Bible Prophecy – a Mathematical Impossibility!

By Dennis Edwards --

At the end of the New Testament in the first verse in the Book of Revelation, we find the following words,

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.[1]

At the end of the revelation, John tries to worship the angel who brought him the end-time message. The angel says,

10 See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. [2]

A testimony is a document that confirms the will of the testifier. Like a person’s will is a document giving evidence or proof or testament to his desires. The spirit of prophecy found in the Bible is the testament or proof or evidence that Jesus is God. The accuracy of God’s prophecies confirms or testifies that Jesus is the Christ. The accuracy of God’s prophecies confirms or testifies to the fact that the Bible is true.

In my condensed Bible concordance I can find some 48 Old Testament Messianic prophecies, or prophecies concerning the coming of the Jewish Messiah, all of which were fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Nowhere in all of ancient Greek and Latin literature can there be found any real specific prophecy of a great Historical event to come in the distant future. To the contrary, the Bible is full of countless, detailed, specific prophecies, all of which have been miraculously fulfilled and come true—except the final End-time prophecies which are either to be fulfilled in the near future or are coming to pass right now.[3]

What would be the chance of one person just happening to fulfill all 48 prophecies by chance?

After researching, I have found some interesting information. In 1957 Peter W. Stoner, a university professor at Pasadena City College in California, did a study of the possibility of one person fulfilling 48 of the nearly 300 to 350 Messianic prophecies. His work was published in 1957 by Moody Press in Chicago, Illinois and was titled SCIENCE SPEAKS, An Evaluation of Certain Christian Evidences.[4] The research was done with the help of the students from twelve different classes who were taking a course on Christian Evidence.

First Professor Stoner, with the help of each Evidence class, estimated the odds for just eight of the Messianic prophecies being fulfilled by one man. They made “reasonable and conservative estimates” which the students agreed upon unanimously. For example, they tried to figure out the odds of a child born in Bethlehem at the beginning of the first century becoming the Messiah. What were the odds of three wise men would come from the east and bestow gifts on the child and his family? What were the odds that they same child would escape the slaying of the male children of Bethlehem by Herod the Great? What were the odds of that child traveling specifically to Egypt and then returning later to live in Nazareth so that later he would be called a Nazarene?

Stoner then took the average result for each of the possible eight prophecies calculated by the twelve different classes. By multiplying the probability that was found for one of the prophecies by the other seven prophecies, he came up with the probability of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies.[5]

Making the reasonable and conservative assumption that the other forty prophetic possibilities would have nearly the same rate of probability, he did the math. He found that the odds of one person fulfilling all 48 prophecies would be 1 in 10 to the 157th power or one over 10 followed by 157 zeros, or one chance out of

10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.

French Mathematician Emil Borel suggested in the late 1950’s that a number with a probability of 10-50, or one in ten to the fiftieth power, represents “a negligible event on the cosmic scale.”[6] Therefore 10 to the negative 157 would be even less negligible. It’s just beyond possibility for one person to accidentally fulfill all 48 prophecies of the some 300-350 total Messianic prophecies found in the Bible. Nevertheless, Jesus did.

Attorney Lee Stroebel, the former agnostic journalist with the Chicago Tribune, who had received Illinois’ highest honor for public service in investigating reporting from United Press International, said in 2007 that statistical information presented in Professor Stoner’s Science Speaks about the Messianic prophecies was one of the factors which gave him confidence to believe in Christ. Lee went on to become a New York Times besting-selling author with his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith and The Case for Easter.[7]

Footnotes

[1] Revelation 1:1

[2] Revelation 19:10b

[3] Treasures, World Services, Zurich, Switzerland, 1987, pg.19.

[4] http://dstoner.net/Science_Speaks/Science_Speaks.html

[5]http://www.bereanpublishers.com/the-odds-of-eight-messianic-prophecies-coming-true/ ; http://jvmi.co.uk/who-is-yeshua/reasons-to-believe/prophecies.html

[6] http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/borelfaq.html

[7] http://www.leestrobel.com/Bio.php

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Escondendo a Sua Palavra nos nossos Corações

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/escondendo-sua-palavra-nos-nossos-coracoes/
Palavras de Jesus

Nestes últimos dias falou-nos por meio do Filho, a quem constituiu herdeiro de todas as coisas e por meio de quem fez o universo. — Hebreus 1:2[1]

*

Minha Palavra é o alicerce, firme como uma rocha, na qual você pode pisar com segurança sem o risco de resvalar. Mantenha-a em grande estima e não a substitua nem dela se desvie, pois é de suma importância estar alicerçado na rocha da Minha Palavra, buscar a Minha Palavra, absorvê-la e deixá-la se infiltrar no seu íntimo. Essa é a maneira de medir tudo, com base nessa rocha sólida, a Minha Palavra, o alicerce que lhes dei.

*

Considerem as coisas na sua vida que sufocam a Palavra. Acaso os cuidados deste mundo, o engano das riquezas e o desejo por outras coisas estão sufocando a Palavra em suas vidas? Balança falsa é uma abominação aos Meus olhos. Por isso, apliquem o antídoto da Minha Palavra e fiquem limpos.

Deixem a luz entrar e as trevas fugirão. Esse é o antídoto. Vocês devem se limpar a cada dia, têm de se lavar e se renovar. Devem se alimentar com Minha Palavra — não só quando descansam e são reabastecidos, mas também aplicando a Minha Palavra à sua vida.

*

Permaneçam nas Minhas Palavras e deixem-nas permanecerem em vocês. Deixem-nas habitar abundantemente em vocês. Bebam-nas, comam-nas, absorvam-nas; mas não negligenciem Minha voz. Escutem-na. Falo com vocês pela Minha Palavra, pelo dom de profecia, em sussurros em seu coração e em sua mente, quando comungam Comigo.

Minha Palavra está em primeiro lugar e acima de tudo, porque a exalto até acima do Meu nome. Mas para obterem mais força, ajuda e orientação, escutem Minha voz e os sussurros em sua mente e em seu coração. Assim, encontrarão forças que não vocês conhecem. Seu trabalho será facilitado, porque terão mais entendimento e fé.

*

Deixem Minha Palavra se infiltrar em seu coração e se tornar parte de vocês. Absorvam-na. Orem fervorosamente para que ela se torne viva para vocês, real, cheia de sentido e frutífera. Orem por uma fome sincera pela Minha Palavra. Deixem Minha voz os guiar, suster e guardar.

Minhas Palavras têm poder! São vida, verdade e energia! Vão lhes dar força e graça para continuarem. Nela encontrarão direção, orientação e conselhos. Nela poderão se apoiar quando se sentirem cansados ou fracos, e lhes servirão de sustento quando acharem que vão desfalecer. Minhas palavras lhes darão paz quando vocês se sentirem confusos e cansados; energia e graça, quando acharem que chegaram ao seu limite.

Recorram às Minhas Palavras. Orem fervorosamente nos momentos de necessidade e Eu os socorrerei. Atenderei quando Me chamarem. Estarei sempre com vocês até a consumação dos séculos.[2]

*

Não seja como a velha senhora que por tantos anos teve grande riqueza e bens, mas achava que eram apenas gravuras bonitas que de nada valiam, que serviam apenas para decoração, ou que talvez tivessem sido de alguma valia para outra pessoa anteriormente, mas para ela não tinham valor. Minhas promessas são para você. Estenda a mão e pegue-as! Coloque-as à prova.

Minhas Palavras são verdadeiras. São a verdade e têm poder! Meu poder é real. O poder da oração e o mundo espiritual são reais. Acredite em Mim e em Minha Palavra. Apegue-se às Minhas promessas e confie que o levarei até aonde deve chegar.

*

Apesar de algumas vezes você questionar, sentir-se desencorajado e sobrecarregado pela imensidão dos problemas que o cercam, orgulho-Me muito de você por aguentar, por ter a fé do tamanho de um grãozinho de mostarda e dizer: “Estou sobre o firme alicerce da Palavra de Deus. Mesmo que às vezes eu questione e tenha que me ajoelhar de tanto tremer, o alicerce é inabalável."

Meu amor, não importa quantas vezes você questione, não entenda, ou ache que não consegue seguir adiante porque o vento é tão forte que é difícil sequer ficar em pé, porque tenho você firme em Minhas mãos! Enquanto você continuar Me entregando seus pensamentos e perguntas, lavando-se com Minha Palavra, apegando-se à fé do tamanho de um grão de mostarda que tem, Eu o segurarei firmemente.

Enquanto continuar olhando para Mim, o Inimigo não terá permissão para exigir nada e o seu alicerce não será abalado. Você está em Minhas mãos e Eu o seguro firmemente. Sua âncora está firme, pois você tem um grande amor por Mim e grande amor por aqueles de quem cuida, e isso o manterá firme.

Continue se banhando em Minha Palavra. Não deixe de passar tempo Comigo, pois é assim que se fortalecerá, será ungido e ficará firme. Enquanto fizer isso, não precisa se preocupar nem temer. Não precisa duvidar achando que vai falhar ou que não vai conseguir continuar, porque Eu o segurarei firme.

*

A grandeza de Deus vem das provas, das tribulações e da confiança. A glória, a força e o poder que você busca não vem como você acha. Não chega por caminhos gloriosos como a glória do homem, mas pelo caminho de Deus: uma estrada simples, uma vereda humilde.

Recorra a Mim nos momentos de provações. Clame a Mim; apegue-se à Minha Palavra. Agarre-se às Minhas promessas, pois são a verdade. Para você se tornar o homem ou mulher de Deus que Eu desejo que seja, precisa entender que Minha Palavra é verdade, poder, força e vigor. É Minha Palavra que o salva e fortalece. É Minha Palavra que o protege por completo. A base de sua conexão Comigo é Minha Palavra.

Confiar em Minha Palavra é confiar em Mim. Digo na Palavra que sou seu consolo porque é a verdade e pode contar com isso. Quando digo na Minha Palavra que vou protegê-lo, pode ter certeza que o farei. Quando digo na Minha Palavra que vou suprir, pode acreditar que suprirei. Minha Palavra é vida.

*

A tua palavra, Senhor, para sempre está firmada nos céus. A tua fidelidade é constante por todas as gerações; estabeleceste a terra, que firme subsiste. Conforme as tuas ordens, tudo permanece até hoje, pois não há nada que não esteja a teu serviço.

Se a tua lei não fosse o meu prazer, o sofrimento já me teria destruído. Jamais me esquecerei dos teus preceitos, pois é por meio deles que preservas a minha vida. ... Como eu amo a tua lei! Medito nela o dia inteiro. Os teus mandamentos estão sempre comigo. —Salmo 119:89–93, 97–98[3]

Publicado originalmente em 1997. Adaptado e republicado em julho 2014.
Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] NLT.

[2] Mateus 28:20.

[3] NVI.

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As coisas que contam

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/coisas-que-contam/
Uma compilação

Assim, permanecem agora estes três: a fé, a esperança e o amor. O maior deles, porém, é o amor. — 1 Coríntios 13:13[1]

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Recentemente, li algo que me fez pensar: abrir mão de coisas que gostamos ou desejamos pode parecer um sacrifício, mas quando chegarmos ao céu e virmos tudo sob a perspectiva correta, ficaremos constrangidos por não termos feito esses pequenos sacrifícios com mais alegria.

Mesmo agora, eu me sinto mal ao me lembrar das tarefas das quais me esquivei de fazer, dos argumentos que insisti em ter a última palavra, de quando que dei um jeito de pegar o maior pedaço de bolo. Estou começando a ver como essas coisas são temporárias e o que realmente conta são as ocasiões quando abri mão de alguns minutos durante um período de descanso para ajudar alguém; quando me contive e deixei de responder a um comentário; quando poupei alguém de um constrangimento, quando reservei o maior pedaço de bolo para outra pessoa. Em suma, os momentos que dediquei a outrem, quando podia tê-los usados para mim, ou quando contribuí para melhorar um pouco o dia de outra pessoa. Hoje, não vejo nada disso como um grande sacrifício, pois foram coisas irrelevantes quando penso que é um investimento para a eternidade. — Michael French

*

Eu nunca vou levar desta vida
Ouro, prata ou bens preciosos.
Tudo que estimo e acumulo
Não levarei para o outro lado.
Posso lutar para ter um quadro raro
Pendurar na parede e ali deixá-lo.
Será meu e me gabarei do seu valor
Mas ficará para trás quando eu me for.
Tudo que adquiro e guardo,
Jamais levarei ao partir.
Quais serão minhas possessões
Na outra vida, eu me pergunto.
O que ficará claro e será observado
Na alma que representa a minha pessoa?
Saberá o grande Juiz das minhas riquezas?
Ou só então perceberei que tudo pelo qual lutei
Ficou para trás.
—Edgar A. Guest

*

Algumas pessoas dedicam bastante tempo e energia para se tornarem mais atraentes e terem o corpo perfeito. Mas não investem no seu interior, no espírito ímpar e eterno que lhes dei. É uma visão curta, porque, com o tempo, o corpo, a fachada, se irá. O mais importante é o coração, o espírito. Prefiro que dedique mais tempo a atividades que vão embelezar sua alma. Meu amor é que lhe dará verdadeira satisfação e brilho.

Seu corpo é uma fachada temporária, mas seu espírito é eterno. Ao investir no espírito você está investindo na eternidade. — Jesus falando em profecia

*

Uma citação que Albert Einstein tinha pendurada em seu escritório dizia: “Nem tudo o que pode ser contado conta, e nem tudo o que conta pode ser contado.” Em outras palavras, muito do que você faz em um dia ou semana não pode ser “contado”. Refiro-me a atividades como passar tempo em oração, à energia investida em ministrar para crianças, o investimento feito na missão, ou quando abrimos mão de algo que gostaríamos de fazer em benefício de outra pessoa. Não são coisas que se pode marcar na lista de afazeres como “tarefas realizadas”, mas são momentos decisivos em sua vida.

Jamais devemos nos esquecer de que o mais importante é o amor. Se não tivermos amor, todas as nossas tarefas e grandes realizações não terão valor algum.

O amor é e sempre será a prioridade número um! Se puder se deitar à noite sabendo que demonstrou e deu amor, poderá descansar, sabendo que realizou algo realmente grandioso.—Maria Fontaine

*

Dedicar tempo, amor e esforço nos seus filhos é investir na eternidade. Os filhos são para sempre. Suas vidas durarão para sempre e tudo o que investir nelas vai contar. —David Brandt Berg

*

Vi tudo o que você já fez pelos outros e está registrado. Sou um fiel contador e anoto tudo no Meu livro. — Toda palavra gentil, ato de carinho e altruísmo fica registrado nesse livro. Também vejo cada sofrimento, dificuldade, injustiça que sofre, e tudo o que coloca a sua fé à prova. Tudo isso está registrado no Meu livro. São investimentos na eternidade.

Não percebe quanto investiu ou quanto lhe vai render em juros. É possível que se surpreenda com as recompensas que receberá no dia da prestação de contas, quando eu fizer o balanço e você vir tudo o que reservou para a próxima vida! — Jesus falando em profecia

*

A terra de certo homem rico produziu muito bem. Ele pensou consigo mesmo: ‘O que vou fazer? Não tenho onde armazenar minha colheita’. "Então disse: ‘Já sei o que vou fazer. Vou derrubar os meus celeiros e construir outros maiores, e ali guardarei toda a minha safra e todos os meus bens. E direi a mim mesmo: Você tem grande quantidade de bens, armazenados para muitos anos. Descanse, coma, beba e alegre-se. Contudo, Deus lhe disse: “Insensato! Esta mesma noite a sua vida lhe será exigida. Então, quem ficará com o que você preparou?” Assim acontece com quem guarda para si riquezas, mas não é rico para com Deus.

Portanto eu lhes digo: não se preocupem com suas próprias vidas, quanto ao que comer; nem com seus próprios corpos, quanto ao que vestir. A vida é mais importante do que a comida, e o corpo, mais do que as roupas. Observem os corvos: não semeiam nem colhem, não têm armazéns nem celeiros; contudo, Deus os alimenta. E vocês têm muito mais valor do que as aves! Quem de vocês, por mais que se preocupe, pode acrescentar uma hora que seja à sua vida? Visto que vocês não podem sequer fazer uma coisa tão pequena, por que se preocupar com o restante?

Observem como crescem os lírios. Eles não trabalham nem tecem. Contudo, eu lhes digo que nem Salomão, em todo o seu esplendor, vestiu-se como um deles. Se Deus veste assim a erva do campo, que hoje existe e amanhã é lançada ao fogo, quanto mais vestirá vocês, homens de pequena fé! Não busquem ansiosamente o que hão de comer ou beber; não se preocupem com isso. Pois o mundo pagão é que corre atrás dessas coisas; mas o Pai sabe que vocês precisam delas. Busquem, pois, o Reino de Deus, e essas coisas lhes serão acrescentadas.—Lucas 12:16–31[2]

*

A sabedoria ensina que a vida na terra é um campo de provas, um aprendizado. Tendo a Mim como guia e orientador, você terá sucesso. Nem sempre isso será o que muitos consideram êxito, mas você terá sucesso naquilo que importa, nas coisas que permanecem além desta vida, por toda a eternidade. — Jesus falando em profecia

Publicado no Âncora em julho 2014. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] NVI.

[2] NVI.

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Heaven, the All-Purpose Topic

by M. Fountaine
http://directors.tfionline.com/post/heaven-all-purpose-topic/
“Isn’t it amazing how technology has changed our lives for the better in so many ways? We can circle the globe in no time, or virtually visit our friends or loved ones in an instant no matter where they are. People’s lives are being saved in ways that just a few years ago would have been impossible, and almost every day, people like you are finding new and innovative ways to accomplish more.

“Wouldn’t it be tremendous if you could continue to discover new things without end? I think heaven is going to be filled with technology that is amazing, powerful, and beyond what we can even dream of now. Imagine what being able to harness the power of the universe for the good of all could do! Think of all the wonderful potential you would have to develop whatever you can imagine with the technology of heaven at your disposal."

When hearing me say this, the young couple sharing a row of seats with me in the dimly lit airplane cabin looked at me a little surprised and impressed, as if to say, “Heaven andtechnology? That’s the kind of religion I can relate to!”

During our flight, we had struck up a conversation which had come around to the topic of faith and how many people feel that things like science and technology run contrary to faith.

This couple’s sincere questions along these lines provided an opportunity for me to share the preceding comments. They were both computer programmers, and the concept of technology in heaven seemed to excite them. They seemed to be quite analytical, but they were also hungry for something on a spiritual level. The concept of heaven being a place where they could explore the mysteries of technology and computers to their hearts’ delight held a definite appeal.

I’ve found heaven to be a hot topic that nearly always stirs people’s interest. It doesn’t matter whether people are happy or sad, rich or poor, educated or not, heaven is a fascinating subject for almost anyone. Even if a person doesn’t believe in heaven, just hearing of the fantastic descriptions and the incredible happenings there is usually enough to keep them interested and engaged for some time.

I believe that heaven will be an extension and enhancement of everything that is good in our lives and will compensate for every lack and wrong and pain we have faced. Hearing about heaven can bring comfort for those who are at the end of their rope, at the bottom of their game, those who have no hope for a better future in this life. When someone is feeling down and out, a reminder that there’s so much more than this moment, something infinitely better than what they are facing right now, can make a big difference. It can be the ray of hope they need. It can be a sign or a reminder that God loves them, and an appealing “bait” that may lead them to salvation.

No matter what someone struggles with in this life—poverty, hardships, tragic loss, heartbreaks, unfulfilled potential or dreams, unrealized satisfaction or fulfillment—heaven is a place where everything will be made right.

Understanding a little of God’s nature from the Bible and reading what He says about the place He’s prepared for us helps us to know that there will be some special and far-out, amazing things in the next life. He is a loving Father and desires to give His children everything good. He loves to fulfill our desires when they will be good for us and glorify Him.

Those who have had near-death experiences have often expressed the same point that our founder David described in a number of visions he had—that heaven will be much like how it is here, only better. I believe that it will have all the wonderful things we appreciate and love here on earth, and none of the things that are hurtful, painful, or damaging.

Some of the wonders and characteristics of heaven that have been described by those who have experienced glimpses into it through near-death experiences vary from person to person, as if their experiences have been custom-designed to make them a perfect match to what brings each one the greatest joy. Some variations are smaller details and others are more significant, but all are fantastic and important to the one experiencing them. Many instances of such experiences can be found in the book Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander.

Here are some thoughts and reflections on how I imagine heaven will be. The Bible says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Godhathprepared for them that love him.”[1] Our human understanding and imagination fall very short when it comes to picturing the wonders of heaven. The following points give an idea of the great variety there could be in heaven, all within the commonality that our lives there will be permeated with fulfillment, purpose, love, and unimaginable joy.

There will be incredible inventions still to be realized.

Others will fully understand you and not let you down.

You’ll be able to communicate with and befriend animals that were the wildest beasts on earth.

You’ll be able to connect with your ancestors and know all about them.

You’ll be able to walk through history seeing the full reality of those who went before you.

There won’t be any boredom. God promises new adventures unfolding for all eternity.

There won’t be any more loneliness. Love is a vibrancy of the heavenly atmosphere and love brings union with others.

You’re guaranteed exciting and fulfilling relationships with those of common interests and those of interests that are new and unique to you, broadening your horizons.

Life in heaven will be full of building loving relationships with others as much or as little as you desire.

Your uniqueness will always be yours, but your ability to connect with others will be enhanced by God’s Spirit of love.

You’ll see how important you are to God’s overall plan and how you’re not just a small insignificant person, but one of great value throughout all eternity.

There are going to be new challenges to meet and new ways to be a blessing in the lives of others. There will be no limit to the joy of doing things for others.

Heaven is not the final destination, but a launching pad to greater usefulness, new horizons, new loving experiences and dreams to reach for that you haven’t yet envisioned. Heaven isn’t the end; it’s only the beginning.

If you want an engaging subject for conversation; if you want to give comfort to those who are at the end of their rope without any hope, or impoverished, or victimized, or fed up with their lives; if you want to offer them a fresh vision of what can be theirs through a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, what better way to do it than through speaking about heaven?

I think that in the depths of their hearts most people desire the assurance that there is something good beyond this world.[2] The Bible says that God has placed eternity in our hearts, and it is a common yearning of the human heart for a better world to come. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11.)

Heaven is the full reality of the life that God has prepared for humankind. It’s real and vibrant and full of everything good. It is above and beyond a person’s dreams for the future, and yet it fulfills every yearning a person might have. Joy, fulfillment, and an abundant life is what Jesus offers. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”[3]

This life on earth has many sorrows. Jesus knows them intimately. He lived through what we face. He knows firsthand what people everywhere experience. The life beyond this one will be so full, so overflowing with joy and purpose that there won’t be room to dwell on the sorrow of the past. The negative, the suffering, the loss and pain and sorrow will be left behind.

I have found that the topic of heaven can bring life, hope, peace and comfort to others who are struggling to find their way through their life journey, without knowing the final destination.

If your understanding of heaven has become like a treasure that you have buried somewhere for safekeeping, maybe you’ll want to get it out, dust it off, and proclaim its beauty and value to others. It’s there for you to use to help others and to meet the burning need in people’s hearts to find hope and comfort and truth that will carry them through to the next life.


[1] 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV.


[2] “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV).


[3] John 10:10 KJV.

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How your boss will run your life in a few years

By Rick Newman, Yahoo Finance, August 19, 2014

You might think the typical workplace is pretty Orwellian these days. You ain’t seen nuthin’, Winston.

Consulting firm PwC recently published its outlook for work in 2022, based on interviews with 500 human resources experts and 10,000 others in the United States and several other countries. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that big companies could end up so powerful and influential they morph into “ministates” that fill the void when government is unable to provide essential services. Companies will also use sensors and other gizmos to monitor employees around the clock. And workers will mostly acquiesce to this digital leash, in exchange for job security, decent pay and important benefits.

That’s the most dystopian of scenarios PwC outlines in its report, yet it’s not so far-fetched, given the dramatic ways globalization and digital technology are changing the way people work and live. An increasing share of income is flowing to tech barons, data wizards and the privileged holders of capital, while ordinary workers find it harder to earn a living. There are more minimum-wage jobs today but fewer good-paying ones than there were just a few years ago, a trend many forecasters only expect to intensify.

They could be wrong. Capitalism may yet have a conscience, and another PwC scenario is a “green world” in which social responsibility is a key part of the corporate agenda. But that’s barely happening at the margins now, and with leverage continuing to shift away from workers toward employers, a rougher form of capitalism seems likely. Here are six plausible predictions about how the workplace will change by 2022:

Companies will monitor employees like lab rats. The ostensible purpose for this will be to keep tabs on employees’ health, to cut down on medical costs, sick days and illnesses that undermine workplace productivity. “The monitoring may even stretch into [employees’] private lives in an extension of today’s drug tests,” PwC predicts. The potential for controversy is obvious, and the degree of worker pushback will probably help determine whether your boss keeps tabs on how many French fries you eat and whether you hang out with that heavy drinker down the street.

Performance will be computed like an SAT score. Firms increasingly use data and technology tools to quantify the performance of employees relative to each other, and reward the best (while dispatching the worst). They could go further by applying to workers the same kind of data-mining techniques now targeted at many consumers, using hundreds of disparate pieces of information to form an encompassing profile of each individual. It’s worth pointing out that some business leaders prefer not to risk the blowback that might come from prying into employees’ lives—even if technology makes it easy.

Corporate indoctrination will intensify. “Leadership teams [will] have a high focus on the evolution of the corporate culture, with rigorous recruitment processes to ensure new employees fit the corporate ideal,” PwC predicts. “New staff [will be] subject to compulsory corporate culture learning and development programs.” Sounds creepy, but there have always been companies serving up the corporate Kool-Aid—often to their detriment. Companies with a rigid internal culture are notoriously slow to change and especially vulnerable to entrepreneurial disruptors.

Contract employees will displace full-timers. Companies will rely increasingly on people who can do high-quality work on a contract or project basis. Traditionalists often fret about this move away from predicable work, but people who adjust to a “portfolio career,” as PwC calls it, can benefit from the flexibility and autonomy it offers. Plus, being a contractor with no long-term commitment to a company might be one way to evade around-the-clock surveillance. But you better be good: To get the best jobs, contractors may have to demonstrate eBay-style ratings showing they performed well for past clients.

Specialized skills will continue to bring top dollar. As long as those are the skills employers most need. Without a doubt, in the future, they’ll entail various kinds of technology, along with engineering, science, data crunching and a measure of humanities. Workers whose skills hit the sweet spot will still be able to call the shots in 2022, earning the best pay and benefits, and perhaps exempting themselves from corporate micromanagement.

Workers with commonplace skills will struggle. The PwC report doesn’t spell this out, but one consequence of an economy in which big companies hold all the cards is a losing hand for underskilled workers. That could mean an even sharper slide in living standards for some families than they’ve experienced during the past several years, as incomes have flatlined and good-paying jobs dried up. We usually hope for a future that’s better than the present. The lesson for now may be that we have to work for it.

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Foley’s Faith

A letter from James Foley to Marquette

James Foley, Marquette Magazine, Summer 2014

Marquette University has always been a friend to me. The kind who challenges you to do more and be better and ultimately shapes who you become.

With Marquette, I went on some volunteer trips to South Dakota and Mississippi and learned I was a sheltered kid and the world had real problems. I came to know young people who wanted to give their hearts for others. Later I volunteered in a Milwaukee junior high school up the street from the university and was inspired to become an inner-city teacher. But Marquette was perhaps never a bigger friend to me than when I was imprisoned as a journalist.

Myself and two colleagues had been captured and were being held in a military detention center in Tripoli. Each day brought increasing worry that our moms would begin to panic. My colleague, Clare, was supposed to call her mom on her birthday, which was the day after we were captured. I had still not fully admitted to myself that my mom knew what had happened. But I kept telling Clare my mom had a strong faith.

I prayed she’d know I was OK. I prayed I could communicate through some cosmic reach of the universe to her.

I began to pray the rosary. It was what my mother and grandmother would have prayed. I said 10 Hail Marys between each Our Father. It took a long time, almost an hour to count 100 Hail Marys off on my knuckles. And it helped to keep my mind focused.

Clare and I prayed together out loud. It felt energizing to speak our weaknesses and hopes together, as if in a conversation with God, rather than silently and alone.

Later we were taken to another prison where the regime kept hundreds of political prisoners. I was quickly welcomed by the other prisoners and treated well.

One night, 18 days into our captivity, some guards brought me out of the cell. In the hall I saw Manu, another colleague, for the first time in a week. We were haggard but overjoyed to see each other. Upstairs in the warden’s office, a distinguished man in a suit stood and said, “We felt you might want to call your families.”

I said a final prayer and dialed the number. My mom answered the phone. “Mom, Mom, it’s me, Jim.”

“Jimmy, where are you?”

“I’m still in Libya, Mom. I’m sorry about this. So sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Jim,” she pleaded. “Oh, Daddy just left. Oh … He so wants to talk to you. How are you, Jim?” I told her I was being fed, that I was getting the best bed and being treated like a guest.

“Are they making you say these things, Jim?”

“No, the Libyans are beautiful people,” I told her. “I’ve been praying for you to know that I’m OK,” I said. “Haven’t you felt my prayers?”

“Oh, Jimmy, so many people are praying for you. All your friends, Donnie, Michael Joyce, Dan Hanrahan, Suree, Tom Durkin, Sarah Fang have been calling. Your brother Michael loves you so much.” She started to cry. “The Turkish embassy is trying to see you and also Human Rights Watch. Did you see them?” I said I hadn’t.

“They’re having a prayer vigil for you at Marquette. Don’t you feel our prayers?” she asked.

“I do, Mom, I feel them,” and I thought about this for a second. Maybe it was others’ prayers strengthening me, keeping me afloat.

The official made a motion. I started to say goodbye. Mom started to cry. “Mom, I’m strong. I’m OK. I should be home by Katie’s graduation,” which was a month away.

“We love you, Jim!” she said. Then I hung up.

I replayed that call hundreds of times in my head—my mother’s voice, the names of my friends, her knowledge of our situation, her absolute belief in the power of prayer. She told me my friends had gathered to do anything they could to help. I knew I wasn’t alone.

My last night in Tripoli, I had my first Internet connection in 44 days and was able to listen to a speech Tom Durkin gave for me at the Marquette vigil. To a church full of friends, alums, priests, students and faculty, I watched the best speech a brother could give for another. It felt like a best man speech and a eulogy in one. It showed tremendous heart and was just a glimpse of the efforts and prayers people were pouring forth. If nothing else, prayer was the glue that enabled my freedom, an inner freedom first and later the miracle of being released during a war in which the regime had no real incentive to free us. It didn’t make sense, but faith did.

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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/perfect-love-casts-out-fear/
Words from Jesus

Audio length: 10:06
Download Audio (8.1MB)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.—1 John 4:16–181

*

Fearfulness is a form of bondage. I died on the cross for you so that you would not be a slave to fear. When I see My children continuing to live in bondage to fear, I am grieved. My sacrifice was not only to provide forgiveness of sins but also to open the way to My Father’s heart. Now that you trust Me as your Savior, you are the recipient of perfect love—My love, Abba’s love. This perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

People are born into the world in spiritual bondage, including bondage to fear. Because you inhabit both a fallen world and a fallen body, it isn’t easy to break free from fearfulness. However, the Spirit … can help you in this struggle, enabling you to see yourself as you truly are: a much-loved child of God. The Spirit frees you to cry out, “Abba, Father,” believing you are His precious adopted child. In the presence of a loving, strong father, even the most frightened child eventually calms down. You have a perfectly loving, infinitely strong Father, so bring your fears freely to Him. Let Him hold you close to His Abba-heart, where you know you are safe. Open your heart to receive quantities of His love. The more of this love you hold in your heart, the less room there is for fear. Receive this love in full measure!2

*

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”—Romans 8:153


Come as you are

What are you afraid of? That I will not accept you as you are? That you have nothing to give? That you are not talented? That you are a failure in love? That you cannot grow and progress? Do not be afraid of these things. Just come as you are, and My love will cast out fear. Just come and know My love. Let Me love you, and then you will know there is nothing to be afraid of. When you come just as you are and let Me love you, then you will see how My love will cast out fear.

There is no fear in Me. Tell Me your fears one by one and let Me tell you how I love you, and you will see the fears disappear. Do not be afraid to confess them, and do not hide from Me. Let Me turn your fears into peace and contentment. Your fear of past hurts occurring again will be washed away because you will know you are protected by My love. When you abide in My love, you are shielded from fears. And as you continue in My love, your past will be healed, the fears will fade, and you will forget them as My love erases them.

Open a channel to My love that I may whisper words to you that will cause your fears to flee. Close your mind to the negative thoughts that you entertain. Open your channel to hear My words, My whispers, which will give you the answers that you need, and give you peace and rest.

*

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.—John 14:274


Fret not

Do not fear or look down at the waves; just keep your eyes on Me. Fret not because of the tests and the trials around you, for this is a time of strengthening, a time of adjustment, as you are being prepared, fitted, and finely tuned to the most intricate circuits of My Spirit.

Through this time of testing, when the time is come, you will be able to comfort others with the same comfort that I will now comfort you with as you rest here in My presence. Rest in Me and allow Me to soothe you and whisk away all the would-be troubles and burdens of your heart.

Fear not, for I am forming and fashioning you into a beautiful vessel of My love, which will glow and shine with My glory and splendor. These trials and tests are working together for your good, to make you into a rare and priceless vessel of My love.

*

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.—Isaiah 41:105


Ride the waves

Do not fight against the waves and the wind, but let them carry you. Ride into them! Be not afraid, for I will carry you over. The wind that seems so fierce, that even seems to be your enemy, will be what will carry you over the waves and bring you to your desired haven, where you can let down your anchor and be safe, secure, and at peace.

I know your longings. I see your heart. But you must endure the waves before you can reach the harbor. This time of riding the waves will make you into an expert sea master—one who knows how to maneuver in the tough conditions, one who learns to trust both in times of storms and calm.

But the only way to get through the storm and over the waves is to trust Me, to commit yourself to Me. Do not try to grab the rudder and steer in your own might, to unfurl your sails to try to catch the wind, to try to direct it the way you think it ought to go.

Tie it all down and trust yourself to Me. Trust yourself to the wind, that I will carry you over. Though your vessel may take in some water, and though it may even seem that you are about to be swallowed up and sink, don’t be afraid, for these things will not come to pass. I will carry you through. Your boat will not take in more water than I allow, and it will not sink.

*

Be strong! Be courageous! Do not be afraid of them! For the Lord your God will be with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.—Deuteronomy 31:66


Enlightened by My love

As he that climbs a steep mountain sometimes looks down and freezes for fear, so is it when you look at the waves, the wind, the storm, the weights, the burdens, the responsibilities, the job, the faults, the failings, your incapability, and are overwhelmed with fear of the future. The one who looks up, focusing upon Me, looking always upward—upward toward the goal, upward toward heaven, upward to My face—has strength to carry on, always moving upward, despite the heights or depths or weights.

Come to Me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Do not look at your weaknesses, faults, or failings. Look to Me, and I will encourage you and strengthen you. I died on the cross and paid the price so that you could be free in spirit, so that you could look unto Me and be lightened—lightened in load, lightened from sin, and enlightened with My love, strength, and power.

So look up to Me. Look ahead. Look forward. Do not look back. Do not look down. Look to Me, the author and finisher of your faith, and pray for My strength. Have faith in Me. Trust Me.

Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished August 2014. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Dooley.


1 NLT.

2 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).

3 NLT.

4 NLT.

5 NLT.

6 TLB.

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