"Bully" shows that we have too many hearts of stone

Please also see:

 

Psalm 139:23-24

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 – from Bible Gateway’s Verse of the Day

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

 

1 John 4:9 (NIV)

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

.

 

.

 

 

.

 

.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV) — from BibleGateway.com

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Bible cross references between books [OpenBible.info]

Re-visualizing Cross References (Interactively)

Example:

Cross references between Genesis and Daniel

 

Tagged with:  

Stopping the ‘brain drain’ of the U.S. economy — from NPR

Excerpts:

“The problem is that when you’ve got 20 to 30 percent of some of the top talent in this country going into a sector that is not necessarily contributing to economic and social productivity,” he says. “That’s a problem for the country at large and it’s something that we should all be concerned about.”

Economist Paul Kedrosky with the Kauffman Foundation says elite schools sending a bigger share of their graduates into finance and consulting is not new; they’ve been doing it for at least two decades.  Kedrosky tells NPR’s Raz that what’s different now is that those students have essentially used their talents to grow the financial sector in ways that are unhealthy for the overall economy.

From DSC:
Some relevant scripture comes to my mind — which I, myself, also have to reckon with (these are hard teachings, especially in this day in age…but on second thought, in any age for us humans)

Matthew 6:21: (NIV)

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Psalm 33:4-5 (NIV)

“For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.”

.

From DSC:
One last, relevant reflection here…

I’ve been wondering about the place of the heart when it comes to capitalism. I was listening to Gary Hamel earlier today — Gary is author of the new book, What Matters Now (thanks to Daniel Pink’s Office Hours) and one of the items Gary mentioned was the need for a moral renaissance in business today.  The comments were that:

  • Capitalism requires that the most powerful players act as guardians, stewards, and are accountable, equitable, and charitable; they can and do deny their self;  leaders must see themselves as stewards instead of just maximizing short-term gains
  •  Without those morals, there is egregious behavior
Bottom line:
Values and principles are key to our economy and our nation.
Relevant graphic:

 

 

Addendum on 3/1/12 pointing to the relationship and relevancy of our hearts as they relate to capitalism:

Psalm 33:4-5

“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

Psalm 59:16

Psalm 59:16 (New International Version) — from BibleGateway.com

16 But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.

From Acts 5:33-39

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

.

Christianity now numbers 30% of the world's population -- as of Jan 2012

From DSC:
The above image was taken/edited from the infographic below:

 

 

Tagged with:  

A reflection on “Making Holes in Our Heart” from The Technium:

Excerpt — that is also quoted in that piece:

There is a hole in my heart dug deep by advertising and envy and a desire to see a thing that is new and different and beautiful. A place within me that is empty, and that I want to fill it up. The hole makes me think electronics can help. And of course, they can.

They make the world easier and more enjoyable. They boost productivity and provide entertainment and information and sometimes even status. At least for a while. At least until they are obsolete. At least until they are garbage.

Electronics are our talismans that ward off the spiritual vacuum of modernity; gilt in Gorilla Glass and cadmium. And in them we find entertainment in lieu of happiness, and exchanges in lieu of actual connections.

From DSC:
Readers of this blog know that I lean towards a pro-technology stance!  🙂   However, I also realize there are limits to what technology brings to the table.  Though the author goes onto comment about his being ok w/ holes in our heart, I think he misses the greatest void in the human heart that only the LORD can fill — not technology and/or other things that humankind may create.  I’m not saying that I’ve always known what that feels like to have the LORD fill that hole in my heart, but I continue my journey in my relationship with Him, pressing on…sometimes feeling His presence…hearing Him speak to me at different times and in different ways…all the while hoping that I will know that feeling intimately and consistently.  But ultimately, all of this technology — when compared to knowing Christ – IS garbage.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Philippians 3:8 (NIV):

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

 

Luke 1:30-33

Luke 1:30-33 — from Bible Gateway’s Verse of the Day

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.””

Tagged with:  
© 2024 | Daniel Christian