[Biblemat] Renewed In Spirit / New Material Available!

[Ethan R. Longhenry]

Greetings, everyone!

We are pleased to announce that new material is available at Renewed in 
Spirit (renewedinspirit.org).  The "renewed" Renewed in Spirit has now been 
operational for one year, and we are pleased to enter our second year of 
providing you with articles to encourage you in your faith.  Please do not 
hesitate to contact us and let us know how we are doing, and feel free to 
visit the website and participate in the discussions!

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Editorial
Evangelism in the 21st Century (2): Isolationism and Community
Ethan R. Longhenry

Previously we began considering the nature of evangelism in the twenty-first 
century by considering the twenty-first century context and the different 
types of people that we find around us.  We demonstrated that even though 
much has changed over two millennia, many aspects of the twenty-first 
century mirror the situation into which the Gospel was first brought back in 
the first century.  Nevertheless, there are many glaring differences between 
our current society and society in the first century, and many of these 
differences represent significant stumbling-blocks to evangelism.  Perhaps 
no stumbling-block is as acutely felt as the isolationist trend in our 
society with its subsequent loss of community.  How can the Gospel overcome?

Read more at renewedinspirit.org!

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White Fields
Edwin Crozier

We all talk about doing evangelism, but how many of us really think anything 
we could possibly do will make a difference? Look at the people we work 
with. They are so worldly. If they are not, they are already caught up in a 
religion of their choice. How could anything we do ever make an impact?

Read more at renewedinspirit.org!

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Not Chosen
Perry Hall

Let us go back to an uncomfortable time to an uncomfortable setting.  For 
some, this might have happened this past week; for others, years or decades 
ago.  The scene is a familiar one.  Everyone one of us has probably 
experienced it from one side or the other.  The game might have been 
kickball or dodge ball, basketball or baseball.  It might have even been 
"Red Rover, Red Rover".  What is the scene?  Two captains are picked.  They 
are the popular kids, athletic and good looking kids.  Systematically each 
captain goes through each kid, picking their friends, picking the other 
popular, athletic and good looking kids.  Picking the kids they want to be 
with, or those who can help them win.  The number dwindles and dwindles 
until there is only one left.  As the process lengthens each child still 
waiting fidgets, embarrassed and hurting, waiting for relief that comes from 
not being the last one still standing there.  If you were the captain, what 
did you feel like being the captain?  It felt good, did it not?  If you were 
not the captain, have you ever been the last one chosen, chosen only because 
there was no one else?  Have you ever been totally left out because sides 
would not have been uneven? Not being chosen hurts.  We could expand the 
scene to include other scenarios.  Friends leave you out, leave you behind 
when they go to see a movie or go to a party.  Someone we are romantically 
involved with tells us, "I think we should see other people."  You and I can 
pick our own scene when we were left behind and wondered, "Why not me?  What 
is wrong with me?"  Not being chosen hurts.   But what if we are not picked 
and God is the one choosing?  What if God does not choose us? Have you ever 
felt like a loser?  If so, this article is for you.

Read more at renewedinspirit.org!

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For the ladies...

Editorial
A Matter of Perspective
Sarah L. Longhenry

My thoughts have been consumed recently with the pending birth of our child. 
Perhaps you have something to which you are looking forward anxiously-a new 
job, a change in school, a move, a wedding-and you know how such seems to 
consume everything you do.  Soon, time becomes less about living day by day 
and more about thinking in terms of how many there are left until x happens. 
Life becomes all about the future and not so much about the present.  While 
I believe that we are supposed to plan and consider future events-especially 
in terms of our spiritual progress in life-there is a lot of wisdom in the 
New Testament that we can gain as far as how we deal with such changes.

Read more at renewedinspirit.org!

Proverbs 31: An Analysis of the Virtuous Wife, Part 11
Brooke Williams

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands 
to the needy (Proverbs 31:20).

The virtuous wife thinks not only of her own family, but her heart also 
aches for those around her whose needs she can help meet. She is willing to 
lend a helping hand to those who need it. The picture presented here is that 
she is reaching out to the poor. Her hand may have money or material items 
in it to help, or it may be holding another hand in sympathy. It may also be 
doing work that the person in need cannot do without her help. All three are 
important ways to reach out to those around us, whether in the household of 
faith, or others who may not yet know Christ but can see Him living in us.

Read more at renewedinspirit.org!

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We again thank you for your support over our first year, and hope to have 
many more to come in serving you in Christ Jesus.

ELDV

Ethan R. Longhenry / editor at renewedinspirit.org
Editor, Renewed in Spirit
an interactive online spiritual publication
http://www.renewedinspirit.org