The Gates Of Hades

“One of Turkmenistan’s most iconic landmarks, the infamous ‘Door to Hell’, a fiery natural gas crater which has been raging on for more than half a century has finally started to lose its steam, according to scientists monitoring the site. The Darvaza Gas Crater, also referred to as the Gates of Hell or the Shining of Karakum, is located in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert and has been consuming millions of cubic meters of natural gas each year…While the exact origins of the massive sinkhole remain a matter of speculation, it is widely believed to have been ignited in 1971, when a group of Soviet geologists accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas. They then set it on fire to prevent toxic gases from spreading into the air, aiming to avoid a potential environmental disaster that could have poisoned the nearby locals. They reportedly expected the fire to burn out within a couple of weeks. However, the flames continued to burn for more than 54 years, turning the gas crater into one of Turkmenistan’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 10,000 visitors annually who come to witness the hundreds of flames burning inside its depths.”*

The closest thing the Bible comes to anything resembling a “door to hell” is a statement of Jesus in Matthew 16:18: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The Lord had taken His disciples to Caesarea Philippi, home to what was believed by locals to be one of the entrances to a literal underworld. It was a place dedicated to pagan worship of false gods. Jesus’ point here is not to affirm the pagan belief in a literal underground place. His point is that the spiritual forces of darkness will not withstand the advances of His spiritual kingdom. He is equipping His disciples for the daunting task of taking the gospel to difficult places.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://interestingengineering.com/culture/door-to-hell-to-finally-burn-out-after-54-years?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=6705360be2fc7ec1680f85f6

Road Rage

Have you ever been the target of road rage? Or, worse yet, have you been the perpetrator? According to Wikipedia, road rage “...is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by people driving a vehicle. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists in an effort to intimidate or release frustration.”

A recent article on mentalfloss.com shared new research by Consumer Affairs which “...collected data from traffic incidents and violations and car crashes (including fatal ones) recorded across the United States in which the likes of careless or reckless driving, speeding, and gun violence were contributing factors. This information was then used to rank each state on a normalized scale of 0–100 points, with each one then plotted on a map to reveal which states are the angriest behind the wheel.”* The states with the worst road rage, ranked 1-5, were Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, Arkansas, and Montana. The states with the lowest road rage? Utah, Mississippi, California, Iowa, and Maine. But regardless of ranking, it’s never good to mix rage and any kind of heavy machinery, car or otherwise.

The Bible was written long before the time of automobiles, and therefore doesn’t have anything to say directly about road rage as we understand it. But it does speak clearly about uncontrolled fits of anger. “Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31). “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” (Colossians 3:8). Carnal living includes “...outbursts of anger, disputes, dissension…” (Galatians 5:20).

Rage in any form is sinful. It doesn’t matter if we are driving a car or riding a donkey or a camel. It is counterproductive and usually leads to damaging consequences.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/maps/states-with-the-worst-road-rage-map

The Best State

WalletHub.com shared an article by Adam McCann on their website recently titled “The Best And Worst Places To Raise A Family (2025).”* Here is an excerpt: “Families move often and for various reasons. In fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.7 times in a lifetime. Moving can be a sign of opportunity, such as a new job or long-term wealth accumulation, but people may also move because of instability such as foreclosure or job loss. During this period of significant inflation, many families might consider moving to a place with a relatively low cost of living. With families in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 key metrics that consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. While not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a better sense of their options.” In case you were wondering, the top five places were: (1) Fremont, CA., (2) Overland Park, KS., (3) Plano, TX., (4) Irvine, CA., and (5) South Burlington, VT. The five worst places were (182) Memphis TN., (181) Detroit, MI., (180) Cleveland, OH., (179) Gulfport, MS., and (178) Newark, NJ..

Of course, the absolute best “state” in which to raise a family is “in the Lord.” This is a state in which parents endeavor to bring up their children “...in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). It is a state where children are viewed as “...a gift of the Lord…” and not a burden. It is a state in which the commandments of the Lord are taught diligently “...when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Any earthly state will do when you are in the right spiritual state.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-families/4435?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=6705360be2fc7ec1680f85f6

Misusing Our Words

“Don't use a big word when a singularly unloquacious and diminutive linguistic expression will satisfactorily accomplish the contemporary necessity.” We smile at such a statement because it violates the very principle it is trying to promote. But it also highlights a struggle that we all face -- the temptation to misuse our words. Here are some examples from the book of Proverbs:

We can misuse our words by flattering others for sinful purposes. To flatter someone means to use insincere praise and compliments to further your own personal interests. The father in Proverbs 2 encourages his son to seek wisdom and understanding because there are those in the world, like the adulteress, who seek to lead him astray with her words. He cautions against “...the strange woman, from the adulteress who flatters with her words; that leaves the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God…” (Proverbs 2:16-17).

We misuse our words when we speak in destructive ways. “A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire” (Proverbs 16:27). Our words have the power to build someone up or to tear someone down. The outcome depends on how we use our words. Destructive words are like a raging forest fire that ravages a community, wreaking havoc in the precious souls around us.

We misuse our words when we speak too quickly. “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20). It’s easy to blurt some words out before taking time to think about them. It may be easy but it’s also foolish. The problem with hastily spoken words is that they cannot be unspoken. Even if we wish we had held our tongue, the damage is already done.

Perhaps our prayer should be the prayer of the Psalmist: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 10:14).

God loves you!

Mike

Unguarded Moments

A Tessa Solomon article on the ARTnews website yesterday (4-29-25) had the following title: “Child Scratches Mark Rothko Work in Dutch Museum.” Here are the details: “A prized painting by Mark Rothko on display in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam was damaged by a child who made “small scratches” on its surface. The work, titled Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (1960), is housed in the Depot, a storage facility that is open to the public and located next to the main building. The incident occurred during an “unguarded moment,” the museum told the Dutch news outlet Algemeen Dagblad, which said the painting was worth as much as €50 million (roughly $57 million). According to a press statement from the institution, the work sustained superficial but visible damage to the unvarnished paint layer in the lower section of the canvas.”* An “unguarded moment…” Anyone who has raised children can tell their own story like this. You take your eyes off of them for a minute and mayhem can ensue. Perhaps not on this scale but messy or damaging nonetheless. It happens.

Unguarded moments in our spiritual lives can also lead to messy and damaging results. The Bible warns us often to be on guard against various temptations that surround us. Here are some examples: Be on guard against greed (Luke 12:15). Be on guard against unforgiveness (Luke 17:3). Be on guard against dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life (Luke 21:34). Be on guard against those opposed to the faith (2 Timothy 4:14-15). Be on guard against those who seek to lead you astray (2 Peter 3:17). Be on guard against worshipping anything other than God (1 John 5.21).

Wow! That sounds like a lot of work. Thankfully, God offers to help us. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

God loves you!

Mike

*artnews.com

Inner Threats

“U.S. Representative Dan Daniels from Virginia told the National Prayer Breakfast some years ago: “One of the insidious dangers that constantly threaten the American people is that we shall give all of our time and resources to building a wall around the free world, forget the moral foundation of life, and thus be defeated from within. The Great Wall of China was a massive structure, and when completed it gave outward evidence of maximum security. Yet within a short time of its building, it was breached three times by the enemy — not by direct assault, but by bribing the gatekeeper. The collapse of the Wall did not imperil the country, but a failure in character brought about its downfall.

“On the other hand, in fourth century BC Greece, the ruler was asked why, of all the city states of Greece, Sparta alone had erected no walls. He turned to a group of young men nearby and said, ‘Sir, there are the walls of Sparta, and every man a brick.’

So while recognizing the imperative for maximum physical strength, we must see anew that the ultimate security and all that we cherish and hold dear lies in the moral fiber, the spiritual, dynamic strength of our people.”*

This statement about national health is also true for our personal spiritual health. Often our greatest threats come from within. Notice the warning he gives to Israel before they enter the promised land. “Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). Don’t be your own enemy!

God loves you!

Mike

*preaching.com