Hope: A Belief in the Beyond ?

 

Romans 15:13

Hope is powerful. Perhaps the most powerful thing we have. Sometimes, it is all we have.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Haiti in January 2010 destroyed buildings and killed or maimed tens of thousands of people. As hope for victims began to fade, the discovery of a survivor in the wreckage of a hotel grocery store renewed the resolve of many. Rescuers pulled Wismond Exantus from the rubble 11 days after the earthquake. Exantus told reporters from his hospital bed that the first thing he wanted to do was find a church to give thanks. He said he spent the time praying, reciting psalms, and sleeping. He summed up his experience saying, “I wasn’t afraid because I knew they were searching and would come for me.”

 

I have a Dream ? (In the Footsteps).

 

 

Challengers & Reformers:

We have Visions and Dreams

      Challenges by Humans

How can people challenge one another?

          Bible reading: Nehemiah 2:11–20  ( OT)

key bible verse: I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Good! Let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. (Nehemiah 2:18)

We can challenge others by sharing our vision. Spiritual renewal often starts with one person’s vision. Nehemiah had a vision, and he shared it with enthusiasm, inspiring Jerusalem’s leaders to rebuild the walls.

We frequently underestimate people and don’t challenge them with our dreams for God’s work in the world. When God plants an idea in your mind to accomplish something for him, share it with others and trust the Holy Spirit to impress them with similar thoughts. Don’t regard yourself as the only one through whom God is working. Often, God uses one person to express the vision and others to turn it into reality. When you encourage and inspire others, you implement teamwork to accomplish God’s goals.

                                  +++++++++++++++

          Bible reading: 2 Peter 3:1–18  (NT)

key bible verse: Grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

We can expect the world to challenge our faith. Peter concludes this brief letter as he begins by urging his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—to get to know him better and better. This is the most crucial step in refuting false teachers. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey or how mature we are in our faith, the sinful world will constantly challenge our faith. We still have much room for growth. If we find some way to draw closer to Christ every day, we will be prepared to stand for truth in all circumstances.

                            +++++++++++++++++

 

► Challenges by God

 

In what ways does God challenge us?

                                   

          Bible reading: John 8:31–47   (NT)

key bible verse: Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? (John 8:46)

We are challenged to “test” Jesus. In several places, Jesus intentionally challenged his listeners to test him. He welcomed those who wanted to question his claims and character as long as they were willing to follow through on their discoveries. Jesus’ challenge clarifies the two most frequent reasons that people miss encountering him: (1) they never accept his challenge to test him, or (2) they test him but are not willing to believe what they discover. Have you made either of those mistakes?

                            ++++++++++++++++++++++

          Bible reading: Joshua 1:1–9  (OT)

key bible verse: No one can stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. (Joshua 1:5)

God challenges us to let him help us with our challenges. Joshua’s new job consisted of leading more than 2 million people into a strange new land and conquering it. What a challenge—even for a man of Joshua’s calibre! Every new job is a challenge. Without God, it can be frightening. With God, it can be a great adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with us as we face new challenges. We may not conquer nations, but we face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations every day. However, God promises never to abandon or fail to help us. We can conquer many of life’s challenges by asking God to direct us

 

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 Neil S. Wilson, The Handbook of Bible Application (Adapted) .

 

Relativity ?

 

  The Primary Elements in Our Internal Life

 The classic rebuke of Relativity.

 

 Many people like me, who think objective truth is essential, express the conviction of absolute or objective truth in terms of the classic distinction between intellect, will, and emotions or feelings. In this view, the intellect knows, the will decides and the feelings, feel. According to Plato and many other ancients, it is crucial that the intellect, not the will or the emotions, should direct the course of our lives. Indeed, the other faculties ought to be subservient to the intellect so that the intellect governs what the will decides and the emotions feel.

I think we all understand what dynamic Plato refers to here. Often, it does seem as though these three faculties conflict. Sometimes, we make choices that, in retrospect, we agree to be stupid, we admit that we should have subordinated will to intellect. Of course teenagers in love proverbially get into trouble by following their feelings rather than what they know to be true.

But there is something wrong with this picture. We know that intellect, will, and emotions are not little entities fighting among themselves in our heads. In the final analysis, it is not the intellect that knows but the person. Similarly, it is the person who chooses and the person who feels. “Intellect” is just a name for something we do, our thinking. The intellect is the person’s thinking, the will of his choosing, and the emotions his feeling.

So it is not as if each of these came to a conclusion independently and then tried to persuade or intimidate, coax or cajole the others to go along. Nor do these faculties compete to impress their individual or collective views on the person—instead, the three constantly influence one another. Our thinking, of course, influences our willingness and our feelings. We would like to believe that our choices are based on the truth and that what we feel about something is appropriate to what that thing is. But it’s also the case that our choices and feelings influence what we believe to be true. If I barrack for Australia, that choice will make it easier for me to think good things about Australia  and bad things about their opponents. So my will affects my intellect. Similarly if I have a warm affection for Australia, that emotion will also affect my beliefs and my choices.

That is the crux of my rebuke of relative truth. Comment if you will, add or amplify your thoughts. You are most welcome.

 

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Still Flying

 

 

 

A Wedding Prayer:

Almighty God, look mercifully on __J___ and __M___ in the new life which they have begun together. Unite them evermore in your love. Keep them faithful to their promises. Strengthen them with every good gift. And let your peace be always with them.

in Christ's Name,

 ^.

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What Became of Modern ?

 

 

“Modernity” has deeply affected most academic fields: “In literature, a whole generation of de-constructionists has emerged within the universities who, despite their calling to be custodians of the nation’s language, now make their living by denying that words have any meaning at all. Words mean only whatever we wish them to mean.”

Quote from D.F.Wells.