Deceitful above all things

September 24th, 2024

Just follow your wicked, unclean, evil, deceitful, blind, unjustified, fallen, dead, hostile, unbelieving, impure, defiled, detestable, disobedient, worthless heart.

Without Christ, you have a terminal heart condition.

(Gen 6:5; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 5:14-19; Isaiah 65:12; Jerimiah 13:23; Jerimiah 17:9; John 14:17; Romans 14:17-18; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Romans 14:9; Romans 8:7; Titus 1:15-16)

I’ve been assembling these verses for some time. All my life I’ve heard people incorrectly say that they are born good and that their heart will lead them Christ or to heaven (or some other phrase written on a refrigerator magnet). This is clearly not the heart that is described in the bible. The whole premise that we want to do good goes against what the Bible teaches. We are enemies of God, born in sin with hell as our destiny, but the miracle of God is that while we were yet sinners He died to set us free from that sin. Faith in the work of Jesus Christ is the key to salvation but it doesn’t come from our heart, it too is a gift from God. Without faith, nobody would repent and turn to Christ and be saved.

Scanning Photos with a Canon RS40

August 9th, 2024

My mom passed and I was give her photographs to scan for my sibs.

I have a slide scannner I bought years ago but never used. I’m still waiting for a boring winter day when scanning slides is more attractive than cleaning the cat box. I digress.

The solution I’ve found is a Canon imageFORMULA RS40 Photo and Document Scanner. I thought it was going to be nice to scan pictures with the auto feeder. This thing is so much more than that. First of all, it will take anything from a wallet to an 8×10. And you can feed it different sized photos at the same time.

If you can stack them up, it will scan them. The biggest challenge was configuring it for black and white or color and then where to put the output files. Once this is done you basically have a button that you press for the type of photos you’re going to scan. The process goes like this.

Drop in a stack of pictures and scan them.

I’m scanning front and back at the same time to pick up on any info on the back of pictures (mostly dates and people’s names) and I end up with two images. Here’s where the cool stuff happens. When scanning completes, you are presented with a batch of images for review. Almost no images are cockeyed. The scanner straightens them although you may have to rotate them to be right side up.

You rarely have to crop anything to the size of the paper because the scanner uses magic to size the image to the size of the paper of that specific photo. Using simple point and click tools, you can rotate, crop, straighten, and minor color adjustments. So far, I found these simple tools were enough. While reviewing I select all the blank backs of photos and delete them.

When finished with the batch, you then save them.

At around 1000 photos the machine started feeding slowly or failing to feed. I just wiped the rollers down with rubbing alcohol. Works like new again.

It’s easier to scan loose photos because you don’t have to pull them out of albums. I did over 200 photos of various sizes in a stack in about one hour even though all the images had a curl to them.

By the grace of God, years ago my mom pulled all her photos out of the old paper albums and put them into 3 ring binders with plastic sleeves. I’m now doing my mom’s photo albums which require me to pull them from the plastic sleeve, scan, then return them to the plastic sleeves. There are 10 images per page and it takes 5-minutes to do a page. I did 600 images in a full day of scanning.

My own photos are still in the Fotomat envelopes (showing my age) so I should be able to scan them in bunches. Now if you happen to find a slide scanner with similar automation, please let me know.

Treasures found in mom’s stuff

July 3rd, 2024

Dad’s hunting trophy

Dated 1964.

The coffee mug of my childhood

To anyone else, this is just a coffee mug. Maybe from a diner or something. We’ve all grown up with certain kitchen items that bring back our childhood. This is mug is just that. I’d guess a few thousand cups of coffee and tea have been served in this mug.

Grandma’s Bear

This bear could only be found in one place — Gramma’s house. The eyes have been replaced and the fuzz is warn off. No bear has been loved so much.

June Leo, June 23, 1935 – June 16, 2024

July 2nd, 2024

Eulogy for Mom

Delivered at St. Bridgets Catholic Parish, Mesa, AZ


For those who don’t know me, I am “#4”

On behalf of my family I want to thank each of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here. Thank you to the choir members and to Father and Deacon, and the volunteers.

I grew up with 5 kids in the family. 6 children were never born. Yet mom named them because she knew that they were persons from conception. They were her children and like all her children she loved them.

The 5 of us who were born are… #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5. Over the years we’ve joked about who mom loved most. Was it #1, Ken, #2, Lorraine, #3, Ray, #5 Paula or #4 myself. The answer is none of them. Spend some time with mom and it wasn’t long before you would learn who she loved the most — Jesus. She wrote songs, poems, painted pictures of and about Jesus. Mom wanted everyone to know him.

We are gathered here to celebrate mom’s life — a live well lived. The bad news is that life here on earth comes to an end, we die. The reason we die is sin. It started in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve sinned and part of the curse was death. It’s because of sin that we die. We’re all sinners.

You’re a sinner if you’ve:

  • Used God’s name as a curse word.
  • Stolen anything.
  • Didn’t always honor your parents.
    …and this is just three of the 10 Commandments.

As a result, we’re all going to die as proof that we’re sinners. Our destiny without Jesus is Hell. Yes, I said hell in church. If you’re not happy with the show you can get your money back on the way out. While hell is not a nice word God made both heaven and hell. He’s not just a god of love, he’s also a god of Justice. The bible is clear that we who sin will spend eternity paying for our own sins that we’ve committed in this life.

That’s the bad news.

The Good News is the one mom loved the most — Jesus!

Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life. And because he was God, only he could pay for ALL our sins. Where we could only pay for our own sins, Jesus could pay for the sins of everyone.

Jesus died on the cross, and just as he rose from the dead — All who believe will rise as well.

MOM BELIEVED!

So the real celebration today is not for her short time on earth – no – we’re celebrating her life in heaven. By the gracious gift of God that was given to her, mom believed in the work of Jesus. That by his payment on the cross she could turn from her sins and trust in Jesus. So today she is writing songs, and poems, and celebrating Jesus with the six children we’ve never met. She is celebrating and worshipping the one she loved most.

If she were here, she would be praising God and telling each of us to put our faith in the one she loves most — Jesus!

Let’s pray…

Pizzelle

January 2nd, 2024

Grandma Leo used to make pizzelle when I was a child. Usually around Christmas or Easter. They have a very unique anise flavor and crunch. I recently discovered that the pizzelle can be rolled and used as shells for cannoli’s. With that, I knew I needed a pizzelle grill.  But I hate single purpose kitchen utensils. Why not get one that also makes waffles. It seems impossible to find a new one that is both a waffle and a pizzelle maker. So, I turned to eBay and found what I needed, made by Rival. Tonight, it arrived and I was off to making pizzelle. Yum.

When you know what you like

January 1st, 2024

We’re not “car people.” We’re “Point A to Point B” people. It’s a simpler life than trying to impress people. 

My last car was a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer. My latest car is a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer. 

Jenny got a new(er) car. A 2015 Subaru Outback to replace her 2011 Subaru Outback. 

Here’s how it happens.

 

And life just goes on.

Conversations I never thought I’d have

January 1st, 2024

Growing up in Illinois meant that all things guns are bad. Bad people (and maybe a hunter or two) own guns. No consideration is given to self-defense of good people. So, moving to a conservative community with almost zero experience with guns has resulted in some conversations that I never thought I’d have… at church none the less. 

A gentleman approaches and says, “Do you shoot 40?” It strikes me as odd that A) someone is asking me if I shoot 40 caliber ammo in my gun; B) that I know what the term 40 even means. C) someone would think that I might the kind of person who shoots guns… at all. Who have I become?

It’s strikes me as odd that I said, “Yes, I do.”

He hands me a paper bag with something in it. It’s heavy. I shake it. It strikes me as odd that I know that sound. It’s ammo. 

He then says, “I got this as a white elephant gift at a party. I don’t shoot 40, so it’s yours.” It strikes me as odd that someone would think it socially acceptable to give ammunition as a white elephant gift.

When I got home from church, I looked in the bag. It’s strikes me as odd that I know right off that it’s not just any 40 caliber ammo, it’s hollow-point ammo that one carries for self-defense and that I know it’s quite valuable. 

This boy from Illinois is still trying to get the “Illinois” out of my very DNA. Thankfully, more and more, as I learn about such topics as this, I’m becoming more and more “Idaho.” 

Christmas Bear Ornament circa 1988

December 8th, 2023

Before Christ, we can do no good.

November 23rd, 2023

Can someone who is unrighteous do any good deeds in God’s eyes? Prior to salvation you were Unbelieving, impure, defiled, detestable, disobedient, worthless – Titus 1:15-16. Does this describe good works that secure salvation? Obviously not. Here are some other characteristics of us prior to righteousness:

  • Wicked – Gen 6:5
  • Unclean, filthy menstral cloth – Isaiah 64:6; Romans 5:14-19
  • Evil – Isaiah 65:12; Jerimiah 13:23
  • Deceitful – Jer 17:9
  • Blind to the Holy Spirit – John 14:17
  • Under the Law and unjustified – Romans 14:17-18
  • Fallen – Romans 3:23
  • Dead by Adamic Law – Romans 5:12; Romans 14:9
  • Hostile toward God – Romans 8:7
  • Unbelieving, impure, defiled, detestable, disobedient, worthless – Titus 1:15-16

Prior to salvation, everything you do, and think are detestable to God. Can he love you enough to save you in that state? Of course. That’s the good news of the Gospel. That you were an enemy of God, detestable, deserving God’s judgement and hell. But by His death and resurrection, Christ not only paid the price for your sins and took upon himself your sins, he also gave you HIS righteousness.

Back to the original questions. Can someone who is righteous do any good deeds in God’s eyes? Of course. Do these good deeds save us? Absolutely not. As mentioned above, Jesus paid it ALL. The good works of righteous people are evidence of salvation. We glorify God for our works and we give God the glory for our works because they are the result of salvation. The good works of a Christian point to Jesus Christ as the source.

Happy Reformation Day!

October 31st, 2023

What are those crazy Protestants protesting? 

On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther called the leadership of the Catholic church to return to the original biblical foundation for their faith. They refused. In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he was famously defiant. For his refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic. He was declared an anathema and condemned to hell along with all those who believe that salvation is Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura, and Soli Deo Gloria (Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, by scripture alone, to the glory of God alone). The principle of salvation is not our doing for that would take away from the work of Christ. He alone saves those who believe. The beginning of salvation is by the action of God first, granting us faith in the work, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then sanctification begins by repentance as a result of that belief. I encourage all who read this to make God’s word the foundation of your faith (and not that of your pastor, priest, bishop, deacon, pope, elder or the Book of Mormon, Catechism, Book of Common Prayer, Watch Tower, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, etc). Just the Bible. It has all that you need to learn the most important principles of Christianity without all the additional and conflicting stuff that many religions add. 

Happy Reformation Day!

Why I believe the Bible is truly the Word of God

September 2nd, 2023

“I choose to believe The Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, reporting supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed their writings are Divine and not of human origin.” — Voddie Baucham

It is the only book of prophecy that has never been wrong. It’s objective description of morals, science and logic wouldn’t make sense without it. No other ancient document is as tested and reliable. The over 65,000 cross references from beginning to end is pretty overwhelming evidence that it’s origin is divine when you consider the many authors over centuries. The Bible was written in 3 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe), written in 3 Languages, (Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek).

It’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses and they report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim that their writings are Devine rather than human in origin. At least 301 eyewitnesses were still alive at the time of the resurrection during the letter to the 1st Corinthians was written. There were over 6000 manuscripts and portions of manuscripts within two decades of the original writings.

Scientific methods must be Observable, measurable, repeatable – history is none of these You do not use scientific methods to prove Historical Events. The Bible uses the evidentiary method, which the Bible has been proven over the centuries to be infallible.

How to judge a church

March 29th, 2023

In progress…

Many Churches listed here wear the Christian moniker even though some of them are completely at odds with each other with regards to their theology. Most churches have very good children’s programs. All of these churches (I’m guessing) would say they have biblical sermons. You might want to ask more questions…

1.) What is a biblical sermon? Is the pastor more of a “life coach” that reads a verse and then spends the rest of the sermon telling you how to live a successful, peaceful life in the world? Is the pastor a student of the bible that spends his week studying the verses he will be preaching on to expose details about the author, the culture of the time, how the audience would have understood the verse, what theological principles in the verse are corroborated in other books of the bible, your responsibility to act on the verse, how the verse points to the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and how to apply it today?

2.) What is the gospel message of Jesus Christ? Does the church preach all about God’s love, believing in Jesus and that if you love others, you’re going to heaven. I think all churches would agree about God’s love. Demons believe in Jesus, so do Muslims. Atheists love others. Apparently there must be more to the gospel message. Consider this, if the Gospel is good news, what’s the bad news? Is the bad news more than just the challenges of this life? What about when you fail to love others? What if you question your belief in Jesus at times? If God is love, why do bad things happen to good people? The gospel answers and addresses all of these things. If the gospel message you hear doesn’t include your responsibility for sinning, and Jesus responsibility for your sin, addressing hell as the consequences of sin, then you may not be hearing the same gospel the Apostles preached in the bible. Jesus paid it all and yet there’s still a hell, so someone isn’t included in the word all. If you’re unsure of your security in heaven, you may want to find a church that addresses this using the word of God — the Bible.

3.) Does the church address sin as “sin” and the consequences that result from sin, or just make light of them as mistakes that God can overlook? Hint: God cannot overlook even the smallest sin. Does the church say that Jesus died for your sin and then explain that you need to be a good person who helps others and does good deeds in order to go to heaven? Or does is say that Jesus paid it all and that unsaved people can do good works in the eyes of the world but not in the eyes of God who requires a perfect standard? And how might one achieve that perfect standard? How do our efforts play into salvation if Jesus paid the price in full?

4.) Is the church structure dictated by the pastor, tradition, or the Bible? The bible has some very clear instructions for the structure of the church, qualifications for those who preach, titles of church offices (hint: there are only two mentioned), and even the proper handling of discipline in the church that is designed to bring wayward believers back into the fold rather than push them away through punishment.

5.) Are there biblical roles of men that is different from women based on their differences, roles in the family, purpose and responsibility that do not demean one over the other? Does the church recognize that men and women are different in some ways and very much equal other ways in the eyes of God?

6.) Does the church teach that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are A) three different Gods? B) One God that manifests himself in three ways? C) Three co-equal persons in the same deity?

Sometimes we simply don’t know what we don’t know. Maybe some of these questions will help all of us question the church we want or the church we attend. Seek the truth for the rest of your life and don’t stop asking questions. It will set you free.

Asbury, revival?

March 13th, 2023

“The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it!” George Whitefield, 1739 during the Great Awakening. The Church today is in desperate need of a revival, no doubt. I long for a revival of The Church. Unfortunately, the truth of Scripture is too often set aside in pursuit of the emotional high of a mystical experience.

The Great Awakening was a dramatic revival that began in New England as early as 1726. As observed by Jonathan Edwards, the number of conversions showed a remarkable increase. Edwards published his first book on the revival in 1736. He could not know that what he was witnessing were the first hints of the greatest revival in American history that continued to 1740. By the time it was over, virtually every community in the colonies had been effected by the revival. It was marked by strong preaching, a resurgence of sound doctrine, emphasis on justification by faith, powerful conviction of sin, conversions, and dramatically transformed lives. The Great Awakening as it was known lasted not fourteen days, but about fourteen years. In Timothy and Titus, God is clear about how men can judge the sanctification of men by patiently observing them over time before enlisting them in an office of the church. Time is one solid tool that God has given us to judge what we don’t know. By this measure, Asbury was hardly a blip.

When you heard of Asbury, were you revived? Not just inspired, given a good feeling, or warmed in your heart, but REVIVED? If you knew the Holy Spirit was acting upon His people in a miraculous way, how would it effect you? What in your life changed as a result of Asbury? Maybe you didn’t need reviving, or maybe this wasn’t a revival.

Traditionally though a revival is something that is almost dead that is brought back to life and health. Thus a revival of the church is a revival of an almost dead church, brought back to the source of life (Christ) by the Holy Spirit. Revival can be personal. A backslidden Christian can experience the working of the Holy Spirit through the reading, study, hearing and conviction of God’s word. A church (as opposed to The Church) can move from preaching that exemplifies a life coach to handling God’s word as a sword that lifts up faithful believers to be accountable, discipline and disciplined by elders faithful submission to, study, preaching and exposure of the word of God.

Yet some churches don’t need a revival. John MacArthur once said in a sermon, ‘People sometimes say to me, “Have you ever had a revival in your church?” and I say, “Well, no, we’ve never been dead.” So, what’s to revive?’ Which leads me to ask, was Asbury dead? If it needed reviving, why was it allowed to die in the first place?

Many people measure a revival by it’s trappings. It went on many hours, hundreds or thousands of people attended, there was singing, there was prayer, tongues, healings, miracles, conversions, baptisms, visiting preachers, and on and on. If this is the earmarks of a revival, then revivals happen every Sunday at charismatic churches all over the world. While a revival may have some of these things, I challenge the premise that these things are indicative of a revival. There are many examples of fake TV evangelists who can gin up all of the above using trickery, emotional manipulation, and fakery by actors in the audience — without any need of the Holy Spirit. In fact, I myself have experience being “slain in the spirit” on more than one occasion. I can testify that I don’t think it had anything to do with the Holy Spirit but another spirit. It seems that the church today follows feelings and emotional euphoria to be the final arbiter of any legitimate move of God.

I’ve seen fliers promoting an event where a visiting evangelist is coming for a revival in town. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit is in obedient submission to the evangelist. After all, the evangelist can schedule a time when the Holy Spirit will show up and perform on queue like a circus bear, pack up, and head off to the next revival. Is that really how the bible describes the working of the Holy Spirit? If the revival was generated by THE Holy Spirit, why doesn’t the excitement of the church that promoted it infect everyone and every church in the area like a forest fire? Instead, the evangelistic efforts of the group peter out before the checks are cashed.

What if I said “I went to a revival and there were people praying, singing, reading the bible, preaching and levitating.” Hopefully something in that statement brought into question the entirety of the statement. Yet when people say Asbury has all the earmarks of a revival and there was also heretical behavior, people set aside their skepticism, discernment, biblical knowledge and praise God for the revival. People who are skeptical by nature simply believe that the Holy Spirit performed a miracle by stepping into the course of humanity and generated a revival of God’s people that spread out for 4 city blocks, 100,000 people attended over time, prayers were prayed, a dozen songs (some written by non-Christians) were sung over and over, the bible was preached a few times and even by women, people spoke in tongues without interpreters, a woman was psychosomatically healed of a sprained ankle, there were news stories of how long this lasted, in interviews people spoke of the Holy Spirit moving in the church, endorsements came from at least two known heretical preachers, many people felt the love of Jesus, and when this movement couldn’t be contained any longer and was about to explode on the world… the president of the college scheduled the shutting down of the Holy Spirit so they could get back to the activities of their Christian college. Hopefully some things in that statement brought into question the entirety of the statement. I think as a whole, this was not a revival. I believe though that some people, in spite of all the nonsense, were moved by the Holy Spirit and experience true revival in their spiritual lives that will go on to effect the lives of many others. At least I hope so.

I’m confident that when the Holy Spirit causes a revival, God’s word will be preached in Spirit and in truth, the entirety of The Church will be held up by the Holy Spirit and never tire or wain in faith, and there won’t be room for skepticism, even by people like me. Does anyone expect anything less from the God of the universe?

Evergreen forests

March 4th, 2020

RANT: Dear Commissioner Dan, Now that the snow is beginning to melt and I look out my window at the local forests, it reminds me that the county is taking in green hand-over-fist. And frankly, it’s monotonous.  I’m not here to complain about taxes this time although I would like to discuss the fact that you’re not collecting the gravel put down on the roads for reuse next winter. No, I’m talking about the monochrome green that you see when looking at the pine forests of Bonner County. Can’t you people be a little more creative for the amount we pay you with our hard earned cash. Yes, I know they’re evergreens (except when they’re not). But why green? Do the commissioners realize that “Experts estimate that we can distinguish perhaps as many as 10 million colors”? (Wyszecki, Gunter. Color. Chicago: World Book Inc, 2006: p824. I can use the internets, too) . Did you know that Razzmatazz, Fallow, and Caput Mortuum are names of colors? Why can’t the commissioners make laws that encourage more color in our local forests? Sure, they get snow flocking on them in the winter but did I mention 10 million colors?! That’s like one color for every person in Bonner County every year for a really long time. And I’m not just talking about in the fall. I say, out with the evergreen and in with the everpurple. Dang, my spell checker tells me that everpurple isn’t even a word. When I’m elected commissioner, I will fix that, too.

~Thomas (A Concerned Citizen)


Original Post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295451137833488/permalink/499637274081539/


Nuclear Heat In Our Homes

February 3rd, 2020

RANT: Dear Commissioner Dan, I hope you’re enjoying the heat my tax dollars pay for in your luxury office in that ivory tower county office building. I’m not fooled by the milder weather lately; we all know how cold North Idaho can get and how high our heating bill climbs on those cold days. I know the commissioner job is difficult when it comes to getting people on board with truly innovative ideas that will make everyone happier. Maybe people are just cold to the idea that government doesn’t warm people’s hearts. I’m going to change that. The other day I saw on a reliable internet news source that Idaho is home to a national laboratory that does nuclear stuff. As a result of their poor management and inability to think creatively, they have lots of “hot” nuclear waste that will be lying around for a few hundred thousand years.  When I say “hot,” I mean hotter than the halftime show at the Superbowl. These “scientists” make more than commissioners and yet they can’t figure out how to use this stuff for anything. And that’s when it hit me like a bolt out of the blue! What if the county commissioners simply used this waste to heat water and pipe it to every home in Bonner County? I could eliminate the expense of my electric water heater which would then pay for the new pipes. But wait, what if there were already pipe in place to most of the houses in the county that we could use? What I’m referring to is using the same pipes that bring the internet to our homes invented by Al Gore. The dual use of these pipes will guarantee savings and give the county some serious bucks with which to populate the entire county with $4000 garbage cans like they have in Sandpoint. At first they seem ridiculously expensive but those cans are connected to the internet via WIFI and can wirelessly transport the garbage to the dump through the pipes. Now imagine the savings and convenience of having these babies near your house! We may need to find another use for the dump trucks. I’m working on a secret program involving dump trucks and transporting kids to school but I’ll save that for another post. The challenges commissioners face topple over like dominoes when a creative person with a lot of idle time starts thinking of solutions. When the county realizes the benefit of having a resource like me, my election to be commissioner will be a landslide.

~Thomas (A Concerned Citizen)


Original Post: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.leo.545/posts/10207363985015021