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Abaris (Rabbi) the Druid
ABARIS THE DRUID: - Various reports and fragments thereof, in what little was written and remains of ancient Greek times, tell us about the last Dean of Studies for the Bardic Tradition. He visited Athens to teach Pythagoras. Hecateus of Miletus and...
God First
God 1st, Others 2nd, Self last... Most believe that's how it should be, whether they practice it or not. Few have problems recognizing when "Me, Me, Me" gets in the way, whether they care to admit it or not. But, putting others 2nd can get...
Holding Onto Your Peace
Perfect love casts out all fear. Love and peace are one in the same in that one cannot exist without the other and one is always the product of the other. Peace and love abolish fear and their presence makes all things possible. Fear is the...
Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
I first met Elder Mordakhai Joseph in Jerusalem during my first Feast of Tabernacles in 1980. Later, when I attended Sukkot /Tabernacles again with the Worldwide Church of God in 1982 in Jerusalem, I stayed on as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat...
Religion and Science
There are many kinds of narratives and organizing principles. Science is driven by evidence gathered in experiments, and by the falsification of extant theories and their replacement with newer, asymptotically truer, ones. Other systems -...
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IS YOUR LIFE SIGNIFICANT?
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." - Matthew 16:18 (NASU)
The words of Jesus above spoken to Peter conveyed many meanings. They were not only an utterance of prophecy. They were meant also to build up and to give Peter a life of significance. Peter was a man given to impulse, a characteristic that belied an obvious need to be esteemed.
There are many like Peter, people who desire a life of significance. Yet, in this world of increasing materialism, instant gratification and compromised morals, finding significance is more like a search for the Holy Grail.
Still, living a life of significance is possible. It begins with four thoughts we can find in the verse quoted above.
1. KNOW YOU ARE SPECIAL ("...You are Peter"). Jesus wasn't merely reminding Peter of his name. He was, in effect, saying, "You are somebody. In fact, you're no longer Simon the fisherman, but Peter the rock!"
God doesn't create junk. He created you with a perfect and eternal plan in mind that, when fulfilled, will reveal the profound love God has for all mankind. He's given you skills, talents and gifts so you can do your part in that divine plan.
2. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE ("...upon this rock I will build My church"). God's divine plan is fulfilled when we realize that we are in this world for a purpose. Certainly that purpose isn't confined in building our own home, owning the latest car model or wearing the most expensive jewelry.
Our purpose would
definitely have something to do with other people. Thus, we must find our purpose in serving others or meeting their needs. A purpose that seeks to benefit others is not only noble, it is divine.
3. KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES ("...and the gates of Hades will not overpower it"). What defeats divine purpose is our weaknesses, because weaknesses tend to feed the self and cause problems (e.g. Peter's denial of Jesus).
Yet, when we admit our weaknesses and seek to correct them, we consequently mature and become more of a blessing to those we serve or relate with. In turn, we also help others mature. We must not go through life with a defeatist but a victoriuos attitude. This means we must first conquer our weaknesses.
4. KNOW WHO GOD IS ("I also say to you..."). It was Jesus who was addressing Peter, therefore he was trustworthy and believable. But, more than this, he was the Son of God!
And this is the crux of the matter: It is within a relationship with God that we can find significance in our lives. It's not about religion; it's not about doctrines and dogma; it's not about church and denomination.
It's about relationship. In our mundane world, we need to be able to touch the divine. To do so is to begin to live a life of significance.
Copyright © 2004 DF Mapa
About the Author
Dee Mapa has been a writer for over 20 years. His thought-provoking artickes have appeared in various off-line and on-line publications. You can subscribe to receive his weekly messages by sending a blank e-mail to fromthewilderness-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Religion may be defined as the presence of a belief in the sacred or the holy. ... The development of religion is therefore the course of religions aligning ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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religion online |
Full texts by religious scholars. Topics include Bible, Theology, Ethics, Church and Society, Communication, Cultural Studies, Homiletics, Missions, ... |
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Religion and Spirituality in the Yahoo! Directory |
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Yahoo! - Document Not Found |
Document Not Found. The document you requested was not found. The category you are trying to reach may have moved. To find a relocated category, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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Virtual Religion Index |
has moved! It is now located at. http://virtualreligion.net/vri/. Note the change of domain & Please notify the source of the link that landed you here. ... |
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Religious News and Information |
The latest news and coverage from the world of religion. From across the globe to here in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Time covers the most pertinent news ... |
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World Religions Religion Statistics Geography Church Statistics |
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BBC - Religion & Ethics |
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BBC - Religion & Ethics - Religions |
An introduction to many of the religions of the world. Includes Jainism, Shinto, Sikhism, Rastafari, Paganism, and many others. |
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Open Directory - Society: Religion and Spirituality |
Kids and Teens: People and Society: Religion and Spirituality (307) ... World Religions and 101 Cults - Contains descriptions and personal commentary of ... |
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Google Directory - Society > Religion and Spirituality |
Kids and Teens > People and Society > Religion and Spirituality (347) ... Contains descriptions and personal commentary of religions, cults, sects, ... |
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Promoting religious understanding, tolerance and freedom. |
Conflicts, evolution, science & religion evaluating each other ... "Study of the world's religions will lead to an understanding of religious diversity; ... |
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Religious Studies Page |
Gene Thursby's extensive collection of information and links for the study and interpretation of religions. Categories include religious traditions, ... |
www.clas.ufl.edu |
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Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Religion |
Religion blog: DMN writers and editors explore issues of faith, spirituality and values ... Religion links: Alphabetical list of religious and spiritual ... |
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Free Religion Ecards, Religion Greeting Cards, Religion Greetings ... |
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cards.123greetings.com |
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Religion -- Philadelphia Inquirer |
Most evangelicals now live in China, South Korea, India, Africa and Latin America, where they are transforming their religion. In various ways, they are ... |
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Religion | The WWW Virtual Library |
Religions and belief systems (ancient and contemporary), religious history, mythology, ethics and humanism. this resource in English is indexed under: ... |
vlib.org |
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Religion - washingtonpost.com |
We explore matters of faith and religion on the first Sunday of each month. ... Religion Online Chats. Thursday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m. ET: Faiths Condemn Gay Sex ... |
www.washingtonpost.com |
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allAfrica.com: Religion |
All over Africa, religion is big business. In East Africa, I am particularly impressed by the rate of its growth in Uganda. Uganda is also the country in ... |
allafrica.com |
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Obituaries · -- Death Notices · Schools · Detroit History. Nation/World. Nation/World · Politics/Gov · -- Election · Health · Religion · Technology. Sports ... |
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