HillFaith – Page 24

A SONG OF JOY: ‘Who You Say I Am’ By Hillsong Worship

It’s Sunday morning, June 16, 2019. No matter what you did last night or where you were, the problems, hopes, doubts, suspicions, dreams, fears, ambitions and worries you faced yesterday are likely all still here today.

No, that’s not a negative, that’s a statement of reality. I know how it feels to wake up and either know too well what I did the night before or wish that I didn’t know. That’s how a lot of us live for many years.

And then Jesus Christ on the morning of March 1, 1991, opened my eyes to myself, to Him, to the reality of my need for His saving grace. That was the moment my life changed forever.

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APOLOGETICS: No, Hindu Avatars Aren’t ‘Just Like’ The Incarnation Of Jesus; It’s Not Even Close

Bhakti Hinduism’s Krishna devotees believe Vishnu is an avatar for Krishna, a god who as an avatar lived among human beings and who declared that “Although I am unborn, everlasting, and I am the Lord of all, I come to my realm of nature and through my wondrous power I am born” (Bhagavad Gita 4:6).

Hey, that sounds like Jesus, doesn’t it? For New Agers and others who seek to render Jesus anything but what He claimed to be, the Avatar comparison is probably too good to resist.

Well, actually no, there is an apparent surface similarity but the reality is that there are multiple profound differences that make the comparison useless, according to philosopher and theologian Kenneth Samples of Reasons To Believe, writing on his Reflections blog.

The Gospel of John opens with the classic statement of Jesus’ incarnation, saying:

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RELATIONSHIPS: New Survey Finds Married Couples, Parents Have Fewer Barriers To Forgiveness

All of us have done things to others for which we want forgiveness, but finding it can be difficult for those working in a hyper-competitive environment like Capitol Hill where “what have you done for me today” is heard far more often than “I forgive you.”

This will likely come as a shock to those steeped in the stereotype of Christians as judgmental, overbearing and narrow-minded, but guess who finds it easier to forgive? Married Christian couples, at least according to the results of a recent survey by the Barna Group, one of the nation’s pre-eminent social science research groups.

“For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Whatever the wording of a couple’s wedding vows, there’s generally an acknowledgment that tough times will come.

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JOBS: Here’s Nine Valuable Tips For Interviewing Well On Capitol Hill

You’ve followed up on that job lead from your college friend who now works on the Hill, you’ve prepared a relevant resume, found a good recommender, and you just got invited to meet with the hiring manager.

Bret Bernhardt, former chief of staff for senators Don Nickles and Jim DeMint.

Now, how do you make the best of that interview? Here are nine tips:

First, there are a few important things you’ll need to do leading up to the interview, but on the day of the meeting, it’s most important that you have the right frame of mind. If you are a Christian believer, you should exercise “confident humility,” as we discussed in my previous post (“Getting In The Door On Capitol Hill”).

This means having confidence in knowing you are loved and accepted by God, while asking the Lord to search your heart for anything that impairs your relationship with Him. Reading and meditating on Psalm 139, or other go-to verses, is an excellent way to accomplish this.

This will give you a measure of peace and tranquility, which prepares you to be relaxed and free from anxiety when you interview.

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APOLOGETICS: Why Christianity Is A ‘Forensic Faith’

There are folks who think that having both Christian faith and a logical mind capable of critically evaluating competing truth claims is impossible, but not so, contends NBC “Dateline” Cold-Case Detective J. Warner Wallace.

After all, Jesus said “you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37), so those who say becoming a Christian requires leaving your brain at the door aren’t considering all of the evidence.

Wallace, author of “Cold-Case Christianity: A homicide detect investigates the claims of the Gospel,” points to three kinds of faith, including blind faith, faith held despite the evidence, and faith based on evidence, aka “forensic faith.”

Check out the three-minute video in which Wallace explains why “the Christian tradition calls us not to hold to its truth claims blindly …”

APOLOGETICS: A Simple Detective Skill For The God Search

It’s almost certainly not something you would think of as a helpful tool in determining where you stand on the “Does God Exist?” issue, but the “Inside-Or-Outside-The-Room” technique might still be just the thing.

Is the explanation inside or outside the room?

The Inside/Outside technique, according to former Los Angeles homicide detective J. Warner Wallace — you may know him as the “Cold-Case Detective” on NBC Dateline —is this: Is it possible to know if a dead person was murdered, committed suicide or died from natural causes or in an accident by the information contained within the scene (the “Inside”) or is it necessary to go “Outside” to find the answer?

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OFFICE HOURS: Got Questions About Jesus? Or Life? Or Careers On The Hill? Let’s Talk

Check out my Office Hours schedule for this week in the sidebar to the right. If you have questions about Jesus, who described Himself as “the Way, the Truth and Life,” or how things are going in your life or anything else that puzzles you, then come on by.

No appointments necessary and the coffee is on me! Stay as long or as little as you wish. I’ve been in this town since 1976 and have learned some lessons — spiritually, politically and lots of other ways, trust me!— and just might have something of value in the way of insights to help in your search for answers to your questions.

And don’t worry, I’m not a preacher, I understand what Jesus was talking about when he discussed the plank in my own eye, and nothing surprises me. I’m interested in conversation, not confrontation.

Just look for the guy with a Mac Air displaying this cobbled-together logo (And yes, that’s Scotch tape. Hey, this is a low-budget operation!):