Understand Christianity

Today I want to continue our study in Ecclesiastes – only a couple more weeks to go.  This final section of Ecclesiastes does not address new material, but supplements what has already been presented.  Much of what we have discovered in Ecclesiastes is that many of the mysteries of life only begin to make sense when we view them from a divine perspective.  Man in his natural state cannot begin to make sense out of what goes on in this world.  Injustice, evil, and crooked deals make no sense to the unaided human mind.  Even when we see things from God’s perspective, there remain some unanswered questions.  After all, we are called on to live by faith and not by sight.   If we truly trust God, then we can be content with “some insoluble mysteries in divine providence.”  Verse 8:17 affirms that no one can know every thing that goes on under the sun....

Today is Mother’s Day.  This morning I want to speak about an older woman whose life was a rich illustration of holiness and prayer.  Her life is also an example of the kind of mother whose work was never done.   She was a faithful example of what the Apostle Paul commanded Titus to teach in order to produce sound doctrine.  Even today she is still teaching younger women to “to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”  I believe she will be teaching younger women today and for many years to come.  She was born in the year 331 AD. She was a native of Thagaste, North Africa who had been brought up in a Christian home. Her husband, Patricius, was a Christian in name only, living a promiscuous life style and possessed a violent temper.  At forty years of age she became a widow with three children.  Her two younger children followed her Christian influence, but her oldest son decided to go his own way and caused no end of heartache for his mother.  Someone has wisely said, “Oftentimes a mother is only as happy as her least happy child.”  For some years she diligently prayed for his conversion.  He set out for Rome where she feared things would only get worse.  She pursued him to Milan where she was attracted to the preaching of a bishop by the name of Ambrose whom she persuaded to pray with her for her wayward son’s conversion.  I guess by now you know the famous son’s name was Augustine and his mother’s name was Monica.  (Santa Monica, CA)  Eventually Augustine was converted to Christianity and adopted a semi-monastic lifestyle, radically different from the life he had been living.  Monica’s life should be an encouragement for any who are still praying for their children to reexamine their lives and turn to God.   Another example:  (Franklin Graham)  (Ruth Bell Graham – The Prodigal and Those who Love Them)  

 

Introduction: The idea of democracy seems to have “originated in Athens during the 5th century BC, when Greece moved from a tyrannical system of government to one where the people had more say in the running of the state. The move to democratic rule was slow, however, with only select individuals able to vote in the early inception.” (www.reference.com/world-view/did-democracy)

 

The modern example of democracy is closely identified with that form of government we have here in America (or more accurately, we live in a democratic republic).  The influence of American democracy has spread to many other parts of the world.  But democracy is not the only form of government practiced throughout the world.  Some countries are ruled by a more or less single voice of authority.  Others have a more representative form of government.  But whatever from of government a country adopts, its citizens, and especially Christians, are to submit to that authority...