The United Nations Peacekeeping forces operate throughout the entire world. Forces are only deployed when both of the main parties in the conflict give consent to the UN. At this time, there are currently 11 UN peacekeeping missions going on throughout Earth. Let's take a quick glimpse at all eleven missions. One - Western Sahara - The people of Western Sahara have been fighting for independence from Morocco since 1991. Two - Golan Heights - The mountainous range between Israel and Syria has been in contention since 1974. Three - Abyei, Sudan - Although the civil war in Sudan has been going on for one year, UN peacekeepers have been in Sudan due to conflicts between the north and the south of the country since 2011. Four - Kashmir - India and Pakistan have been in conflict over Kashmir since 1949. Peacekeepers have been there for 75 years straight with no end in sight. Five - Central Africa Republic (CAR) - A civil war between Muslims and Christians have been ongoing since 2014. Six - Cyprus - The only reason that Cyprus is a tourist destination is because peacekeepers have been there since 1964 so that the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots will not fight against each other. Seven - Kosovo - Kosovo has been fighting for independence from Serbia since 1999. Eight - Middle East - The longest UN peacekeeping mission is still active in the Middle East since 1948. Nine - Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Tribal conflicts and Muslim rebels have kept peacekeepers in the DRC since 2010. Ten - Lebanon - Peacekeepers have been in Lebanon in 1978 due to their conflict with Israel. The conflict has reached a boiling point between Israel and Hezbollah. Eleven - South Sudan - UN peacekeepers protect South Sudan from Muslims in Sudan. As you can see from all eleven UN peacekeeping missions, the common denominator is that one side of the conflict is Muslims. If the UN recognizes that Islam is the world's biggest problem at this time, then you must recognize that fact as well.
âFor as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. âImmediately after the distress of those daysââthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.â âThen will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.â (Matthew 24:27-31 NIV) To wrap up our discussion over the past two weekends, letâs focus on how Jesus describes His return in Matthewâs gospel. A few days before Jesus is crucified, Matthewâs gospel records Jesusâ disciples come to Him with a question: What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? After describing the world leading up to His return, Jesus shares a brief description of when He will appear. First, Jesus describes how His return will be clearly visible to every eye. This tells me His return wonât need to be seen on any screen. However, screens may be used when faking a return. Next, Jesus describes the sun and moon being darkened, the stars falling from the sky, and the heavenly bodies being shaken. While there have been events in the past few centuries that meet some of these descriptions, I suspect that Jesusâ prediction refers to all four descriptions happening simultaneously. Third, Jesus describes Himself appearing in heaven. I suspect this means in our sky, since we will see Him clearly. Fourth, when Jesus appears, all the people of the earth will mourn. I suspect that this mourning is because they have run out of time, and that they did not take any earlier warnings seriously. Fifth, when Jesus appears, He will send His angels to gather His people together. Nothing in this description includes Jesus descending to earth. Instead, it is more like a rescue mission where He appears and the angels bring all of His people to Him. This last description is worth knowing. This description is one reason Jesus clearly describes that anyone who appears who we did not see is easily a false messiah. Jesusâ return marks the end; if there is something afterwards, the return was of an impostor. Knowing that there will be impostors is valuable. Every time we hear of an impostor appearing, it can remind us that Jesus is returning. Every impostor who comes is an opportunity to repent and return to the Jesus described in the Bible. And like Jesus describes in His response to the disciples, each detail that happens is a reminder that His return is growing near. Letâs stick with Jesus as we look forward to the day He returns to bring us home. đ đ âď¸ đ
âThe Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: âBefore the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.ââ (Luke 22:61 NIV) âJesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, âFollow me!ââ (John 21:19 NIV) âIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Godâs grace that he lavished on us.â (Ephesians 1:7-8a NIV) The most famous person included in the gospels is easily Jesus. The second most famous person is likely Simon Peter, Jesusâ oldest and most outspoken disciple. However, while Peter appears to be the spokesman for the disciples, this also prompts Peter to say things that are out of line. While we know Peter as the disciple who declared a belief in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16; John 6:68), he is also the disciple who Jesus calls out as Satan (Matthew 16:23), who speaks his assumptions regarding paying the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27), who fumbles over what to say when Moses and Elijah visit Jesus on the mountain (Matthew 17:4), and who denies Jesus three times on the night of Jesusâ betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:69-75). This famous disciple lived a life of flaws throughout his time with Jesus. While his flaws could easily invalidate him from staying a disciple, especially after disowning Jesus on the night of Jesusâ arrest when He assured Jesus that would never happen, Jesus gives Peter the gift of redemption. Following His resurrection, Jesus finds Peter and asks him three questions, gives him three challenges, and then gives him a second invitation to follow. Peterâs second invitation wasnât like his first. Peterâs first invitation came before Peter had made many glaring mistakes and his first invitation came after a powerful miracle that happened because Peter had a sliver of faith and the generosity to let Jesus preach from his boat (Luke 5:1-11). However, Peterâs second invitation came with three years of knowledge of Peterâs failures. Even with all these failures, Jesus was still willing to invite Peter to follow. I believe Jesus offers all of us a second invitation. The invitation He offers might even be a third, a fourth, or a fiftieth one. Just like Jesus extends another invitation to Peter, He invites us, regardless of our past failures, to repent and return to Him. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, and this allows us to lean on Him for redemption. If something happened this week that prompted doubt to enter your mind about Godâs love, let the truth found in Peterâs redemption story remind you that God still loves you, and He wants to redeem you from sin; He wants to include you in His recreated new heaven and new earth for eternity! đ đ âď¸ đ
Aside from the disciples, of all the people in the gospels to be
focused on Jesus, there was one group who seemed to be almost everywhere
Jesus went. This group, known as the Pharisees, didnât watch Jesus
because they wanted to believe in Him. Instead, they watched Him because
they wanted to catch Him breaking a law or saying something wrong. However, during one of Jesusâ miracles, the Pharisees missed being
present, even if they were present in the area where this healing took
place. While John doesnât specifically mention the Pharisees by name in
this passage, he simply refers to them as Jews â and these were likely
the Jewish religious leaders, and many of them would have been
Pharisees. John describes what happened immediately after Jesus healed the man by the pool of Bethesda by saying, âNow
that day was the Sabbath, so the Jews said to the man who had been
healed, âThis is the Sabbath! Itâs illegal for you to pick up your mat.ââ (John 5:9b-10 HCSB) Now the healed man had a problem. He responded that he was basically just following directions. He replied saying, âThe man who made me well told me, âPick up your mat and walk.ââ (John 5:11 HCSB) ââWho is this man who told you, âPick up your mat and walkâ?â
they asked. But the man who was cured did not know who it was, because
Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.â (John 5:12-13 HCSB) The man didnât know who Jesus was when he was healed. This is a
powerful thought. In this miracle, we can see that Jesus heals based on
our need and not on the condition that we respond by calling Him God.
The man had no idea who Jesus was. He simply was obeying the
instructions of someone he believed God had sent his way. Reading this portion of Jesusâ miracle prompts me to wonder if God is
willing to act and help anyone who needs help, regardless of their
current attitude and regardless of whether they will acknowledge Him.
The man who was healed didnât praise God or worship Jesus following his
healing. Instead, he was caught breaking the Jewâs legalistic Sabbath
laws. In this miracle, we can see a theme that is touched on in
other parts of the Bible as well. This theme points us to Godâs
character and His love. Jesus came into this world to show God to us.
This wasnât because He wanted to help people on the condition that they
would worship God with a correct frame of mind. Instead it was to
counter the devilâs accusations about what God was like. Satan has done a masterful job of presenting God as a villain, and
Jesus came to simply show us a different picture of God â a picture that
demonstrates selfless love, and a powerful invitation to respond to His
love. This miracle at Bethesda helps us see a loving Jesus and a
loving God. God is Someone who is willing to help even if He doesnât get
the credit. God is willing to help even if we are trapped in rebellion
against Him. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
âBut even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. âDo not fear their threats; do not be frightened.â But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.â (1 Peter 3:14â16 NIV) âBe wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.â (Colossians 4:5â6 NIV) âYou are the light of the world. A town 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.â (Matthew 5:14â16 NIV) Most people who have been Christians for any length of time understand that Jesus challenged His followers to spread the gospel message. However, in todayâs culture, many appear to have forgotten what this means. In the past decade, Iâve witnessed many friends get sucked into focusing more on the politics of todayâs culture than on the freedom that comes through leaning on Jesus. Iâve seen those who share the same faith become more interested in proving a political point than in following the challenges of Jesus. However, those who choose to stand up for Jesus should remember the words of Peter, Paul, and Jesus. Peter challenges us to be prepared to give an âanswerâ and to do so with gentleness and respect. While people may accuse us, lie about us, and slander the name of Jesus, Peter challenges us to respond differently. We are to respond with the love of Jesus, with gentleness and respect. About the only harsh words Jesus spoke were to the religious leaders, not to those He came to show Godâs love to. Paul challenges us to be wise and to make the most of every opportunity. However, he too challenges us to be full of grace in all our conversations with others. Being seasoned with salt draws attention to saying challenging truths, but the truth should never drown out the love and grace of our message. Jesus challenges us by saying that we are the light of the world. This is more true today than perhaps at many other times in history. However, as the light of the world and as a town built on a hill, He challenges us to live our lives in a way that cannot be ignored â even if we would rather be ignored. Jesus challenges us to let our light shine through our good deeds so that God will receive glory. As we look forward to the day Jesus returns, letâs together accept the challenge found in these three verses and letting Godâs light and love shine through us for all to see. đ đ âď¸ đ
The Figure: Vishwakarma, in Hindu mythology, is revered as the divine architect and craftsman of the gods. In Hindu mythology, Vishwakarma is not typically depicted as the primary creator of the universe. That role is usually attributed to Lord Brahma. However, he is considered to be the divine architect who played a role in the design of the universe, including its various components. According to some interpretations, Vishwakarma assisted his father, Lord Brahma in the creation of the universe by providing the blueprint and executing the intricate designs for the celestial bodies, landscapes, and structures within it. He is also credited with the design of various celestial weapons and divine chariots. Vishwakarma is also believed to have constructed the palaces of the gods and the majestic cities of ancient times. The etymology of Vishwakarma can be understood by breaking down the word into its constituent parts: âVishwaâ, meaning "all" or "entire" in Sanskrit, and âkarmaâ, which translates to "action" or "deed." In Hindu philosophy, karma refers to the principle of cause and effect, where actions have consequences that affect one's present and future experiences. So, when combined, "Vishwakarma" can be understood to mean "the maker of all" or "the doer of all actions." The reverence for Vishwakarma extends beyond Hinduism, as he is also venerated in Jainism and Buddhism, where he is known by different names but holds similar significance as the divine architect and builder. In popular culture, Vishwakarma's legacy is celebrated through various folk tales, songs, and stories that highlight his ingenuity and prowess in creating marvels that transcend the ordinary. He is depicted with multiple arms, holding various tools and implements symbolic of his role as a divine craftsman. Parallels: Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, and artisans, shares many similarities with Vishwakarma. Like Vishwakarma, Hephaestus is depicted as a skilled craftsman and inventor, renowned for his ability to create divine weapons and other artefacts. Both deities are associated with fire and forge, and they play pivotal roles in shaping the world around them through their craftsmanship. In some depictions, both Vishwakarma and Hephaestus are portrayed with physical deformities or disabilities. In order to symbolise the imperfections inherent in creation, Vishwakarma is occasionally described as having a limp or a hunchback, while Hephaestus is often depicted as lame or with a limp due to his fall from Mount Olympus. Contemporary Relevance: Vishwakarma is regarded as the epitome of perfection in craftsmanship. His creations are believed to be flawless and imbued with divine grace, reflecting his mastery over his craft. Artisans and craftsmen often invoke his name and seek his blessings before embarking on new projects. He is worshipped by artisans, craftsmen, architects, and engineers, who seek his blessings for success and prosperity in their fields. His festival, Vishwakarma Jayanti, is observed with great enthusiasm, especially in industrial areas, workshops, and factories, where workers perform ritual worship of their tools and machinery. It usually falls in September or October, depending on the lunar calendar.