Condolence
It is an occasion of grief for a person who has passed away. It could be your parents, relatives, friends, co-workers or neighbours. The person may have helped you in several ways when he was alive. He or she may have shared many happy memories with you. You may have walked with him together for many years both in times of grief and glee. Now that you are so grieved you want to give a token of your appreciation for that person to his family members.
Life, That Precious Divine Gift
Life, That Precious Divine Gift
A lot has been speculated about the beginning of life. Many of these speculations are usually directed towards to only consider as life, the one which resembles more closely what we know in this material world… Naturally, this does not contemplate the possibility that life, as such, had begun far before the creation of this material universe… or any other else.
That Divine inspiration became a reality under the infinite power of the Divine love, and thus, life began. The bosom of God was filled with beings, and in everyone, the love, the power and the wisdom of the Father was manifested.
Ah, life! Now we can be sure enough, that that marvelous divine gift of life, having emerged from God’s infinite love, was what made creation possible. It was because of the divine inspiration and the force of godly love that the being was endowed to us, that we came to life, we came to “be”. And here is where the essential question arises: Who are we?
Nowadays, many people believe that our spirit is an energy, but, is this true? Are we simply that, an energy, something like a force as many others we find in nature? Certainly not. Why do I dare to affirm this? Well, it is not me who says it; it is the Creator himself who describes His Work:
Each spirit emerged from the Divinity as a pure thought, that is why the spirits are the perfect work of the Creator.
How important it is to understand this! We are a perfect work of God! Of course that our spirit utilises energy, but that does not implies that it IS actually energy, or made of it… Our spirit is an idea, it is a vibration of the divine mind. Energy is, to put it simply, a basic tool which the spirit need in order to perform and to manifest itself in the material world. It is then when we are able to be aware of it and begin to comprehend the true magnitude of our spirit.
Excerpts take from <a href=”144000.net”>The Third Testament</a>
One World Order: The “Return of the Khalifate” An Opinion - Part 2
One World Order; The “Return of the Khalifate.” An Opinion. Part 2.
To control the News is to control the worlds knowledge. In order to understand what this all means to us we must look into the past to see the future. In Daniel 7:25 we see that the Anti-Christ will attempt to forgive sins and trespasses, in His name.(For He shall declare that He is God.) Which being contrary to reason and to scripture. For a dictatorial rule to become effective, all subjects must be kept in submission by, 1. Power, I.E. Force.(Military and Secret Police.) and 2. Mind set, I.E. Mind control. (Propaganda.)
“And he shall speak great words (A great Orator.) against the most High (”the most High” is representitave of two Individuals, 1. God and 2. Jesus The Christ.), and shall wear out the saints of the most High (Placing burdens upon them.), and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”(7 years).
The Laws that we see here are the laws of the norman or natural, instances of Religion and of the Land itself. We will see natural Laws changed to suite His needs, such as the Laws of the Mohamidism Creed. According to the Foundation’s vision of the Khalifate, significant punishment can only be meted out for 14
crimes, including “accusing a chaste person of fornication,” “not performing the formal prayer,” and “not fasting during Ramadan.”( This could possibly be a prelude to the mark of the beast (666), knowing who and whom isn’t a follower of the Khalifate.)
T.S.K. In assuming infallibility, professing to forgive sins, and to open and shut heaven, thundering out bulls and anathemas, excommunicating princes, absolving subjects from their allegiance, and exacting obedience to his decrees in open violation of reason and Scripture. To gain total control he must change the Laws of Man and Religion. Just as spoken of in Daniel.
When you want to control mass numbers of people you must,
1. Control Money.(World Banking System. The World Bank provides support to developing countries, the IMF aims to stabilize the international monetary system and monitors the world’s currencies.)
2. Commerse.(Control of World Ports, Babylon The Great.
The Dubai company purchasing the rights to operate several U.S. ports has agreed to postpone some aspects of the takeover in order to give the Bush administration more time to convince Congress of the deals merits. Some lawmakers say this is a step in the right direction; others are not mollified. If the East Coast of America is Babylon the Great, this action by The Dubai company, an Arab State, then Revelations would be easily fulfilled.
Revelations 18:9-11; And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: ( This is the total destruction of The city’s sea ports.) For any sea port to come in line with the prophecy of Babylon, it must be a supplier of all things mentioned in Revelations. I have found only one that fits this description. The Eastern coast line of the United States.
Jeremiah 51:8-9 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
We would have healed Babylon ( Money isn’t enough to re pare the utter destruction.), but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven( This must be a judgment from God.), and is lifted up even to the skies.(The destruction is so massive that there would be no need for these buyers and sellers to remain.)
Isaiah 21:9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen.(World Leaders, some minor and two major leaders.) And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods (Financial Institutions, Stock Markets, Govermential Facility’s, The Gold Reserve Bank, Livestock Auctions, The Scientific Community and Museums. Ect.) he hath broken unto the ground.
3. Food, (Conglomerations of Farming Institutions and Produce Suppliers.) and the most important 4. Religion. (The One World Religion. In My opinion this could be one of these two. 1.Catholicism. 2. Mohamidism.(Islam.) A North American DJ/radio show host was warned by his boss - ‘No more anti-terror talk, no more pro-Israel talk’. Has America lost it’s right to free speech? In Part 3 we will look at the differences between; 1.Catholicism. 2. Mohamidism.(Islam.)
ars (References; Isa 21:9 -
behold: Jer_50:3, Jer_50:9, Jer_50:29, Jer_50:42, Jer_51:27
Babylon: Isa_13:19, Isa_14:4; Jer_50:2, Jer_51:8, Jer_51:64; Rev_14:8, Rev_18:2, Rev_18:21
all: Isa_46:1, Isa_46:2; Jer_50:2, Jer_50:38, Jer_51:44, Jer_51:47, Jer_51:52.)
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/
Herbert W Armstrong and Worldwide Church of God Mentioned in Israeli Newspaper
You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews and the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred bond has been strengthened over the years by the fact that I’ve been blessed to have lived all over Israel, getting to know its land and people quite well.
Apart from 5 months as a kibbutz volunteer at Ramat Yohanan near Haifa, I’ve also served as a kibbutz volunteer at Sdot Yam on the Mediterranean, next to Caesarea, the site of my first ulpan (intensive Hebrew course), and where Israel’s heroine, Hannah Senesh, was from; Regavim, near Zichron Yaakov, where I continued my Hebrew lessons amid its rolling green hills; Reshafim, near Bet She’an, with Mt. Gilboa practically in our backyard, and Jordan’s mountains in lovely view out front; Adamit, on Lebanon’s border, high up on a mountain, from where on clear days you can see all the way to Haifa’s Mt. Carmel; Shoval, a rose in the Negev desert, just north of Be’er Sheva; Dan, way up in the northernmost part of Israel, in between Syria and Lebanon, next to the majestic snow-covered Mt. Hermon, where I was living when “Operation Desert Storm” blew in; and Ha’On, with its campground and ostrich farm on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, across from Tiberias; and last but not least, my beloved Jerusalem, next to my favorite spot on earth: the Temple Mount.
It was during my sojourn at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, while looking for the home of the widow Simcha Gombo, a Worldwide Church of God member and mother of Michal (who was deaf) - both of whom I had briefly met during the 1980 Church of God celebration of the biblical Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem - that I met Ilan Itzhayek on the street and asked directions, as related in Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God).
Ilan Itzhayek wrote the following full page article in Hebrew that appeared in Hed HaKiryot, a newspaper in Northern Israel, just West of the Sea of Galilee, November 19, 1982. Please note that David Hoover is the name I was born with before I legally changed it to David Ben-Ariel, and forgive the imperfect translation of the Hebrew into English in this attempt to preserve a part of the Church of God history in the Promised Land (and honor Ilan Itzhayek for helping to make it).
The Drug Addict Who Discovered God and the Kibbutz
by Ilan Itzhayek
His name is David Allen Hoover - he’s 22 years old and was born in Toledo, Ohio, USA.
David, and other members of the Church he belongs to arrived in Israel last month as visitors in Jerusalem, but David stayed behind as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan. He doesn’t mind any of the work they give him to do - whether it’s in the fields, in the factory or in the chicken incubators - he has ideals.
David belongs to a very special Church called the Worldwide Church of God - they call themselves the true Christians and consider the conventional Christians pagan. They believe in the Torah of Moses and observe Sabbath, as well as all the annual holy days mentioned in the Torah. They believe Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God. The Church has 100,000 brethren all over the world. A common belief they have is that they have been chosen by God to join the community of believers. Their leader is Herbert Armstrong, 91, whom they admire and consider that he’s come in the spirit of Elijah.
David talks quite excitedly about his Church. He’s very patient and ready to explain his convictions to you again if you haven’t understood them. His answers are filled with verses from the Bible and the New Testament - verses that he knows by heart. He calls himself “chosen” because in his Church there isn’t those “religious and not religious” - there’s only the chosen. If you don’t agree the Church doesn’t want you - which means that God hasn’t called you.
Scar in the Heart
David hasn’t always been in the Church. He was raised on a farm in Ohio that belongs to his father’s family. His parents were divorced when he was 11 years old. A year later his alcoholic father died at the early age of 36. “All I remember about my father,” David says with a sort of bitter smile, “is that he was drunk and always messing up the house and arguing with my mom. He was always arguing with her. I was really young then so I really didn’t even get to know him. I almost can’t remember how he looks.”
It was a drastic change - his parents divorced, the move from the farm to the city, a new school and then his father’s death that deeply affected him.
Soon, with all of his being, David began to search for a way to help him with his hurt. That’s when someone mentioned to him how you feel “high” when you do drugs. So he began to really look for drugs. He tried to find out who used them and where they hung out. Shortly after trying pills, pot and hash, he began to buy them regularly.
“When I was 15 years old I stopped taking them by the mouth and started snorting them” - quickly adding ‘ “it’s far more potent that way and it affects you more quickly…money to buy drugs with wasn’t a problem for me. It wasn’t hard to get. The man my mom had remarried wasn’t rich, but he definitely wasn’t poor. The allowances I got I used to buy drugs with instead of clothes or other things. My sister and I kept it secret that we were getting high and so our parents kept giving us good allowances.”
It seems like David will never forget a Jethro Tull rock concert that he attended. “I had snorted some drugs, smoked a lot of pot and hash and was drinking beer until I was really high.” He remembers, “I felt really strange. All I remember is being sat down by some friends and the chair began to fall backwards…3 days later I woke up in the intensive care unit of the hospital with a heart monitor attached to me. I was in serious condition and it had been getting worse but the doctors worked hard to save me.” “Later there was a special agreement between me and my parents,” David grins. “I was promised that if I quit taking drugs they’d allow me to let my hair grow long. I promised and I didn’t keep it. My hair grew down to my waist.”
Wanderings and its Moral
A different stage began in David’s life: wandering through different churches. He was in and out of many churches during his search for the true morals and values. He considered the members of traditional Christianity as hypocrites. Those churches had failed to fulfill him.
After failing to find what he was searching for, David came in contact with Hinduism - the Hare Krishnas. He was attracted by its exotic appeal, the incense and vegetarian members of that cult. During a special Krishna festival in Philadelphia, he met a famous leader in their movement who wanted him to become his personal aide and travel all over. David decided not to join because he didn’t want to be separated from his family. “I believed in Hare Krishna,” David says assured, “I loved the religion because it was physically and spiritually attractive and I was devoted to it. I engaged in their ceremonies, singing and dancing, chanting their mantras and going into a group trance. But even though I knew their religion didn’t accept drugs, I still used them, though they were unaware of it. I was around 17 when I began to shoot up drugs.”
After awhile David began to seriously question his involvement with the Krishnas. He feared he had been wrong, had been misled in going to the guru. His amount and use of drugs began to dramatically increase, going to the bars every night of the week, getting high and drunk, began to take its toll on his body. By then it seems he had lost any spiritual strength he had.
“God Help Me”
“I really began to think about God,” he says. “Suddenly I began to think about him seriously and wondered if I had been deceived or enlightened in Krishna. I begged God to lead me into all the truth. I had prayed about it many times and then one of the greatest miracles in my life happened” - he explains while getting down on his knees to show how he had been praying. “All I remember is that I was purposely praying to the God of the Bible and really hoped that somehow He would answer my prayer. Then it was like a hot brand was put upon my forehead. Two words were forcibly impressed upon my mind: “FORSAKE HINDUISM!” Then I actually wondered whether it was my subconscious that gave me those words. I turned to my Bible that was beside me and, unintentionally, opened it up to Psalms 115:4-8 - David’s holding his Bible and reading it out loud: “Their idols are silver and gold; the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like them; so is every one that trusts in them.” “After that I didn’t need any further proof to know that it had truly been from God. That same day I burned all my Hindu books, beads, posters…”.
“Dirty needles”
The drugs caused David’s condition to continually deteriorate. Everyone told him that he was destroying himself. He knew himself that he was going to die, but he wasn’t able to help himself.
“All that horrible time” - David says with a shaky voice - “I really wanted to be free. I didn’t want to be addicted to drugs. But I also felt that there wasn’t anything in this world worth living for. I didn’t have any power but I still tried to get off drugs. I ended up throwing away my needles, hoping to stop, but later I’d turn around and go back and take them out and use them.” Even though his needles had been in the garbage, dirty and broken, he said he still used them up to a dozen times, even though you’re only supposed to use them once! “I was taking the needles in my frustration and would bash them against the wall so that I couldn’t use them, but later I’d attempt to until it hurt me and I was bleeding. That’s when I realized that I was addicted.” David says, thinking out loud: “All I knew was that only GOD could help me, not man!”
David experienced “almost sure death” another time, besides the rock concert, when he was 18, and was in his bedroom mainlining some drugs. His mother was home at the time but was unaware of what was happening to her son. “Suddenly everything seemed strange to me” - David says trying to remember - “the music started sounding really weird…Later I woke up in the hospital and a doctor informed me that I had damaged my liver and that it was a miracle that I still had a brain and could think clearly.”
Goodbye and Good Riddance
“Those were my times of wandering in the wilderness. God delivered me and took me out of Egypt into His light” - David says reflecting on his past. “The inner struggle between good and evil wearied me after awhile. I had been asking God what I was supposed to do. I asked for power because I didn’t have any strength and none of the churches I encountered had the power necessary to deliver me from drugs. At the time I opened up my Bible unintentionally to Isaiah 45. The first verse that caught my eye was verse 2: “I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron…”. That verse succeeded to do for David what he, of himself, had been unable to do for years.
“No more drugs!” David said and that is how he finally managed to be free from drugs. “Now I felt ready to begin to listen to God. Sometimes you have to first live in darkness before you can appreciate the light. I knew I wanted to live God’s ways of life so I said good-riddance to drugs and to my old friends and bad influences - to all of that I said goodbye and good riddance!”
“Drugs are a Lie”
Shortly afterwards, David discovered the Worldwide Church of God through their Plain Truth magazine. The ideas in it seemed so logical to him and not like all the others he had known.
Soon David was one of its excited believers. After a whole year of observing Sabbath and all the holy days of Israel, he was baptized as a brother into the Church.
One of the Worldwide Church of God beliefs is that there will be a politico-military mess that will take place by next year. In their opinion, Germany, and maybe even Italy, will attempt to conquer the world. That attempt will ignite a world war that will take two thirds of the world’s population, but that afterwards there will begin a true peace for planet Earth. The members of the Worldwide Church of God will be among those that survive and they believe that eventually their beliefs will be accepted by all the Earth.
The doctrines of the Church are all biblically based. Besides the above-mentioned prophecy there is another one that states the world leaders will sit in Jerusalem and that Israel will become a “Light to all nations.” The whole world will have one government.
David is writing a book, from his biblical research, about the two prophets who will prepare the way for the days to come. David is also contemplating about writing an autobiography. He already knows what he would call it - Wanderings! He’s convinced that he has a lot of experience to give to others, and he’s very interested in warning those who might consider abusing drugs. “Drugs are a lie” - he says - “and it would be a lot better if people would learn form the experience of others. Today I’m alive, very alive - and I feel I have a lot to live for!”
David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.
The Man Who Had Everything
In this text Mark does an excellent job of acquainting us with the dangers of wealth concerning God’s Kingdom even though there are several instances concerning wealth throughout the bible (e.g. Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalm 49:6, Proverbs 13:11, 1 Corinthians 10:24). However, if you explore deeper you’ll discover that wealth is representative of any vice that prevents us from a closer walk with God. Carpenter & McCown (1992) asserted “To enter the kingdom one must die to self-autonomy and self-security…” (p. 865). Wealth in and of itself is not inherently dangerous but rather the strain that it put on our relationship with God. Leaders must constantly remind followers that there is something greater than ourselves.
The Quest for life
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
-Mark 10:17
This man’s enthusiasm was readily apparent by his running. He had everything but eternal life but did not know how to obtain it. And his desire to enter into the kingdom of God was manifested in his inquiry for eternal life. “What shall I do…” He asked as if it was something that is earned through a deed that must be accomplished. As if to say ‘tell me what you did to obtain eternal life so that I can do it to.’ Eternal life equates to entering the kingdom of God. “…how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:23).
It’s also clear that the man respected Jesus which is evident by his kneeling. But his use of the adjective ‘Good’ when addressing Jesus as ‘Good Master’ also sheds light on this man’s understanding of God’s kingdom. In other cases in the bible only God is referred to as being good (i. e. Psalm 38:8, Psalm 73:1). Master was a term applied to men of high standing such as a priest, scholar, or teacher. ‘Master’ alone would have been sufficient enough for this man to demonstrate the his surrender to the wisdom of Jesus. This man viewed Jesus as legendary and someone who achieved this status on his own. But this descriptive word ‘Good’ implied that it was possible for the man, who considered himself a ‘good man’, to be like Jesus or in essence like God.
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.
-Mark 10:18
In this verse, Jesus corrects the man without rebuking him and reminds him that only God is good. Jesus was not denying his own divinity but rather reminding the man that he must not appeal to the humaness in Him but rather to God. Funk & Hoover (1993) suggested that this was Jesus’s attempt to “…refocus attention on God, rather than on himself, as generally in line with Jesus’ disposition.” (p. 91). Jesus may have been merely rejecting a compliment to prevent envy or maybe he wanted the man to understand that only God is good and this is not something that he could achieve. He was forcing the man to recognize that his only hope was in reliance on God alone and that eternal life was a gift from God.
Every manager has had a new protégé that was eager and motivated to learn all that she could so that she could in turn contribute to the organization. Her motivation may be to win a promotion or the opportunity to breathe life into an organization. “As a mentor, if you help mentees create a satisfying new vision for their life or work, mentees will do most of what is necessary to bring the vision to reality.” (Shea, 2002, p. 44). Many people can visualize the goal to be obtained which in turn becomes their driving factor. However, many people get stuck in a rut or are unable to visualize the goal. These emotions are often combined with thoughts or feelings such as disappointment, embarrassment, or dissatisfaction. Shea (2002) argued “The capacity to detect the emotions and feelings of others and to respond appropriately is a critical art of mentoring.” Overlooking the feelings that motivate people can limit a mentor’s effectiveness because feelings inspire people to get things done. Jesus recognized the man’s passion for eternal life and therefore chose to handle the situation with caring.
Not Just Hearers of the Law
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultry, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I obsewrved from my youth.
-Mark 10:19-20
Here, Jesus mentions all six commandments that prohibit wrong doing against another person (i.e. Exodus 20:12-16). The prohibition of fraud is representative of the tenth commandment against covetousness. To covet is to desire something with evil motivation. To defraud is to cheat, deceive, or beguile someone which is ignited by evil motivation. To break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. Jesus was merely testing the man with the recital of the commandments. Funk and Hoover (1993) indicated that every Judean or Christian should know these commandments and that Jesus’ rehearsal of them was “scarcely a distinctive statement.” (p. 91). Being wealthy, one would expect that it would be easy for this man to follow the commandments known to everyone. The difficulty for this man was understanding that the kingdom of God is a gift that must be received after all obstacles have been removed.
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
-Mark 10:21
In recognizing the man’s enthusiasm, as any good mentor would do, Jesus did not shame the man by exposing is failure to grasp the spirtual depth of the kingdom of God. The man’s problem was his wealth which prevented him from his spiritual walk with God. There is no indication that the command to sell all of his possesions was meant for all Christians but rahter it was the obstacle that prevented this particular man from trusting Jesus. This man needed to remove this vice from his life but the treasure of salvation is not something that can be earned by simply giving up your material goods but is also received by following Jesus; “…take up the cross, and follow me.” Carpenter and McCown (1993) maintained that the man’s “…great wealth is developed as a symbol of the problem of faith.” (p. 865). The man’s riches was his vice and he needed to remove it before he could enter the kingdom of God.
Leaders guide protégés in shifting their context to envision worthy goals and move toward their fulfillment. “When a leader sees a circumstance in a larger, more meaningful context and is willing to explain it, that leader is in fact creating the context, calling everyone’s attention to the idea that the context is greater than what first appears.” (Pearce, 2003, p. 94). When followers have an understanding of what the organizational context is and are able to put it into perspective, change is inevitable. When others haven’t considered the context that the leadership has considered; they must be properly informed so that they can make sense of it.
Vices & Wealth: Accumulation of Non-necessities
And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possesions.
-Mark 10:22
The tragic decision to turn away reflected this man’s greater love for his wealth than his desire for eternal life. Wealth refers whatever spiritual problem or vice Christians happen to be facing. Vice is the opposite of virtue. In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning failing or defect. One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues. A virtue can be corrupted by nonuse, misuse, or overuse. Thus the cardinal vices would be lust (nonuse of temperance), cowardice (nonuse of courage), folly (misuse of a virtue, opposite of wisdom), and venality (nonuse of justice).
For people to listen to others without filters of fear or suspicion, trust is the fundamental requisite. If leaders want followers to take up the organizational banner and follow them, then they must build trust and commitment. “Followers will give their hearts and souls to authority figures who say, ‘You really matter,’ no matter how small the followers’ contributions may be.” (Goffee and Jones, 2001, p. 171). The man had excellent credentials and moral character and he was expecting Jesus to compliment him for his diligence and hard work. The key for today’s leaders is to offer constructive criticism in the form of positive feedback as evident in Jesus’ comment in Mark 10:21, “…One thing thou lackest”, or in other words the only thing you lack. “…followership implies commitment, but never without conditions. The follower wants the leader to create feelings of significance, community, and excitement.” When leaders herald the significance of an individual’s work, they are rewarded with loyalty, even obedience. And after all that Jesus had said to encourage and engage this enthusiastic man, he still refused to let go of that which constrained him.
A Kingdom At Hand
Mark’s Gospel describe Jesus as proclaiming the Kingdom as something that was at hand, and about to break out at present, and not merely a future reality (see Mark 1:15). This might provide another reason why the man was running in Mark 10:17. He knew that the kingdom was at hand and wanted to reserve his seat. Mark clearly illustrates the care Jesus takes in addressing this man. It’s obvious that the man is sincere in his quest for eternal life.
Finally, all that we do as leaders must be done out of love for the whole person. It is who we are and our interactions with others that will resonate throughout the organization. Jesus’ response to this man was prompted by Love “Then Jesus beholding him [the rich young man] loved him” (Mark 10:21). “Mark is the only one who tells us this, as though to show that without ‘love’ service is barren.” (Pink, 1921, p. 34).
References
Carpenter, Eugene and McCown, Wayne (1992). Asbury Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.
Funk, Robert W. and Hoover, Roy W. (1993). The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York, NY. Polebridge Press.
Holy Bible (1985). King James Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.
Pearce, Terry. (2003). Leading Out Loud : Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication. San Francisco John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pink, Arthur W. (1921). Why Four Gospels. Grand Rapids, Mich. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Shea, Gordon F. (2002). Mentoring: How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors. Menlo Park, California. Course PTR.
Goffee, Robert and Jones, Gareth. (2001) Followership: It’s Personal, Too. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business Review On Breakthrough Leadership: Harvard Business School Press.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lieutenant Kenneth Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. Lieutenant Rice is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and an Education & Training Management Subspecialty. He is currently enrolled in the Naval War College completing the Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.
CAANANLAND IS JUST IN SIGHT
Caananland Is Just In Sight
——————————————————————————–
Early this morning, I had this dream. I was at a church, in the social hall. It was springtime, and there was plenty of food on the table. Many people were gathered to eat…young, middle age, and old. They were all dressed well. The pastor stood up and said, “I’m going to ask the LORD to bless the food. I’ll pray and then someone down at the end (where I was sitting) can pray.” He prayed, and then a woman sitting by me tried to get these words out “the effectual fervent prayer” but could not. I then stated “THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH”. As soon as I said these words, a man nearby, fell to the ground. He was on his back looking up. He had his hands raised and was praising the LORD.
I then begin to sing this song, “Moses led God’s children, forty years he led them, through the storms and through the night. We must be like Moses, we must keep on going, Caananland is just in sight!” Two or three other people joined me in singing that song, and it was beautiful. The presence of the LORD was strong. I then woke up.
About the Author
author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com, preacher, retired US Army