From the Admin
From the Admin
Greetings everyone !
Many of you may have had times when you were tired and had to complete an important school assignment , finish a long drama rehearsal , or put forth a final push of physical effort in a sporting event , and you did it ! How ? It was with perseverance . The theme for this month ’ s Viewpoint is perseverance . The definition of perseverance is : “ continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties , failure , or opposition .” Additionally to persevere means : “ to persist in a state , enterprise , or undertaking in spite of counter-influences , opposition , or discouragement ” ( www . merriam-webster . com ). There are many other sayings that reflect perseverance that you may have heard : ‘ never give up ’, ‘ continue to push forward ’, ‘ keep putting one step in front of the other and you will make it ’, or ‘ one day at a time ’. As the semester is in its final days it is time to persevere and not give up . The end is in sight and you can make it ! You have worked hard this year and you can finish strong . The Bible has at least 89 verses that address perseverance ; meditate on this one whenever you feel like you cannot make it . Galatians 6:9 ( ESV ) - And let us not grow weary of doing good , for in due season we will reap , if we do not give up .
Dr . Don McGavran Superintendent
Devotional
Shared by Paul Handali
When suffering crosses our path in life , our most common response is either to
say “ Why me , God ?” Unfortunately , it ’ s a natural tendency . We always wonder why God brings suffering into our lives , but the real problem is that we ’ re blaming Him for it . If you ’ re seriously wondering why we suffer , both Old and New Testaments have answers . In the the Old Testament , God generally used suffering to punish the Israelites as well as to get their attention , as seen in the book of Judges . The Israelites rebelled , God brought an oppressor , the Israelites cried out to God , and then God raised a judge . This cycle was one constantly repeated . The New Testament gives us another reason why we suffer . As believers , one of the reasons we suffer is because we follow Jesus ( Mt . 10:22 ). 1 Peter 4:12-16 , in a nutshell declares that we as Christians should not be surprised that we suffer “ painful trial ,” but instead that we should rejoice because we are able to participate in Christ ’ s suffering . The reward is that we will be overjoyed when God reveals his glory . We shall receive a reward for participating and enduring suffering , like Christ did . John Piper says that we should embrace our suffering because we know there is a reward that we will receive in Heaven ( Read Hebrew 10 , 11 , 12 ).
Are you still wondering why you ’ re suffering ? Both ways following or not following God , the Bible tells us exactly why we ’ re suffering . Stop complaining against God . God remains in control of our lives despite our sufferings and He definitely has a plan and purpose for all of it . If you ’ re not embracing God , and you ’ re going through suffering perhaps He ’ s seeking your attention . If you are embracing God , it ’ s because the world hates Jesus .
�Selekan rebels captured the capital of the Central African Republic , its president escaped to Congo . ( CNN )
�Seven men were found riddled with gunshot wounds and strapped to plastic chairs in Mexico . Four civilians and three federal agents were also killed in a bar in a neighboring state .( Fox News )
�Buddhist mobs rampaged through Muslim towns in Myanmar , killing thirty-two and displacing thousands of people from their homes . ( Fox News )
�China punishes North Korea for continuous nuclear testing by constricting trade and reducing financial aid . ( Fox News )
G L O B A L
N E W S
Compiled by Moze Simandjuntak
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