The document summarizes Lesson 9 from a Bible study series on the prophet Jeremiah. It discusses how Jeremiah, like other prophets, was called to physically demonstrate his message by living it out. God forbade Jeremiah from marrying or having children to symbolize the coming destruction of families. When the false prophet Hananiah contradicted Jeremiah's message of judgment, Jeremiah defended his message by appealing to past prophets who preached the same message. Hananiah's defiance led to God pronouncing his death, proving Jeremiah spoke truth, though the people still refused to believe. The lesson encourages learning from history to avoid past mistakes.
The calling of Jeremiah. Difference in the call with Isaiah.
Illustrations of the Almond tree, the boiling pot, the potters shop. Favorite verses in Jeremiah.
The calling of Jeremiah. Difference in the call with Isaiah.
Illustrations of the Almond tree, the boiling pot, the potters shop. Favorite verses in Jeremiah.
http://www.tomrichey.net
This PowerPoint presentation was created to accompany a lecture and discussion about the Israelite conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua. It is the first in a series of lessons about ancient Israel evolving from a nomadic tribal confederation into a regional power ruled by hereditary kings.
Joshua, the successor of Moses, led the conquest of Canaan in the Biblical book that bears his name. Under Joshua's leadership, Israel conquered Jericho, Ai, and several other Canaanite city-states and established a presence of the Israelite tribes in the land they believed to have been promised to them by Yahweh. Throughout their conquest, Israelites practiced indiscriminate slaughter of men, women, children, and animals in every city that they destroyed.
Joshua's command that the sun stand still during the Battle of Gibeon serves as a great platform for a discussion of biblical cosmology, as such a command would cause much more complication by the standards of a modern view of the universe.
At the end of Joshua's life, the conquest of Canaan remained incomplete and Israel had not established full sovereignty over the land formerly known as Canaan. A few hundred years would pass before the Israelites would become the dominant power in the region.
With so many false prophets among us, what does a TRUE prophet look like? This Bible study guides the believer through the characteristics exhibited by one truly called as a mouthpiece for God.
¿Por qué mandó Dios exterminar a los cananeos?elba maldonado
“Destruirás completamente a los hititas, a los amorreos, a los cananeos, a los ferezeos, a los heveos, y a los jebuseos. Este es el mandamiento del SEÑOR tu Dios.” (DEUTERONOMIO 20:17, NUEVA BIBLIA AL DÍA)
“Sean pacíficos con todos los hombres.” (ROMANOS 12:18)
La gente prefiere seguir rituales que leer el evangelio. Esto fue lo que Pablo encontró al enfrentar a los judaizantes. Este es el tema del libro de Hebreos, y es tan relevante hoy como lo fue cuando fue escrito por primera vez. Algunos creyentes fueron tentados a volver al judaísmo, mirando a la ley mosaica y al sacerdocio de Aarón para que de alguna manera complete y perfeccione su fe. El autor escribió para recordarles que Jesús es superior a todo, por lo tanto nuestra fe debe de estar y permanecer sólo en él.
The stressors of life, sin, guilt, shame, condemnation, unworthiness, discontentment and things of similar nature cause deep unrest in our souls. Jesus Christ offers rest to those who are tired, a kind of inner rest that cannot be found elsewhere. He taught us how to walk in this rest.
Download the notes / audio / video of this message from our website http://www.apcwo.org/sermons
http://www.tomrichey.net
This PowerPoint presentation was created to accompany a lecture and discussion about the Israelite conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua. It is the first in a series of lessons about ancient Israel evolving from a nomadic tribal confederation into a regional power ruled by hereditary kings.
Joshua, the successor of Moses, led the conquest of Canaan in the Biblical book that bears his name. Under Joshua's leadership, Israel conquered Jericho, Ai, and several other Canaanite city-states and established a presence of the Israelite tribes in the land they believed to have been promised to them by Yahweh. Throughout their conquest, Israelites practiced indiscriminate slaughter of men, women, children, and animals in every city that they destroyed.
Joshua's command that the sun stand still during the Battle of Gibeon serves as a great platform for a discussion of biblical cosmology, as such a command would cause much more complication by the standards of a modern view of the universe.
At the end of Joshua's life, the conquest of Canaan remained incomplete and Israel had not established full sovereignty over the land formerly known as Canaan. A few hundred years would pass before the Israelites would become the dominant power in the region.
With so many false prophets among us, what does a TRUE prophet look like? This Bible study guides the believer through the characteristics exhibited by one truly called as a mouthpiece for God.
¿Por qué mandó Dios exterminar a los cananeos?elba maldonado
“Destruirás completamente a los hititas, a los amorreos, a los cananeos, a los ferezeos, a los heveos, y a los jebuseos. Este es el mandamiento del SEÑOR tu Dios.” (DEUTERONOMIO 20:17, NUEVA BIBLIA AL DÍA)
“Sean pacíficos con todos los hombres.” (ROMANOS 12:18)
La gente prefiere seguir rituales que leer el evangelio. Esto fue lo que Pablo encontró al enfrentar a los judaizantes. Este es el tema del libro de Hebreos, y es tan relevante hoy como lo fue cuando fue escrito por primera vez. Algunos creyentes fueron tentados a volver al judaísmo, mirando a la ley mosaica y al sacerdocio de Aarón para que de alguna manera complete y perfeccione su fe. El autor escribió para recordarles que Jesús es superior a todo, por lo tanto nuestra fe debe de estar y permanecer sólo en él.
The stressors of life, sin, guilt, shame, condemnation, unworthiness, discontentment and things of similar nature cause deep unrest in our souls. Jesus Christ offers rest to those who are tired, a kind of inner rest that cannot be found elsewhere. He taught us how to walk in this rest.
Download the notes / audio / video of this message from our website http://www.apcwo.org/sermons
Pastor Elio Marrocco's "Life Is Meaningless Without God" sermon at New Life Christian Church on June 23, 2013. You can learn more about New Life Christian Church here: http://www.newlifecc.ca
From Suffering To Glory - Romans 8:18-30David Turner
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Download Free PowerPoint at BibleGuy.org
The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, major stalwarts in defending God’s Covenant, in the midst of corruption and decadence in what was once the promised land.
A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 11 dealing with the complaint of Jeremiah that God seems to favor the wicked and they prosper and live at ease.
The Yoke is no Joke
Text: Jeremiah 28
I. A Respectable Pretender- Jer 28:1-3
A. An Accusation- Jer 28:1
B. An Anticipation- Jer 28:2-3
C. An Aristocracy- Jer 28:4
II. A Sympathetic Saint- Jer 28:5-6
A. A Scriptural Stance- Jer 28:8
B. A Divine Litmus Test- Jer 28:9
III. An Exaggerated Clarification- Jer 28:10-11
IV. The Persistent Prophet- Jer 28:12-15
A. Authority Exercised- Jer 28:16
B. Acceleration of Expiration- Jer 28:17
1. Who was responsible for the yoke?
2. Who can break a yoke?
V. The yoke is no joke, but the proper yoke is easy.
• A yoke in your youth is good training for old age.
A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 7 dealing with the worthlessness of false religion. God is angry because they make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven and other gods. They will not listen to God, and so they will become a Valley of Slaughter and will perish in judgment.
A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 43 dealing with God telling his people to stay in the land, but they called Jeremiah a liar for telling them, and they went to Egypt against God's will,
A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 16 dealing with the day of disaster because the people have gone after other gods and they will be thrust out of the land, but in God's mercy they will be brought back to the land and to their God,
Journey Through the Bible: Jeremiah - The Rejected ProphetResurrection Church
Jeremiah was called by God to tell the people of Jerusalem that the city and the Temple would be destroyed by the Babylonians and the people taken into exile. All this was to happen because of the nations continued rebellion against God. At first the people laughed at him but when the prophecies started coming true they turned against him and tried to kill the messenger.
A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 26 dealing with the anger of the priests, prophets and people at Jeremiah for his prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem. They wanted him to be sentenced to death, but others came to his defense.
Why is this So? ~ Do Seek to KNOW (English & Chinese).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on the Dhamma teaching of Kamma-Vipaka (Intentional Actions-Ripening Effects).
A Presentation for developing morality, concentration and wisdom and to spur us to practice the Dhamma diligently.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
What Should be the Christian View of Anime?Joe Muraguri
We will learn what Anime is and see what a Christian should consider before watching anime movies? We will also learn a little bit of Shintoism religion and hentai (the craze of internet pornography today).
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, and is the first book of the Deuteronomistic history, the story of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian exile.
The PBHP DYC ~ Reflections on The Dhamma (English).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on the Dhamma Reflections for the PBHP DYC for the years 1993 – 2012. To motivate and inspire DYC members to keep on practicing the Dhamma and to do the meritorious deed of Dhammaduta work.
The texts are in English.
For the Video with audio narration, comments and texts in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF2g_43NEa0
2 Peter 3: Because some scriptures are hard to understand and some will force them to say things God never intended, Peter warns us to take care.
https://youtu.be/nV4kGHFsEHw
In Jude 17-23 Jude shifts from piling up examples of false teachers from the Old Testament to a series of practical exhortations that flow from apostolic instruction. He preserves for us what may well have been part of the apostolic catechism for the first generation of Christ-followers. In these instructions Jude exhorts the believer to deal with 3 different groups of people: scoffers who are "devoid of the Spirit", believers who have come under the influence of scoffers and believers who are so entrenched in false teaching that they need rescue and pose some real spiritual risk for the rescuer. In all of this Jude emphasizes Jesus' call to rescue straying sheep, leaving the 99 safely behind and pursuing the 1.
The Chakra System in our body - A Portal to Interdimensional Consciousness.pptxBharat Technology
each chakra is studied in greater detail, several steps have been included to
strengthen your personal intention to open each chakra more fully. These are designed
to draw forth the highest benefit for your spiritual growth.
Exploring the Mindfulness Understanding Its Benefits.pptxMartaLoveguard
Slide 1: Title: Exploring the Mindfulness: Understanding Its Benefits
Slide 2: Introduction to Mindfulness
Mindfulness, defined as the conscious, non-judgmental observation of the present moment, has deep roots in Buddhist meditation practice but has gained significant popularity in the Western world in recent years. In today's society, filled with distractions and constant stimuli, mindfulness offers a valuable tool for regaining inner peace and reconnecting with our true selves. By cultivating mindfulness, we can develop a heightened awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, leading to a greater sense of clarity and presence in our daily lives.
Slide 3: Benefits of Mindfulness for Mental Well-being
Practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety levels, improving overall quality of life.
Mindfulness increases awareness of our emotions and teaches us to manage them better, leading to improved mood.
Regular mindfulness practice can improve our ability to concentrate and focus our attention on the present moment.
Slide 4: Benefits of Mindfulness for Physical Health
Research has shown that practicing mindfulness can contribute to lowering blood pressure, which is beneficial for heart health.
Regular meditation and mindfulness practice can strengthen the immune system, aiding the body in fighting infections.
Mindfulness may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity by reducing stress and improving overall lifestyle habits.
Slide 5: Impact of Mindfulness on Relationships
Mindfulness can help us better understand others and improve communication, leading to healthier relationships.
By focusing on the present moment and being fully attentive, mindfulness helps build stronger and more authentic connections with others.
Mindfulness teaches us how to be present for others in difficult times, leading to increased compassion and understanding.
Slide 6: Mindfulness Techniques and Practices
Focusing on the breath and mindful breathing can be a simple way to enter a state of mindfulness.
Body scan meditation involves focusing on different parts of the body, paying attention to any sensations and feelings.
Practicing mindful walking and eating involves consciously focusing on each step or bite, with full attention to sensory experiences.
Slide 7: Incorporating Mindfulness into Daily Life
You can practice mindfulness in everyday activities such as washing dishes or taking a walk in the park.
Adding mindfulness practice to daily routines can help increase awareness and presence.
Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our needs and better manage our time, leading to balance and harmony in life.
Slide 8: Summary: Embracing Mindfulness for Full Living
Mindfulness can bring numerous benefits for physical and mental health.
Regular mindfulness practice can help achieve a fuller and more satisfying life.
Mindfulness has the power to change our perspective and way of perceiving the world, leading to deeper se
The Good News, newsletter for June 2024 is hereNoHo FUMC
Our monthly newsletter is available to read online. We hope you will join us each Sunday in person for our worship service. Make sure to subscribe and follow us on YouTube and social media.
2. Key Text:
“And he said to
them all, If any
man will come
after me, let him
deny himself, and
take up his cross
daily, and follow
me”
(Luke 9:23).
3. As we have already
seen, God’s prophets
preached not only
through words but
also through object
lessons. At times the
prophets had to live
out the messages; it
was another way to
get the point across.
Thus, Jeremiah again was called to “live out” the words he was to
deliver. First, he had to wear a wooden yoke. “Thus saith the Lord to
me; make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck” (Jer.
27:2). That must have been a burdensome task, even under the best
of circumstances; in this case, it became harder because a false
prophet challenged what Jeremiah said.
4. This lesson we will
get a powerful look
at truth and error
contending for the
hearts and minds of
the people. We will
see, too, how a
message of grace
can also be a false
message.
Jeremiah also was forbidden to enter into mourning when others
mourned and rejoicing when others rejoiced. In these cases, the
point was to help the people realize what was coming because of
their sins, and so to repent and obey, lessening the doleful
consequence of their sinful actions.
5. “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”
(Jeremiah 16:2)
Jeremiah's life would be a living
parable, like Hosea's life. He would be
an example of the message he was
called to preach.
• Because they would die at war or by
famine.
You shall not take a
wife, nor shall you
have sons…
(Jer. 16:1-4)
• Because unpeaceful days were
coming when the dead couldn't be
neither mourned nor buried.
Do not enter the
house of mourning…
(Jer. 16:5-7)
• I will cause to cease every voice of
joy and happiness.
You shall not go into
the house of
feasting… (Jer. 16:8-9)
Jeremiah's was asked why his message
was so negative. Jeremiah replied by
pointing out the sin of the people (Jer.
16:10-13) and the divine mercy (Jer. 16:14-15).
6. Besides the love and
companionship between
spouses, it was also
important to carry on the
family name.
Why did God forbid
Jeremiah from starting a
family? It was so that his
own life would be an
object lesson on how
terrible that time would
be when families broke
up and when the pain of
separation became a
heavy burden on the survivors. Jeremiah’s lack of family life
was a constant warning and lesson for his contemporaries.
7. Jeremiah’s solitary
lot extended into
other areas as well.
He was forbidden
to enter a house
where there was
mourning; this
would symbolize
the people’s
unwillingness to
respond to God’s
calls for repentance
and revival.
Along with times of mourning, he was not to join their festivals of
joy and celebration. This was to symbolize the coming time when
the Babylonians would bring an end to all of their joy and rejoicing.
8. In these ways,
the human bonds
that are forged,
whether in
mourning or joy,
would be denied
Jeremiah. His life
and the sorrows
of his life were to
be object lessons.
If only the nation
would learn from
them!
How should this account help us learn to appreciate the human
support that we enjoy getting from others, or that we give to
others? However important this support, how can we learn
that, ultimately, our best support comes only from the Lord?
9. “‘But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of
Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the
Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’” (Jeremiah 27:11)
In chapter 27, Jeremiah was ordered to make
some wooden yokes.
He must use one of them. The others must be
delivered to the nations who joined Zedekiah
to conspire against Babylon.
The message was clear. Don’t listen to your
prophets and sorcerers who say that Babylon
would be defeated. Those submitting to
Babylon shall live; if you don’t, you will be
deported or destroyed.
Disobeying that message
meant to disobey God.
God decides the future of
all nations.
10. “The history of nations speaks to
us today. To every nation and to
every individual God has assigned
a place in His great plan. Today
men and nations are being tested
by the plummet in the hand of
Him who makes no mistake. All
are by their own choice deciding
their destiny, and God is
overruling all for the
accomplishment of His purposes.”
E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 43, pg. 536)
11. “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the
yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this
place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 28:2-3)
Hananiah used the
same authority
and similar words
to Jeremiah’s
(“Says the Lord”).
Nevertheless, both
messages were
contradictory.
Who should they
believe?
How would you
solve a similar
dilemma?
12. “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the
yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this
place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 28:2-3)
Jeremiah defended his message:
1. “Amen! The Lord do so.” (Jer. 28:6):
Hananiah’s message was what the people and
Jeremiah wanted to happen. But that didn’t
make the message true.
2. “The prophets who have been before me and
before you…” (Jer. 28:8):
The prophets before Jeremiah preached
messages in line with his.
Jeremiah wanted the people to
learn from their history, so they
wouldn’t make the same mistakes
their ancestors made.
13. Read Jeremiah 28:1–9.
Imagine you are a
Judean standing there
and watching all this
going on. Whom
would you believe?
Whom would you
want to believe? What
reason would you
have, if any, for
believing Hananiah
rather than Jeremiah?
Jeremiah raised his voice in the name of God, and Hananiah spoke in the
name of God too. But who was speaking for God? They both couldn’t be!
For us today, the answer is obvious. For someone at that time, it might
have been more difficult, even though Jeremiah does make a powerful
point in verses 8, 9: the prophets in the past have preached the same
message that I am, that of judgment and doom.
14. “Jeremiah, in the presence
of the priests and people,
earnestly entreated them
to submit to the king of
Babylon for the time the
Lord had specified.
He cited the men of Judah
to the prophecies of Hosea,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and
others whose messages of reproof and warning had been similar
to his own. He referred them to events which had taken place in
fulfillment of prophecies of retribution for unrepented sin. In the
past the judgments of God had been visited upon the impenitent
in exact fulfillment of His purpose as revealed through His
messengers.”—E.G.W., Prophets and Kings, p. 445.
15. In short, just as we
today are to learn
lessons from sacred
history, Jeremiah
was seeking to get
the people in his
time to do the same
thing: learn from
the past so you
don’t make the
same errors that
your fore-fathers did. If it had been hard for them
to listen to him before, now with the “ministry” of
Hananiah there to counter him, Jeremiah’s task
was going to be that much more difficult.
16. “Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet
had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Go and
tell Hananiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have broken the yokes of
wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.’”’” (Jeremiah 28:12-13)
Hananiah didn’t have arguments to defend his message, so he just
repeated it. He also added a symbolic action, breaking Jeremiah’s
wooden yoke (Jer. 28:10-11).
“And the prophet Jeremiah
went his way.” He had
already defended his
message. He is an example
for us, since he left that
“war” in the hands of God.
God replied by using the
“yokes of iron” metaphor
(Jer. 28:12-14). No one would
break God’s message about
Babylon.
17. Imagine, for example, that after Jesus cursed the fig tree (Mark 11:13, 19–
21), someone who had heard what Jesus said and knew what had
happened had planted a new fig tree in the same spot, all in an attempt to
refute the prophecy of Jesus there. This is what Hananiah did with Jeremiah
and the prophecy that the yoke around his neck symbolized. It was an act of
open defiance of what Jeremiah said.
Fig tree without fruit Fig tree dried and cursed
18. Note, too, Jeremiah’s
reaction. The texts
record nothing of what
he said right after the
yoke was broken. He just
turned around and
walked away. If the
story ended there, it
would have seemed that
the prophet had
retreated in defeat.
Read Jeremiah 28:12–14.
What happened next?
What was Jeremiah’s
new message?
19. Jeremiah’s response wasn’t a message of revenge: you did this to
me, so I will do that to you. Instead, it was another clear message
from the Lord but even stronger than what came before. Hananiah
might have been able to break a wooden yoke, but who can break
an iron one? In a sense, what the Lord said was that by the people’s
obstinacy and refusal to obey they only were making matters worse.
If you thought a wooden yoke was bad, try an iron one.
20. “Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Hear now, Hananiah,
the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus
says the Lord: “Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you
shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.”’ So Hananiah the
prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” (Jeremiah 28:15-17)
Hananiah died two months after breaking the
wooden yoke, just like Jeremiah prophesied.
That was a proof of Jeremiah’s message being
true. Nevertheless, the people decided to
continue believing Hananiah’s lies.
Many people prefer to believe any lie—no matter
how absurd—instead of believing Christ’s truth.
That was prophesied, “and they will turn their
ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to
fables.” (2 Timothy 4:4).
When people reject God permanently, He let
them “believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
21. Though Hananiah
died, he still had
done damage to the
nation. His works,
in a sense, followed
him. He made the
people “to trust in
a lie.”
The Hebrew verb is hiphil, a causative form of the verb “to
trust.” He caused them to trust in a lie, not in the sense of
physically forcing them, but through deception. Even
though the Lord had not sent him, he spoke in the name of
the Lord, which carried a lot of weight in Judah.
22. Added to that, Hananiah’s
message of “grace,”
“deliverance,” and
“redemption” was
certainly something that
the people wanted to
hear, considering the
great threat that Babylon
posed to the nation.
It was, though, a false “gospel,” a false message of salvation
that the Lord had not given them. So, at a time when the people
needed to hear the words of Jeremiah and the message of
redemption that he brought, they listened to the words of
Hananiah instead, and this made their woes only worse.
23. What do the following texts
have in common with Jeremiah
28:15? 2 Tim. 4:3, 4; 2 Thess.
2:10–12
Things are no different today:
we are in the great controversy,
a battle for the hearts and minds
of the world’s billions.
Satan is working diligently to
get as many as possible to
“trust in a lie,” and that lie can
come in many guises and forms,
just as long as it is always a lie.
After all, because Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the
life” (John 14:6), Satan’s lies can be about anything and every-
thing, just as long as they don’t contain the truth as it is in Jesus.
24. “To the end of time, men will arise to create
confusion and rebellion among those who claim
to be representatives of the true God. Those who
prophesy lies will encourage men to look upon
sin as a light thing. When the terrible results of
their evil deeds are made manifest, they will
seek, if possible, to make the one who has
faithfully warned them, responsible for their
difficulties, even as the Jews charged Jeremiah
with their evil fortunes. But as surely as the
words of Jehovah through His prophet were
vindicated anciently, so surely will the certainty
of His messages be established today.”
E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 36, pg. 442)
25. Further Thought:
As we have seen, people
want to believe good
news, not bad. They
wanted to believe, for
instance, in Hananiah’s
message, not Jeremiah’s.
Today the same thing
happens as well. Many still insist,
for instance, that our world will
only improve over time.
Yet, even an atheist such as Terry Eagleton sees just how farcical
that idea is: “If ever there was a pious myth and piece of
credulous superstition, it is the liberal-rationalist belief that, a
few hiccups apart, we are all steadily en route to a finer world.
26. “This brittle triumphalism
is a hangover from the
heroic epoch of liberalism,
when the middle classes’
star was in the ascendant.
Today, it sits cheek by jowl with the cynicism,
skepticism, or nihilism into which much of that
honorable lineage has degenerated.” — Reason, Faith,
and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate (Yale
University Press, 2010), Kindle Edition, p. 70.
27. Though some aspects
of life have improved,
our world, in and of
itself, offers us little
hope, little consola-
tion, especially in the
long run. If we are to
have any real hope,
it has to be in some-
thing divine, not earthly, in something supernatural,
not natural. And of course, that’s what the gospel is
all about: God’s divine and supernatural intervention
in our world and our lives. Without that, what do we
have other than just more Hananiahs and their lies?