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EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE?

By Greg Whyte Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Brandon Warren | Flickr (Creative Commons)

Photo Credit: Brandon Warren | Flickr (Creative Commons)

Since the autumn season is also one that means new beginnings to many of us – the fall semester is usually the first semester of most school years in North America; churches begin offering programs again as the regular volunteers return from their summer vacations; and for some of us, it may mean the beginning of a new career or job, especially as our summer jobs come to an end. And who wouldn’t want to, with the crisp fall air and the amazing array of colors all around us? Either which way, the fall season is seen as a time of new beginning.

You may be asking yourselves what that has to do with the Bible, or with verses taken out of context. In a lot of ways, it doesn’t directly. However, if there is one verse that is often seen around this time of year, it would be this one:

VERSE:

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NIV)

OUT OF CONTEXT MEANING:

The meaning of this when taken out of context can seem rather encouraging on the surface… Have a difficult exam in a few days that you need to pass, or you fail the class? I can do all things. Competing for your dream job? I can do all things. Your team really needs to win the next game? I can do all things. You see a beautiful young woman across the room, but you don’t know how to talk to her? I can do all things. Never tried skydiving or bungee jumping? I can do all things. You really need that promotion at work? I can do all things.

DANGERS OF READING OUT OF CONTEXT:

In other words, we assume that this verse is saying that God will give us the ability to accomplish anything, and will bless anything we set our minds to doing. Yes, very encouraging, and very American. After all, it can be read as a version of the American Dream – or Canadian Dream, if you live in Canada, like I do. But does American (or Canadian) mean Christian? Not necessarily. As you may have been seeing in this series so far, and will continue to see as the series continues, some of our North American values actually contradict what the Bible has to say, sometimes even with these verses and images that we are looking at together.

For instance, since we are Christians who believe the promises of the Bible (some even “claiming” the promise, which is why the American-born Prosperity gospel has also been nicknamed the “Name it and Claim it gospel” in some circles), one would think then that the promises that the Bible makes are trustworthy; otherwise, the trustworthiness of what the rest of the Bible says is also brought into question. It is for this reason that the Prosperity gospel can be seen as very pragmatic because its central question seems to be asking “what can I get out of this?”

But what happens if you don’t get that promotion? Or because you didn’t study, you fail the exam (despite how many times you “claimed” this verse)? Or despite playing your hardest, the other team still won the game? Or that young woman’s much bigger and much better looking boyfriend shows up? Does that mean that you didn’t believe the promise hard enough? Does it mean that God didn’t give you any strength after all, or at least not enough strength, and so this proves that the promises of the Bible are not to be trusted, or that God is powerless to keep his promises?

Not in the least! Rather, this is yet another example of misreading – and misquoting – a verse that was actually saying something else entirely (and promising something else, if you really want to keep your pragmatism).

THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT:

The curious part about our modern tendency to pull texts out of context actually comes from an earlier attempt to find texts easier and quicker. In fact, the chapters of our Bibles were only developed in the 13th century and the first Bible to use them was the Wycliffe English translation. The verses came later, the Old Testament in 1447 by a Jewish Rabbi named Nathan, and the New Testament in 1551 by Robert Estienne, a French printer and scholar, also known as Robert Stephanus. Before this point, there were no chapter and verse divisions in the Christian Bible.

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE? - New Identity Magazine

Another thing to make note of (the same with the rest of this series) is the genre of literature that we are dealing with. Unlike certain holy books of other religions, such as the Quran for the Muslims or the Guru Granth Sahib for the Sikhs, the Christian Bible is actually an anthology, a collection of shorter manuscripts, each with its own genre. In the case of the verse we are looking at here, it is actually part of an epistle – an official letter sent from someone with authority that is addressed to a specific group of people, and that is addressing the situation of those receiving the letter. So, to more accurately interpret what the verse would mean for us today, we also need to ask the question of what it would have meant to the original audience. Once we do that, we may have a better picture of what it would mean to us today, because as Christians, we believe that the parts of the Bible, while originally written for specific audiences, also have something to say to us today as well. The task that I am talking about here in this column is a task that experts call “exegesis” (meaning to read the original meaning from a text), and it is important because it helps us discern what the Bible does say to us, as opposed to what it is not really saying, but that our traditional or cultural bias wants it to say.

In this case, it is the apostle Paul, who is writing to one of the churches he had established as an apostle (which, to use more modern-speak, an apostle is a missionary who starts new churches – more on that another time). The church is located in the Roman colony of Philippi, and Paul is writing while imprisoned in Rome. Part of the purpose of this letter (which has a lot to do with our verse in question) was to thank the Philippian Christians for their generous gifts that they sent with Epaphroditus, one of the members of their church, and for their concern about his present circumstances.

Here is the verse in its original context (v. 10-19). For the sake of what we are talking about, I have removed the verse numbers, to help us better read it in its original context:

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (New International Version)

HOW CAN WE REALLY APPLY THIS VERSE?

As we can see, it isn’t really saying, or promising, that God will bless everything that we set our minds to. Rather, Paul was reassuring the Christians in Philippi by declaring that God had given him strength and inner peace to endure whatever situation life threw at him, whether it was a time of comfort or a time of difficulty, whether having everything he could possibly desire or facing great need and hunger, whether surrounded by friends and popularity, or being forced to stand alone. And if we were to look at all that Paul had endured since declaring himself a Christian, it’s nothing to take lightly. He was been beaten, whipped, chased out of town, shipwrecked, jailed (at least twice), stoned (having rocks thrown at him); he faced deadly sickness, homelessness, poverty, angry mobs, scoffing derision, as well as the pleasures of friendship and successes in his work. Likewise, if we look to Paul’s example, we could also see that God could give us the same strength to endure these challenges.

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE? - New Identity Magazine

Also included in this is the idea of contentedness, which actually corrects our very human tendency to always want more, bigger, and better (which is a huge part of the North American dream that I was talking about earlier). Being content means that you are happy (and grateful) for what God has already given you and that you are not grumbling or complaining about how you are never happy because you don’t have the shiny new toy that your neighbor has. Which actually brings up the curious irony of Thanksgiving. Admittedly, it isn’t as obvious with Canadian Thanksgiving, as ours is earlier (the second weekend of October), but have you ever noticed that on the day after the American Thanksgiving, which has traditionally been a day of giving thanks for all that God has given you and showing contentment, is Black Friday, a day of ultimate consumerism and “Get out of my way, or I will punch you and kick you because I NEED this package of socks!!!” I don’t know about you, but I find the irony of these two contradictory days right next to each other to be quite hilarious. But getting back to seriousness for a moment… what would being content in all circumstances look like in this circumstance? What would being able to face all circumstances, whether luxury or need, sickness or health, happy times or sad times, look like in the midst of this?

In a way, it reminds me of marriage vows – promises to remain faithful to your husband or wife through every season of life, even those when everyone around you is telling you to give up on the idea of faithful, life-long monogamous marriage (usually during those times when you aren’t feeling very loved by your spouse). After all, why not “upgrade” to something better? And let’s face it – many have given up on the idea, and many others, even though they remain married on paper, have given up on any sense of intimacy in their marriage. That’s not to blame them. Yes, marriage can be difficult. But to use Paul’s argument – you can face it, you can endure it, the bad times as well as the good, because of Christ, who gives you strength.

In fact, we could expand this idea to other life situations also. Let’s say you are tempted to give up on your studies because you feel that your current classes are too difficult, even though you need these classes (and this program of study) to achieve your dream at the end. In this case, stating that you can do all things means not giving up, but trusting in God to give you the strength to endure. Or let’s say that you signed a contract to work at a certain job for a year, but you have entered a difficult patch and you are tempted to leave your contract early. Once again, because you have given your word by signing that contract, it is important that you stay with it for the sake of your own sense of integrity, if nothing else (especially if it’s known that you are a Christian). In this kind of situation, we can trust in Jesus to give you the strength to get through this difficult season to finish the contract well.

Or, to make it a direct parallel to the verse in question, let’s say that you are travelling in a country or you become employed in an environment that is hostile to Christianity, and your Christian faith is discovered and you are pressured to abandon your faith in Jesus. It can be through direct persecution, like being thrown into prison, tortured, or threatened at gunpoint, or indirect, like being passed up for promotions, or having your home vandalized, or hateful comments directed at you (or behind your back in workplace gossip), or the intentional sabotage of your projects, or mockery for your faith and clean lifestyle. See, in a way, this is where the rubber hits the road, and it is in these times when you need to trust in declarations like these and make them your own, trusting that Jesus will give you the strength and inner peace to endure these circumstances for the sake of your faith. And you know what? He will.

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Filed Under: Content in Context, Featured, Grow Tagged With: Issue 32

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New Identity | Exploring Faith
We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 Issue is out today! There are some great articles inside that we hope you'll love! Enjoy! 🤗 #linkinbio⁠
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Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishl Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishly want happen; it’s about making us want what God wants.⁠
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✍🏽: @sarahjoysly in "Prayer - The Alignment of Our Souls With God"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” – Haldir⁠
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In Lothlorien, Haldir is encouraging a downcast Fellowship with a glimpse of the larger story in which they find themselves. His words reflect the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the church, that we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). For there is a form of grief from which there is no recovery – one in which there is no resurrection of the dead. If death is the final word, then we must suffer grief without hope, grief that diminishes our love for life because of the crushing weight of the loss we’ve experienced. But Tolkien believed that death was not the end; therefore, we may experience the beautiful juxtaposition in our own lives of deep sorrow mixed with rivers of joy. Instead of crippling us, our grief may actually help to cultivate in our character the virtues of faith, hope, and love that are necessary to continue to carry our heaviest burdens. ⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Memorable Middle Earth"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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The Bible stresses that despite our differences we The Bible stresses that despite our differences we are called to love each other above our political positions. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14). You may feel like how politics and religion intersect in the public sphere communicate the exact opposite of this, and you’d be right. Media outlets report drama and conflict. Gracious and loving political opponents are not newsworthy.⁠
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✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Our Identity In Christ Is Always Greater"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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#politics #voting #love #loveyourneighbor #loveyourneighbornotmattertheirpolitics
The trees, with their bark, the skin of the forest The trees, with their bark, the skin of the forest, with its scars and wrinkles, lean toward me, and brush me with their limbs. The leaves beg me to examine their veins. “Have you seen this?” Each different, but each spectacular. The infinite busy creatures. The carpet of green, the dome of blue.⁠
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A few moments later, I feel like an amazing creature in a world amazingly made. I feel the astounding power of God, where the smallest thing around me, a leaf, an ant, is more complicated, and alive and amazing than anything humanity has ever thought of.⁠
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Really, there is nothing like it. The author C.S. Lewis noted that the best place to take a non-believing scientist or a real thinker is nature.  Eventually the noise of God in nature is deafening.⁠
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Once you’re in that place, just a few minutes into your walk, your mouth will hardly be able to keep from pouring out praise to God. It becomes so easy. Connecting to God like that, in praise, as a consequence of observing nature, is so freeing and so empowering that you will return to your office balanced and ready, clear headed and encouraged.⁠
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The prayer that most blesses God, most blesses the one who prays it. And there is almost no easier way than from within the sanctuary of nature, which itself raises up its branches to him in prayer with every sunrise.⁠
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✍🏽: Tom Koel in "Muting The Noise of the World - Deconstructing The Prayer Hike for City Dwellers"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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Each person comes to a Bible passage with his own Each person comes to a Bible passage with his own culture, language, and historical understanding. Sometimes we use these to interpret the Bible, but the hard work of bible study requires that you get rid of those things and interpret the passage by allowing it to speak for itself in its own language, cultural context, and historical background. In other words, interpretation is hard work because you are trying to to discover what the passage meant to its (original) audience 2000 years ago (even though we are reading it today). ⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "How Anyone Can Study The Bible"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
#biblestudy #biblestudytools #growingingod #godsword #spendingtimewithgod #biblejournaling #holybible #christianliving #biblescriptures #dailybiblereading
Everything we do should be done for the ultimate e Everything we do should be done for the ultimate enjoyment of God. For instance, our enjoyment of a loving relationship with our spouse is a reflection of our relationship with God, and is therefore something God uses in order for us to better understand his love and how we can love him better.⁠
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This entails that God has given us the Bible as a means to an end. The point of reading the Bible is to come to enjoy God better and more fully. It might seem odd, or even a little sacrilege to think of the Bible as a means to an end. This is because we rightly think of the Bible as holy or sacred. But, it is not God. It is holy and sacred insofar as it is the word of God, given to us so we can better understand who God is. ⁠
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By reading Scripture we learn more about God, his work in the world, his plan for us, and his expectations for us. This is one of the means God has provided for us to enjoy him more. In fact, St. Augustine of Hippo believed that if a Christian could hypothetically enjoy God perfectly in this life, that they would no longer need to read the Bible. Of course because we will not come to love God perfectly in this life, reading, meditating on, and yes, memorizing scripture, will regularly be a source of knowledge that help us to love God more. However, Augustine wants his readers to remember, that knowledge is not the goal for reading the Bible.⁠
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✍🏽: Jeffery Porter in "How A Roman Bishop Changed The Way I Read The Bible"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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#biblereading #heartknowledge #
People with unbelieving hearts only seek after wha People with unbelieving hearts only seek after what prospers them. Apart from Jesus, we set in motion lives filled with harm, with no hope and no future. A person can only have hope and a future when life is lived out for Christ. We get light through reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians. This light of life can be obtained through an open line of communication with the one who gives it—Jesus. Apart from him, life can appear meaningless. Our purpose in life is to glorify God with who we are and what we have. –Steven Butwell⁠
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"No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others." –Psalm 25:3 NLT⁠
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✍🏽: Steven Butwell in "The Light Christ"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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What’s your favorite article in the new issue? F What’s your favorite article in the new issue? Follow the link in our bio to read it online or download it free to your tablet. ⁠
Even as God demonstrated love by sending Jesus to Even as God demonstrated love by sending Jesus to die on the cross to take punishment for our sins, God reminded people of the importance of fearing him. God is not only our savior, comforter, and friend who promises to be with us always (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20), but also the most powerful being in the universe. There is a place for the right kind of fear—the reverential awe and respect—in our lives.⁠
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✍🏽: Délice Williams in "Fear The Lord?" Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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Like the Psalmist, John describes Jesus as God’s Like the Psalmist, John describes Jesus as God’s Word who brings light and life to the darkness. Jesus is God’s Word that comes to us, to those who are dwelling in darkness. In fact, this is exactly what Jesus declares his mission to be in John 12:46: “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” This Light and Darkness imagery pervades the gospel of John. People love darkness because they don’t want their actions, thoughts, motives to be exposed by the light. But the truth is that deep down we need (and want) to be seen. We want to be loved despite our dirtiest deeds and foulest feelings. We need to restore the relationship that Adam and Eve once had with God–complete openness, and deep love–but we can’t do it on our own. Only God can (and did through Jesus) bring that relationship back.⁠
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✍🏽: Brandon Hurlbert in "The Light of God's Love"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Emre Kuzu from Pexels⁠
In John 15:1 Jesus says that God is the gardener a In John 15:1 Jesus says that God is the gardener and he prunes every branch that does not produce fruit. A person stuck in his or her ways of sin is like a prickly shrub growing a lot of branches with no fruit. These branches must be removed so good fruit can grow. In the same way as a bush is unable to prune itself, a person who is living in sin is unable to remove all the unfruitful branches in life. Paul described this condition in chapter seven of Romans when he called himself a wretched man and realized only Jesus can change him.⁠
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Jesus provides the essential elements for growth; he gives us his Word (the Bible) for fertilizer, other believers for sunshine, and the Holy Spirit for water. When our roots begin to receive this new water, sunshine, and fertilizer, new branches begin to grow. This time the branches are not prickly bushes, but beautiful new branches adorned with the fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control,” (Galatians 5:22). Our old acquaintances will marvel at who we have become. When we allow God to be the gardener, he will shape us into his design.⁠
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✍🏽: Delbert Teachout in "God The Gardener"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Timothy Grindall from Pexels
As new creations, those who have been forgiven by As new creations, those who have been forgiven by and reconciled to Jesus, we now have the task of being reconciled to each other. As Christians, we are not just called to forgive others in our hearts but keep them at an arm’s length away. No, we are called to be of one heart and one mind (Acts 4:32) with our brothers and sisters—we are called to be reconciled.⁠
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✍🏽: Brandon Hurlbert in "Repairing Broken Bridges"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We are faced with a challenge: to make God the cen We are faced with a challenge: to make God the center and purpose of our lives in a world of demands. God asks us to listen for his voice, and it’s no wonder why he chose to speak to Elijah in a “still, small voice” in 1 Kings 19:12-13. He doesn’t always shout at us because he wants us to choose to listen, to put other things aside so that all of our focus is towards discerning his will in the specifics of our lives. We have his will for us in general, as communicated in the Bible, which is to make disciples of all nations, to glorify the one true God, to serve no other gods, to love our neighbors as ourselves, etc., but sometimes we need to figure out how those general plans fit the specifics of our lives. Hearing God’s voice is part of how we relate to him, but in those moments of uncertainty, quieting ourselves becomes even more important.⁠
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✍🏽: @sarahjoysly in "Listening For A Whisper"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Jara from Pexels⁠
Imagine if every Christian started praying to God Imagine if every Christian started praying to God and asking for him to bless us with gifts of encouragement for the sake of the world around us. The Church would make an immediate impact on the lives of people.⁠
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✍🏽: @lukegeraty in "The Gift of Encouragement from the Great Encourager"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
Everything sad will come untrue because we are not Everything sad will come untrue because we are not doomed to be forever parted with those we love, nor will our souls simply turn to dust and fade with the memory of those we leave behind.⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Memorable Middle Earth - Why I'm Always Tolkien In Movie Quotes"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Dirk Förster from Flickr
"Remembering God's promises and his faithfulness a "Remembering God's promises and his faithfulness as a community will help us to endure our sorrows for the night, for joy comes in the morning." @slimkeman from his article The Beauty of Community & The Beast of Isolation 🌤 Can you name some of God's promises that keep you encouraged and grounded? We'd love to hear in the comments below - and just maybe it might be the hope someone else is needing right now! 🤗⁠
“Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors “Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keepin’ me awake. I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it’s gonna take. A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make.” ⁠
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As P.T. Barnum sings these words to Charity in the beautiful montage of their young lives, we are captivated by the hope that they share, the possibilities of their bright future, and the chance of their love overcoming the wall between privilege and poverty that keeps them apart. The Greatest Showman asks us to wrestle with the quest for the holy grail of our modern world: success and happiness. ⁠
What is the good life? If a million of our wildest dreams came true, would we truly be happy?⁠
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In Jesus, we find a man who invites us into his presence with these words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He is the only one who can fill “the infinite abyss” of desire in our souls. When you have fully devoted yourself and your dreams to your Creator, you will discover that “everything you ever want” and “everything you ever need” is “right here in front of you” in Christ Jesus.⁠
{Steve Limekman}⁠
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✍🏼: by @slimkeman in “The Greatest Showman”  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com by clicking on the link in our bio ⁠
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📸: from newidentitymagazine
Every day in sub-Saharan Africa, one child in ten Every day in sub-Saharan Africa, one child in ten under the age of five dies of a preventable cause, and nearly every day in America eight in ten adults consume coffee. What do these numbers have to do with each other? A lot, according to the One Cup Project, which is using America’s love for coffee to reduce the number of children dying in Africa by converting coffee profits into life-saving aid.⁠
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The One Cup Project started in 2010, when Christian Kar, the founder of an award-winning Seattle-based coffee company, partnered with the Christian humanitarian aid organization, World Vision.Remarkably, every dollar spent on One Cup Coffee generates a dollar of aid for Africa.⁠
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Buy some coffee, put up a post on your Facebook page, ask your church, local café, or workplace to change their coffee, or run a One Cup Fundraiser. In doing so, you just may help hurting people find healing, hope, and life. Change the world for the better, one cup at a time.⁠
{Thame Fuller}⁠
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✍🏼: @thamefuller in “One Cup Project”  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com by clicking on the link in our bio or click on this link to take you directly to the One Cup website: https://onecup.org/our-story/⁠
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📸: by @AftaPuta from Pexels
When someone accepts Jesus, they leave their old p When someone accepts Jesus, they leave their old priorities behind and make Jesus the center of their life. Jesus calls each of us to share the good news with the world. He came to give living water to a thirsty world, and we have the honor and privilege of sharing his message by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).⁠
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The most important thing you can do is enter each conversation with a posture of prayer. Pray for the person you’re sharing with, that God would open their heart to accept him. Pray that God would give you the words to say. And a loving way to say them.⁠
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Expect God to work in your relationship and use you to share Jesus through your friendship in his own timing. No matter how long you have been a believer, you can share Jesus with the confidence that he is with you and that he will use you for his glory.⁠
{Eric Gulley}⁠
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✍🏼: Eric Gulley in “Sharing Your Faith”  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com by clicking on the link in our bio ⁠
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📸: by @OliverSjostrom from Pexels
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