Right at the beginning of the book “Bible & Treaty” by Keith Newman I am reading this quote by Sir Winston Churchill:

“…… one of the signs of a great society is the diligence with which it passes culture from one generation to the next. This culture is the embodiment of everything the people of that society hold dear: its religious faith, its heroes…. When one generation no longer esteems its own heritage and fails to pass the torch to its children, it is saying in essence that the very foundational principles and experiences that make the society what it is are no longer valid. This leaves that generation without any sense of definition or direction, making them the fulfillment of Karl Marx’s dictum, ‘A people without heritage are easily persuaded’.”

– Sir Winston Churchill

You have noticed the word ‘generation’.

Here are some verses from the Bible with the word generation.

Exodus 10:2 “… tell your children and grandchildren…”

Exodus 3:15

Psalm 48:13; Psalm 71:18; Psalm 78:4; Psalm 102:18

Joel 1:3

“Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

Genesis 9:12; Genesis 17:7,9

Deuteronomy 7:9

Psalm 22:30

“FREIHEIT IST KEINE SACHE DES RAUMES, SONDERN DER SEELE.” – Arno Backhaus

Freedom is not a matter of space, but of the soul.

Is that a good translation?

Sorrow looks back.

Worry looks around.

Faith looks up.

“Prevent truth decay. Brush up on the Bible.”

I’m looking at an advertisement of The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. It is mainly a picture and it is true: A picture is worth a thousand words.

The image shows the dining room of the house. A lonely man is sitting with his hands on the table staring  into empty space, his full plate before him including a glass. The place opposite has only a place mat, but the chair is empty.

He is experiencing the sadness of the empty place at the table: sorrow, pain, heartache. Will he be able to eat the food before him?

Underneath the picture I read, “For the 2,600 New Zealand women diagnosed with breast cancer every year, thousands more people are affected. To learn more or donate, call….”

The fact is that we are all effected. Or is there someone who does not leave an empty place at the table? We all do!

To learn more we must read the Bible, the Word of the Living God.

Open Paul’s letter to the Romans, Romans 5:12-21. There we read about “Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ”.

“MISTY TRAIL: Driving down from Dangen Road into the Oruru/Peria Valley requires something of a leap of faith when the fog rolls in.” That is the description of the picture in the local paper, The Northern News, I am looking at. “Readers are invited to submit photos depicting the Far North’s special qualities.” The photos are published under the heading “This is our PLACE”.

The fact is, that our whole life requires faith, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Acts 16:30 the jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved- you and your household.” Acts 16:31

As true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we must learn to live by faith.

I have been reading about leaps of faith lately quite a bit. It was a bold step of faith for the General Director  of a big missionary society to suggest that he wanted a not so much known missionary  to become his successor.

And it was also a leap of faith for the not  so well known missionary to accept the invitation. But it worked out alright.

It was my privilege to hear both of them speak.

Started reading the GIVEAWAY book “Bible & Treaty” by Keith Newman I received today by post. I know that I am going to enjoy reading it.

Job 9:27 (NIV)