A Theological Perspective: A Spiritual Journey Moving Forward

By Michael Hughes

Source of Power

For several years now I have been in seminary studying Gods word focusing on the effects on mankind and the society in which I live. It is very prevalent that the direction we are headed in is not the moral compass of Gods way. This is the reason I have written this Theological perspective in the hopes that these words will touch the hearts and souls of those who are in the dark and seeking the light of The Good News.

When it comes to power, privilege, and oppression in this country, it is not hard to see the effects it has made on society. This is a great topic at a great time. When you talk about the family, it has been divided into the haves and the have nots. Those who have the economic resources to survive and those that do not.
The family is the foundation that God set into place for man to grow through the ages, but in a society, were God has been taken out of the family, dysfunction is the order of day.

The attack is not only on the Black family, but also on the White family, Mexican family, and any another race. I have always said that when we went to war in Viet Nam in the sixties, that conflict set the Black community back twenty years. The loss of Black men in that war was huge. Had they returned to their communities they would have made a positive impact on a whole new generation and would have been able to stabilize families and contribute to a positive environment.

When you talk about education you can see the effects in the number of private schools and charter schools that have come about in the last twenty years. The public system has fallen and the focus is not on the children that go through that system. The education system in America is under staffed and underfunded. With education, we have created a system of privilege were only those who can afford it
will get a quality education. Integration was good in some systems but education has proven that when black children were taught by black teachers in black systems, the nurturing of their education was also there. Better blackboards did not aid in the vision to promote the talented 10th.

Media, TV and any other source of communication has not generated positive examples of inclusion for any race whether it be white or black. It is not about the shaping of peoples views, but making money to keep reality in the forefront of the mind. Real time has been an effective way of exposing the divides and power of the system in control and distraction of the factual issues that mean something to the masses.
This does not really mean much unless you are caught up in the world of darkness. The only thing that matters is Gods grace and salvation to bless those who are in the light and moving in the direction of righteousness. For when the horn blows all will bow down and praise the Holy name of Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543424799

Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes grew up in a small town in Northern Ireland. A graduate of Oxford, he also trained in theatre at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris. He has worked for many years as an actor under the professional name Michael Colgan, and he also teaches creative writing. He lives in London with his wife, the acclaimed historian Tiffany Watt Smith, and their two children. His first novel, The Countenance Divine, was published by John Murray/Hachette UK in 2016.

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Copyright © 2017 by Michael Hughes.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017908125

ISBN:      Hardcover           978-1-5434-2481-2

                Softcover            978-1-5434-2480-5

                eBook                 978-1-5434-2479-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

NLT

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

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Rev. date: 06/13/2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bible

Introduction

Hope And Faithful Living

Personal Narrative And Calling

The Book Of Judges And Ruth

Biblical Theology Of Calling

Personal Reflection And Adjustment

Interlude

The Significance Of Covenant

The Significance Of Moses Call

Slippery Slope: Conflict Style

Conflict Resolution

Biblical Foundations Conflict And Resolution

Discussion Old Testament

Old Testament Stepping Into Culture

My Cancer Journey

Research

About The Author

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my mother Joyce A. Hughes a mighty woman of God the person who’s shoulders I stand on today. She has given me her love attention and guidance. I would like to recognize my sister Phyllis C. Hughes and brother Bobby L. Hughes Jr who have always supported me. I would also like to recognize Ms. Patricia L. Dykes, Ms. Zakiya Blackwell and Mr. Marcus and Cordia Starling who have given me the motivation to reach the goal of writing this book and to my son Aaron R. Hughes and daughter Felita D. Hughes the inspiration to complete this work and may God protect them both throughout life.

BIBLE

The Life Application Study Bible has an introduction and its translation philosophy and methodology is that English Bible translation tends to be governed by one of two general translation theories. The first theory has been called formal equivalence, literal, or word-for-word translation. According to this theory the translator attempts to render each word of the original language into English and seeks to preserve the original syntax and sentence structure as much as possible in translation. The second theory has been called dynamic equivalence, functional equivalence, or thought-for-thought translation.

The goal of this translation theory is to produce in English the closest natural equivalent of the message expressed by the original language text both in meaning and style. Both translation theories have their strengths. A formal equivalence translation preserves aspects of the original text including ancient idioms, term consistency, and original language syntax that are valuable for scholars and professional study.

It allows a reader to trace formal elements of the original language text through the English translation. A dynamic equivalence translation on the other hand focuses on translating the message of the original language text. It ensures that the meaning of the text is readily apparent to the contemporary reader. This allows the message to come through with immediacy without requiring the reader to struggle with foreign idioms and awkward syntax. It also facilitates serious study of the text’s message and clarity in both devotional and public reading.

All translations contain a mixture of these two philosophies. A purely formal equivalent translation would be unintelligible in English and a purely dynamic equivalent translation would risk being unfaithful to the original. That is why translations shaped by dynamic equivalence theory are usually quite literal when the original text is relatively clear and the translations shaped by formal equivalence theory are sometimes quite dynamic when original text are obscure. The translators of the New Living Translation set out to render the message of the original texts of Scripture into clear contemporary English. They kept the concerns of both formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence in mind. They translated as simply and literally as possible when that approach yielded an accurate clear and natural English text. Many words and phrases were rendered literally and consistently into English preserving essential literary and rhetorical devices, ancient metaphors, and word choices that give structure to the text and provide echoes of meaning from one passage to the next. The translators rendered the message more dynamically when the rendering was hard to understand was misleading or yielded archaic or foreign wording.

It clarified difficult metaphors and terms to aid in the reader’s understanding. The translators first struggled with the meaning of the words and phrases in the ancient context then they rendered the message into clear natural English. The goal was to be both faithful to the ancient texts and eminently readable. The result is a translation that is both exegetically accurate and idiomatically powerful. In order to produce an accurate translation of the Bible into contemporary English, the translation needed the skills necessary to enter into the thought patterns of the ancient authors and then to render their ideas, connotations, and effects into clear contemporary English.

Qualified biblical scholars were needed to interpret the meaning of the original text and to check it against our base English translation. They needed to represent a diverse group of Evangelicals who would employ the best exegetical tools. They worked alongside scholars and skilled stylists who shaped the text into clear contemporary English.

I will continue to use this New Translation Study Bible because it fulfills the word in truth for me and is the guide for my life and the rock of study for God’s Kingdom. Its translation and writing of this Bible was assigned to three different scholars with proven expertise in the book or group of books to be reviewed and summarized. This Bible has been refined to preserve the essential formal elements of the original biblical texts while creating a clear understandable English text.

INTRODUCTION

My name is Michael D. Hughes. I am a former Army officer. For the past thirty years, I have served soldiers and family members in administrative functions, conducted training, and counseling soldiers on professional development and problem solving. As the Installation Sports director, my experience in supervision, administration, business management, and sports and athletic programming has provided me with a wealth of experience. What I would like for those readers in this work to get is interaction with people and understand their views are important to the human condition. Their experiences on God’s journey in ministry and how they approach certain issues and problems are extremely important as it relates to spiritual issues.

I think because we are all in community and involved with each other on a daily basis, it is important to take all views to come to some kind of conclusion. Having committed myself to soldiers and family members over the years has given me a different perspective on how to deal with certain issues. I am always open to learn new perspectives on how to solve problems and do it God’s way. To be able to lead and give of myself in a spiritual way is the message I am trying to convey. God bless the readers.

HOPE AND FAITHFUL LIVING

The messages of warning in this world are speaking to us on a daily basis. God has been taken out of institutions of learning and other institutions, and when we take God out of anything, there will be a fall. There are wars and rumors of war. Just as in Noah’s time man has not heeded the warnings of violence with his selfishness and brutality. Most disregard the warnings and advice of God and believe in their own will. The messages of warnings in Revelation are brought not by man—the one who God placed on earth to bring His word, but by angels ⁰⁶ And I saw another angel flying through the sky carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world, to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ⁰⁷ Fear God, he shouted. Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens the earth the sea and all the springs of water.⁰⁸ Then a third angel followed them shouting Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand, ¹⁰ must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.¹¹ The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name. ¹² This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. (Revelation 14:6–12)

God’s ultimate triumph should encourage people to remain faithful through every trial and persecution. God will remember our kindness and faithfulness and our relationship with Him. ¹² One day Moses said to the Lord You have been telling me Take these people up to the Promised Land. But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me I know you by name and I look favorably on you. ¹³ If it is true you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.¹⁴ The Lord replied, I will personally go with you, Moses and I will give you rest, everything will be fine for you. ¹⁵ Then Moses said If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.¹⁶ How will anyone know that you look favorably on me and your people, if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on earth". (Exodus 33:12–16)

Moses’ relationship with God and his communication was true friendship and important to receive a message of hope. If the righteous would adhere to the Ten Commandments and put their complete trust in God we will have the grace of God. Without this, our situation on this planet would be hopeless. ⁴⁰ "But at last my people will confess their sins and of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. ⁴¹ When I have turned their hostility back on them and