TOPIC: WHAT IS TRUTH?
TEXT: II TIMOTHY 4:1-8
FOCUS TEXT: JOHN 18:38
EVERYONE BELIEVES IN SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. FOR MOST PEOPLE THEIR BELIEF IS THE RESULT OF WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD FROM OTHERS. MANY TIMES THOSE WHO SPOKE TO THEM WERE DECIEVED THEMSELVES AND DID NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH BT WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
1. TRUTH IS A STATEMENT OF WHAT IS REAL OR WHAT IS RIGHT AS COMPARED WITH WHAT IS FALSE OR WHAT RIGHT IS.
2. TRUTH IS A STATEMENT ABOUT THE ULTIMAE REALITIES OF LIFE. BECAUSE TRUTH HAS TO DO WITH ULTIMATE REALITY, TRUTH WILL AFFACT A PERSON’S DESTINY.
SITTING IN A CHAIR IS SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION OF TRUSTING IN SOMETHING. A PERSON WILL NOT SIT IN A CHAIR UNLESS HE OR SHE BELIEVES THAT WILL SUPPORT HIM OR HER.
CONSIDER FLYING IN A PLANE; BEFORE YOU ENTER A PLANE YOU MUST HAVE CONFEDENCE IN BOTH THE PLANE AND THE PILOT. YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT THE PLANE WILL FLY. WEATHER THE PLANE AND PILOT ARE TRUSTWORTHY OR NOT CAN BE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. EVERYONE BELIEVES IN SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.FOR MOST PEOPLE THEIR BELIEF IS THE RESULT OF WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD FROM OTHERS. MAY TIMES THOSE WHO SPOKE TO THEM WERE DECIEVED THEMSELVES AND DO NOT KNOWTHE TRUTH. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH WHAT
MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT IF SOMETHING IS SPOKEN BY A TEACHER IN SCHOOL, READ IT FROM INTERNET, WRITEN IN THE BOOK, HEARD VIA TELEVISION OR PRINT MEDIA IT MUST BE THE TRUTH. UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. SOMETIMES TEACHERS AND WRITERS HAS BEEN TAUGHT WHAT IS WRONG AND SO THEY TELL OTHER WHAT IS WRONG.
HERE ARE ONE EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE AND HOW IT HAS AFFECTED MANY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IT. AMONG THE GREAT MANY EDUCATED EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS THERE IS A BELIEF THAT THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTE STANDARDS OF RIGHT AND WRONG GIVEN BY GOD, AS THE BIBLE TEACHES. THESE PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD HOLDS THEM RESPONSIPLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOUR. THEY HAVE NO STANDARD TO MEASURE RIGHT AND WRONG BEYOND THEIR OPINONS. THEY MAKE UP THEIR OWN RULES OF WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. SOMETIMES THE RULES WE MAKE UP ARE BASED ON WHAT PERSONALLY WANT TO DO. ONE OF THE POPURAL SAYING IN NORTH AMERICA TODAY GOES LIKE THIS “IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT”
ONE WAY TO TEST THE TRUTH OF A PERSON’S WORDS IS TO SEE WHAT THAT PERSON’S ENEMIES SAY ABOUT HIM OR HER.WE SEE THIS HAPPENING IN SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY LIKE OUR HERE. WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL DETERMINE HOW WE ACT AND THE KIND OF PERSON WE ARE. BECAUSE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. SO WHO HAS THE TRUTH AND WHO MAY BE TRUST?
IN THE WORLD TODAY THERE ARE MANY WHO CLAIM TO HAVE THE TRUTH. OUR ACTIONS RESULTS FROM WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE .IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT WE BELIEVE WHAT IS TRUE, OR WE MAY LOSE OUR SOUL FOREVER.
Wednesday 29 July 2009
The effect of divorce
Divorce has a lingering, detrimental impact on health that even remarriage cannot fully repair, a study suggests. A Chicago study involving 8,652 people aged 51 to 61 found divorced people have 20% more chronic illnesses such as cancer than those who never marry. The figure only drops to 12% for those who remarry, researchers write in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour. They say we start adulthood with a "health stock" that is kept or eroded depending on our marital experience.
Only those who are continuously married can expect the same rate of chronic health problems as the never-wedded, the study suggests. Although people who remarry after a divorce or being widowed do tend to be happier as a result - being no more depressed than those continuously married and less depressed than those who never married - they gain little in terms of chronic health conditions.
People who remarried had 12% more chronic health conditions than those continuously married, which was slightly less than the 20% for the divorced or widowed who did not remarry. Researcher Dr Linda Waite, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, said divorce or widowhood undermines health because incomes drop and stress develops over issues such as shared child care. Whereas marriage tends to bring an immediate health benefit, in that it improves health behaviours for men and financial well-being for women.
But remarriage does not heal all. She said: "Some health situations, like depression, seem to respond both quickly and strongly to changes in current conditions. "In contrast, conditions such as diabetes and heart disease develop slowly over a substantial period and show the impact of past experiences, which is why health is undermined by divorce or widowhood, even when a person remarries." Anastasia de Waal, of the think tank Civitas, said: "This research highlights the fact that whilst divorce has become much more common, it can take not just a tremendous emotional and financial toll, but also a heavy health one."
Christine Northan, a counsellor for Relate, said: "I'm not surprised by the findings. It's another reason to work hard to make marriages last, unless it is a very destructive relationship. "It's a good idea if you can use a messy divorce to understand both yourself better and why the relationship did not work. "If you do that, you will be in a better place to go into a second successful marriage. "But if you are drawn to people who are toxic for you, then you may be better off staying single." She said a surprising number of people unconsciously look for someone like their first wife or husband and that the chance of a second marriage ending in divorce was two-fold.
source: BBC
Only those who are continuously married can expect the same rate of chronic health problems as the never-wedded, the study suggests. Although people who remarry after a divorce or being widowed do tend to be happier as a result - being no more depressed than those continuously married and less depressed than those who never married - they gain little in terms of chronic health conditions.
People who remarried had 12% more chronic health conditions than those continuously married, which was slightly less than the 20% for the divorced or widowed who did not remarry. Researcher Dr Linda Waite, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, said divorce or widowhood undermines health because incomes drop and stress develops over issues such as shared child care. Whereas marriage tends to bring an immediate health benefit, in that it improves health behaviours for men and financial well-being for women.
But remarriage does not heal all. She said: "Some health situations, like depression, seem to respond both quickly and strongly to changes in current conditions. "In contrast, conditions such as diabetes and heart disease develop slowly over a substantial period and show the impact of past experiences, which is why health is undermined by divorce or widowhood, even when a person remarries." Anastasia de Waal, of the think tank Civitas, said: "This research highlights the fact that whilst divorce has become much more common, it can take not just a tremendous emotional and financial toll, but also a heavy health one."
Christine Northan, a counsellor for Relate, said: "I'm not surprised by the findings. It's another reason to work hard to make marriages last, unless it is a very destructive relationship. "It's a good idea if you can use a messy divorce to understand both yourself better and why the relationship did not work. "If you do that, you will be in a better place to go into a second successful marriage. "But if you are drawn to people who are toxic for you, then you may be better off staying single." She said a surprising number of people unconsciously look for someone like their first wife or husband and that the chance of a second marriage ending in divorce was two-fold.
source: BBC
Saturday 25 July 2009
In whom can we find the truth? (1King 18:16-39)
Topic: In whom can we find the truth?
Text: 1King 18:16-39
In this world everyone believes in something or someone. For many people belief is the result of what they have heard from others. Others also what they have seen from a person doing or done. However, many times those who spoke to them were deceived themselves and did not know the truth. It is important to believe the truth; but what is the truth?.
1.where can we find the truth
In African society the idea of truth is related to the stories and myths about life and human experiences which are passed down from one generation to another by elders or grandparents of the clan. In some years back when the moon was on in the night, the elders of the town will call the children and tell myths and stories about life and related it facts or truth.
The passage we just read was a story about the truth of powers. There are many different kinds of powers in the world. Political power, Religious power, the evil power and ultimate power is the one that belongs to God.
When the Prophet met people with different kind of power, he proved to them that there was and is only one power that comes with glory -God's power.
In John 18 Jesus was arrested and sent blasphemy that he claimed to call himself God. But in the midst of going through the punishment of death , Jesus claimed that “For this reason I came into the world, to testify to the Truth” (John 18:37) then the Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked him, “what is the Truth:
In John 14:6, Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the father expect through me. Can Jesus prove such a claim? And if Jesus is right, then other religious teachers and even many elders must be wrong.
In Japan as you are aware, there are many gods around us. The difference between Japan and Africa is that Africans believed that there is only one God called (Onyankopon) mean the most high one above all. So they believed that they cannot reach Him personally so they worship him through mediums like river, stones and forest ect.
So if someone claimed that truth of God, then we should find out that he used his power of truth for the good of others and not for his own benefit. Has there ever been such a person? To discover who has the truth let us briefly compare Christ Jesus with others who claimed to teach the truth. Let see who used his power only for the good of others.
2. Jesus Christ compared to other religious Teachers
What other man in history was born of a virgin woman? What other man ever lived a sinless and perfect life, for the good of others, as Jesus Christ did? When did Krishna of Hinduism ever calm the storm and waves for his followers? When did Guatemala of Buddhism ever clean the leper or give sight to those who born blind? When did the teacher of Confucius feed more than 5000 people men, women and children who listened his teaching? When did Mao Tse Tung of China ever heal an epileptic child? When did Marx of Lenin ever raise a widow’s only son form the dead?
What other man in history besides Jesus has ever answered the desperate prayer of hurting people who cried out to him for help? Which teacher or religious leader ever made 180 gallons of water into wine for the joy of newly married couples at their wedding feast? When did Mohammed die for the sins of mankind? When did Mohammed rise from the dead to give hope and eternal life?
The answers to these questions tell us that Jesus Christ was different and still different from every other man who ever lived. Although many religious leaders, teachers and prophets in history have claimed to teach the truth, only Jesus Christ has demonstrated by his life of perfect love, perfect holiness and perfect power that he is the way, the truth and the life as he claimed to be (John 14:6) When we compare Jesus to other persons in history, we find that there has never been a person like him. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will find the truth, God’s forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with God forever.
Therefore the Bible tells us that we need to believe in the only one who came and die for all mankind and the whole authority has been given to him. “All the Authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age”.
Text: 1King 18:16-39
In this world everyone believes in something or someone. For many people belief is the result of what they have heard from others. Others also what they have seen from a person doing or done. However, many times those who spoke to them were deceived themselves and did not know the truth. It is important to believe the truth; but what is the truth?.
1.where can we find the truth
In African society the idea of truth is related to the stories and myths about life and human experiences which are passed down from one generation to another by elders or grandparents of the clan. In some years back when the moon was on in the night, the elders of the town will call the children and tell myths and stories about life and related it facts or truth.
The passage we just read was a story about the truth of powers. There are many different kinds of powers in the world. Political power, Religious power, the evil power and ultimate power is the one that belongs to God.
When the Prophet met people with different kind of power, he proved to them that there was and is only one power that comes with glory -God's power.
In John 18 Jesus was arrested and sent blasphemy that he claimed to call himself God. But in the midst of going through the punishment of death , Jesus claimed that “For this reason I came into the world, to testify to the Truth” (John 18:37) then the Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked him, “what is the Truth:
In John 14:6, Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the father expect through me. Can Jesus prove such a claim? And if Jesus is right, then other religious teachers and even many elders must be wrong.
In Japan as you are aware, there are many gods around us. The difference between Japan and Africa is that Africans believed that there is only one God called (Onyankopon) mean the most high one above all. So they believed that they cannot reach Him personally so they worship him through mediums like river, stones and forest ect.
So if someone claimed that truth of God, then we should find out that he used his power of truth for the good of others and not for his own benefit. Has there ever been such a person? To discover who has the truth let us briefly compare Christ Jesus with others who claimed to teach the truth. Let see who used his power only for the good of others.
2. Jesus Christ compared to other religious Teachers
What other man in history was born of a virgin woman? What other man ever lived a sinless and perfect life, for the good of others, as Jesus Christ did? When did Krishna of Hinduism ever calm the storm and waves for his followers? When did Guatemala of Buddhism ever clean the leper or give sight to those who born blind? When did the teacher of Confucius feed more than 5000 people men, women and children who listened his teaching? When did Mao Tse Tung of China ever heal an epileptic child? When did Marx of Lenin ever raise a widow’s only son form the dead?
What other man in history besides Jesus has ever answered the desperate prayer of hurting people who cried out to him for help? Which teacher or religious leader ever made 180 gallons of water into wine for the joy of newly married couples at their wedding feast? When did Mohammed die for the sins of mankind? When did Mohammed rise from the dead to give hope and eternal life?
The answers to these questions tell us that Jesus Christ was different and still different from every other man who ever lived. Although many religious leaders, teachers and prophets in history have claimed to teach the truth, only Jesus Christ has demonstrated by his life of perfect love, perfect holiness and perfect power that he is the way, the truth and the life as he claimed to be (John 14:6) When we compare Jesus to other persons in history, we find that there has never been a person like him. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will find the truth, God’s forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with God forever.
Therefore the Bible tells us that we need to believe in the only one who came and die for all mankind and the whole authority has been given to him. “All the Authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age”.
Wednesday 15 July 2009
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