For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. -- Philippians 1:19-20 nlt

Know that you are loved,
gaj

At times, life can be very difficult.

Disappointments.

Tragedies.

Unmet expectations.

Unrealized dreams.

And, brokenness....

Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives. -- Henri Nouwen

Through it all, God will never leave or forsake us.

He is faithful.

And His presence is always with us.

He will give us the strength, grace, and peace in our time of need that will give us the needed endurance on our exciting journey from earth to glory.

Know that you are loved,
gaj

There is nothing that we can see on earth which does not either show the wretchedness of man or the mercy of God. One either sees the powerlessness of man without God, or the strength of man with God. -- Blaise Pascal

Know that you are loved,
gaj

What is the best way for others to know that we are Christian?

Is it by our words?

Is it by our actions?

Or, could it be by both our words and our actions?

The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief. -- T. S. Eliot

Genuine faith will always produce action, no matter what the cost.

Know that you are loved,
gaj

Many years ago as a child in church camp, I was taught a song that I have never forgotten.  It goes like this:


Many think today that God only blesses one nation.

In my country, America, you always hear people say "God Bless America."

Some believe that Jesus is returning for one physical nation.

Some believe that Jesus is returning for a physical piece of land in the middle east.

Check out what God promised Abraham:


According to the Bible, God is for all nations. 

God's heart is that none should parish, but that all have everlasting life through His son, Jesus Christ.

Color of skin does not matter to God.

Language does not matter to God.

Gender does not matter to God.

Economic status does not matter to God.

Physical location does not matter to God.

Jesus is not returning for one physical nation.

Jesus is not returning for a piece of land in the middle east.

Jesus is returning for His faithful followers who have denied self and taken up the cross.

Jesus' return is the consummation of His Kingdom here on earth that is already within His followers and He is ruling over it.

His Kingdom is full of love, grace and peace with race, gender, economic, and health equality for all.

His kingdom already consists of people from all nations.

So I say "Let's just praise the Lord!"

And I conclude by saying "God Bless the World!"

Know that you are loved,
gaj

With a recent conversation fresh in my thoughts that I had with a close and long time friend in which I was introduced to the terminology of “class warfare”,  an article from an unlikely source, Money Magazine,  caught my attention.  I finished reading Income Inequality: The Real Problem Today.  The article is written by David Futrelle and is the documentation of an interview he conducts with Raghuram Rajan, a highly credentialed economist at the University of Chicago. 

Unlike many today, Mr. Rajan does not blame the financial crisis on housing, but instead says that “the real estate bubble itself was a bungled political attempt to deal with the real root cause: rising income inequality.”  He goes on to explain his conclusion: 


When asked the question “What can government do to reduce inequality?”  He responds “In the long run, redistribution doesn’t work.  Focusing on improving the quality of the workforce - through education and skill building - is probably the only answer.”

The article concludes with Mr. Rajan’s comment “We need to worry about inequality not just because it upsets our sense of fairness but because it creates dangerous political dynamics.”

So given Mr. Rajan’s expert opinion and your life experiences, what are your thoughts?  Is Mr. Rajan offering insight that has been overlooked when it comes to income inequality?  Is the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession, government bailouts of Wall Street, and prolonged 10% unemployment caused by the real estate bubble or is the financial crises the result of a greater problem that is still overlooked and unaddressed:  Income inequality?  If income inequality is the problem, what is the solution?

I’m interested in a healthy, constructive and non offensive conversation on this subject.  Please comment and share your view and experiences.

Know that you are loved,
gaj

I pray God's grace and peace for you in 2011. May it be a year of realized goals and dreams abounding in ever increasing spiritual blessings that impact not only your life, but also the life of those in your sphere of influence.

Know that you are loved,
gaj