The Renewed Mind http://mychangedmind.com conformed to Christ through transformed thinking Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:17:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Last Wishes Of A Dying Man http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1142 http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1142#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:17:28 +0000 Glen J. Caneel http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1142 Recently, a friend ministered to a dying man in the hospital.  The man had suffered incredibly for several years.  At last the effects of the disease had taken their toll and it was apparent he would soon be with the Lord.  During the last hours of his life on this earth, my friend spent time comforting him.  Soon the misery would be over.  They prayed together.  I asked my friend, “What did you pray about with him?  What did he pray about?”  My friend’s answer was one of the most appropriate responses I ever heard.  He said, “He was just thankful for his salvation and wanted to see his loved ones saved.”

]]> http://mychangedmind.com/?feed=rss2&p=1142 0 Why The Break? http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1098 http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1098#comments Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:17:09 +0000 Glen J. Caneel http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1098 This summer you probably noticed my posts have been few and far between.  I took an unexpected and much needed break the past few months.  Life throws a lot of things at you all at the same time.  It’s hard to keep all the balls up in the air and occasionally some have to drop.  Unfortunately, I had to let writing The Renewed Mind become one of those balls that dropped for a little while.   I spent time traveling on vacation with my family, working and engaged in ministry.

I don’t ever want to post anything just for the sake of posting.  There’s two rules I live by when posting on this blog:

Rule #1 – If there’s no passion in what I write, and it becomes just a mindless routine to get something on the page, it ‘s wasting my time and more importantly your time.

Rule #2 – If I can’t meet the quality standards I set for myself, I should invest myself in something where I can deliver quality.

So in order to keep myself from violating these two rules, I invested myself this summer into some people and things that needed my attention.  It was also good to read a few books, listen to some sermons, and grow a little more.  I will be posting more often now and look forward to getting back into a routine.

In the next month or so, I will also be making my first e-book available for free.

Thanks for sticking with The Renewed Mind.

]]> http://mychangedmind.com/?feed=rss2&p=1098 0 What The French President Doesn’t Know http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1134 http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1134#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:48:06 +0000 Glen J. Caneel http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1134 French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke at a conference of scientists last week.  They are involved in building an atom smasher to investigate what the universe looked like right after the “Big Bang.”  His comment is extremely telling of the secular spirit that encompasses today’s Europe.  Here is a quote from that conference:

“Your work represents the oldest dream of man since he tried to understand and transform what goes on around him,” Sarkozy said. “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

According to the French President, the “oldest dream of man” is to comprehend the reason for existence.  In other words, we are still trying to figure out “why” existence is.  It is a sad commentary on the Europe which once birthed Martin Luther’s Reformation, the Huguenots, and the tsunami of Biblical truth that followed.  Sarkozy is putting his faith in man’s science rather than using common sense that there is an intelligent Designer who is capable of making something out of nothing.  A society that doesn’t understand it’s purpose or reason for existence is condemned in their minds to wander aimlessly fulfilling biological functions and a patchwork of random events that appear to be a road to the precipice of emptiness.  This is the point where all truth becomes relative and morality is defined by man’s observance of himself.   If this is the case, then man can never answer the “why” question because it demands a definitive answer.

The answer to the “why do we exist”question is found in Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God…

God is the definitive answer to every question that asks about purpose and reason.  He simplifies the complexity.  He is absolute.  He is the supreme Designer.  He is the Architect.   He is the embodiment of truth.  The very one who is all of this loves each one of us individually enough to die as a sacrafice for our sins.  We biologically exist because God created.  We spiritually exist because we are made in His image.   We find our purpose in Him.  An open Bible thus becomes more powerful than the biggest atom smasher.

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