Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind
2001 Questions and Philosophical Thoughts to Inspire, Enlighten, and Empower Our World to Limitless Heights
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Excerpt taken from: Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind 2001 Questions and Philosophical Thoughts to Inspire, Enlighten, and Empower our World to Limitless Heights Foundation 1: Spiritual Foundation —1.5. Peace (Harmony) 706) What is peace? The answer is as fundamental as the question. Peace is a facet of God, rather than of human beings. 707) God’s Word enlightens: Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18). 708) When we comprehend and accept this most important fact, human civilization will have taken the first step toward peace. 709) Peace is not merely the absence of human conflict, but the imposition of the reign of love among human beings, which can only come from the heart of God. 710) Shalom refers to a state of family unity, peace with one’s neighbors, and freedom from fear and anxiety. Shalom is contentment within our souls and with God (Numbers 6:26; Romans 5:1). 711) When we think of peace, visions of peaceful coexistence among nations come to mind, yet this peace eludes humanity, because only the joy of the Lord transcends peace. 712) From a biblical perspective, the peace that the authors refer to is the peace of God manifested through the Holy Spirit. 713) The prophet Isaiah wrote, approximately twenty–five hundred years ago: “The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their way; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace” (Isaiah 59:8NKJV) (circa 712 BCE). 714) Which nations can we say are responsible for the ravages of wars? Can we blame a nation’s ideology, its politics, its religion, its race, its culture, its economics, its nationalism, or its pride? 715) We are nationalistic (even so, nationalism can be both positive and negative). We are African, American, Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese, French, German, Indian, Jamaican, and Russian – just to name a few nationalities. 716) We are White, Black, and Brown. We are adherents of Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam, just to name a few religions (Reference: Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD) —Table 1: Major Religions of the World). 717) We are religious, but do our religions matter if our religions divide us, and set us apart, because of our superficial differences? Can our religions lead the way to peaceful coexistence and unite us as a human family? 718) We often forget that we are, first, members of the human family, with a common heritage. We often forget that we are the world composite of all of our needs, thoughts, feelings, hopes, and aspirations, and of our violent nature as well. 719) How can the international community of nations find peace? Is peace a military imperative as opposed to a spiritual imperative? Peace begins with God who is the source of peace (John 14:27). 720) If we miss this most important distinction, our desire for peace becomes a vain pursuit, marked by futility and frustration. 721) Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem man from sin, but we often forget that He also introduced the perfect way to peace as an example to humanity. What is this perfect way? 722) Suffering for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10); this is the path of perfection of the saints, but human nature is incompatible with suffering for righteousness. 723) It may seem counterintuitive that when others have done us wrong, our response should be forgiveness and mercy. 724) One problem of our modern era is that we often permit temporary suffering to inspire anger in us, rather than to draw us closer to God’s grace and mercy. Our perfect example, Jesus Christ, demonstrated a spirit of peace as an example to humanity. 725) Jesus Christ, in the New Testament, offers humanity a new way to bring peace to a world that seems to be in perpetual conflict. 726) This new way calls for a new paradigm of religious teaching that focuses on the central authority of God and on the teachings and message of Jesus Christ to all of His followers. 727) The message of Jesus Christ and the Apostles points us to the reasons for the absence of peace, after six thousand years of human conflict. 728) Their message should provide a compelling reason to trust in God, but we must first win the “war of denial” of the authority of Jesus Christ and follow His path of forgiveness and mercy. 729) The church must, of necessity, strive in its actions to demonstrate Christ−like behavior to the world. War and retaliation by any nation first violates the dictates of our values, then disregards the authority of Jesus Christ. 730) “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9 NKJV). “But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). 731) Some might still question why we should let others offend us while maintaining a response of love, forgiveness, and mercy. 732) Many might not be aware that God has accounted for every thought and every wrongdoing from the beginning of time. 733) What great confidence adherents of Christianity should have, knowing that God has, before time, taken care of every concern that we might have regarding the wrongdoings of others. 734) The trust among nations has been broken repeatedly over past centuries. Genocide and great wars have shattered the hopes of humanity to live in peace and harmony. 735) We seem to place greater hope for peace in modern science and technology than we place in the important lessons of six thousand years of recorded human history. 736) Even for some adherents of Christianity, it seems extraordinarily difficult to practice the teachings of Jesus Christ, which state that peacemakers are called the Sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
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About the Book
Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind is a compilation of two thousand and one questions and philosophical thoughts extracted from the authors’ seminal work, Five Foundations of Human Development. These thoughts follow the same chronology of information that helps to promote fulfilling lives through human development from spiritual, moral, social, intellectual, and physical perspectives. The authors proffer that human beings possess the capacity to rise to a higher state of civilization when we allow our thoughts to permeate our minds with hope and optimism for the future of humanity. Gibbs and Grey support the premise put forward by many great writers who contend that our thoughts determine happiness and effectiveness in life. Our thoughts and our emotions have a great influence on our carnal impulses and desires. We nurture good and bad thoughts, and human effort alone is insufficient to properly manage them. Negative thoughts establish barriers to communications and harmonious living. Positive thoughts radiate harmony among individuals and nations. More importantly, those in positions of great power who lead humanity, must, by their thoughts, help to create a better world, or inadvertently plunge humanity into great chaos as has been recorded in six-thousand years of human history. Only a mind that is free of unhealthy thoughts transcends a life of fulfillment. Positive thoughts permeate our beings and open up new frontiers of positive leadership for the modern age. The global significance of this book is that it informs a more communal view of our world by virtue of the conditioning of our thoughts. It will help inform, enlighten, and empower the minds of leaders to embrace every field of endeavor, including engineering, science, religion, politics, the military, and the environment. This will be accomplished with the most vital, creative, and positive thoughts that rise to a high level of responsibility for the betterment of all humanity.
About the Author
Errol Gibbs and Philip Grey bring a unique collaboration to their seminal work, Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD). Combined, they have travel experience in thirty–two countries, including, Belgium, Cameroon, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore. Their experiential background has fostered a unique understanding of the challenges that face humanity in the modern age. Their aggregate knowledge can lead to the betterment of humanity. Errol is a devout Christian who made an irreversible commitment to the faith through baptism in May, 1983. In 2003, he made a life–changing decision to relinquish a career in Engineering (Project Management), to commit to search for answers to problems that afflict humanity. Five years of research in the Holy Bible, not as an academic study, but for its basic spiritual truths, underpins his new and inspiring perspectives. His scientific background informs the need for congruity between the spiritual and the natural world we struggle to comprehend. Errol immigrated to Canada from Trinidad in his mid–twenties. He lived in the United States for five years and currently resides in Milton, Ontario, Canada. Philip is an international evangelist, author, and motivational speaker. He was born in the United Kingdom, where he lived until his mid–twenties. Philip also lived in Liberia, West Africa for three years, and in the United States of America for nine years. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Philip has an extensive background in international ministerial research and practice. He has held positions from youth pastor to National World Missions director with the Church of God. Philip has also served on an International Leadership Advance Conference Committee; a regional council for Ontario Churches, the Ontario Ministerial Development and Credentialing Board, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the International Bible College, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.