Wisdom and knowledge matter
Wisdom and knowledge matter
Abounding in the work of the Lord.... the physically going out and being with new people in order to do the Great Commission. Too many people are living a passive life and a passive faith.
from John MacArthur: "...Epaphroditus literally gave his life. He did as much as was possible. You see, that’s what it means to serve the Lord, not to do as little as is possible and get by, but as much as is possible to the point where you would even give your life. Now, that goes against the grain of our leisure-oriented society, and it’s tough to get a handle on that concept in the day in which we live. We are called to overdo it in God’s work.
Now, what does that mean? Let’s look at chapter 16 and see what it means. And let me just mention this, people. I really believe that we are living in an era when this is hard for us to grasp because most people don’t know what it is to work hard. Sixty percent of our people in America, 60 percent of the employed people in America, don’t manufacture or produce anything. They’re strictly involved in service activities. And in a sense, we’ve lost a sense of work and labor. And, of course, we get pumped into us forever and a day the leisure approach to life.
We’re not living in a day when hard work was a part of life. And it’s difficult for us not to see our Christianity in the same low-level line of commitment that we tend to see everything else in life. And Paul is trying to tell us something here that really speaks to our era, and I hope we can get a grasp on it. We tend not to be able to commit ourself unto death, as it were, to the cause of Christ, to the service of the Lord, to the work of the ministry. We are not, as Paul said to Timothy, diligent to be approved of God, workmen that need not to be ashamed. We don’t know, really, what hard work is.
We tend so much toward the ease of the flesh because that’s what we’re being told is right. And you know, you don’t want to overdo it, you don’t want to get high blood pressure, and so forth, and so on. And I might add that [high blood pressure] doesn’t come from work, that usually comes from anxiety. In fact, the best thing for people may be exercise, as they’re telling us now, when we have to exercise for the fact -- to compensate for the fact, rather, that we’re not engaged in physical activity in our work. But going beyond all of those physical things and cultural things, the mandate of the Word of God is that we are to overdo it, that we are to go to the limits and the extremes of our capacities in working for the Lord."
(from Abounding in the Work of the Lord, by John MacArthur on 1 Corinthians 15:58–16:12 )
Beautiful Feet
from DJ Stewart: "In Matthew 20:6 Jesus tells a parable, likening the kingdom of Heaven to a man who hired servants to labor. There was much work to be done and time was running out. The householder saw a group of people standing idle and asked them, “Why stand ye here idle?”
Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Clearly, God wants all believers to have beautiful feet that bring the gospel to lost sinners. It is very interesting that the Bible does not call the believer's “lips” beautiful. No, rather, God calls the “feet” beautiful, because even the most eloquent and wise words are totally useless if one has lazy feet. The Bible teaches for believers to “GO YE” into all the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone (Matthew 28:19-20). It is with one's feet that the gospel is carried to the lost.
I've known believers who possessed a wealth of Scriptural knowledge, but never lifted a finger to win anyone to Christ. That is NOT Biblical Christianity. God isn't interested in deeper-lifer believers who never do more for Christ than fill 18" of pew every Sunday. I speak to saved Christians. Why stand ye here idle?"
(from Why Stand Ye Here Idle? by David J. Stewart)
1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?
Don't lose your priorities. Make no mistake - the world is pulling you in one direction, as God is likely pulling you in another. Even our peers in the Church may be pulling us in a worldly direction. Instead of buying a more expensive car, be in a mindset of using that money to somehow increase your own work for the kingdom, or someone else's. Instead of watching TV or scrolling on your smartphone in the evening after work, why not build your mind, study the Word, create something, read, pray, start a business. If you have a family, do these things with your children. Invest your time in other people and things that will help you connect with other people and serve others.
Leisure is a singular goal for some people. Sitting idle. Playing games. Watching strangers play games. Shopping. Drinking. Avoid getting caught up in these things. Since deception is those things we can't see, be accountable to others and take stock periodically of how you are using the time and money God has blessed you with. Is He getting a good return from you? He will bless you richly if you are obedient.
Further study: Abounding in the Work of the Lord, by John MacArthur on 1 Corinthians 15:58–16:12
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16
"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world" - Colossians 2:8
Kristin describes how she sees the US after living abroad for so many years - pros, cons, and reverse culture shock.
Do you have any idea how dependent you are? It is a means of controlling you. Do you realize how it's working?
Over the course of the 20th century, American culture was co-opted by corporate forces whose interests do not lie in providing the public with a sound product. The food and agriculture industries had a key role in destroying not just health, but the fabric of society. This video describes one aspect of this disruption.
Are we thinking?
Agriculture and food are a common thread connecting people. A first date. The family dining table. A family reunion. The times Jesus broke bread with his disciples, followers and strangers. Food and farming are a predominant theme in how Jesus connected with other people and in the lessons he taught.
Even the meaning of the word AgriCULTURE is rooted in the ideas of soil and people... conveying all the ways people, families and communities are intimately tied to and through the earth God created. As America lost its family farms, it has also lost its culture, its values, and its faith. American Chrsitians need to get grounded and realize that the world God himself called good is perfect just as He created it and daily life should be more immmersed in all the things of God.
Further study: The Dinner Table as a Place of Connection, Brokenness, and Blessing
Suppose a brother or sister does not have any clothes or daily food and one of you tells them, “Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily.” If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do? In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead. (James 2:15-17)
Agriculture and food are the common thread connecting people. The family dining table. The times Jesus broke bread with his disciples, followers and strangers. Even the word AgriCULTURE communicated how people, families and communities are intimately tied to the earth God created. As America lost its family farmsarm
Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.
Food, security, and love are entwined in the meals we cook and serve to our family and friends.
Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle discusses why the gut microbiome is so important. The gut is the second brain, and gut health affects your overall health. This means that you are what you eat, but you are also the metabolites that live in your gut and produce the substances you need for emotional balance, energy level, and disease prevention. Poor lifestyle choices cause gut imbalances, which can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, and even anxiety and depression.
- Vitamin D controls over a thousand genes and ties into longer lifespans
- Depression correlates with inflammation and omega-3 fatty acids
- Internal gut environment affects mood and immune system
- Magnesium is essential in DNA repair
- Caloric restriction impedes cardiovascular disease, cancer, brain atrophy, and nerve degeneration
- Gene expression is influenced by food, stress, and exercise (epigenetics)
Speaker: Dr. Rhonda Perciavalle Patrick, PH.D.
From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In his book, FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact. Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as "Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson .
America can return to virtue, faith and family again.
This is also the future of global food production.
For more on this go here:
Joel Salatin: How does your Christian faith connect to stewardship, farming, and sustainability?
Dr. Zuboff describes how BigTech entities like Google and Facebook, without users' awareness, practice a merciless form of capitalism in which no natural resources, but the citizen itself, serves as a raw material. How can citizens regain control of their data? The "residual data" that people leave behind in their searches on the internet is very precious and tradable.
Your DNA is your identity.
"Your DNA is like a blueprint of your soul, which is another sacred thing that is not like anyone else’s in the world." - Valerie Schultz
Computer time and social media drive much of our work, time and thoughts. What effect is this having on our brains, our health, our values, and our society
Eva was born in Poland but grew up in England. She spent a week living in a tiny village in Maramures, a remote hilly region of Romania. This is the story of the people she met there. She says she would go back in a heartbeat.
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