Os Guinness writes, “Freedom of religion and belief affirms the dignity, worth and agency of every human person by freeing us to align ‘who we understand ourselves to be’ with ‘what we believe ultimately is,’ and then to think, live, speak and act in line with those convictions.”
Just as the individual possesses freedom of conscience, Australia should continue to provide freedom of religion in the land.
This is what I discovered.
It’s what I so desperately needed; perhaps you need this as well?
The enemy uses discouragement as a weapon against you!
Once a person feels distant from God, for some reason or another, their interests are often directed elsewhere because they are discouraged in their relationship with God. This often leads to depression, addictions, obsessions, roller-coaster feelings, spending binges and unbalanced priorities. After a while, the person loses more and more interest in their relationship with God, until they simply don't even bother to pick up their Bibles and spend time with Him.
This is how Satan will use discouragement to destroy a person's relationship with God.The whole reason that Satan (who works through impossible virtuous demands and evil spirits) wants us to feel discouraged is because he wants to get us to a place where we will give up. He wants our relationship with God to just seem "impossible" and too hard to maintain. This leads a person to lukewarmness and deflates their faith in God, because they have no confidence in their relationship with God. The Bible tells us to draw near to God with assurance, having our heart's sprinkled clean from an evil conscience!
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22
The reason that Satan tries to attack is with guilt and shame, is for the very purpose of destroying our confidence in our relationship with God.
Satan uses past failures as well. Satan will also work diligently to convince a person that because of a certain failure(s) in their past, that they cannot be restored in right standing before God. This often involves one sin in particular, such as abortion or sexual immorality. Even though the sin has been repented of (confessed as sin and turned from), the enemy will continue to badger the person with guilt and shame over what they have done, as if they never repented of it! This is known as false guilt, because once a sin is repented of, that failure is washed away by the Blood of Christ. In other words, Satan is pointing at something that is no longer on your account! God's Word tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.
This is a promise!
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
In the above verse, we also find that He won't just cleanse us of certain sins and not others, but we find that He is prepared to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness!
Praise God for His mercy!
—Colton
Anyone who has made it through business school has taken a course in cost accounting. Fewer make millions without business school these post –modern times. So, a few people realized that the subject was a significant reason why Andrew Carnegie became one of the wealthiest men the world has ever known. Carnegie learned about cost accounting during his twelve years with the Pennsylvania Railroad—considered by many as America’s “graduate school of business” in the mid-nineteenth century.
When he bought into the steel business, Carnegie found that most steel mills had no idea whether they were operating at a profit or a loss until their books were balanced at the end of the year.
By instituting a weekly accounting of all functions and knowing precisely how much each activity cost, Carnegie lowered the cost of producing steel from $56 dollars per ton to $11.50 per ton.
Other steel producers scoffed at his efficiency techniques, saying that running the mills twenty-four hours a day would wear out the equipment. That was true, but Carnegie had counted the costs and constantly bought better equipment, replacing older, inefficient equipment even when it was not worn out.
Many called him wasteful, but Carnegie’s mills made a profit while others barely survived. Even though Carnegie knew little about steel, he knew how to institute accounting techniques that would keep him in touch with costs and enable him to take advantage of economies of scale.
CONSIDER THIS: Do you know where your bottom line stands weekly? Have you analyzed each part of your organization to determine how much it contributes? Is your business always improving?
Do you know?
To count the cost in business as well as counting the cost in life! Little do people realise the cost of living life that is not examined reflectively. Thoughtful living is just as intentional as mindful living. Checking in with a mentor every so often is good as checking in is with your God, if you believe. In fact, you can make your human coach more effective, if he or she-- and you are followers of Christ. Your contribution and God’s contribution maximises potential.
Pressured by similar circumstances? Is Europe facing the same danger, decades later?
An Opinion from Digital Anvil.
On Sunday evening of the morning I posted this opinion piece I began having other thoughts about inciting violence of the war-kind. I felt that I should re-consider my previous conclusion with a re- assessment and post an alternative conclusion.
But then a particular scripture appeared from nowhere
Isaiah 35:4
Say to them that are of a fearful heart,’ be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you.’
Nota Bene: Love covers multiple sins ( for sure) as the central theme of the Bible. Iran’s theocracy is a dictatorial Government and a vastly unpopular regime. A Given is the nature of the iron-fisted rule of the people of Iran by the selected but not popularly voted Ruling class of callous and hard=hearted autocratic individuals.
Certainly I dislike ridicule and persecution for speaking unpopular notions but I fear more the God of the Bible. More than the sarcasm and withering looks that vain peers can give. Cold hearts and bloodthirsty mouths may insult and injure, but I wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm (Keep calm.)
