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Today’s Sermon
Today’s Sermon
Global poverty almost history!
Great news about global poverty from the World Bank and IPA: (And it’s good news about market forces, development and economic freedom not protest marches!)
Global poverty now down to single digits
One of the most important of human achievements has been the very significant reduction in extreme poverty experienced by men, women, and children throughout the world.
And in what is sure to be good news, the World Bank has just released a study informing us that one billion people rose out of extreme poverty since 2000, and that in spite of the global financial crisis a few years ago.
The same study reveals the heartening news that the global poverty rate, calculated as the number of people earning $1.90 or less (on an purchasing power parity international dollar basis), is estimated to have fallen into single digits this year.
In 1990, the global poverty rate was a sobering 37.1 per cent but has precipitously fallen since. This is what the World Bank had to say about this amazing achievement, in a press statement:
The number of people living in extreme poverty around the world is likely to fall to under 10 percent of the global population in 2015… giving fresh evidence that a quarter-century-long sustained reduction in poverty is moving the world closer to the historic goal of ending poverty by 2030.
Full article here
Dilbert:
Evolution Must Be Believed
From Grace With Salt:
Book Review: The Anchoress
Historical fiction normally isn’t my favourite genre but the title of this one got me in.
In the Middle Ages, a woman of exceptional piety could choose to go into voluntary life-long seclusion in a cell attached to a church. For the rest of her life she would live separated from the world and only communicating from behind a screen or curtain. Such a woman was called an anchoress and her cell an anchorhold.
It is hard for us to imagine such a life of self-imposed restriction in the name of seeking a deeper life with God.
This is a story that has little action apart from what goes on in the head of Sarah, a newly enclosed anchoress. Despite this it is strangely compelling, an insight into a world that is foreign to 21st century modernity.
This book is a real page turner leaving the reader wondering right up to the end, if Sarah would keep the course she has set for herself. Will she resist the powerful people around her? Will she remain faithful to her vow or seek to leave the anchorhold?
An excellent book.
It’s Not About Marriage
From Citizenlink:
Reflection on Mark 7:24-37
Scripture
They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful! He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak!”
Observation
A Gentile woman comes to Jesus and begs Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus tells her that He has been called to Israel and it would be like taking food from children to feed the dogs. But she counters this by saying that even dogs can eat the scraps from the children’s plate.
Jesus is pleased with her faith and He tells her the demon has left the girl.
Jesus then goes to another place where a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment comes to Him. He heals the man immediately to the amazement of the crowds.
Application
There are times when Jesus wants to provoke people to a deeper faith. We want to see Jesus as a kind of vending machine to give us what we need, but He wants to take our relationship with Him deeper.
Sensing a profound faith and a strong spirit in the woman, He presses in with an apparent rebuff to her that merely reveals a deeper faith than was on the surface.
The Lord deals with us each in individual ways according to our needs. He Is no “one size fits all” God.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for your unfailing love. Help me to always trust you. Amen.
New Life Narrabri 
