that does not conform
To my ideals or expectations.
I must conform and align
To Truth.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
spoken by Jesus, recorded by Matthew 5:14-16
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
spoken by Jesus, recorded by John 8:12
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
spoken by Jesus, recorded by John 8:44
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
spoken by Jesus, recorded by John 14:6
Author: Becky Hastings, a forgiven, cleansed sinner who seeks to walk closely to the LIGHT of Jesus Christ and seek truth every day.
God provided Jesus.
God, the Creator, Originator, Designer
“Jesus, the image of the invisible God
Firstborn over all Creation
For by Him all things were created…”[1]
If we reject Jesus, we reject God.
“Anyone who isn’t with Me, opposes Me, and
Anyone who isn’t working with Me
is working against Me.”[2]
Strong words.
All who reject Jesus reject God
All rejecters end up on the same team
With all the other rejecters.
They may not realize it.
They may think they are distinctly different
In every major characteristic,
But at the root, the life source,
They are the same.
Like a large tree with many branches,
All information that rejects God,
Is anti-God.
The source of all anti-God information is Satan.
John tells us “This great dragon—
The ancient serpent called the devil,
Or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—
Was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.”[3]
That one. God’s enemy.
He inspires a wide variety
Of anti-God information and beliefs.
Our foremost preoccupation
As followers of Jesus:
“Love the Lord your God with
All you heart, soul, mind”[4]
(Yes, you can think)
“And love your neighbor as yourself.”[5]
Jesus claims our loyalty
“If anyone is ashamed of Me and
My message in these adulterous and sinful days,
The Son of Man will be ashamed of that person
When He returns in the glory of his Father
With the holy angels.”[6]
Jesus made clear claims
To His Oneness with God.
The disciples witnessed both His words and actions.
They saw him die.
They saw and touched His resurrected body.
Peter said, “For we did not follow
Cleverly devised stories when we told you
About the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,
But we were eye-witnesses to His majesty…”[7]
Both Jesus and Peter referred to and respected
The Old Testament records:
“We also have the prophetic record
As something completely reliable and
You would do well to pay attention to it
As to a light shining in a dark place.”[8]
The Bible is a collection of
66 ancient manuscripts.
It doesn’t claim to be
the last word on every subject.
Aliens, crop circles, pyramid structure, other anomalies
Are not answered in the Bible.
But it does present the most significant
Coherent account of the central events –
Including the foundational conflict on earth with
Dialogue and a story line.
God created everything.
He made a species “in His image”
So He could have a relationship with them.
He wanted the people to choose Him
Not be coerced to allegiance.
His previous created species, an angel line,
Had been seduced by a leading angel to rebel.
God’s archenemy enticed 1/3 of the angels and
Then set about trying to seduce the human race
To defy God.
All humans since have been born with
The same defiant spirit – like an infection
That spreads
But God
Stepped in. He devised a plan.
He chose a people to demonstrate His grace
To all the world.
Through that people, the Hebrews,
He demonstrated His power and
He gave them a written record
This record is a blessing to us.
Deception is rife.
The written record keeps us anchored.
Every fact can be viewed
Through the written record.
How does this information align?
Jesus warns us:
“Make sure that the light
You think you have
Is not actually darkness.”[9]
In light of any upcoming devastation, the most significant thing to be sure about is eternity. All the hectic events happening in the world and all the hectic predictions of what might happen in the future, propel me to want to be anchored on truth that is sure.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our world is challenging. God’s word is my compass and guide.
[1] Paul, Colossians 1
[2] Jesus, Luke 11:21
[3] Revelation 12:9
[4] Jesus, Matthew 22:37
[5] Jesus, Matthew 22:39
[6] Jesus, Mark 8:38
[7] Peter, 2 Peter 1
[8] ditto
[9] Jesus, Luke 11
In this 4 minute video Dr Suzanne Humphries explains why routine medical procedures recommended for newborns need to be questioned, like early cord clamping and injecting vitamin K. She shares the details of how the newborn has been designed to meet the challenges it faces in the inevitable birth trauma.
The Vitamin K injection has been routinely given in the USA since the 1970s.
“The more I read about vitamin K, the more I can’t believe it is injected into newborn infants. Scientific endeavors have shown me that by and large, nature overall didn’t make mistakes. Until babies are 6 months old they are not having a full coagulation. Babies are programmed to be anti-inflammatory and are also programmed not to have the same coagulation as adults. “ Dr Suzanne Humphries
It is important to understand what medical interventions do at birth. The birth canal is a tight passageway; the baby’s cranium is designed to compact in on itself. There is trauma to baby throughout the body. About 30% of babies will have micro hemorrhages from a normal vaginal delivery.
Early cord clamping happens 90% of the time in the USA. When a cord is clamped early, 40% of the baby’s blood remains in the cord. This not only deprives the baby of this vital resource of blood, but it also deprives baby of the life building stem cells which are in the cord blood and have the potential to go in and clear up the brain hemorrhages and provide cell building potential elsewhere in the body. Stem cells can travel through the blood system and repair and rebuild cells – an incredible design feature of the human body.
Injecting vitamin K causes the blood to thicken. If you thicken the blood 1000 – 2000 times more than its natural newborn state, how will that impact the stem cells and their ability to go in and clear and repair cellular damages which naturally result from birth?
The original concern prompting a policy of routine administration of Vitamin K for all infants in the 1970s was intended to protect the vastly small percentage of children who might develop an inter-cranial hemorrhage that can be problematic.
It is important for parents to understand the full spectrum of information regarding vitamin K, early cord clamping, and the infants need of stem cells before accepting this routine medical intervention. No matter what decision you make, it is always a good idea for mom to consume lots of greens which contain vitamin K.
Dr Humphries’ Conclusion: “Parents need to investigate for themselves. If you do decide you need to give vitamin K, I would suggest only giving the drops.”
Interesting points about Vitamin K at birth by a thinking physician who remains anonymous:
“You know what“ synthetic vitamin K” enthusiasts don’t understand? The thought that babies (and all animals for that matter) have lower levels of vitamin K at birth for a beneficial, protective, reason. I’m just going to throw these “common sense-based” thoughts out there but let’s consider them:
and BTW this goes for vitamin K drops as well as the shot.
First, in order to absorb vitamin K we have to have a functioning biliary and pancreas system. Your infant’s digestive system isn’t fully developed at birth which is why we give babies breast milk (and delay solids) until they are at least 6-months-old, and why breast milk only contains a small amount of highly absorbable vitamin K. Too much vitamin K could tax the liver and cause brain damage (among other things). As baby ages and the digestive tract, mucosal lining, gut flora, and enzyme functions develop, baby can process more vitamin K. Low levels of vitamin K at birth just…makes…sense. ???
Secondly, cord blood contains stem cells, which protect a baby against bleeding and perform all sorts of needed repairs inside an infant’s body. Here’s the kicker, in order for a baby to get this protective boost of stem cells, cord-cutting needs to be delayed and the blood needs to remain thin so stem cells can easily travel and perform their functions. Imagine that, baby has his/her own protective mechanism to prevent bleeding and repair organs…this important function of stem cells was only discovered after the routine or giving infants vitamin K injections was well entrenched.
Third, a newborn might have low levels of vitamin K because its intestines are not yet colonized with bacteria needed to synthesize it and the “vitamin K cycle” isn’t fully functional in newborns. Does it makes sense then to bypass the gut and inject vitamin K right into the muscle? Except baby’s kidneys aren’t fully functional either. ..???
Fourth, babies are born with low levels of vitamin K compared to adults, but this level is still sufficient to prevent problems; vitamin K prophylaxis isn’t necessarily needed.
Finally, several clinical observations support the hypothesis that children have natural protective mechanisms that justify their low vitamin K levels at birth. I don’t know about you, but we should probably figure out why that is before we ‘inject now and worry about it later.’
Do you know why vitamin K is pushed on parents and their children? Because pharmaceutical companies don’t like to lose money, doctors don’t like to be questioned, the American Academy of Pediatrics dare not change its recommendations.
Since 1985, the medical profession has known that oral vitamin K raises blood levels 300 – 9,000 times higher. The injectable vitamin K, results in vitamin K levels thousands of times thicker than adult blood levels.
When baby’s blood is thickened with vitamin K stem cells have to move through sludge, not nicely greased blood vessels full of blood which can allow stem cells easy access to anywhere. Maybe one day it will dawn on the medical profession that not only are cord blood stem cells important and useful to the newborn baby, but that stem cells need to travel through thin blood for a reason.”
Any fetus which experiences being wrung out like a wet towel while traveling down a narrow drain pipe, can incur damage in any part of the body, including the brain, and needs an in-built fix-it. We now realize that stem cells cross the brain blood barrier, in fact, stem cells can go … anywhere!!! Amazing don’t you think? God’s design has solutions for situational problems. Three solutions, actually. The second is the fact that naturally, in the first few days, a baby’s blood clotting factors are lower than normal.
But … pediatricians consider this a … “defect” … so they want to give vitamin K which results in blood thousands of times thicker than an adult. This vitamin K injection, so they say … (like they say immediate cord clamping is safe, and normal, and delayed cord clamping is an unproven intervention) … is because the baby wasn’t designed right, and if you don’t give a vitamin K injection, the baby “could bleed to death”.
It’s not for nothing that the vitamin K syringe, sits right alongside that cord clamp and the scissors!
But there is an unanswered question: “Why are blood clotting factors in babies low in the first few days after birth? Why has a baby got much thinner blood as a result?”
Might a logical hypothesis be that thinner blood allows freer and quicker access of cord blood stem cells to any part of the body damaged during birth? After all, why should stem cells have to fight through a baby’s blood which is now thousands of times thicker than any adult’s, courtesy of another needle?”
For further reading, I have compiled more Vitamin K resources and links.
Megan Heimer, who blogs at LivingWhole.org has insight on how baby benefits from having low levels of vitamin K at birth.
Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the Vitamin K debate [1]:
Vitamin K is found in leafy green veggies, mother’s colostrum, fermented foods, organic grass fed meats, aged (raw) cheese, egg yolks, and is made in our gut via E-coli. Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting. Most babies cannot clot blood until about day #8, therefore conventional medical thought assumes they have insufficient Vitamin K. However, this is the way human bodies have functioned since the beginning of time. Hemorrhaging in a newborn after a normal birth is extremely rare. Plus, the lack of Vitamin K is supposed to be supplied by mother to baby via breast milk. This is the NATURAL way to fill that void.
Colostrum has been shown to contain higher levels of Vitamin K thus early and frequent breast-feeding is highly recommended.[2]
Now let’s talk about what is given to babies at the hospital. The Vitamin K given at the hospital is synthetic vitamin K, also known as “phytonadione”. Synthetic anything is bad news because it’s difficult for the body to recognize and properly process. The dose given to your beautiful fresh baby is 20,000 times the amount needed. TWENTY THOUSAND TIMES more than what is needed. Introducing this amount to the underdeveloped immune system is DANGEROUS. The shot contains preservatives and toxins that are extremely harmful to the delicate and new immune system and it directly enters the bloodstream without being filtered through the liver. Additionally, anything that punctures the skin may lead to infection. The Vitamin K shot is fairly new, for centuries we functioned without it. Some scientists have suggest there may be a link between the synthetic vitamin K shot and childhood Leukemia.[2]
I cannot tell you what to do with your precious infant, but my personal stance is that the cons outweigh any good. As a Lactation Counselor and Breastfeeding Advocate, my advice is that you nurse your baby and eat foods naturally rich in Vitamin K both before and after delivery.
If you choose NOT to give a vitamin K shot to your baby, be prepared to be made to feel guilty and awful for not doing so. A vitamin K shot is routine in all hospitals, and many midwives, even those who do home births, continue to push the vitamin K shot. Often they provide a “Fact Sheet” on why it is needed, and try to brush off all concerns regarding the safety of this shot, as “just internet myths”.
Know your facts and be ready to defend yourself. Beware of “Fact Sheets” which push a superior attitude and extol the benefits, while ignoring the role of vitamin K, stem cells, and the role of the gut in production of vitamin K. In general these “Fact Sheets” are designed to create fear and force conformity to medically recommended procedures, not educate. Rarely will the true issues and concerns regarding the vitamin K shot be explained, i.e. synthetic injections of thousands of times more than needed, increased jaundice, blood coagulation, and stem cells. Focus on learning the benefits of thin blood and stem cells – the design is there for a reason. Find a pediatrician who will respect your decision and will be ready and available to sign your newborn’s release form upon leaving the hospital. State your desire clearly in your birth plan, in plain English.
Be prepared to protect your baby in the hospital by never allowing baby out of your sight, preferably not out of your arms. I suggest having one person (not the mother) assigned the role of “baby body guard” (BBG) to stay with baby for whatever ‘procedure’ the hospital staff might suggest they need to ‘take baby to the nursery for.’ It is imperative that the BBG be a very nice and respectful, yet extremely strong person. Hospital staff have been known to attempt many different tactics in order to give medical treatments to babies against the parents wishes. Mother may not be able to provide the protection her baby needs immediately after giving birth.
I highly recommend this article by mommypotamus which describes vitamin K, its role in coagulation, and how to make sure you and baby have safe levels of this essential nutrient.
Parenting forces us to make many difficult decisions. My goal is to provide information that will help you navigate critical parenting decisions with confidence.
Becky Hastings, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Passionate follower of Jesus, seeker of health and truth. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the very real dangers threatening the health and freedom of today’s parents, providing information to navigate towards joyful family living!
[1] Source: Puckett RM, Offering M. Prophylactic vitamin K for vitamin K deficiency bleeding in neonates. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2000, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD002776. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002776.
[2] Pediatric Research (1987) 22, 513–517; Vitamin K1 Content of Maternal Milk: Influence of the Stage of Lactation, Lipid Composition, and Vitamin K1Supplements Given to the Mother. R v Kries, M Shearer, P T McCarthy, M Haug, G Harzer and U Göbel, http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v22/n5/full/pr19871588a.html
[3] The British Journal of Cancer published “Factors associated with childhood cancer” by J. Golding, et al, in 1990. The report indicated that universally administered IM vitamin K injections significantly increase our children’s chances of developing childhood cancer. A
follow-up study published two years later in the British Medical Journal (Golding J, Paterson K, Greenwood R, Mott M. Intramuscular vitamin K and childhood cancer. BMJ 1992; 305:341-346) reinforced the findings of the previous study. The authors’ comments, in keeping with scientific style, are conservatively stated, but parents who are concerned about the health of their babies will read “danger” between the following lines: “The only two studies so far to have examined the relation between childhood cancer and intramuscular vitamin K have shown similar results and the relation is biologically plausible. The prophylactic benefits against haemorrhagic disease are unlikely to exceed the potential adverse effects from intramuscular vitamin K…”
Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.
An expanded re-write might be: He who controls the popular understanding of history controls the future. He who controls the present (especially the media and education) has total control over historical interpretations.
So, who is in charge of our future?
Truly understanding history, figuring out how to look at historic events from all angles and determine bias, is critical to knowing what is going on in the world today.
Most people aren’t that interested in history. It takes time to wade through evidence and facts to get an accurate view of history. Deception has been developed to such a great extent, with more information (and intentional disinformation) available than ever before, that we can be overwhelmed to try to make sense of history.
That’s why I seek God and an understanding heart through a knowledge of the Bible as a priority. The power of the resurrected Jesus Christ – in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge – is the key to interpreting life, past, present and future.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our world is challenging. God’s word is my compass and guide.
Seeking Truth – How do you know if you’ve found it?
We live in confusing perplexing times. I am a truth seeker. Much of the evidence we have takes time to understand and uncover. Daily we are bombarded with information from the mainstream media which seems mostly designed to create anxiety in our hearts. Truth is not always a focus.
We are exposed to so much information on events that are happening all over the world that it becomes very difficult to make sense of it all or to know how to respond.
Many of the events strike terror or fear in our hearts. It’s like there is a worldwide effort to keep citizens in a state of high alert and fear.
There are real enemies; there are real deceivers.
There is truth; there are many involved in cover-up and disinformation. It’s perplexing.
This is not new. It was happening during the time when Peter and John were sharing what they knew of Jesus’ resurrection and the life-giving powerful implications they experienced first hand.
The leaders wanted to shut them up. The leaders put them in jail and harassed them. They wanted a fool-proof plan to control people. They wanted to keep their power and their authority.
Peter and John were not discouraged. They continued to boldly proclaim the message of Jesus, whom they had spent three years with and then had all their hopes dashed as they watched Him die. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, it took them awhile to believe. Jesus had predicted His suffering, death and resurrection, but they had not been able to take it in. Their worldview didn’t allow them to process that information. They had expected a political kingdom which involved driving the Romans out of Israel. Despite having listened to all Jesus’ teaching first hand, they didn’t fully comprehend His life purpose and mission.
When Jesus appeared to them after His death, they were blown away. They saw the power of the living God right before their eyes and they were NOT going to keep quiet.
In our current time it is very difficult to navigate all the information available and figure out what is the truth. Our exposure to information is far greater than our ability to react or respond. One thing we can cling to no matter what is going on, is that the TRUTH of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is as true today as it was for Peter and John over 2000 years ago.
And, Jesus still wants us to be involved in sharing this truth so that those who don’t know, don’t understand, or don’t accept, can learn.
Many have lived in a cloud of deception for so long, it’s really difficult for them to discern what truth is. Paul understood the battle over truth,
“For even if our Gospel (message) is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4
There are active forces at work to prevent you from seeing and accepting God’s truth.
If you have accepted Christ as your savior you have received the Holy Spirit who can guide you into all truth in every area of life. “For In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Jesus Himself came to reveal grace and truth:
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17
The message of Jesus continues to bring blessing all over the world as people hear it and accept the reality that God loves them and wants a relationship with them. Through Jesus it is possible to know God intimately, because Jesus can forgive our sins when we turn and accept Him. In our crazy mixed up world we can have confidence in God’s truth.
The message of Jesus will set you free and set you on a path towards truth.
Imagine the impact it would make if every Christian prayed daily to be guided towards truth and asks God to reveal all deception that impacts their heart and mind. We need God’s wisdom, God’s grace and God’s truth to navigate information in our turbulent times!
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.
I believe God’s plan, as given to us in a short, succinct explanation by Peter, is as relevant today as it was for Cornelius two thousand years ago. Taken from the book of Acts, chapter 10, verses 34-43.
Peter’s explanation to Cornelius, a Roman Army Captain, of God’s plan for all who seek Him:
• God shows no favoritism. He welcomes all people no matter the culture, the background, the skin color, the preferences.
• God accepts those who seek Him, fear Him & attempt what is right – in every culture/nation.
• God’s Good News started with the nation of Israel – via Abraham.
• This is the essential message: there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
• The movement started in Galilee and spread to all Judea after John started to preach his God ordained message of repentance from sin and baptism, paving the way for Jesus.
• God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
• Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil – for God was with Him.
• The apostles were eye-witnesses of all Jesus did from Judea to Jerusalem.
• The leaders in Jerusalem put Him to death by hanging him on a cross.
• God raised Jesus to life on the third day.
• God allowed Him to appear to the apostles – chosen by God in advance to be His witnesses. They ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
• His instructions: preach everywhere and testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all – the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.” Peter, Acts 10:14-43
Peter’s audience enthusiastically received his message and experienced the power of God for themselves. God’s desire is that people today from every country will seek Him and come to experience the life He wants to give them.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, truth seeker, and life coach.
Please feel free to leave a comment if you would like to discuss this more. There is nothing more important than understanding how much God loves you. I’d be happy to try and help.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the true route to health, freedom and joyful family living!
Does God’s plan include me?