Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind: 2001 Questions and Philosophical Thoughts to Inspire, Enlighten, and Empower Our World to Limitless Heights

Contents

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PART 1

FIVE

PREEMINENT

FOUNDATIONS

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 1—WHO IS GOD?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 2—WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 3—WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 4—WHAT IS THE HOLY BIBLE?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 5—WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?

PART 2 FIVE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (FFHD)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.1. LOVE (CARING)

FOUNDATION 2 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.2. FAITH (ASSURANCE)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.3. HOPE (EXPECTATION)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.4. CHARITY (AID)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.5. PEACE (HARMONY)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.6. HUMILITY (MEEKNESS)

FOUNDATION 1 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION—1.7. PATIENCE(LONGSUFFERING)

—FOUNDATION 2 MORAL FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION 2 MORAL FOUNDATION—2.1. LEADERSHIP (GUIDANCE)

FOUNDATION 2 MORAL FOUNDATION—2.2. AUTHORITY (POWER)

FOUNDATION 2 MORAL FOUNDATION—2.3. ENLIGHTENMENT (REVELATION)

FOUNDATION 2 MORAL FOUNDATION—2.4. RESPONSIBILITY (DUTY)

—FOUNDATION 3 SOCIAL FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION 3 SOCIAL FOUNDATION—3.1. RELATIONSHIP (RELATIONS)

FOUNDATION 3 SOCIAL FOUNDATION—3.2. RACE AND RACIAL PERSPECTIVES (ONENESS)

FOUNDATION 3 SOCIAL FOUNDATION—3.3. BEHAVIOR (CONDUCT)

FOUNDATION 3 SOCIAL FOUNDATION—3.4. SELF-ESTEEM (SELF-CONFIDENCE)

—FOUNDATION 4 INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION 4 INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION—4.1. INTELLIGENCE (INTELLECT)

FOUNDATION 4 INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION—4.2. EDUCATION (LEARNING)

FOUNDATION 4 INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION—4.3. KNOWLEDGE (UNDERSTANDING)

FOUNDATION 4 INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION—4.4. CAPABILITY (ABILITY)

—FOUNDATION 5 PHYSICAL FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION 5 PHYSICAL FOUNDATION—5.1. HEALTH, FAITH AND SUFFERING

FOUNDATION 5 PHYSICAL FOUNDATION—5.2. CATASTROPHIC DISEASES

FOUNDATION 5 PHYSICAL FOUNDATION—5.3. PHYSICAL HEALTH

APPENDIXES

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

EPILOGUE

BIOGRAPHY OF ERROL A. GIBBS

BIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP A. GREY

DEDICATION

To our wives, Marjorie and Sandra: you were extraordinarily patient as we embarked on this journey that seemed never-ending. You have enabled us to overcome many challenges, as we have contemplated these Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind. Your vision and thoughtfulness have been our source of motivation in preparing this chronology of 2001 questions and philosophical thoughts. With gratitude, we now reveal them to our readers in the hope that they will cultivate a mind imbued with positive thoughts, peacefulness, and wholesome living.

—Errol and Philip

FOREWORD

We formulated Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind to present an alternate perspective from which to engage in discussion of human development in the modern era. This convenient text is a witness to the broad discourse in our research and discussion in the five-part text Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD), and the companion text Five Preeminent Foundations. The reader understands through "Reading by versus" the basic premise of the text, which postulates that there is hope for a better world when we endeavor to enlighten, and empower our mind through a revolution of our thoughts. Thoughts inspire feelings, feelings inspire actions, and actions can have negative or positive ramifications.

It is a chronological listing of 2001 selected verses from FFHD; therefore it follows the same philosophical theme, with minor variations. However, excluded from this text are other vital elements of FFHD such as; over 1000 references to Biblical Scripture verses from the King James Version (KJV); the New King James Version (NKJV); and the New International Version (NIV); an extensive list of 47 graphics (37 figures (original) and 8 tables), cross-referenced over 250 times throughout the five foundations; approximately 35 tabular listings; approx. 115 footnotes and extensive citations by some of the world’s prolific writers; and approximately 500 words research index.

We strive to present a balanced perspective informed by Western Christian thoughts, foundations, faith, and beliefs. We recognize and respect the works of other researchers based upon their religious, social, cultural, academic training, qualifications, observations, and life experiences. Likewise, we strive to render the utmost respect for the dignity, rights, difference opinions and experiential knowledge of every individual, regardless of circumstances or station in life. We are eternally gratified by people throughout the world who have journeyed with us, and have chosen to devote their lives to the pursuit of humane, peaceful and fulfilling lives, not just for themselves, but for all humanity as well.

We urge the reader not to dismiss these thoughts as mere idealism. The unquenchable light of idealism lives within and underpins our hope for survival in the twenty-first century and in the new millennium. Whether the model is a rural farming village or the worldwide global village, the foundation of hope is crumbling. The scientist, the doctor, the lawyer, the engineer, the professor, the politician, the philosopher, and the ordinary person, feel a sense of hope and hopelessness. We must all engage in the global struggle to create a better world. This struggle requires a new blueprint of hope for our survival informed by these 2001 questions and philosophical thoughts.

PREFACE

Many great religious and philosophical thinkers, past and present have concluded that thoughts transform, and our innermost thoughts transcend out outwardly actions or reactions. Where do thoughts come from and why it is essential to think positive thoughts?" Thoughts are birthed in the mental realm and manifest in the physical realm. Our thoughts are the sum total of our experiences and circumstances, including, religious, racial, cultural, social, and economic. Our deeply contemplated thoughts determine our hopes dreams and aspirations. They motivate us to act or react to circumstances spontaneously or with pre-meditation.

Thoughts are the gatekeepers of the mind. Positive thoughts open gates for positive actions to blossom, conversely, negative thoughts opens gates for negative actions to blossom. Consequently, we have the capacity to direct our actions by our thoughts. The sum total of human knowledge teach that every action begins with a thought, and behind every thought there is a thinking being, and no physical action, reaction, or creation can precede the thought or the thinker. Neither can an action or object of creation come into being without a thinker?

It is for this reason that we believe that we (human beings) are capable of creating a better world, and making new history when we revolutionize the way we think. We present many of the critical enquires of our modern era in this anthology of revolutionary thoughts taken from our main body of work: Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD) (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Intellectual, and Physical), and the companion text, Five Preeminent Foundations. These selected verses challenge conventional thinking regarding issues that have a significant impact on human existence. Some of these issues include, but are not limited to: Christianity, religion, hope, charity, peace, humility, leadership, authority, race, self-esteem, intelligence, education, militarism, capitalism, knowledge, capability, and health.

We strive to present a revolutionary response to problems and solution perspectives to some of the challenges of our modern era. Though our message relies extensively on references to Biblical Scripture, it is not a work exclusively for Christians. Our discourse recognizes the message of other world religions, researches, and revolutionaries in regard to their approach to solutions to the myriad of problems that confront us in the global village. We believe that it is only through a new and revolutionary way of thinking about human life, as one indivisible whole, with the need for unanimity, liberty, peace and justice we can revolutionize our mind, our sphere of influence and our world.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture reference and quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Note on historic biblical dates: Some historic Biblical dates are generally taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Used by permission. All rights reserved. Some dates are taken from Reese, Edward; The Reese Chronological Bible, (King James Version) Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 1977 Frank R. Klassen, Dating System, 1975. All dates are designated as approximate (approx.), due to variations in dates derived at by various other Biblical writings.

Special Acknowledgments and Citations

We acknowledge and express eternal gratitude to those who have granted us permission to include the copyrighted materials that we have cited in footnotes and in other citation formats. We are also thankful to other great writers (whom we have cited) of yesteryear and of the present, for their philosophical roadmaps to guide us in this modern age. Our work is only a minor contribution to the vast body of work penned by these notable philosophical giants. We stand on their shoulders as we take a ‘panoramic view’ of the twenty-first century and of the new millennium with hope and optimism for the future of our world.

We also thank family and friends who have accompanied us at various stages of this remarkable journey in our boundless search for higher knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of God; your influence has enabled the writing of Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind. Your academic insights, experiential knowledge, critiques, and comments have allowed us to present a message of hope and optimism. This book is a chronology of 2001 questions and philosophical thoughts taken from Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD). It is a chronicle of our enduring faith, belief, and practice, nurtured by our transformation and progression from the thoughts of yesteryear to the enlightened thoughts of today. The message lives in us, and hope preserves.

THOUGHTS

TO ENLIGHTEN

AND EMPOWER

THE MIND

2001 QUESTIONS AND PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHTS TO INSPIRE, ENLIGHTEN, AND EMPOWER OUR WORLD TO LIMITLESS HEIGHTS

PART 1

FIVE

PREEMINENT

FOUNDATIONS

FOUNDATION 1: WHO IS GOD? FOUNDATION

2: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? FOUNDATION

3: WHAT IS THE CHURCH? FOUNDATION

4: WHAT IS THE HOLY BIBLE? FOUNDATION

5: WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 1—WHO IS GOD?

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth John 4:24 (NIV). God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble Psalm 46:1 (NIV). God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles and nations assemble as the people of God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 47:8-9 (NIV)

1) Who is God? Saint John (circa CE 27) tells us: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24 NKJV). God is not merely a Spirit; He is an infinite Spirit.

2) We can feel His spiritual presence within our spirit, but we do not know how to describe God in human terms, because His existence has no parallel in our physical existence.

3)There are countless definitions of God, just as there are countless definitions of religions and countless manifestations of God’s presence.

4)To some, God is a mystery which continues to perplex the human intellect in our modern era. To the astute, God is an intellectual probability.

5)In defining God, it is essential to acknowledge God who has proven His mighty works, which He has chronicled in the inspired writings of the Holy Scriptures.

6)Biblical history confirms that nations which have violated the laws of God have suffered grave consequences, and failed to fulfill their promise (2 Chronicles 7:19-22).

7) God sacrificed the life of His Son Jesus Christ as the perfect example of suffering for righteousness to be the perfect example for humanity.

8) God has demonstrated His unique personal attributes through the life of His Son Jesus Christ, who manifested the heart of God by His love, joy, peace, patience (longsuffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

9)The God of the Holy Bible is knowable. His Word transcends Christianity, which is a way of life, embodied in a corporate society or fellowship, centered on the worship of God.

10)God has revealed His presence to the world through His Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who lived as a humble human being for about thirty-three years in Palestine.

11)Jesus Christ’s presence on earth also accentuated the wondrous works of God, through the Holy Spirit and thirty-seven miraculous acts penned by the writers of the synoptic gospels.

12)The Holy Spirit has character, a mind, and emotions. The Holy

Spirit teaches. The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians counsels: These things that we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13

NKJV).

13) Through the revelation of the life and teachings ofJesus Christ, we are enlightened in our understanding of the Triune God (Reference: Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD)—Figure 1: The Triune

God (Godhead).

14)We should be no less mindful in the twenty-first century of God speaking to us through His Son Jesus Christ, who provides His followers access to His grace and manifestation through the Holy

Spirit.

15)The first imperative of human existence is the realization of God’s great gifts to humanity. His immutable law governs all life, and the law that governs all life is God.

16)God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing). (Reference: Five Foundations of Human

Development (FFHD)—Figure 3: The Greatness of God).

17)Can we live without a Godhead, Creator, and absolute authority of the universe that can bind all human civilization into a harmonious whole? Absolutely not!

18)God in His infinite wisdom gave the world Ten Commandments as the ultimate moral guide for humanity. The first four Commandments are directly concerned with religious belief and worship.

19) The spiritual presence of God in the world enables us to overcome our inclination to stray from His path. It helps us to understand and manage the conditions that cause hopelessness.

20) The search for God and the meaning of our existence has both defined and perplexed every civilization, from the earliest recorded nations to our modern society.

21) Our search for fulfillment in life is a search for our Spiritual connection with God through the Holy Spirit, and not a quest for fame, or fortune, or the other fleeting things which do not incorporate or further His purpose.

22)Diligent search for God means exercising conscious effort to find

His purpose for our existence.

23)Our search is continual, and will always be continual, because we can never attain the fullness of God’s purpose in this mortal body.

24) The turbulent twenty-first century presents the greatest challenge to our search, as humanity wanders farther away from our core religious beliefs.

25) God proves Himself to us every moment of our existence (Romans 1:20 NIV). His divine creation should inspire spiritual awareness in us.

26) The complexity and perfect balance of God’s planetary system should be a constant reminder that God has revealed himself to us in a personal way on planet Earth.

27)The unanswered questions of the universe manifest God’s creative power, but it is only His revelation and spiritual guidance that can ultimately aid us in our attempts to comprehend His creation.

28)Diverse religious beliefs have been present at every level of human civilization and most religions have a God or god that they worship.

29)Observe the challenges of our times. Many cry out to God to intervene and stop the decline of civilization. God can intervene, but

He has instructed us in the solution to our problems.

30)Many profess the presence of God in their lives, yet there is a compulsion and an inherent weakness within us that separates us from His reservoir of spiritual power.

31) The most profound challenge in our lives is the exercise of the will, the conscious act of obedience or disobedience to God (Romans

12:2).

32) Without God’s enlightenment, we sub consciously and even consciously resist His Spiritual manifestation and act in violation to

His moral laws.

33)The natural mind of human beings is enmity to God (Romans 8:78), but this enmity is generally unintentional. An unrealized and passive hostility lives within our soul and subconscious mind.

34)The carnal mind sets up a barrier which blocks the source of God’s power that enables us to do according to His will. When our will is not in conformity to God’s will, we give into the tendency to do wrong to others and to ourselves.

35)Spiritual discernment allows us to comprehend human suffering and to have empathy for the suffering we cause or permit.

36)Spiritual discernment allow us to better understand and manage the circumstances of our birth, color, race, culture, family, ancestors, and other social and economic conditions, that previously had mastery over us.

37) God allows us to exercise free will and moral judgment (ethics, fairness, honesty and integrity), to choose to do according to His will, and experience His manifold blessings.

38) God promises us both spiritual and material rewards for our obedience. Our hope lies in God’s manifold promises which He has kept from the beginning of the ages.

39) God reinstituted His admonishment with promise to children in the Old and New Testaments. Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 5:16 NIV) (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV).

40) Whether we are rich or poor, strong or weak, educated or uneducated, and regardless of color, race, language, culture, or religion, God is just and merciful.

41) God’s command is that we accept His grace and mercy and His offer of forgiveness with humility and contrition. This is His ultimate gift to humanity, but oftentimes we fail to comprehend His nature, His assurance of forgiveness, His love, and His promise of everlasting life (John 3:16).

42) The synoptic Gospel writer Matthew tells us that God promises to fulfill all of our needs when we seek Him and His righteousness as a first imperative of our existence.

43) God’s promises require a change in the human condition and behavior. Every law, every command, every commandment, every statute, every covenant, every promise made in the Old and New Testaments calls us to hear, learn, observe, do, obey, seek, or humble ourselves before God.

44) The Proverbs of Solomon state: When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7 NIV). Is there a greater promise in these modern times for alleviating fear of man?

PREEMINENT FOUNDATION 2—WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Colossians 1:15-18 (NIV)

45) Who is Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Was He God in the flesh or was He just a man? Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is God incarnate, born of the Virgin Mary.

46) Jesus (Y’shua, in Hebrew) means Jehovah is salvation. Christ (Christos, in Greek) means God’s chosen one (or Mashiach, in

Hebrew).

47)The synoptic gospel writers, Matthew and Luke state explicitly and unmistakably that Jesus came into the world through the miraculous work of God.

48)The Gospel teaches that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy

Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

49)The writers of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) depict Jesus not as a hero of the times, but as a person of great humility, compassion, patience, sorrow, and hope for humanity.

50)The Old Testament (OT) prophecies proclaimed the coming of Jesus Christ. They spoke of His birth, life, ministry and events surrounding His life and death before He was born.

51)Jesus taught the simple gospel, and used simple reasoning and parables, relating His messages to everyday life to appeal to the hearts and minds of those to whom He spoke.

52) Jesus Christ did not carry with him the more mundane signals of authority-wealth, property, title or office. He neither commanded an army nor ruled any great empire.

53)Within three and one-half years of His ministry, Jesus left an indelible impression on the world that has had a transforming effect down through the ages to our present generation.

54)Jesus Christ’s purpose for coming to earth was to fulfill God’s ultimate purpose of salvation for us.

55) Jesus, without the formal education of the intellectual leaders of his era, surprised them with the depth of His wisdom and the breadth of His knowledge.

56) The needs of those who gathered together with Christ were paramount; He directed His gifts to the suffering of the common people rather than to gaining recognition on his own account.

57)The life and death ofJesus, and the teachings attributed to Him, have left a marked influence on the course of human history. His life and death continue to have an impact on our modern world.

58)Jesus’ fundamental message was one of forgiveness and love for humanity. The rulers of His day knew that there was something uncommon about Him.

59) Jesus required personal sacrifice of His followers. He never promised them any material wealth or comfort to motivate them to give up everything to follow