Saturday, August 24, 2024

UNDERCURRENTS



 
Homeless in Japan


Have you ever heard about the hobos back in the 1940's and 1950's?  Apparently there were some in Spokane who hung out by the railroad tracks. When the weather turned cold, or they wanted a change of scenery, they would jump on a passing boxcar, and get out of town.  

Today, all over the world, not to equate homeless people with hobos,--  mentally ill, drug addicted, people dropping out of society, and even military veterans--  camp on the streets and sidewalks. Authorities demand that they be allowed to do so.  It would be "mean" to have and enforce laws about loitering. We don't even allow homeless dogs to live on the streets. So why do we allow this?


The thinking in society has changed for the worse.  In his article John Seel--  says --"We are not in an age of change but a change of age." What one thought 50 years ago as being true is no longer true in society.  How do we find out what is true? What do we use as a plumb line now?  We seek God and His son Jesus.  How do we do this?  Pray, read the Bible, seek Christian fellowship. We have been given truth in a Good Book.   Sometimes it takes years of reading the Bible to understand it. Sometimes it is suddenly.


One such person who became suddenly converted was Blaise Pascal.  You can read about his life here.  Bliase Pascal https://breakpoint.org/the-life-and-faith-of-blaise-pascal/


His life radically changed the evening of November 23, 1654, when Pascal experienced God’s presence in a powerful way. He immediately and radically reoriented his life and thinking toward God. He described the experience on a scrap of parchment that he sewed into his jacket and carried with him the rest of his life:   

FIRE—God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Certitude, certitude. Heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. My God and thy God. Thy God shall be my God.   

From that moment, Pascal dedicated his life to serving God through his writing. His ideas on apologetics were collected and published after his death in a volume entitled, Pensées, or “Thoughts.”  

So how does one get interested in seeking Jesus?  Just ask God.  That is what I did.  I also asked God to make me interested in studying the Bible and He did!  


Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

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