by Bill Federer
11.28.19:The Real Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving Story with Historian William J Federer
AUDIO The Real Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving Story with William Federer
Tag: burdens
Bible Contradiction? Was Jeconiah the son or grandson of Josiah?
December 21, 2019 by SLIMJIM
For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Bible Contradiction? Was Jeconiah the son or grandson of Josiah?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
He was Josiah’s son.
“Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.” (Matthew 1:11)
He was Josiah’s grandson.
“The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, and the second was Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16 The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.” (1 Chronicles 3:15-16)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit Matthew 1:11 as affirming the claim “Jeconiah was Josiah’s son” against 1 Chronicles 3:15-16 as affirming “Jeconiah was Josiah’s grandson.”
- It is clear that 1 Chronicles 3:15-16 does affirm the claim “Jeconiah was Josiah’s grandson.” From this passage we learn that Jeconiah was Josiah’s grandson through Josiah’s second son Jehoiakim.
- Matthew 1:11 does not contradict with 1 Chronicles 3:15-16 if we understand the Greek word that is translated “became the father of.”
- The verb for “became the father of” is ἐγέννησεν. ἐγέννησεν is a form of the verb that lexical root is γεννάω.
- γεννάω often has the meaning of “begat, give birth to.”
- However γεννάω does not always mean being the direct biological parent to a child. The verb simply mean direct descent.
- If γεννάω simply mean direct descent then that mean it doesn’t need to conflict with the claim in 1 Chronicles 3:15-16 that “Jeconiah was Josiah’s grandson.”
- We see even within the context of Matthew 1 that γεννάω doesn’t necessarily mean being a direct biological parent of a particular child. Matthew 1:16 states “Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born.” A form of the verb γεννάω appears here (ἐγεννήθη). We know Jesus wasn’t born physically through Joseph. Yet Jesus’ descent from Joseph is what’s being referred to in some other sense (legal).
- Also Matthew 1:8 skips over Ahaziah, Athaliah, Jehoash, and Amaziah in the genealogy of Jesus, even though the biblical record elsewhere preserved this. This further substantiate that γεννάω doesn’t necessarily mean being a direct biological parent of a particular child but can at times mean simple direct descent. One can be “grandfathered” and “great-grandfathered” to someone using this verb.
- Thus there is no contradiction here if we understand that the lexical range
- Some might object that the possible range of meaning for γεννάω can mean “fathered,” “grandfathered” or simply part of the lineage of someone since there’s so many possible meaning of the term when there should be one meaning of the word. But that’s a terrible objection. Terms can have more than one meaning in many languages and not just with Hebrew. For instance consider the lexical range of meaning for the English word Whoppers and the Word “Left”.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
Science And Data Say School Reopening Is Safe, So Why Do Democrats Oppose It?
JULY 24, 2020 By Allison Schuster
Although the majority of parents in America are concerned about their children falling behind due to the closure of schools over COVID-19, the split over whether or not to open schools is purely a partisan choice. According to market research and public opinion group Ipsos, 78 percent of Democrats oppose re-opening schools while 79 percent of Republicans support the decision.
Schools have been closed nationwide since the coronavirus outbreak began in the United States in early to mid-March. Since then, scientific research has largely reached a consensus regarding the safety for school-aged children, encompassing all parts of the COVID-19 threat including their risks of development and rates of transmission.
According to the Foundation for Research of Equal Opportunity, maintaining the closure of schools poses expansive threats to the mental, emotional, and physical health of children and their family than the reopening schools could.
“While the risks of COVID-19 in children are low and manageable, the harms of prolonged school closures are high. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ‘The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020,’” the report says.
The science also points to children being at very low risk of hospitalization or death from the novel coronavirus.
“The Center for Disease Control’s most recent report shows 12 pediatric COVID deaths total, compared to 174 pediatric flu deaths this season. In the 2018-2019 flu season there were 400 pediatric deaths, and the 2009 swine flu pandemic killed 2,000 children,” writes Phil Kerpen in The Federalist.
Despite the strong scientific support for sending children back to school next month, democrats still advocate for keeping schools closed and continuing alternate forms of learning.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been pushing back on school openings since early July, when she said, “We don’t want our children to take risks to go to school.”
Democratic governors, including the governor of the state with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, are hesitant in opening schools. Cuomo claims his likely pending decision to remain closed is “data-driven.”
“Everybody wants to reopen schools, but you only reopen if it’s safe to reopen, and that’s determined by the data,” Cuomo said. “You don’t hold your finger up and feel the wind, you don’t have an inspiration, you don’t have a dream, you don’t have an emotion–look at the data. We test more and we have more data than any state. If you have the virus under control, reopen. If you don’t have the virus under control, then you can’t reopen.”
Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, are pushing for schools to go back to teaching in-person. The next COVID-19 relief package, proposed by a Senate Republican, will include $70 billion for K-12 education, half of which is for schools that reopen in-person. It leaves only $5 billion for governors’ discretionary education spending. The education spending accounts for just a small percentage of the $1 trillion total package that is set for negotiations with democrats this upcoming week.
President Donald Trump has also expressed strong support for reopening schools this fall. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the president faces resistance from local leaders, many of whom are Democrats.
“President Trump has repeatedly said he wants schools to reopen fully and that keeping them physically closed hurts the economy and working parents. But some state and local leaders have already postponed school start dates and delayed in-person learning, saying it is too dangerous to have children back on campus where infections could spread,” the article reads.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, however, recommends leaving the decision at the discretion of localities. Trump accused Biden of taking a meager stance for political reason, and thereby putting the health of students second.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany quoted Dr. Scott Atlas in a press briefing, who says the argument to keep schools closed is non-existent when looking at the science. Atlas is a member of Hoover’s Working Group on Health Care Policy and the former head of neuroradiology at Stanford Medical School.
“Of course we can do it. Everyone else in the Western world, our peer nations, are doing it. We are the outlier here,” she said. “The science is very clear on this… The risk of critical illness from COVID is far less for children than that of seasonal flu. The science is on our side here. We encourage for localities and states to just simply follow the science. Open our schools. It’s very damaging to our children.”
Despite the overwhelming scientific support, the public debate over opening schools in America remains a partisan issue.
Allison Schuster is an intern at The Federalist and is also a rising senior at Hillsdale College working toward a degree in politics and journalism. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonShoeStor.
VIDEO John MacArthur’s Church Defies California Orders To Close Doors
‘We cannot and will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship,’ MacArthur and the church’s elder board said in a statement.
JULY 25, 2020 By Elle Reynolds
John MacArthur, evangelist and pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, defied state orders to limit worship gatherings in a statement released Friday.
“In response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all meetings indefinitely, we, the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church, respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction,” the statement said. “Faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services.”
On July 13, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new restrictions, requiring certain counties on a “monitoring list” to stop indoor worship services. Los Angeles County, where Grace Community Church is located, was one of 30 counties on the monitoring list as of July 13.
“In these counties, we have added a requirement that we close indoor operations” for certain sectors which include worship services, Newsom said in an announcement. He also suggested that restrictions would not end anytime soon. “Until there is a vaccine or effective therapy, we will be mitigating the spread of COVID-19 for the long term,” read one of the slides Newsom presented. “Californians must adapt to new behaviors if we are to slow the spread.”
In response, MacArthur and the elder board of Grace Community Church have a clear message for the state of California. “We cannot and will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings,” they said.
When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. When officials mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must submit to our Lord.
The statement represents a shift for MacArthur and his church, which previously issued a statement acquiescing to a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court that barred churches from meeting in late May. “The Ninth Circuit decision is sadly the law of the land in California, and we gladly submit to the sovereign purposes of God,” the church had said.
But now, after more than 20 weeks of restrictions, Grace Community Church is letting Newsom know they’ve had enough. “Roughly forty percent of the year has passed with our church essentially unable to gather in a normal way,” MacArthur and the elders said, noting that the lockdown measures they originally conceded to were supposed to be short-term. “The church by definition is an assembly. … A non-assembling assembly is a contradiction in terms.”
MacArthur’s church isn’t the only one to defy California’s restrictions on worship. Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California, held an in-person service on Sunday and is suing the state for the right to continue assembling. “We’ve been essential for 2,000 years,” said Pastor Ché Ahn.
Calvary Chapel of Ukiah, Calvary Chapel of Fort Bragg, and River of Life Church in Oroville are suing the state over its ban on congregational singing. South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista renewed a lawsuit over the state’s decision to shutter churches, noting that government favoritism toward the George Floyd protests while churches are forced to stay shut “has caused amazing harm in the form of a general loss of confidence by the American people in the merits of the pandemic restrictions at all.”
MacArthur and his church firmly noted the importance of respecting the rightful authority of government. “Insofar as government authorities do not attempt to assert ecclesiastical authority or issue orders that forbid our obedience to God’s law, their authority is to be obeyed whether we agree with their rulings or not,” their statement said.
They also noted, however, that government authority does not extend over Christians’ freedom to assemble as the church. “We do not need the state’s permission to serve and worship our Lord as He has commanded,” they insisted. “Freedom of worship is a command of God, not a privilege granted by the state.”
MacArthur and the elders of Grace Community Church encouraged other congregations to join them in their decision to gather for worship. “It has never been the prerogative of civil government to order, modify, forbid, or mandate worship,” they said. “When, how, and how often the church worships is not subject to Caesar. Caesar himself is subject to God.”
Elle Reynolds is an intern at the Federalist, and a senior at Patrick Henry College studying government and journalism. You can follow her work on Twitter at @_etreynolds.
Photo Pigby / Wikipedia
https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/25/john-macarthurs-church-defies-california-orders-to-close-doors/
John MacArthur: A Triumphant Hour for the Church, and Fresca
Justice Gorsuch Torches Roberts and the Liberal Wing of SCOTUS in Nevada Church Case…In One Paragraph
Matt Vespa Jul 25, 2020
In Nevada, it seems being in the entertainment business has more leeway than those exercising their constitutionally protected right to worship. Amid the COVID outbreak, the state has limits on the capacity of certain locations. For churches, it’s no more than 50. For everything else, from movie theaters to casinos, it’s much more than that. It seems a bit unfair. The standard makes no sense, but it seems to be perfectly logical for Chief Justice John Roberts who sided with the liberal wing of the Supreme Court in the case of a church who challenged this unfair standard (via NYT):
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request from a church in Nevada to block enforcement of state restrictions on attendance at religious services.
The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s four more liberal members to form a majority.
The court’s brief order was unsigned and gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications. The court’s four more conservative members filed three dissents, totaling 24 pages.
Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley in Dayton, Nev., argued that the state treated houses of worship less favorably than it did casinos, restaurants and amusement parks. Those businesses have been limited to 50 percent of their fire-code capacities, while houses of worship have been subject to a flat 50-person limit.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., in a dissent joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett M. Kavanaugh, wrote that the distinction made no sense.
Judge Neil Gorsuch’s dissent is a mere paragraph but torches the liberal wing of the Court with this decision. This isn’t the first time Roberts has sided with liberals on places of worship challenging COVID attendance policies. It’s yet another time this man has stabbed us in the back. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) went onto say this decision shows the man has abandoned his oath.
What does the Bible say about Judgment Day?
DAVID KYLE FOSTER MARCH 14, 2020
I was recently looking into “life expectancy” rates and discovered that they are all over the map. Quotes from various websites, for example, set mine at 67, 78 and 88. (Suzie Orman says that it’s in the 90s!)
Here’s another surprise……..as you age, your life expectancy can actually increase because by then, you will have survived many of the things that could have brought about an earlier death.
Here’s an example that I found online…………..
In 2006 the life expectancy at birth of someone born in 1942 was about 68 years. If that person survived to 65, they could expect to live another 18.4 years, meaning their life expectancy was no longer the same as it was at birth.
The biggest surprise to me, however, was to realize that half of the people who shared the same life expectancy died earlier than their expected end.
Consequently, for those who plan to turn from sin and accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness at some point in the future, it is a foolish and perilous thing to do. It is a sign that deep in your heart, you are more in love with the world than with God (1 John 2:15; Matthew 7:21-23).
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
(LUKE 12:20)
The same principle applies to believers who have decided that they will get serious about living for God at some point in the future. They say to themselves: “I’ll just be glad to get into heaven.” And certainly, we’ll all be glad to get into heaven!
However, the crowns and rewards that are on offer will be ours for all eternity! So also will the loss of such crowns and rewards – making this a far more important issue than is often realized.
What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love Him – these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
(1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-10)
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us……..
(EPHESIANS 3:20)
Salvation by God is a Limited-Time Offer!
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom!
(PSALM 90:12)
The Bible teaches that the number of our days are fixed and are already known by God. In other words, salvation by God is a limited-time offer!
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
(ACTS 17:26-28)
Man’s days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
(JOB 14:5)
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
(PSALM 139:13-16)
You Have Been Designed to Win Big!
This explains why so many people who have had near-death experiences are met by loved ones who are already in heaven – who have obviously been alerted to their arrival. It also explains why some are told that they have to return to earth because their “time” has not yet come.
Based on the character of God, I believe that the number of days assigned by God, whether many or few, has been calculated to produce the greatest, eternal outcome for us on the Day of Judgment. Even the severity of a negative outcome may be lessened in this way.
It’s true that King Hezekiah begged God to allow him more time on earth. After many tears, God relented and gave him an extra 15 years beyond what had been allotted. (See Isaiah 38-39).
However, during those extra 15 years, Hezekiah foolishly invited the king of Babylon to see all the treasures of Israel, only to see those treasures stolen, his sons kidnapped, castrated and sent into exile.
This is where the exception proves the rule. God had calculated the years Hezekiah should live – I believe, in order to maximize his eternal and temporal blessings and to save him from the disasters that would come upon him should he live longer.
You see, God knows our hearts. He knows our sins – past, present and future. And He knows whether we will repent of sin and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. He also knows the number of days that will optimize the outcome of our final judgment.
The “Bema Seat” vs the “Great White Throne” Judgment
I believe that God’s judgment for the lost will be designed to limit the eternal suffering that will be the consequence of their earthly lives. In some cases, God may shorten their earthly years in order to limit the number of sins for which they will be penalized. (This is speculation on my part, but it is based on the merciful goodness of God).
For believers, God’s criteria for final judgment, (and all the evidence that pertains therein), is based on what we have done in the body since our salvation (2 Corinthians 5:10). It perfectly flows from His omniscience (Romans 2:5-7; Psalm 18:30) and like the judgment of the unbeliever, cannot be appealed.
Again, for believers and unbelievers alike, it is likely that God plans the number of our days on earth so that we will have the best possible outcome on Judgment Day (Matthew 25:31-46; Hebrews 4:13). Yes, He is that good!
The “Bema Seat” judgment of believers will determine the rewards, or loss thereof, for those who gave their life to Jesus Christ and have therefore escaped eternal separation from God. (See Romans 8:1-2; 14:10c-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 14:13). They will be saved, but as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15).
Assuming that the ”crowns” given to believers are different than the “rewards” cited above, those too can be won or lost at the judgment of believers. (See 2 Timothy 2:5; 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10).
As for the “Great White Throne” judgment, which is for those who never repented of their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they face a divine determination of what their experience in Hell will be like for all eternity. In other words, Hitler’s experience of Hell will undoubtedly differ from that of the sweet lady next door who never surrendered her life to Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 12:36-37; Luke 23:41; John 5:29; Romans 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:1-3; Revelation 2:23c; 20:11-15).
So for both believer and nonbeliever, the Bible declares……
I urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
https://godinterest.com/2020/03/14/what-does-the-bible-say-about-judgment-day/
3 Hindrances To A Positive Outlook!
March 10, 2020 hepsibahgarden
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13
Land of the living here does not refer to being alive in this world; it refers to the state of living/being alive in the Presence of God. Staying in the Presence of God we should also see the goodness of being in this land. David could see the goodness of the land of the living because he saw it with the eyes of faith and believed.
In these days we must also have the eyes of faith because then we can see the goodness in the path that the Lord is leading us. Trials and difficulties may arise, but, if we lose the eyes of faith chances are our vision will become negative.
The negative outlook can come in 3 ways. What are they?
1. Looking back to what we left – This was one of the command given to Lot and family when they were fleeing away from Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 19:26. Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Similar was the case with the Israelites – They were going forward in their wilderness journey, but sadly their mind and heart were still in Egypt.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Proverbs 4:25
2. Looking at the Storm – As long as Peter’s eyes were on Jesus he was happily walking on the water. But suddenly when the boisterous wind blew and the storm raged in the mighty sea, for a moment Peter’s eyes turned away from Jesus and looked at the raging sea. He began drowning. Mathew 14:29,30. Thank God, Peter called out to Jesus as he was going down; Jesus caught hold of his hand and kept him from drowning. The wind refers to difficulties and troubles arising in our life. When our eyes are on Jesus, we will be able to see the goodness of the land (Jesus).
3. When we focus on others instead of looking at ourselves – In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, both went into the temple of God to pray. But instead of praying by searching his own life and heart, the Pharisee was busy justifying himself and looking down upon the Publican. The Pharisee’s eyes was not only on God but on the Publican as well. Luke 15:11,12. Always remember – when we look at others and compare ourselves with them pride and discouragement will enter us.
May God help us!
7 Things We Should Do To Be Blessed! (Part-2)
March 19, 2020 hepsibahgarden
Hello dear friends🌸❤️ Blessed day to you all!! 😇
Let me take you to the second part of what we should be doing in order to be blessed!! So, here we go:
4. By blessing others, we become blessed in turn – That’s what Jacob did to Pharoah when he came to Egypt – Jacob blessed Pharoah. Genesis 47:7. Egypt, spiritually refers to this present sinful world. We must be a blessing for people those around us – in our neighbourhood, workplace and places where we live. When we become an encouragement for those who have given up on this world and are heading towards destruction, God will bless and reward us for the help and good we do to them!!
Let our lives be a blessing for others as long as we live!
5. When we do God’s work ON TIME – Yes, that’s right! There will be times when we might delay what we thought of doing for the Lord! For example, Abraham’s elder son Esau delayed in getting the savoury food for his dad ON TIME; and thus, lost the blessing he was supposed to receive.
However, Jesus was very particular regarding this aspect of His ministry – I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4. When we come to God’s presence on time, He blesses us with blessings that lasts forever.
6. When we live peacefully with one another – The Triune God live unitedly, or in other words, they are three-in-one. But the devil desires the opposite of being united and so creates division among people.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14. Peace and Holiness go hand in hand and both are required to be caught up at the coming of Jesus.
7. By preserving the hope of His Coming in us – The Lord loved us before the foundations of the world were laid and Called us by counting us as faithful. 1 Timothy 1:12. Not because of our righteousness or good works, but out of His immense mercy upon us. Now, it’s our duty to abide in this Calling (1 Corinthians 7:20) and grow in it.
He has gone to prepare a place for us, and when He is done preparing He will come back again and take us to be with Him. May the Lord help us!
Be blessed 💕
A NEW YOU: God can change impossible situations
PASTOR RAY PATRICK MARCH 17, 2020
Does this situation look impossible? It’s time to believe God for something that seems impossible? We serve a great and mighty God, and He can create something out of nothing! He can make a way when there seems to be no way. Before God spoke the world into existence, it was formless and void. If God can make the world out of nothing, He can take the empty places in your life and create something beautiful too.
Today, God can speak light into your darkest hour. He can take your formless dreams that seems to be fading and give them shape. He can resurrect your dormant gifts and talents! He can make your crooked places straight! Trust Him in all things, because He can make something out of nothing, there is nothing too hard for Him! trust Him at this time!
“The earth was formless and void…and God said, let there be light.” (Genesis 1:2–3, NASB)
Pray With Me
Yahweh, I trust that You will make a way where there seems to be no way. Father, thank You for forming my shapeless life. Now God, fill the void that is in my life today because of this world’s circumstances and instabilities. Please, I beg You, turn on the light in our darkness today. Give me Your peace and faith, and give me a vision of hope which is bigger than my now. I trust You in Christ’s Name! Amen.
A University President’s Message
MARCH 19, 2020 BY FRANCES ROGERS
Jerry received his degree in Industrial Engineering on December 15, 1961, from Auburn University. The following excerpts are from the President’s message, one you would not hear from a secular institution, today. We see how far we have come from the foundation of our nation and its institutions of higher education.We pray the Lord would bring us back to our humble beginnings.
“”””””””””””””””””
“My dear Friends,
You have completed your work for the degree in a time of the tremendous expansion of knowledge and in the midst of a world ferment of exploration of all the areas of thought.
I have the distinct feeling that the impact of new knowledge, which is producing so much of change is also reflected in changing outlooks among governments. I believe that you will live to see the effects of these forces also in the individual attitudes and beliefs of men.
We of the Western World have been conditioned in our thought and our morality largely through the beneficent influence of the Christian ethic. Although as individuals and as a nation, we have departed often from this ideal in individual acts, over the years and in the long view, we have been generally governed thereby. I would hope that the growth of knowledge, with the attendant dislocations which harass the world today, may serve to strengthen the influence of the Christian ethic and, eventually, ring wisdom and understanding among men and nations.
The prospects of that hope do seem dim at present, but I hope that you will cherish the ideal because I believe mankind must respond to the spirit of good and recoil from the spirit of evil. If this can’t be believed by men, there is little hope that civilization can survive.
I think that, perhaps, the best wish I could make for you on this occasion would be that each of you may be guided by the philosophy of the love of your fellowmen; goodwill; sensitivity to just and honorable relationships; and willingness to stand on the side of good against evil.
I wish for you, also, the joy of hard labor for worthwhile ends, and an awareness of the struggle in which you will be engaged throughout your lives. I wish for each of you good health, happiness, and success in that struggle, and I hope your lives may be blessed by the hope, the wisdom, and the influence of the Christian ethic.”
Ralph B. Draughon
The Auburn Creed includes seven points, the last of which is:
“I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by “doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God.” (quote from Micah 6:8)
NarrowPathMinistries 