www.dailypostathenian.com FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 | RELIGION DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | A7 Changing your mind EXPECTATION: Rewards recently wrote an article on give us the mind of Christ (refer- Christ Jesus.” await those who believe I overcoming a mental block. ence 1 Corinthians 2:16)? Do you It seemed every demon in hell Before you can overcome any think God would proclaim math is assailed me. mental block, you must first real- difficult? We were created in His “Who do you think you are? FROM A6 He has led us, instructed ize it is there, and that it is pos- image (reference Genesis 1:27), You’re not the righteousness of us, fed us, and strength- sible to get beyond it. why shouldn’t we speak and act God. Why just yesterday you garments that stood by ened us because His Let’s face it, if you think you like Him? (insert numerous sins here).” and proclaimed to the promises are true. Some- are no good at math, you avoid it If you are going to overcome a I’ve since learned they attacked Apostles as Jesus was day soon, our Lord shall like the plague, and you shy away mental block or any long-standing my thought life to get me to say taken up from them and return, but will you be from anything numbers-relat- stronghold, as something different. As long as received by a cloud out of ready? ed all the time. There’s a good my Pentecos- I was speaking the word of God, their sight that He would Saints, I beseech you by chance that you will never be any tals or Charis- they were mad, but there was come back in like manner the mercies of God, keep good at it. matics might nothing they could do about it as He was taken up. yourselves from idols and However, if you know math is say, you are apart from tempting me to speak Even the Lord Himself, every evil work that cor- your weakness, but you are deter- going to have something different. who said, “Behold, I come rupts. Keep yourself from mined to overcome it, you can. to change the It wasn’t immediate. As mat- quickly, and my reward things that distract you It will take some work; you will way you think ter of fact, it took a while. But I is with me.” (Revelations from your purpose. One have to focus on various math- on the sub- remember the day it happened. 22:12). more time saints, we must ematical concepts, perhaps get a ject. In other I was pacing through the house, I know sometimes it’s live in expectation of His good teacher, take it one step at a words, you are struggling to say, “I am the righ- easy to get discouraged in return and not grow slack time. But most importantly, you going to have teousness of God in Christ Jesus.” this world. in our trust of Him as He are going to have to come to grips SUCCESSFUL to change your I was declaring it repeatedly We may often wonder, tarries. Since we therefore with the fact that you can learn it, mind, which is when it hit me, I am the righ- “Is He there? When is He live in expectation, we and you will learn it. LIVING exactly what teousness of God! Not because of coming? Is He ever com- know we have purpose Learning math is a great exam- the Apostle anything I had done, but because ing?” in life to fill the Kingdom ple of overcoming a mental block. TIM Paul wanted of what Jesus did in His death, However, we must keep that we shall receive. Many will remember being taught HUGHES us to do any- burial, and resurrection. the faith and endure until He that shall come, will basic math in elementary school way (reference The realization came rushing the end. Faithful is He come and, in due time, or perhaps junior high school. Romans 12:2 in and I felt like a blind man see- who has called us! If we we shall reap a wonderful The teacher introduces a concept and Ephesians ing for the first time. My mind think back on our lives, reward if we faint not. at the beginning of the lesson. 4:23). had been changed. I had taken a we can see that He has Your mind immediately begins Changing thoughts starts with promise from the Word of God been faithful. He has only STEVEN CROFT IS the senior to process the concept, and usu- changing your words, not the oth- and made the decision to believe ever been good to us and pastor of Boyd Memorial First ally the first thought will ques- er way around. When you decide it regardless of my previously- He’s been there with us. Church of God in Athens. tion whether you’ll be able to to appropriate a promise of God conceived thoughts and actions. understand it or not. I was a lit- in your life, such as divine health And that is what it’s going to tle odd when it came to math; I or righteousness, you will have to take for you, too, Dear Reader. always thought of it like puzzles. start speaking it long before your If you are going to change your If you worked with it long enough mind will grasp the concept. mind, you first have to realize that or thought about it from differ- I can remember the first time I your mind can be changed. And ent angles, typically the answer heard a teaching on righteousness then you have to take the actions would reveal itself. and how I was made the righ- to change it. If it’s math you want However, I know there were teousness of God in Christ Jesus to learn, realize it can be done many who struggled with math. (reference 2 Corinthians 5:21). My and take whatever action you How did I know? They told me. mind could not comprehend what need to learn it (my personal phi- And if your thoughts towards I was hearing. There was no way losophy is, if a person can do it, math, or any other conception- I was the righteousness of God. I am a person, therefore I can do al idea, are that it is difficult to I had so much sin in my life; if it it). If it’s incorporating a promise understand, for you it will be wasn’t evident in my life, it was of God in your life, you’re going challenging. certainly in my thoughts. to have to be determined to see it Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as a I could not bring myself to say come to pass in your life and get UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA ARCHIVES VIA AP person thinks in their heart, so out loud, “I am the righteousness ready for a fight. The devil isn’t In this 1910s photo provided by the United Church of Canada are they. If you think math is diffi- of God in Christ Jesus.” going to roll over and give up Archives, students write on a chalkboard at the Red Deer Indian cult, for you it will be difficult. If Then I changed my mind. I just because you made a decision Industrial School in Alberta. In Canada, where more than 150,000 you think it is easy, it will be. made a conscientious decision to to believe. But if you diligently Indigenous children attended residential schools over more than “Brother Tim, math is hard!” speak the word of God and not speak the word of God, meditate a century, a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission iden- I know, you told me. But why do my thoughts concerning the word on it until it becomes a part of tified 3,201 deaths amid poor conditions. you say that? It’s just as easy to of God. I decided the word of God your life. You will see a change. say, “Math is easy.” represented truth and my own “But that wouldn’t be true.” thoughts did not. TIM HUGHES IS a lay minister and elder Not true for who? Do you think I opened my mouth and said, “I at Ascension Life Church in Athens. He US churches reckon math is hard for God? Didn’t He am the righteousness of God in can be reached at [email protected] with traumatic legacy e di erence between listening and hearing of Native schools cts 8:5-6 NKJV — haps that’s why the phrase terranean preaching from A“Then Philip went “those who have an ear, Azotus, then Joppa onto BY PETER SMITH ment with such boarding down to the city of let them hear” is repeated Caesarea. The Associated Press schools. Samaria and preached so frequently in the pro- Azotus is also known as “We must come to a full Christ to them. And the phetic scriptures. Ashdod. This was one of The discoveries of hun- understanding of the lega- multitudes with one Here, Philip gives us a the principle cities of the dreds of unmarked graves cies of these schools,” read accord heeded the things terrific example of some- Philistines, an arch ene- at former residential a July 12 statement from spoken by Philip, hearing one who listened and my of God for centuries. schools for Indigenous Presiding Bishop Michael and seeing the miracles heard. Think of this, the same children in Canada have Curry and the Rev. Gay which he did.” We find him in verses 5 people group who stood prompted renewed calls Clark Jennings, president “Now an angel of the and 6 making history. He’s with Goliath as he fell to for a reckoning over the of the denomination’s Lord spoke to Philip, say- DENNIS the evangelist who is see- his death at the hands of traumatic legacy of simi- House of Deputies. They ing, ‘Arise and go toward ing the masses come to a shepherd boy, his sling- lar schools in the United called for the denomi- the south along the road CAGLE Christ. This was a huge, shot, and his God. Centu- States — and in particular nation’s next legislative which goes down from ongoing revival-type ries later, God is sending by the churches that oper- session in 2022 to ear- Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This atmosphere. his messenger to share ated many of them. mark funds for indepen- is desert. So he arose and twin sister. I have two sets From any viewpoint, redemption’s story. U.S. Catholic and Protes- dent research into church went. And behold, a man of twin nieces, one set in Philip was seeing great These people were still tant denominations oper- archives and to educate of Ethiopia, a eunuch of heaven. success in this ministry wayward after all this ated more than 150 board- church members. great authority under As for my dad and my and multitudes were fol- time but God is so loving ing schools between the Interior Secretary Deb Candace the queen of aunt, they have identical lowing Christ. To sud- that he called the evange- 19th and 20th centuries, Haaland, the first Native the Ethiopians, who had denly walk away from it list, Rev. Philip, away from according to research- American to serve as a charge of all her treasury, would be ... what word are what might have been the ers. Native American and U.S. Cabinet secretary, and had come to Jeru- ‘He was led as you thinking of? Illogical? greatest crusade since Alaskan Native children announced last month that salem to worship, was Confusing? Just down- Pentecost and sent him were regularly severed her department would returning. And sitting in a sheep to the right crazy? through the desert to win from their tribal families, investigate “the loss of his chariot, he was read- Well if he had a discon- a single foreigner then to customs, language and human life and the last- ing Isaiah the prophet. slaughter; And as nect between his listen- the philistine residue. religion and brought to ing consequences of resi- Then the Spirit said to ing and his hearing, any To human eyes this the schools in a push to dential Indian boarding Philip, ‘Go near and over- a lamb before its of those might work. But plan would have looked assimilate and Christian- schools.” That would take this chariot.’ So Phil- in this case, Philip was lis- like certain failure. The ize them. include seeking to iden- ip ran to him, and heard shearer is silent, tening and hearing as God church council, deacons Some U.S. churches have tify the schools and burial him reading the prophet said, “Leave. I want you to and elders would have been reckoning with this sites. Isaiah, and said, ‘Do you So He opened not walk away from greatness. agreed that his ministry activity for years through U.S. religious groups understand what you are I want you to trade min- was doomed for failure ... ceremonies, apologies and were affiliated at least reading?’ And he said, His mouth. In His istry fame for obscurity. isn’t that what everyone archival investigations, 156 such schools, accord- ‘How can I, unless some- I want to you to go to the thought about Jesus as He while others are just get- ing to the National Native one guides me?’ And he humiliation His desert.” was nailed to the cross? ting started. Some advo- American Boarding School asked Philip to come up Sometimes when we It’s over? He’s finished? cates say churches have Healing Coalition, a pri- and sit with him. The justice was taken hear God’s message we Defeat? more work to do in open- vate group formed in 2012 place in the Scripture need to respond quickly. Time and time again the ing their archives, educat- to raise awareness and which he read was this: away, And who The reason is, when it’s a disciples had listened as ing the public about what address the traumas of ‘He was led as a sheep to message that contradicts Jesus told them how He was done in the name of the institutions. That’s the slaughter; And as a will declare His human logic, lingering would be killed ... but they their faith and helping for- more than 40% of the 367 lamb before its shearer is can be followed by human hadn’t heard. mer students and their rel- schools documented so far silent, So He opened not generation?’ reasoning and, well, we The path from Calvary’s atives tell their stories of by the coalition. His mouth. In His humili- know that God’s meth- vantage point looked like family trauma. Eighty-four were affili- ation His justice was tak- ods are not the same as failure to the natural eye. “We all need to work ated with the Catholic en away, And who will twins. My grandfather and human methods. The plan to pull Philip together on this,” said the Church or its religious declare His generation? my nieces, though you What if Phil had stayed away from huge crowds to Rev. Bradley Hauff, a Min- orders, such as the Jesuits. For His life is taken from can identify the kinship in Samaria? The revival go to the desert and share nesota-based Episcopal The other 72 were affiliat- the earth.’ So the eunuch through their similarities, for these second-class the gospel looked like a priest and missioner for ed with various Protestant answered Philip and said, they were not born identi- Jews would continue and foolish plan, but God’s Indigenous Ministries with groups, including Pres- ‘I ask you, of whom does cal with their twin. someday Phil might have ways are above our ways. the Episcopal Church. byterians (21), Quakers the prophet say this, of “Listening” and “hear- had a TV show or a bib- His wisdom supersedes “What’s happening in (15) and Methodists (12). himself or of some other ing,” they could be consid- lical school named after what we can understand Canada, that’s a wakeup Most have been closed for man?’ Then Philip opened ered twins ... but not iden- him. with the natural mind. call to us,” said Hauff, who decades. his mouth, and beginning tical twins. Listening is We would consider that Real success is seen in is enrolled with the Oglala Samuel Torres, director at this Scripture, preached required if we are to hear to be noble, even justifi- obeying God’s call. Obe- Sioux Tribe. of research and programs Jesus to him.” — Acts but it is far too often that able. But what about the dience, well that’s the dif- This painful history has for the coalition, said 8:26-35 NKJV we are in a listening mode consequences? Let’s look ference between listening drawn relatively little church apologies can be Twins! There’s an unex- and for some reason hear- at them. and hearing! attention in the United a good start but “there is plainable connection ing just doesn’t take place. Philip heard “Go to the God is speaking to you States compared with Can- a lot more to be done” on between them. It happens among bffs, desert.” He went. today. Are you hearing, or ada, where the recent dis- engaging Indigenous com- I only know this from it happens in a marriage, When Philip saw the just listening? coveries of graves under- munity members and edu- observation, seeing as I it certainly happens in a Ethiopian, he heard “Go to scored what a 2015 govern- cating the public. don’t have any siblings. parent/child relationship, him.” He went. DR. DENNIS CAGLE is the found- ment commission called a Such information is cru- My family has several sets and unfortunately it hap- The Ethiopian eunuch er of Xaltm LLC who has been “cultural genocide.” cial given how little most of twins, perhaps that is pens to Christians in our believed, was baptized, a pastor for 36 years and cur- That’s beginning to Americans know about the reason I’m an only relationship with God. and went to a new region rently works as a church con- change. the schools, he said, both child, who knows. There are many exam- rejoicing, he went on his sultant. He is a former resident This month top officials in their impact on Indig- My maternal grandfa- ples in scripture of people way to share Jesus with of McMinn County and current with the U.S. Episcopal enous communities and ther had a twin sister. My who listened but did not others. resident of Tellico Plains. He Church acknowledged the their role “as an arma- dad had a twin brother. hear. Pharaoh was one, Philip then traveled to can be contacted at xaltm@ denomination’s own need ment toward acquisition of I have an aunt who has a Jonah was another. Per- the coast line of the Medi- yahoo.com to reckon with its involve- Native lands,” he said.