This joyful strain of Christian hope is
based upon two all-important truths concern-
ing the human soul. In the first place, it as-
sumes that man is very high in the scale of
being ; and, in the second place, that he is en-
trusted with the great responsibility of deter-
mining his own character, and of securing the
blessings of existence by rightly adjusting
himself to the conditions of life in which an
all- wise Creator has placed him.
Our opportunity, I be-
lieve, is almost unparalleled in the history^ of
our faith, to carry the gospel of the blessed
God to a weary and hungry world; and
in doing this we shall be as one heart and one
mind, as were the disciples when the spirit
fell on their wondering hearts, kindling
tongues of flame and setting loose torrents of
renewing power.
This is a study of Jesus as salvation to the uttermost. He is ever faithful as our eternal high priest, and he ever intercedes for us guaranteeing He will save to the uttermost.
" Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God."— Co\, 3: 3.
NO one can suppose a saying like this to
be addrest indiscriminately to the
world at large. The class of persons
whom it indicates, the audience who will
grasp and appreciate its meaning, is limited
in kind. It is not that the text is obscure. It
is not that it belongs to an age so far away
from ours. It is not that it raises needless
barriers. Only it takes for granted that we
have passed through a great experience, and
that this experience has brought us into a new
world. In short, it touches as very few verses
even of the Bible do the vital source and cen-
ter of the Christian life. It tells the open
secret of discipleship, and lays its finger on
the pulse of personal religion.
"If ye then, "being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children; how much more shall your heav-
enly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask.
him?''—Lx\ke 11 : 13.
Christ's words rest on the assumption
that we carry in ourselves — in what is
best in ourselves — a revelation of what,
in the measure of His infinity, God is, and
must be. He teaches that in the make of our
own souls may be read — in characters dim and
imperfect no doubt, but still written there by
the finger of God Himself — a hint of what
God is. We are sure that He must at least
Brochure - NEW REVELATION - Messages for the rich and powerfull - ed 1Simona P
The document discusses teachings from The New Revelation about the relationship between the rich and powerful with the world. It provides several quotes and passages that convey the following main ideas:
1. The rich are advised to use their wealth to help others and make friends who will welcome them into heaven, as true riches come from being faithful with what is given.
2. When helping the poor and less fortunate, one should do so without seeking recognition or reward. True virtue comes from selfless acts of love and generosity.
3. Greed and selfishness stem from the animal nature within humans, but one can overcome this through cultivating love for God and others. The misuse of free will for selfish ends is
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He taught radical things and made radical claims. Compared to all the teachers and preachers of history, Jesus was radical. No one has ever been more radical, and yet gentle and compassionate.
Our opportunity, I be-
lieve, is almost unparalleled in the history^ of
our faith, to carry the gospel of the blessed
God to a weary and hungry world; and
in doing this we shall be as one heart and one
mind, as were the disciples when the spirit
fell on their wondering hearts, kindling
tongues of flame and setting loose torrents of
renewing power.
This is a study of Jesus as salvation to the uttermost. He is ever faithful as our eternal high priest, and he ever intercedes for us guaranteeing He will save to the uttermost.
" Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God."— Co\, 3: 3.
NO one can suppose a saying like this to
be addrest indiscriminately to the
world at large. The class of persons
whom it indicates, the audience who will
grasp and appreciate its meaning, is limited
in kind. It is not that the text is obscure. It
is not that it belongs to an age so far away
from ours. It is not that it raises needless
barriers. Only it takes for granted that we
have passed through a great experience, and
that this experience has brought us into a new
world. In short, it touches as very few verses
even of the Bible do the vital source and cen-
ter of the Christian life. It tells the open
secret of discipleship, and lays its finger on
the pulse of personal religion.
"If ye then, "being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children; how much more shall your heav-
enly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask.
him?''—Lx\ke 11 : 13.
Christ's words rest on the assumption
that we carry in ourselves — in what is
best in ourselves — a revelation of what,
in the measure of His infinity, God is, and
must be. He teaches that in the make of our
own souls may be read — in characters dim and
imperfect no doubt, but still written there by
the finger of God Himself — a hint of what
God is. We are sure that He must at least
Brochure - NEW REVELATION - Messages for the rich and powerfull - ed 1Simona P
The document discusses teachings from The New Revelation about the relationship between the rich and powerful with the world. It provides several quotes and passages that convey the following main ideas:
1. The rich are advised to use their wealth to help others and make friends who will welcome them into heaven, as true riches come from being faithful with what is given.
2. When helping the poor and less fortunate, one should do so without seeking recognition or reward. True virtue comes from selfless acts of love and generosity.
3. Greed and selfishness stem from the animal nature within humans, but one can overcome this through cultivating love for God and others. The misuse of free will for selfish ends is
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He taught radical things and made radical claims. Compared to all the teachers and preachers of history, Jesus was radical. No one has ever been more radical, and yet gentle and compassionate.
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He said many radical things and did some radical miracles. He was opposed to the leaders of His day and spoke in radical terms against them.
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He was radical in His claims, and in His teaching, and in the language He used, and in His actions. He was clearly radical.
Good Friday is one of Christianity's holiest days. It recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. These Good Friday quotes can help you acquire clarity and focus in your life.
We've put together a selection of 37 of the most inspirational Good Friday quotes and sayings.
This document is Pope Francis' proclamation of an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. It discusses how God is merciful, and how Jesus showed mercy by healing the sick and forgiving sins. Pope Francis calls for Catholics to practice acts of mercy by showing compassion to those suffering and helping people in need. He establishes a Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica as a sign of God's mercy and calls on Catholics to undertake pilgrimages as a journey of conversion and finding God's mercy.
This document summarizes the main points from Chapter Two of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si. It discusses:
1. The light of faith and how science and religion can have a fruitful dialogue in addressing environmental damage.
2. The wisdom of biblical accounts which teach that humans are created in God's image and likeness, and that sin ruptured relationships with God, others, and the earth.
3. The mystery of the universe being created through God's love, not by chance. Nature reflects God's wisdom and humans are called to care for creation.
4. How each creature sings its existence and the harmony of creation reflects God's love, though God remains infinitely
This is a study of Jesus being the head of every man. God was the head of Jesus, man was the head of women, and Jesus was the head of man. It is all about headship and order.
This is a study of Jesus giving advice on getting things and being greedy and covetous. Using money wisely and sharing rather than just buying every thing just for yourself is the way to go,
Jesus was urging forgiveness 7 times a dayGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus urging forgiveness 7 times a day. It someone offends you but comes and repents, you are to forgive them even if they do it seven times in a day.
This document discusses Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:27-30 about loving one's enemies. It provides multiple perspectives on this teaching:
1) Jesus commanded the highest moral excellence by calling his followers to love even those who hate them. This goes beyond merely loving those who love you in return.
2) Loving enemies means suppressing anger and retaliation, and instead expressing benevolence through kindness, prayer, and forgiveness even towards those who oppose or mistreat you.
3) Jesus himself modeled this teaching perfectly by willingly suffering injustice and praying for those who crucified him, in order to conquer evil with good and reconcile his enemies to God through grace. Christians are called to imitate this example
This is a study of Jesus as a rebel. Some say he was not a rebel, but there is evidence that Jesus was strongly apposed to much of what was acceptable by the leaders of Israel in His day, and he expressed it in some strong ways.
Jesus was sinned against by bad examplesGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being sinned against by bad examples. The abuse of Christian liberty can hurt one of weak conscience and cause them to stumble. This is a sin against Jesus. Forget your liberty if it hurts others, for this is not love.
The document discusses the quality of intolerance in Jesus Christ. It argues that Christ's intolerance stems from his perfect knowledge of humanity's sinful nature and God's love and purpose of redemption. His commands demanding wholehearted allegiance and discipline against sin reflect his desire to save people, not condemn them. Christ divides people based not on beliefs but on whether their active sympathies align with his mission. Those not actively for him are against him, leaving no middle ground. The age needs reminding of Christ's divine intolerance to avoid superficial faith.
I do not have the copyright for this PPT.
NOTE: I DO NOT OWN THIS PRESENTATION. THEY ARE JUST NOTES FOR ME AND MY CLASSMATES.
CREDITS TO UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (Philippines) -THEOLOGY
1. The document discusses Jesus' experience in Gethsemane, where his sorrow became so great that his soul was "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."
2. It explores how the weight of all humanity's sins caused Jesus immense agony and temptation to fear being separated from God.
3. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to pray, as they were his closest companions, though he was forced to face the sins of the world alone in his extreme sorrow.
That human life is a situation devised by
the infinite ingenuity of God, in which to
teach His sons to use power in a friendly
spirit is evident from several considerations:
The nature of life as revealed in its two
most characteristic features shows that it is
intended to serve this purpose.
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He said many radical things and did some radical miracles. He was opposed to the leaders of His day and spoke in radical terms against them.
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He was radical in His claims, and in His teaching, and in the language He used, and in His actions. He was clearly radical.
Good Friday is one of Christianity's holiest days. It recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. These Good Friday quotes can help you acquire clarity and focus in your life.
We've put together a selection of 37 of the most inspirational Good Friday quotes and sayings.
This document is Pope Francis' proclamation of an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. It discusses how God is merciful, and how Jesus showed mercy by healing the sick and forgiving sins. Pope Francis calls for Catholics to practice acts of mercy by showing compassion to those suffering and helping people in need. He establishes a Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica as a sign of God's mercy and calls on Catholics to undertake pilgrimages as a journey of conversion and finding God's mercy.
This document summarizes the main points from Chapter Two of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si. It discusses:
1. The light of faith and how science and religion can have a fruitful dialogue in addressing environmental damage.
2. The wisdom of biblical accounts which teach that humans are created in God's image and likeness, and that sin ruptured relationships with God, others, and the earth.
3. The mystery of the universe being created through God's love, not by chance. Nature reflects God's wisdom and humans are called to care for creation.
4. How each creature sings its existence and the harmony of creation reflects God's love, though God remains infinitely
This is a study of Jesus being the head of every man. God was the head of Jesus, man was the head of women, and Jesus was the head of man. It is all about headship and order.
This is a study of Jesus giving advice on getting things and being greedy and covetous. Using money wisely and sharing rather than just buying every thing just for yourself is the way to go,
Jesus was urging forgiveness 7 times a dayGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus urging forgiveness 7 times a day. It someone offends you but comes and repents, you are to forgive them even if they do it seven times in a day.
This document discusses Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:27-30 about loving one's enemies. It provides multiple perspectives on this teaching:
1) Jesus commanded the highest moral excellence by calling his followers to love even those who hate them. This goes beyond merely loving those who love you in return.
2) Loving enemies means suppressing anger and retaliation, and instead expressing benevolence through kindness, prayer, and forgiveness even towards those who oppose or mistreat you.
3) Jesus himself modeled this teaching perfectly by willingly suffering injustice and praying for those who crucified him, in order to conquer evil with good and reconcile his enemies to God through grace. Christians are called to imitate this example
This is a study of Jesus as a rebel. Some say he was not a rebel, but there is evidence that Jesus was strongly apposed to much of what was acceptable by the leaders of Israel in His day, and he expressed it in some strong ways.
Jesus was sinned against by bad examplesGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being sinned against by bad examples. The abuse of Christian liberty can hurt one of weak conscience and cause them to stumble. This is a sin against Jesus. Forget your liberty if it hurts others, for this is not love.
The document discusses the quality of intolerance in Jesus Christ. It argues that Christ's intolerance stems from his perfect knowledge of humanity's sinful nature and God's love and purpose of redemption. His commands demanding wholehearted allegiance and discipline against sin reflect his desire to save people, not condemn them. Christ divides people based not on beliefs but on whether their active sympathies align with his mission. Those not actively for him are against him, leaving no middle ground. The age needs reminding of Christ's divine intolerance to avoid superficial faith.
I do not have the copyright for this PPT.
NOTE: I DO NOT OWN THIS PRESENTATION. THEY ARE JUST NOTES FOR ME AND MY CLASSMATES.
CREDITS TO UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (Philippines) -THEOLOGY
1. The document discusses Jesus' experience in Gethsemane, where his sorrow became so great that his soul was "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."
2. It explores how the weight of all humanity's sins caused Jesus immense agony and temptation to fear being separated from God.
3. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to pray, as they were his closest companions, though he was forced to face the sins of the world alone in his extreme sorrow.
That human life is a situation devised by
the infinite ingenuity of God, in which to
teach His sons to use power in a friendly
spirit is evident from several considerations:
The nature of life as revealed in its two
most characteristic features shows that it is
intended to serve this purpose.
The document discusses Jesus being made lower than angels for a time but then being crowned with glory and honor after suffering death so that by God's grace he could taste death for all people. It summarizes a passage from Hebrews that says Jesus was temporarily made lower than angels and then was crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering and death, so that through God's grace he could experience death for everyone.
And thou shalt remember all the way
which Jehovah thy God hath led thee.
The Book of Deut.
EIGHTH CHAPTER SECOND VERSE
THE book of Deuteronomy is a not
able example of the religious uses
of memory. It was written during a
crisis in the history of the Hebrews, and
it is the first serious attempt at a phi
losophy of that history. The text is at
once a statement of its theme and a
summary of its main content. It is em
phatically the book of remembrance.
This document summarizes Herbert Lockwood Willett's sermon on the value of discontent. It makes three key points:
1) Dissatisfaction and a desire for growth and improvement have driven all great individuals and societies. Figures like Napoleon, Bismarck, Gladstone, Lincoln, and nations like France and Japan achieved great things through an unwillingness to be content with the status quo.
2) Having desires and wants beyond just basic physical needs is what makes humans capable of achievement. The growth of our intellectual and social wants throughout life spurs progress.
3) While some level of material contentment is possible, truly satisfying higher human desires for knowledge, beauty, purpose
This document provides a 3-paragraph introduction to a book titled "King of the Castle" about choice and responsibility in the modern world. The summary is:
The introduction discusses how someone from a different time period would find modern society strange and abnormal compared to past eras. It notes that while we see limitations in past beliefs, our own views still have limitations and changing perspectives does not escape inherent human limitations. The viewpoint presented in the book is rooted in Islamic faith and a belief in universal wisdom across religions. The book aims to critically examine assumptions of modern society and suggest an alternative perspective focused on immutable human normality as understood across cultures.
This is a study of Jesus saying that He did not know. He knew not the time of His return to earth. Only the Father knew these exact dates of His Coming Again.
1. Jesus stated that no one knows the exact day or hour of his return, not even angels or himself, but only God the Father.
2. This statement shows Jesus' humility and limitations as a human, despite his divine nature. It also emphasizes God's sovereignty over future events.
3. Jesus' words will endure forever because they are rooted in eternal truth and God's immutable purposes, even if earthly powers and kingdoms pass away.
This is a study of Jesus being knowledgeable about farming. He used farming and farmers in His parables for it fit His time and culture for illustrating His truths.
*' Heaven and earth shall pass aivay, hut my words
shall not pass away." — Matt. 24 : 35.
A WORD seems a light and fragile thing
put in comparison with this mighty and
glorious fabric of heaven and earth.
' ' Heaven and earth, ' ' Jesus says, ' ' shall pass
away, ' ' yet nothing in itself might seem more
unlikely. The first impression which the great
objects of nature make upon us is that of
strength, solidity, enduringness. The earth
we tread on, the hills girding us, the rocks
frowning down upon us, the stars in their
nightly watch above us, all give the idea of
objects which are the opposite of transient —
which may be depended on to outlast all
human generations.
. God has given us the power
to mold our own character, and to fashion our
own destiny. We should not drift, but steer.
We should not float, but swim. True, God
has placed us in stormy seas, and we often
feel ourselves at the mercy of the waves. But
He has placed in our vessel a rudder whereby
we can guide our course.
Jesus was to be witnessed in all the earthGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus to be witnessed in all the earth. He said His disciples were to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and in that power cover all the earth with their testimony of Jesus.
Jesus was prophesied to be the Son of the Most High and called great. The document discusses Jesus' greatness in three aspects: [1] His divine origin as the Son of God, [2] His work of saving people from their sins, and [3] The dignity and power He would attain as king over God's kingdom forever. The kingdom of Christ surpasses earthly kingdoms in characteristics, extent, and duration. Mary's expectations for her son Jesus, though just, paled in comparison to the fulfillment of his role as the Son of God and savior of humanity.
This sermon outline discusses the foundations of a godly life according to Genesis. It covers how God created the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th, establishing the Sabbath. God created man from dust and breathed life into him, placing him in the Garden of Eden with commands not to eat from the tree of knowledge. God saw that man needed companionship, so he created woman from man's rib to be his wife. The sermon argues that marriage between one man and one woman is the divine institution from Genesis and anything fracturing this foundation leads to destructive consequences. It encourages accepting Jesus' help to have a personal relationship with God.
This document presents a call for unity among believers of different faiths against threats to religious values. It argues that Muslims, Christians and Jews share common beliefs and should work together against ideologies like Darwinism and radicalism. The document outlines areas of shared belief and emphasizes the importance of cooperation over past disputes. It asserts that united, people of faith can counter dangerous indoctrination and build a moral society of peace, security and well-being.
This is a study of Jesus being aware of all secrets. Jesus and the Father have full awareness of all that people do in secret and so it is folly to think you can hide anything from them.
CONTENTS
I. ADAM
II. EVE
III. CAIN
IV. ABEL
V. ENOCH
VI. JUBAL
VII. NOAH
VIII. HAM
IX. NIMROD .
X. TERAH
XI. ABRAHAM
XII. LOT
XIII. SARAH
XIV. ISAAC
XV. ESAU
XVI. REBEKAH .
XVII. JACOB
XVIII. JOSEPH . . , 194
Jesus was urging us to pray and never give upGLENN PEASE
This document discusses the importance of perseverance in prayer based on a parable from Luke 18:1-8. It provides three key points:
1. The parable illustrates that believers should always pray and not lose heart, using the example of a widow who persistently asks an unjust judge for justice until he relents. If an unjust judge will grant a request, how much more will a righteous God answer the prayers of his people.
2. Though God may delay in answering prayers, this is not due to his absence or indifference, but for reasons that will become clear later and that are for the benefit of the believers.
3. Believers should continue praying without ceasing and not lose
This is a study of Jesus being questioned about fasting. His disciples were not doing it like John's disciples and the Pharisees. Jesus gives His answer that gets Him into the time of celebration with new wineskins that do away with the old ones. Jesus says we do not fast at a party and a celebration.
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, scoffed at Jesus when he taught about financial matters. While the Pharisees were outwardly devout and knowledgeable about scripture, their true motivation was greed. Their love of wealth distorted their judgment and led them to actively oppose Christ, culminating in conspiring for his death. True righteousness requires having a humble, trusting heart oriented toward love of God rather than worldly pursuits.
Jesus was clear you cannot serve two mastersGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being clear on the issue, you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and money at the same time because you will love one and hate the other. You have to make a choice and a commitment.
Jesus was saying what the kingdom is likeGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus saying what the kingdom is like. He does so by telling the Parable of the growing seed. It just grows by itself by nature and man just harvests it when ripe. There is mystery here.
Jesus was telling a story of good fish and badGLENN PEASE
The parable of the dragnet, as told by Jesus in Matthew 13:47-50, describes how the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. When the net is full, it is pulled to shore where the fishermen sort the fish, keeping the good in baskets but throwing away the bad. Jesus explains that this is analogous to how he will separate the wicked from the righteous at the end of the age, throwing the wicked into eternal punishment. The parable illustrates that within the church both true believers and unbelievers will be gathered initially, but they will be separated at the final judgment.
Jesus was comparing the kingdom of god to yeastGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus comparing the kingdom of God to yeast. A little can go a long way, and the yeast fills the whole of the large dough, and so the kingdom of God will fill all nations of the earth.
This is a study of Jesus telling a shocking parable. It has some terrible words at the end, but it is all about being faithful with what our Lord has given us. We need to make whatever has been given us to count for our Lord.
Jesus was telling the parable of the talentsGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus telling the parable of the talents, There are a variety of talents given and whatever the talent we get we are to do our best for the Master, for He requires fruit or judgment.
Jesus was explaining the parable of the sowerGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus explaining the parable of the sower. It is all about the seed and the soil and the fruitfulness of the combination. The Word is the seed and we need it in our lives to bear fruit for God.
This is a study of Jesus warning against covetousness. Greed actually will lead to spiritual poverty, so Jesus says do not live to get, but develop a spirit of giving instead,
Jesus was explaining the parable of the weedsGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus explaining the parable of the weeds. The disciples did not understand the parable and so Jesus gave them a clear commentary to help them grasp what it was saying.
This is a study of Jesus laughing in time and in eternity. He promised we would laugh with Him in heaven, and most agree that Jesus often laughed with His followers in His earthly ministry. Jesus was a laugher by nature being He was God, and God did laugh, and being man, who by nature does laugh. Look at the masses of little babies that laugh on the internet. It is natural to being human.
This is a study of Jesus as our protector. He will strengthen and protect from the evil one. We need His protection for we are not always aware of the snares of the evil one.
This is a study of Jesus not being a self pleaser. He looked to helping and pleasing others and was an example for all believers to look to others need and not focus on self.
This is a study of Jesus being the clothing we are to wear. To be clothed in Jesus is to be like Jesus in the way we look and how our life is to appear before the world.
This is a study of Jesus being our liberator. By His death He set us free from the law of sin and death. We are under no condemnation when we trust Him as our Savior and Liberator.
This is a study of Jesus being our new marriage partner. We died to the law who was our first partner and then were free to take a new partner and that was Jesus who set us free from the law. He becomes our second marriage.
taittreya upanishad - tradition of yoga and Upanishads, this concept of panch...Karuna Yoga Vidya Peetham
In his search towards reality or the unchanging fundamental unit of this universe, a scientist started with the external gross world of solid matter which is simple and easy to see, divide, and do experiments with.
This search led him through steps of understanding of this entire world of matter starting from elements, molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons;
He further understood that it is all packets of energy.
The atoms conglomerate together to form various chemicals; our body is therefore a permutation and combination of various chemicals. (Packets of energy in various configurations) When they join together they form molecules, cells, tissues organs, etc.
These follow certain well defined laws of nature and are controlled by nervous (electrical) and chemical (hormones) mechanisms to bring about movement and action in each and every cell.
Thus annamaya kosha is the physical frame which the grossest of the five Koshas.
chakra yoga
Number of petals: 4 Location: Base of the spine Name: Foundation
Plane: Physical plane Sense Organ: Nose Work Organ: Anus Sense: Smell Element: Earth Shape: Square Sound: Lang
Muladhara is the root centre of physical experience, located at the base of the spine, the sacral plexus. The square represents the earth itself, the four dimensions and the four directions. Four allows for completion, and earth embodies the elements and conditions for human completion on all levels.
Muladhara Chakra is the meeting place of the three main nadis: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. The downward-pointing triangle indicates the downward movement of energy and the three main nadis.
The seed mantra is Lam, the yellow square represents the earth element. The Muladhara chakra governs the vital breath Apana. An inverted triangle in the centre of the square encloses the unmanifest Kundalini, represented as a snake wrapped in three and a half coils around the svayambhu (self born) linga. Because her mouth faces downward, the flow of energy is downward.
The opening at the entrance of the sushumna is called brahma-dvara, the door of Brahma, which is closed by the coils of the sleeping Kundalini. As soon as one begins working with Muladhara chakra, this dormant energy awakens, raises its head and flows freely into the channel of Sushumna, the central nerve canal that runs along the spine. These two aspects of the kundalini: sleeping and waking, are identified as her “poison” and her “nectar.” The kundalini is poison when she remains asleep in the lower abdomen; she is nectar when she rises up through Sushumna, the medial channel, to reunite with Siva, the Absolute, in the yogin’s cranial vault.
In the pericarp is found the presiding deity Brahma, the lord of creation. His skin is the color of wheat, he wears a yellow dhoti and a green scarf. Brahma is four-faced, four-armed, holding in his upper left hand a lotus flower, the symbol of purity.
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN GOOD OCCULT SOCIETY TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND BE FIANANCI...AagaardRed
Incredible wealth and fortune will be yours once you are initiated into the RED BROTHERHOOD OCCULT!! you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams! You have nothing to fear and are in no danger by joining the BROTHERHOOD. It will bestow upon you great material wealth, riches, influence, powers and business opportunities. Money will come to you from unexpected sources!! Don't wait!! You can be living the life you always dreams of with the help of the RED BROTHERHOOD
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Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian.pptxCelso Napoleon
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian
SBS – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
Renewed in Grace
Lição 12: João 15 a 17 – O Espírito Santo e a Oração Sacerdotal | 2° Trimestr...OmarBarrezueta1
Esta lição é uma oportunidade para discutirmos um assunto multo mal interpretado no contexto cristão, que é o fato de algumas pessoas pensarem que o conhecer Jesus é ter a nossa vida mudada em todas as áreas, como se Deus tivesse o dever de transportar-nos deste mundo para um outro mundo onde muitas coisas maravilhosas que desejamos seriam reais. No entanto, a nossa fé não nos tira do mundo após nos convertermos; ao invés disso, permanecemos vivendo sob as mesmas circunstâncias. O propósito de Deus não é nos tirar do mundo, mas nos livrar das ações do maligno (Jo 17.15), Sendo assim, a vida eterna não significa estar fora da realidade deste mundo, mas conhecer o único Deus verdadeiro (Jo 17.3).
"Lift off" by Pastor Mark Behr at North Athens Baptist ChurchJurgenFinch
23 June 2024
Morning Service at North Athens Baptist Church Athens, Michigan
“Lift Off” by Pastor Mark Behr
Scriptures: Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-11.
We are a small country Church in Athens Michigan who loves to reach out to others with the love of God. We worship an Awesome God who loves the whole world and wants everyone to see and understand what He has done for us. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) We hope you are encouraging by our Sunday Morning sermon videos. If you are ever in the area, please feel free to attend our Sunday Morning Services at North Athens Baptist Church 2020 M Drive South, Athens, Michigan. If you have any question and would like to talk to Pastor Mark, or have prayer request please call the church at (269) 729-553
Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.
Morning Service: 10:45 a.m.
Full Morning Service on Facebook Live at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nabc2020athensmichigan
Sermon Only Live on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@NABC2020AthensMI
Sermon Only Audio of Morning Sermon at: https://soundcloud.com/user-591083416
Unleash your spiritual growth journey as a truth-seeker!
Learn More:
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Tracking "The Blessing" - Christianity · Spiritual Growth · Success
Do you ever feel like your Bible highlighting isn't quite enough to ignite lasting spiritual growth? Have you struggled to retain key takeaways from your Bible study sessions?
Discover how living in 4D can transform your highlighting into a strategic tool for spiritual development.
Learn More:
👉https://tkg.tf/4D
In this video, you'll gain insights on:
How highlighting key verses and themes can enhance memory and retention of Scripture (we see a few key ones, here!)
Studies have shown that highlighting can significantly improve information recall. Highlighting key points visually reinforces them in your mind, leading to better long-term memory.
How to personalize your Bible study through strategic highlighting. Don't just highlight everything!
This video will teach you how to strategically highlight based on what resonates with you, focusing on central themes, recurring ideas, or connections between different passages.
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How connecting highlighted passages can reveal deeper biblical truths. By highlighting these connections, you can see the bigger picture and uncover the underlying messages within Scripture.
By the end of this video, you'll be equipped to unlock the hidden potential within your highlighted Bible and embark on a transformative spiritual growth journey! Don't forget to like and subscribe for more inspiring content on deepening your faith.
Note: For Christians seeking to enrich their Bible study and deepen their faith, as well as any other spiritual seeker of truth and growth.
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5.3. Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad (the four states of consciousness)
The Mandukya Upanishad belongs to the Atharvaveda. Although it contains only 12 verses.
This Upanishad became the basis for the emergence of the Advaita Vedanta or the philosophy of monism, according to which Brahman alone is the truth and the rest is an illusion.
The Upanishad deals with the symbolic significance of the sacred syllable Aum and its correlation with the four states of consciousness, namely the wakeful consciousness, dream state, the state of deep sleep or dreamless sleep and the state of transcendental consciousness in which all divisions and duality disappears and the self alone exists in its pure state, all by itself.
1. Wakefulness—Jagrat (Vaisvanara is the first stage - A) Consciousness
In this state, atman (the Supreme Self) is mainly mis-identified with annamaya kosha (the “sheath composed of food”—the physical body).
Thus, the jiva (soul) travels in objectivity and becomes an object itself, mostly ignoring its subjective consciousness.
Introduction
Mantra Yoga is an exact science. "Mananat trayate iti mantrah- by the Manana (constant thinking or recollection) of which one is protected or is released from the round of births and deaths, is Mantra." That is called Mantra by the meditation (Manana) on which the Jiva or the individual soul attains freedom from sin, enjoyment in heaven and final liberation, and by the aid of which it attains in full the fourfold fruit (Chaturvarga), i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. A Mantra is so called because it is achieved by the mental process.
Astronism, Cosmism and Cosmodeism: the space religions espousing the doctrine...Cometan
This lecture created by Brandon Taylorian (aka Cometan) specially for the CESNUR Conference held Bordeaux in June 2024 provides a brief introduction to the legacy of religious and philosophical thought that Astronism emerges from, namely the discourse on transcension started assuredly by the Cosmists in Russia in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and then carried on and developed by Mordecai Nessyahu in Cosmodeism in the twentieth century. Cometan also then provides some detail on his story in founding Astronism in the early twenty-first century from 2013 along with details on the central Astronist doctrine of transcension. Finally, the lecture concludes with some contributions made by space religions and space philosophy and their influences on various cultural facets in art, literature and film.
The Power of Actions Slideshow by: Kal-elKal-el Shows
This message, “The Power of Actions”, emphasizes just how powerful moving actions are and gives us strong actions of advice as to how we use to do with actions.
ACTIONS is EVERYTHING! They bless or they curse, lift up or known down,
embrace it or unbrace it!
The Book of Revelation, filled with symbolic and apocalyptic imagery, presents one of its most striking visions in Revelation 9:3-12—the locust army. Understanding the significance of this locust army provides insight into the broader themes of divine judgment, protection, and the ultimate triumph of God’s will as depicted in Revelation.
The Significance of the Locust Army in Revelation 9
Providence and duty
1. PROVIDENCE AND DUTY
GEORGE FREDERICK WRIGHT
NOTE from editor: "All of my recent uploads, and many to come are from the ten volume series titled
MODERN SERMONS BY WORLD SCHOLARS. You can find this online for around 150 dollars, or read
it here for free. They are all in public domain free of any copyright. I share them because they have unique
value to readers,speakers and other scholars."
Professor emeritus in Oberlin Theo-
logical Seminary since 1907; bom in
Whitehall, N. Y., January 22, 1838;
gi'aduated from Oberlin in 1859, and from
Oberlin Theological Seminary in 1862;
D.D., Brown University, 1887; LL.D.,
Drury College, 1887; F.G.S.A., 1890;
pastor of the Congregational church in
Bakersfield, Vt., 1861-72; Andover, Mass.,
1872-81; professor of New Testament
language and literature, Oberlin Theo-
logical Seminary, 1881-92; of the har-
mony of science and religion, 1902-7; au-
thor of " Logic of Christian Evidences,'^
1
2. " Studies in Science and Religion," " The
Relation of Death to Probation," "The
Divine Authority of the Bible," "Glacial
Boundary in Ohio, Indiana and Ken-
tucky," " Ice Age in North America," etc.
PROVIDENCE AND DUTY
George Frederick Wright, D.D., LL.D.
Edited by Glenn Pease
'^ Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and
not one of them is forgotten before God?
** But even the very hairs of your head are all num-
hered. Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than
many sparrows. ' ' — ^Luke 12 : 6, 7.
TO one who has only a superficial knowl-
edge of the world, equality before the
2
3. law seems an empty phrase. At first
sight the reign of law seems inconsistent with
the highest welfare of all the individuals who
are the subjects of its sway. In countless in-
stances it would seem that the welfare of the
individual is sacrificed to the welfare of the
mass. Inequality, rather than equality, seems
to be the rule in the administration of all the
world's affairs. Human society is divided
into two classes — the apparently fortunate,
and the apparently unfortunate. Some are
bom rich, and some are bom poor ; some have
a heritage of great physical strength and men-
tal power, while others are doomed to lifelong
weakness of body and feebleness of intellect.
The lot of some falls in the lap of luxury and
of the bountiful supplies of nature; while
that of others falls amid barren wastes and in
overcrowded areas of population, where
hunger and want are the lot of all. The fer-
3
4. tile prairies of the West and the rich soil of
the river valleys are not large enough to go
around and supply a farm to every needy
family. In the cities, corner lots are not suf-
ficiently numerous to enrich the whole popu-
lation. The fertile portions of the earth rap-
idly fill with population, compelling the over-
flow to spread out into the mountainous
wastes or into the malarial regions of the trop-
ics, or even to the very outskirts of the earth
around the arctic border. In short, look
whatever way we will upon human society,
the distribution of advantages seems amythmg
but equal.
In justifying the ways of God, this seeming
inequality of human conditions is often attrib-
uted wholly to human sin. Man 's inhumanity
to man is sometimes spoken of as the only
thing which makes countless thousands
4
5. mourn ; and thus an attempt is made to shove
all the responsibility upon man's free-will
which thwarts the divine plan. But, upon
closer inspection, this is found to be impossi-
ble, and the mystery returns with even
greater force.
Nature herself is the most implacable foe to
the perfection of human plans. The seasons
are not wholly uniform : the drought of sum-
mer and the cold of winter are sure to disturb
the best-laid plans of man. The tornado, the
earthquake, the pestilence that walketh in
darkness, come at unexpected times to lay
their ruthless hands upon the fairest plans of
the wise and prudent. Science has indeed
greatly enlarged our control of nature, but
has by no means made it complete. La grippe
has sapped the strength of tens of thousands
in the most highly civilized centers of Europe
5
6. and America, as well as devastated mission
stations in far-off Alaska. Diphtheria and
scarlet fever spread terror everywhere, not-
withstanding the efforts of the medical col-
leges and their highly trained graduates. In
fact, the benedictions of science, like those of
the Savior, reach only a few of the sick, and
restore only a few of the lame and halt and
blind. The reign of death, even in the case
of Lazarus, and of the widow 's son, was stayed
only for a season, and at last they too went
the way of all the earth. It is the universal
law that dust must return to dust, that all
men must die. The individual is but a puff
of vapor attached to a passing cloud, the
whole appearance of which rapidly passes
away.
Such being the relation of the individual
to the whole, it seems impossible that his in-
6
7. terests should not often, and indeed always,
be sacrificed for the perfection of the mass.
In view of this, it is difficult to see how such
promises as are made in the Bible can be ful-
filled. It would seem impossible to prevent
the individual who has fallen between the
upper and the nether millstones from being
ground to powder.
Yet what is impossible to man is possible
with God, and we are bound to believe that
infinite power and wisdom are able to solve
the problem, and to make all things work to-
gether for good to them that love God. For,
God is able to bring light out of darkness, joy
out of sorrow, patience out of tribulation, and
every highest human good out of the most
unfavorable conditions of life. Notwithstand-
ing the failure of so many of His plans, the
keynote of the great apostle to the Gentiles
7
8. was one of rejoicing. ^' Rejoice, and again I
say unto you, rejoice." Thus, to all, the gos-
pel is designed to be preeminently a system
of hope, as over against the despair of all
heathen philosophies.
This joyful strain of Christian hope is
based upon two all-important truths concern-
ing the human soul. In the first place, it as-
sumes that man is very high in the scale of
being ; and, in the second place, that he is en-
trusted with the great responsibility of deter-
mining his own character, and of securing the
blessings of existence by rightly adjusting
himself to the conditions of life in which an
all- wise Creator has placed him.
It is a comparatively easy matter for the
Creator to look after the interests of a spar-
row ; for the sparrow 's wants are few : he has
8
9. no care for the future, and probably no fore-
boding of the future, and no moral character
to preserve or pervert. The short life which
he lives is a good in itself, independent of all
relations to the future. His nature is built
on no large foundations pointing onwards and
upwards, and his death is no interruption of
an imperfectly developed plan. But with
man it is different. He has large hopes; he
has boundless expectations; the future is to
him more than the present or the past.
The greatness of man 's being is revealed in-
cidentally in the care which God has taken to
secure its development and welfare. If it be
true that he careth for the sparrows, it is
preeminently true that he has cared for man,
both as a race and as an individual. ** What
is man,'' says the psalmist, ** that thou art
mindful of him, and the son of man that thou
9
10. visitest him ? ' ' The answer is that he is very
high in the scale of being — indeed but little
lower than the angels of God. The standard
proof of immortality presented by Christ was
that God is the God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Jacob — a God who had revealed Him-
self to them, who had visited them, and com-
muned with them, and made a covenant with
them. The inference is that such attention
on the part of the Creator implies immortal
existence in the beings thus communicated
with and cared for. Such pains would not be
taken with short-lived creatures of a day: it
can only be justified on the ground that man
possesses the powers of an endless life.
The doctrine of immortality enters our
problem with irresistible force and solvent
power. The earthly condition in which man
is placed is but a shell of loose accretions.
10
11. This may be broken and ground to powder
without disturbing the germinal power of
endless life which is resident within. Indeed,
the crushing of the shell may chiefly serve the
important purpose of releasing the inward
life, and of permitting it to spread its aroma
over all surrounding space. Unless the ala-
baster box of ointment had been broken, the
incense of pure devotion which it represented
could never have shed its sweet perfume
around to delight not only those present in
the room -vdth Jesus, but all succeeding gen-
erations.
The most important lesson of human life
is to learn that the interests of the soul are
largely independent of its environment.
Those are not always most likely to win the
race who set out with greatest speed, but
these are often overtaken by those whose
11
12. strength had been reserved for the later por-
tions of the trial. The seed which was sown
upon stony ground looked even more prom-
ising at the start than that which bore an
hundredfold. The human soul is a seed whose
germination proceeds but a little distance
during its earthly sphere of development. Its
fruitage is in the world to come : its harvests
are gathered in heaven. Many an unpropi-
tious beginning may have a most auspicious
ending. It is not the distance which we have
sailed upon the sea which determines our
progress, but the direction in which we have
sailed. The human soul is so vast in its ca-
pacities, and so elastic in its nature, that no
outside powers can prevent its development or
crush its energies. The power of thought,
even tho it resides in a reed which can be
easily broken, is superior to all that crushes
it, for it knows that it is crusht, and knows
12
13. that it can rise again, and triumph over the
blind forces which have conspired against
it.
Much sympathy is wasted upon those whose
conditions of life seem unfavorable; for we
do not properly appreciate the power of the
human mind to adjust itself to seemingly un-
favorable conditions, and to bring victory out
of seeming defeat. As a matter of fact, what
we in our ignorance call the best conditions of
life do not ordinarily produce the best de-
velopments of character. The most favored
classes in society do not perpetuate them-
selves, but are maintained by constant acces-
sions from those who have passed through the
school of poverty and adversity. The children
of the rich and of the classes which seem most
highly favored fall into numerous tempta-
tions which are not common to the lot of ordi-
13
14. nary humanity. The effect upon character of
an excess of privileges seems to be more inju-
rious than that of a seeming deficiency. This
is equally true in privileges and intellectual
culture. The education which is forced upon
us does not serve its purposes. The most
promising students are those who so prize
their education that they struggle hard to
obtain it. Knowledge received without effort
does not become incorporated into the system
as a living power. The only way in which a
student having exceptional advantages can at-
tain the proper ends of an education is by
setting before himself a correspondingly high
ideal for which he strives, but to which he can-
not attain.
The human soul may be compared to a
germ comprehending in itself all the mysteri-
ous powers of life that are manifested in the
14
15. world. There is a capacity of life adapted to
every conceivable condition. In the vegetable
world not only does it produce exquisite forms
of beauty in the rich soil and under the glow-
ing sun of the tropics, but, in the farthest arc-
tic lands which human feet have trod, flowers
of surpassing delicacy and beauty find suste-
nance in every sheltered nook, and spring up
on the very margin of the continental ice-
sheet to transform into beauty the rays of the
midnight sun. Beauty and usefulness are
combined not only in the cedars of Lebanon
which root themselves in the wasting debris
of the mountain glacier but in the hyssop that
clings to the wall, and in the fungus which
grows in the night, or flourishes in gloomy
caverns to which the rays of the sun never
penetrate. The germ of vegetable life is so
elastic that it finds nourishing conditions and
scope for development not only in the rich
15
16. alluvial soil of the river valley, but it spreads
itself in moss and lichens over every barren
mountain peak and along every inaccessible
rocky shore. It commands our admiration not
only in the gigantic redwoods of California,
but in the yeast with which the housewife
leavens her bread and in the thousand other
forms of microscopical plants which are the
admiration of the man of science.
Animal life, too, is equally protean in its
capacities. There are species of animals
adapted to every conceivable condition where
organic existence is possible. The geologic
ages have nourished the immense reptiles and
mammals whose skeletons adorn our museums,
and attract equally the wondering gaze of the
casual visitor and the attention of the student
of comparative anatomy and physiology;
while at the other end of the scale there are
16
17. the countless myriads of animalcules which
can be studied only with the highest powers
of the microscope. The beauty of animal life
appears, also, in the most diverse conditions.
The bird of paradise and the iridescent plu-
mage of the humming bird are rivaled by the
colors of the seashells and pearls produced by
animal life in the depths of the ocean.
** Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark, unf athomed caves of ocean bear. ' '
These capacities of animal and vegetable
life but faintly reflect the more marvelous
power which the human spirit has of trans-
forming the most unpromising conditions of
life into qualities of mind and character fit to
be admired in heaven and adapted to secure
both present and eternal blessedness. The
form of beauty which the character shall as-
17
18. sume is indeed determined by the conditions
of life in which it is placed, but the fact of
beauty is determined by the attitude of the
mind itself. Man is not limited, as we too
often think, to success in any single line of
effort, but he can achieve success wherever he
is placed. So great is the capacity of the
human soul that all things may contribute to
its welfare. It is truth as well as poetry that
** This our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything. ' '
Such is the treasure which is committed to
our keeping. Such is the fortune brought
within our reach. Upon such a basis are the
unrestricted promises of God made to us.
All things may work together for our good.
18
19. God clothes the grass of the field. God beau-
tifies the lily. He makes of the ant a teacher
for men. He guides the fish in paths of the
seas. And he has made the soul of man with
ten thousand capacities for the assimilation
of the circumstances of life to which he is
submitted. God is infinite in power, and in
wisdom, and has adapted every man to some
place in the economy of the universe, where
he can work out for himself a career of end-
less glory and bliss. Let us not doubt the
power and the wisdom of the Creator to take
better care of us than He does of the spar-
rows of which two are sold for a farthing.
The power of the Creator to make all things
work together for our good, however, is not
absolute, but conditional. It is dependent
upon the attitude of our will. The greatest
gift which He has bestowed upon man is the
19
20. gift of freedom. He has bestowed iipon him
the power of choice. He has made him in a
true sense the architect of his own fortune.
With this high privilege of attaining to a seat
upon the thrones of heaven around which
angels circle, there comes the great responsi-
bility of accepting our providential mission
in the world, and the great hazard of failing
to seek for the best gifts which God in His
wisdom has bestowed upon us. Even an in-
finite Creator cannot bestow the same out-
ward lot upon all. He cannot give to us all
the things which we may wish. He can only
give us the things which are best adapted to
our capacities which, if we receive with thank-
fulness, will prove better than we ask or think.
From this development of thought there
follow various urgent appeals of duty: The
first is an appeal to the duty of submission
to God. The universe is so vast, the future
20
21. before us so endless, that man may well stand
appalled at the prospect of directing his own
ways. But he is not called upon to work out
his own salvation alone. God has adjusted
the forces so that the problem will work itself
out if the soul but surrenders itself day by
day to do with his might what his hands find
to do. Man has no right to have anxious care
for the future. In attempting to do good, he
must, first of all, wait upon the Lord. He
must cast his bread upon the waters in faith
that it will return to him, tho after many
days. It is evidently not the design of Provi-
dence that the tenor of our earthly life should
move forward in a smooth and even current.
The soul, as well as the body, is to be de-
veloped by discipline. How foolish to sur-
render ourselves willingly to a teacher of gym-
nastics, and then to murmur at the course of
training to which God subjects us for the in-
21
22. finitely higher victories to which we are to
aspire in the spiritual world. No: it must
needs be that offenses come. Temptations,
trials, disappointments, afflictions, are the
common lot of men. In one form or other
they are sure to follow us from the cradle to
the grave. They are the emery wheels upon
which the diamonds are polished. They are
the storms by which the oak is strengthened.
They are the dumb-bells by which the muscles
of the gymnast are developed. They are the
chastisements of an all-wise heavenly Father
which He bestows upon the children whom He
dearly loves. The first great lesson of life is
one of personal surrender. We must learn ta
rest in the arms of the Lord as a weaned child
in the arms of his mother.
God has great designs for us all, but their
culmination is in the distant future. We see
22
23. enough of the glory of this fruition to rejoice
ever in the midst of our present infirmities,,
but with the eye of faith we can press tri-
umphantly forward, as seeing both Him and
that which is invisible.
How different in the retrospect does life
look from what it did at the outset. As the
plan of God has unfolded, everything has
been different from what w^e expected. We
set out in ignorance of our powers, in igno-
rance of the capacities and wants of our fel-
lowmen, in ignorance of the changing circum-
stances of human life. But if we are faithful
to our daily trust God has better things in
store for us than we ask or think. If we have
insisted on having our own way, we but invite
a contest with the Almighty. Great waves of
sorrow and disappointment are sure to roll
over us. The storms of adversity are sure to
23
24. break upon us with irresistible force. To
these inevitable trials to which the Lord has
appointed us we must learn to bow ; else they
will break us, and dash our hopes to pieces.
These words address us all; and our
thoughts if they be directed to the past, or
even to the present, must convict us of cruel
unbelief, and of great sin in the way we have
thwarted the Almighty in His attempts to
care for our highest interests. Repeatedly
when the blasts of adversity have come, in-
stead of bowing like the willow, and suffering
the storms to pass, saying. It is the Lord, and
He doeth all things well, we have endeavored
to brave the storm, and to resist the will of
God in the purposes which He had to accom-
plish. We have murmured, and, like the chil-
dren of Israel in the wilderness, have longed
for the fleshpots of Egypt, even with its
24
25. slavery, and chosen its bondage rather than
Him, and the trials of the desert intervening
between us and the possession of the promised
land. Our hearts have been full of jealousy,
because God has given to others what seemed
greater advantages than He has bestowed
upon us. He has given to them greater
wealth, or more perfect symmetry of form,
or more beauty of face, or more brilliancy of
mind, or more strength of body, and we have
murmured and repined and complained and
mourned over our lot. All this springs from
a root of unbelief. We have not faith to trust
God. We judge Him by too low a standard,
counting it impossible that He could fulfil His
promises. We insist on walking by sight, and
not by faith. In all this we dishonor God, and
wrong our owd. souls. Our first duty is to
humble ourselves absolutely beneath the
mighty hand of God, to acknowledge His
25
26. power (for what is man that he should resist
His will?) to trust His wisdom (for what is
man that he should criticize the wisdom of
Him whose days are past our finding out?).
It is ours rather at all times to praise His
goodness, for behind every frowning provi-
dence He hides a smiling face.
A third lesson urged upon us by the text is
that everyone is bound to magnify his own
calling, and to cultivate with diligence the
field which is assigned to him. God is an all-
wise provider; He sees the end from the be-
ginning; His eye scans every portion of the
field, and He has assigned to every man his
work. It is not for us to neglect our portion
of the field, because it seems less important
than that which is assigned to another. The
great events of the world have been accom-
plished by unexpected means. No human
26
27. foresight could have discerned the savior of
his country in the log cabin in which Abra-
ham Lincoln spent his childhood days. Men did
not perceive the greatest general of modern
times in the hard-working tanner of Galena.
But not all lives great in their results come
thus conspicuously before the gaze of men.
Ten thousand thousand lives as important as
theirs are known only to Him who seeth in
secret, but who will at last reward us openly.
It may be the unfaithfulness of a single picket
that allows the enemy to come in like a flood to
overrun the country. It may be the drowsi-
ness of some lonely lighthouse-keeper that suf-
fers the ship to drift upon the rocks to the de-
struction of all on board. It is a single act of
thoughtlessness on the part of the switchtender
which causes the destruction of many a rail-
road train. It is the carelessness of a workman
in the use of poor material that causes the
27
28. weakness of a bridge which fails at the critical
moment, and plunges to destruction those who
trusted themselves to it. In times of religious
interest, a thoughtless word or an inconsider-
ate action or even a failure on our part to
recognize the day of the Lord 's visitation may
turn the scale with some souls with whom the
great decision is trembling in the balance. In
nothing do we make a greater mistake, and
in no way do we more thoroughly discredit
the wisdom of God, and dishonor His love,
than by neglecting what may seem to us the
small opportunities and the insignificant mer-
cies of life. Before God there is nothing
great, and there is nothing small. The spark
is an insignificant thing, but behold how great
the conflagration which it kindles. The
tongue is an insignificant member, but it is
set on fire of hell, and a word rashly spoken
cannot be recalled.
28
29. If God thus cares for us in things both
great and small, what shall be said of us if we
care for none of these things, if we live as if
there were no God and no eternal hope in the
world? What shall be the condemnation of
those who utterly ignore their higher and
religious nature, and live as if they had no
responsibility either to God or man? What
is our purpose in life? What are we doing
with the talents which God has given us?
How are we improving the time which is al-
lotted to us for life's work? On His part
God has thought of all the details of our life.
He has numbered the hairs of our heads; he
has given us a charge to keep, and a throne on
which to reign. What are we doing in re-
turn? Behold, what privileges He has be-
stowed upon us in this Christian era, this
Christian land, this Christian community,
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30. these Christian homes. How sore will be our
judgment if we neglect so great opportuni-
ties, and continue to live as if there were no
Savior above, and no heavenly kingdom for
us to seek in the world.
30