“Religion does not exclude the mind at all. It very naturally includes the mind and intelligence. We have our instructions out of the wisdom of the past. Jesus the Anointed said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy god with all they heart, with all they soul, and with all they mind.’ Consider that — thy mind, and all they mind. It is part, an essential part, of the first and great commandment.
“Consider the source of these supreme values. Look out beyond your small horizon. There are the secret places of the Most High. Explore them — you are welcome there. It is your home. It takes many visits to realize this. So you must go often. It is increasingly easy, increasingly lovely. There is no place like it — home. There alone lies strength, understanding and contentment.”
L.B. Reynolds, July 1954
2014
March / April
Balancing Freedom and Choice
The United States Supreme Court upheld the owners’ of Hobby Lobby in their choice not to provide access to “abortifacient” drugs to its employees.
“We must know the origin of humans to discover where human freedoms originate…
What should a person do when law interferes with a person’s conscience toward God? That is a line no one should violate. In the case of Hobby Lobby it may come down to the fact that the owners are not compelled to access the abortifacient drugs for themselves personally, but their employees must decide what is right for them. The essence of freedom is choice (See Joshua 24:15).
Marriage is both a religious and state institution. At the same time, the state has an obligation to protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of their beliefs. God’s word is clear regarding same-sex relationships, yet as counterintuitive as it may seem, the Bible illustrates a God-given right to make choices for or against following the principles of the Bible.
January / February
Will the Real Terrorist Stand Up?
“When American and Allied troops leave Afghanistan and Iraq, evil will still be present. There will still be factions trying to gain power. They will be struggling at understanding democracy, and more conflicts will inevitably arise. But when the war between God and Satan ends, there will be no factions. There will be no more orphaned children, maimed fathers, or hurting wives and mothers. There will be no fledgling democracy or threats of future conflicts. . . Satan will be completely destroyed.”
Stop the Violence
“When American and Allied troops leave Afghanistan and Iraq, evil will still be present. There will still be factions trying to gain power. They will be struggling at understanding democracy, and more conflicts will inevitably arise. But when the war between God and Satan ends, there will be no factions. There will be no more orphaned children, maimed fathers, or hurting wives and mothers. There will be no fledgling democracy or threats of future conflicts. . . Satan will be completely destroyed.”
Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis
In 1984 Message quoted John F. Walvoord and John E. Walvoord’s Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis on the conflict that is as fresh today as it was then.
“Revered by Christians, Jews and Arabs alike, Jerusalem is already the center of religious interest for much of the world. Jesus and the prophets predicted this would be the case at the end time. In the light of these prophecies, it is understandable that the attempts for a permanent peace in the Middle East will involve claims and counterclaims regarding Jerusalem. Political, economic, racial, and religious issues are interwoven to make the control of Jerusalem the most explosive issue in seeking a peace in the Middle East. . . . The conflict over Jerusalem will continue to be a potential powder keg, threatening war which could spread like wildfire from the Middle East to the entire world.”
The Carceral State Questioned
Editor W. R. Robinson included this timeless observation regarding the beginnings of a carceral state, from Ronald Goldfarb’s “American Prisons: Self-Defeating Concrete” in Psychology Today.
“On an average day we confine about 1.3 million offenders in these places. Over the course of a year, about 2.5 million offenders see the inside of prison. And all these prisoners in all these prisons only breed more crime. If the city slum Is the high school of crime, prison is the university and a colossally expensive one, at that.”
fueled the Freedom Now Movement, with high treble notes, rolling lows, gently sighing calms, and jubilant cresting waves.
“Today, all of us are under the shadow of a conflict between East and West and, more important still, under the shadow of atomic and hydrogen bombs, biological warfare, supersonic airspeeds, and who knows what next. And in this situation we must sit down and ask ourselves just what are the prospects for the future.” Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, United Nations
The plight of our fellow men in other parts of the world ought to appeal to all of us, and we must be willing not only to share but also to sacrifice in order that they may live. At the same time the hope of the soon coming of Christ to end war and every other evil afflicting mankind ought to be more precious to us. ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus,’ Revelations 22:20.”
2004
January / February
While in this life we have disappointments, bereavements, tribulations, sufferings, hunger, pestilences, and a thousand ills to which we are subjected, how comforting to know that “ this same Jesus” shall come again and rescue us from the wrath to come! This earth, the pesthouse of the universe, shall be cleansed. The Creator assures us: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,” “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Isaiah 65: 17; 2 Peter 3: 13.
Hope and Help on the Way
While in this life we have disappointments, bereavements, tribulations, sufferings, hunger, pestilences, and a thousand ills to which we are subjected, how comforting to know that “ this same Jesus” shall come again and rescue us from the wrath to come! This earth, the pesthouse of the universe, shall be cleansed. The Creator assures us: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,” “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Isaiah 65: 17; 2 Peter 3: 13.
