Saturday, 30 November 2024
WWIII potentially sparked by Biden, Zelenski Presidents accused by Joe Rogan
Discerning What to Say ?
We need discernment in what we say from our pulpits
The Gospel we preach is political (we declare that Jesus is Lord and “Caesar” is not) and therefore the church is a political community.
We are political in the sense that we are a “contrast community” whose life is ordered under Christ and should be markedly different from other communities.
Our power does not come from wealth, nor power from economic currency, economic standing or military might. Instead it comes from Christian love, prophetic witness, generosity, prayer, personal influence, preaching and sacrificial service.
One hotly contested issue is whether politics
should be preached from the pulpit in America. This is not an easy question. We
should proceed carefully and pray for discernment when faced with the question
of whether to address a political issue from the pulpit.
If we decide to do so, we must be confident that our words and concerns arise from God’s words and concerns as expressed in Scripture. If we are confident that our words and concerns match God’s, we might address the situation directly. If we are not so confident, we might merely raise a question about the issue and say that Christians should pray for discernment. A preacher might be confident in addressing the problem of abortion from the pulpit, for example, but likely would not preach about federal regulation of the aviation industry.
Certainly the post - modern Church could address contentious topics like Climate Change.The sweeping global reality of transgenderism and on the multiple fronts, the social blight of neo- techno Utopianism the emerging challenges of transhumanism. Identity politics, critical race theory and ageism are important issues of today.These social issues are significant problems and are worthy of concerted efforts by pulpits measures.
But in the face of evil, we must not be silent. Silence towards the enemy is tacit to condoning that evil. Evil marches forward when good men are subdued or hesitant. Nations decline and fail when good men and women, boys and girls are missing with inaction separated from vast knowledge- hubs and disengaged from public debare and life. Jesus said, in the world you will have trouble, but be cheerful i have overcome...and so can we.
Unique?
What makes Christianity a unique religion?
bible reading: Luke 1:1–4
key bible verse: Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught. (Luke 1:3–4)
Christianity encourages honest investigation. There was a lot of interest in Jesus, and many people had written firsthand accounts about him. Luke, an apostle, may have used these accounts and all other available resources as material for an accurate and complete account of Jesus’ life, teachings, and ministry. Because truth was important to Luke, he relied heavily on eyewitness accounts. Christianity does not say, “Close your eyes and believe,” but rather, “Check it out for yourself.” The Bible encourages you to investigate its claims thoroughly (John 1:46; 21:24; Acts 17:11–12), because your conclusion about Jesus is a life-and-death matter.
Neil S. Wilson, The Handbook of Bible Application
Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Team Trump
Trump and his Outsider Conservative Team may face an uphill battle with the remainder administration of Biden/ Harris Presidency. However pragmatic and stratafied American know- how shall win the fray. When the enemies of Western democracy say that Trump is too much, it's not ever enough. The US Marines raised its flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Mt Suribachi in the final stages of the Pacific War. Jesus said, I shall be lifted up....
Tribes of Christians versus Government in South Sudan.
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
The Real Cost of Net Zero !
Thursday, 14 November 2024
Monolithic Truth? Or Bologna?
Friday, 8 November 2024
Believe it or not?
Belief in Gods and faith in God
Believe it or not?
We might think that we can divide all human beings into two groups: those who believe in God and those who do not. Often in conversations, one person will ask another, “Do you believe in God?” and receive a simple yes or no.
But that way of thinking obscures the vast complication of the question.
For “God” means many things to many people. There is the highest Hindu god, Brahma, who resides far from the realm of human thought, beyond light and darkness, beyond good and evil. There is Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, who gets jealous and angry, commits adultery and tosses lightning bolts at people. There is Aristotle’s Prime Mover, the first cause of everything, who nevertheless does not know or love anything on the earth. There is the God of pantheists like Plotinus, Spinoza, and Hegel, who are identical to the world and the world to him.
There is the God of deists like Lord Herbert, who thinks that God made the world run according to natural laws and never interfered with it again. To some, God is a benevolent grandfather figure or grandmother whose love excludes any kind of punishment or discipline. To some, God is a blessing disperse-r who gives people everything they want as long as they pray with enough faith. To still others, God is a cosmic policeman who stands ready to pounce on anyone who makes a moral mistake.
Then there are the gods of the amateur theologians, the ones who say, “Yes, I believe in God,” and immediately follow that with, “My God is like this,” or “My God would never do that.”
Clearly, it is not the case that all these “gods” are different names of one being. These “gods” are vastly different. Also we can similarly dismiss the common comment that “under the surface, all religions are the same.” Worshiping Aristotle’s Prime Mover is clearly distinct from worshiping Baal or Aphrodite.
Consider an accomplished, many Oscar-awarded Actor or singer like Taylor Swift. Such are often worshiped as deities or gods. Then there are the sex goddesses of the New Age kind. What of the survivor–gods and money- gods or power or fame? Clearly they are worshiped as gods. Then there is the god of science and technology. Or the universe which many contend acts like a god.
But who is your ultimate god and have you heard of the “one true God?”
Monday, 4 November 2024
Freedom to Believe
Freedom to Believe
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.
The Titanic Crash
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My Zina, Our Beloved. (Revisited again ) Celebrate- even in tears and joy- with so many others and me the love, life, and lovel...
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Australia? Are we Messed up? 2 . We are surrounded by malicious attempts to bypass natural laws and traditional conventions and pa...