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Belonging and believing

Grace Davie, who coined the term “believing without belonging,” writes, “Europe  believes, but it does not belong.” She is describing those who subscribe to some belief,  however vague that belief may be—for example, “general statements of belief, the  notion of a religious disposition, and denominational self-ascription” which “remain  relatively high, whilst those that pertain to regular religious practice or to the creedal  statements of Christian doctrine have dropped very markedly indeed.” Many Europeans  believe, but their beliefs are vicariously experienced at a distance from mediating  institutions like churches.” The trend in Europe is not toward atheism. In fact only twelve percent of Europeans  “don’t believe in any kind of God, spirit or life force.” The number increases to 22  percent if you include those who “don’t know what to believe.”Europeans do  believe,...
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Intertestamental period

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Maccabees

The author of the  First Book of Maccabees  regarded the Maccabean revolt as a rising of pious Jews against the Seleucid king who had tried to eradicate their religion and against the Jews who supported him. The author of the  Second Book of Maccabees  presented the conflict as a struggle between "Judaism" and "Hellenism", words that he was the first to use. [ 29 ]  Modern scholarship tends to the second view. Most modern scholars argue that the king was intervening in a  civil war between traditionalist Jews in the countryside and Hellenised Jews in Jerusalem. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ]  According to Joseph P. Schultz, modern scholarship, "considers the Maccabean revolt less as an uprising against foreign oppression than as a civil war between the orthodox and reformist parties in the Jewish camp." [ 33 ]  In the conflict over the office of High Priest, traditionalists with Hebrew/Aramaic names like Onias contested against Hellenisers with Greek na...
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John 3. John the Baptist

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23  John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24  (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25               Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness---look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." 27  John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29  The one who has the  bride is the  bridegroom . The friend of the  bridegroom , who stands and hears him, rejoices g...
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Waiting by Charles Stanley

In this hurry- up world, waiting for anything can cause us to lose our temper and our good sense—more frequently than we care to admit! No one enjoys waiting in line. We don’t like waiting at stoplights. We don’t like waiting for dinner. We don’t even like waiting for good things, like for fish to bite. We want what we want right now. Yet the Word of God insists that we learn some of life’s greatest lessons while we wait. Waiting rooms can be hard classrooms, but God promises vast rewards to those who wait for Him. God plans to use the long pauses in our lives for our blessing . . . if we let Him. Why does God so often ask us to wait? Let’s consider five major rewards of waiting. 1. We discover God’s will. “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him” (Lam. 3:25). God does not allow delays in giving us the desire of our hearts to lead us along. Rather, we know that even as we wait, He is working all things together for our good and His glory ...
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AI and preaching by DaveMcDonald

Cut sermon prep time dramatically. Never stare at a blank page again — instant sermon series ideas by season. Ready to get your Saturday nights back? Did you know 12 hours per week is the average pastors spend on sermon prep and ministry content? With the right AI prompts, that same work can be done in  a fraction of the time  — without losing your own voice or theological depth.   Such is Claude’s promise to busy pastors.  You can save $50 and purchase at the special price of only $27, if you sign up today.   This offer is valid only today.  So said my Facebook feed this morning. Pastor beware. Guard your heart. Guard your flock. Take responsibility. Keep it real. Put in the hours. Labour with love.  Close your computer, get on your knees, ask God to help you, speak to you, shape you, and reform you. Open your Bible, open your mind, and open your heart. What does it say? What does it mean? How should I respond? What is God saying...
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