Post by pitbull on Oct 22, 2008 7:13:10 GMT -5
DAILY WISDOM
“By humility [and] the fear of the LORD [are] riches, and honour, and life.” [Proverbs 22:4]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
DEATH, OUR FRIEND
Psalm 23:4
Death is a fact. Death is not to be feared. (Hebrews 9:27)
Death can be a friend. (Philippians 1:21; Psalm 116:15)
1. You cannot have a valley without having mountains.
• Mount Calvary – Psalm 22 – Crucifixion
• Mount Zion – Psalm 24 – Coronation
2. The valley is where the still water and the green grass are, not on the mountain tops.
3. You cannot have a shadow without a light.
Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8:12)
4. A shadow cannot hurt you.
5. The only way to not fear evil is to know a greater good. (Matthew 19:17)
Jesus not only leads us into the valley, but is with us all the way through it.
RELIGIOUS AWARENESS
Wicca
Wicca is a nature-based religion found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. He claimed that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witchcraft religion, which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.
Various related Wiccan traditions have since evolved or been adapted from the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca.