Journeys of Heart and Mind

The city on the hill

Jesus is well aware that we, too, are hemmed in by religious traditions and habits on the one hand, and inflexible structures on the other.

From the Bible – 1

The old city on the hill

What follows is an updated version of an article published on 13th June 2016. The Bible references open in the same tab or window; if you click these links, use the browser’s back arrow to return to the article.

Approaching the end of his three and a half years of teaching and healing, Jesus told his disciples, ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing’. (Matthew 23:37-39)

Jesus means us to take these verses very seriously indeed. In Matthew’s account they’re sandwiched between some of the most severe criticism of the religion of the day and a terrifying promise of the destruction to come. The city of Jerusalem and the temple at its heart were pulled down in 70 AD and replaced by a Roman city. The people died in the assault or were thrown out; this is what Jesus predicts and describes.

Jesus is well aware that we, too, are hemmed in by religious traditions and habits on the one hand, and inflexible structures on the other. And in the same way, he wants to gather us together under his wings. But are we willing? If we are not, he will criticise our religious tradition and allow our structures to be destroyed in order to save us from our own error and foolishness. Let’s not mislead ourselves, religion and structure are central to much that we think and do.

The new city on the hill

This is the New Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb, the church! In Revelation 21:2-3 we read, ‘I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’ Revelation 21:9-11 tells us, ‘I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.’

This new Jerusalem has no traditions and is not built of stone. We are the living stones it’s constructed from! Jesus said, ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’.

Sometimes we think in terms of our own, individual lights, and how they should not be hidden. It’s not wrong to read the passage in that way, but surely what Jesus really has in mind is his people collectively, the church, his bride, the new city built on a hill – the city that ‘cannot be hidden’. And this new city is not built on a foundation of traditions and human teaching and Sunday services. It’s built on the foundation of Christ alone and it’s driven by every breath he breathes, the wind of the Spirit of Christ.

The how – life in the city

So what do we get in place of tradition and structure? Church life is based on something far more flexible and adaptable, something much more organic.

Ephesians 4:11-16 reveals church life as Jesus intended it. ‘Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.’

And here’s the practical detail. ‘To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.’ (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And yet more detail from 1 Corinthians 14:26. ‘When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.’

This is the new city on the hill that shines its light all around (not hidden under a jar). This is the church, the new Jerusalem, light in a dark world, individuals all bringing a contribution, building and equipping one another. This is who we are, it’s what we need to be doing.

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Sheep, a street, and a home

The rest of the week we might have left-over meat from Sunday, often minced and made into cottage pie or shepherd’s pie. And we had non-meat days in the week as well, perhaps macaroni cheese, or kippers. or baked beans on toast, or cod.

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Image of the day – 140

What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

As a child I remember that we had a joint of meat on Sunday. And we usually had a fried breakfast on Sunday too, bacon, egg, fried bread, and perhaps a sausage as well. Sunday was a good day, a day to look forward to! The Sunday joint was sometimes mutton, sometimes pork, and just now and again, beef. But hardly ever chicken because chicken was too expensive. I also recall whale meat on at least one occasion. The rest of the week we might have left-over meat from Sunday, often minced and made into cottage pie or shepherd’s pie. And we had non-meat days in the week as well, perhaps macaroni cheese, or kippers. or baked beans on toast, or cod.

Today’s photo is from a house entrance in Cirencester’s Sheep Street. The house is not really a cottage at all. Hand sawn stone (known as ashlar) was an expensive material, so a genuine cottage would have probably have been built of undressed Cotswold stone straight from the quarry. Mutton (sometimes on a Sunday) is the meat of a mature sheep, tougher than lamb and needing more cooking time.

Why these references to sheep?

That’s easy to answer if you know something about the history of the Cotswolds! The land in this region is very good for farming sheep and in Medieval times wool was much in demand throughout Europe. Woollen cloth was still a major industry in early Victorian times, and the wealth created from the sale of unprocessed wool and woollen fabrics paid for many fine churches and merchant’s houses in towns across the region. Cirencester was no different, the famous Parish Church of St John the Baptist was built on wool money, and the many merchants’ houses in the centre of the town were funded in the same way. One of them, in Coxwell Street, still has its counting house attached.

That explains the references to sheep. You’ll find others, there’s the ‘Wool Market’, the ‘Fleece Hotel and Restaurant’, and Shepherd’s Way to name just three.

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Praying for the fundamentals

Jesus begins by reading back what he already knows. It’s time. His followers still don’t fully understand, but hearing this now, they will gradually understand as events unfold.

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Cruising the gospel – John 17:1-5

Bible text – Read it yourself (opens in a new tab)

Take a look first

17:1 – Here, Jesus reveals to us what is really fundamental through his prayer. He even begins with something fundamental, but it’s easy to read the words without noticing the implication – He looked up.

Jesus looked up. This was the first thing he did, even before he spoke. He looked towards the Father before he spoke to him. This is exactly what we all do immediately before we speak to another person. We look at them and then we begin to say whatever is on our mind. The looking is an important part of the communication; it announces an intention to say something, checks if the other party is ready to listen, and alerts others nearby that a conversation is about to start.

At the very least, if we’re about to say something it is kind and thoughtful to look and see if right now is a good time to do that. We are checking, but also making the connection to establish communication.

Now speak, freely and openly. Jesus speaks to the Father but also to his apprentices, the disciples.

The hour has come

Jesus begins by reading back what he already knows. It’s time. His followers still don’t fully understand, but hearing this now, they will gradually understand as events unfold. They will later recall that Jesus knew what they did not – and that he was prepared for it.

Glory!

17:2-3 – Jesus knows that he is going to receive glory, but he also knows that the purpose of it is that he can then glorify the Father. He has authority over everyone and he’s been given the power to give eternal life to those entrusted to him by the Father.

And what is eternal life? Why, it’s the knowledge of the Father and of the Son that the Father sent! Jesus has told them already, that if they’ve seen him, they have seen the Father. It really is that simple! Simple to say, yet still very hard for them to comprehend at this point. Right now they just don’t get it – but after Pentecost they will.

The work is complete

17:4 – The Father receives glory by the Son completing the task he was sent to do. Jesus has done everything except the very brief final act. Think about what he has already achieved. He was born into a broken world, and grew up as a young child, obedient to his parents. By the time he was twelve-years-old he had understood who his real Father is and was capable of debating with Jewish scholars at the Temple in Jerusalem. He grew up, learning the trade of carpentry. He went out into the river country to be baptised by John in the Jordan, and then he called people to follow him, teaching them everything they would need to know. He had prepared everything for them so that they could accept his Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) when he would arrive and fill them just a little later.

17:5 -Now he is ready to be obedient in the final act too, and to receive again the glory he had in his Father’s presence even before the world began. These five verses at the beginning of John 17 summarise everything he has done and will do.

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Holes in a wall

When I was young, nobody took the trouble to fill these holes again, but these days they’re probably protected as historical curiosities.

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Image of the day – 139

What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Some of you might know what these two, rectangular holes are for, but many might not. Holes like these can be found all around Cirencester, usually along the main roads leading into or out of the town.

They date back to the dark days of World War Two when Britain faced invasion by German forces. The invasion never took place because Germany was unable to defeat the RAF and air dominance was essential before the invasion fleet could be launched.

The holes in these walls, if you haven’t already guessed, are sniper or machine gun positions to enable the defenders to fire on German forces from behind the temporary safety of masonry. One round from a German tank would been more than enough to destroy the wall, of course.

When I was young, nobody took the trouble to fill these holes again, but these days they’re probably protected as historical curiosities. A reminder if one is needed, that war can come visiting at short notice (as in Ukraine) and that no nation should assume it will always be safe.

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Truth and facts

Physical facts can often be pinned down rather well by careful measurement using accurate instruments; but there are other kinds of fact and some of those may be much harder to assess.

Thinking out loud

How can we best define ‘truth’, how should we judge whether something is ‘factual’? And what happens if I live my life in ignorance of the way things really are? It’s possible to be unwittingly ignorant, but it’s also possible to pretend to be ignorant. Clearly there’s a big difference between not knowing something and pretending not to know it. Does that difference matter? And if so, how?

What a lot of questions!

We should begin with some definitions, I think.

Facts

Maybe this won’t be too hard to pin down. Here’s a simple example.

‘Water is a liquid’ – Correct?

Well, with a few caveats it is generally true. If the atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa and the temperature is between 0 C and 100 C it will be more or less correct. If the conditions are different, the statement could be false.

Does it matter? Well, it might do. If the water is deep and you can’t swim, don’t claim it’s a solid; and whether you make that claim or not, take my advice and don’t walk on it! Almost everything in the photo is water; the clouds are made of tiny droplets of liquid water, the iceberg is frozen water, the churning sea is liquid water heavily contaminated with salts. Which of the three would you prefer to walk on?

That example already establishes that facts may be conditional and that ignoring them might have consequences. What makes it all the more tricky is that we may be unaware of the conditions, the consequences, or both.

Physical facts can often be pinned down rather well by careful measurement using accurate instruments; but there are others kinds of fact and some of those may be much harder to assess. A legal case might depend on whether a particular person was in a particular place at a certain time. And assessing such situations may depend on evidence (perhaps a time-stamped video recording), or it may depend partly or even wholly on whether we trust or believe a witness statement.

Truth

Now things get rather difficult. If there are facts available it may indeed, be possible to decide if a statement is true or false. But something may be true or false even though there are no facts available to help us decide.

What about the statement, ‘There is a higher power behind the universe’. As it happens, I believe that statement to be true. But I wouldn’t have to ask many people in the street to find someone who believes the same statement to be false. And let’s be honest about this – there is no evidence one way or the other. As a believer, I might say that I had a revelation, or a vision, or a feeling and they may be real for me, but I have no evidence to show to the person with no faith. And they might give me reasons for their belief that such a power does not exist, but those reasons do not, indeed can not amount to evidence.

And there are many other examples of unprovable true/false statements.

The 15 quadrillionth digit of π= 6, true or false? One day we might calculate this, but currently we don’t know the value of this digit.
There will still be life on Earth a billion years from now, true or false? We do not know.
There’s a junction ahead, will you turn right or left? Nobody can know until you make the manoeuvre.

People

Once we consider the motives people may have (or not have) the difficulties grow again. When Donald Trump says he will do something, we can’t even tell whether he’s saying it because he intends to do it, or to achieve an effect of some kind, or to mislead.

And make no mistake, everyone is like Donald Trump in principal, he is just an outstanding and topical example. Every action and every word of every person must be considered as a possible intention, a possible attempt to achieve an effect, or even perhaps to mislead. We all do it, though we may not even recognise that we are doing it!

Consequences

How are we to live our lives if falsehoods are presented as truth and fact? That’s a good question we all need to consider.

We do have one advantage, however. And it’s a big one.

Actions based on false information will fail. Think about that for a moment. Once again it will help to use an example. Let’s suppose you are visiting a foreign country and you are told that in this place, cars are driven on the right-hand side of the road. If the information is correct things will go more smoothly than if it is incorrect. Never mind why a piece of information is incorrect; it might be an innocent mistake, a misunderstanding, or it might be deliberate. The knowledge that it is incorrect is all we need to know to keep us safe.

This is important: misinformation will lead to mishaps.

If Vladimir Putin makes false claims to enhance his chances of success, it will work until it doesn’t! We live in a universe where false information results in unexpected results. We may get away with it for a while, but we will not get away with it forever.

John Lydgate had a great thought; he wrote, ‘You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.’ He was later slightly misquoted by Abraham Lincoln and also by Winston Churchill .

‘You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.’

That is absolutely right!

In conclusion

So how, then, should we live?

Always try to speak the truth – Check what people tell you – And remember, if you mislead you will, sooner or later, come unstuck. People will generally forgive a mistake. But if you make mistakes often they will stop trusting you. And if most of the things you say are untrue, people may conclude you are deliberately misleading them.

The next level of depravity after deliberately misleading people, is to harm them if they oppose you. That way you may get your way because people fear you. They have seen what happened to others who fell out of windows or were offered cups of tea and they will want to avoid a similar fate.

We live in a wicked world. It’s good to be truthful and honest, but it’s necessary to be to be careful and wise about other’s motives too. Jesus told his followers to be as shrewd as snakes, yet as innocent as doves. It’s great advice in a sometimes confusing world!

Political turmoil in the USA

[A] wider war is possible. There’s a real possibility of a European conflict between Russia and the rest of Europe. There’s a chance of civil war between opposing groups within the Russian Federation.

Forward look, ukraine – 5

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Feb 2025

So much has changed since our last Forward Look.

The world has seen political turmoil in the USA where President Trump has taken over from Biden. When you stick a spade into an ant’s nest and turn the soil over, there’s a period of frantic activity while the ants go into emergency mode, assess the damage, and begin to rescue whatever they can from the mayhem. That is the USA in February 2025.

And make no mistake, a frantic USA spells trouble for Ukraine, for the whole of Europe (I include the UK here), and perhaps for Russia and China as well. Predicting anything at this stage is about as useful as predicting the result of a horse race without knowing the length or nature of the course or the form of any of the horses.

But what I can say, is that wider war is possible. There’s a real danger of a European conflict between Russia and the rest of Europe. There’s a chance of civil war between opposing groups within the Russian Federation, and there are also possibilities of a second civil war in the USA and/or a third world war. I fervently hope that none of these things will happen, but events rarely take account of our hopes.

We’re going take a wider look at things here because so much has changed in such a short period of time.

First, let’s just catch up on the current state of the war between the invading Russians and the defending Ukrainians.

Russian and Ukrainian war efforts

Russia is finding it more and more difficult to continue the war. Russian casualties (dead and seriously wounded) are growing close to a million. The Russian economy is in an awful state, 40% of the state budget is being spent on the war. Inflation is rampant, interest rates are extremely high, many professional people have fled the country and Ukraine is systematically destroying Russian oil pipelines, distilleries, fuel storage installations and transport infrastructure, military air bases, radar systems, training facilities and military headquarters.

The much touted Russian ‘advance’ in Ukraine has all but stalled and, in some places, has reversed to retreat. The once feared ‘second most powerful army in the world’ has been fighting against a much smaller neighbour for three years and has failed to win. Hardly an impressive display of military might! Russia has lost most of its huge military power at sea, in the air, and on land. They continue to lose between 1000 and 2000 troops every single day. They have lost almost all their tanks and armed personnel carriers and are unable to replace them as fast as they are losing them.

Ukraine on the other hand has been getting better and better at defeating Russian attacks using a combination of high tech drones, great planning and anticipation, nimble action, good training, surprise, and constant technical innovation.

They continue to defend successfully against most incoming drones and missiles. As long as they continue to receive sufficient support, they will, I believe, continue to succeed and will eventually defeat Russia. In their favour is the fact that they and some of their European allies continue to ramp up the production of both weapons and ammunition to levels sufficient to defeat demoralised Russian forces – themselves facing more and more serious shortages of such materiel.

The political climate in February/March 2025

Now we have to pause. At the end of February the situation is changing daily, even hourly at times. Rather than try to make any predictions, I think it’s better to point you to some online resources that you can check daily or weekly to keep yourselves informed in such dynamic times.

I’ve mentioned both these sources previously, but here they are again.

Jake Broe – Jake posts a video every day or two. He’s a retired US Air Force pilot, so he knows what he’s talking about in military matters, but he is also an astute political observer and commentator. His videos are closely packed with the latest updates, and he provides links with the evidence needed to back up the things he says. There are no wild claims here, just good reporting, intelligent comment and useful material. Jake is well worth hearing and following.
Silicon Curtain – Jonathan Fink posts on Silicon Curtain as well as the shorter-form Silicon Bites. Here you’ll find great comment, opinion, and some penetrating, in-depth interviews with other key players and commentators. Every single video is well worth watching.

You will learn so much from these two excellent channels, but there’s a great deal more good material online. Try this YouTube search for recent material, but don’t believe everything you see and hear. The material turned up by the search may be true or false, checked or unchecked. Use your own judgement.

If you prefer the written form, use the same search in Google or another search engine. (Copy and paste this search or a similar one… war in ukraine 2025 latest news …into any search engine.)

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An old survivor

Much of the old tree would have survived for while, so the new shoot was shaded and would have grown out at an angle, attracted towards the light. Since then, the new growth has itself become a mature tree.

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Image of the day – 138

What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

I spotted this old tree when we visited Blenheim Palace today. It’s probably an ancient oak though I didn’t get close enough to check with certainty.

The thickest part, the lumpy-looking base is the remaining stump, all that remains of the original tree that would have grown from an acorn many hundreds of years ago. That tree was a sapling, then a youthful, vigorously growing tree; eventually if became a mature, majestic oak. But then the rot would have set in – literally. Holes made by a woodpecker, or damage from a storm cracking off a branch, gave access to unprotected wood beneath the bark. Insects may have burrowed into the wood, and eventually fungal spores would have germinated and started the decay process in earnest.

The weakened tree would have lost its vigour and been reduced to a hollow stump and failing branches. But finally, a new shoot must have appeared near the base and formed new, young growth. Much of the old tree would have survived for while, so the new shoot was shaded and would have grown out at an angle, attracted towards the light. Since then, the new growth has itself become a mature tree.

Another possibility is that a branch of the original tree survived, and with the other branches missing, grew into the shape we now see. A careful examination of the tree might reveal the truth. But however this curious old tree survived, it certainly has an unusual story to tell!

Donna and I enjoyed our day at Blenheim and will visit again from time to time this year as the seasons roll by. I’ll probably write about the place again.

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Inside out

In this photo, taken from outside the church after dark, the relatively bright, modern lighting inside shows up the windows very nicely.

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Image of the day – 137

What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

These windows are inside-out. They are stained-glass, and part of Cirencester’s Parish Church. When they were built, the idea was that they would look impressive from the interior in a world without anything much brighter than a candle or an oil lamp. Illuminated in daylight and seen from within a relatively dark building, they would have been amazing – and they still are.

But in this photo, taken from outside the church after dark, the relatively bright, modern lighting inside shows up the windows very nicely. The makers could hardly have imagined them being seen in this way!

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Asteroid heading our way

There is absolutely no need to panic. If you’ve heard about this and are worried, calm down and read on for the simple facts and where to go for more detail.

Image: Wikimedia

Science and technology – 4

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There is absolutely no need to panic. If you’ve heard about this and are worried, calm down and read on for the simple facts and where to go for more detail.

I imagine almost everyone will have heard about this asteroid by now. News stories have varied from rather scary to suggesting the risk is extremely tiny, so letߴs begin by setting out the most important things to know:

The full name of the asteroid is 2024 YR4
It will pass Earth in 2028, but will definitely miss
It has about a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032
It therefore has a 98% chance of missing entirely in 2032
As we define its orbit better, the chance of a hit is likely to drop to zero
If the chance of a hit becomes large, we can probably nudge it to miss

If it does become clear that the asteroid will hit Earth, here are some further important things to know:

We already know the ground track along which it would hit
It would most likely fall in the Atlantic Ocean
If so, it would cause a very large tsunami
It might fall in South America or Africa and make a crater 1.5 km wide
It would destroy everything over a much larger area outside the crater
We would have plenty of time to move people out of the way, either from coastal areas in the event of an ocean hit, or from the impact zone if the asteroid hit land. Clearly, many lives could be saved but it would be very costly.

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Speaking in Jesus’ place

We do not get to choose which parts of his work we are to do. We are to do all of it! We absolutely need one another in this task, when we stand alone we are weak, but together we are strong.

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Cruising the gospel – John 16:25-33

Bible text – Read it yourself (opens in a new tab)

They will ask the Father

Now we come to something extraordinary, and it’s something we need to take on board very personally. Every single follower of Jesus must grasp this for themselves. Don’t miss it! Seize it, hold this truth in your own understanding, feel it to be the deep truth that it actually is.

16:25-26 – So far, Jesus’ language has been figurative as he helps his followers grapple with things that are, frankly, too hard for them to comprehend. Now he says that a time is coming when he’ll communicate plainly with them, there’ll be no need to use figures of speech any more. Surely that time is the period after they receive the fullness of the Spirit of Christ? It will happen in the upper room at the soon-to-arrive Pentecost. From then on, Jesus says ‘they will ask in my name‘.

We (and they) are to stand in Jesus’ place and ask the Father as if we (they) are the Son! How many times must he tell us – we are his body walking this Earth! Collectively, we are intended and expected to carry on his work. We do not get to choose which parts of his work we are to do. We are to do all of it! We absolutely need one another in this task, when we stand alone we are weak, but together we are strong. Jointly and in concert we are Jesus’ body, walking this Earth.

So we no longer say, ‘Jesus, please ask the Father to do this and that’. Now we must say, ‘Father, we’re here in Jesus’ name asking you to do this and that.’ We must not feel how weak and small we are – and we are weak and small individually. Instead together, as the church, because we are Christ’s body, we have his strength and greatness!

Me – weak and small. Us – strong and great.

16:27-28 – Do we have the Father’s love? We do! Why? Because we love Jesus and know who sent him! Jesus explains that there’s a symmetry here. He came from the Father into the world. Now he will leave the world and go back to the Father. His physical presence in the world was a temporary exception.

Clarity and faith

16:29-30 – And Jesus’ followers get it. They tell him that he’s speaking clearly now, that they can see he knows everything, and that he doesn’t need anyone to ask him questions. Does that seem a little odd to you? It seemed odd to me at first.

Perhaps it’s simply that this was a method other Jewish Rabbis habitually used, encouraging their followers to ask questions to find out where they lacked knowledge and to then guide the teaching to address those gaps. Instead, Jesus already seems to know where the gaps are and he is well able to address gaps in their understanding without waiting to hear their questions.

Might it be this uncanny ability of Jesus that persuades them he really has been sent by the Most High?

What will they do next?

16:31-33 – Now Jesus asks them a question. You just told me you believe I came from the Almighty, but do you really believe? Truly? And he tells them they’ll all run away, back home, leaving him alone. These followers, the disciples learning to be like their Master, his trainees, his apprentices – they’re going to run off and leave him? Remember that they’d been treading the highways and byways of Judea and Samaria and Galilee, and even the ten Greek cities (The Decapolis) for three long, dusty, weary, yet exciting years. Are they going to abandon him now?

Jesus tells them they will, but he also says he won’t actually be alone because the Father will be with him. And he explains that he has shared all this with them so that in him they can have peaceful hearts. He’s told them what will happen, and he is not fazed by it, and neither should they be! They might feel they’ve let him down in his time of great need, he anticipates this and wants to let them know in advance that it’s OK. They shouldn’t be disheartened.

The world will throw more than enough trouble at them, but he wants their hearts to remain peaceful because he, Jesus, has already overcome the world.

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From the Bible – 1

The old city on the hill

The new city on the hill

The how – life in the city

See also:

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Image of the day – 140

See also:

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Cruising the gospel – John 17:1-5

Take a look first

The hour has come

Glory!

The work is complete

Useful? Interesting?

Image of the day – 139

See also:

Useful? Interesting?

Thinking out loud

Facts

Truth

People

Consequences

In conclusion

Forward look, ukraine – 5

Russian and Ukrainian war efforts

The political climate in February/March 2025

See also:

Useful? Interesting?

Image of the day – 138

See also:

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Image of the day – 137

See also:

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Science and technology – 4

See also:

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Cruising the gospel – John 16:25-33

They will ask the Father

Clarity and faith

What will they do next?

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