If God is God - Then Who is Allah?

The birth of Islam came through the birth of Ishmael. Ishmael is well described in Genesis 16:12: "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Because of a union, not sanctioned by God, came the Arab nation which has been in conflict with the Jewish nation ever since. Out of the Islamic faith was born "Allah" introduced by an Arabian visionary named Muhammad. So! If God is God, then who is Allah?
In Genesis 16, Sarai urged Abram to have a child with her servant Hagar. Though this recommendation contradicted God's promise of a son through Sarai, Abram chose to follow his wife's advice. But because of the unwise decision not to trust God, Abram faced many difficult, painful trials. And today Israel and the world is experiencing the consequences of Islamic terrorism because of his poor choice.
In Genesis 17 God reveals to Abram his covenant as the true God to the Jews and later to the world through His son Jesus that will be established through Isaac. Verse 21 explains "But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
But in Genesis 16 God promises Hagar that a vast nation will grow through the descendants of her son Ishmael. This nation (The Arabs), as described in verse 12 will be violent against each other, the Jews and the entire world.
One of these descendants, an Arabian visionary named Muhammad (570-632 A.D.) was born in the city of Mecca and claimed he received supernatural revelations from God through the angel Gabriel. These revelations were written down by others and compiled into a book called the Koran (or Qur'an), the Muslim Bible. Muhammad was uneducated and could neither read or write.
WHAT KIND OF SPIRIT INSPIRED THE KORAN?
Muhammad himself confessed his own doubts as to whether or not he was possessed by an evil spirit. In fact he was on his way to commit suicide when he claims Gabriel intervened in a vision. It is said that his companions could recognize from certain physical signs when a revelation was about to come. He would sometimes fall into a trance. Today thousands of mediums, spiritualists, and "channelers" also enter trance states to receive revelations from alleged angels and spirits.
There is little doubt that the Koran could be the product of a supernatural revelation. But what was the ultimate source of the miracle. Assuming that a spirit did inspire Muhammad, what kind of a spirit was it? What kind of a spirit would tell Muhammad that he was a messenger of a pagan god (Allah)? What kind of a spirit would distort the Bible, deny Christ, oppose God's plan of salvation, and teach lies.
The teachings of God in the Bible were well established long before the birth of Muhammad. So if these new supernatural revelations denied those Biblical teachings we must logically conclude they could not have originated from God. So what other supernatural source exists which could have inspired Muhammad, except Satan himself.
Because Muslims teach that Allah alone is the one true God, they claim that Christians worship a false god, a pagan idol. However, scholars agree that before Muhammad, "Allah" was only one of the pagan deities of the pre-Islamic Arabic collection of gods. It was therefore Muhammad who transformed and elevated this pagan deity into the supreme God of Islam.
History proves that before Islam came into existence the Sabeans in Arabia worshiped the" moon god" who married the "sun goddess", who gave birth to three goddesses. They were called Al-lat, Al-uzza and Manat. They later became idols and were worshiped throughout that part of the world as the "Daughters of Allah" The moon god was "Allah". He was just one of 360 idols in the Kabah* in Mecca. And Muhammad knew this. The crescent moon is everywhere in Islam. Even Ramadan begins and ends with the crescent moon.
Muhammad wanted to create his own religion. He needed the backing of his powerful tribe, so he picked "Allah the Moon-god" which they worshipped, to be the one, and declared himself to be Allah's prophet.
In the 1950's a major temple to the Moon-god was excavated at Hazor in Palestine. Two idols of the Moon-god were found, proving Allah was a pre-Islamic pagan deity.
Allah lacks such attributes as holiness, grace and love. If we compare the Muslim God with the biblical God, we can see that Islam and Christianity have entirely different views of God.
FIRST: Allah is a distant God with whom no one can have a personal relationship as biblically described. But the God of the Bible desires to have a personal relationship with each of us.
SECOND: The Muslim God has a different nature and character from the biblical God. For example, Allah is not a God of love but of power, violence and corruption. But the Bible teaches that God is love.
Throughout the Koran it is stressed that Allah only "loves' (is merciful to) those who do good, but that he is not merciful to those who are bad. Allah repeatedly emphasizes that he does not love the sinner. Thus the love of Allah is not the love of the God in the Bible. The biblical God does love the sinner: in fact He loves all sinners.
THIRD: Allah is considered the author of evil. But the biblical God is not the author of evil. Rather he is infinitely holy and righteous. "His eyes are too pure to look on evil".
FOURTH: Muslims deny the triune nature of God as revealed in the Bible. The Koran emphasizes that Christians are unbelievers and infidels because they believe in the historic Christian doctrine of the trinity. But the Bible tells us that God has revealed Himself as a triune Being, as one God eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Islam can no longer be ignored by the rest of the world. Why? Because the ultimate mission of Islam is to conquer the world and then rule it according to Islamic law. Islamic law teaches that conversion may be achieved though persuasion or subjugation, but fundamental extremist hold that if these fail, "infidels" or unbelievers may be eliminated if necessary. According to Islamic tradition, the complete military subjugation of the earth is mandated by Allah.
The Good News Is: God loves all sinners including Muslims, and has provided them the opportunity to have an eternal life in heaven. Allah offers no guarantees that you will make it to heaven regardless of what you do or don't do. But everyone is offered the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ the Son of God that guarantees them a place in heaven.
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. KJV
If you are one of the millions of Muslims that have been deceived by Satan, and would like to accept Jesus as your personal savior pray this prayer:
Dear God:
I acknowledge my sinfulness before you. I confess that I have been trying to earn my own salvation by following the teachings of the Koran. But I now realize that Allah is not the true God. I recognize my need for forgiveness and now realize that Christ died for my sins on the cross. I now receive Him as my personal Savior and Lord. Give me the courage and strength to face the opposition I may encounter. Help me to lead others to You as well. In Jesus' name.
Amen
The best way to defeat Islam is to tell and convert the Muslim world to Christianity.
Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
[Additional information may be found in "The Facts on Islam'" By John Ankerberg & John Weldon. - ISBN 0-89081-913-0]

Author: Ray Turner -- Retired school teacher from Oklahoma State University's School of Technical Training "Communications". Website dedicated to encourage and teach others to find God's gifts in their life, and to use them to bring others to Christ.
Website focuses on church building information, and offers FREE BIBLE STUDY LESSONS each week, http://cmtcnow.com/home-10/free-bible-study-lessons Benefits includes: Leadership training, weekly prepared lessons, ready for a powerful presentation - just simply copy, paste and present.
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The Doctrine of the Trinity Explained

All my life I've been told: There is one God, manifested in three separate, distinct persons. Each is co-equal, co-eternal and neither is greater or lesser than the other. Their glory is co-equal. They never argue and they are always in agreement with each other. Views differ as the Father sending the Spirit through the Son or the Father and the Son both send the Spirit. Each person has their own divine function in agreement with the others.
Well, here are some important things to consider. The terms "trinity" and "triune" are not found in the Bible. There is not even a suggestion that this doctrine is Biblical.
Hundreds of years after Yeshua, Rome attached Bible names to this pagan doctrine, thus warping the identity of the God Christians believe in.
Let us explore the doctrine of the trinity in the light of Scripture and in the historical aspect. Most Encyclopedias and some churches will have a version of the trinity doctrine you can examine.
Some imply that the word "trinity" is not found in Scripture due to the fact the Hebrew language does not have a word for "trinity."
First, isn't that a signal in itself? Do you mean to tell me, after several thousand years of Israel and the Lord God being together, the Catholics (now Protestants too) can come along and re-define the identity of the Jewish God? How can we re-write God's identity "better than" the Jewish language and Scripture already have? Then accuse the Jewish religion for being wrong?
Second, the Hebrew language does have the terminology to express the number "three" and the word "persons" if (and only if) it did describe their God. It doesn't.
Third, where is God ever referred to as "persons" in the Bible?
Where in the Bible does it ever refer to God as "they"? The Bible does not say anywhere nor even imply that God is three persons yet one God.
Throughout history why have Babylon, Egypt, Rome, Catholics and now Protestants been the main promoters of the doctrine of the trinity and not Israel? This is because the Jewish Religion has one God period. Who do you think Messiah was?
God did not have a kid. That isn't what Messiah means. The Pharisees weren't mad because He said He was the son of God, they knew we are all sons of God. They wanted to kill Him because He claimed to be (and was) the Lord God of Israel, the One who led Moses and the Israelites.
We must remember that in the Jewish faith, (whose God we worship) the terms Messiah, Christ, Anointed, Son of God, Son of Man and Emmanuel (God with us) only meant one thing. God had visited and redeemed His people, not that He split into three persons in order to do so.
This is a great point from a prophecy about Messiah. Who does the prophet Micah say will be born in Bethlehem? (Micah 5:2) The Ruler in Israel to be born in Bethlehem (Messiah) whose goings forth are from "old" (before time, Hebrew gedem), from age "everlasting." (indefinite time, Hebrew olam) Yeshua the Messiah is none other than the Lord God of Israel.
Did you notice Zacharias is calling the baby Yeshua the "Lord God of Israel." (Luke 1: 67, 68) Messiah the Lord would arrive before he died and he knew it.
It was never question in Scripture if Yeshua was the second member of the trinity. The decision to be made was if He was Yahweh God (Father) performing the prophesied visit of Messiah. (Isaiah 9:6)
Even His name (Yeshua) means (Yahweh Savior, or God saves). Does this shed some light on "I come in my Father's name"? (John 5:43) What was the Father's name He came in? Yeshua.
Do you remember the verse you read every Dec. 25th? (Isaiah 9:6) "For unto us a child is born, a son is given... His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The Messiah is called the Father. Phillip asked to see the Father. Yeshua responded, "he that hath seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)
What about the word "Godhead" in the Bible? There are only three places this word is used. The actual meanings (which are very singular) can be found in your concordance. "That which is divine" in (Acts 17:29) "Divinity" in (Rom. 1:20) "Diety" in (Col. 2:9)
Does the Bible say we have to accept the trinity doctrine without question? (Acts 17:11) (Titus 1:9)
Why do the "explanations" of the trinity leave us even more confused? Explanations such as: the three of them share equal power and equal glory, they never argue with each other or they are always agreement with each other. When we see the three of them in heaven or the three of them relate to each other intimately are other blasphemous statements. The Bible NEVER uses "they" to describe God.
If someone's explanation of the trinity gets to be such theological, hermeneutical, philosophical, barf-illogical gobbledeegook that you cannot understand it, beware.
The trinity doctrine is impossible to explain. As soon as you use part of a verse to try to prove it, there are other verses that completely disprove the point you just made. Try it sometime, but remember every place you read "God", it has to mean three persons.
You do not have to go to eight years of seminary to understand the Bible. How did the disciples explain the Gospel so that 3,000 people could understand enough to make a conversion decision in one day? (Acts 2:41)
I have a very learned Catholic neighbor who is now in his late 80's. He openly admits the doctrine of the trinity isn't Biblical. I find that fact quite interesting, but I am puzzled why he would remain where he knows more about the Bible than the Institution itself teaches. They would officially disown him for that.
Scripture never compares God to an egg (yolk-white-shell) OR to water (ice-liquid-steam). These examples of the trinity are so lame. Anyway, an egg has two membranes and an umbilicus too, that's six parts.
When we worship God, do the three of them divide our praise up equally? (Is. 42:8) Does the "three of them" even sound Biblical?
Though correct for leading the Reformation Movement, Martin Luther had been deceived for years on 95 or more points of Roman Catholic teaching. The trinity was not a subject of concern to him. As it turns out, the trinity was the 96th point that Martin Luther did not include in his thesis nailed to the church door.
Let's not forget John Calvin and Michael Servetus. Servetus was killed at the stake Oct. 27, 1553 in Switzerland for the crime of believing in One God and not in the trinity. Calvin believed in the trinity, but throughout his life he regularly denied the Hebrew Old Testament supported the trinity doctrine at all.
He knew the Hebrew and was honest enough not to misinterpret 'Elohim' to try to justify his belief. John Calvin was the principal accuser and chief prosecutor in the trial even though the court did the sentencing. Severtus also knew the Hebrew did not support the trinity, and equated Calvin's belief in the trinity to that of Cerberus, the mythological three headed dog that guards the gates of hell. This taunting statement and his conviction cost him his earthly life.
Some try to imply 'Elohim' denotes the trinity. (Gen. 1:26) If this is true, why are Chemosh (Jud. 11:24), Baal-berith (Jud. 8:33), Dagon (Jud. 16:23), Baal-zebub (2 Ki. 1:2, 3), Nisroch (2 Ki. 19:37) and Ashtoreth (1 Ki. 11:5) all called elohim? Are these pagan gods "three persons yet one god" also, just because of the use of the Hebrew word "elohim"?
And God said, "let us make man in our image". (Gen. 1:26) If God was talking, wouldn't whoever He was speaking to (or whoever was listening), certainly not be God? What does the very next verse say? And He made man in His own image. (Gen. 1:27)
Why is God called "the Father" when it was the Holy Spirit that did the conceiving in Mary? (Matt. 1:18, 20) Doesn't this make the Holy Spirit the Father? But wait, Yeshua said HE was the Father. (John 14:8) Are all three of them the Father? Does "three fathers" even sound Biblical?
God is our only Savior. (Is. 43:3, 10, 11) (Is. 45:21, 22) (Hos. 13:4) Now compare how (Titus 1:3, 4) and (Titus 2:10) refer to our Savior. Obviously the meaning is interchangeable. Yeshua is called "our great God and Savior." (Titus 2:13)
We all know that God is Spirit. (John 4:24) The Holy Spirit is obviously Spirit. Does this mean there are two Spirit persons within the God of Abraham? Do you have a verse for that?
And what about the verses that speaks of the "Spirit of Christ"? (Rom. 8:9) (Phil. 1:19) (1 Pet. 1:11) Did you notice that the terms "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ" are used interchangeably in one sentence? (Rom. 8:9) Does this make three Spirit persons making up the Lord God of Israel? I thought there was just one spirit. (Ephesians 4:4)
We all know that "God was in Messiah, reconciling the world unto Himself". (2 Cor. 5:19) God was also in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-4) and in the pillar of a cloud (Ex. 13:21) and in the pillar of fire (Ex. 13:21). Do these added manifestations make Him six persons yet one God in hex-unity?
There is widespread error that all three members of the trinity were present at Yeshua's baptism. Does this mean that two persons of the trinity (Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit descending) were on the earth while God the Father stayed in the heavens?
But, we know that God was in Messiah reconciling the world unto Himself. (2 Cor. 5:19) Does this mean that all three trinity persons were in Yeshua while He was on earth? Is our God so limited that while as Messiah, He could not make a voice come out of heaven? (Nothing was seen, only heard.) At the same time He caused a visible something to flutter down imitating a dove's flight. (John 1:32-34) Can God accomplish this without having to be split up into three persons in order to explain it?
Wasn't this just a vision for John to confirm he was baptizing who he was sent to prepare the way for? (John 1:32) It does not say that any onlookers saw it also.
Historically there is no evidence of the trinity doctrine previous to Babylon (2200-1500 BC). It is also found in the Egyptian worship system (1500-1000 BC). But the trinity was never a part of the Jewish or Christian worship until Rome attached Bible names to pagan doctrines at the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. This is the point in time when Christianity was paganized or paganism was Christianized, whichever is more accurate. When the reformers left the Roman Church, the trinity doctrine was carried along to the Protestant churches without serious examination.
Some have said that the Babylonians and Egyptians had the trinity doctrine because they "must have" stolen it from the Jews. The trinity mystery doctrine had been in use in Babylon for many years before someone began writing the first Scriptures.
And more importantly, the Jews are well known for keeping their One God monotheism pure. Does it seem likely the pagans derived the trinity doctrine for their gods from the Jews, who believe and teach a totally opposite view?
Because of the words Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the trinity and baptism doctrines overlap a little. Here are a few references:
Johnson's New Universal Encyclopedia Vol. 2, Part 1, page 586: The monotheism of the Old and New Testaments is unquestionable.
Johnson's New Universal Encyclopedia Vol. 10, page 3: The word trinity is not found in the Scriptures and is said to have been first used by Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, in the second century.
Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15, page 47: In the Scriptures there is NO single term by which the three divine persons are denoted together. (The Catholics admit it is NOT in the Bible)
Word Book Encyclopedia Vol. 16, page 7270: But the doctrine of the three in one is considered to be a mystery for which there is NOT adequate explanation.
Dictionary of the Bible by Scriptures, Vol. 1, page 241: (on baptism) The original form of words was "into the name of Jesus Christ or Lord Jesus". Baptism into the trinity was a latter development.
New International Encyclopedia Vol. 22, page 476: The trinity doctrine is NOT found in its fully developed form in the Scriptures. Modern theology does NOT seek to find it in the Old Testament.
Now God has revealed the second Covenant of Grace as He (still God as Messiah) wishes to be known. The God of the Old Testament is still the SAME God of the New Testament. How did Yeshua respond to the devil's tempting? (Luke 4:12) (Matt. 4:7) You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Who was the devil tempting? Yeshua, the Lord your God!
Look at the prophecy foretelling John the Baptist announcing the arrival of Messiah. (Isaiah 40:3) Pay particular attention to the terminology used for whom John was announcing. All three of these verses refer to Yeshua the Messiah being the Lord God of Israel. (John 1:23) (Luke 3:4)
How many verses does it take to disprove the false doctrine of the trinity in your mind? We are not grasping at straws here. If we can put a man on the moon and cheese in a can, why can't we understand the Bible without adding the trinity doctrine to explain it? How's this for a schoolyard poem? We three persons of trinity be. I am not Him and He is not Me. I am one God yet we all are three. The trinity is Catholic, look it up and see.
There can only be One Mighty God who is our Everlasting Father, Who came as the Son (Messiah) and Who imparts His Spirit upon mankind. (Isaiah 9:6)
What if the Lord wants to know if you worshipped God's (child) Son, the second member of the trinity named Jesus Christ from Rome? OR did you worship Yeshua the Messiah, the Lord God of Israel manifest in human flesh? If this were to be the criteria for Judgment, it would be a bad day for many! How long waiver ye between these two opinions?
If the God of Israel were three persons, then everywhere in the Bible you read the word "God" would have to mean the three persons forming one God. You will soon find that this does not fit the Scriptures, nor the context, nor the meanings of the verses, and the Lord is never described as "essence." The unbiblical doctrine of the trinity is a contradiction to God's Word.
If Yahweh went to a costume party wearing a human Messiah disguise, would He have a different identity, or have split into three persons, or stopped being omnipresent? The $64,000 question is; What was the definition and understanding of God's identity from 4,000 BC to 100 AD, which includes Messiah, but was previous to Roman influence and domination.
No, you do not have to understand this mysterious, inexplicable unbiblical subject. It isn't true. Do you think after thousands of years the Lord might have mentioned that He was three separate co-equal persons, if it were true?

You will be amazed at how much more can be found in the Bible than we are told. Our research and information is contained in the new book "The Bible I Thought I Knew", available at website: http://home.comcast.net/~psnagy/

The Three Musketeers - Father, Son and Holy Spirit

There was once a teacher who was teaching first grade in a large elementary school. One morning all of the teachers were called to the staff room for an emergency meeting, and they hurried over, leaving their classes unsupervised. All of the teachers were worried, but none more so than this particular teacher, because her class was especially mischievous and unruly.
When they got to the staff room, the teacher decided to listen in and find out what was going on in her classroom. She turned on the intercom, and sure enough her room was in chaos. Children were yelling, jumping and throwing things. But one little voice stood out above the others. The teacher recognized the voice. She picked up the intercom and in her sternest voice said, "Elizabeth, sit down!"
Immediately, the room fell silent. After a few seconds, a small humble voice answered meekly, "Okay, God"
I'd like to jog your memories for a few moments. Most of you, especially the older members of this congregation, may remember the TV series "Perry Mason" or perhaps you've read some of the Perry Mason novels that were written by Erle Stanley Gardner. If you are closer to my age, you may remember the Perry Mason made-for-TV movies that came out in the 1980s. In any event, from September of 1957 to October of 1966, Perry Mason tried 270 murder cases on television, and more in the novels and made-for-TV movies, and only lost two of them AT FIRST GLANCE. In both of those two cases, he came through with new information and at the last moment reversed the verdict and cleared his client. The mere mention of his name struck the fear of God into the hearts of any prosecutor. Well folks, there IS one prosecutor that even Perry Mason cannot beat, and that is the Holy Spirit.
Today, as we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we can think of the Trinity as a courtroom. God is the judge, the Holy Spirit is the prosecutor, and Jesus is our defense lawyer. When the prosecutor, the Holy Spirit, presents his case, no one will have any defense on their own; however, everyone can have a defense because Jesus Christ has offered to take any case for free if he is allowed to, because he has already paid the ultimate price for our defense. If he is not allowed to take our case, and the verdict of "guilty' rings out for all eternity, every defendant will acknowledge it is true, and the entire world will know it. To me, this analogy is accurate but harsh. I prefer to think of the Trinity in terms of mediation in a dispute. God is the mediator/arbiter, Jesus represents our side of the dispute, and the Holy Spirit represents the other side.
The concept of the Trinity is a difficult concept for us to grasp, and part of this problem lies in how it is presented in John's Gospel. John wrote his Gospel for an audience that was primarily Greek. The Greeks were leaders in science, thought and philosophy. In other words, Greek society was very intelligent and highly sophisticated, especially in terms of understanding abstract concepts. This is one reason why John's Gospel is very theological in nature.
Trinitarian Theology is complicated for a reason. The very complications of the Trinity are designed to bring us closer to God. There is something we need to know. We don't know everything about God, but we know everything about Him that we need to know. The Scriptures assure us of that. We do not have to understand everything, spiritual or non-spiritual the minute we become adults and that includes the Trinity. We know enough to save us. God pours out grace upon us, in abundance and consistently, whether we realize it or not. The Holy Spirit helps us and the Church to understand all of what Jesus said, especially what he said about God.
The Trinity is one of the most fascinating aspects of Christian theology, but it is also one of the most controversial. It is a mystery to us because it is a reality that is above our human ability to understand things. We can begin to grasp it on our own, but we must really discover it through worship, symbol and faith. In essence, the trinity is the belief that God is one in essence, but distinct in person. In other words, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are somehow distinct from one another, yet at the same time they are completely united in essence, will and tasks.
The Trinity is a mystery, but this does not mean a riddle. Instead, the Trinity is a reality above our human comprehension that we may begin to grasp, but ultimately must know through worship, symbol and faith. In order to understand it, we must live in the light of its implications for our human lives. The relationship that exists among the three divine persons suggests to us that we can know God through our relationships---not only in God's relationship to us, but to the entire created world.
In spite of its abstract, theological nature, John's Gospel has an ordinary, down-to-earth purpose; namely, to lead people to Christ. John did not believe that "truth' consisted of what he had written or that it could be found only in the Scriptures. He was speaking of spiritual truth rather than the philosophical, historical or scientific truth which has enveloped the world since the Age of Enlightenment over three hundred years ago. He gave us a method of determining that is spiritually true and what is not. The fundamental criterion of truth for the church is that it must always witness to Christ and reveal God's purpose that love shall be of first importance in all relationships throughout the whole of creation.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus is setting the stage for his upcoming death, resurrection and ascension. The disciples are understandably quite terrified. Their lives are about to take a dramatic turn. They are quite concerned about the future. How would they continue to do his work without his presence and guidance?
That was a valid question, and it is the same question many Christians have today. How are we going to do Christ's work in our society? How are we to care for the less fortunate and spread the Good News? Fortunately for both us and the disciples, Jesus had an answer. He promised to send another advocate or helper-the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would not be bound by Jesus' limitations of time and space. Whereas Jesus could only travel slowly and teach those within the sound of his voice, the Holy Spirit could be present anywhere and everywhere-throughout the world and throughout history.
Jesus knew that his disciples could not face the reality of his death and resurrection or the reality of their own persecutions for doing his work. They were too weak at that time to face that reality. It would be the job of the Holy Spirit to guide them and strengthen them for the challenges they would face. Many of us face the same concerns today. We often feel that we are too weak to do God's work on our own, and in fact we ARE weak. We cannot do it alone. We need the teachings and the strengthening power that the Holy Spirit provides.
The Spirit will guide us in our life's journey. It will be the still, small voice inside of us that says either "Don't do that!" or "Go for it! " He will guide us in the right direction like a built-in compass. How many coincidences in life are eventually understood to be considerably beyond the level of "chance in the long run? Perhaps there have been times in our lives when, for just a fleeting moment, we have been overtaken in some circumstance by the urge to acknowledge "something"-something which had caused an impossible situation to take a turn for a better...just when our finely laid calculations and finely made plans were at the point of collapse. Something happened. A new direction, a difference perspective, another alternative emerged from the confusion. Some call it intuition or inspired genius or coincidence. Others call it the promise Jesus made to us; namely, the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus tells us that the Spirit will lead us into the truth. The Spirit will speak with the authority of God, telling us what God is thinking. The Spirit will give Jesus glory because he will translate what Jesus has to say to us. He will tell us what to do and what to say when we are doing God's work. The Spirit can do this because it is not an "it". He is a person with knowledge, a will, a mind and affections. You can lie to him, insult him and grieve him. He is not am impersonal force. He is not Popeye's spinach or a surfer's wave. He is God within you to help you. In fact, John calls him the Helper. He never leaves us. He comforts the saved, convicts the lost and conveys the truth.
The Holy Spirit is the force that gives us energy, but it comes to a group and not to individuals. All we have to do is remember the story of Pentecost that we heard last week, where the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with tongues and fire and gave them the ability to speak in different languages to see that this is the case. The only way we can get the same energy other than by studying God's Word in the Bible is by associating with fellow believers. The energy that we get from fellow believers is actually the Holy Spirit coming to us. In his Pentecost letter to the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury encourages Anglicans to pray for renewal in the Spirit and focus on the priority of mission, so that "we may indeed do what God asks of us and let all people know that new and forgiven life in Christ is possible"
The great evangelist D.L. Moody once planned to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody".
Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
In every area of our inadequacy, the Holy Spirit encourages us to meet our needs in a way that honours God. He leads us to salvation, regenerates us, convicts us of our sinfulness, teaches us to live for Christ, and seals us for redemption. The Holy Spirit does not deal with the symptoms of a problem. He deals with the cause, just like a doctor treats the cause of human illnesses and not just the symptoms. Sins are just the symptoms. Sin is the problem. Sins are the fruit of our problem; sin is the root of the problem. The Spirit equips us and empowers us to accomplish everything that God calls us to do. The Holy Spirit's role is to glorify Christ not in his own person, in the view of estimation of men. He serves as an intermediary between Jesus and the church. He is also the continuing presence of Jesus, who brings the power and word of Jesus to bear on our lives.
The Spirit breathes upon our lives in many ways. It is the Spirit who calls us to various Christian ministries, whether it be ordained ministry, lay ministry, reading Scripture during worship services, or even just the way we lead our lives. The Spirit even leads us to teach others in our lives about Christ.
Our world can be confusing. That's why John 16:13 attracts believers. "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth..." If there is one thing we need today, it is to be led by the Spirit of truth. The Spirit will guide us to remember the truth, reproduce the truth and receive the truth. It will help us to find the truth, act upon the truth, and speak the truth. In order to do so, we have to find him. We find him by:
1. Acknowledging his leadership.
2. Asking for his leadership.
3. Accepting his leadership.
The Spirit works with us to guide us closer to God in faith and helps us to do his work in the world. In this way, the Holy Spirit acts as our helper. He lives inside us and knows us even better than we know ourselves. He works 24 hours a day 7 days a week to enable us to be the person God wants us to be AND to help us grow in the likeness of Christ. There is no problem that he can't handle. He will help us get through our troubles and will also use our burdens to teach us about God's love, power and wisdom.
The Spirit will also guide the church as it wrestles with issues such as homosexuals in the church, abortion, war, and capital punishment. Jesus did not speak directly on these issues, so we need the Spirit's guidance. He does this by giving us the answer to these two questions:
1. What would Jesus do in these circumstances?
2. What would Jesus want us to do?
If it points to the need for change, the Spirit will help us to facilitate change and flow with change. It uses our experiences and those of others to teach us, and it reveals to us the truth we need to live our lives.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4385175

The Holy Spirit Switch

We must understand a couple of the basic principles of the way in which the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit helps us to transform uncertainties about God into certainties. People don't really know God. We are not on the same level. Therefore, God gave his own Spirit to us with the main purpose of helping us to get to know Him. The Spirit knows precisely who God is - it is indeed his own Spirit. All that we know about God was disclosed to us by the Spirit. Even when we look at God in nature and recognise God as creator of heaven and earth, the Holy Spirit helps us to make sense of and to recognise God.
But the spirit does more. He shares gifts with us. To name a few: 7... All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: 8 wise counsel, clear understanding, 9simple trust, healing the sick, 10 miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
When the Holy Spirit moves into someone there are many benefits. People change. People's way of life changes. People start behaving differently, because they received special gifts. When the special gifts start working, their actions will obviously be different. Suddenly that person starts giving wise counsel. Or in difficult times that person simply keeps on believing in God. Or people are healed and miracles happen. Some even speak in tongues.
That is the result if people allow the Holy Spirit to take control of their lives. Then these things happen and people are surprised. But we don't see many of these gifts taking root. I wonder why? Is it because the Spirit no longer moves into people? Is it because He only worked really hard for a short period after Jesus' death?
No, I don't think it's the Holy Spirit who changed. Maybe we changed and no longer give the Spirit his rightful place in our lives. Maybe it's become too important to us to be in control of our own lives. Therefore, our actions don't tell the story of the Spirit's gifts, but rather of hurt and destruction. Maybe it's more about what I want to take from the world.
That is not the way the Holy Spirit works. The spirit doesn't focus on us when He distributes gifts. No, He focuses on others: 7Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!
The Holy Spirit lives in each of us. He gives each of us gifts that we have to use. The idea is that others, not us, should benefit from these gifts. Our fingers are on the switch. The question is whether we are prepared to switch on the power so that others can experience the wonder of the work of the Spirit through you.
Reflection
Are you prepared to switch on the power of the Holy Spirit to work in you?
What does your gift look like?
Do others experience your gift?
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Prayer
Holy Spirit, who lives inside me, thank you for the gifts that You have given me that I can use to mean something to others. Remind me to use them every day so that others can experience Your power that is working in the world. Amen

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Success Is Possible With God - Believe and You Receive

Failure in life is the secret to success. Children are our teachers because no matter what happens they try again and again and never give up. Just watch them when they learn how to walk: they fall, get up, fall again, get up again and they practice this procedure until they walk. Some other examples would be how to learn to ride the bike or to ski. They do it over and over again until they succeed. The most important lesson in here is: they never, never, never give up. They believe in God and their success. What about you?
Yes, children just trust and believe that they will receive what they ask for. In that early age they still know that it is their birthright to be taken care of, to be happy and to enjoy life. Their mind is not spoiled and they just act without thinking about the consequences. They take the risk and head for their goal and reach it.
Maybe you should listen to God's voice more often:
"Hello, this is God. I am going to take care of all your problems and wishes today. And I don't need your help. So sit back, relax and enjoy your day. And remember that I am always with you."
So when failure hits you learn to see and accept God's lesson in it. He shows you that you can do the "impossible" thing with his help. Believe in your success, pray about it, do all you can about it. If it seems impossible to succeed, don't give up, but affirm, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Keep relaxed, don't worry and avoid getting panicky. Never think, this can't be done but declare instead that it can be done. It is done because God is doing it through you. Believe that the process is in operation.
The final outcome may not always be entirely what you desire but it will be what God wants it to be.
Isn't it true that you try to force success once in a while? But that is not the way it works. The more you believe in God and yourself, success will be the answer. You cannot avoid it. It seems that it just happens over and over again.
Maybe sometimes the outcome might be different from what you ask for. In this case God just wants it to be in this way. Just be open, learn the lesson in it and understand the reason why. At the end you will agree that it was the better way. And again success is the answer.
Asking God for his help is the easy way to do it. If you practice day by day and really become an expert in believing success will be your partner. God wants you to be happy, successful and rich. He sent you to live a life full of joy, laughter and abundance. But you changed your blueprint believing that it must be hard to have success in life. You even forgot that there is God who wants to guide you. But what you changed once to be the wrong way, you can change again to be the right way! God's Way
Start your journey today and find out how wonderful and easy life can be with God as the best partner you can have.
To your Success in Life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5860274

Planting The Right Seeds

There are many different types of seed, each with a distinct purpose. Producing something that will serve for the benefit of both the grower and the consumer is the objective of the sower. Wherever the seed is planted, weeds will begin their attack on the germinating seed. Any farmer or gardener will readily agree that the challenges they face will be a continual battle.
One of the popular seeds that Christians plant is money. The hope is that the "money seed" will result in a reaping of financial blessings. So many of these sowers are hoping that through financial reaping their debts will be wiped out and any materialistic gains will testify to God's blessings. The Scriptures they use for seeding finances is taken out of context, or stretched so far that it becomes a promoted doctrine. Every Believer needs to erase any preconceived notions pertaining to financial giving and reread all the Scriptures that have been the flagship of the "prosperity gospel." Look at the context in which the subject was addressed. What was the objective in those situations? It will be difficult to separate oneself from preconceived notions. Unlearning incorrect teachings, especially those solidified in mental concrete, will take a jackhammer effort. What is our objective in searching God's Word? Is it not to know the Truth? So much of Christianity is focused around materialism. When one takes money out of the Christian equation, it will expose how shallow the Church has become, especially in spiritual truths.
So much of the Church doctrines are interpretive instead of Scripturally factual. So much of our teachings evolve around the "improvement theory," which attempts to share what the Bible is "really" saying. There are so many translations of the Bible that it has left serious seekers bewildered as to what display of words convey the real Truth. Diversification of teachings, especially pertaining to the same subject, has caused a mockery of responses by the worldly spectators. What is needed is a revival in the Church, not in individual bodies of Believers, but in the Church itself. Whatever labels are on the doors of our local churches, we all need to fall on our knees and ask for forgiveness for our divisions. One of Jesus' last prayers was that His followers would be unified, just as He and God are one. (John 17:21) Much of the dialogue of Christians seems to center around what church they belong to, instead of to WHOM they belong. We must stop promoting buildings, and start presenting the Cornerstone of our faith. (Ephesians 2:20) We must stop picking and choosing Scriptures that form a doctrine that defines us. We must stop proclaiming selected Scriptures that can be twisted and turned into tools of inclusiveness. We must stop presenting a diversification of Believers, for we are all one in Christ.
The seed we plant must always be able to produce a result that will bring honor to God. Generic seeds produce division and self promotion. When the Church plants the seed of God's unaltered Word, it will experience phenomenal growth, both numerically and spiritually.
Our whole life should be dedicated to being more like Jesus. The "money seed" that is being promoted today is more like the Rich Young Ruler questing for eternal life, but his heart was on his monetary achievements. (Matthew 19:16-26) If we are looking for financial stability, we will not find it by sowing money to get money, but by seeking first and only the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33)
Let us plant seeds of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and then harvest the Fruit that will bring a hungry nation to the Table!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9568219

Keeping the Right Winning Post in Sight

Paul said: 26I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! Like an athlete exerting himself to the utmost to win the race, Paul tried his utmost to win the first prize. Everything was focused on the race.
An athlete has to make a lot of sacrifices to win. Just look at the food he has to eat. When his friends are standing around the braaivleis fire licking the juicy fat from their fingers, he cuts it off and throws it into the bin. He deprives himself from enjoying it, because he knows that eating something wrong will derail all his plans to win the race. When others are still lying under the duvet, he is already hard at practise. Whatever the weather, he has to follow his training programme and he knows if he doesn't train, he loses the chance of being the winner.
Looking around me I see many people training hard to successfully finishing the race of life. They put a lot of energy into winning. But with a shock I realise that many people are competing for the wrong prize. Look at what most people are spending energy on. People work ten to twelve hours a day to finance to nice house and the nice car and the nice clothes and the nice vacations. Like Paul, they play the game of life as well as they can. All they have in sight is the winning post. The only problem is it's not the right winning post.
Often there are a lot of hurt and disillusionment at this winning post. As the athletes look back on their lives, marriages are often on the rocks, relationships broke in pieces, destroyed self-images, and in some the will to live has simply disappeared. The prizes won here are no real prizes. It's a tragedy. Each one of us must consider the race we're running in. Towards what winning post am I running? What is the prize I can win there?
Does this mean I have to let everything go lock myself in a convent? No, God calls each of us to live His will there where we are busy on the market square. God wants us to work hard and play hard. He wants us to enjoy life to the full. God wants us to reach out and strive to reach the top in our career. God had no problem with our dreams of driving nice cars and living in big houses. But we must do everything with our eyes on the right winning post.
On the way to the winning post we take people are struggling by the hand and bring them to places where they can rest and their suffering can be relieved. During this race we don't turn away from people struggling in the dark. No, we bring them to the Light. We pick up the sick and help them to get to the great Healer.
You see, this race has opportunities to win again and again. If you don't experience this in your life, chances are that you're on your way to the wrong winning post.
It's not always easy to remain on course here where we're running the race in the world. Therefore it's important to train hard, and, yes, to sometimes keep away from the things not beneficial to our purpose and to do our utmost to finish the race successfully. Let us do everything possible every day to do God's will so that at the end of the day we can receive the winner's prize in God's arms.
Reflection
Are you running the right race?
What are you striving for?
Is God part of your plans every day?
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Prayer
Lord, I really want to take part in Your race. But I know that I sometimes have the world's winning post in sight. Please help me never to lose sight of Your winning post in everything I do and everything I strive for. Amen

For more information go to http://www.crossroad247.com

Planting The Right Seeds

There are many different types of seed, each with a distinct purpose. Producing something that will serve for the benefit of both the grower and the consumer is the objective of the sower. Wherever the seed is planted, weeds will begin their attack on the germinating seed. Any farmer or gardener will readily agree that the challenges they face will be a continual battle.
One of the popular seeds that Christians plant is money. The hope is that the "money seed" will result in a reaping of financial blessings. So many of these sowers are hoping that through financial reaping their debts will be wiped out and any materialistic gains will testify to God's blessings. The Scriptures they use for seeding finances is taken out of context, or stretched so far that it becomes a promoted doctrine. Every Believer needs to erase any preconceived notions pertaining to financial giving and reread all the Scriptures that have been the flagship of the "prosperity gospel." Look at the context in which the subject was addressed. What was the objective in those situations? It will be difficult to separate oneself from preconceived notions. Unlearning incorrect teachings, especially those solidified in mental concrete, will take a jackhammer effort. What is our objective in searching God's Word? Is it not to know the Truth? So much of Christianity is focused around materialism. When one takes money out of the Christian equation, it will expose how shallow the Church has become, especially in spiritual truths.
So much of the Church doctrines are interpretive instead of Scripturally factual. So much of our teachings evolve around the "improvement theory," which attempts to share what the Bible is "really" saying. There are so many translations of the Bible that it has left serious seekers bewildered as to what display of words convey the real Truth. Diversification of teachings, especially pertaining to the same subject, has caused a mockery of responses by the worldly spectators. What is needed is a revival in the Church, not in individual bodies of Believers, but in the Church itself. Whatever labels are on the doors of our local churches, we all need to fall on our knees and ask for forgiveness for our divisions. One of Jesus' last prayers was that His followers would be unified, just as He and God are one. (John 17:21) Much of the dialogue of Christians seems to center around what church they belong to, instead of to WHOM they belong. We must stop promoting buildings, and start presenting the Cornerstone of our faith. (Ephesians 2:20) We must stop picking and choosing Scriptures that form a doctrine that defines us. We must stop proclaiming selected Scriptures that can be twisted and turned into tools of inclusiveness. We must stop presenting a diversification of Believers, for we are all one in Christ.
The seed we plant must always be able to produce a result that will bring honor to God. Generic seeds produce division and self promotion. When the Church plants the seed of God's unaltered Word, it will experience phenomenal growth, both numerically and spiritually.
Our whole life should be dedicated to being more like Jesus. The "money seed" that is being promoted today is more like the Rich Young Ruler questing for eternal life, but his heart was on his monetary achievements. (Matthew 19:16-26) If we are looking for financial stability, we will not find it by sowing money to get money, but by seeking first and only the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33)
Let us plant seeds of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and then harvest the Fruit that will bring a hungry nation to the Table!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9568219

Fight The Good Fight Of Faith

1 Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
God's Word tells us to fight the good fight of faith. We are called to be spiritual warriors in God's kingdom. We are soldiers in the Army of God.
The purpose of an army is to insure freedom and liberty. Without these things we would live under another's domination. In the spiritual world, the battle over world domination has already been fought and won by our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet Satan's lease on this world has not run out. We still have to contend with him for a little bit longer. We can however take solace in the fact that we don't have to fight him. We do however have to fight the good fight of faith in order to walk in the victory that has already been won.
We as Christians can sometimes get tired of the constant battle that comes with our faith walk. I know from time to time I feel this way. However, we have been equipped to do battle and walk in victory. I also know that how I feel is irrelevant. I know that Jesus promised us He would never leave us or forsake us. He is always there whether we feel like it or not. Always!
We have been called into this army for a purpose, God's purpose. His purpose is for us to walk as children of the light, and declare the good news of the Gospel wherever we go.
We have been called to fulfill the great commission as ambassadors for Christ.
We can't do this without a fight. The enemy will try to stop us any way he can. He doesn't have the authority to stop us, although he will sometimes hinder us through various means, but he can not stop us. We can not go through this kind of spiritual battle without experiencing what it is like to stand when all seems lost. This is when we must not get weary in your good fight of faith. This is why the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy. Fight the good fight of faith. A good fight is a fight that you win. That is why we must never give up. The stakes are too high. Quitting is not an option. To quit is to admit defeat.
We are not defeated regardless of what the circumstances may look like.
The Apostle Paul said my God always causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus.
We also must understand that soldiers must go into battle with the proper training and equipment. God will Equip us to do what he has called us to do. We are not be sent into battle as unprepared soldiers.
All soldiers have to go through a course of training before they receive an assignment. During this time they go through a very rigorous physical and mental time of training.
The sole purpose of this training is to get them ready and prepared to do their job, and be properly equipped to do whatever it takes to get the job done even under the harshest environments. Their very lives and the lives of their fellow soldiers can and will depend on them doing their jobs and doing them well. When you are in the service you don't get to sleep whenever you want to, or do what ever you want to do whenever you want to do it. You belong to the military. You exercise when you are told and you sleep when you are told. Should not we as Christians take our Christian service just as serious? I'm not talking about some legalistic thing, but a serious attitude that we are in a fight to the finish and we are in this to win.
The Apostle Paul compared us to soldiers for a reason. We must be prepared to learn to do battle as a fully trained and equipped soldier of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The purpose of all this discipline and training is not to wear us down but to make us ready for the battle that will surely come. Trained soldiers stand strong and know their place. Fear will not dominate them. Anxiety will not detour them. They will have learned how to stand strong and do battle. This training is necessary in order to be victorious. However we are not doing physical battle such as military soldiers do, we are doing spiritual battle and the training we do is in the spiritual realm. The weapons we use are God's weapons and armor. The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians to equip themselves with the whole armor of God.
Ephesians 6:13-18. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
We have been given God's armor to do battle, to defend ourselves from the onslaught of the enemy, and to take back what has been rightfully purchased for us. Satan doesn't want us to know we are already victorious. He would try to bully us into submission. But he doesn't have the right or the ability to do that. For the Christian who knows who he or she is in Christ Jesus, no weapon or trickery of the enemy can prevent the will of God from coming to pass.
This doesn't mean there won't be a fight. It means we keep on fighting with God's weapons and armor until our time here on Earth is over, or until the Lord comes which ever comes first. Those are our choices. I would encourage you to put on your spiritual armor, and begin to fight those battles that would try to defeat you and your family and loved ones. Keep on saying victory is near. Victory is near! I won't give up and I won't be defeated.
You must keep your faith built up so that you will have endurance when the fight comes. A soldier without endurance is a soldier who will give up in a time of battle.
2 Timothy 2:3-5. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
God's Word is telling us we have the ability to endure so therefore we can. We not only can, but we can have full assurance that we will come out victorious when we keep ourselves built up in God's Word. Say to yourself; I will not fail, I will walk in the victory that was purchased for me. I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, my God always causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus.
We must keep a victorious attitude and not give in to a defeatist attitude. That's the way to live. Satan will try and discourage you and to tempt you with doubt. This is one of his weapons. This would be one way we could be defeated, to allow discouragement to overtake us, and begin to doubt God's promises. We would give up the confidence we have worked so hard to get. Don't allow this to happen. It may not be easy but don't give up and don't give in. Remember, victory is near.
Allow patience to have her perfect work in you, developing you into the perfect man or woman of God until you come to the fullness of the stature of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13-16. till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
You can see by this Scripture that we are not just a single soldier out there by ourself.
We are all together in this together. We are collectively the body of Christ. This should encourage us to build one another up and to be mindful not to do anything that would tear one another down. The one you tear down may be the one that was supposed to supply to you what you needed to work effectively. This is how we grow, and this is how we stay strong, not only singly but also collectively. We are much stronger together than we are alone. Build up one another in the faith and help others wherever you can. If we all took this attitude think of how much we would accomplish. Much more than we are accomplishing now.
I would like to encourage you to keep the faith, and stay strong in the Lord. Stay in fellowship with other like minded believers, and to build up one another. This is the type of teamwork that will cause you and others to walk in the victory that has already been won.
We put in all this time in training and preparation so that our faith will not fail but will stay strong even in the time of trial and adversity. We must take the attitude of victory. Say I will not quit and I can not be defeated. I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you want to be a joint heir with Christ?
If so, I urge you to take the first step and earnestly pray the following prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, "...and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (Jn.6:37),
So I know You won't cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13).
I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." (Ro.10:9,10).
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, "... with the heart one believes to righteousness..." and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),
And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!
I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God!
Glory to God!!!! Amen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/238074

God Will Never Leave Or Forsake You

God promised us in several places in the Bible, that He will never leave us nor forsake us Hebrews 13:5,6. He promised that He is always with us Matthew 28:20b. One of the things that excite me in the goodness on God is the fact that not only is God for me; He is with me and in me and will NEVER leave me alone.
Every child no matter how weak will be very confident in the presence of his father irrespective of the size of the bully around him. God is good, He is with you and in you, He will never forsake you - believe it. Let this knowledge empower you against the devil or any weakness or failure around you. Whenever you come across an uphill task, remember this, God is with you and in you and so you can do all things. God is not partial, He does not love one more than the other. Those who are succeeding only know and practice some truth which if you knew and practiced, you would become as successful as anyone of them.
Why are you afraid? God is with you, He loves you, He is willing and always ready to help you Isaiah 41:10. If you believe that God is with you, then you will be more bold and confident to face any trial or problem of life. Why do people fail in life? It is because many are so fearful and timid. Be bold, God is good, He is with you to do you good. I visited the office of a great man of God sometimes ago; his personal secretary spoke roughly to me and asserted that it was impossible for me to see that great man of God. I remained cool and tried all my best to bring the lady to see reason why I should see the man of God, I pleaded and informed her that I was in that office on appointment but she was determined not to allow me to see the man.
I went out of the office to my car, on the way I thought that I could not leave without seeing the man. On impulse, I started speaking in tongues, this was done for about five minutes, and I decided to go back to that same office. You have never seen such change in your life; the secretary welcomed me (to my own surprise) as if we have never seen each other that day. She began to ask after my ministry's welfare and showed real concern and love for my ministry, she rushed inside to inform the man of God that I was around. She ushered me into the big office as if the nation's president was coming in. After my discussion with the man of God, he saw me to the secretary's office; she stood up with respect to say bye to me.
In the car, I wondered what had happened. How many people would have left, and make a promise in their hearts never to go back to see the man of God again. To them, the man of God must have ordered his secretary to so behave in other to discourage them from seeing him. They will have grudges against the man of God and his secretary and miss the blessings God intended for them through that great man of God. To my utter surprise, the secretary could not remember that she ever treated me with contempt when I asked later.
Look at Your Problem in the Face
Be bold, look at your problem eyeball to eyeball and declare that it must move and it will obey you. I told myself, I must see the man of God and I did, I am yet to recover from the blessings God gave me through him. Seeing him that day taught me never to give up until my desire is met. I don't give up, I get what I go for and I know I have it from the first time I begin to go for it.
I read the story of a gold miner who after investing all his life savings to purchase digging equipments, he went after the gold and soon discover small deposit. He continued, but the traces of gold were no longer found, with a lot of sadness he gave up and sold all the equipments. The new owner sought for expert advice and started digging; he didn't dig for long before he discovered gold that made him a wealthy man.
Are you about to give up? Do not give up; your miracle is on the way. Gideon was discouraged and fainting yet he kept on pursuing his enemies see Judges 8:4. The bible says if you faint in the day of adversity, they your strength is small.
Friend, the joy of the Lord is your strength, if anybody's strength is small, it is not you. Why? Because the Lord is your strength, you don't have to faint or loose heart. Be bold, Abraham was bold having believe that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. See Rom. 4:18-24. Abraham became a friend of God because he believed God's word; he was not moved by what he felt, or what people were saying or the prevailing circumstances. His faith differentiated him from all others. Do you know that faith is very spiritual? Believing or having faith is a spiritual weapon that touches the very throne of God. When you believe God and take Him at His word, you are literally operating at the level of God. Faith takes you beyond the ordinary physical realm to the supernatural realm: it makes you a god; it makes you invincible.
When you study Mark 5:24 - 34, you will discover that the woman with the issue of blood was not loved more than all other people who thronged Jesus. They were all touching Him, but nothing happened to any of them, but here comes a woman with faith, an ordinary woman with an extra-ordinary faith who got what she wanted - here healing. What gave her the answer was her faith. That teach me that I can also get whatever I want from Jesus if I can only touch him by faith. I don't need to see Him and physically touch Him; faith is spiritual and can reach up to Him. I hope you are getting something. Life's blessings come to people as a result of how much they can believe God. The blessings of God are available to all, only those who understand how to tap them can enjoy them to the fullest; one of the ways to tap them is FAITH in God's word. The healing was available in Jesus Christ, but this woman drew it out and made it her own only by faith. Wake up and understand.
Going Through Troubles
Are you going through serious problems and solution seems far from coming to you? Maybe you've tried and failed, Doctors have given up on you, the job is not forthcoming, the desired spouse seems far away and you are dying as a single (unmarried) person? Whatever you are going through is designed for your breaking through. The bible says in Rom. 8: 28 that 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them according to His purpose'
All things work together for good. This means all things including your problems, trials, tribulations, weakness and failures. By experience, I know this to be true.
Jesus did not promise us a smooth journey but a smooth landing. He told the disciples (after compelling them to get into the boat) to go to the other side. In obedience they were crossing to the other side when this great storm came upon them in the middle of the sea. The fact that God has assigned you to do that thing does not mean you will not encounter trials along the way. Jesus told us in John 16:33 - "... In the world ye shall have tribulations; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" In Psalm 34:19, the bible says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
The truth is, no life is problem free. There is a proverb that says that 'the rich also cry', why do they cry if not because of problem. Even God in the beginning had problems and challenges. Read Gen. 1:1,2 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
We gather form here that there was emptiness (void), formlessness and darkness, this suggest hopelessness and this is a very discouraging situation. But our God was not discouraged. God was not moved. Darkness was all over the place yet God was not perturbed. In that chaotic state, God spoke and said, "let there be light" and true to the word, there was light.
Is your life is full of darkness? Speak light into it. Maybe yours is empty of all blessings, speak forth your blessing, like somebody said speak your way to the peak.
In concluding this chapter, I want you to know that you are not the first person to have problems; you will not be the last. God is not partial; the problem has been permitted not to break you but to make you. That is the reason the bible says in Ephesians 6: 10-12 "Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against... "
The bible says we are wrestling; we are fighting yet many do not know it, some know it, but do not understand it. That is why Paul said, "fight the good fight of faith". God is good, He is on your side but you must be STRONG not in yourself but in the Lord.

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