Use the Gift God has given You

“[God] has given each one of us a special gift.” Ephesians 4:7 NLT

Paul said that when Jesus “ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people” (v. 8 NLT). He used the metaphor of a victorious king. It was common in Paul’s day for the conquering monarch to return to his palace with prisoners and treasures in tow. He celebrated his conquest by giving gifts to his people. So did Jesus. Having defeated sin and death on the cross, He ascended to heaven, took His rightful place at the right hand of God, and “gave gifts to his people”.

What a delightful thought! Jesus, eternally crowned, distributing abilities and skills: “Joe, take your place in the domain of medicine. Mary, your territory is accounting.” Everybody gets a gift. And these gifts come in different doses and combinations. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).

Our inheritance is grace-based and equal, but our assignments are tailor-made. No two snowflakes are the same. No two fingerprints are the same. Why would two skill sets be the same? No wonder Paul said, “Understand what the Lord wants you to do” (Ephesians 5:17 NLT).

Do you understand what the Lord wants? If not, you’ll lead a dull, joyless, and fruitless life. You’ll never sing the song God wrote for your voice and never cross the finish line with heavenward-stretched arms and declare, “I was made to do this!” That’s why the Bible says: “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done” (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

SoulFood: Josh 19:24–21:45 Mark 10:23–34 Ps 111 Pro 23:4–6

My earnest thanks to Vision.org.au

From Digital Anvil.

 What?

 I used to be a man  trapped  in a woman's body...and then...I was born.

Seen on the back of a man's teashirt.

From Digital Anvil.

Piano Man: In the early 1970s, a young man made two attempts to take his life. He was desperate, alone, homeless, and sleeping in a laundromat. After a short stay in a medical facility, he tried to get his life back on track. He started playing piano in a bar for some extra cash. He was a gifted musician. Over the following months, he wrote a song about his experiences with the regulars. The song is called Piano Man, and the singer was Billy Joel. The song became an anthem for a generation. As we all know, Billy Joel has gone on to be an international superstar, but at one time he had no hope and no future. No matter how tough life is, don’t give up. Talk to friends, pray, seek God—and who knows what the future may hold.   Share this daily reading. Karl, thanks. (From Digital Anvil )

 Fascism and Anti-Fascism

 

Yes? Yes!

History does repeat itself.

In Old and in the New Russia as in China, private institutions cozy up ,align with and partner with the Government of the day. It happened in war-time Italy and Nazi Germany. It happened in the USA.

Its happening now. Flourishing with the seasons,  waning with the moon and arising with every temple of man.

Fascism lives on -both sides of the Aisle.

Similar values set the trajectory for Governments, companies and of course, individuals to align. Lies, half - truths and politicians...and intellectuals line the zig-zag path of every political system.

Trump or Biden. Its all about surviving, then thriving.

I contend, like many others, that if Fascism exists, then the new Fascism movement will arise in a new anti- fascist disguise.

Perhaps you and I can fathom the cleverness of the Establishment or the Elites in their use of we the sheep?

What we do, defines the path of the " last laugh."

We need a new seed.

Time and time again, God has raised up champions. To direct, guide and instruct the neighbourhood of women and men. We need to ponder the outcome of every sum of effort, time, heart and mind to specify the decisions before we set an untoward path and give our enemy -the last laugh.

Do you hear the music, do you hear the song, if not, you have been deceived for far too long.

 

Heed a voice,give a good cheer,a  champion whom we hold dear is almost Here. Time will tell whom we love or hate, the Second Coming has a hidden but nearing date.

 By Digital Anvil.

" Kill All Jews"

 Kill All Jews

 

“Kill all Jews” was graffitied on a wall in Germany, 80 years after the Holocaust.

 A synagogue in Cottbus was defaced with a swastika. Just one day earlier, graffiti calling for the murder of Jews was found in Berlin.

These were not isolated incidents. They were part of a wave of antisemitic attacks plaguing Germany.

Remember when they said “globalize the intifada” wasn’t a call for violence against Jews? Remember when they said BDS was just about boycotting “apartheid”? Remember when they swore it was only about Zionists, Palestinians, or freedom?

It wasn’t. It never was.

It was always about hating Jews.

(From Digital Anvil.)

Final Comments:

 Where on earth,can ~14 mega Israelis date, marry and live to continue their heritage, existence and society in relative peace,prosperity, perpetuity and purpose without harassment,obstruction and terrorism?

Israel, the Land of the Bible.
Deemed by a 1948 ( then sympathetic ) United Nations to reside in an ancient space that rightfully theirs for~ 3000 years.

A flea vs Dragon. A David vs Goliath.

Israel vs the hostile world. Ancient claim vs modern denial. Iran vs Israel.

BDS vs Christians. Divest vs Invest.

America = Israel and sympathetic nations. Curse vs Blessing.

GOD aligned with His Chosen nation.

(Choose today whom ? Your prosperity depends on it.)

Believe it or not? Your verdict carries weight,maybe it's not too late.

 Truth or Dare? (Part 2)

 

They Dared and now It's Declared that We weren't Spared...

 ...The Harm of their Intellectual Charm!

 

 For all the proud Enlightenment boasts such as Kant’s Aude sapere  (Dare to know), contemporary accounts of Western intellectuals leave the myth of the dispassionate truth seeker in tatters. The real situation is frequently the opposite. Many thinkers are truth twisters. For every thinker who desires to conform his thinking to reality, there are others whose desire is clearly to conform reality to their thinking. 

The cleverer the mind, the slipperier the heart, and the more sophisticated the education, the subtler the rationalization. 

Erudition lends conviction to self-deception.Paul Johnson’s evidence is startling and his conclusion sober:

  The belief seems to be spreading that intellectuals are no wiser as mentors, and no worthier as exemplars, than the witch doctors or priests of old. I share that skepticism. A dozen people picked at random on the street are at heart as likely to offer sensible views on moral and political matters as a cross-section of the intelligentsia. But I would go further. One of the principal lessons of our tragic century, which has seen so many millions of innocent lives sacrificed to improve the lot of humanity, is—beware intellectuals.                        

Paul Johnson

                                                

Anyone not convinced by this bald summary should read the authors for themselves and examine the evidence. But what is truly stunning is that, with some intellectuals, there is no need to pursue any inquiry because they make no bones about what they are doing. They candidly admit that truth is not their guiding consideration at all. 

Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk: 

Recommended Sources

Quote cited: The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson.

 

Essay from Os Guinness' Book: Fool's Talk.

 

 In case you missed it, tap or click quick link below for Part 1

 

Part 1 to Essay here 

 

(From Digital Anvil.)

Final Comment:

Perhaps we can modernise the common saying: Lies,half- truths, statistics,politicians ...and intellectuals ?

 

What do You think? Drop a comment, reflections welcome and opposing comments as well.

 

 

 Truth or Dare? 

 They dared and Now Its Declared that We weren't Spared...

 ....The Harm of their Intellectual Charm!

 Many of the celebrated makers of the modern world have been shown up for their devious handling of truth in some aspect of their thinking or their lives—including Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Brecht, Bertrand Russell, Sartre, Margaret Mead and others.

Yet these are the men and women of ideas who have risen up to overthrow the guardians of traditional Western society, and who on the basis of the brilliance of their minds are now trusted to diagnose our ills, prescribe our remedies and direct the future for our children and for the world.

Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk: 

(from Digital Anvil)

 

 More about Truth

Tap or Click on above link for another essay.

 

 (to be continued on 2nd September,2026)

Drop a comment, your ideas or thoughts