... flourishes when it most loves others,
but withers when it most loves self.
... flourishes when it has hope & trust,
but withers when it is hopeless & suspicious.
... flourishes when it is content & grateful,
but withers when it is discontented & resentful.
... flourishes when it is lifted up in praise,
but withers when it finds nothing worthwhile.
... flourishes in a daily walk with God,
but withers when it ignores God.
"The rhythm is daily, the pace is a walk." ----- Gary Runn
How do angelic beings as described in the Bible navigate in and out of our universe? Is there a multiverse with certain beings able to move from one universe to another? Or, are there multiple additional dimensions of which the reality of our three physical dimensions (four, incl. time) are only a subset? Is Zuckerberg's virtual reality a model that can help us understand God's role as Creator? Are our physical bodies like avatars for our souls to use in navigating this particular universe? While doing that navigation can we occasionally encounter creatures with additional dimensionality that seemingly arrive and disappear at will? When the Bible describes our future heavenly bodies, will they acquire additional dimensionality and thus be able to be in God's presence, whereas right now we cannot be?
Culture differs around the world and changes over time. The truth of God, as revealed in Jesus the Son of God, does not change. As culture shifts (whether left or right, collectivist or individualistic, totalitarian or decentralized), the more that it moves away from the truth of God, the greater is its hostility toward the truth of God. The more it moves away, the more it despises those who hold to the truth of God. The truth of God is always counter-cultural, it is always subversive to popular sentiment, because it points out where culture is in error. And so culture always hates God, because God stands outside culture and denies its power.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20
Jesus-followers need to be prepared to be thought of as subversive to pop culture. But when culture moves back into alignment with the truth of God, culture's adherents are less at odds with those who hold to God's truth, and there is more peace. The culture that aligns with the truth of God also sits under God's hand of blessing.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 13:34
Intro:
Each parable:
John 14:6 raises questions for people when they see Jesus saying "no one comes to the Father but by me". They ask, well what about those who lived prior to Jesus or who never heard about Him? John 5:16-30 makes it clear that Jesus will judge all people at the end of history, including the dead who did well and those who did not. And He declares that He will judge rightly, so in that way all who do come to Heaven will come there through Him - through His right judgment of their heart and deeds.
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (I Sam. 16:7)
When Jimmy & Allegra came to visit us and Julie in Austin last winter, we went to the Continental Club on South Congress to hear the Hot Club of Cowtown play. On the way out, Allegra told a story of how when her and brother Austin were little, they would make up songs as they walked around and she wondered if Jimmy ever did that. He said no, but I said that I did that all the time, still, and proceeded to make up a song about traffic in Austin, and the plusses and minuses of our staying south of town in Kyle next winter. Here are the lyrics. You'll have to trust me on the melody, but it's workable.
Psalm 1:1-3
Psalm 15:1-5
Psalm 24:3-4
Psalm 37:11-15
Micah 6:8
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 22:37-40
John 15:9-17
