On Sunday, February 5, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off an unforgettable Super Bowl victory against the perennial contenders the New England Patriots.
Nick Foles said he gave ‘all the glory to God’ during the Super Bowl awards ceremony. However, many critics were surprised by the moment, with one Twitter user writing: ‘It’s just so rare for people to thank Jesus after they win. Amazing!!’
NBC spokesperson Tony Dungy was attacked for alleging that Philadelphia Eagles American quarterback football player Nick Foles would ‘play well because his Christian faith would allow him to play with confidence’.
“Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is outspoken about his faith and wants to become a minister after NFL.”
Last week Dungy said that Foles told him that he felt the Lord had him in Philadelphia for a special moment‘, and he played like it tonight.’
Nick Foles said he gave ‘all the glory to God’ during the Super Bowl awards ceremony. However, many critics were surprised by the moment, with one Twitter user writing: ‘It’s just so rare for people to thank Jesus after they win. Amazing!!’
Tony Dungy has always been a class act, but some people just don’t like the fact that he’s a strong Christian and ripped into him on Twitter, accusing him of ‘preaching on air’.
‘Really think the LORD is into football? Get a grip,’ wrote one critic.
“You did a fine job expressing your opinion Coach Dungy so keep up the good work!, Wow, never saw someone take someone heat for what they believe in. Thank Coach for having faith in my eagles as well even when others did not!” wrote another.
Dungy spent much of Monday replying to the abuse heaped upon him by social media critics.
Dungy, a strong Christian himself, responded in a tweet Tuesday saying, “NBC pays me to express my opinion. And it was my opinion that Nick Foles would play well because his Christian faith would allow him to play with confidence. And that he’s a good QB. I think I was right on both counts.”
NBC pays me to express my opinion. And it was my opinion that Nick Foles would play well because his Christian faith would allow him to to play with confidence. And that he’s a good QB. I think I was right on both counts. https://t.co/4HOfXt78UZ
The above tweet has been retweeted more than 7,000 times and has received more than 45,000 likes on Twitter.
Why would you find it hard to believe that the Holy Spirit could speak to Nick Foles just as much as a coach could speak to him? If he credited a coach for saying “Stay calm and be confident” that’s good. But if he tells me Christ says that to him I shouldn’t report it??? https://t.co/I7P4IU26GH
Dungy wrote, “This was much bigger than the score of a football game,” “How many young boys are going to look up to Nick Foles because of what he did in this moment? When they do they’ll see something about LIFE!”
Foles’ belief in God has almost certainly gained him a spotlight since he took over the Eagles, especially because he was considering retiring after the Rams cut him following the 2013 season, but he said prayer turned him back to football. However, Foles was not the only player to acknowledge faith’s role in football, as Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and Wide Receiver Zach Ertz both openly thanked God on the field for their Super Bowl victory directly after the game.
“I can only give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity,” Pederson said, according to Townhall.
Who do you serve?
It’s a simple question. Yet, if you are candid with yourself, the answer may be upsetting.
When you think of service and loyalty in life, everyone ascribes ultimate worth to something or someone – to some person, ideal or ideology. If it is not God, it may be sex, money or power. Or anything else. Fill in the blank. However, there is a little doubt from the events that unfolded in the story above that a segment of the sports press and the public would prefer that athletes with conservative and Christian beliefs keep their views to themselves (but secular and leftist views are fine).
Lets, however, stop shaming people for being transparent about their Christianity, for articulating publicly what they believe privately. And let’s start admiring them for putting their cards on the table, letting the rest of us see what it is that motivates them, and what makes all of us who we are.
A lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, what should we do? He said to keep driving. Cars began pulling over to the side of the road as the storm was getting worse. What should I do, the young lady asked? Keep driving, her father replied.
On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheeler lorries were also pulling over to the side of the road. She said I must pull over as I can hardly see ahead. It’s terrible, and everyone else is pulling over. Her father told her not to give up, just keep driving!
Now the storm was horrendous, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles, she was again on dry land, and the sun eventually came out.
Her father said, now you can pull over and get out. She said but why now father? He said because when you get out, you’ll be able to see that all the people that gave up are still in the storm and because you never gave up, your storm is now over.
Have you ever been in a serious thunderstorm or maybe even a hurricane or tornado? This is a testimony for anyone who is going through “hard times” right now. Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. Doesn’t mean you have to. If you keep going, soon your storm will be over too and the sun will shine upon your face again.
This story touched us! We hope it touched you too and feel free to pass it on to people you know and tell them the following:
“Dig deep & pull the roots of confidence from the ground of your being, standing firm in the raging storm until sunlight blossoms inside you.” ’- Curtis Tyrone Jones
In our own strength, we lack sufficient resources and abilities to meet life’s challenges. so God provides what we need. ’- Unknown
“I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” –Emma Watson
Do not fear when the waves are dashing high against your soul, simply say, “Devil, if my ship goes down, I’ll just walk on the water.” ’- Unknown
“Faith can keep you alive in any storm.” ’- Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
To never give up, because God will never give up on them. ’- Unknown
There are times when God will not get you out of the fiery furnace, but like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God will keep the fire from burning you. ’- Daniel 3.16:27*
That there are times when you will end up in the lion’s den, but, like *Daniel*, He will shut the mouths of the lions for your sake. ’- Daniel 6:16-23
Still, there are times when He will not keep you out of prison, but, like *Joseph*, He will shower you with immeasurable favour in the prison walls. ’- Genesis 39:20-23.
And there are times when He will not take the cup away but, like *Jesus*, God will give you the strength to drink from the cup. ’- Unknown
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. ~Vivian Greene” ’- Sandra Kopp, A Dark Moon Rises
“There are some things we learn on stormy seas that we never learn on calm smooth waters. We don’t look for storms but they will surely find us. The “God of the Storm” has something to teach us, and His love always drives His actions.” ’- Danny L Deaub
But in all these situations, there’s a *calm assurance* as Jesus said, “l am with you always, even to the very end”. ’- Matt 28:20.
“You cannot forever escape from the storm; you must learn to stand up to it!” ’- Mehmet Murat ildan
“I have both the violent turbulence of the storm and the quiet promises of God in the storm. And what I must work to remember is that something is not necessarily stronger simply because it’s louder.” ’- Craig D. Lounsbrough
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”
– George Washington
No other study will so ennoble every thought, feeling, and aspiration as the study of the Scriptures. No other book can satisfy the questionings of the mind and the craving of the heart. By obtaining a knowledge of God’s Word men may rise from the lowest depths of ignorance and degradation to become the sons of God, the associates of sinless angels.
“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”
– Charles Haddon Spurgeon
As an educating power, the Bible is without a rival. Nothing will so impart vigour to all the faculties as an effort to grasp the stupendous truths of revelation. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. If occupied with commonplace matters only, it will become dwarfed and enfeebled.
“Reading through the entire Bible provides an opportunity to better understand Scripture’s “big picture.”
In its wide range of style and subjects, the Bible has something to interest every mind and appeal to every heart. In it the most simply stated truths are involved – principles that are as high as heaven and that encompass eternity.
There is no position in life, no phase of human experience, for which the Bible does not contain valuable instruction. Ruler and subject, master and servant, buyer and seller, borrower and lender, parent and child, teacher and student – all may here find lessons of priceless worth.
“The first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention is the Bible.”
– John Quincy Adams
But above all else, the Word of God sets forth the plan of salvation: shows how sinful man may be reconciled to God, lays down the great principles of truth and duty which should govern our lives, and promises us divine aid in their observance. It reaches beyond this fleeting life, beyond the brief and troubled history of our race. It opens to our view the long vista of eternal ages – ages undarkened by sin, undimmed by sorrow.
“The American nation from its first settlement at Jamestown to this hour is based upon and permeated by the principles of the Bible.”
– Justice David Joseph Brewer, Supreme Court Justice
Don’t forget to spend time in prayer. Thank God for giving you eternal life and His Word. Ask Him to teach and guide you so that you will become even more faithful in following Him.
If you have questions about the Bible, we would love to talk to you about this book, and what it can mean as a part of your life.
It is impossible for any human mind to exhaust one truth or promise of the Bible. One catches the glory from one point of view, another from another point; yet we can discern only gleamings. The full radiance is beyond our vision. As we contemplate the great things of God’s Word, we look into a fountain that broadens and deepens beneath our gaze. Its breadth and depth pass our knowledge. As we gaze, the vision widens; stretched out before us, we behold a boundless, shoreless sea. Such study has vivifying power.
The mind and heart acquire new strength and new life.
This experience is the highest evidence of the divine authorship of the Bible. We receive God’s Word as food for the soul through the same evidence by which we receive bread as food for the body. Bread supplies the need of our nature; we know by experience that it produces blood, bone, and brain.
Apply the same test to the Bible; when its principles have actually become the elements of character, what has been the result? what changes have been made in the life? —
“Old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
In its power men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have been transformed into the image of God. The change is itself the miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of the deepest mysteries of the Word.
We cannot understand it; we can only believe, that, as declared by the Scriptures, it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
A knowledge of this mystery furnishes a key to every other. It opens to the soul the treasures of the universe, the possibilities of infinite development.
As we pursue freedom from the entanglements of sin, here are a few practical, plain-folk strategies that can help us get there.
1. Be willing to take radical steps.
Maybe you’re not as free as you thought. Recognise the behaviour as a problem that needs to be dealt with.
2. Recognize your triggers.
There are particular life events and circumstances that trigger your problem. The time, the way and the place are all to be cautiously considered and avoided if they lead to sinning. State the behaviour as wrong. Consciously label it “wrong” in your mind
3. Believe you can change. We mean, really believe.
This is probably the most important point. If you don’t believe you are capable of change, you won’t change. Refuse to entertain – consciously decide not to give it any room in your thoughts any longer.
4. Take care of your body.
Stop watching Netflix until 2 am in the morning. It’s remarkable how much exercising, sleeping, and eating right affect your perception of the world. Fasting and abstinence are also important disciplines that train the will to say no to the body and yes to God.
Take care of your body. You will need it to break your habit.
5. Re-define normal”¦right now.
“I must re-define normal.” The word “sin” is out of fashion these days. However, realise how this behaviour makes the heart of God sad and furious. That’s powerful. Bad habits, just like good ones, enjoy normalcy. Your ultimate goal is to stop dipping out of the same toxic well.
We love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!
A man and a woman coo over each other. A bystander turns to another and says, “What does she see in him?” Or, conversely, “What does he see in her?”
She’s tall, he’s short, shes from the city, his from the country, she talks a lot, he’s quiet, he likes Australia, but she likes New York, he’s a Hill-song gospel music fan, she’s a Marilyn Manson fan. She also loves the bright lights and big options, shes unholy, she’s not righteous, she’s impure, she’s been around the block. People know her by what she does, not by her name. There the ‘odd couple’.
Now it’s been said that “Men marry women with the hope they will never change. but that “Women marry men with the hope they will change.”
But not in this case. God has told this holy man to marry an unholy woman, a woman which will not be faithful, a woman by her wicked nature is sure to commit adultery, a woman that will cause endless frustration and monumental grief. Hosea is a prophet, his wife is a prostitute. He’s a man of God, she’s a woman of the night, he is faithful, she is unfaithful, he peaches the power of the living God, she provides ungodly considerations for cash. The story of Hosea puzzles even the devout and zealous Christian. There an ‘odd couple’.
Why did God ask his own prophet to marry a prostitute?
An immense allegory can be interpreted from the depths of Hosea’s life. The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry an unfaithful wife, and this set up a model of our broken relationship with God.
Hosea’s wife: an allegory of God’s undying love
The LORD is the husband of Israel, and Israel’s passionate, chronic attraction for idols was like the lust of an adulterer. His people were as unfaithful as a prostitute. For the land had committed great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.
Could you imagine Hosea’s, groomsman – you’re respected, a wise man, but your decision making is in question? Your wife is a disgrace. Why on earth are you married to a woman like that?
The reply, why on earth is such an awesome, good and powerful God married to a people like you?
Young people and self-esteem
Self-respect is perhaps the most essential quality for young women, especially in our generation.
We live in an era where girls as young as middle school are posting provocative things online. It’s a cry for attention being sought from boys or anyone else who will listen. The story is told of a young girl who had a male friend who came to her with an article in the classified section of a newspaper. The proposal was, if you have sexual relations with a stranger for 1 million dollars there are three things you are guaranteed:
Nobody will ever know
No disease
No baby
1 million dollars, no questions asked, out the door, he asked her, would you do it? She thought about it, like some people reading this article.
The girl the said, are you kidding me, nobody will ever know, no disease, no baby, sure i’ll do it. Well then he said, would you do the same for $10?
She replied, “What, do you think I’m a prostitute?” To which he replies, “We’ve already established that — I’m just haggling over the price.”
However, young ladies, you don’t have to lower your standards or provide ungodly considerations for cash. Tell that young man, I’m not for sale and because you’re not for sale, take off all those for sale and on sale signs. Hug appropriately, speak appropriately. Text appropriately, stop posting barely-clothed photos, sexual innuendos, and explicit language. Be honest in your motivations for being in a relationship.
Young ladies, if he can’t take care of himself now, how is he going to take care of you later.
So the question today is who’s Pimping you?
Sorry boo-boo”¦ hate to burst your bubble, but you have been bamboozled, conned, led astray , run amok, dupe, tricked, fooled, swindle, hoodwink; you have been deceived”¦
You see, Satan has been pimping from the third chapter of the Bible onward and is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The pimp of all pimps and you want to hang out with him!
But he has no power in the life of a believer unless we give it to him. That’s right! Regardless of how you’ve been thrown out to the trash, we want you to know that Jesus loves you. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Gal. 5:1) Refuse to make deals with Satan, no matter how attractive the trinkets. Refuse to be a commodity that is for sale to the highest bidder.
Life is not all made up of pleasant pastures and cooling streams. Trial and disappointment can overtake us at anytime; and if privation comes; we are sometimes brought into trying places.
Conscience-stricken, we reason that we must have walked far away from God, that if we had walked with Him, we should not have suffered so. Doubt and despondency crowd into our hearts, and we say, The Lord has failed us. But, God is still there despite any tragedy you may be experiencing.
But why does God allow us to suffer?
That “why” question is not a new one. The “problem of pain,” as Christian scholar, C.S. Lewis, once called it, is atheism’s most potent weapon against the Christian faith.
God cannot love us; if He did He would remove the difficulties from our path
Our human intellects and notions of fairness reject the apparent contradiction between a loving God and a world of pain. Therefore, the only way to reconcile this issue is to view the world from God’s perspective. But, the only way to even begin to understand God’s perspective is to read His Word, the Bible. Because God does not always bring us to pleasant places. If He did, in our self-sufficiency we would forget that He is our helper. He longs to manifest Himself to us, and to reveal the abundant supplies at our disposal, and He permits trial and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call upon Him for aid.
What should be our attitude toward suffering?
First, it should be one of worship. We ought to say,
“O God, I believe You are the great and mighty God. I don’t understand all the things that are happening in my life, but, O God, I trust in You.”
Remember God can cause cooling streams to flow from the flinty rock.
We shall never know until we are face to face with God, when we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known, how many burdens He has borne for us, and how many burdens He would have been glad to bear if with childlike faith we had brought them to Him.
God’s love is revealed in all His dealings with His people; and with clear, unclouded eyes, in adversity, in sickness, in disappointment, and in the trial we are to behold the light of His glory in the face of Christ and trust to His guiding hand. But too often we grieve His heart by our unbelief.
‘You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have’
God loves His children, and He longs to see them overcoming the discouragement with which Satan would overpower them. Do not give way to unbelief. Do not magnify your difficulties. May we be people who fight spiritual amnesia with God-given means of remembrance.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus – Philippians 3:14
Suffering is a state of this fallen world. However, the complete message of the Bible is that God has His plan for redemption all worked out. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ have a hope of eternity with God in a place where there is no more suffering or evil.
Inspirational quotes are some of the most popular on Godinterest.com. A Nobel peace laureate, Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. For much of her life, Mother Teresa served the impoverished communities of Calcutta, caring for the sick and sharing the love of Christ and because of that, her very name became a metaphor for selflessness and goodness during her lifetime.
No matter what your belief system, there is much to be learned and gained from someone so selfless and loving, so kind and considerate.
Today, we celebrate her legacy and look back on 25 quotes about God, culture, life and small acts of kindness which people still find inspiring nearly 19 years after her death.
“Joy is strength.” – Mother Teresa
“The person who gives with a smile is the best giver because God loves a cheerful giver.” – Mother Teresa
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa
“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” – Mother Teresa
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream, precedes the goal.” – Mother Teresa
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” – Mother Teresa
“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Teresa
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” – Mother Teresa
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa
“If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” – Mother Teresa
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ’- Mother Teresa
“Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.” ’- Mother Teresa
“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” ’- Mother Teresa
“Peace begins with a smile.” ’- Mother Teresa
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ’- Mother Teresa
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ’- Mother Teresa
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ’- Mother Teresa
Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” ’- Mother Teresa
“The Simple Path, Silence is Prayer, Prayer is Faith, Faith is Love, Love is Service, The Fruit of Service is Peace” ’- Mother Teresa
Good works are links that form a chain of love.” ’- Mother Teresa
“God made the world for the delight of human beings– if we could see His goodness everywhere, His concern for us, His awareness of our needs: the phone call we’ve waited for, the ride we are offered, the letter in the mail, just the little things He does for us throughout the day. As we remember and notice His love for us, we just begin to fall in love with Him because He is so busy with us — you just can’t resist Him. I believe there’s no such thing as luck in life, it’s God’s love, it’s His.” ’- Mother Teresa
“Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.” ’- Mother Teresa
“God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.” ’- Mother Teresa
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ’- Mother Teresa
“Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.” ’- Mother Teresa
A Shocking report revealed that 1 in 12 Christians worldwide is suffering persecution for their faith making them the target of vicious savage rape attacks.
The report by Open Doors USA stated that 215 million Christians live in regions with high degrees of persecution worldwide.
Open Doors USA is an organization that studies Christian persecution.
Open Doors USA documented that in statical terms over 3,000 Christians were killed, 1,252 were abducted; and approximately 800 churches were subjected to vandalism in 2017 within the reporting period for the 2018 list.
David Curry, the president, and CEO of Open Doors USA told Fox News. That ‘in maybe a way that he hasn’t seen before, the most disturbing findings suggest that Christian women are among the most violated in the entire world, ‘David also stated that ‘We need to raise the flag as these are tactics that are being increasingly used by extremists.’
50 countries were identified across the world where following Christianity is most dangerous.
For the second year in a row, the list’s number one cause of Christian persecution is the spread of radical Islamic persecution in 35 of the 50 nations according to the report.
North Korea topped the list as it is an atheist state and public worship is illegal, also as Afghanistan has a conservative Muslim population and lacks a strong central government it wasn’t far behind.
Open Doors USA finds that there has been tremendous growth in underground Christianity in North Korea with over 300,000 Christians practicing their religion behind closed doors for fear of government persecution.
‘In a nation where the ruling regime demands total control over the general public, anything that challenges the government’s power is seen as a threat, including religion,’ Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, told Fox News. ‘As a result, the North Korean government does everything in its power to squash the spread of Christianity.’
Islamic militancy has also been on the rise in Somalia, where Christians if caught, are usually martyred. Christians in Egypt, India, Libya, and Kazakhstan also experienced increased persecution since last Open Doors report.
“The World Watch List matters. It matters because it is the most trusted measurement of religious persecution in the world today,” CEO David Curry said. “But even more important, the list matters because it’s a spiritual EKG showing the strength and vulnerability of the global Church.”
Open Doors is a non-denominational mission ministry launched in 1955 by the Dutch Brother Andrew, author of God’s Smuggler, which tells the stories of his secret missions to smuggle Bibles into hostile regions.
Open Doors has been monitoring worldwide Christian persecution since the 1970s.
Look out your window. Isn’t it a beautiful day? But just in case you were feeling really good about yourself today, allow us to hit you with a dose of reality.
These are 25 facts about the world we live in:
*We live in times when we see many humans, but not enough humanity;*
*We live in times when the rich have more rooms than children and the poor have more children than rooms.*
*We live in times when smartphones bring you closer to those who live aboard, but distance you from those who live in your own home;*
*We live in times when we open Facebook, more than Holy Book;*
*We live in times when a single mother can look after five children, but five children can’t look after a single mother;*
*We live in times when the rich walk miles to digest food, while the poor walk miles to obtain food;*
*We live in times when women are paid to be naked, while others are fined to be dressed;*
*We live in times when our contact lists are massive, but our relationships are diabolical*
We live in times when at least 10 times as many girls are now trafficked into brothels annually as African slaves were transported to the New World in the peak years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade;*
*We live in times when our possessions are more, but our appreciation of life is less;*
*We live in times when we can earn a good living, but somehow forget how to live;*
*We live in times of commercialization of the gospel and if the broadcaster is not selling a book, it will be a CD, anointed water, or some seed sewing advert;*
*We live in times when a typical cow in the European Union receives a government subsidy of about $2.20 a day, that about 1.2 billion more than the world’s poorest people;*
*We live in times when we value possessions and where there is no value for a human life.*
*We live in times when many know the price of everything, but the value of nothing;*
*We live in times with nearly 210 million orphans, but nearly 15% of them will commit suicide before turning 18;*
*We live in times when the United States now spends about $200 billion on the correctional system each year, a sum that exceeds the gross domestic product of twenty-five US states and 140 foreign countries;*
*We live in times when 22,000 kids die every day because of poverty, but in rich countries, a staggering 30-50% of all food produced rots away uneaten;*
*We live in times when over 650 million adults were obese in 2016, but yet in 2016, 315,000 women died in childbirth because they were malnourished and lacked basic nutrients;*
*We live in times with the largest population of refugees and asylum seekers in human history.
*We live in a times of genocide and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest;*
*We live in times where we are taught as kids to read and write big numbers, but we’re not taught to think about the reality beneath the surface of those numbers;*
*We live in times of false doctrine, where some pastors encourage the first wives to die to self and be able to allow their husbands to take in more wives if they wish to;*
*We live in times of false prophets: where people would prefer to follow a Siberian traffic cop who proclaim to be Jesus Christa the Messiah, rather than believe in Real McCoy;*
*We live in times when according to the United Nations, there are around 65.3 million people displaced from their homes worldwide, yet in the UK alone the “housing surplus” nearly doubled from 800,000 spare homes in 1996 to 1.4 million homes at any one time in 2014;*
Think about that for a moment? Can you even imagine it? Like, really imagine it. We’re not reacting, it’s just that there are so many different problems of large scale that we need to be working harder to combat.
I was working on some paper works one day. As I rested my eyes for a bit, I got a view of my son outside through the window blinds. He was out there again, at his usual spot, working yet again on another craft project. My son just loves creating stuff with his hands. He is into building dioramas and other miniature stuff. He re-creates scenes from his favourite superhero or sci-fi films. He loves playing with his toy figures. He enjoys creating backgrounds and stage sets for toy photography and mere play. The thing about him is that he can’t stand taking a break after completing a project. You will see him appreciating and celebrating his finished product. But, within a day or two, everyone’s sure to observe this creative boy pouring his mind into deciding and planning what to build next.
I leaned back and felt a smile of amusement form on my face. Then, thoughts wandered towards God, our creator God. With an extremely creative mind, could He be that way as well? Could he be like my son who can’t stop imagining stuff to do and make? Could he be exactly like my son who gets excited about the prospects and the process of coming out with another finished product? Like my son, could he be so in love and passionate about creating? My heart believes Him to be so. My heart believes God is highly much more than how my son is as a creator.
Well, yes; Genesis 1 to 2:2 does give us an account of the creation of this world we live in. And, yes; the passage further tells us that God finished the work He had been doing and then rested. This may clue us that God has stopped creating in our part of the world. However, this doesn’t tell us that God is done with creating.
Just by looking at our side of the universe, we see how great and awesome God’s handiworks are. Nature gives us a glimpse of His power and capabilities. Job shared his thoughts and wonderings on that in Job 37.We just need to behold all the natural landscapes and breathtaking wildlife and feel instinctively that God must still be creating today. His creative genius must not be bottled up. It is impossible for One of magnificent talent to just sit by and do nothing.
We can consider God’s astonishing work on our bodies. Much has been understood about how our body works and all that is inside of us. Yet all this time more remains to be discovered and understood.In January 2017, scientists have just recognized and have given a name to one important organ in the body, the mesentery. It connects the intestine to our body and keeps it in place. The mesentery transports blood and lymphatic fluid between the intestine and the rest of our body. It is crucial to a right functioning of our “intestinal, vascular, endocrine, cardiovascular and immunological systems.”
We can also think about the humungous blue whale for a minute. The National Geographic confirms it to be the largest animal on earth. It grows up to 105 feet and weighs up to 200 tons.A cool thing about these graceful swimmers is that they can communicate with each other up to 1,000 miles away. They have excellent hearing. With their voice, they sonar-navigate the deep and dark oceans. Search for testimonies of those who go whale watching. You’re sure to read accounts of people crying, breathless, and frozen in wonder at the sight of such a great creature.Isn’t it highly unlikely that the creator of this blue whale remains unproductive, “wasting” his talent when He is at an unending prime of His life? Isaiah 40:28 tells us of an everlasting Creator God who never grows tired or weary. He is forever strong. He is forever able.
Believing that God is still creating today leaves me excited about an eternity to come. In ignorance, some people make comments on how boring it would be to spend eternity in heaven. This won’t be so for a child of God. The Bible speaks of a new heaven and a new earth that will be there for exploring. And with such a God as we have, there must be so much more out there for us to discover, explore, and enjoy. To fully grasp the wonderful nature of God; to behold all the wondrous works that an unlimited God can do; well, eternity may just not be enough!
The world is changing every day. As technology changes the way we live our day-to-day lives, it is fascinating to imagine what the immediate future will bring.
Never before in history have new innovations unfolded so quickly from global health to social justice to humanitarian aid, a slew of scientists, technologists, and activists have come together over the last year to create impactful solutions to some of our most pressing problems.
Below, we look at 20 initiatives that are set to make a real difference and positively impact people’s lives.
1. Safariseat
SafariSeat is the first project from Uji, a social enterprise company determined to make a difference
While Africa may be catching up in many respects, this is not the case for those who are unable to walk. Safariseat is a revolutionary low-cost, all-terrain wheelchair that gives people independence, unlocking access to education, employment and a life beyond the confines of their own home.
“There is great power in being able to see from each other’s perspective, to understand how one another feels and to have true empathy for those with backgrounds different to our own. Our beliefs, our habits, our unique abilities; diversity is life’s greatest asset, which makes inclusion one of our greatest design challenges” explains co-founder Cara O’Sullivan.
The seat is projected to start production in Kenya in the coming months. Safariseat is made of bicycle parts, and the device is propelled forward by hand levers and durable wheels.
“Open design is empowering, inclusive and ethically sound – it creates better products by crowdsourcing ideas and experience” explains Deeble.
SafariSeat is the first project from Uji, a social enterprise company determined to make a difference
2. The Shoe That Grows
The Shoe That GrowsThe Shoe That GrowsThe Shoe That Grows
One day while out walking with the kids, Kenton Lee noticed that the little girl in a white dress next to him had shoes that were way too small for her feet. Over 1.5 billion people suffer from soil-transmitted diseases worldwide. That led to a brilliant idea. With The Shoe That Grows, kids are more healthy, attend school more often, and are more confident. It took 5 years of hard work and experimentation, his idea had become reality. The shoe has 5x the impact of ordinary shoes because it expands 5 sizes and lasts for years.
The Shoe That Grows is making an impact in developing regions around the world where the nonprofit delivers donated shoes to children and families.
3. ‘The Life Saving Dot’ Social Good Campaign
Almost every Indian woman wears a bindi – a traditional symbol of beauty. But what if these tiny little dots could do more?
‘The Life Saving Dot’ Social Good Campaign
In rural India, millions of women suffer from Breast Cancer, Fibrocystic Breast Disease, and complications during pregnancy. Most of these cases are linked to an iodine deficiency.
The Life Saving Dot is an idea that transformed bindis into iodine patches. Every woman requires between 150 – 220 micrograms of iodine daily. The bindis deliver a wearer with the recommended daily amount of iodine and only costs 10 rupees — or 16 cents — for a packet of 30, fitting the budgets of women in rural India.
Previous attempts to reduce the deficiency with tablets had failed—Indian women just weren’t used to taking them. This is a great example of how a simple solution, aligned with everyday practice, can solve a fundamental problem.
4. NIFTY Cup
The NIFTY cup for newborns: when breastfeeding is not an option.
The NIFTY cup for newborns: when breastfeeding is not an option.
When an infant in a developing country is unable to nurse, they’re at risk of severe malnutrition — or even death. This PATH-designed cup provides an ingenious way for infants to sip with a spout that makes collected milk easy to drink by infants with cleft palates.
According to a article by PATH (the NIFTY cup designer) “several million babies born each year in Africa and South Asia can’t breastfeed due to prematurity or craniofacial anomalies like cleft lip or palate.”
The cup is reusable and only costs only $1 to create has already been credited with preventing starvation of infants in poor African communities.
Trish Colley, who is an expert in neonatal health technologies explained:
“Infants who are preterm can have problems sucking. Their sucking reflex has not developed enough for them to be able to breastfeed successfully. The NIFTY cup allows them to drink breast milk at a pace and flow that each individual infant establishes. This occurs because of the unique reservoir and flow channels that let infants lap the milk rather than have it poured down their throats.”
A collaboration with a nonprofit manufacturer is bringing it to market. It will soon be widely distributed in Africa.
5. Embrace Warmer
Embrace Warmer
Each year, 20 million premature and low-birth-weight babies are born. In developing countries, mortality for these infants is particularly high because incubators are extremely rare.The Embrace Nest is an easy-to-use, portable infant warmer that does not need a continuous power supply. Designed for hospitals and ambulances, it is used in NICUs and wards, and for transport, when skin-to-skin care (a part of Kangaroo Mother Care / KMC) is not possible.
6. Hippo Roller
The “Hippo Water Roller Project” was established in 1994 in response to the unique needs and constraints in terms of access to water of rural women and children across Africa. Hippo Roller makes it extremely easy to collect water in tough rural conditions – up to 5x more water than a single bucket, by simply rolling it along the ground.
Hippo Roller
Most benefits enjoyed are experienced immediately: The Hippo Roller improves health and hygiene and makes more water and time available for education, household tasks and food production.
7. Jet injections
Safely administering a vaccine in a developing nation can be difficult with the complexities of sterilization but are crucial in curbing the impacts of diseases and illnesses around the world.
The PharmaJet Stratis Needle-Free Injector delivers vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously by means of a narrow, precise fluid stream that delivers the medicine or vaccine through the skin.
Jet injections
The single-use medical device uses up to 80 percent less vaccine than a traditional needle injection.
8. LifeStraw
Drinking contaminated water can lead to devastating disease and illness. It’s estimated that every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease. The LifeStraw is making contaminated water safe to drink.
LifeStraw
About 783 million people — or 11 percent of the world’s population — lack access to improved sources of drinking water. The LifeStraw is a water filter designed to be used by one person to filter water for drinking. It filters a maximum of 1000 litres of water, enough for one person for one year and removes almost all of waterborne bacteria and parasites.
The company not only provides straws to communities in need but also donates larger filtration systems to poor communities around the globe.
9. Lucky Iron Fish
When Canadian science graduate Christopher Charles visited Cambodia six years ago he discovered that anaemia was a huge public health problem. Pregnant women faced serious health complications before and after childbirth, such as hemorrhaging.
However, the standard solution – iron supplements or tablets to increase iron intake – isn’t working. The tablets are neither affordable nor widely available, and because of the side-effects, people don’t like taking them.
10. ‘Better than tablets’
Lucky Iron Fish
The Iron Fish is an object that families can place in a pot of boiling water prior to cooking to enrich vegetables with additional iron. The company works on a one-to-one donation scale, allowing individuals in developed nations to purchase their own fish while simultaneously donating one to a family in need.
“The gift of making a change in this world is not given to people like us, we are too small, too insignificant in the scheme of world events; BUT, if as a result of our actions we save but ONE LIFE, we have changed this world, albeit in a very small way, but we have changed it forever, and who can foretell the result of the saving of that one life”. David Dutson
10 Innovations That Could Change the Developing World
Are there any great inventions we missed? Please feel free to add to this wonderful list.
Wikipedia’s own page explains that Wikipedia is “a free, web-based, collaborative and multilingual encyclopedia project.” It says “Its more than 20 million articles that have been written by volunteers around the world.” Anyone with access to the site can edit most of its articles.
To answer the question set forth, let’s say outright that based on statistics alone, Christianity has a minor representation on Wikipedia. But why?
A 2017 article by The Guardian says “that nearly half of the population of UK has no religion.”
From many surveys, Statista reported in 2017 that Christianity in America has waned.
Fewer Christian Contributors
The fact is, there are fewer Christians in the world. Likewise, we can expect fewer Christians contributing to the development of Wikipedia pages. As to information quality control and truth verification, we know that not all you read on Wikipedia is accurate. Some could only be echoing opinions since we know that no formal training is needed and anybody can easily make additions to the site.
Active Antagonism Against Christian Views
Few Christians actively pursue the defense of Christianity. Many others choose to be peacemakers while others propagate Christian truths via modest means. On the opposite end, anti-Christian groups are more diligent in their pursuit of eliminating any pro-Christian ideas and programmes. It is not at all surprising that news like the one featured on PJ Media is happening on Wikipedia right now.
Gunter Bechly is a recognized German insect paleontologist. He contributed an entry on Wikipedia and found that it was removed in October 2017. What seems to be plain was his position on intelligent design which was also discussed on that entry. Intelligent design is a scientific position that holds the view that there is evidence for design behind nature. It’s not at all surprising to hear this kind of action against intelligent design while nothing happens to entries that promote Darwin’s evolution theory.
Wikipedia editors reasoned that Bechly was not that notable to warrant an entry. Yet, what about contributors with fewer qualifications having long entries on Wikipedia? John West, the VP of Discovery Institute has a strong belief that it was an act of censorship to suppress the free flow of information and ideas.
Bechly presented some credentials and accomplishments: new insect orders, eight species named after him, an insect family named after him, two books, one German book about him, press coverage, exhibits, and a ResearchGate score that tops over 85% of other members’ scores. It is sad that none was enough to warrant his credibility in their Wikipedias sight. Was the disqualifying factor because he was a Creationist?
“What Wikipedia did is definitely an act of censorship and an effort to suppress the free flow of ideas and information,” John West, vice president of the Discovery Institute where Bechly works
This incident may well suggest an indication that Wikipedia holds a bias against Christianity. It would be no shock to hear more reports like this surfacing in the future.
For the Child of God, sensing or perceiving God may not be instinctive nor constant. Surely, there are days (and there will be days!) when you don’t feel close to the Father. At times, it may seem that He is so far away. Where is He? Why don’t I feel Him? Is God there? Is He here?
God is Omnipresent
If it’s your first time to come across this word, it simply means that God is present everywhere and at all times. There can be no place in the whole universe right now where God is NOT. He is simply here, there, and everywhere; all at the same time. In Jeremiah 23:24, God Himself says that there can’t be a place where man can hide for: “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?”, declares the LORD. Job 34:21 says that “God’s eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees ALL his steps.” (NASB)
Psalm 139 is a song David composed during one of his mediations. This passage explains much about the omnipresence of God. In verses 7-10, he sings,
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (NIV)
To the believer who longs for intimacy with God, this passage brings great comfort and assurance. We know that God is here, with us, guiding us, sustaining us. To the wayward Christian however, that may be a different story. What might come are feelings of guilt, then resentment, then bitterness, then resistance, and then finally- denial; all these may step in.
Sin Separates
Sin will always bring separation. Isaiah 59:2 says,
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (NIV)
When man fell, sin separated him from God. Adam and Eve could no longer have free access and view of God because of the sinful nature they both possessed. Years later, by faith and acceptance in Christ’s finished work on the cross, the repentant sinner was gifted with salvation and reconciliation. Yet, as a child of God, saved by grace through faith, walking in the light and power of God’s transforming Word through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, man can still be separated from God. There can be spiritual estrangement for the man who harbors sin in his life. This is why a child of God must be careful to maintain a heart of surrender, cleansing himself of willful sins that hinder him from experiencing a vibrant relationship with the Father.
Ignorance is a Problem
The only way to feel close to someone is to know the person. You can never nourish intimacy without regularly staying in discovery of and communication with each other. The other person must be in your life and you must be in His. Acts 17:27-28 says,
“This was so that they would seek God if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him, we actually have our being]. AMP
II Peter 3: 18 shares that we grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. One great blessing we have at this time and age is that we have ready access to the Holy Bible at all times. With advancements in technology, the prospects for growth in the reading and study of God’s Word are even more promising. The Christian will mature if he wants to. He will know God and be intimate with Him and His dealings if the Christian wants to.
Trials May Breed Doubt
Job was a man who loved God. He wouldn’t have been perfect but He sought God and longed to learn of Him through life experiences. He lived righteously and was careful to surrender to God any uncleanness he may have in his life and even in the life of his children. He experienced God’s presence. He knew from experience that God was always there. However, in a great time of difficulty and tragedy, His spiritual steadiness was shaken. He no longer felt God. He doubted God’s love and presence. Job 23 shares those moments of doubt and confusion.
In this broken world, there will be hardships, pains, failures, and all sorts of struggles. Jesus Himself prepared us for this truth when He said that we would face tribulation in this world. Humans as we are with our limited minds, we may begin to doubt God’s care and even His companionship. Yet, Christ assures us that there is no need to fear those times because He has overcome the world. From Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13 we know that, in Him and in His power, we will have the strength to face all things. He is always here.
So, yes, God is there, and even better, God is here. When you reach a point in your life like Job, remember these:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:28,37-39 NIV
A lot has been written about Billy Graham’s legacy. Known for his combination of wit and wisdom, Billy Graham has been one of the most influential spiritual voices across the globe for decades reaching over 200 million people in more than 185 countries.
(Born November 7, 1918) Billy Graham is now 99 years of age, and while he is doing well, he does have the physical challenges that come with age.
He said;
“Over the years, I’ve had a number of illnesses and surgeries ”¦ Often they came just as we were about to embark on a Crusade or other project, and I could not help but wonder whether Satan was using them to attack our work in some way (and I suspect that was true). At the same time, though, God used them to teach me patience and to give me time that I might otherwise not have taken to read and contemplate.”
One fascinating part of Graham’s life is that he has personally met with 13 of the nation’s 45 presidents dating back to 1950.
Billy Graham still lives at his Montreat, North Carolina home.
It’s a good thing for the modern Church that Billy Graham was determined in his course as the truth he has preached for years still transcends all barriers of denominational differences, age, nationality, and culture, pointing millions to Christ.
Here are a few of his most memorable quotes:
“I feel sorry for the man who has never known the bracing thrill of taking a stand and sticking to it fearlessly. Moral courage has rewards that timidity can never imagine. Like a shot of adrenaline, it floods the spirit with vitality” ’- Billy Graham
“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.” ’- Billy Graham
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out all right.”’- Billy Graham
“When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.”’- Billy Graham
“Jesus was not a white man; He was not a black man. He came from that part of the world that touches Africa and Asia and Europe. Christianity is not a white man’s religion and don’t let anybody ever tell you that it’s white or black. Christ belongs to all people; He belongs to the whole world”’- Billy Graham
“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God.”’- Billy Graham
“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”’- Billy Graham
“The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.”’- Billy Graham
“It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.”’- Billy Graham
“Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless.”’- Billy Graham
“Believers, look up – take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.”’- Billy Graham
“Quit beating yourself up. We all live under grace and do the best we can.”’- Billy Graham
“God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better.”’- Billy Graham
“If you know Christ, you don’t need to beg for the Holy Spirit to come into your life; He is already there— whether you “feel” His presence or not. Don’t confuse the Holy Spirit with an emotional feeling or a particular type of spiritual experience.”’- Billy Graham
“We say to our children, ‘Act like grown-ups,’ but Jesus said to the grown-ups, ‘Be like children.”’- Billy Graham
“Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has.”’- Billy Graham
“Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater—the love of God.”’- Billy Graham
“Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs our burdens today! Keep your eyes on eternity!”’- Billy Graham
“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”’- Billy Graham
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”’- Billy Graham
“We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.”’- Billy Graham
The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not, `What a lovely sermon!` but `I will do something.”’- Billy Graham
“Millions of angels are at God’s command. “’- Billy Graham
“World events are moving very rapidly now. I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.”’- Billy Graham
“My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.”’- Billy Graham
“God proved his love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.”’- Billy Graham
“Suppose you could gain everything in the whole world and lost your soul. Was it worth it?”
“There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.”’- Billy Graham
“The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.”’- Billy Graham
“A real Christian is the one who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.”’- Billy Graham
“I have never known anyone to accept Christ’s redemption and later regret it.”’- Billy Graham
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”’- Billy Graham
“God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.”’- Billy Graham
“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”’- Billy Graham
“Joy cannot be pursued. It comes from within. It is a state of being. It does not depend on circumstances, but triumphs over circumstances. It produces a gentleness of spirit and a magnetic personality.”’- Billy Graham
“Reading God’s Word and meditating on its truth will have a purifying effect upon your mind and heart, and will be demonstrated in your life. Let nothing take the place of this daily privilege.”’- Billy Graham
“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.”’- Billy Graham
“Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.”’- Billy Graham
“The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”’- Billy Graham
“Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”’- Billy Graham
“The message I preach hasn’t changed. Circumstances have changed. Problems have changed, but deep inside man has not changed, and the gospel hasn’t changed.”’- Billy Graham
“The only hope for enduring peace is Jesus Christ.”’- Billy Graham
“The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.”’- Billy Graham
“Someone asked me recently if I didn’t think God was unfair, allowing me to have Parkinson’s and other medical problems when I have tried to serve him faithfully. I replied that I did not see it that way at all. Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to him in trust and confidence.”’- Billy Graham
The following is a photograph of Graham with each president.
#1. HARRY TRUMAN (1884–1972) | DEMOCRAT | 1945–1953
#3. JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917–1963) | DEMOCRAT | 1961–1963
#4. LYNDON JOHNSON (1908–1973) | DEMOCRAT | 1963–1969
#5. RICHARD NIXON (1913–1994) | REPUBLICAN | 1969–1974
William Franklin Graham Jr. KBE (born November 7, 1918), known as Billy Graham, is an American evangelical Christian evangelist, ordained as a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949.
#6. GERALD FORD (1913–2006) | REPUBLICAN | 1974–1977
#7. JIMMY CARTER (1924– ) | DEMOCRAT | 1977–1981
#8. RONALD REAGAN (1911–2004) | REPUBLICAN | 1981–1989
#9. GEORGE H. W. BUSH (1924– ) | REPUBLICAN | 1989–1993
#10. BILL CLINTON (1946– ) | DEMOCRAT | 1993–2001
#11. GEORGE W. BUSH (1946– ) | REPUBLICAN | 2001–2009
William Franklin Graham Jr. KBE (born November 7, 1918), known as Billy Graham, is an American evangelical Christian evangelist, ordained as a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949.
Since 1970, April 22 has been dubbed Earth Day and is one of many opportunities environmentalists take to bring light to renewable energy, recycling, and other ways to go green. However, If the planet is one day – may be quite soon – going to be completely burned to frazzle by God’s righteous judgment, why should we Christians put effort into caring for it now?
Could it be because Earth Day is often portrayed, a “liberal” or “progressive”?
It’s a good question as the relationship between human beings and the earth is increasingly complicated and urgent.
Every day there are stories about pollution, global warming and animal species facing extinction.
Sadly, because of bad theology the influence of our consumeristic and greedy culture, ignorance of the problem, and “neglect by association,” we fail to see the world as God’s creation and will ultimately end up abusing it.
“We are responsible for almost all the damage done to the planet and as such we must consider the welfare of future generations in our planning for and utilization of the earth’s resources.”
Christians can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Millions die annually from preventable water-related diseases. Most are children. Our energy consumption funds mountaintop removal and coal mining while our oil addiction fouls the air and laces oppressive dictatorships.
What’s the solution?
As Christians, we must reject the view that nature should be worshipped for worshipping nature is idolatry, but that doesn’t mean that we should view nature as created simply and solely to serve our needs and wants.
“The earth and all life on it is a gift from God given us to share and develop, not to dominate and exploit.”
Although God intends our care of creation to reflect our love for the Creator. Don’t lose sight of something that is even more important: your relationship with God.Is Christ first in your life, and are you seeking to follow Him every day?
Our faith provides an inspiring narrative to face these crises—we serve the One who created everything, called it “good” and asked humans to care for and protect it—but most Christians haven’t tapped into the storyline.
From vertical farms to living buildings, the city is on the cutting edge of environmentally sustainable urban solutions in the world.
Home to over 5.5 million, Singapore had no choice but to adopt high-density development because of its tight land constraints.
“We take steps to ensure our self-sufficiency,” says Yvonne Soh, general manager of the Singapore Green Buildings Council. “In Singapore, we have a lot of initiatives to promote sustainability.”
As Singapore expands, a novel approach preserves green space. New developments must include plant life, in the form of green roofs, cascading vertical gardens, and verdant walls mandatory since 2008. This has resulted in urban planners literally weaving nature throughout the entire city – visible from across the landscape. Innovative design has created the illusion of space using “green” and “blue” elements. This includes the creation of one of the largest freshwater city reservoirs in the world.
Much of that vision to keep Singapore both sustainable and livable stems from Cheong Koon Hean, the first woman to lead Singapore’s urban development agency (UDA). With a rising population and finite freshwater resources, some positive action was needed fast, so ministers set up a national water agency, PUB, which became the sole body responsible for the collection, production, distribution, and reclamation of water in the city.
The Gardens: look east for Eden, Singapore Style
Symbol of Singapore and its efforts to promote green space, these “Supertrees” belong to a display at the 250-acre Gardens by the Bay. The high-tech structures range from 80 to 160 feet and collect solar energy to power a nightly light show. They have a softer side too: their trunks are vertical gardens, laced with more than 150,000 living plants. PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCA LOCATELLI, INSTITUTE
Throughout the city, there are many green buildings such as the CapitaGreen office tower, the Park Royal on Pickering hotel and the Tree House condo near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
“Singapore is an island about half the size of London which has managed to preserve its cultural—Chinese, Indian, and Malay—and architectural legacy through a heritage conservation program.”
The futuristic ‘Gardens by the Bay’ in central Singapore, is a revolutionary botanical garden spanning over 100 hectares of reclaimed land. It’s a beautiful asset to the city but may also offer a path to the health and happiness of its citizens.
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Garden of Eden is in Singapore!
Transport is another sector that has seen investment recently. On an island of 4.8 million people with limited space. After a series of smart card innovations, people have been able to use e-Symphony, an IBM-designed payment card that can be used to pay for road tolls, bus travel, taxis, the metro, and even shopping.
Have little ones with you? Take them to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, where they’ll learn all about shrubs, plants, and all things green.
Up for a hike? Visit the MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park. Complete the 11-kilometer-long nature trail and don’t miss the Treetop Walk, a 250-meter high suspension bridge that connects two of the park’s highest points.
History buffs can make a beeline for Fort Canning Park. Conveniently located in the heart of town, this site is home to numerous historical landmarks, such as Fort Gate, a remnant of a fortress that was built in the 19th century.
Singapore in 1965
When Singapore became independent in 1965, it was a city filled with slums, choked with congestion and a lack of jobs with limited land and no natural resources.
Singapore’s version of public housing is unique.
In 50 years, it has built a clean, modern metropolis with a diversified economy and reliable infrastructure and has transformed from a nation of squatters to a nation of homeowners with a 90% home-ownership rate, currently the highest in the world.
For vulnerable families who cannot afford a flat of their own, HDB helps them through its public rental program.
All these measures combine to make Singapore a smarter city.
“What we have done is to research and try to distill the principles for Singapore’s success in sustainable urban development – we call it a liveability framework,” says Khoo Teng Chye, executive director at the Centre for Liveable Cities based in Singapore.
Back to Eden
The planet simply can’t sustain current levels of resource use and environmental degradation. It has not a choice; cities have to change.
Cities cover just 2% of the Earth’s surface yet consume about 75% of the world’s resources. By 2050, it is expected that 70% of the world population will live in urban areas. According to a 2014 study by the United Nations, rural living is in decline on a global scale. Whereas just 30% of the world’s population were urban dwellers in 1950, more than half (54%) are now housed in cities, therefore, it’s clear they are key to tackling climate change and reducing resource use.
However, quality of life, environmental sustainability, and competitive economics. These are the components that make cities liveable and there is very strong evidence to show that maintaining a connection to nature is good for our health;
“People are happiest when they’re most connected to nature,” says Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability at Foster and Partners, who believes setting schemes and legislation in this way can create awareness in the mind of both developers and the public.”
Fredi Devas, producer of the Cities episode of Planet Earth II says.
“Many studies show that hospital beds with a window onto greenery result in their patients recovering faster. Schools have better attendance and companies have better staff retention, if they have vegetation close at hand.”
Visitors to Singapore are often surprised by how green the island is considering how large a population it crams onto its small landmass. According to the latest Siemens’ Green City Index for Asia, Singapore is the best-performing city in the region when measured against a range of sustainability criteria.
Singapore stands as a model of sustainability and water management in the region and beyond and is the Eden garden city of the future.
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCA LOCATELLI, INSTITUTE
Throughout the city, there are many green buildings such as the CapitaGreen office tower, the Park Royal on Pickering hotel and the Tree House condo near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
The futuristic ‘Gardens by the Bay’ in central Singapore, is a revolutionary botanical garden spanning over 100 hectares of reclaimed land. It’s a beautiful asset to the city but may also offer a path to the health and happiness of its citizens.
Transport is another sector that has seen investment recently. On an island of 4.8 million people with limited space. After a series of smart card innovations, people have been able to use e-Symphony, an IBM-designed payment card that can be used to pay for road tolls, bus travel, taxis, the metro, and even shopping.