Last year, everyone was excited because they think they found the “God particle.” Now, we learn it holds the answer to the fate of the universe — except we won’t find out until the priests with all the answers tell us. Even then, no one will be able to test their answers, we’ll just have to accept them — on faith. We’ll take the messages of the God particle and believe them.
James went to America on holiday, and visited the Grand Canyon. As he and his friends hiked the rim, James decided to walk on the edge. He got closer, and his friends called him back, but he said, “There’s no law against walking here. I can handle it.”
James looked down and felt queasy, but he wanted to show he could handle it, and stayed right at the edge. He said, “I’m not afraid,” but he lost his balance, and plunged into the abyss, screaming as he fell, “Gravity was too strong for me!”
Gavin, James’ cousin, said, “I always had better balance than James. I could handle it.” He planned his trip, flew to America, went to the same spot, and walked along the edge, just like James. Even when he leaned over the edge, he kept his balance, and didn’t fall.
Gavin’s son Colin watched and said “I can do that.” He walked over to the edge, and fell. At Colin’s funeral, Gavin sadly said, “Gravity was too strong for him.”
***
There is no such thing as a temptation that is too strong. There is such a thing as being a fool. There is more than one kind of fool. And the statement, “I can handle it,” is not the mark of a Biblically discerning person — even if he really can handle it.
But we are all that way: when we know a thing we have only scorn for other people who don’t happen to know it.
– Mark Twain (Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc)Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
– Paul (I Corinthians 8:1-2)
A quick thought (among some other good thoughts on prayer) from Sharlene:
“…that was not praying; it was complaining. They are not the same thing.”
Supplemental thought (which I’ve heard before but forgot where): prayer request time is not gossip time, but sometimes Christians do their best to obscure the difference.
Artist’s Impression (NASA)
Asteroid 2012 DA14
The BBC seized on the meteor strike in Russia and the passing of an asteroid within 17,000 miles of earth yesterday to tell us to worry about asteroids.
Dr Stephen Lowry, University of Kent:
“People think that in this day and age we’ve got this problem covered. We’re far from covering this problem, believe you me.”
I believe you, Dr Lowry. I thought by now scientists would have all the asteroids tracked, because I’ve been worrying about this ever since I heard something about some movie about an asteroid. But when a scientist says there’s a problem, there must be a problem.
Muslims must believe that all power, success, and victory comes from God alone.
– Abu Bakar Bashir, head of Jamaah Ansharut TauhidOnce I tried to use Him,
Now He uses me;
Once the pow’r I wanted,
Now the Mighty One;
– Albert B. Simpson, Once it was the BlessingWorthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
– Multitudes in Heaven, Revelation 5:12
Your Reason for Hope
Let’s make suggestions for evangelism in North Korea, where Christians are shot, run over by steamrollers, used in “scientific experiments,” or tortured to death in prison.
Invite someone to church? He will denounce you, and then you and others in the church die. Bad idea.
Street preaching? You get only minutes before the arrest, and then church membership is down by one, because you’re going Home to Glory, Brother. Maybe some other method….
Pass out tracts once, and you are history. Internet? Traceable. Advertise? Impossible. Evangelism “door-to-door” means from your neighbour’s door to the prison door, never to return.
Western arguments on evangelism methods can be so absurd — in North Korea, all these methods mean you only evangelise once before you die. Please don’t talk to me about Alpha Course, or “Christian” concerts (can a concert repent and believe? :)), or other evangelical favourites that often don’t even include the Gospel at all, or obscure it with hype and/or error.
How does the Gospel go out in such an environment? How does it spread? Why have churches always continued to spring up and grow under even the most severe persecution? Part of the answer is in I Peter 3:15.
Mind Renewers 