about Apologetics, and the so-called concept of the Church Of Past Mistakes.

Well.  I believe in YHWH, the almighty monotheistic deity, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.

But they tell me, maybe, to prove it, and don't we always get caught in some labyrinth trying to pull signs and wonders and so forth from news reports and what not.

What if I asked, instead of openly trying to change the mind of the non-believer, what if I asked them to disprove God?

What would follow, I would have a chance to address their proofs, through sound doctrine, as to what points to God.  I mean, really, as a believer, it seems to me all the time that pretty much everything points to the existence of God.

Even discussing the matter, taking the time itself to contemplate the existence of God is a form of due diligence, kind of like, me washing God's car for him, or something: just another opportunity to give more praise to my maker.

But however, there are these scholarly debates, people jumping over themselves.  It bothers, or seems to bother, some non-believers, to see people attending church.

What about practicing love and tolerance?

Aside from laws, what do they have?  Political talking points?  A few words from a parent from their youth?

Indeed, the believer has a root system holding him or her firmly in place.

We hear fools arguing the past evils of the Catholic church, various episodes of intolerance, but we have seen it also from other institutions in the past, as well, just like the statues that get torn down, dismantled, of past heroes, that are branded things these days.

We here embraced a hopeful future, rather than look back disheartened and the past mistakes of others: we're taught to discard that, that God's grace covers a multitude of sins, and hope, salvation, is available to many. 

Indeed, just as we "come forward boldly to throne of grace", we step with a sense of hope, peace and joy towards the future.

om sanctification: "growing in the spirit".

Observe nature; oftentimes nature can yield peculiar insights into the spiritual condition.

Plants reach, higher and higher as they grow, usually.

Paul says the believers at first need spiritual milk, then after maturity, spiritual meat.  So we grow too, spiritual, becoming more and more sanctified, more and more "formed by God".

We grow spiritually.

from the daily reading. 1 thessalonians.

Paul was writing a very cheerful, thankful letter to the Thessalonians.  In yhe first three chapters, its all love and light.

He wanted them to know, as he said iy more than once, that he was thankful for the presence of the Thessalonica believers.

Meanwhile, he had his own monumental task at Athens, where the philosophers were interested i hearing him just for the sake of an academic entertainment.  As Paul says, the stoics and epicureans delight in the hearing of any new thing.

And yet some of those academics would not only hear, but then too believe.

"I am thankful for you all."

These chapters are in the Blue Letter Bible reading plan, amd also John Macarthur's Grace To You one year reading plan.

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Let the believers praise God in the midst of all this.

While the world tears itself apart, let us all--the believers--praise God, who has something more for us after this.

I was thinking hard earlier in the week, doing my regular stuff, but all the while, praying to God and contemplating His will for me.

I took two or three days in mostly silence.

Even in the midst of a slight adversity here at the office, I was mindful on God, and I knew it was only His will that would ultimately prevail.

As one of my cousins said, "God is watching over me", through it all, never wavering in faith, crediting God for every ounce of the good in her life.

Why do the heathen rage? On the fatalism of the non-believer.

Imagine how it could be without faith in God, or love the brethren.  No wonder some of the unbelievers are so angry and "fatalistic".

Thankfully, we have the promise, and we know every good thing comes from God.

I cannot know Jesus through another person's acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge--I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him.

 

-Charles Haddon #spurgeon

 

Pray for our brethren, of course, but also include those out of belief, that they may come to faith and know the mercy of our Lord.

Are you the Head or the Tail? Regaining control with the help of God.

Are you really, the head or tail? 

Are you in control?

Nowadays.... yes, nowadays, we have, most of us, so many options, and we can feel like we're in control of some things, and yet, these options are just parameters, such as on the smartphone, a set of parameters that alter how others control what's inputted into you, before you're eyes and ears, into your mind.

So many choices, and yet, it seems the most important things are dictates, are sort of preset, be it by law or social/peer pressure.  Pressure to conform to a group, to do what is expected.

So maybe we have control minute-by-minute, but overall?

Have we went to God about this?

Do we dare put this in God's hands?  Do we ask His will?  Do we petition him, do we pray to Him for success in the things we need or want?

Meanwhile, the illusion is sustained online, of free choice, when so much data is collected across platforms, just to tailor advertising to our preferences.  We could go to a particular website, then go to social media, and that first website is advertised in our social media.

We can talk to our leaders, our parents, our pastors, our teachers and others.  And it seems like they always expect something, want something, that there's always some standard to live up to.

Always some kind of pressure to do something or be something.

But not with God, not pressure to conform from God, because God loves us as we are.

We look to the addict, we look to those imprisoned, and so many others; it seems they are being lead around by the whims of something else, some other influence.  But this is vapid; the truth is more simple.

We are in control of ourselves.

We have unrestrained free choice, be it for good or ill.

God or Satan?  Joy or worry?  Peace or usury?

The addict could have moments, wasted-away time in which he or she wishes she could change, and the thought is depressing as the go again to their addiction.  But comes that flat joy, one day, when they're ready, in every part, to end the addiction, to end the bad habit, and free themselves.

When they're ready.

The Alcoholics Anonymous program recommends believing in God as part of its famous steps to sobriety.  There's something in it, trusting in something more, something beyond the day-to-day, that help men and women to do the toughest things.

We can trust in God to oversee, as we do these things, no matter how tough a task, now matter how big a mountain before us.

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Psalm 116 and other from the daily readings, and the weather spoke up to me...

I love the LORD because he has heard

my appeal for mercy.

Because he has turned his ear to me,

I will call out to him as long as I live.

-Psalm 116:1-2 

 

A sure sign from the Lord, a brief sprinkle on the local plant life, as I prayed over a personal situation here at the hill.  The sprinkle came and went, then did it all over again, giving the plants a brief feeding of nourishing rain water.

Meanwhile, on the northern horizon I saw blue sky, even in the midst of overhead rain clouds.  Truly, forces larger than I were at work, and having their way.

I continued to pray, and included some friends, various types, in various states of worry and even joy.  Some addicted, some downhearted, others doing perfectly okay.

Sure, I am, that everything will come together as God wills it, and sure am I also that he will not ignore the petitions of those who believe on Him.

 

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.

-from Philippians 3

The book of Philippians stands as a book where Paul defends himself, and speaks up for the case of suffering.  He states that he has a cause and hope, and in life, when we have love and hope, often not much else matters.  Paul defies circumstances and stands content in the Good News.  His faith in God and Jesus sustain a kind of level of joy in him, despite physical illness, or other circumstances.

In my own walk, my faith has done the same for me: it's pulled my spirit away from the present conditions, and made me think of only God.  Then I am stronger, happier, and all-around more of a good believer, who is useful and happy.