The Exploding Mic That Allegedly Killed Charlie Kirk
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Put on Gentleness
June 30, 2026
A compilation
Audio length: 13:50
Download Audio (12.6MB)
Download Audio (12.6MB)
Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience.—Colossians 3:12
While I was walking along in an open field at sunrise, I noticed something in the distance, gently floating down from the sky. I went to pick it up. It was a tiny, downy bird feather. I looked all around. There wasn’t a bird in sight. Now I’m not trying to be spooky or hyper-spiritual, because I know it was a regular bird feather, probably from the underbelly of a dove, but the gentle way it fell from the sky really spoke to my spirit.
Gentleness. Do you know that’s one of the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5? It’s right there, smack-dab in between “goodness” and “faithfulness.” To be honest, it’s one of the fruits of the Spirit I rarely think about. I was in a church service where the preacher was rattling off the fruits of the Spirit in his sermon, and he left “gentleness” out. I didn’t even realize it, and I don’t think anyone else did either, until someone on the front row said, “You left off gentleness.” It was a telling moment for me that I didn’t even realize it was overlooked.
Even if we need to confront someone who has done us wrong, Christians should be known for their gentle demeanor. If the Holy Spirit (the heavenly dove) is in us, He will show us how to be gentle. Do you remember what Jesus told His disciples when He sent them out to minister? “Be wise as serpents, harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).—Greg A. Lane1
A perfect picture
Galatians 5:22–23 says that the Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ (Ephesians 4:14–16), and part of the fruit, or results, of that work is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. …
When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correct others with easiness instead of arguing in resentment and anger, knowing that their salvation is far more important than our pride (2 Timothy 2:24–25). We will forgive readily, because any offense toward us is nothing compared to our offenses against God—offenses He’s already forgiven (Matthew 18:23–35). …
Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with the fruit of gentleness.—GotQuestions.org2
What it means to me
Gentleness is prautes in the original Greek text. It’s been translated both as “meekness” and “gentleness.” Here I’ve compiled briefly what the concept means to me.
Submission to God: Jesus is the perfect example of being entirely devoted to doing God’s will, whatever the cost. Even when faced with His impending arrest and execution, He told His Father, “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).
Meekness means thinking less of what I want and more of what God wants.
Readiness to learn: If the Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) could say, “I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him,” then how much more is that true for me!
Meekness means never thinking I know enough or that I’m too good or exalted to learn from others.
Consideration: When Moses’ own brother and sister attacked his position as leader of the Israelites, he remained gentle toward them and let God deal with the situation. Even after God had vindicated him, his only concern was for Miriam to be forgiven and healed.3
Gentleness is never self-important, and it is always kind and courteous.
Not hateful or wimpy: Gentleness is never hateful, but neither is it wimpy. It’s getting indignant at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reasons.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).—Ronan Keane
Where does gentleness come from?
Gentleness comes “from above” (James 3:17), from “the Father of lights,” the unchangeable source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Gentleness is a divine gift to unworthy sinners. And, as is the case regarding all we have in Christ—our identity, our gifts, our virtues—gentleness is a gift that is “received, not achieved.”
Jesus Christ is the supreme embodiment of the gentleness that comes from above because he is divine Wisdom incarnate (Psalm 45:4; Matthew 11:29). During his earthly ministry, Jesus displayed supreme gentleness in that, “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (1 Peter 2:23), but instead suffered the consequences of our sinful anger “in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). …
Having sown his body in the ground through humility and gentleness, Jesus reaped a harvest of righteousness for us in his resurrection, ascension, and enthronement at the Father’s right hand (John 12:24; James 3:18), the fruits of which he has poured out upon us in the person of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23; Philippians 1:9–11). Accordingly, the meekness that comes from above comes not only in Jesus Christ but also through Jesus Christ, who anoints and endows us with “a spirit of gentleness” (1 Corinthians 4:21; Galatians 6:1)
Though gentleness is a gift, something that is “received, not achieved,” gentleness can nevertheless be cultivated.
Here two errors must be avoided. On the one hand, we must not think that gentleness can be achieved by pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps… Gentleness is a “fruit of the Spirit,” not a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:22–23). On the other hand, we must not think that gentleness can be achieved through passivity. …
Gentleness, like all graces which are ours through union with Jesus Christ, is a gift that is to be actively received and appropriated through faith, hope, and love.
Gentleness is cultivated through union and communion with Jesus Christ, [which is] well illustrated through the biblical metaphor of being clothed with Christ in baptism. … [This] is also something we are called to actively appropriate—something we are called to “put on.” …
If the vice of anger is among the severest spiritual afflictions of our age, then the virtue of gentleness is among the most needful spiritual medicines. While there exist many helpful protocols regarding how we might manage our participation in the “outrage machine” of contemporary (especially social media) culture, the deep cure for our ills will not come merely through adopting such protocols for self-control, but through cultivating the virtue of gentleness. …
Though we fall short in many ways when it comes to the virtue of gentleness, it is important to remember that Jesus Christ is an inexhaustible fountain of gentleness, and that he gently invites us to draw freely upon his inexhaustible fullness. ... When it comes to the virtue of gentleness, he is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:1–5). The strength of our virtue, and of our growth in virtue, lies not in ourselves, but in him in whose presence we find “quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:17).—Scott Swain4
Reflections on gentleness
In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft and virtually spineless. Not so! Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity.―Charles R. Swindoll
*
A Christian reveals true humility by showing the gentleness of Christ, by being always ready to help others, by speaking kind words and performing unselfish acts, which elevate and ennoble the most sacred message that has come to our world.―Ellen G. White
*
Gentleness is the ability to bear reproaches and slights with moderation, and not to embark on revenge quickly, and not to be easily provoked to anger, but to be free from bitterness and contentiousness, having tranquility and stability in the spirit.―Aristotle
*
Gentleness is not apathy but is an aggressive expression of how we view people. We see people as so valuable that we deal with them in gentleness, fearing the slightest damage to one for whom Christ died. To be apathetic is to turn people over to mean and destructive elements, to truly love people causes us to be aggressively gentle.―Gayle D. Erwin
*
If zeal had been appropriate for putting humanity right, why did God the Word clothe himself in the body, using gentleness and humility in order to bring the world back to his Father?―Isaac of Nineveh
*
Gentleness is not weakness. Just the opposite. Preserving a gentle spirit in a heartless world takes extraordinary courage, determination, and resilience. Do not underestimate the power of gentleness, because gentleness is strength wrapped in peace, and therein lies the power to change the world.―L. R. Knost
*
I choose gentleness … Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.—Max Lucado
Published on Anchor June 2026. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Greg A. Lane, My Morning Walks with God (Inspired Design & Graphics, 2016).
2 “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit—What is gentleness?” GotQuestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-gentleness.html
3 See Numbers 12:1–16.
4 Scott Swain, “Cultivating Gentleness in an Age of Outrage,” Desiring God, December 12, 2019, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/masters-of-self
Copyright © 2026 The Family International
Monday, June 29, 2026
Our Lifeline: Time with Jesus
If we don’t take it, we won’t make it!
Maria Fontaine June 29, 2026
Audio length: 8:15
Download Audio (7.5MB)
Download Audio (7.5MB)
Most people are becoming more aware of the magnitude of tragedies, suffering, and death in many places around the world. People’s wrong choices have triggered so many problems for a very long time. With the world being so interconnected, we find ourselves facing a constant flood of many heartrending accounts that test our faith to the core, because we can’t see all that Jesus sees.
There are also circumstances that can affect us personally, such as the suffering of loved ones, or the too-often-unseen suffering in the lives of others around us that few seem to notice. Or it may be our own suffering and losses that bring us pain far beyond what words can express.
These troubles help lead us to Jesus, in the same way that Jesus came to His Father at every opportunity to commune with Him and to receive strength to carry on. We need to place our difficulties in the Lord’s hands and let His love, strength, peace, and comfort pour into us so that we can fulfill the beautiful Bible verse that says: “Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” (2 Corinthians 1:4–5).
I recently had the opportunity to respond to the heart cry of someone who the Lord has called to minister to some extremely traumatized people who desperately need hope, kindness, and compassion. I wrote the following:
Thank you very much for sharing your heart with me. Though I’m not experiencing firsthand the unspeakable pain you are encountering, it still breaks my heart. I can imagine how hard it is not to question, “Why?! Why do these people have to suffer so greatly?! Why isn’t Jesus somehow delivering them from these circumstances?!”
We don’t have all the answers. We can only reply with compassion and by sharing their pain. Like the father you mentioned, who has lost his children in such a heartbreaking way, you can’t undo what has happened, but you can weep with them that weep. You can hold them and give them what comfort you can. The only hope for this world is the fact that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has promised to bring His children into another life where the wrongs will be made right.
When praying for you, I was reminded of how important communing daily with the Father was to Jesus. I believe that the suffering Jesus saw in so many lives broke His heart. It was essential that He looked to His Father for the strength, love, and resolve He needed to keep going for the sake of those who He came to save. He also knew that His example of looking to His Father would be a clear reminder to us, His followers, to do the same.
I would imagine that in your situation it’s difficult to get time alone with Jesus, but that’s what you need to make time for as much as you can. You can’t carry that burden on your own shoulders or in your own mind and heart, but Jesus can. He will provide the supernatural strength and compassion you need. He will enable you, through His Spirit, to weep with those who weep. He will also help you to find the determination, courage, and faith to lift up to God those who are suffering such things. He can help them to find His love, even in the midst of suffering and evil.
He has given you the heart of a lion and the tenderness of a shepherd. I know that it brings you terrible pain to see such suffering, but through this, you are a beacon of hope and a place of refuge for many who would otherwise have no light. As one of the Lord’s representatives, you can bring hope to the hopeless.
As you mentioned, the troubles of this world seem to be intensifying, and because we’re called to be a light in this darkness, we must keep replenishing our own supplies of the oil of His Spirit so we can help light the way for others. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, and we must keep turning to Him to replenish our oil. Otherwise, we just won’t be able to do the job, and we’ll burn out and risk succumbing to hopelessness, despair, or bitterness over such terrible experiences.
Our desire for you and for your team and any others who face devastating pain and suffering is that you will be able to find that time to commune with Jesus. We can’t “fix” this world in this present time, but we know the final solution will come when Jesus comes back to reclaim this world! Then your heart that has been broken for so many will carry the compassion and love that will enable you to rule and reign with Jesus in the way He wants you to.
Knowing these things doesn’t take away the pain we feel at this moment, but it can help us to have the vision for the days that we know are coming. In the darkest times, it’s all the more important to hold on to Jesus, who can motivate us to reflect His Spirit to others. Keep your wick immersed in the oil of His Spirit, keep it cleaned and trimmed, so that it can burn brightly and clearly. He is counting on you to be His light for those who need the truth.
Especially in such terrible circumstances, I know the Lord is there with you. Even though those children you told us about died in the fire, I believe that, in God’s mercy, they never felt the flames. I believe that Jesus’ arms were around them, shielding them from pain and carrying them safely to where such things will never come close to them again.
The horrors that so many have perpetrated in this world are drawing to a close soon. Evil and rebellion against God have brought terrible things into this world for millennia, but the darkness will be destroyed by the light of God, and at last, all will be made right.
With love, admiration, prayers, and tremendous thankfulness for you and all of your team!
* * *
And for each of you who face times of sorrow, suffering, and tragedy, I know that Jesus is close by your side, waiting to lift and comfort you, and to bring you His peace that passes understanding, as you look to Him.
Originally published April 2023. Adapted and republished June 2026. Read by Debra Lee.
Copyright © 2026 The Family International
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Decided Who Its Future Superpower Partner Is, And It’s Not the US
By Simon Watkins - Jun 23, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT
Saudi Arabia appears to be recalibrating back toward China and Russia after the Iran conflict, with recent high-level meetings focused on expanding energy cooperation.
The shift reflects a decade-long evolution that began after the 2014-2016 oil price war, when China deepened its influence in Saudi Arabia through investment, energy deals, support for Aramco, and alignment with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic ambitions.
Riyadh's confidence in U.S. security guarantees has been shaken by Iranian strikes on key Saudi energy infrastructure during Operation Epic Fury.
Since the replacement of Russia by China as the primary would-be superpower rival to the U.S., Saudi Arabia has sought to balance its relationships with Beijing and Washington -- sometimes leaning more one way, and sometimes the other. Until the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, the U.S. was the core relationship; after the war had finished, it was China and Russia; and then, from the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term in office, it was the U.S. again. However, in the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, this looks set to shift once more back to China and Russia, with a series of high-level meetings between Chinese and Saudi Arabian officials taking place last week. One of these -- between the deputy head of China’s National Energy Administration, Song Hongkun, and Saudi Aramco’s Downstream President, Mohammed Al Qahtani -- focused on boosting global energy security and bilateral oil and gas cooperation between the two sides. So, how has the global oil market arrived at this point, and what happens next?
The genesis of the current position lies in the financial devastation to OPEC countries of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, fully analysed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Before the conflict started, there had been a broad and deep relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia based on a landmark agreement between Washington and Riyadh formulated at a meeting on 14 February 1945 between the then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King at the time, Abdulaziz Al Saud. The deal was this: the U.S. would receive all the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi Arabia had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security of the ruling House of Saud and, by extension, of Saudi Arabia.
This worked well enough to survive the 1973 Oil Crisis, in which Riyadh led an oil embargo alongside its OPEC brothers against the U.S. and its allies for helping Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. However, it did not truly survive the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, as by then the U.S.’s shale oil sector had become a serious global oil-producing force, making the country much better able to withstand lower-for-longer oil prices than Saudi Arabia and its fellow OPEC members. Moreover, Washington regarded this, effectively, as a second oil price war instigated by Saudi Arabia as one breach too many of the fundamental relationship agreement of 1945.Related: Iran Says U.S. Agreed to Unblock $12 Billion in Frozen Funds
Following the financial devastation of 2014-2016 Oil Price War for Saudi Arabia and its OPEC brothers, they had little choice but to admit Russia to the wider ‘OPEC+’ grouping to restore the organisation’s shattered credibility in the global oil markets. China, in turn, was able to leverage the new-found power of its ally into extending its own influence in the Middle East’s leading energy state through a series of wide-ranging agreements made after 2016, and its immediate focus on laying the groundwork for these was a rising star in Riyadh -- then-Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS).
Following the financial devastation of 2014-2016 Oil Price War for Saudi Arabia and its OPEC brothers, they had little choice but to admit Russia to the wider ‘OPEC+’ grouping to restore the organisation’s shattered credibility in the global oil markets. China, in turn, was able to leverage the new-found power of its ally into extending its own influence in the Middle East’s leading energy state through a series of wide-ranging agreements made after 2016, and its immediate focus on laying the groundwork for these was a rising star in Riyadh -- then-Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS).
From the first year of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, Saudi Arabia’s government budget went into deficit -- to double digit levels of GDP in the first full year of the war -- and it stayed in deficit until the end of 2021. At the same time, MbS was not the natural successor to King Salman, with the heir-designate to King Salman being Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, but the young Prince had an idea that he believed would help him progress -- an initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Arabia’s flagship firm, Aramco.
It was his belief, publicly aired in the second half of 2016, that if Saudi Arabia listed 5% of the firm on international stock markets then it would raise at least US$100 billion for the Kingdom in much-needed funds. This figure would also mean a valuation for Saudi Aramco of US$2 trillion, making it by far the most valuable company ever listed in the world, so restoring some of Saudi Arabia’s damaged reputation in the process. MbS also thought that a listing of Saudi Aramco in multiple major financial centres around the world, including the two most prestigious stock exchanges – the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange – would project Saudi Arabia’s presence as an international player in financial markets as a whole and not just in the oil sector. All these reasons looked solid enough on the surface and the senior Saudis agreed to go ahead.
It was his belief, publicly aired in the second half of 2016, that if Saudi Arabia listed 5% of the firm on international stock markets then it would raise at least US$100 billion for the Kingdom in much-needed funds. This figure would also mean a valuation for Saudi Aramco of US$2 trillion, making it by far the most valuable company ever listed in the world, so restoring some of Saudi Arabia’s damaged reputation in the process. MbS also thought that a listing of Saudi Aramco in multiple major financial centres around the world, including the two most prestigious stock exchanges – the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange – would project Saudi Arabia’s presence as an international player in financial markets as a whole and not just in the oil sector. All these reasons looked solid enough on the surface and the senior Saudis agreed to go ahead.
However, almost immediately that the process began, questions began to emerge from international investors over the corporate structure of Aramco, the degree to which it would be subject to government control, its valuation, its true oil reserves and spare capacity, and the physical security of its fields, among many others. The upshot was that no serious international investor wanted to become too involved in the IPO and nor did the world’s most prestigious stock markets. That put MbS in a tricky position, as he was the original champion of the idea. However, at precisely that point, China offered to buy the entire 5% of Aramco scheduled to be offered in the IPO. Although the offer was eventually declined, MbS never forgot China’s gesture.
Shortly afterwards, in March 2017, a landmark visit to China by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman took place, during which around US$65 billion of business deals were signed in sectors including oil refining, petrochemicals, light manufacturing and electronics. In August that year, the then-Saudi Vice Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, told a Saudi-China conference in Jeddah that: “We will be very willing to consider funding in renminbi and other Chinese products.” The use of the renminbi was -- and remains -- a central plank of China’s strategy to subvert one of the key pillars upon which the U.S.’s global dominance is built -- the use of the dollar as effectively the global reserve and trade currency, as also detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Al-Tuwaijri’s comments came during the visit of high-ranking politicians and financiers from China to Saudi Arabia in August 2017, during which it was also decided that Saudi Arabia and China would establish a US$20 billion investment fund on a 50:50 basis.
Shortly afterwards, in March 2017, a landmark visit to China by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman took place, during which around US$65 billion of business deals were signed in sectors including oil refining, petrochemicals, light manufacturing and electronics. In August that year, the then-Saudi Vice Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, told a Saudi-China conference in Jeddah that: “We will be very willing to consider funding in renminbi and other Chinese products.” The use of the renminbi was -- and remains -- a central plank of China’s strategy to subvert one of the key pillars upon which the U.S.’s global dominance is built -- the use of the dollar as effectively the global reserve and trade currency, as also detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Al-Tuwaijri’s comments came during the visit of high-ranking politicians and financiers from China to Saudi Arabia in August 2017, during which it was also decided that Saudi Arabia and China would establish a US$20 billion investment fund on a 50:50 basis.
According to comments at the time from then-Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, this fund would invest in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining and materials, among other areas. In August 2022, at the signing of a multi-pronged deal between Aramco and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), the president of Sinopec, Yu Baocai, said: “The signing of the MoU introduces a new chapter of our partnership in the Kingdom…The two companies will join hands in renewing the vitality and scoring new progress of the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] and [Saudi Arabia’s] Vision 2030.” Moving into the fourth quarter of 2022, Saudi Arabia reiterated its commitment to China as its “most reliable partner and supplier of crude oil,” along with broader assurances of its ongoing support in several other areas. This was in line with the earlier comments from Aramco chief executive officer, Amin Nasser that: “Ensuring the continuing security of China’s energy needs remains our highest priority - not just for the next five years but for the next 50 and beyond.”
This, and several similar comments around that time, appeared to confirm that Saudi Arabia had come to regard the U.S. as just another one of its partners -- particular in the realm of providing security -- in a new global order that would see Beijing and its allies share the leadership position with Washington, before attempting to surpass it. This view appears to have re-asserted itself after what Saudi Arabia -- and many of its fellow Middle Eastern states -- see as a failure by Washington to safeguard their security and economic interests during the war with Iran.
This, and several similar comments around that time, appeared to confirm that Saudi Arabia had come to regard the U.S. as just another one of its partners -- particular in the realm of providing security -- in a new global order that would see Beijing and its allies share the leadership position with Washington, before attempting to surpass it. This view appears to have re-asserted itself after what Saudi Arabia -- and many of its fellow Middle Eastern states -- see as a failure by Washington to safeguard their security and economic interests during the war with Iran.
Despite having invested hundreds of billions of dollars over the years in U.S.-supplied defence equipment aimed at providing the Kingdom with a security umbrella against attacks, Iran was able to hit key targets in the country, including the East-West Pipeline, the Manifa and Khurais oil Fields, the Ras Tanura Refinery and several other oil, natural gas, refining, and petrochemical sites stretching from the Eastern Province to Yanbu Industrial City. These successful Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure underline to Riyadh that, even on a security basis, the use of the U.S. appears limited. These concerns are heightened by the Kingdom’s broader fears that whatever the U.S.-Iran deal finally turns out to be, it will leave Saudi Arabia in a far more vulnerable position than it was before the war began.
By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com
By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
Is the New Google Really Helping Us?
For decades, Google worked like a library. You asked a question, & it handed you a list of websites after indexing the internet. You decided which sources to read, which viewpoints to compare, & what conclusions to draw.
Now we're entering a different era. Instead of giving us the library, AI gives us the summary.
In my opinion, that's a dangerous shift. I believe we're slowly being spoon-fed information that others have already filtered, prioritized, & interpreted for us. Fewer people will read the original sources, compare competing viewpoints, or even ask whether another perspective exists.
When AI gives you the answer instead of helping you find the answers, it becomes much easier to accept one narrative without questioning it.
To me, that's a form of indoctrination, not because every answer is necessarily false, but because we're being conditioned to stop doing our own research & start trusting whatever answer appears first on the screen. He who controls the media, controls the minds of the people.
Independent thinking requires effort. AI makes it too easy to skip that effort. Convenience is replacing curiosity. Critical thinking is being replaced by curated thinking.
I still believe the greatest protection against misinformation isn't more AI, it's people who are willing to read, question, compare sources, & make up their own minds.
Use AI as a tool, if you will, not as your replacement for thinking. Because the moment we stop asking questions is the moment someone else starts answering them for us.
What do you think? Is AI making us more informed, or making us more dumb & dependent?
--Kimberly Frank
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Conversation Between Mormon Missionary and a Reformed Calvinist
MORMON MISSIONARY:
We absolutely consider ourselves Christian. The official name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jesus Christ is central to everything we believe. We pray in His name. We worship Him as Savior. We believe He is the Son of God, that He atoned for our sins, died, rose again, & makes salvation possible. We read the Bible. We preach repentance, baptism, faith, discipleship, moral living, family, & eternal life through Christ. So when people say we are not Christian, it feels like they are ignoring what we actually confess.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
I hear the claim. But using the name “Jesus” is not enough. Muslims believe in Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in Jesus. Arians believed in Jesus. Ancient heretics quoted Scripture while gutting the Gospel like a fish on a dock. The question is not, “Do you use Christian vocabulary?” The question is, “Do you confess the Christ of biblical & historic Christianity?”
MORMON MISSIONARY:
But that assumes historic Creeds are the standard. We believe the Bible is the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe God restored lost truths through Joseph Smith. The Creeds came after the Apostles, during a time of confusion & philosophical corruption. We do not accept that Councils of men have the right to define Christianity against modern revelation. We believe God still speaks.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
And there is the issue. Christianity, historically, has never been an undefined religious fog bank where anyone who says “Jesus” gets a membership card. The Creeds are not random decorative plaques. The Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, & Chalcedonian Definition are boundary markers. They define the triune God, the person of Christ, the Incarnation, & the faith once delivered.
When Mormonism explicitly rejects the historic Creeds as corrupt — and in Joseph Smith’s First Vision account, the existing Christian Creeds are called an “abomination” — Mormonism is not merely disagreeing with one denomination. It is rejecting the historic doctrinal grammar of Christianity itself.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
But Protestants also reject parts of tradition. The Reformers rejected Roman Catholic Councils, papal authority, & many inherited practices. Why can Protestants reject tradition & still be Christian, but Latter-day Saints cannot reject Creeds & claim restoration?
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
Because the Reformation rejected corrupt additions while affirming catholic orthodoxy. Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, the Reformed confessions, the Lutheran confessions — all affirmed the Trinity, the Incarnation, the deity of Christ, the one eternal God, creation from nothing, & the orthodox Christology guarded by the early Creeds.
The Reformers did not say, “The Nicene doctrine of God is an abomination.” They said Rome had corrupted the Gospel with false doctrines like papal supremacy, Purgatory, indulgences, & a defective view of justification. That is a surgical correction. Mormonism is not surgery. It is a different anatomy.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
We believe in the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost. We believe they are united in purpose & glory. We believe Jesus is divine. We believe He is the Savior. Why is your philosophical language about “one essence” & “3 persons” necessary? Isn’t that Greek metaphysics imposed on the Bible?
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
No. That is the old anti-creedal dodge. “Greek metaphysics” is the scarecrow people build when they want biblical doctrine without precise boundaries.
The Church used careful language because heretics abused biblical language. Arius could say Jesus was “Son of God.” Sabellius could say Father, Son, & Spirit. Nestorius could honour Christ. The question was always: what do you mean?
Historic Christianity confesses one God, eternally existing in 3 persons: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Not 3 gods united in purpose. Not one exalted being among a species of gods. Not God as once a man who progressed. Not human beings becoming gods of the same kind. The God of Scripture is eternal, uncreated, immutable, sovereign, & alone God. “Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me.” That kills Mormon theology with a thunderclap.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
We would say you misunderstand us. We do not worship many gods in the sense of pagan chaos. We worship Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe God’s plan is about exaltation, family, covenant, obedience, & becoming like Him through grace. Early Christians spoke of theosis — becoming partakers of the divine nature. So our view is not as alien as critics claim.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
Theosis in orthodox Christianity means participation in divine life by grace, union with Christ, transformation into holiness — not becoming gods by nature, not progressing into deity, not a cosmos populated by exalted beings of the same species as God. You are taking orthodox words & loading them with different metaphysics.
That is the central problem. Mormonism keeps Christian terms but redefines the dictionary. God, Christ, grace, salvation, Heaven, priesthood, exaltation, Atonement — same labels, different contents. It is like putting “milk” on a bottle of paint & then acting shocked when Christians refuse to pour it on cereal.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
But surely the basic mark of being Christian is faith in Jesus Christ & striving to follow Him.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
No. That is too thin. Christianity is not merely admiration for Jesus plus moral effort. Christianity is defined by the apostolic Gospel: the eternal Son, consubstantial with the Father, became man, lived under the Law, died as a penal substitute for sinners, rose bodily, ascended, & saves by grace alone through faith alone, apart from works, to the glory of God alone.
If your “Jesus” is the spirit-brother of humanity, the offspring of Heavenly Parents, not the eternally begotten Son sharing the one divine essence with the Father, then you are not confessing the Christian Christ. You are using Christian names for a different being.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
That sounds exclusionary.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
Definitions exclude. That is what definitions do. If “Christian” means anything that mentions Jesus positively, the word becomes useless theological soup. The Creeds are not optional historical wallpaper. They mark the difference between Christianity & counterfeit Christianity.
Mormonism explicitly claims the historic Church fell into apostasy, the Creeds are corrupt, priesthood authority was lost, & Joseph Smith restored the true Church. Fine. But then be honest: that means Mormonism does not see itself as historic Nicene Christianity. It sees itself as a restoration replacing historic Christianity.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
We see ourselves as the restored fullness of Christianity.
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
Exactly. And historic Christianity sees that as a confession that you are outside Christianity’s doctrinal boundaries. You cannot reject the creedal definition of God & Christ, call those Creeds abominable, replace the Church’s doctrine with restorationist revelation, & then demand to be counted inside the very faith you say had fundamentally apostatized.
That is not bigotry. That is basic category sanity.
MORMON MISSIONARY:
So you would say Latter-day Saints are sincere but not Christian?
CAGE STAGE CALVINIST:
Many are sincere. Many are moral. Many are family-loving, disciplined, kind, zealous, & serious. But sincerity does not make false doctrine true. Mormonism is not Christian in the historic, creedal, biblical sense. It is a restorationist religion that uses Christian language while rejecting the doctrinal heart of Christianity: the triune God, the eternal Son, & the once-for-all Gospel of grace.
The issue is not whether Mormons are nice people. The issue is whether Mormonism confesses the God & Christ confessed by the Apostles & guarded by the Creeds.
It does not.
And if the Creeds are definitional to Christianity, then a movement that calls those Creeds abominations has, by its own mouth, stepped outside the Christian house while still trying to keep the nameplate on the door.
Credits: A friend sent me the text without documentation. Sorry for that. Dennis
Friday, June 19, 2026
When God Doesn’t Grant the Desires of Our Hearts
A compilation
Audio length: 15:41
Download Audio (14.3MB)
Download Audio (14.3MB)
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.—Psalm 37:4
Years ago, when I first became a Christian, there was a young couple at our church who took me under their wing. I was grateful for their friendship, encouragement, and efforts to answer my many questions. One day, the topic of unfulfilled hopes and dreams came up, to which the wife responded by quoting Psalm 37:4, “He will give you the desires of your heart.” The strong implication was that as a Christian, I could expect God to give me anything I wanted, if I would only ask. …
Taken as a whole, the meaning of the verse comes into sharper focus. It’s not a carte blanche, whereby God binds himself to provide whatever pops into the reader’s imagination: more money, better job, nicer home, exciting vacations. This isn’t the gospel according to Janis Joplin, who sang back in 1970, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.”
Nor is it the philosophy enshrined in Disney movies, which says, “Follow your heart. It will never lead you wrong.” … The key to Psalm 37:4 is found in the opening phrase: Delight yourself in the Lord. In essence, God is promising that for those who make him the object of their desire, he will fulfill that desire. …
This theme of desire for God reverberates beyond the book of Psalms, into the pages of the New Testament. Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as a treasure for which a person will give everything in order to possess it (Matthew 13:44–46). Paul speaks of his own experience, counting all he had as worthless compared to the supreme value of knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:7–11). …
So while we may not know God’s will in a specific situation, we can always be certain of this. If we ask God to spark our affections and make our hearts delight in him, then we’re asking according to his will and he will honour that request. If we set our deepest desire on the Lord, he will fulfill that desire.
There’s a clear and present danger, especially in affluent cultures, of making idols out of God’s good gifts, of worshipping the creation instead of the Creator. The ancients did this with images of people and animals and heavenly bodies. We moderns are more likely to do it with wealth and ambition, comfort and leisure. Consequently, we view God as a means to an end, rather than an end in himself. We want God’s stuff, rather than God himself.
But it won’t work. As C. S. Lewis observed, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
God designed humans to find our pleasure and fulfillment in him. All other pleasures have their proper place only in relation to this overarching delight in the Lord.—Subby Szterszky1
Delighting ourselves in God
When I was a teenager, I “discovered” Psalm 37:4 and declared it to be my life verse at the time (please tell me you had one of those). “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This is a formula I could follow for life, right? Delight in the Lord? Simple! He’s great, He’s awesome, He gets credit when things are going well. Now, I’ll wait expectantly for Him to do what I ask. …
But this isn’t an equation. It’s not math and it’s not a formula. Lip-service to God doesn’t mean I can manipulate Him into giving me what I desire. Even sincere amazement at His goodness doesn’t equate with a check next to the boxes of unmet desires. I didn’t understand at fifteen that a heart truly delighted in God will desire what He desires, will love what He loves, will do what He purposes.
So a decade after my Psalm 37:4 epiphany, I could be found sobbing, face down on the bathroom floor with a hundredth negative pregnancy test in my hand and a hole in my heart. Had God failed to deliver what I thought He had promised? Could He be doing anything good in the years of fruitless waiting? …
When I began to go to Scripture to see why He might be withholding children from me, I found that He wasn’t so much withholding the desires of my heart as much as He was giving me new ones. … As I searched the Scriptures for what I could learn about God’s character, my arms were still empty. But my heart began to be filled. I went to the Word day after day to set my eyes on the goodness of God, and I was filled with what I found. He was good, faithful, merciful, just, wise, sovereign, present.
In dwelling on His character, I began to see that no desire, no matter how sweet or noble, could stand in the place of my Savior. I am a slave to Christ, and therefore, no other master will do. Not motherhood, not marriage, not status, not notoriety. Even good things can become idols if they fight for center stage in our hearts. …
Because He is both intentional and kind, He gave us Himself in every way we have needed: Father, Son, and Spirit. From garden to temple to cross to Pentecost, God has given us Himself and given us record of it in His Word. One day we’ll see Him face-to-face completely unhindered, and then there will be an end to every yearning. …
When God doesn’t give you the desires of your heart, He may be giving you the desire of His heart. He may use the absence of the gift you pray for to set your eyes on the Giver instead. Let your yearning turn you to the One your heart was made to yearn for.—Glenna Marshall2
Trust, delight, and commit
God has blessed me with so many good things: a safe place to live, food to eat, people to love and serve. Yet if I’m being really honest with you, I always seem to desire more: a marriage with a good man, a pretty house, a career I love that pays the bills, perfect friendships… The list goes on.
Recently, while I thought about all my unmet desires, a sarcastic laugh bubbled up. God, You said You would give me the desires of my heart. But here I am, juggling a couple of jobs while writing on the side. My mornings start early. My old, white fridge could die any day. At times, I still struggle with body image and friendships.
In my frustration, I read the Bible passage where I thought God had promised to give me the desires of my heart: “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD…” (Psalm 37:3–5).
God calls us to trust, delight, and commit. Understanding this changed my perspective and gave me peace during a season of discontentment. …
Our commitment to Christ means our lives are no longer our own. We now have a purpose and meaning beyond life going our way. As a result, His joy shines bright in us like the morning sun. He gives us peace during chaos and unexpected hardships. It’s my prayer that we’ll desire more of Jesus because when we trust, delight in, and commit to Him, we find peace in His plan … even when life isn’t going how we dreamt it would.
Lord, help me to focus more on You and less on my unmet desires. May my ultimate desire always be for Your will and Your glory. When I’m struggling with contentment, remind me that You are good and are working for my good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.—Grace Valentine3
What does Psalm 37:4 mean?
Psalm 37:4 contains a great promise: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse invites us to have a deeply intimate relationship with God. As we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. …
To understand the promise in Psalm 37:4, we must first examine the meaning of delighting in the Lord. The word delight encompasses a profound sense of joy, satisfaction, and contentment. When we delight in the Lord, we seek His presence (Psalm 27:4), meditate on His Word day and night (Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2), and align our will with His (Romans 12:2). …
When we delight in the Lord, we will experience a radical shift in our desires. In other words, we will no longer desire selfish and sinful things (Galatians 5:17–21). … As we draw closer to Him, our desires will begin to mirror His desires for us, reflecting His goodness and righteousness. …
Psalm 37:4 prompts us to delight in the Lord and align our desires with His perfect will. As we cultivate a heart that finds joy, satisfaction, and contentment in Him, He will transform our desires to reflect His purposes.—GotQuestions.org4
A prayer of praise
How glorious is Your mercy and how excellent is Your lovingkindness (Psalm 36:7)! Your love surpasses all things and Your mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1). Your forgiveness is complete—washing my soul and redeeming me for Your heavenly kingdom (Ephesians 1:7), and so I present myself to You—my Lord, my God, my Savior, my all.
My desire is to please and worship You and to walk in Your will. There is no honor, glory, strength or love like Yours. I raise my voice and my heart and spirit to You in praise and thanksgiving and honor and gratitude and glory, giving You all that I have, for You are worthy.
Published on Anchor June 2026. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Subby Szterszky, “The desires of our hearts,” Focus on the Family Canada, 2016, https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/the-desires-of-our-hearts
2 Glenna Marshall, “When God Doesn’t Give You the Desires of Your Heart,” glennamarshall.com, August 6, 2018, https://www.glennamarshall.com/2018/08/06/when-god-doesnt-give-you-the-desires-of-your-heart/
3 Grace Valentine, “When God Hasn’t Given You the Desires of Your Heart,” Proverbs 31, June 28, 2025, https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/06/28/when-god-hasnt-given-you-the-desires-of-your-heart
4 “What does it mean that God will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)?” GotQuestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/He-will-give-you-the-desires-of-your-heart.html
https://anchor.tfionline.com/post/when-god-doesnt-grant-the-desires-of-our-hearts/
Salmo 49 - A Loucura de Confiar nas Riquezas!
Salmo 49 com comentários de Dennis Edwards
Salmo 49:1-4 Ouvi isto, vós todos os povos; inclinai os ouvidos, todos os
habitantes do mundo, quer humildes quer grandes, tanto
ricos como pobres. A minha boca falará a sabedoria, e a
meditação do meu coração será de entendimento. Inclinarei
os meus ouvidos a uma parábola; decifrarei o meu enigma ao som da harpa.
Como vemos no livro de Jó ou no Eclesiastes,
o autor analisa as grandes questões de injustiça que ocorrem na vida. Tal como
Salomão, o autor chega à mesma conclusão: a morte é o equalizador. A música é
frequentemente um veÃculo utilizado para expressar as questões profundas da
vida.
Salmo 49:5-9 Por que temeria eu nos dias da adversidade, ao cercar-me a iniquidade
dos meus perseguidores, dos que confiam nos seus bens e se
gloriam na multidão das suas riquezas? Nenhum deles de
modo algum pode remir a seu irmão, nem por ele dar um resgate a Deus, (pois a redenção da sua vida é carÃssima, de sorte que os seus
recursos não dariam;) para que continuasse a viver para
sempre, e não visse a cova.
Salomão concluiu de
forma semelhante: “Não há homem que tenha poder sobre o espÃrito para reter o
espÃrito; nem tem poder no dia da morte; e não há dispensa nessa guerra; nem a
impiedade livrará aqueles que a ela se entregam”, Eclesiastes 8:8.
E continuou: “Ainda que
um pecador faça o mal cem vezes, e os seus dias sejam prolongados, ainda assim,
certamente, sei que tudo correrá bem com aqueles que temem a Deus, que temem
diante dele. Mas ao Ãmpio não irá bem, nem prolongará ele os seus dias, que são
como a sombra; porque não teme diante de Deus”, Eclesiastes 8:12-13.
Por outras palavras,
viver no temor de Deus e guardar os Seus mandamentos é mais importante do que
ter sucesso e riqueza.
Salmo 49:10-11 Sim, ele verá que até os sábios morrem, que
perecem igualmente o néscio e o estúpido, e deixam a outros os seus bens.
O pensamento Ãntimo deles é que as suas casas são
perpétuas e as suas habitações de geração em geração; dão às suas terras os
seus próprios nomes.
Salomão escreveu:
“Voltei-me, e vi debaixo do sol que a carreira não é dos ligeiros, nem a
batalha dos fortes, nem tampouco dos sábios o pão, nem ainda dos entendidos as
riquezas, nem ainda dos espertos o favor; mas o tempo e o acaso acontecem a
todos eles. Pois o homem não conhece a sua hora (de morrer); como os peixes que
são apanhados na rede maligna, e como as aves que são presas no laço; assim
também os filhos dos homens ficam enredados no tempo mau, quando este cai
repentinamente sobre eles”, Eclesiastes 9:11-12.
Salmo 49:12-13 Mas o homem, embora esteja em honra, não
permanece; antes é como os animais que perecem. Este é o destino dos que
confiam em si mesmos; o fim dos que se satisfazem com as suas próprias palavras.
Por outras palavras, se vivemos apenas
para este mundo presente, então não somos melhores do que os animais. Estamos
na estrada larga que leva à destruição e muitos estão a entrar por lá. “Mas
estreita é a porta, e apertado o caminho que leva à vida, e poucos há que a
encontrem”, Mateus 7:14.
Salmo 49:14-15 Como
ovelhas são arrebanhados ao Seol; a morte os pastoreia; ao romper do dia os
retos terão domÃnio sobre eles; e a sua formosura se consumirá no Seol, que
lhes será por habitação. Mas Deus remirá a minha alma do
poder do Seol, pois me receberá.
Aqui vemos a esperança da ressurreição
ou da continuação da vida da alma após a morte. Desde o tempo da queda do
homem, Deus prometeu enviar um Redentor que derrotaria a serpente e traria a
humanidade de volta à relação com Deus. Em todo o Antigo Testamento
encontramos esta esperança: em Jó, nos Salmos e em IsaÃas.
Em Jó, escrito por volta de 2000
a.C., no tempo de Abraão, encontramos: Pois
eu sei que o meu Redentor vive, e que por fim se levantará sobre a terra. E
depois de consumida esta minha pele, então fora da minha carne verei a
Deus; vê-lo-ei ao meu lado, e os meus olhos o contemplarão, e não mais
como adversário. O meu coração desfalece dentro de mim! Jó 19:25-27
Salmo 49:16-17 Não
temas quando alguém se enriquece, quando a glória da sua casa aumenta. Pois, quando morrer, nada levará consigo; a sua glória não descerá
após ele.
O apóstolo Paulo
adverte-nos da mesma forma: “Ordena aos que são ricos no presente século que
não sejam orgulhosos, nem ponham a sua esperança na incerteza das riquezas, mas
em Deus, que abundantemente nos dá todas as coisas para delas gozarmos. Que
pratiquem o bem, que sejam ricos em boas obras, prontos a repartir, dispostos a
dar aos necessitados. Porque nada trouxemos para este mundo, e nada podemos
levar dele”, 1 Timóteo 6:17-20&7.
Em Provérbios lê-se de
forma semelhante: “Não trabalhes para enriquecer: cessa da tua própria
sabedoria. Fixará os seus olhos naquilo que não é? Pois as riquezas criam
certamente asas; voam como uma águia em direção ao céu”, Provérbios 23:4-5.
Ou como escreveu
Salomão no Eclesiastes: “Aquele que ama a prata não se fartará de prata; nem
aquele que ama a abundância com o aumento: isto também é vaidade. Quando os
bens aumentam, aumentam também os que os comem: e que bem há para os seus
donos, senão contemplá-los com os seus olhos,” Eclesiastes 5:10-11.
Parece que os
escritores se estão a concentrar no facto de que o mundo fÃsico por si só nos
deixa vazios. O apóstolo João escreveu: “Porque tudo o que há no mundo, a
concupiscência da carne, a concupiscência dos olhos e a soberba da vida, não
provém do Pai, mas sim do mundo. E o mundo passa, e a sua concupiscência; mas
aquele que faz a vontade de Deus permanece para sempre”, 1 João 2:16-17.
Por isso, Jesus disse:
“Não acumulem para vós tesouros na terra, onde a traça e a ferrugem destroem, e
onde os ladrões minam e roubam; mas acumulem para vós tesouros no céu, onde a
traça nem a ferrugem destroem, e onde os ladrões não minam nem roubam; porque onde estiver o teu tesouro, aà estará também o teu coração,” Mateus
6:19-21.
Salmo 49:18-20 Ainda
que ele, enquanto vivo, se considera feliz e os homens o louvam quando faz o
bem a si mesmo, ele irá ter com a geração de seus pais;
eles nunca mais verão a luz. Mas o homem, embora esteja
em honra, não permanece; antes é como os animais que perecem.
Jesus disse ao povo:
“Tende cuidado e cuidado com toda a espécie de avareza, porque a vida de
qualquer não consiste na abundância das coisas que possui”, Lucas 12:15.
Continuou e contou a
parábola do homem rico que queria construir celeiros maiores para acumular as
suas riquezas. Jesus continuou a história: “E eu (o homem rico) direi à minha
alma: Alma, tens em depósito muitos bens para muitos anos; relaxe, coma, beba e
seja feliz. Mas Deus disse-lhe: ‘Insensato, esta noite te pedirão a tua alma; então, para quem serão estas coisas que preparaste?’ Assim é aquele que
acumula tesouros para si mesmo, e não é rico para com Deus,” Lucas 12:19-21.
Quando o jovem rico
veio ter com Jesus em busca de conselho, provavelmente porque as suas riquezas
não lhe estavam a trazer a felicidade que procurava, Jesus disse-lhe: “Se fores
perfeito (maduro ou inteiro), vai, vende tudo o que tens e dá-o aos pobres, e
terás um tesouro no céu: e vem e segue-me,” Mateus 19:21.
“Mas o jovem, ouvindo
esta palavra, retirou-se triste, porque possuÃa muitas propriedades”, Mateus
19:22. Foi ter com Jesus em busca de soluções para o motivo pelo qual,
mesmo com toda a sua riqueza, se sentia infeliz e insatisfeito. No entanto,
quando Jesus lhe deu a resposta, recusou-se a segui-la porque amava o mundo e
as coisas do mundo mais do que amava a Deus e as coisas de Deus.
O apelo de Jesus ao
discipulado é o mesmo hoje. “Se alguém quiser vir após Mim, renuncie a si
mesmo, tome a sua cruz e siga-Me. Pois quem quiser salvar a sua vida,
perdê-la-á; mas quem perder a sua vida por minha causa e pelo evangelho, esse
salvá-la-á. Pois que aproveitaria ao homem ganhar o mundo inteiro e perder a
sua alma? Ou o que dará o homem em troca da sua alma? Por isso, todo aquele que
se envergonhar de mim e das minhas palavras entre esta geração adúltera e
pecadora, dele também o Filho do homem se envergonhará, quando vier na glória
de seu Pai com os santos anjos”, Marcos 8:34-38.
Publicado originalmente 05/03/2025.
