Greetings in the name of “Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10)…the Redeemer of places and Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! What a beautiful winter morning and the last Friday of the month! I trust that you have had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. In particular, let me ask you: are you looking forward to joining with the Christian family for corporate worship and fellowship and uniting in prayer? Are you looking forward to testifying to the saving and keeping power of “FAITH” ?
This morning in one of my devotional readings there was an interesting quote that I wanted to share with you: the Christians hold the world together. Diogentus. The devotional writer went on to suggest that in order to accomplish this task, Christians needed to hold family life together and therefore their community and the nation. However, I was intrigued with the quote, so I went searching and came across a rather lengthy article citing references to Diogentus and the context of the quote. To simply give the quote is to do injustice to the intent. The gist of the article is that the Christian exerts this authority with a religion that is invisible for the Christian quietly influences society.
Then, an important religious leader by the name of John Henry Newman, who in the 1800’s began to explore the ideas of Christian thinkers and created some of the early evangelical Christian doctrines. I have read quotes from Newman and have used them at times without knowing the background. Two of the quotes that I like and have used…and have heard others use are: “Growth is the only evidence of life” and “To live is to change and to be perfect is to change often.” All of this is to simply affirm that you never know what reading a morning devotional will do to your imagination.
This weekend will be the second Sunday of Lent…and if Lent is properly exercised there will be ‘growth’ – hence ‘life’ and if there is ‘life’ there will be ‘change’ … and individual Christians, in the act of changing and drawing closer to Christ will continue to hold the world together. This simple process will validate the Apostle Paul’s words in Colossians 1:15 – 23, and in particular: He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 NIV.
A little something to think about…Have a great weekend and “Be Blessed!”