The great significance of the Gettysburg Address, then, “is that it restates and reaffirms another great expression of the American mind, the Declaration of Independence—the opening “Four score and seven years,” in fact, points directly to the year 1776. There is one important difference, however, between our foundational political document and the Gettysburg Address: the Declaration of Independence asserts the “self-evident” truth that “all men are created equal,” whereas Lincoln refers to human equality as a “proposition.” What was self-evidently true to the men of 1776 had been challenged and even rejected by later generations, leading to a renewed defense of slavery, the great sectional divisions within the Union, and the hostilities then engulfing the nation. Likening the nation’s founding principle to a mathematical theorem, Lincoln suggests that the truth of this “proposition” is not immediately self-evident for all, but must be demonstrably proven to be true.” historyplex “By insisting that…
Category: <span>Liberty – Redemption</span>
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…” John 10:28 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:26 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called…”1 Timothy 6:12 “…and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12B Have we transferred eternity into our profession? Do we believe eternity? Timothy did. Do we profess eternity? In an article called “Seeking eternal life, silicon-valley is solving for death,” https://qz.com/ we read: “For years now, the luminaries of Silicon Valley have been putting their minds, money, and machines behind an all-out effort to solve for death. Full of futurists who don’t have enough time in the day to achieve their lofty goals,…
“Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” “So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about. ” 2 Chronicles 20:15,17, 20, 21, 22, 30 Another battle breaks while Elisha lives: “Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of…
Grief stricken, a person isolated their psychological pain. Strong willed? Strong minded? The current generation harnesses many soul powers like “isolation”. Coping mechanisms or defense mechanisms can hold back the flood tides sometimes. Where do these come from? “A well-known categorization of defense mechanisms by George Vaillant in 1994 differentiated between immature defense mechanisms, such as projection (blaming others) and denial, and mature defenses, like humor and sublimation (turning your unconscious motives into productive activity).” Sounds like we have grown more sophisticated? Not just yet. Here are some other “modern” mechanisms: Isolation — keeps yourself clueless about your flaws and missteps. Self-Compensation — your attempt to find an external outlet to feel better. Dissipation — you turn all of your anxieties onto some idealized version of yourself. Interesting, however, “The criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of a defense mechanism, in the Nanjing authors’ model, include whether it (a) distorts the individual’s self-representation (self-image), or (b) causes poorer relations with others.”…
In Paul’s “Romans” letter we delight in a plethora of plenty, an Easter basket of colors, a bounty of beautiful treats, a bundle of love. First, a plethora of plenty; We have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. by faith we stand in Grace. Second, an Easter basket of colors; While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. Third, a bounty of beautiful treats; The gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounds to the many, The free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. By the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness we reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Fourth, a bundle of…
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:11-14 Light brightens up our darkness, and in the light we gain more and more light in the rooms of our soul. Rooms of our soul? The metaphor was first painted by our Founder and Pastor, Dr. Carl Stevens. He states, “The first thing grace teaches us is to deny ungodliness. Then we can live “soberly”—with discreet, quiet truth, having the rooms of our soul filled with categorical doctrine.” He continues, “Once the foundation, which is Christ, has been established in…
Michael Dorstewitz wrote an interesting editorial at newsmax.com Here is an excerpt: “‘Columnist Elizabeth Bruenig suggested Tuesday in The Washington Post that, “It’s time to give socialism a try. Not to be confused for a totalitarian nostalgist, I would support a kind of socialism that would be democratic and aimed primarily at decommodifying labor, reducing the vast inequality brought about by capitalism, and breaking capital’s stranglehold over politics and culture,’ she wrote.’ Her piece appears to be based on the fundamental misconception that people in a capitalist society struggle to obtain their own individual piece of the economic pie. While there may be but one ‘economic pie’ in a socialist society, in capitalism, each person is given the freedom to create his own pie.” Michael Dorstewitz O my Lord! What a metaphor for the Christian Life! Do you realize that you have been given a “pie” and this pie can be…
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.” “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone!”Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5 “Then one of the seraphim flew to…
Are you walkin with God my friend, are you walkin with God? Are you holdin the rope so tight, are you walkin in light? Or awaitin some sign, awaitin so dumb? Avoidin His blessedness, eatin the crumb? Are you walkin with God my friend, are you walkin with God? Are you walkin in love, like God above? Are you walkin The Spirit way, in comfort’s Dove? or walkin the hum, of the devil drum? Are you walkin with God my friend, are you walkin with God? Are you walkin with acuracy, atop that wall? Are you walkin, steps ordered, follow’n the Word? or random sloth with fuzzy thought, and mostly bored? Are you walkin with God my friend, are you walkin with God? Are you walkin the valley, or high-handed fraud? Are you finding His presence, ever so near? or running half-maddened, to far reaching career? Are you walkin with God my…
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:1-2 “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” Psalm 13:2 “O my God, my soul is cast down within me:” Psalm 42:6 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?” Psalm 42:6 “lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death — hope thou in God.” There are four characteristics of a person who hides in their self counsel. First, they live in self-preservation. Secondly, a person who is hiding in Adam lives in self-defense mechanisms. The third characteristic is self-absorption. Fourth, self-occupation According to Dr. Carl H. Stevens, founder of Greater Grace Church in Baltimore Md. these 4 characteristics progress in the self-counseled soul. The self-absorbed become distracted and blinded to God’s viewpoint and…