JESUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS MUST SEEK AFTER THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND IN NEED OF HEALING
Some of the scribes who saw Jesus heal a man sick of the palsy and also forgave the man of his sins accused Jesus of blaspheming within their hearts. Jesus knew their thoughts and asked why think this evil of him in their hearts? Jesus told the scribes it is just as easy to forgive the sins of man as it is to heal because the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins and to heal the sick. The man who was sick of palsy arose and went into his house. There were multitudes of other people who marveled and glorified God, who had given such power as this to men. As Jesus walked away from this group of people he saw a man named Matthew and told him to follow after him. Matthew arose and followed him. As Jesus sat down to eat in the house, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him along with his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and asked the disciples why does your Master sit and eat with publicans and sinners? Jesus overheard their question and said people who are whole do not need a physician, however, people who are sick do need the help of a physician. Jesus said at this time he had not come to call the righteous. In other words, his mission was not to only sit, eat and drink with the righteous of the land as he was, but his mission was to call sinners to repentance, therefore, he must mingle and dwell within the presence of those sinners. In these words of Jesus we learn that he feels sinners and publicans are people who are actually "sick," and need the help of a physician. Their sickness is their unrighteousness. Jesus was sent especially to "Heal" this type of sickness. So why would he hide himself from the very people who were in need of him? How many times have you seen a sect or "click" of people who call themselves "righteous," and Gods elect, but stick together and will not allow anyone outside their little congregation or click of people to actually become a part of them. Their services surround each other. They beg and cry more for healing of their own physical ailments than the healing of people's sins. It is my opinion not much in accomplished in these crowds of people that is truly in the name of Jesus. They seem to think if they go where the "sick" sinner people are, they might get themselves into trouble, and they are just better off to hide themselves away to worship God and wait for his coming. They actually want little or nothing at all to do with sinner people. Many of them have no mission or plan to bring into their circle of friends those who are in sin, and will openly criticize anyone who strays out of their group, saying such things just as the Pharisees said to Jesus: "Now why would you have fellowship with an old drug addict or alcoholic?" I feel like these types of people are just as much in sin as those they are afraid to have contact with. They are "white collar" Christians. Jesus was sent into the prisons to speak to the evil spirits there. Many "white collar" Christians of today, who call themselves the true elect of God, will not go pass their own little click of church goers, much less, go into the prisons seeking out those who need to hear the gospel. Jesus goes on to speak riddles concerning people who put a new piece of cloth onto an old garment. He says this just does not look right, because the older parts of the garment will just take away from the look of new piece added. And he said it is not appropriate to put new wine into old bottles. The bottles will probably break and the wine will just run out. New wine must be put into new bottles so they both are preserved. I think the above sayings refer to people who try to cover up an "unclean" heart with a new, clean outer garment. The look achieved is still something just not right and unprofitable. People who try to put old wine into new bottles are the same as those still trying to be something on the outside to others that they are truly not on the inside. They try to put more and more on of the look of righteousness without the true clean heart inside. There will come a time when who they really are will come bursting through and expose the "old person still inside" that they are trying to hide. It is better to just not wear a hypocrite shoe, be clean on the inside, so you can continue to grow spiritually, otherwise, there will always be something about your bottle that is just not right, just waiting to be exposed, just waiting to burst through and break proving it was not a new bottle after all. This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. © 2007 Connie Limon. All Rights Reserved About the author: Connie Limon Visit us at The Spiritual Guide, http://www.thespiritualguide.info for spiritual teachings and guidance. Visit Camelot Articles at http://www.camelotarticles.com for a variety of FREE reprint articles for your websites, newsletters or blog.
BORN TO DIE
You may want to give this a moment's thought: everyone is born to live but only Jesus Christ was born to die. It was God's will for Him. And that was because of you and me. 'We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all....Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.' - Isaiah 53:6 and 10(NIV). 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' - John 3:16(NIV).
I tell people that what made God leave his throne, become man to die on the cross, and channel the best of resources in heaven and earth, using every possible means available and creating more, to further the good news of salvation for mankind must be very serious and should never be taken lightly. That's the reason we celebrate Christmas. Christ birth was not just another birth of another human being. It was the day God brought into the world His son through whose death He would put an end to sin and its consequences over mankind, 'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' - Romans 6:23(NIV). Whatever can be called death in your life Christ has paid for that you may truly live a victorious life, having victory over sin, sickness, poverty, failure, destruction and any thing that stands contrary to eternal life which God purposed for you from the very beginning. He wants the best for you. That was why he gave His best (Jesus Christ) to die in your place so that you are not eternally lost. And assuming He paid the price of His life for the all mankind and it remained just you He is willing to go through the same ordeal again just for you. That's the extent of His love for you.
Also the birth of Jesus is the day God brought into the world His Son through whose resurrection from the dead the rest of mankind could have eternal life if they would just truly believe and behave accordingly. Now is the time to believe because this is the hour of salvation. The time is coming when it will be too late and nobody can do anything about it, not even God Himself because it will be the hour of judgment. God has done all He can do for you and is doing what remains in this hour of salvation for you to be saved. Do not turn down this so great a salvation for you would be the one losing, for what shall it profit a man to lose his soul. Remember He is a righteous judge.
If you want to take advantage of this hour of salvation and be saved from sin and destruction pray this prayer of salvation: Lord Jesus I come to You this day. I thank You for bringing Your word my way this day. I acknowledge and confess my sins to You. I recognize that God raised You from the dead that I might have life. Have mercy on me. Lord Jesus I welcome you into my life today. I confess You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for having mercy on me. Thank You for saving me today from sin, from destruction and from all works of Satan. I am now a child of God. Thank You Lord.
LOVE NOTE
If you have prayed that prayer from the bottom of your heart, believing that God raised Jesus from the dead you are now a child of God. And now that you are saved there are few things you must do to grow in God.
1. You must read your bible and pray to God every day in the name of Jesus. The book Joshua 1:8 says not to let the word of God depart out of our mouth but to meditate on it always so that we may carefully do all God requires of us to be successful and prosperous 2. You must worship with other believers in a bible believing church or assembly. Hebrews 10:25 says 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.'- (NIV), and 3. As the opportunity comes on share the good news of this new life with someone and as they are willing lead them to Christ.
Enjoy your life in Christ now that you are a new creation in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
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See All articles From Author
● Onyekachukwu Ukeje is an itinerant preacher based in Enugu, Nigeria. For more articles and ebook(s) by this writer please visit http://www.faithwriters.com, http://www.faithreaders.com and http://www.onyekachukwuukeje.com/home/ebook.htm.
I tell people that what made God leave his throne, become man to die on the cross, and channel the best of resources in heaven and earth, using every possible means available and creating more, to further the good news of salvation for mankind must be very serious and should never be taken lightly. That's the reason we celebrate Christmas. Christ birth was not just another birth of another human being. It was the day God brought into the world His son through whose death He would put an end to sin and its consequences over mankind, 'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' - Romans 6:23(NIV). Whatever can be called death in your life Christ has paid for that you may truly live a victorious life, having victory over sin, sickness, poverty, failure, destruction and any thing that stands contrary to eternal life which God purposed for you from the very beginning. He wants the best for you. That was why he gave His best (Jesus Christ) to die in your place so that you are not eternally lost. And assuming He paid the price of His life for the all mankind and it remained just you He is willing to go through the same ordeal again just for you. That's the extent of His love for you.
Also the birth of Jesus is the day God brought into the world His Son through whose resurrection from the dead the rest of mankind could have eternal life if they would just truly believe and behave accordingly. Now is the time to believe because this is the hour of salvation. The time is coming when it will be too late and nobody can do anything about it, not even God Himself because it will be the hour of judgment. God has done all He can do for you and is doing what remains in this hour of salvation for you to be saved. Do not turn down this so great a salvation for you would be the one losing, for what shall it profit a man to lose his soul. Remember He is a righteous judge.
If you want to take advantage of this hour of salvation and be saved from sin and destruction pray this prayer of salvation: Lord Jesus I come to You this day. I thank You for bringing Your word my way this day. I acknowledge and confess my sins to You. I recognize that God raised You from the dead that I might have life. Have mercy on me. Lord Jesus I welcome you into my life today. I confess You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for having mercy on me. Thank You for saving me today from sin, from destruction and from all works of Satan. I am now a child of God. Thank You Lord.
LOVE NOTE
If you have prayed that prayer from the bottom of your heart, believing that God raised Jesus from the dead you are now a child of God. And now that you are saved there are few things you must do to grow in God.
1. You must read your bible and pray to God every day in the name of Jesus. The book Joshua 1:8 says not to let the word of God depart out of our mouth but to meditate on it always so that we may carefully do all God requires of us to be successful and prosperous 2. You must worship with other believers in a bible believing church or assembly. Hebrews 10:25 says 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.'- (NIV), and 3. As the opportunity comes on share the good news of this new life with someone and as they are willing lead them to Christ.
Enjoy your life in Christ now that you are a new creation in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Resources
See All articles From Author
● Onyekachukwu Ukeje is an itinerant preacher based in Enugu, Nigeria. For more articles and ebook(s) by this writer please visit http://www.faithwriters.com, http://www.faithreaders.com and http://www.onyekachukwuukeje.com/home/ebook.htm.
GOD OF CREATION
Has the God of creation finished working, or has His work never stopped and who truly is our God of Creation? There does not seem to have been a period of history where mankind was without belief in the supernatural as governor of the universe. Our Christian way of life believes, and has the understanding that there is a supernatural power governing the universe and that supernatural power is our God, Creator of heaven and earth and all things in them.
The fact of the existence of God is proved by the order, power and complexity of creation, and through His dealings with His people throughout history. The true God is infinite and beyond the mind of man fully to fathom. A creature could never hope to become equal to its Creator or understand all the workings of His mind. Rom 11:34 says (For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" )
God always acts within His own righteous arrangements, doing all things on a legal basis. Rom 3:4 says ( Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: That You may be justified in Your works, and may overcome when You are judge.") For this reason all people can have complete confidence in Him, knowing that He always abides by the principles He establishes. He does not change and there is no "variation" with Him in the application of His principles. Mal 3:6 says ( For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consume, O sons of Jacob.)
God's power and knowledge extend everywhere, reaching every part of the universe. Amos 9:3 says ( Though they dig into hell, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down; ) God is spirit, not flesh, though He sometimes likens His attributes of sight, power, and so forth, to human faculties. Thus, He speaks figuratively of His "arm" His "eyes" and "ears" and points out that, being the Creator of human eyes and ears, He certainly can see and hear. Ps 94:9 says ( He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? )
The God of creation, the Creator of the heavenly bodies, has glory and brilliance beyond the ability of fleshly sight to endure, for "no man can see God and yet live." Ex 33:20 says ( But He said, "You can not see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.") Only the angels, spirit creatures, have vision that can behold his face in a literal sense. Matt 18:10 says ( Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.)
Nevertheless, he does not expose men to such an experience as to lose ones life. In loving- kindness he enables men to see his fine qualities through his Word, including the revelation of Himself by means of his Son, Christ Jesus. John 14:9 says ( Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "show us the Father'?)
Our Creator has a purpose that He will work out and there is nothing that will prevent His purpose from being successful. Isa 55:11 says ( So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And I shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.) His purpose, as expressed at ( Ephesians 1:10) is to establish "an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth."
Having great love for us, Our Creator provides ample opportunity for us to know Him and His purposes. Heb 1:1-2 says ( God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world;) His written Word is his communication to us, enabling us to be completely equipped as his servants and ministers, and directing us on the way to life. 2 Tim 3:16-17 says ( All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.)
Our God of creation works, He has not stopped. After the sixth day of creation God ceased from earthly creative work. Gen 2:2 says ( And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.) But that does not mean that God's activity having to do with the invisible realm came to an end, for Jesus said: John 5:12 ("My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.") During His rest day, God has worked in spiritual ways, as indicated by Paul's words: 2 Cor 5:17 ( Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Before speaking of a new creation," the apostle mentioned the dissolving of "our earthly house," pointed out that anointed Christians would have 2 Cor 5:1 (a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.) Those resurrected to heavenly life have a resurrected body that differs from the fleshly body planted in death. Each one of them, already called a "new creation" in union with Christ, is resurrected as a new creation with a spirit body in the heavenly realm. (1 Cor 15:35-57)
Great blessings from our Creator under Kingdom rule are assured to obedient mankind due to God's promise: Isa 65: says (for behold, I am creating a new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.) In that system of things promised and created by God "righteousness is to dwell." 2 Pet 3:13 says ( Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells.) The certainty of its establishment is emphasized by John's apocalyptic vision and his statement "I saw a new heaven and a new earth." ( Rev:21:1-5)
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To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
The fact of the existence of God is proved by the order, power and complexity of creation, and through His dealings with His people throughout history. The true God is infinite and beyond the mind of man fully to fathom. A creature could never hope to become equal to its Creator or understand all the workings of His mind. Rom 11:34 says (For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" )
God always acts within His own righteous arrangements, doing all things on a legal basis. Rom 3:4 says ( Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: That You may be justified in Your works, and may overcome when You are judge.") For this reason all people can have complete confidence in Him, knowing that He always abides by the principles He establishes. He does not change and there is no "variation" with Him in the application of His principles. Mal 3:6 says ( For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consume, O sons of Jacob.)
God's power and knowledge extend everywhere, reaching every part of the universe. Amos 9:3 says ( Though they dig into hell, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down; ) God is spirit, not flesh, though He sometimes likens His attributes of sight, power, and so forth, to human faculties. Thus, He speaks figuratively of His "arm" His "eyes" and "ears" and points out that, being the Creator of human eyes and ears, He certainly can see and hear. Ps 94:9 says ( He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? )
The God of creation, the Creator of the heavenly bodies, has glory and brilliance beyond the ability of fleshly sight to endure, for "no man can see God and yet live." Ex 33:20 says ( But He said, "You can not see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.") Only the angels, spirit creatures, have vision that can behold his face in a literal sense. Matt 18:10 says ( Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.)
Nevertheless, he does not expose men to such an experience as to lose ones life. In loving- kindness he enables men to see his fine qualities through his Word, including the revelation of Himself by means of his Son, Christ Jesus. John 14:9 says ( Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "show us the Father'?)
Our Creator has a purpose that He will work out and there is nothing that will prevent His purpose from being successful. Isa 55:11 says ( So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And I shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.) His purpose, as expressed at ( Ephesians 1:10) is to establish "an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth."
Having great love for us, Our Creator provides ample opportunity for us to know Him and His purposes. Heb 1:1-2 says ( God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world;) His written Word is his communication to us, enabling us to be completely equipped as his servants and ministers, and directing us on the way to life. 2 Tim 3:16-17 says ( All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.)
Our God of creation works, He has not stopped. After the sixth day of creation God ceased from earthly creative work. Gen 2:2 says ( And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.) But that does not mean that God's activity having to do with the invisible realm came to an end, for Jesus said: John 5:12 ("My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.") During His rest day, God has worked in spiritual ways, as indicated by Paul's words: 2 Cor 5:17 ( Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Before speaking of a new creation," the apostle mentioned the dissolving of "our earthly house," pointed out that anointed Christians would have 2 Cor 5:1 (a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.) Those resurrected to heavenly life have a resurrected body that differs from the fleshly body planted in death. Each one of them, already called a "new creation" in union with Christ, is resurrected as a new creation with a spirit body in the heavenly realm. (1 Cor 15:35-57)
Great blessings from our Creator under Kingdom rule are assured to obedient mankind due to God's promise: Isa 65: says (for behold, I am creating a new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.) In that system of things promised and created by God "righteousness is to dwell." 2 Pet 3:13 says ( Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells.) The certainty of its establishment is emphasized by John's apocalyptic vision and his statement "I saw a new heaven and a new earth." ( Rev:21:1-5)
Resources
See All articles From Author
To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
ONLY JESUS CLAIMS TO BE GOD
Jesus was not confused about His own identity; He unabashedly claimed to be God. But He also supported it by facts. Jesus performed many miracles; 35 are recorded in the gospels, including various nature miracles. These miracles show His divine powers beyond any laws of nature. Their results are immediate and lasting. One of the most impressive, the feeding of the five thousand, is attested to in all four gospels. And Jesus fulfilled each of the hundreds of prophecies about the Messiah from the Old Testament with remarkable accuracy, all but a few outside his own control, and well beyond any statistical probability of chance. These prophecies were written hundreds of years before He was born and predicted His family line, His birth and birthplace, His ministry and in much detail His suffering and crucifixion. When it seemed that Jesus was defeated, that evil had won by crucifying and killing the Messiah, God revealed His greatest miracle of all: The resurrection of Christ. The greatest moment of victory for the Evil One turned out to be the moment of his complete defeat. By the crucifixion, with His blood, Jesus purchased salvation for man. By His resurrection He proclaimed in a most glorious way possible that He was the Son of God beyond the grip of death. The resurrection is one of the best proved in event in mans history: the Bible testifies to it including a creed of as early as a few years after the resurrection and there are multiple confirmations from dramatically changed lives from the disciples, Paul and James (His brother). The explosive growth of the early Christian movement can only be explained by a conviction based on personal observation (not hearsay) that Jesus died on the cross and was alive again thee day later on the first Easter. Hinduism had no founder, so there are no claims of deity. Gandhi was a humble man of integrity and had great care for other people. Yet he never claimed to be God. Siddhartha Gautama (Lord Buddha) did not claim to be God, nor are there serious claims that he performed miracles during his lifetime or that there was a resurrection. "The original accounts of Buddha never ascribe to him any such thing as a resurrection; in fact, in the earliest accounts of his death, namely, the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, we read that when Buddha died it was ‘with that utter passing away in which nothing whatever remains behind." The prophet Mohammed expressly claimed merely to be the prophet of Allah. Mohammed, also, fulfilled no prophecies nor is there even a single credible account of a miracle he performed. Many Muslims protest that the writing of the Quran is the greatest miracle of all. Others argue for some miraculous accounts about Mohammed deeply rooted in tradition, but these are not supported by history or reliable scriptures. But even if this was evidence for Mohammeds divine inspiration these claims look pale next to the miracles and prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. Mohammed died June 8, 632 AD at the age of 61 in Medina, where his tomb is annually visited by thousands of devout Muslims. Later legends claim that he did not die but ascended to heaven in Jerusalem (at the location of the modern day Dome of the Rock). However, no credible evidence for this claim has been presented. Whatever Mohammeds destiny, nobody has ever claimed he rose from the dead. Christ alone claimed to be God. Christ alone provided evidence to support His claims! About the author: Rob VandeWeghe is a skeptic turned Christian. More articles like this by Rob are available at www.WindmillMinistries.org. Enjoy and research hundreds of pages of figures, facts, finds and features.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE APPOSTLES IN THE BIBLE?
For anyone who holds that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a man-made hoax conspired by a group of disciples should check out what happened to them. It verifies the truth of the Bible. For 11 of the 12 apostles, and many thousands of other early Christians, died for believing this story. This is dramatic, since they all witnessed the events of Jesus and still went to their deaths defending their faith. Why is this dramatic, when many throughout history have died martyred deaths for a religious belief? Because people dont die for a lie. Look at human nature throughout history. No conspiracy can be maintained when life or liberty is at stake. Dying for a belief is one thing, but numerous eyewitnesses dying for a known lie is quite another. Here is an account of early Christian persecution, as compiled from numerous sources outside the Bible, the most famous of which is Foxes Christian Martyrs of the World: Around 34 A.D., one year after the crucifixion of Jesus, Stephen was thrown out of Jerusalem and stoned to death. Approximately 2,000 Christians suffered martyrdom in Jerusalem during this period. About 10 years later, James , the son of Zebedee and the elder brother of John, was killed when Herod Agrippa arrived as governor of Judea. Agrippa detested the Christian sect of Jews, and many more were martyred under his rule. Around 54 A.D., Philip , an early disciple from Galilee, was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified. About six years later, Matthew , the tax-collector from Nazareth who wrote his gospel, was preaching in Ethiopia when he suffered martyrdom by the sword. James , the brother of Jesus, whose burial box was recently discovered, became the leader of the early church in Jerusalem and was the author of an Epistle by his name. At age 94, he was beat and stoned, and finally had his brains bashed out with a club. Matthias was the apostle who took the place of Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Andrew was the brother of Peter who preached the gospel throughout Asia. He was crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed in an X-Shape in the ground (this is where we get the term, St. Andrew's Cross). Mark was converted to Christianity by Peter, and then transcribed Peters account of Jesus in his Gospel, was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria Egypt in front of Serapis, their pagan idol. Peter was crucified at Rome... upside down, at his own request, because he said he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. Paul suffered in the first persecution under Nero. Pauls faith was so dramatic in the face of martyrdom, that the authorities removed him to a private place where he was beheaded with a sword. In about 72 A.D., Jude , the brother of James who was commonly called Thaddeus, was crucified at Edessa. Bartholomew preached in several countries and translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India. He was savagely beaten and then crucified there. Thomas , called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where he was thrust through with a spear. Luke the physician and the author of the Gospel under his name and traveled with Paul through various countries... was hung on an olive tree in Greece. John , the "beloved disciple," was the brother of James. From Ephesus he was ordered to Rome, where he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. The Romans banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death. What is so amazing, and why I went into so much detail here, is because Christian persecution didnt slow the growth of the Christian faith during the first few centuries after Christ. Even as its early leaders died horrible deaths, Christianity flourished throughout the Roman Empire. How can this historical record of martyrdom be viewed as anything but dramatic evidence for the absolute truth of the Christian faith - a faith, unlike any other, that is founded on historical events and eye-witness testimony? This historical record, I submit... tells us the Real Story of Jesus and further demonstrates the truth of the Bible. About the author: The author is publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com), which specializes in lifestyle evangelism tools like Christian T-Shirts. He also publishes The Faithful Christian (http://www.faithfulchristian.com).
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN
There has been considerable discussion about the separation of Church and State. A fine line has been drawn between the education options open to parents who want their children to be trained under the guidelines set by the locally recognized school system qualifications but allow the students to be educated in a church school environment instead of the over-crowded conditions found in the public school system. The curriculum offered in the Christian education programs for children that attend private schools is very similar to that offered in the public school system. There are many additions though, that make attending school in a Christian environment very appealing to parents. Students are afforded an education that is more personable and complete. Christian school teachers find the time to cover a broad spectrum of courses and some of those courses are not available through the public schools. The Bible is a standard textbook at a private school operated by Christian church organizations. The basic teachings of the Bible are included in the day to day operations at the school and teachers rarely worry about drugs or guns being present in the classroom or on the school campus. Children learn in classrooms that are cool and comfortable in the summer months and warm in the winter. Private schools can operate on a religious program that is not endorsed by State law. The bare mention of God is prohibited in the public school system and the Ten Commandments have been removed from Government buildings. Children are free to discuss religion and learn about the history of the world through the teachings that are written in the Bible. A Christian school education offers children the opportunity to participate in sports programs that are very competitive and many students earn scholarships for college through the excellence of their participation in these sports. The children receive a well-rounded education that includes academics, cultural and arts programs in the curriculum that is offered. A Christian education path allows students to join bands and participate in band competitions. There are also opportunities for children to take piano classes from teachers who are at the top of their field in the musical world. The Christian choral groups learn to raise their voices high to promote and praise God for the glory of being alive and loved. Parents place their trust in the Christian school programs and they are never let down in any way. About the author: James Brown writes about eCampus.com online coupons, Belford High School discounts and Monster Learning deals
FIVE EASY STEPS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH
Christians for years have been trying to figure out ways to strengthen their faith and I've compiled a small list of things that you can do. Each one of these five of these steps will help you, while you're climbing your ladder to heaven.
1. Research your Christian origins. Try to find out, where your beliefs came from. A good place to start would be, asking your parents, if they raised you inside of a Christian family and community.
2. You're going to need to read at least some of the Bible. It would be nice if you could actually read most of the Bible, but let's start somewhere and that somewhere will start with reading sections of the Bible.
3. You're going to need to understand, what you're actually reading in the Bible. This will require learning more about the Bible and acquiring different points of views, until you can make good decisions on your own.
4. You're going to have to accept the fact that there are contradictions in the Bible and the more that you study the Bible, the easier it will be for you to accept these problems.
5. Last but not least, you're going to need to start asking the tough questions about Christianity. Some of these questions are going to be hard for most Christians of answer, but it's going to have to be done,
I hope this helps. We've all got to start somewhere and some times, actually spending some time in learning about your religion, is a good place to start.
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Did Jesus Get Mad
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a religious help library [http://gregvandenberge.com/articles.htm] filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Vanden_Berge
1. Research your Christian origins. Try to find out, where your beliefs came from. A good place to start would be, asking your parents, if they raised you inside of a Christian family and community.
2. You're going to need to read at least some of the Bible. It would be nice if you could actually read most of the Bible, but let's start somewhere and that somewhere will start with reading sections of the Bible.
3. You're going to need to understand, what you're actually reading in the Bible. This will require learning more about the Bible and acquiring different points of views, until you can make good decisions on your own.
4. You're going to have to accept the fact that there are contradictions in the Bible and the more that you study the Bible, the easier it will be for you to accept these problems.
5. Last but not least, you're going to need to start asking the tough questions about Christianity. Some of these questions are going to be hard for most Christians of answer, but it's going to have to be done,
I hope this helps. We've all got to start somewhere and some times, actually spending some time in learning about your religion, is a good place to start.
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Did Jesus Get Mad
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a religious help library [http://gregvandenberge.com/articles.htm] filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Vanden_Berge
DEFINING CHRISTIAN FAITH FOR A NON-CHRISTIAN WORLD
Christian faith has been the cornerstone for many believers' lives for more than 2,000 years. In the days of the Roman Empire, and even later in the lives of Joan of Arc and John Hus, people have been willing to die for what they believe. Through all of the religion's ups and downs, it has endured, not because of mighty armies or secular rule, but because of the belief that this world is not the final reward. However, Christians believe they can make the earth a better place by living lives with their eternal reward in mind. Defining faith is a tad more complicated than simple belief.
Belief is knowing something to be true. The word of God admits that even demons are capable of this. God's people, as Christians strive to be known, requires a deeper commitment. Unlike belief, faith goes one step further and instills hope in the person who has it. Hope for a better life, a world of possibilities, an end to suffering, a discovery of world peace, a chance to see those loved ones who've gone before us, and a chance to escape the evils of this world. Quite simply, without faith, there is no hope.
But in order for Christian faith to be functional, it must go beyond even hope. It must become trust. Trust that God will do what He says, that He will work through you to fulfill His purpose, that He will enact a positive and lasting change for those who put their faith in Him and are called according to His ways. Hope is passive; trust is active. With trust, you can control the attitudes and the temptations that too often plague your life. You can overcome the walls of adversity that stand in your way every day. You can truly be called a child of God, because like a good father, He is always there watching over you, and you have the ability to either place things in His hands or struggle desperately against the tides.
Belief, hope, and trust, are all necessary components to have Christian faith, and they show themselves through the relationship you have with Jesus Christ. Many non-believers will admit that Christ was a great man. 2,000 years after his crucifixion, he remains the most influential character in world history. How could he not have been great? But not as many believe that Christ died for the world and rose from the grave three days later to abolish the hold sin had over the world. It takes that belief, that hope, and that trust, to walk in the Christian faith. Essentially, all you have to "do" is let go, and let God's grace do the rest.
Jesus Christ has been a savior to billions for more than 2,000 years. If you believe that Faith in Him can move mountains, visit our site today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Chow
Belief is knowing something to be true. The word of God admits that even demons are capable of this. God's people, as Christians strive to be known, requires a deeper commitment. Unlike belief, faith goes one step further and instills hope in the person who has it. Hope for a better life, a world of possibilities, an end to suffering, a discovery of world peace, a chance to see those loved ones who've gone before us, and a chance to escape the evils of this world. Quite simply, without faith, there is no hope.
But in order for Christian faith to be functional, it must go beyond even hope. It must become trust. Trust that God will do what He says, that He will work through you to fulfill His purpose, that He will enact a positive and lasting change for those who put their faith in Him and are called according to His ways. Hope is passive; trust is active. With trust, you can control the attitudes and the temptations that too often plague your life. You can overcome the walls of adversity that stand in your way every day. You can truly be called a child of God, because like a good father, He is always there watching over you, and you have the ability to either place things in His hands or struggle desperately against the tides.
Belief, hope, and trust, are all necessary components to have Christian faith, and they show themselves through the relationship you have with Jesus Christ. Many non-believers will admit that Christ was a great man. 2,000 years after his crucifixion, he remains the most influential character in world history. How could he not have been great? But not as many believe that Christ died for the world and rose from the grave three days later to abolish the hold sin had over the world. It takes that belief, that hope, and that trust, to walk in the Christian faith. Essentially, all you have to "do" is let go, and let God's grace do the rest.
Jesus Christ has been a savior to billions for more than 2,000 years. If you believe that Faith in Him can move mountains, visit our site today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Chow
IS YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE PURE BEFORE GOD 'S STANDARDS?
You could live for years in church and never hear this preached. You could go for years and years and never know what a pure and undefiled religion really is before God. You could even read the scripture verse we use here and still not understand what it means. If you want to know what God wants from you this is for you.
So what is a pure Christian life?
James puts it this way:
James 1:27 (New King James Version)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Do you know that single mothers would be considered widows these days? Do you know that there are many hundreds of single mothers that suffer from a lack of money to buy good things for their children in your community. There are probably a few single mothers in your church. James says taking those mothers out shopping and buying them a few things for their children, things the mother cannot afford, makes you a great Christian in the eyes of God.
In the West up to 40% of children from divorced homes or broken relationships do not see their father. You don't have to go to Africa to see orphans, so many children in our society do not have a good stable father figure in their life and so many of the mothers could do with a couple befriending them. There is so much good a mature well established husband and wife could do in a single mothers life.
James says that to visit them is the right sort of religion.
James goes on to say that we are to keep ourself from being spotted by the world. If you do not know what that means you are in good company. I didn't know for years. It means we are not to be lusting and chasing after the things of the world. James gives the idea that the world with all its lusts makes us dirty and we need to be cleaned up.
Are you a person that has to have all the latest gadgets and things that come onto the market? Are you a person with all the brand name clothes, the best cars, a nice house, and all manner of things? All these things James is talking about. We need to have things with the right attitude. We have to serve God more and serve things less.
Matthew Robert Payne was raised a Baptist, Baptized in a Pentecostal church and now worships at the Salvation Army.
To request a free Christian dream interpretation or free personal prophecy visit http://www.personal-prophecy-free.net
Matthew also has done extensive teaching on the prophetic on video and in articles and this teaching can be found at http://www.prophets-and-personal-prophecy.net
So what is a pure Christian life?
James puts it this way:
James 1:27 (New King James Version)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Do you know that single mothers would be considered widows these days? Do you know that there are many hundreds of single mothers that suffer from a lack of money to buy good things for their children in your community. There are probably a few single mothers in your church. James says taking those mothers out shopping and buying them a few things for their children, things the mother cannot afford, makes you a great Christian in the eyes of God.
In the West up to 40% of children from divorced homes or broken relationships do not see their father. You don't have to go to Africa to see orphans, so many children in our society do not have a good stable father figure in their life and so many of the mothers could do with a couple befriending them. There is so much good a mature well established husband and wife could do in a single mothers life.
James says that to visit them is the right sort of religion.
James goes on to say that we are to keep ourself from being spotted by the world. If you do not know what that means you are in good company. I didn't know for years. It means we are not to be lusting and chasing after the things of the world. James gives the idea that the world with all its lusts makes us dirty and we need to be cleaned up.
Are you a person that has to have all the latest gadgets and things that come onto the market? Are you a person with all the brand name clothes, the best cars, a nice house, and all manner of things? All these things James is talking about. We need to have things with the right attitude. We have to serve God more and serve things less.
Matthew Robert Payne was raised a Baptist, Baptized in a Pentecostal church and now worships at the Salvation Army.
To request a free Christian dream interpretation or free personal prophecy visit http://www.personal-prophecy-free.net
Matthew also has done extensive teaching on the prophetic on video and in articles and this teaching can be found at http://www.prophets-and-personal-prophecy.net
HOW TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
It is almost impossible to envisage what this means given the world we live in today. The harsh realities of the different circumstances that we find ourselves in turn to define the level of faith we have within us. Not only do they shape the person we become but they also direct us to an understanding of what we should feel we are capable of. The truth remains that we have an option of walking by what we see or believing that we are capable of more. Below are five simple steps that teach us how to walk by faith and not by sight.
1. Temporal and Permanent things
It is important before proceeding on this journey to know what is considered as temporal and permanent. Temporal things come and go in our lives, temporal things wither and die. Permanent things last forever despite whatever circumstance may arise. In this step we should not be deceived by our world when it flashes us things that won't last. We should not be deceived by our world when it pretends to come to our aid when there is a prize to pay for it. It is important to note here that in these circumstances we may think we are winning but eventually lose as we cannot meet up to payments and expectations. Permanent things are harder to achieve but last forever. They are surrounded by peace of mind and without the worry of loss. If we walk by faith rather than sight then in this step we should know that things of the spirit are permanent. The true aid, support and direction comes from God and only by him do we know that there is no debt to pay. His goodness works in our interest to come to him.
2. Sacrifices
In this step it is important to be willing to endure, have patience and the correct temperament to see the journey to the end. Sacrifice does not mean giving up those things that we do not care to lose. We give up everything for what we believe in and receive in abundance. Sacrifice also comes with the knowledge that God would not let us face anything beyond our capabilities. We walk by faith and not by sight here knowing that those who have gone before us endured to the end and have a place reserved for them in heaven. Sacrifice makes us believe that as we have worked hard so shall we reap great rewards. If we know what is permanent in step one above, then we should be willing to sacrifice for it.
3. Ask and Receive
There are two critical aspects of asking from God. The first is making sure that we ask and the second is believing that we shall receive what we asked for. No one sees a beggar in the street and asks him for money. We know deep down within us that he hasn't any to spare. On the other hand we would see a rich man and ask a favor because we know he has the capabilities to help us. What God desires of us is to recognize that he can make the impossible possible. He desires that we see him above anything we can comprehend and in turn we shall receive what we desire. If we know and believe that this is the case then when we ask we would believe that we would receive and in turn God would answer our prayers.
4. Tools of the trade
So far we know that we desire the permanent things, we know they require sacrifice and we also know that we have to ask to receive. What follows next is how do we go about receiving what we have asked for. These are the tools of the trade. In this step we come to understand that God can direct us to anyone and any place to seek what we desire. We also learn that God would provide us with whoever and whatever we need to accomplish our hearts desires. The tools of the trade can be people, our intelligence, machines or anything that is available to us to fulfill the dream that we desire. Knowing that these are out there for us to seek help from allows us to know that God works with us in achieving our hearts desire.
5. Miracles of God
The final step in this journey is to fully comprehend that with God anything is possible. In scripture David did not defeat Goliath because he mastered the art of stone throwing. David defeated Goliath because he believed in miracles. God had shown him examples of this when he fought the lions. This was enough evidence for him to believe that he was capable of defeating Goliath. This story applies to many of the prophets and does apply to us when we walk by faith and not sight. We should know that if God is more powerful than anything or any one we know of then he is capable of making the impossible possible.
I am the author of the novels Divinity Dawns and Eli. My most recent book Eli is a spiritual novel that serves as an invaluable guide for anyone conflicted in spirit. It is the second installment of a trilogy that takes the reader deep into the mind and heart of a devout Christian struggling to reconcile his faith with the often hostile reality that surrounds him. Three words that describe Eli are introspective, philosophical and epic.
My hope on completion of Eli was that it offers its readers a greater sense of spiritual awareness in their surroundings.
http://lesliemusoko.ning.com
http://lesliemusoko.blogspot.com
1. Temporal and Permanent things
It is important before proceeding on this journey to know what is considered as temporal and permanent. Temporal things come and go in our lives, temporal things wither and die. Permanent things last forever despite whatever circumstance may arise. In this step we should not be deceived by our world when it flashes us things that won't last. We should not be deceived by our world when it pretends to come to our aid when there is a prize to pay for it. It is important to note here that in these circumstances we may think we are winning but eventually lose as we cannot meet up to payments and expectations. Permanent things are harder to achieve but last forever. They are surrounded by peace of mind and without the worry of loss. If we walk by faith rather than sight then in this step we should know that things of the spirit are permanent. The true aid, support and direction comes from God and only by him do we know that there is no debt to pay. His goodness works in our interest to come to him.
2. Sacrifices
In this step it is important to be willing to endure, have patience and the correct temperament to see the journey to the end. Sacrifice does not mean giving up those things that we do not care to lose. We give up everything for what we believe in and receive in abundance. Sacrifice also comes with the knowledge that God would not let us face anything beyond our capabilities. We walk by faith and not by sight here knowing that those who have gone before us endured to the end and have a place reserved for them in heaven. Sacrifice makes us believe that as we have worked hard so shall we reap great rewards. If we know what is permanent in step one above, then we should be willing to sacrifice for it.
3. Ask and Receive
There are two critical aspects of asking from God. The first is making sure that we ask and the second is believing that we shall receive what we asked for. No one sees a beggar in the street and asks him for money. We know deep down within us that he hasn't any to spare. On the other hand we would see a rich man and ask a favor because we know he has the capabilities to help us. What God desires of us is to recognize that he can make the impossible possible. He desires that we see him above anything we can comprehend and in turn we shall receive what we desire. If we know and believe that this is the case then when we ask we would believe that we would receive and in turn God would answer our prayers.
4. Tools of the trade
So far we know that we desire the permanent things, we know they require sacrifice and we also know that we have to ask to receive. What follows next is how do we go about receiving what we have asked for. These are the tools of the trade. In this step we come to understand that God can direct us to anyone and any place to seek what we desire. We also learn that God would provide us with whoever and whatever we need to accomplish our hearts desires. The tools of the trade can be people, our intelligence, machines or anything that is available to us to fulfill the dream that we desire. Knowing that these are out there for us to seek help from allows us to know that God works with us in achieving our hearts desire.
5. Miracles of God
The final step in this journey is to fully comprehend that with God anything is possible. In scripture David did not defeat Goliath because he mastered the art of stone throwing. David defeated Goliath because he believed in miracles. God had shown him examples of this when he fought the lions. This was enough evidence for him to believe that he was capable of defeating Goliath. This story applies to many of the prophets and does apply to us when we walk by faith and not sight. We should know that if God is more powerful than anything or any one we know of then he is capable of making the impossible possible.
I am the author of the novels Divinity Dawns and Eli. My most recent book Eli is a spiritual novel that serves as an invaluable guide for anyone conflicted in spirit. It is the second installment of a trilogy that takes the reader deep into the mind and heart of a devout Christian struggling to reconcile his faith with the often hostile reality that surrounds him. Three words that describe Eli are introspective, philosophical and epic.
My hope on completion of Eli was that it offers its readers a greater sense of spiritual awareness in their surroundings.
http://lesliemusoko.ning.com
http://lesliemusoko.blogspot.com
DISTINCTION BETWEEN PREACHING AND CHRISTIAN TEACHING
The distinction between preaching and teaching is crucial to spiritual development. Much of the sterility we have in our churches can be reduced-and thus we would have more fruitful churches-if we have a clear knowledge of the distinction between preaching and Christian teaching.
Why is this so? Why do we need to know the distinction?
Because these two activities have different goals and have different ways of attaining those goals. It is like feeding infants and adults. You do not feed them with the same food and in the same way. Infants are usually fed with milk which they suck from their mother's breast or from a bottle. Adults are fed with solid food which they take by their own hands.
But in most of our churches those who are not yet even spiritual infants, because they have not yet actualized their faith given in baptism (as in most Catholic churches), or because they have not yet accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior (as in Evangelical churches), are most of the time given solid food by Christian teaching. What these not-yet-spiritual infants need is preaching, not Christian teaching.
On the other hand we have many churches where the pastor keeps on preaching to a congregation of long time Christians already, spiritual Christians. And he still preaches to these Christians. What these Christians need is not preaching, but Christian teaching. They have already grown as Christians. What they need is spiritual nutrients, not the seed of God so that they can be born again. In some of these churches they have even called their main service as Preaching Service.
The goal of preaching is transformation, while that of Christian teaching is conformation. The purpose of preaching is to transform the listener so that he or she becomes a child of God from being just a human being. He or she is transformed from a life of sin to a life of holiness from God's point of view. He or she becomes a new creature. He or she leaves his or her old life and burns the bridge leading from it in such a way that even if he or she wants, he or she can no longer go back to that old life.
The goal of Christian teaching is conformation to the image of Jesus. The new creature now becomes more and more conformed or configured to the image of God as revealed in Jesus. The listener to Christian teaching is already a child of God. He or she now grows as a child of God and Christian teaching makes him or her more like his or her parent God. This is the purpose of Christian teaching.
And the means to achieve these two different goals also differ although they both use words and images.
In preaching the means is by announcing the good news of Jesus Christ, what Jesus did for the listener, especially in his suffering, death, burial and resurrection. By listening to this announcement the person is convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit of his or her sin and turns to Christ as the only one who can solve his or her problem of sin.
In Christian teaching the means is by showing the person of Jesus to the listener so that he or she gazes upon him and becomes more and more conformed to the image of Jesus. Moralizing is not basic to Christian teaching and yet most of our Christian teaching is a discourse on morality, how the Christian is to behave in himself/herself and in the world.
In preaching we experience the power of God, ushering us to eternal life. In Christian teaching we experience his wisdom, enabling us to think, speak and act like Jesus. And the Apostle Paul tells us that Christ is the power and wisdom of God. It is all the work of Christ. The preacher and the teacher are only ministers of Christ.
Let preaching be done for those who have not actualized their Christian life, those who have not yet really accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of their life. But let Christian teaching be done for those who are already actualized or professed Christians. In this way lives are transformed and transformed lives are more and more conformed to the life of God in Jesus, thus turning our world upside down as the Apostles did during their time.
About the Author:
Jose Bulao, a lay Carmelite, wants to help you in your spiritual development. He is a Carmelite formator, helping other Carmelites in their spiritual growth. Prior to this work he taught philosophy, theology or religious studies at Notre Dame University and Ignatian College in Cotabato City, Philippines. To learn about the process of your spiritual development click this site http://developspirit.blogspot.com/
Why is this so? Why do we need to know the distinction?
Because these two activities have different goals and have different ways of attaining those goals. It is like feeding infants and adults. You do not feed them with the same food and in the same way. Infants are usually fed with milk which they suck from their mother's breast or from a bottle. Adults are fed with solid food which they take by their own hands.
But in most of our churches those who are not yet even spiritual infants, because they have not yet actualized their faith given in baptism (as in most Catholic churches), or because they have not yet accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior (as in Evangelical churches), are most of the time given solid food by Christian teaching. What these not-yet-spiritual infants need is preaching, not Christian teaching.
On the other hand we have many churches where the pastor keeps on preaching to a congregation of long time Christians already, spiritual Christians. And he still preaches to these Christians. What these Christians need is not preaching, but Christian teaching. They have already grown as Christians. What they need is spiritual nutrients, not the seed of God so that they can be born again. In some of these churches they have even called their main service as Preaching Service.
The goal of preaching is transformation, while that of Christian teaching is conformation. The purpose of preaching is to transform the listener so that he or she becomes a child of God from being just a human being. He or she is transformed from a life of sin to a life of holiness from God's point of view. He or she becomes a new creature. He or she leaves his or her old life and burns the bridge leading from it in such a way that even if he or she wants, he or she can no longer go back to that old life.
The goal of Christian teaching is conformation to the image of Jesus. The new creature now becomes more and more conformed or configured to the image of God as revealed in Jesus. The listener to Christian teaching is already a child of God. He or she now grows as a child of God and Christian teaching makes him or her more like his or her parent God. This is the purpose of Christian teaching.
And the means to achieve these two different goals also differ although they both use words and images.
In preaching the means is by announcing the good news of Jesus Christ, what Jesus did for the listener, especially in his suffering, death, burial and resurrection. By listening to this announcement the person is convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit of his or her sin and turns to Christ as the only one who can solve his or her problem of sin.
In Christian teaching the means is by showing the person of Jesus to the listener so that he or she gazes upon him and becomes more and more conformed to the image of Jesus. Moralizing is not basic to Christian teaching and yet most of our Christian teaching is a discourse on morality, how the Christian is to behave in himself/herself and in the world.
In preaching we experience the power of God, ushering us to eternal life. In Christian teaching we experience his wisdom, enabling us to think, speak and act like Jesus. And the Apostle Paul tells us that Christ is the power and wisdom of God. It is all the work of Christ. The preacher and the teacher are only ministers of Christ.
Let preaching be done for those who have not actualized their Christian life, those who have not yet really accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of their life. But let Christian teaching be done for those who are already actualized or professed Christians. In this way lives are transformed and transformed lives are more and more conformed to the life of God in Jesus, thus turning our world upside down as the Apostles did during their time.
About the Author:
Jose Bulao, a lay Carmelite, wants to help you in your spiritual development. He is a Carmelite formator, helping other Carmelites in their spiritual growth. Prior to this work he taught philosophy, theology or religious studies at Notre Dame University and Ignatian College in Cotabato City, Philippines. To learn about the process of your spiritual development click this site http://developspirit.blogspot.com/
HOW TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE
This is the duty we as Christians are called to. How many of us are going to stand up for Christ and the sake of the Gospel? It is time we take out our Bibles the Word of God and dig into it as fervently as we do the idols we have set before us. I am speaking of those who clamour over this time of year with football starting. Then it will soon be basketball and we also have soccer going on now. How many of these great sports have been idolized in our lives? There is nothing wrong with loving sports, I love 'em nearly all of them.
IDOLS
Any image or thing we put before God. ANYTHING PUT BEFORE GOD! I hope that is plain enough!
SELECT PROGRAMS
I will get opinionated on the select programs for kids. I hope that each child participating in their chosen sport may achieve at his or her expectations each day. I hope for them that come time for college they excel enough for scholarships that will put them through college. But enough of the select programs, especially with such young kids. They are starting and having to commit way too early to sports for their own good.What qualifications do I have to expound on such matters? Seventeen years of umpiring high school and college baseball. Ten years of high school football and basketball officiating. When I started officiating there were no select programs and the kids still learned the sport in which they were participating. The directors of select programs do not care they are starting games during church time on Sundays, they think if the kid wants to be great they should sacrifice church. This is putting an idol before GOD. This is putting an idol before the cross of Calvary on which the Lord Jesus Christ died on for our sins. They have made the cross of none effect for their greedy programs.
HOW TO LIVE THE CHRIST FILLED LIFE
-Rejoice evermore
-Pray without ceasing
-In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.
-Quench not the Spirit
-Despise not prophesyings
-Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
-Abstain from all appearance of evil.
GIVE IT TO GOD
Give your all to Him, give God all you have. We are truly in the last days and times are such we need our hearts and minds on Christ. I am not suggesting to abandon things we like such as sports. I love them to as I said, but I am saying get in check. Find out what is right and good and true. Do not put anything whether it is sports or whatever in front of worshiping God. Give Him all the glory and honor in and for your life.
FINALLY
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, Amen.
Isaiah Michael Ministries and Michael I. Adams invite you to visit our website, http://www.ohiofoodministry.org.
IDOLS
Any image or thing we put before God. ANYTHING PUT BEFORE GOD! I hope that is plain enough!
SELECT PROGRAMS
I will get opinionated on the select programs for kids. I hope that each child participating in their chosen sport may achieve at his or her expectations each day. I hope for them that come time for college they excel enough for scholarships that will put them through college. But enough of the select programs, especially with such young kids. They are starting and having to commit way too early to sports for their own good.What qualifications do I have to expound on such matters? Seventeen years of umpiring high school and college baseball. Ten years of high school football and basketball officiating. When I started officiating there were no select programs and the kids still learned the sport in which they were participating. The directors of select programs do not care they are starting games during church time on Sundays, they think if the kid wants to be great they should sacrifice church. This is putting an idol before GOD. This is putting an idol before the cross of Calvary on which the Lord Jesus Christ died on for our sins. They have made the cross of none effect for their greedy programs.
HOW TO LIVE THE CHRIST FILLED LIFE
-Rejoice evermore
-Pray without ceasing
-In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.
-Quench not the Spirit
-Despise not prophesyings
-Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
-Abstain from all appearance of evil.
GIVE IT TO GOD
Give your all to Him, give God all you have. We are truly in the last days and times are such we need our hearts and minds on Christ. I am not suggesting to abandon things we like such as sports. I love them to as I said, but I am saying get in check. Find out what is right and good and true. Do not put anything whether it is sports or whatever in front of worshiping God. Give Him all the glory and honor in and for your life.
FINALLY
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, Amen.
Isaiah Michael Ministries and Michael I. Adams invite you to visit our website, http://www.ohiofoodministry.org.
REWARDS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
The Christian life is portrayed as a race by the writer of Hebrews. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1,2. Many Bible Scholars feel that the Apostle Paul was probably the writer of Hebrews because verses like these are closely related to many of his other writings. In other cases, Paul compares himself with the racers and competitors in the Isthmian games which were celebrated in the city of Corinth. This comparison made an allusion which was well known to the people of Paul's day and therefore was a great teaching metaphor.
The competitors who ran in these games were duly qualified both by character and ability. The distance and width of the course were clearly marked out. The prize that was to be won was set forth. Judges were chosen and sworn to judge impartially. The starting signal was given and the race was run. The winner was carried to the judge, the prize was given and a crown placed on the winner's head. The name of the winner was proclaimed to the great assembly of people.
The Christian race is so compared. The Christian must be qualified both by character and ability. The Christian must pursue the course with patience and perseverance. After completing the race the successful Christian is brought before the Judge where he/she is rewarded and crowned with glory.
The Christian race is not any race, but a particular race. It is, "The race set before us". The course of the race is the road of life. The length of it is a lifetime. The width of it is the size of the world. This course has many challenges and many temptations to turn the runner aside. The riches and cares, the company and amusements, the pleasures and influence of the world are all dead weights which must be "laid aside" so they don't hinder the Christian runner.
The progress of the Christian in this race depends on several things. The Christian must keep to the course and not turn out of the way. Some run the race well for a while and then turn aside. The Christian must stay on course. The middle of the course is the safest place to run. Constant progress must be made and the runner must continue patiently under all difficulties. The prize must be kept in view.
The nature of the prize in the Christian race is different from worldly races. Scripture represents this prize as rewards under the figure of a trophy or crown. There are various crowns that may be rewarded to Christians when they complete this race of life.
The Incorruptible Crown - I Corinthians 9:24-25. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishible crown. " In the Christian's duty, all run that they might obtain this crown. All that finish get the prize, not just the winner. The Christian runner is described as being "temperate in all things". Much self-denial was practiced by the Olympic runners Paul mentioned. They kept to a strict diet and discipline. Should not the Christian much more curtail themselves of their liberty for the glorious prize set before them? Christians must deny self and keep the body under "bringing it into subjection", (I Corinthians 9:27). The Christian runner faces hardship and is always in close combat just as any competitor. Paul mentions one enemy of the Christian runner (the body) which must be brought under subjection. Paul is referring to those fleshly appetites and inclinations.
The Crown of Life - James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the "crown of life" which the Lord has promised to those who love Him". This reward is given to the Christian who endures and who with patience and constancy goes through all trials and difficulties in the way of his duty. It seems that in the duties of Christians they sometimes run across difficulties and disappointments so much that they begin to lose interest and hope of their duty. They may even wonder if it is worth it all to continue the race. The enduring of temptations and trials must be from a principle of love to God and Jesus Christ, otherwise there is no interest in the Crown. This reward should enforce the idea that Christians will eventually be approved by God for all their trails. It will be the Christian's blessedness to finally receive the Crown of Life.
The Crown of Glory - I Peter 5:1-4, "The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the Crown of Glory that does not fade away". This reward is specifically given to pastors, elders, presbyters, spiritual leaders of the Church. It is promised to those who "feed the flock" by preaching and teaching God's Word. It is for Christians who "take oversight thereof"; who take time to minister personal care over the flock committed to their charge. It is for Christians who are "examples to the flock"; those who practice holiness, self-denial, and all other Christian duties. It is for those who share in Christ's sufferings. Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. He bought them, rules them, defends them, and saves them. Jesus is also Chief Shepherd over all other shepherds who obtain their authority from Him, act in His name, and are accountable to Him. Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, shall appear to judge all ministers and under-shepherds, to call them to account, whether they have faithfully discharged their duty both publicly and privately according to His directions. To those that are found to have done their duty shall receive what is infinitely better than temporal gain. They shall receive from the Chief Shepherd a high degree of everlasting glory - A Crown of Glory that will never fade away.
The Crown of Rejoicing - I Thessalonians 2:19,20. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy". This Crown of Rejoicing is won through soul-winning. Christians must take time in their race to listen to the Holy Spirit and share with others what they have in Jesus. What a glory and honor it is go be used of the Holy Spirit to lead others into a saving knowledge of the Son of God.
The Crown of Righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:7,8. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing". This crown will be the recompense of all the services Christians have offered, which God is not unrighteous to forget. This crown will be given "at that day", at the time when the Christian's holiness and righteousness will be perfected. It is the day Christ returns. It will be given by the righteous Judge and not only to apostles and prominent ministers, but to all those that love His appearing. It should be the character of all Christians to look forward to the appearing of Jesus Christ with love and to long for it. This Crown is laid up for all believers. It is given to those who have finished their course by fighting a good fight. In a good fight one may lose a few rounds, but is is how hard one fights that makes a good fight. It is given to those who have kept the faith. It is given to Christians who never allowed their faith to falter, but have always looked to their faith for their final victory.
Christ will come again to judge the works of believers and to give these rewards that they are entitled. The Christian will be judged as to the use of his talents and opportunities that have been given to him. The Christian will be judged on how he has used these talents while running the Christian race.
Paul says that while Christians are saved by grace, they are saved unto good works, Ephesians 2:8-10. In other words, the Lord has given His people an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven now. This should help Christians overcome discouragements.
Submitted by Stephen Stillman owner of http://www.amazingchristianproducts.com
The competitors who ran in these games were duly qualified both by character and ability. The distance and width of the course were clearly marked out. The prize that was to be won was set forth. Judges were chosen and sworn to judge impartially. The starting signal was given and the race was run. The winner was carried to the judge, the prize was given and a crown placed on the winner's head. The name of the winner was proclaimed to the great assembly of people.
The Christian race is so compared. The Christian must be qualified both by character and ability. The Christian must pursue the course with patience and perseverance. After completing the race the successful Christian is brought before the Judge where he/she is rewarded and crowned with glory.
The Christian race is not any race, but a particular race. It is, "The race set before us". The course of the race is the road of life. The length of it is a lifetime. The width of it is the size of the world. This course has many challenges and many temptations to turn the runner aside. The riches and cares, the company and amusements, the pleasures and influence of the world are all dead weights which must be "laid aside" so they don't hinder the Christian runner.
The progress of the Christian in this race depends on several things. The Christian must keep to the course and not turn out of the way. Some run the race well for a while and then turn aside. The Christian must stay on course. The middle of the course is the safest place to run. Constant progress must be made and the runner must continue patiently under all difficulties. The prize must be kept in view.
The nature of the prize in the Christian race is different from worldly races. Scripture represents this prize as rewards under the figure of a trophy or crown. There are various crowns that may be rewarded to Christians when they complete this race of life.
The Incorruptible Crown - I Corinthians 9:24-25. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishible crown. " In the Christian's duty, all run that they might obtain this crown. All that finish get the prize, not just the winner. The Christian runner is described as being "temperate in all things". Much self-denial was practiced by the Olympic runners Paul mentioned. They kept to a strict diet and discipline. Should not the Christian much more curtail themselves of their liberty for the glorious prize set before them? Christians must deny self and keep the body under "bringing it into subjection", (I Corinthians 9:27). The Christian runner faces hardship and is always in close combat just as any competitor. Paul mentions one enemy of the Christian runner (the body) which must be brought under subjection. Paul is referring to those fleshly appetites and inclinations.
The Crown of Life - James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the "crown of life" which the Lord has promised to those who love Him". This reward is given to the Christian who endures and who with patience and constancy goes through all trials and difficulties in the way of his duty. It seems that in the duties of Christians they sometimes run across difficulties and disappointments so much that they begin to lose interest and hope of their duty. They may even wonder if it is worth it all to continue the race. The enduring of temptations and trials must be from a principle of love to God and Jesus Christ, otherwise there is no interest in the Crown. This reward should enforce the idea that Christians will eventually be approved by God for all their trails. It will be the Christian's blessedness to finally receive the Crown of Life.
The Crown of Glory - I Peter 5:1-4, "The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the Crown of Glory that does not fade away". This reward is specifically given to pastors, elders, presbyters, spiritual leaders of the Church. It is promised to those who "feed the flock" by preaching and teaching God's Word. It is for Christians who "take oversight thereof"; who take time to minister personal care over the flock committed to their charge. It is for Christians who are "examples to the flock"; those who practice holiness, self-denial, and all other Christian duties. It is for those who share in Christ's sufferings. Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. He bought them, rules them, defends them, and saves them. Jesus is also Chief Shepherd over all other shepherds who obtain their authority from Him, act in His name, and are accountable to Him. Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, shall appear to judge all ministers and under-shepherds, to call them to account, whether they have faithfully discharged their duty both publicly and privately according to His directions. To those that are found to have done their duty shall receive what is infinitely better than temporal gain. They shall receive from the Chief Shepherd a high degree of everlasting glory - A Crown of Glory that will never fade away.
The Crown of Rejoicing - I Thessalonians 2:19,20. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy". This Crown of Rejoicing is won through soul-winning. Christians must take time in their race to listen to the Holy Spirit and share with others what they have in Jesus. What a glory and honor it is go be used of the Holy Spirit to lead others into a saving knowledge of the Son of God.
The Crown of Righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:7,8. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing". This crown will be the recompense of all the services Christians have offered, which God is not unrighteous to forget. This crown will be given "at that day", at the time when the Christian's holiness and righteousness will be perfected. It is the day Christ returns. It will be given by the righteous Judge and not only to apostles and prominent ministers, but to all those that love His appearing. It should be the character of all Christians to look forward to the appearing of Jesus Christ with love and to long for it. This Crown is laid up for all believers. It is given to those who have finished their course by fighting a good fight. In a good fight one may lose a few rounds, but is is how hard one fights that makes a good fight. It is given to those who have kept the faith. It is given to Christians who never allowed their faith to falter, but have always looked to their faith for their final victory.
Christ will come again to judge the works of believers and to give these rewards that they are entitled. The Christian will be judged as to the use of his talents and opportunities that have been given to him. The Christian will be judged on how he has used these talents while running the Christian race.
Paul says that while Christians are saved by grace, they are saved unto good works, Ephesians 2:8-10. In other words, the Lord has given His people an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven now. This should help Christians overcome discouragements.
Submitted by Stephen Stillman owner of http://www.amazingchristianproducts.com
THE DEATH AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS IN THE QURAN
The Quran states the Following:
"Waqawlihim inna qatlna al Massih Issa ibn Maryam rasul Allah, wama qataluhu wama salabuhu walaken shubbiha lahum", Quran 4: 158. Translated: "and their saying, we did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; whereas they slew him not nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like the one crucified (M. Sher Ali's translation).
On this verse, Muslim commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali renders the following explanation:
"The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth, and indeed the greater part of his private life, except the three main years of his ministry. It is not profitable to discuss the many doubts and conjectures among the early Christian sects and among Muslim theologians. The Orthodox Christian Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose in the body with his wounds intact, and walked about a conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven. This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by Islam. But some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Christ was killed on the Cross. The Basilidans believed that someone else was substituted for him. The Docetae held that Christ never had a real physical or natural body, but only an apparent or phantom body, and that his Crucifixion was only apparent, not real. Tha Marcionite Gospel (about A.D. 138) denied that Jesus was born, and merely said that he appeared in human form. The Gospel of St. Barnabas supported the theory of substitution on the Cross. The Qur'anic teaching is that Christ was not curified nor killed by the Jews. Notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of his enemies; that disputations, doubts, and conjectures on such matters are vain; and that he was taken up to God.' (Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary # 663, Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an, 2 vols. Published by Dar Al-Kitab Al-Masri (Egypt) and Dar Al-Kita Allubnani (Lebanon), 1934).
Crucifixion was attested first among the Persians. The Greeks and the Carthaginians, from whom the Romans adapted the practice, later employed it. In the Old Testament, the corpses of blasphemers or idolaters punished by stoning might be hanged as further humiliation (Deut. 21: 23).
Crucifixion was introduced in Palestine during the Greek time. Josephus, the Jewish historian (A.D. 37-100), tells us that the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes crucified those Jews who refused Hellenization. The Emperor Constantine, abolished the practice in deference to Christian belief concerning Jesus' death.
Jesus crucifixion is recounted in Matt. 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19, and many times referred to elsewhere in the New Testament. The influence of early Christian literature on this subject and others is spread all over the Qur'an. Ali's commentary regarding Christian and Gnostic literature is just one example of that influence.
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment. It involved public shame to the person being crucified. The condemned had to be stripped of all his clothing; he was physically tortured, and was made to carry his cross along the public roads to the execution ground; then he was affixed to the cross, and was the object of taunts and indignities from passers-by. Death by crucifixion brought the condemned into a public disrepute.
Crucifixion provided an obstacle in the subsequent effort to convert the Jews to Christianity. The Jews were not prepared to accept the thought that the Messiah, whose coming is prescribed in the Old Testament, should be crucified. To many of them, such a thought was considered a blasphemy. That was probably the thought of the Muslim communities, who introduced the Hadith tradition.
But contrary to the Hadith interpretation of the Qur'anic verse, and contrary to the translation mentioned above, and to the erroneous interpretation rendered by Abdullah Yussuf Ali, the Qur'an does not deny the death and Crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah. In fact the Aramaic language of the Qur'an is identical to the story of Crucifixion mentioned in the New Testament.
The Qur'anic conjugation "w" in the word "[w]ama" is similar to Aramaic "w" meaning "so, then, and'; Akkadian "u". The Qur'anic word "wama" has been interpreted erroneously as "did not'. Syriac "wmo, or "wma" is an interrogative pronoun means "what'. Syriac "wmo li wlokh" or "wma li wlokh" means "and what have I to do with you'. The Qur'anic verse, "wama qataluhu" is identical to Aramaic "wm qtlhu", Syriac "wmo qatluuy, or wma qatluuy" means "what they slew'. The Qur'anic verse "wama salabuuhu" is identical to Syriac "wmo salbuuy or wma salbuuy" meaning "what they crucified'. In other words, the Qur'an is saying: "what they slew and what they crucified', a confirmation of the death and crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah.
The Qur'anic word "walaaken" has been interpreted erroneously as "but'. Aramaic "lkn". The initial "l" is a prepostion, it means "to, for, in regard to'. When the suffixes are added, it is pronounced "li (mine), lokh, or lakh (yours, sing.), leh (his), loh (hers), lan (ours), lkhuun (yours, plural), lkhen (yours, fem. Plu.). When the vowel sign /a/ is added to the Syriac "lkhen", it turns into "lakhen", Arabic "laken". It is important to keep in mind that the early Qur'anic manuscripts did not use the vowel signs. Thus the original word used in the Qur'an was "lkn" as in Syriac "lken, or lkhen" meaning (yours, fem. Plu), which is found in Syriac Peshito (Ezekiel 13: 18) and Biblia Hebraica "lknh" (Eze. 13: 18). The reference to feminine plural in the Qur'anic verse is compatible with the Biblical event, which is mentioned in Matthew 27: 55. It reads the following: "There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebede".
The Qur'anic word "shubbiha" has been interpreted erroneously as "he was made to appear to them like the one crucified'. Syriac "shabah" means "glory'. The Qur'anic preposition "lahum" is equivalent to Aramaic "lhmh" meaning "in regard to them, in reference to them' (Jer. 14: 16).
The correct interpretation is: "and they say, we did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, what they slew, and what they crucified, and to you (the women who followed Jesus at the Crucifixion) he is blessed and to them (his followers) as well.
This and other interpretations of the Qur'an according to Aramaic is the subject of a new book titled, the Qur'an: Misinterpreted, Mistranslated and Misread. The Aramaic Language of the Qur'an. Available for sale on Amazon.com and on our website at http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com
"Waqawlihim inna qatlna al Massih Issa ibn Maryam rasul Allah, wama qataluhu wama salabuhu walaken shubbiha lahum", Quran 4: 158. Translated: "and their saying, we did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; whereas they slew him not nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like the one crucified (M. Sher Ali's translation).
On this verse, Muslim commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali renders the following explanation:
"The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth, and indeed the greater part of his private life, except the three main years of his ministry. It is not profitable to discuss the many doubts and conjectures among the early Christian sects and among Muslim theologians. The Orthodox Christian Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose in the body with his wounds intact, and walked about a conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven. This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by Islam. But some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Christ was killed on the Cross. The Basilidans believed that someone else was substituted for him. The Docetae held that Christ never had a real physical or natural body, but only an apparent or phantom body, and that his Crucifixion was only apparent, not real. Tha Marcionite Gospel (about A.D. 138) denied that Jesus was born, and merely said that he appeared in human form. The Gospel of St. Barnabas supported the theory of substitution on the Cross. The Qur'anic teaching is that Christ was not curified nor killed by the Jews. Notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of his enemies; that disputations, doubts, and conjectures on such matters are vain; and that he was taken up to God.' (Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary # 663, Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an, 2 vols. Published by Dar Al-Kitab Al-Masri (Egypt) and Dar Al-Kita Allubnani (Lebanon), 1934).
Crucifixion was attested first among the Persians. The Greeks and the Carthaginians, from whom the Romans adapted the practice, later employed it. In the Old Testament, the corpses of blasphemers or idolaters punished by stoning might be hanged as further humiliation (Deut. 21: 23).
Crucifixion was introduced in Palestine during the Greek time. Josephus, the Jewish historian (A.D. 37-100), tells us that the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes crucified those Jews who refused Hellenization. The Emperor Constantine, abolished the practice in deference to Christian belief concerning Jesus' death.
Jesus crucifixion is recounted in Matt. 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19, and many times referred to elsewhere in the New Testament. The influence of early Christian literature on this subject and others is spread all over the Qur'an. Ali's commentary regarding Christian and Gnostic literature is just one example of that influence.
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment. It involved public shame to the person being crucified. The condemned had to be stripped of all his clothing; he was physically tortured, and was made to carry his cross along the public roads to the execution ground; then he was affixed to the cross, and was the object of taunts and indignities from passers-by. Death by crucifixion brought the condemned into a public disrepute.
Crucifixion provided an obstacle in the subsequent effort to convert the Jews to Christianity. The Jews were not prepared to accept the thought that the Messiah, whose coming is prescribed in the Old Testament, should be crucified. To many of them, such a thought was considered a blasphemy. That was probably the thought of the Muslim communities, who introduced the Hadith tradition.
But contrary to the Hadith interpretation of the Qur'anic verse, and contrary to the translation mentioned above, and to the erroneous interpretation rendered by Abdullah Yussuf Ali, the Qur'an does not deny the death and Crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah. In fact the Aramaic language of the Qur'an is identical to the story of Crucifixion mentioned in the New Testament.
The Qur'anic conjugation "w" in the word "[w]ama" is similar to Aramaic "w" meaning "so, then, and'; Akkadian "u". The Qur'anic word "wama" has been interpreted erroneously as "did not'. Syriac "wmo, or "wma" is an interrogative pronoun means "what'. Syriac "wmo li wlokh" or "wma li wlokh" means "and what have I to do with you'. The Qur'anic verse, "wama qataluhu" is identical to Aramaic "wm qtlhu", Syriac "wmo qatluuy, or wma qatluuy" means "what they slew'. The Qur'anic verse "wama salabuuhu" is identical to Syriac "wmo salbuuy or wma salbuuy" meaning "what they crucified'. In other words, the Qur'an is saying: "what they slew and what they crucified', a confirmation of the death and crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah.
The Qur'anic word "walaaken" has been interpreted erroneously as "but'. Aramaic "lkn". The initial "l" is a prepostion, it means "to, for, in regard to'. When the suffixes are added, it is pronounced "li (mine), lokh, or lakh (yours, sing.), leh (his), loh (hers), lan (ours), lkhuun (yours, plural), lkhen (yours, fem. Plu.). When the vowel sign /a/ is added to the Syriac "lkhen", it turns into "lakhen", Arabic "laken". It is important to keep in mind that the early Qur'anic manuscripts did not use the vowel signs. Thus the original word used in the Qur'an was "lkn" as in Syriac "lken, or lkhen" meaning (yours, fem. Plu), which is found in Syriac Peshito (Ezekiel 13: 18) and Biblia Hebraica "lknh" (Eze. 13: 18). The reference to feminine plural in the Qur'anic verse is compatible with the Biblical event, which is mentioned in Matthew 27: 55. It reads the following: "There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebede".
The Qur'anic word "shubbiha" has been interpreted erroneously as "he was made to appear to them like the one crucified'. Syriac "shabah" means "glory'. The Qur'anic preposition "lahum" is equivalent to Aramaic "lhmh" meaning "in regard to them, in reference to them' (Jer. 14: 16).
The correct interpretation is: "and they say, we did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, what they slew, and what they crucified, and to you (the women who followed Jesus at the Crucifixion) he is blessed and to them (his followers) as well.
This and other interpretations of the Qur'an according to Aramaic is the subject of a new book titled, the Qur'an: Misinterpreted, Mistranslated and Misread. The Aramaic Language of the Qur'an. Available for sale on Amazon.com and on our website at http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com
CHRISTIANITY VS WORKS BASED RELIGION
Over the centuries Christianity has grown immensely in popularity. I feel that why this has come to pass is because it is the only religious doctrine that is based solely on us praying in the name of Jesus to God to ask forgiveness for our sins, and forgiveness being granted by God. In John 14:5-6 (NKJV) Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." These two passages clearly instruct each of us to ask forgiveness of our sins in Jesus name. Our Father in Heaven knew that no matter how hard mankind tried, because of our imperfections, we would always be sinners; and sinners are not permitted to enter His kingdom in heaven. In the Old Testament we can read how mankind, in general, kept falling short of Gods commandments, and how even when led by Moses, the people had weak days and could not sustain these commandments of the Living God on a continual basis. My conception of the Old Testament and other major religions portray to me that they are works based. God bridged this gap from the works based type in one sole act. He sent forth to earth His Son for all of mankind. This is best summarized by Jesus disciple John in the New Testament; John 3:16 (KJV) which says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." This is also reinforced by The New Testament in 1 John 2:1, 2:2 (NCV) which says, "But if anyone does sin, we have a helper in the presence of the Father-Jesus Christ, the One who is right. He is the way our sins are taken away, and not only our sins but the sins of all people." In my mindset only the New Testament of Christianity offers mankind the only feasible alternative. The unique posture that Jesus Christ offers mankind in the New Testament of Bible is His covenant that He made with God, and is expressed by Jesus at the Last Supper, in the New Testament in Luke 22:19, 20 (NCV). Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the apostles, saying, "This is my body, which I am giving for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This cup is the new agreement that God makes with His people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you." From this point forward Christianity was born, and mankind truly had the way to enter heaven. Jesus, during His crucifixion, said in Luke 23:34 (KJV), "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do". Alone, this selfless statement by Jesus, thinking only about us, in His ultimate anguish and pain of taking on all on the mankinds sins past, present and future during the crucifixion portrays the truest love that He had for all of mankind, and set the example for His Fathers second greatest commandment, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." About the author: Family-eStore will try to provide you with articles of interest to a Christian and patriotic way of life. The articles are written by Steven E Coffman (Owner) of Family-eStore.
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JESUS: THE REAL STORY
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. In Pauls first letter to the Corinthians, he declares: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." Two verses later he repeats himself: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile," Paul says again. The resurrection of Jesus is challenged today on evidentiary grounds. Therefore, to be fair, the evidence should be judged like any other historical event. Based on standard rules of evidence, consistent eyewitness testimony from multiple credible witnesses would be considered the strongest form of evidence available. Therefore, if we find such testimony present in credible accounts of the historical record of Christs resurrection, we have satisfied a major evidentiary challenge under traditional rules. In fact, we do have multiple eyewitness testimonies regarding the resurrection of Jesus. Again, quoting from Paul: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also." Did you catch that? Hundreds of people saw the risen Christ. Now, of course, skeptics have tried to avoid the testimony of these numerous post-resurrection appearances of Christ by pointing out various contradictions in some of them or else by charging the writers with fabricating the stories themselves. But the mere fact that there do appear on the surface to be some superficial discrepancies and omissions in the account is actually clear proof that the writers were not engaged in some kind of collusion. If they were making up the tales, each one evidently was doing so independently of all others. This in itself would be quite a remarkable state of affairs; especially since these discrepancies all vanish when they are compared under close examination. Ive covered enough trials in my career as a reporter to attest to the well known rule of evidence that the testimonies of several different witnesses, each reporting from his own particular vantage point, provide the strongest possible evidence on matters of fact when the testimonies contain superficial contradictions which resolve themselves upon close and careful examination. This is exactly the situation with the various witnesses to the resurrection. The risen Christ was seen over a period of 40 days by a large number of different individuals, in different groups, at different times, both indoors and outdoors, on a hilltop, along a roadway, by a lakeshore and other places. Furthermore, they were not looking for Jesus at all. Several times they didn't recognize Him at first, and at least once actually believed it was a ghost until He convinced them otherwise. He invited them to touch Him and they recognized the wounds in His hands. They watched Him eat with them. And most of the more than five hundred different people who saw Him were still living at the time when that evidence was being circulated by the apostles. As a reporter, those eyewitness accounts have been the most compelling to me. Those eyewitnesses so shook up their own world that the religious and political system of the day did everything humanly possible to attack their credibility. And when their credibility was undiminished, they attacked their bodies. About the author: The author is publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com), which specializes in lifestyle evangelism tools like Christian T-Shirts and Christian jewelry. He also publishes The Faithful Christian (http://www.faithfulchristian.com)
JOURNEY OF FAITH
What is our journey of faith and how do we get the true understanding of how faith works in our lives? How do we structure and build upon faith as we take our journey through life to where we become strong to the point of maturity?
Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld. It coveys the idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. Faith is, therefore, the basis for hope and the evidence for conviction concerning unseen realities. The entire body of truths delivered by Jesus Christ and his inspired disciples constitutes the true Christian "faith."
As we go through our journey of faith to get true understanding, let us examine the farmer's faith. The farmer prepares his soil and sows his seed, excepting, as in previous years, that the seed will sprout and that the plants will grow as they receive the needed moisture and sunshine. Likewise, the scientist has faith in the principles of his branch of science. He bases new experiments on past discoveries and looks for new discoveries on the basis of those things already established as true. Therefore, faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe actually constitutes a foundation for man's plans and activities.
In many ways, "faith follows the thing heard." Rom 10:17 says, ( So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.) John 4:39,41, says ( And many of the Samaritans had come to Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." 41, And many more believed because of His word.)
Let us examine Abraham's faith. When told to offer up Isaac, Abraham had strong faith that God would resurrect his son. He based such faith on God's promise that it was by means of Isaac that "what will be called "your seed' will be." Gen. 21:12; says (But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.)
Jesus, on occasions, said to those who were healed, "Your faith has made you well." Had those persons not exercised faith in Jesus, they would not have received healing for themselves. Likewise, the great faith of the army officer who entreated Jesus in behalf of his manservant rested on evidence, on the basis of which he concluded that Jesus' merely "saying the word' would result in the healing of his manservant.
Therefore, evidence for genuine conviction was also involved in the case of those who came to or who were brought to Jesus to be healed. Even if not eyewitnesses personally, they at least had heard about Jesus' powerful works. Then, on the basis of what they saw or heard, they concluded that Jesus could heal them also. Moreover, they were acquainted with God's Word and thus were familiar with the miracles performed by the prophets in times past.
However, we note that Jesus healed all who came to him, not requiring faith greater or less according to their disease, nor failing to heal any of these with the excuse that he could not do it because their faith was not strong enough, as so-called "faith healers" have done. Jesus performed these healings as a witness to establish faith. In his home territory, where much unfaithfulness was expressed, he chose not to perform many powerful works, not because of inability, but because the people refused to listen and were unworthy. Matt. 13:58 says, (Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.)
Christian Faith: As we continue in our journey of faith we discover that faith is not the possession of all people, as it is a fruitage of God's spirit. 2 Thess 3:2 says,( and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.) Gal 5:22 says ( But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.) Those lacking faith are rejected by God. Heb 11:6 says, (But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.)
For faith to be acceptable to God, it is necessary to accept Jesus Christ, and this makes possible a righteous standing with God. Gal 2:16 says, ( Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.)
A Christian's faith is not static, but grows strong. 2 Thess 1:3 says, ( We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.) Hence, the request of Jesus' disciples, in Luke 17:5 "Give us more faith." was very appropriate, and he did provide them the foundation for increased faith. He supplied them with greater evidence and understanding on which to base their faith.
The entire life course of a Christian is actually governed by faith, enabling them to overcome mountain like obstacles in their journey of faith that would hinder their services to God. 2 Cor 5:7 says, (For "we walk by faith, not by sight. Matt 21:21-22 says, So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea, "It will be done. "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." )
We now, have the true understanding of faith through God's Words, and how it works, and how it will work in our lives. In ever thing we do, let us exercise our faith as to grow and become strong. James 2:26 says, ( For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.) As we walk through our journey of faith, let us apply the works needed to mature, and let us conquer all life's obstacles through prayer so that we may acquire God's guidance.
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To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld. It coveys the idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. Faith is, therefore, the basis for hope and the evidence for conviction concerning unseen realities. The entire body of truths delivered by Jesus Christ and his inspired disciples constitutes the true Christian "faith."
As we go through our journey of faith to get true understanding, let us examine the farmer's faith. The farmer prepares his soil and sows his seed, excepting, as in previous years, that the seed will sprout and that the plants will grow as they receive the needed moisture and sunshine. Likewise, the scientist has faith in the principles of his branch of science. He bases new experiments on past discoveries and looks for new discoveries on the basis of those things already established as true. Therefore, faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe actually constitutes a foundation for man's plans and activities.
In many ways, "faith follows the thing heard." Rom 10:17 says, ( So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.) John 4:39,41, says ( And many of the Samaritans had come to Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." 41, And many more believed because of His word.)
Let us examine Abraham's faith. When told to offer up Isaac, Abraham had strong faith that God would resurrect his son. He based such faith on God's promise that it was by means of Isaac that "what will be called "your seed' will be." Gen. 21:12; says (But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.)
Jesus, on occasions, said to those who were healed, "Your faith has made you well." Had those persons not exercised faith in Jesus, they would not have received healing for themselves. Likewise, the great faith of the army officer who entreated Jesus in behalf of his manservant rested on evidence, on the basis of which he concluded that Jesus' merely "saying the word' would result in the healing of his manservant.
Therefore, evidence for genuine conviction was also involved in the case of those who came to or who were brought to Jesus to be healed. Even if not eyewitnesses personally, they at least had heard about Jesus' powerful works. Then, on the basis of what they saw or heard, they concluded that Jesus could heal them also. Moreover, they were acquainted with God's Word and thus were familiar with the miracles performed by the prophets in times past.
However, we note that Jesus healed all who came to him, not requiring faith greater or less according to their disease, nor failing to heal any of these with the excuse that he could not do it because their faith was not strong enough, as so-called "faith healers" have done. Jesus performed these healings as a witness to establish faith. In his home territory, where much unfaithfulness was expressed, he chose not to perform many powerful works, not because of inability, but because the people refused to listen and were unworthy. Matt. 13:58 says, (Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.)
Christian Faith: As we continue in our journey of faith we discover that faith is not the possession of all people, as it is a fruitage of God's spirit. 2 Thess 3:2 says,( and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.) Gal 5:22 says ( But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.) Those lacking faith are rejected by God. Heb 11:6 says, (But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.)
For faith to be acceptable to God, it is necessary to accept Jesus Christ, and this makes possible a righteous standing with God. Gal 2:16 says, ( Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.)
A Christian's faith is not static, but grows strong. 2 Thess 1:3 says, ( We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.) Hence, the request of Jesus' disciples, in Luke 17:5 "Give us more faith." was very appropriate, and he did provide them the foundation for increased faith. He supplied them with greater evidence and understanding on which to base their faith.
The entire life course of a Christian is actually governed by faith, enabling them to overcome mountain like obstacles in their journey of faith that would hinder their services to God. 2 Cor 5:7 says, (For "we walk by faith, not by sight. Matt 21:21-22 says, So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea, "It will be done. "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." )
We now, have the true understanding of faith through God's Words, and how it works, and how it will work in our lives. In ever thing we do, let us exercise our faith as to grow and become strong. James 2:26 says, ( For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.) As we walk through our journey of faith, let us apply the works needed to mature, and let us conquer all life's obstacles through prayer so that we may acquire God's guidance.
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To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
IS SALVATION BASED ON GRACE OR WORKS
Some in the church in Galatia were peddling a doctrine of salvation by works. Paul asks and answers three bombshell questions of those Galatians who were trying to peddle this doctrine. These three questions and their answers stopped their salvation by works message in its tracks. You remember, of course, that Paul believed that Jesus' blood took care of the sin problem for the human race. Now here are his three dynamite questions and their obvious answers. Question #1: "Did the Galatians receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" Galatians 3:2. In other words, can you work to receive the Spirit or is that a product of believing on Jesus and receiving Him (by faith) as your personal savior? Of course, receiving the Spirit comes by faith upon receiving Jesus as savior. Works have nothing to do with it. Paul's logic, then, forces the conclusion that works of the law have nothing to do with the removal of our guilt and feelings of unworthiness for our sins. This is solely through Jesus' blood which is God's supreme act of grace. The blood of Jesus is appropriated by faith and not by works at all Question #2: "Since they started out by the Spirit, what makes them think they can switch from the Spirit to the flesh to continue their Christian experience? What makes them think they can switch from the Spirit to the fleshly works of the Law to finish out their Christian experience?" Galatians 3:3. They cant. Therefore, Jesus blood, applied to us by the Spirit through faith, will take care of our guilt and unworthiness problem. Consequently, Christians who rest and trust in Jesus' blood refuse to be brought under bondage for unworthiness caused by the guilt of their sins. Consequently, they will not let these feelings of guilt and unworthiness interfere with Gods blessings of healing, prosperity, family well being and salvation contained in the Abrahamic covenant for them. Question #3: "Did the one who ministers the Spirit to them and works miracles among them do these things by the hearing of faith or by the works of the law?" Galatians 3:5. Of course, he did these things by faith and not by the works of the law. Paul's logic, here, forces the conclusion that (1) since these Galatians received the Spirit by faith and not by works of the Law, (2) since they cannot switch from the Spirit to works of the Law to maintain their Christian life and (3) since the ones ministering the Spirit and works miracles among them continue to do them by faith and not by works of the Law, then neither can the Galatians arbitrarily switch from salvation by faith in Jesus to salvation by works of the Law. Neither can they attempt to follow any mixture of faith and works. From the preceding, obviously Paul believed that Jesus blood took care of everything. His blood was the grace of God in action. His blood took care of the guilt and feelings of unworthiness for all our sins. To add one thing to this heavenly formula in the form of any religious work that we must do to get our guilt and unworthiness removed would void Gods grace and render Jesus death useless and meaningless. Never let the devil or his gang tell you that you cant have your Abrahamic blessings of healing, prosperity, family well being and salvation because of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. About the author: Dr. Jay Snell authored eleven books proving the healing, prosperity, family well being, eternal security, pretribulation rapture and salvation provided for Christians in the Abrahamic covenant. These books presented many times on TBN. http://www.jaysnell.org
15 KEYS TO HAPPINESS
The feeling of joy and happiness can be illusive and even if one achieves it, can a hard thing to hold on to in this world, especially, if we look for happiness in the usual places like material things.
I remember when I first came to the US from Austria. More than anything, I wanted to succeed. I heard about how in America anything is possible, how anyone can live the American dream. That’s when I first got into advertising. I loved what I was doing and I worked very hard to become successful. I became one of the top ad sales people in our company and I achieved what most people would consider great success.
That’s when I first started to realize that having success in the usual sense wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. As I made more and more money, I was able to buy many things, I came to the same conclusion that many people before me who have money, houses, cars, etc. have come to and that is that happiness has little or nothing to do with how much money we have or how big of house we live in.
So what are the keys to happiness? In the next 15 weeks we’ll take a look at 15 keys to happiness starting with what I believe is the most important key and the foundation of happiness.
#1 Key to happiness - A relationship with God
I believe that having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the most important key to finding happiness.
“In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. Psalms 16:11 (NKJV)
Knowing the one who made you, who planned your every feature and personality trait, who saw every day of your life before the foundation of the world – knowing this one is truly the cornerstone and the foundation of happiness.
There are several reasons why we experience happiness through a relationship with God. Through this relationship, we find our origin, purpose, and destiny, which is a pre-requisite to happiness (Read Gen. 1; Eccl. 12:13 and Matt. 25: 46).
It’s part of our DNA and how we were made.
A bicycle is meant to have wheel s, without which it won’t work
As humans, we’re meant to have deep emotional connections with others, without which there will be a void in our lives that can’t be replaced by anything else.
A baby is meant to have a mom and a dad who loves and cares for them, without which the baby will grow into a person with psychological issues through much of their lives.
When we ignore our need for God, life does not seem to work correctly. In the same way as the above examples, God made us to have relationship with Him. In a sense, God completes us. When we choose to ignore that relationship, we fight against nature and our purpose and therefore elude happiness.
The Bible also says…“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Phil 4:6-7 (NKJV)
“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD”! Psalms 144:15 (NKJV)
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”. John 15:11 (NKJV)
Some people mistakenly believe that when we become Christians, we will not have any more problems. The Bible clearly tells us that we will have trouble in this life. The good news is that when we have a relationship with him, God becomes our great comforter in times of trouble. Also check out my article on “Why do bad things happen to good people!” on our website.
”these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
John 16:33 (NKJV)
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”. Psalms 73:25-26 (NKJV)
“Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life”. Psalms 119:49-50 (NKJV)
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”. Psalms 23:1-4 (NKJV)
For additional verses check out our article on “Comfort”.
The biggest reason to start a relationship with God thru Jesus His Son, the one and only Savior Messiah, is not for happiness…that is just a by-product. The biggest reason to accept Jesus as our savior is because He was the only One capable of paying our ransom. There will be a judgment day. On that day, we will all be judged for our sins. He does not use a sliding scale but judges by his perfect standard. There is only one way to have a perfect record…it’s not by being a good person (check out “Are you a good person” – A test), but to accept His Son, Jesus as your savior. He has paid the price for our sins, however, we need to accept that gift in order to receive it. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, there is a peace and happiness that comes from knowing that regardless of what disappointments or losses we face here on earth, or eternity is secure. This is a peace like no other…in good and in bad times.
Key #1 to happiness – Daily Exercises:
Put the following exercises into your routine daily…even multiple times per day for the next two weeks.
• Pray to God to reveal himself to you (God answers prayer)
• Ask Jesus to come into your heart (read the articles on “Salvation” below and let us know if you made a decision for Christ)
• Get a Bible and start reading it daily
• Find a bible teaching church (see link below)
• Feel free to e-mail us with questions
For more on what it takes to be saved check out:
Salvation – Questions and answers
Salvation – What it takes to be saved
Who is Jesus
Repentance – Key 1 to salvation
How to find a church
Are you a good person – A test
See bio area for link to website
May God answer your prayers – Amen!
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http://www.successandfailure.net and provides wisdom for lasting success and overcoming failure in business and in life. HAPPINESS
http://www.successandfailure.net/Successes/How-to-find-Happiness.html
I remember when I first came to the US from Austria. More than anything, I wanted to succeed. I heard about how in America anything is possible, how anyone can live the American dream. That’s when I first got into advertising. I loved what I was doing and I worked very hard to become successful. I became one of the top ad sales people in our company and I achieved what most people would consider great success.
That’s when I first started to realize that having success in the usual sense wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. As I made more and more money, I was able to buy many things, I came to the same conclusion that many people before me who have money, houses, cars, etc. have come to and that is that happiness has little or nothing to do with how much money we have or how big of house we live in.
So what are the keys to happiness? In the next 15 weeks we’ll take a look at 15 keys to happiness starting with what I believe is the most important key and the foundation of happiness.
#1 Key to happiness - A relationship with God
I believe that having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the most important key to finding happiness.
“In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. Psalms 16:11 (NKJV)
Knowing the one who made you, who planned your every feature and personality trait, who saw every day of your life before the foundation of the world – knowing this one is truly the cornerstone and the foundation of happiness.
There are several reasons why we experience happiness through a relationship with God. Through this relationship, we find our origin, purpose, and destiny, which is a pre-requisite to happiness (Read Gen. 1; Eccl. 12:13 and Matt. 25: 46).
It’s part of our DNA and how we were made.
A bicycle is meant to have wheel s, without which it won’t work
As humans, we’re meant to have deep emotional connections with others, without which there will be a void in our lives that can’t be replaced by anything else.
A baby is meant to have a mom and a dad who loves and cares for them, without which the baby will grow into a person with psychological issues through much of their lives.
When we ignore our need for God, life does not seem to work correctly. In the same way as the above examples, God made us to have relationship with Him. In a sense, God completes us. When we choose to ignore that relationship, we fight against nature and our purpose and therefore elude happiness.
The Bible also says…“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Phil 4:6-7 (NKJV)
“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD”! Psalms 144:15 (NKJV)
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”. John 15:11 (NKJV)
Some people mistakenly believe that when we become Christians, we will not have any more problems. The Bible clearly tells us that we will have trouble in this life. The good news is that when we have a relationship with him, God becomes our great comforter in times of trouble. Also check out my article on “Why do bad things happen to good people!” on our website.
”these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
John 16:33 (NKJV)
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”. Psalms 73:25-26 (NKJV)
“Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life”. Psalms 119:49-50 (NKJV)
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”. Psalms 23:1-4 (NKJV)
For additional verses check out our article on “Comfort”.
The biggest reason to start a relationship with God thru Jesus His Son, the one and only Savior Messiah, is not for happiness…that is just a by-product. The biggest reason to accept Jesus as our savior is because He was the only One capable of paying our ransom. There will be a judgment day. On that day, we will all be judged for our sins. He does not use a sliding scale but judges by his perfect standard. There is only one way to have a perfect record…it’s not by being a good person (check out “Are you a good person” – A test), but to accept His Son, Jesus as your savior. He has paid the price for our sins, however, we need to accept that gift in order to receive it. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, there is a peace and happiness that comes from knowing that regardless of what disappointments or losses we face here on earth, or eternity is secure. This is a peace like no other…in good and in bad times.
Key #1 to happiness – Daily Exercises:
Put the following exercises into your routine daily…even multiple times per day for the next two weeks.
• Pray to God to reveal himself to you (God answers prayer)
• Ask Jesus to come into your heart (read the articles on “Salvation” below and let us know if you made a decision for Christ)
• Get a Bible and start reading it daily
• Find a bible teaching church (see link below)
• Feel free to e-mail us with questions
For more on what it takes to be saved check out:
Salvation – Questions and answers
Salvation – What it takes to be saved
Who is Jesus
Repentance – Key 1 to salvation
How to find a church
Are you a good person – A test
See bio area for link to website
May God answer your prayers – Amen!
Resources
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http://www.successandfailure.net and provides wisdom for lasting success and overcoming failure in business and in life. HAPPINESS
http://www.successandfailure.net/Successes/How-to-find-Happiness.html
RENEW YOUR THINKING,RENEW YOUR LIFE
On the first day of a new year, we make all kinds of resolutions about things that we are going to change and do differently. While all of our intention and effort is certainly good and noble, maybe it's a little backwards in it's approach. Maybe we are getting the cart before the horse. Rather than behaving our way into change, maybe we need to re-think our way into personal success! Why do I say this? Many years ago, James Allen wrote the very popular book, "As A Man Thinketh." In this book he states, "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts." That's a very powerful statement! We are as far in life as we are because of our thoughts. In fact, a person can never act outside of their beliefs. If you want to change your behavior, you must first analyze it backwards. You have to go back to what you believe, because what you believe determines what you think about; and ultimately what you think about affects your emotions. Once your emotions get involved behavior soon follows. If you believe a lot of things that are not true, your emotions and behavior will ultimately reflect that! I believe James Allen was probably influenced by the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote in the 12th chapter of Romans (NIV Bible), "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing your mind." Basically Paul says you if you want to be transformed then renew your mind. What does it mean to have your mind renewed? Actually the word renewal or renewing here means "being made over". It's like having a mental make-over, if you will. Do you want to achieve a desired behavior? Then you must first change how you think. If you change your perspective, the way you think about things, you will change your life. Renew your thinking, renew your life! You and I could sure use an extreme makeover of our thoughts daily! You may be saying to yourself, "I still don't see what all of this have to do with New Year's resolutions?" It's very important because, on any given day, all kinds of negative thoughts and destructive self-talk assaults your mind. Did you know that most people entertain about 600 negative thoughts a day? That's a lot of negative influence! That's a lot of pressure thats fighting good intentions. In fact most of us, by the age of six, have learned enough trash to mentally do us in for life. We have learned all sorts of lies that our society, friends and families have told us or modeled for us. These lies have become recordings that play non-stop in our sub-conscious minds. We adopt them as true and they become the life message and creed that we live by, almost unconsciously. For example, what happens to your resolve to loose weight, when you get into a fight with your spouse? In a split second, after the yelling, you are pulling food out of the refrigerator and binging. Where did that come from? You just reacted without giving it a thought. Then you rationalize, "Well, I'm not good at dieting anyway so why bother" and you throw in the towel. What happened to your resolve? I believe if we want renewal, or being made over in our life, we are going to have to do some introspection. What do I really believe? If food is the issue, what is my perspective about food and why do I turn to it? How do I view myself in the first place? Most importantly, what is the truth that I should believe? What does God think about me? Not long ago, one of my clients did want to get a handle on her eating. She had undergone gastric bypass surgery and had lost a tremendous amount of weight but her eating habits had not changed. I thought it was an unusual coaching request, but why not? If I really believed that people acted out of their beliefs, then why wouldn't it work here? So we began to examine why she was eating in the first place. She had devalued her self-worth because of some abandonment issues from her past. Her eating was a form of self-love and comfort. So, she made a conscious decision to reject the lies that she had believed about her value. She began to believe the truth that God could not only change her, but loved her unconditionally on a personal level. She was determined to challenge her negative thinking patterns, especially the way she thought about herself. She began to talk to herself (faith comes by hearing) and tell herself the truth. She would write love notes to herself from God and daily affirmations on her mirrors. She would tell herself the truth over and over. She would consciously become aware of her negative thought patterns in various situations and work on changing her self-talk. She began to visualize herself as loved, valued and healthy. My client was renewing her mind, just as the Apostle Paul had said. Her change did not happen overnight, but I did see her change. She began to be transformed before my eyes because she began to believe the truth! She experienced tremendous changes in her eating habits and desires. When it comes down to it, resolve and commitment are great, but if we dont take the time to discover why we do the things we do, we might as well just keep repeating history. We dont need to reform the old as much as we need to walk out our new identity as believers! If you will take the time to change your thinking, you will change your life. Renew, or makeover your thinking with the truth, and you will ultimately renew your emotions and most importantly your quality of life. It is really true that our life will go in the direction our thoughts take us. About the author: Janet Daughtry, MDIV, CBC, is a certified Christian life coach helping women find their purpose and potential in life. Her website is at CoachJanet.com.
EVERY CHRISTIAN NEEDS CHRISTIAN ADVICE FOR DATING
Above all, the most difficult thing for Christian singles is to find someone with similar beliefs and who respects your choices under the Lord. There is a lot of dating advice out there for nonbelievers, but not much Christian advice for dating. You must keep in mind that you are not dating for entertainment, you are looking for someone to commit yourself to who also follows the beliefs of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The topic that comes up the most in Christian advice for dating or questions about dating from Christians is the topic of premarital sex, which is one of the most dire sins you can commit. Avoiding such a sin is not easy, but if you safeguard yourself and avoid being alone for extended periods of time you should be safe. If things get tough in that area, politely remind your date that you are firm in your beliefs and will not budge. Someone who is not a believer and tries to pressure you into sexual relations is not worth your time -- A little bit of "entertainment" is not a good enough reason to commit such a sin, nothing is worth committing premarital relations if you consider the ramifications.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, onto more light topics.
When going on a date with someone for the first time, try to find a scope of their faith. Don't ask them excessive amounts of questions about it and don't chastise them for not being a Christian if they're not one, a date is not the setting to convert people to our Lord and Savior. Set boundaries for the person and if they accept them with open arms, Christian or not, the date will go very well. Several sources for Christian dating advice advise not dating someone who is not a Christian, but you may be able to convert them later on so they are a believer in Jesus Christ. Do not discriminate against someone if they are not of your own faith, everyone is equal in God's eyes. But do not allow sinful behavior either.
Be polite with your dates, even if they are not as polite. Being courteous is always welcome when dating and will make your date feel comfortable with you. Remember, you are looking for a spouse, not a "fling". In order to find the person that is right for you, you must behave in a civil manner and woo them as much as possible, within means.
Dating as a Christian is hard, especially for teenagers. Going into any date, hold your beliefs to your heart and your head high. That is the key to Christian dating and Christian advice for dating. Your faith comes first, and the future comes second.
Resources
See All articles From Author
If you would like additional information on Christian advice for dating then visit the #1 relationship & dating advice resource on the net: http://Relationships-Advice.net
Article Source : http://www.article-content-king.com
Devotions For Dating Couples: Building A Foundation For Spiritual Intimacy
Starting Out Together: A Devotional for Dating or Engaged Couples
Forget Me Not: A Youth Devotional on Love and Dating (Red Hill Devos)
The topic that comes up the most in Christian advice for dating or questions about dating from Christians is the topic of premarital sex, which is one of the most dire sins you can commit. Avoiding such a sin is not easy, but if you safeguard yourself and avoid being alone for extended periods of time you should be safe. If things get tough in that area, politely remind your date that you are firm in your beliefs and will not budge. Someone who is not a believer and tries to pressure you into sexual relations is not worth your time -- A little bit of "entertainment" is not a good enough reason to commit such a sin, nothing is worth committing premarital relations if you consider the ramifications.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, onto more light topics.
When going on a date with someone for the first time, try to find a scope of their faith. Don't ask them excessive amounts of questions about it and don't chastise them for not being a Christian if they're not one, a date is not the setting to convert people to our Lord and Savior. Set boundaries for the person and if they accept them with open arms, Christian or not, the date will go very well. Several sources for Christian dating advice advise not dating someone who is not a Christian, but you may be able to convert them later on so they are a believer in Jesus Christ. Do not discriminate against someone if they are not of your own faith, everyone is equal in God's eyes. But do not allow sinful behavior either.
Be polite with your dates, even if they are not as polite. Being courteous is always welcome when dating and will make your date feel comfortable with you. Remember, you are looking for a spouse, not a "fling". In order to find the person that is right for you, you must behave in a civil manner and woo them as much as possible, within means.
Dating as a Christian is hard, especially for teenagers. Going into any date, hold your beliefs to your heart and your head high. That is the key to Christian dating and Christian advice for dating. Your faith comes first, and the future comes second.
Resources
See All articles From Author
If you would like additional information on Christian advice for dating then visit the #1 relationship & dating advice resource on the net: http://Relationships-Advice.net
Article Source : http://www.article-content-king.com
Devotions For Dating Couples: Building A Foundation For Spiritual Intimacy
Starting Out Together: A Devotional for Dating or Engaged Couples Forget Me Not: A Youth Devotional on Love and Dating (Red Hill Devos)
CHILDREN AND GOD
What is the key priority when it comes to children and God, and why are they so important and precious to Him? How should we go about raising our children according to God so as to give them true understanding and become wise and knowledgeable in God's ways? What are God's principles when it comes to children and how should we apply them? Jesus answers many of these questions in Mark 10 and shows us how precious children are to God.
As we examine Mark 10:13-15, we can see how precious our children are to Him though taking a close look at this passage. "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Let us take a little time and examine Ephesians 6:1-4 and see if we can find the key priority when it comes to children and God through this passage. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Now, let us see what Proverbs 22:6 has to offer. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
So, how do we raise our children and when do we start training them? We know that going to Church with our children and doing Bible study and spending quality time with them is our main priority and in turn is a great thing that is leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven. How do we get them to trust us and when do we start training them?
When it comes to training our children and gaining trust it all starts from the day they were born and the first time you held that precious little infant in your arms and close to your heart. When they felt the warmth of your body and saw the affection and kindness that came in abundance for them, they knew it was true love from the start. Then in turn they put their full trust in you with the knowledge that you would always be there and always be true.
When they take their first steps with those little wobbling legs not knowing what would happen, they began to experience their first faith knowing that you would be there. Every time they fell down you were there to give them the encouragement that they needed to get back up and continue on.
Now that they are walking big and strong, you'll find that they have problems distinguishing right from wrong. They come to you with all their problems even though small, they know they can count on you to lead them straight to God's law. They find His ways very attractive because now you are keeping God's laws all so active.
As they continue to keep vigorously seeking God's law, you get the privilege of watching them grow wise and tall. Because you took the time to put down what you were doing no matter if it was important if even at all, you knew it was up to you to teach them the law. You had the understanding that their foundation had to be strong so you worked on their character to help them along. Even though their problems were small, look what you accomplished through Gods law. Your children are now healthy and strong. Give thanks to God for helping you to lead them along.
Your children now have the understanding and were loved from the start, so you now know this world won't get hold of their heart. They will love God with full strength and all their heart and from God's word they will never depart. All that they learned from their youth down through they will keep it in their heart whenever it is due.
The moral of this article is, when it comes to children and God is that we are all Gods children and when it comes to raising our children we should stick to God's principles. As long as we stick to God's principles, we know that as true Christians you can't go wrong.
Through us teaching our children Gods ways, when bad influences come upon them it will automatically set off an alarm sending them a signal that something is not right. They will say in their heart, "This does not correspond to what my mother and father taught me according to God's ways." And because you were always there for them who are they going to trust, you or the bad influence?
Resources
See All articles From Author
To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
As we examine Mark 10:13-15, we can see how precious our children are to Him though taking a close look at this passage. "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Let us take a little time and examine Ephesians 6:1-4 and see if we can find the key priority when it comes to children and God through this passage. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Now, let us see what Proverbs 22:6 has to offer. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
So, how do we raise our children and when do we start training them? We know that going to Church with our children and doing Bible study and spending quality time with them is our main priority and in turn is a great thing that is leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven. How do we get them to trust us and when do we start training them?
When it comes to training our children and gaining trust it all starts from the day they were born and the first time you held that precious little infant in your arms and close to your heart. When they felt the warmth of your body and saw the affection and kindness that came in abundance for them, they knew it was true love from the start. Then in turn they put their full trust in you with the knowledge that you would always be there and always be true.
When they take their first steps with those little wobbling legs not knowing what would happen, they began to experience their first faith knowing that you would be there. Every time they fell down you were there to give them the encouragement that they needed to get back up and continue on.
Now that they are walking big and strong, you'll find that they have problems distinguishing right from wrong. They come to you with all their problems even though small, they know they can count on you to lead them straight to God's law. They find His ways very attractive because now you are keeping God's laws all so active.
As they continue to keep vigorously seeking God's law, you get the privilege of watching them grow wise and tall. Because you took the time to put down what you were doing no matter if it was important if even at all, you knew it was up to you to teach them the law. You had the understanding that their foundation had to be strong so you worked on their character to help them along. Even though their problems were small, look what you accomplished through Gods law. Your children are now healthy and strong. Give thanks to God for helping you to lead them along.
Your children now have the understanding and were loved from the start, so you now know this world won't get hold of their heart. They will love God with full strength and all their heart and from God's word they will never depart. All that they learned from their youth down through they will keep it in their heart whenever it is due.
The moral of this article is, when it comes to children and God is that we are all Gods children and when it comes to raising our children we should stick to God's principles. As long as we stick to God's principles, we know that as true Christians you can't go wrong.
Through us teaching our children Gods ways, when bad influences come upon them it will automatically set off an alarm sending them a signal that something is not right. They will say in their heart, "This does not correspond to what my mother and father taught me according to God's ways." And because you were always there for them who are they going to trust, you or the bad influence?
Resources
See All articles From Author
To find high-quality, Christian, home based business opportunities and ideas AND to spread the Word of God while working from home, check out our free educational tutorials at http://www.christianideas.net for Legitimate home based business.
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