In A World Where Whispers Of ‘WWIII’ Are On Our Lips, This Is THE Absolute Anchor For Our Troubled Souls
Closer to home, I have been discouraged with recent news, videos and laws that attack life at every stage. We are so progressive and “evolved” that organizations like Planned Parenthood wheel and deal in human body parts as we proudly celebrate ending a life. Did we even notice that California legalized an End of Life Option Act using words like “compassion” and “choice”? It’s horrifying to look at how far we’ve come to reduce life’s value.
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Perhaps fearing for America’s security or seeing alarming videos of babies being torn apart with little response are reasons why more and more people are on prescription medication to reduce the anxiety and fear that keep them awake at night. The advertisements on TV are never-ending: “Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unable to cope?” The profit-hungry, big pharmaceutical companies encourage us to ask for relief from our doctors, who in turn enable us to become pill-poppers. We learn to rely on chemicals for our well-being and avoid making decisions or changing behavior. We’ve drugged ourselves silly with pills and sipped our wine glasses empty. We are turning into hollow shells of what we could be, focusing on meaningless, endless distractions and side-shows, uninterested and unable to fix what troubles our souls.
Where, in all of this turmoil, do we find hope that can anchor our troubled souls? Real hope rests in truth and as Christians our hope rests in the crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. He is also our Creator, who created absolutely everything and everything is under His sovereign control. The good news of the Gospel is that we can be reconciled through faith in the Savior to our Creator God. What gives me hope for the future is that 1) God is good; 2) He is in control; and 3) He loves me. This is what I believe as a Christian. This is basic and gives me a solid foundation.
One of my favorite authors and Christian philosophers is C.S. Lewis, and he wrote this in The Weight of Glory: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” Instead of being insecure or feeling helpless, we can be assured in our Savior’s finished work on the cross. Being full of hope is ultimately not wishful thinking that everything will turn out for the best, but in resting on the clear and certain promises in God’s Word. No matter what happens to us here, in this unpredictable life, our eternal destiny in Heaven has been secured by Christ. We can be confident and secure knowing how this story ends.
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We don’t have to be satisfied living in a vicious cycle of anxiety, addiction and fear. Instead of being on-edge, we can rest confidently in the truth and love of our Savior. Conversations with friends and family can be comforting as we reassure them that if they put their faith in the only true Creator Savior then they don’t need to endlessly search for answers inside of themselves, to emotional spirituality or to empty religious tradition to find peace. My personal challenge is: to understand what the truth is and where it is found (the Bible), so I can live in peace and respond to our cultural challenges when asked.
A study came out this past spring, about Millennials being more disconnected from organized religion: religiously unaffiliated was the sanitized term. Today, truth is defined anew by each individual; everyone has his own truth and everyone’s truth is as true as the next person’s. Truth has become subjective instead of objective, so our culture feeds self-esteem. Our children are pumped up with self-importance. Discernment is totally unappreciated in favor of being progressive or impartial or non-judgmental.
Personally, I know that it is not popular to stand with the Bible, even though it is relatively popular to be called “A Christian.” There is a huge disconnect! I see and understand what the world values and how that then permeates our thinking and influences our beliefs and behavior. Knowing and trusting the truth will ease our fears, heal our broken hearts, and give us hope for a better future.
It is time to realize and understand what is occurring in our world, near and far, and to be able to cope, making wise decisions, not out of fear, but out of a confident hope. Ignoring what is happening should not be an option. As free Americans, we still have the right to choose our leaders and to make our voices heard. I encourage you to be involved and to have rational, well-thought-out opinions, rooted in truth, which can be shared with your friends and family so we can combat some of the irresponsible political decisions our leaders are making domestically and internationally.
Let us not be discouraged or settle for dishonesty and lies. We must heal, unite and make our country stronger for the next generation.
Read more: http://www.tpnn.com/2015/10/18/in-a-world-where-whispers-of-wwiii-are-on-our-lips-this-is-the-absolute-anchor-for-our-troubled-souls/#ixzz3owNDYmTS
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Perhaps fearing for America’s security or seeing alarming videos of babies being torn apart with little response are reasons why more and more people are on prescription medication to reduce the anxiety and fear that keep them awake at night. The advertisements on TV are never-ending: “Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unable to cope?” The profit-hungry, big pharmaceutical companies encourage us to ask for relief from our doctors, who in turn enable us to become pill-poppers. We learn to rely on chemicals for our well-being and avoid making decisions or changing behavior. We’ve drugged ourselves silly with pills and sipped our wine glasses empty. We are turning into hollow shells of what we could be, focusing on meaningless, endless distractions and side-shows, uninterested and unable to fix what troubles our souls.
Where, in all of this turmoil, do we find hope that can anchor our troubled souls? Real hope rests in truth and as Christians our hope rests in the crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. He is also our Creator, who created absolutely everything and everything is under His sovereign control. The good news of the Gospel is that we can be reconciled through faith in the Savior to our Creator God. What gives me hope for the future is that 1) God is good; 2) He is in control; and 3) He loves me. This is what I believe as a Christian. This is basic and gives me a solid foundation.
One of my favorite authors and Christian philosophers is C.S. Lewis, and he wrote this in The Weight of Glory: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” Instead of being insecure or feeling helpless, we can be assured in our Savior’s finished work on the cross. Being full of hope is ultimately not wishful thinking that everything will turn out for the best, but in resting on the clear and certain promises in God’s Word. No matter what happens to us here, in this unpredictable life, our eternal destiny in Heaven has been secured by Christ. We can be confident and secure knowing how this story ends.
Advertisement
We don’t have to be satisfied living in a vicious cycle of anxiety, addiction and fear. Instead of being on-edge, we can rest confidently in the truth and love of our Savior. Conversations with friends and family can be comforting as we reassure them that if they put their faith in the only true Creator Savior then they don’t need to endlessly search for answers inside of themselves, to emotional spirituality or to empty religious tradition to find peace. My personal challenge is: to understand what the truth is and where it is found (the Bible), so I can live in peace and respond to our cultural challenges when asked.
A study came out this past spring, about Millennials being more disconnected from organized religion: religiously unaffiliated was the sanitized term. Today, truth is defined anew by each individual; everyone has his own truth and everyone’s truth is as true as the next person’s. Truth has become subjective instead of objective, so our culture feeds self-esteem. Our children are pumped up with self-importance. Discernment is totally unappreciated in favor of being progressive or impartial or non-judgmental.
Personally, I know that it is not popular to stand with the Bible, even though it is relatively popular to be called “A Christian.” There is a huge disconnect! I see and understand what the world values and how that then permeates our thinking and influences our beliefs and behavior. Knowing and trusting the truth will ease our fears, heal our broken hearts, and give us hope for a better future.
It is time to realize and understand what is occurring in our world, near and far, and to be able to cope, making wise decisions, not out of fear, but out of a confident hope. Ignoring what is happening should not be an option. As free Americans, we still have the right to choose our leaders and to make our voices heard. I encourage you to be involved and to have rational, well-thought-out opinions, rooted in truth, which can be shared with your friends and family so we can combat some of the irresponsible political decisions our leaders are making domestically and internationally.
Let us not be discouraged or settle for dishonesty and lies. We must heal, unite and make our country stronger for the next generation.
Read more: http://www.tpnn.com/2015/10/18/in-a-world-where-whispers-of-wwiii-are-on-our-lips-this-is-the-absolute-anchor-for-our-troubled-souls/#ixzz3owNDYmTS
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'' Did we even notice that California legalized an End of Life Option Act using words like “compassion” and “choice”? It’s horrifying to look at how far we’ve come to reduce life’s value.''
What right does anyone have to force a person that is terminally ill to be kept alive. I would think that since your a advocate for ''individual freedom'' that you'd be in favor of this California law. Sounds like your being a hypocrite XX.
People should be made comfortable and given adequate medications for pain and their condition. No one has the right to kill themselves with or without an assist from others. First, do no harm. The medical profession has no right role in this
No one has the right to kill themselves with or without an assist from others
Not your fricking call to make for anyone other than yourself Xx.
Every adult, of sound mind, has the right to make any and all decisions about their life, including if and when to end it.
Heck, one could even postulate that Jesus used others to "assist" him end his life at a time and for reasons of his own choosing.
Everyone has the right to kill themselves, for any reason at all, anytime they want to. No one has the right to stop them.
The law disagrees.
Maybe the law disagrees, but I've never seen a corpse put on trial before.
So you against a person's freedom to end his/her life XX when terminally ill XX. What happened to your belief in personal freedom.
You have no right at all to make that decision for anyone but yourself XX.
Pretty much a hypocritical view.