Resources - Renewal

Regeneration and renewal – Praying for the Earth

January 22, 2018 by Kimberley Currier Leave a Comment

It’s time for me to get grounded and remember the eternal impacts of the Holy Spirit on our lives is more important than the physical state. It’s important for us to renew and regenerate, not just our minds and bodies but this should extend to our world – the Earth.

Regeneration is mentioned in the New Testament and renewal only five times in various forms. Regeneration means to birth again. The connection to our salvation is well established and doesn’t need much explanation here. Renewal in its variations is a little more challenging to describe, especially because there’s the possible linguistic connection to the washing of regeneration. That is, the section could be translated the regeneration bath of the Holy Spirit and renewing, thus equating the two terms.

However, most translations treat terms as separate actions or conditions for which the Holy Spirit is responsible. This works best with the rest of biblical data. Probably the most well-known passage focusing on renewal is Romans 12: 1-2.

In this reference, we’re commanded to present our bodies as holy and acceptable living sacrifices, and also to refuse to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The instrument through which the transformation takes place is a new mind, by the Holy Spirit. This renewal happens internally, and man is renewed in knowledge by the image of the Creator.

Therefore, the renewal comes about intellectually, throughout the ministrations of the Holy Spirit, as we seek, study, store, and obey the spectacular word of God.

I pray for the rebirth of our Earth and all of God’s creations.

Robots and The Future of Humanity

January 19, 2018 by Kimberley Currier Leave a Comment

The scientist Stephen Hawking says that technology must be controlled by to safeguard the future of humanity. In these troubled times, artificial intelligence is set to take over the world. In our grandparents’ era, people did everything my hand. My Grannie stayed at home and did wonderful work bringing up her brood of five. She cooked the meals with love and care, swept the house with a broom and mopped the floor by hand.

I’m reminded of my Grannie’s time on earth whenever I feel like the whole world is trying to sell me a car that talks or a toaster that sings. These days, nobody sweeps or mops any longer. There’s a vacuum cleaner for everything, and the advertising just spins my mind. Just Google “Best vacuum for pet hair” (why does a pet need a special vacuum? The mind boggles!) or “Best pool vacuum” and you’ll see hundreds of slick-looking sites selling the latest gadgets. I could close my eyes and pick one of those online stores like this one, or this one and the machines they’re touting are all the same soulless contraptions that are polluting the earth.

I tend to agree with Stephen Hawking that we need a world government to save us. And I do think that it should be a world government of individuals who serve God. This could be our only hope.

Never before have we been so threatened by nuclear or biological war. Not since the beginning of civilization has our Earth been so threatened.

I’m not sure that God intended us to advance so quickly with technology. The pace is so aggressive that this growth could well destroy us all.

Humanity has proven that mankind is prone to make war. And the only way a world government won’t turn into a tyrannical rule is for God’s government to prevail.

Overpopulation, climate change, and disease are threats we face that could wipe us all out. People have to retrain to cope in a world where their jobs will be replaced by robots.

Yes, it’s happening right now! Think of my Grannie, who mopped the floor with her hands and got on her knees and scrubbed the toilets. Now, we just go out and buy the latest robotic vacuum cleaner. Now we have digital assistants, and self-driving cars are coming to every household soon.

Like the scientist, I’m worried for the future of our planet.

The people of the Earth face monumental environmental challenges such as climate change, overpopulation, epidemic disease and the acidification of the oceans.

Do we need to add to our problems by allowing technology to accelerate? Are our days on Earth numbered?

The Earth that God gave us is at risk of being wiped out by a nuclear war or a genetically engineered virus. I pray that there are enough God-loving people on Earth to keep our planet safe.

Green Awakenings Report

January 19, 2018 by Kimberley Currier Leave a Comment

How To Choose An Environmentally Friendly ToiletIn the 21st century, we’re facing planet-sized challenges. Climate change and environmental crises is crippling us and leading us to the temptation to think that we cannot make a huge difference. Nevertheless, it isn’t about what we may do on our own to make a huge difference. It is about what we may do whenever we mobilize together as a movement, and we unite for community action. The sons and daughters of this generation need to come together and take care of the earth in a manner that previous generations have failed to do. Small things could make a big difference whenever we all work together.

We have the opportunity to show the world what it looks like when Christians take care of the planet that God gave us so that generations to come could live sustainably.

The 21st century is our moment. This is our time. The Green Revolution is here to stay.

The Green Revolution

If you stop to think about it, I’m sure you feel the pull to serve the earth with your heart and soul and brain, as opposed to the Creator God who made the earth. The term spiritual retreat could lead to expectations about closer communion with God through his Word.

The consistent aim of a spiritual retreat is not to hear or spread God’s voice and God’s Word, and much more, to work toward justice by providing a passionate voice on the planet and its people.

But is the Green Revolution this merely a nice dream following the teachings of Psalm 19?

I guess the answer to this question depends upon whether or not we hear the planet announcing the glory of the God of the Scriptures and directing us into these Scriptures and a revival of the spirit.

It depends upon whether we specify justice biblically and a justice flowing from the nature of God himself.

I guess it ultimately depends upon whether we believe God is talking through us or that we humans can give the planet its passionate voice.

If we think the latter, then, in planning to serve the ground and give it a passionate voice, we’re ultimately serving yourself and listening to our voices.

When our eyes are on the ground rather than about God, who made the earth, our entire view changes. Think, by way of example, of the view of redemption, which work of God to do brand new his fallen creation, throughout the ideal life and death and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider one college’s report which, because its pupils work to make a neighborhood garden, they’re taking part in redeeming a broken connection, between each other, invention, and God. Such a focus on humanity’s part in salvation, in providing the planet a voice, and so on, suggest the third party observation.