Dysfunctional Families: How God Is Able To Use Them

No matter what happens, God is always there watching over us to meet our every need when challenges come our way in this life. There are lesson that the readers will discover from “Dysfunctional Families – How God is able to use them” and ways that we can correct those same or similar issues in our own lives.

The text is a study of 25 different Biblical individuals from Adam and Eve on through the Old and New Testament to the time of the apostles and early church.

With its straight forward religious content, “Dysfunctional Families – How God is able to use them”, provides inspiration for readers who feel lost, encouragement and guidance to Evangelical Christian followers and comfort to people who have gone through tragedy and crisis by drawing comparisons to these bible individuals and their faults and problems. Thus the reader may learn and apply what these individuals did to overcome their conflict or learn how they let it consume them and thus avoid those pitfalls. From this we can see how we should react when similar issues impact our lives. We are all dysfunctional in one way or another yet we can learn how to overcome the problem and get back into service where God wants us.

About the Author: Harley Watkins III is an Electrical Engineer with over 42 years experience in the aerospace industry. He started his professional career on the Apollo 7 Launch Support Team. Harley is a member of First Baptist Church Melbourne Florida. He is an associate teacher for a senior adult Sunday School Class. He coordinates the disaster recovery teams for the church and worked on recovery teams during the 2004/2005 hurricane seasons. He assisted with debris cleaning up, serving on food lines and installing hundreds of blue tarps on damaged roofs in the Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana areas during and following the storms that raked those areas.

Courtesy: Christian News Wire

A highly accessible, visual, and concise book loaded with helpful figures and interesting sidebars, On Guard is a one-stop guidebook to learn how to defend your faith. Combining the four core arguments for God’s existence with a case for the historicity of Jesus, this readable book also addresses difficult issues such as the problems of suffering and religious relativism. Writing in a highly personable way, Dr. Craig relates his own winding path to faith and tells the story of how God saved him and equipped him to become one of the world’s leading Christian apologists.

Using an interactive layout designed to provoke thoughtful reflection and discussion among readers, this book will be an instrument to believers  struggling with culture’s biggest questions.

On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision

Packed with stories of Dr. Craig’s encounters with religious skeptics, On Guard provides more than philosophical arguments. It relates real life experiences that illustrate the themes of our current culture. Dr. Craig maintains: “If the Gospel is to be heard as an intellectually viable option for thinking men and women today, then it’s vital that we as Christians try to shape American culture in such a way that Christian belief cannot be dismissed as mere superstition.”

According to Dr. Craig, the role of apologetics is to shape culture, strengthen believers, and win unbelievers. On Guard is the tool by which shaping, strengthening, and winning moves from improbable dream to attainable reality. Using an interactive layout designed to provoke thoughtful reflection and discussion among readers, this approachable book will be an instrument of impact to believers who are searching for and struggling with this culture’s biggest questions.

On Guard simplifies Dr. Craig’s vast work in apologetics yet is not simplistic. It provides easy to memorize arguments for God’s existence and the resurrection of Jesus, along with answers to the objections that one will likely encounter in sharing these arguments with others.

www.williamlanecraig.com
www.davidccook.com

Courtesy: www.christiannewswire.com

Reality Handshake courtesy: lumaxart

Jesus prophesied His return to planet Earth. And He promised that His return would bring genuine peace — an end to the wars, diseases and financial turmoil increasingly plaguing our world. But when will He come? For how many more years must we wait? We do not need to guess. Your Bible gives specific benchmarks of prophecy.

The Antichrist is coming! In fact, there is every reason to believe that he is alive today, and that the keys to his coming reign are now being put into place. Will you be among the very few to be able to recognize the Antichrist for who and what he is? You will—if you watch for seven vital signs!

By Tom Borgstrom

More and more people are using online church services as a means to worship and hear God’s word. Is it O.K. to interact this way regarding our church involvement?

Let me give you a brief background about myself. I have been a Christian for over 20 years and have been involved in several ministries related to the church from leading Bible studies, serving on church boards and participating in short-term mission trips. Have also had the honor of leading worship. I feel it is important to have a understanding of what God calls us to when He commands us to be connected to a church.

Genuine Reasons For Using Online Church Services?

Let’s start with, what is your motive or reason for using a Online service? Are you disabled or or unable to get to a church due to physical restrictions? Maybe you have job that does not allow you to get to church when the services are being held. Whatever the reason, there are legitimate ones for not being able to make it there.

If this is the case for you, Online church services can be a great way for you to have a time of worship and exposure to God’s word. As you know, God is very capable of using numerous means to spread the gospel and make Himself known. And the Internet Is a wonderful way to do that. When you did a search I am sure you found several church services for you to participate in.

Reasons a Believer Should Not Use Online Church Services

It is sad to say that here in America many folks use these services because they simply do not want to make the effort to go Sunday mornings. It is much easier to turn on the tube or computer and just watch or listen to a service. You don’t have to deal with people or drive in lousy weather. Maybe you just don’t like to sing. Is this you?

I encourage you to look deep into your soul and ask yourself, am I making excuses, am I just being lazy or stubborn? You may be thinking that as long as you perform some sort of religious duty on Sunday that all will be right with God. Be careful if this is the case for God judges the heart and motive of us all. He knows full well if we are playing games or not.

Are You Part Of The Body Of Christ?

If you are a true believer, you are a member of the church body. So if you are using Online church services the physical church body is missing a part. God has blessed you with spiritual gifts to be used in the function of the church. The church as a whole needs you to be exercising those gifts within the body to help make it complete while doing the work of the Lord. I can say wholeheartedly that you will find more satisfaction, more joy being at church instead of just watching church.

Is The Lack Of Income Stopping You From Going To Church?

As a final note I understand there are a lot of folks out there who simply don’t have the money due to being confined to the house for a host of reasons or are just out of work. I would like to say there is hope for you. You can not only use the computer for Online church services but earn some decent money as well. There are legitimate online businesses you can do that cost less than $2 a day.

About the author: Tom Borgstrom – I would never dare try to sell you a way to make money online through a article like this if I didn’t have complete trust in what this community offers. No, it’s not a “get rich quick” plug. Please go here and see why I decided to Buy Wealthy Affiliate I will personally help you once you join. Also see Christian Internet Marketing.

Courtesy: www.articlesdirectory.in

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin stopped by for a visit with Billy Graham in North Carolina recently. Palin, the author of the bestselling memoir, Going Rogue, talked with the 91-year-old evangelist about her faith in Christ.

Courtesy: Coral Ridge Ministries

No one was ready for the magnitude of the meltdown of the world banking system, which led to huge cash bailouts for some, and bankruptcies for others, in the United States and Great Britain. For decades, America has been an “economic empire,” but its power is waning fast, and other nations are poised to fill the gap. Some expect China or Russia to take the lead, but Bible prophecy reveals that Europe will soon be the world’s leading superpower.

Courtesy: Tomorrow’s World

When examining kids’ church curriculum, I’ve found that there seems to be a consistent list of objectives. I’ve narrowed it down to three primary objectives:

• Salvation The goal is to help children understand their need for salvation
• God’s Word The objective is to teach kids that God’s Word is the absolute truth
• Behavior The idea is to teach children how they should act according to the Bible stories they learn.

These objectives are very important for children to grasp, but I have to ask myself as I study what the main theme is. Is there some way to teach children the importance of these objectives in a specific way, without teaching the Bible’s stories in a random, separated way? Many churches run bus ministries to bring kids from unbelieving families in to hear God’s Word taught. For many of them, it may be the only time they hear the Truth, so it must be taught clearly. From the beginning they (this includes “churched” kids, too) must be taught about God, so they can get to know who He is. As they learn about Him, the helplessness of people’s sin can be added, then the work of Jesus Christ as Substitute for sin’s penalty, and from that they can make a decision of personal trust in Him.

The Craft of Christian Teaching: Essentials for Becoming a Very Good Teacher

As I look into kids’ church curriculum, I check to see if the focus is properly on God. As we get to know Him– His character, how He connects with people, etc– we know that we can trust Him, and we desire to do the things that please Him out of love and gratitude. Our desire as we teach kids is that they would really get to know God and respond to Him as the Bible says– trust, obedience, service.

In my opinion, one of the best approaches to teaching kids, whether they’re growing up in church or not, is to teach them chronologically through the Bible. Beginning in Genesis and traveling through the big events to the life of Christ will help them see and understand God’s plan for people. This plan can be traced through the stories and hold all of them together with one theme. Here is what we hope for them to see:

• God is the Creator and is the center of everything that exists. Without Him nothing would be. He is a just God, but is loving and merciful.
• Sin came into the world because of one bad angel who sinned in heaven, so God kicked him out. God is holy and can’t let anything bad in His heaven.
• This fallen angel and his followers hated God, so turned to destroying God’s special creation– people. The bad angel (Satan) convinced people that God didn’t really know what was best.
• Since the first people decided that they knew better than God what was best for them, we now have sin and death in the world. Bad things happen because people turned their backs on God.
• Sin has been passed down to all people, so no one can be with God because He is perfect and can’t stand sin in His presence. All sin must be separated from God forever.
• God didn’t want for people to die and be separated from Him forever like the bad angels would be, so He gave His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment of sin from people onto Himself so they could live with God in heaven.
• 
  

  Trusting in Jesus’ work to take our punishment is the only way any person can be saved. Being good isn’t enough because the Bible says that only through the shedding of blood can there can be forgiveness, and Jesus is the One who gave His blood for us.

• When we understand what our holy God has done for people (His creation who turned their backs on Him) so they could be brought back to Him, we will want to obey and serve Him.

Even if you choose not to use the chronological approach in teaching, I’d like to encourage you to find curriculum that keeps God at the center.

Through every story His holy, just, loving character should be paramount, and from that we learn what man’s response ought to be. We don’t want the Bible’s stories to turn into lists of “do” and “don’t do” or children will get bogged down with keeping everything and will often give up altogether as they get older. The other thing that might develop is a good works based salvation. People must be taught that they are loved by an incredible God, and can show their love for Him by doing those things that please Him. Kids love to please those they love.

Please consider this as you look for and teach kid’s church curriculum.

About the author: Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see www.goodseed.com

Courtesy: www.articlesdirectory.in
Photo: speartoons

By Aleena Denison

With today’s acceptance of “safe sex,” more and more young people are playing with fire, and are getting burned. Consequences are an after-thought, but it’s often too late. Young girls are scrambling to get help and answers, the boys they thought loved them suddenly disappear, or recommend abortions, and these young girls (many of whom have barely stopped playing with their baby dolls) are confused and afraid. All of the terrible realities of life hit them full in the face and they see how unprepared they are to deal with such difficulties, so they begin asking questions about the future and the options they have.

• “Is it okay to get an abortion?”
• “When does life actually begin?”
• “If there is a loving God, why would He put me in such a difficult place?”

Many doors into the spiritual life are opened when these questions are asked, but Christians need to proceed with caution when talking with these young women. They need to feel safe, free to talk about their struggles, and not pressured into making a choice with which they don’t feel comfortable. There are some words that might be the first to pop into the head of a believer when witnessing, but must be used carefully, and not right at the beginning.

Some such words are:

• “wrath”
• “judgment”
• “sin”
• “hell”

Though believers may see the truth of such words found in the Bible, and see how they can relate to the spiritual lives of the young women (as they do to all unbelievers), they must understand the many life changes taking place in these women, and their struggles with many negative thoughts. It is so important for them to feel that they have someone they can talk to about everything that is overwhelming them, without feeling that they are being judged and condemned.

So what is a good approach that allows them to feel comfortable enough to talk, and also lets believers share the truth of the Bible?

• Let them freely share their feelings, questions, etc. without interruptions intended to correct or inform. It is always helpful to know the whole story and have an idea of their lives and emotions. This also helps them feel comfortable and accepted, and will help them be open to discussion.
• Address each issue and question brought up by the young women, rather than immediately trying to give them the gospel. Without the knowledge of Scripture that a believer has, they won’t understand why their important questions are put aside.
• The most frequently asked questions can be tied directly to spiritual matters, and in helping them get answers, God can be brought into the picture. It is very important that He is shown as loving and just– He cannot be more of one and less of the other.
• It is nearly impossible to answer questions without at some point giving the gospel. The important thing to remember is that many of the women may have no background of Bible or God knowledge, so just giving them the gospel may not help them clearly see their need of a Savior. In answering questions and showing the relation to spiritual things, they will hopefully begin to see a spiritual need, and will ask to know more. This is an ideal opportunity to take them through the whole Bible so they can see the big picture of a holy God, helpless sinners, Jesus the Substitute, and the personal faith they must have.

Pro-Life 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Case Persuasively

About the author: Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see www.goodseed.com

Courtesy: www.articlesdirectory.in

Many of us have heard stories of strange occurrences involving people with strange powers, multiple personalities, wild anger and even speaking languages they have never themselves known. Around us, millions are dabbling in spiritism and the occult, letting “advice” from mysterious spirits influence how they live their lives. Do you know where many of these strange occurrences originate? Do you understand the danger posed by Satan and his demons? These spirit beings will be having increasing effect on major world events, and you need to be prepared.

150 years ago this month Charles Darwin released his 500-page dissertation on what he called the origin of species. The British naturalist never got around to explaining how life came into existence, but he did argue that creatures change from one kind into another over vast stretches of time through natural selection.

Some are reporting that many scientists view outspoken religious commitment as a sign of mild dementia.

A recent editorial in USA Today takes athletes like Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow to task for their frequent acknowledgments of Jesus Christ. Author Tom Krattenmaker particularly takes issue with the insistence of Tebow and other Christian athletes that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.

Whether it is tales of global warming gone amok, aliens arriving, or giant meteors destroying vast regions, it seems that movie-makers have long “had it in” for planet Earth and its inhabitants. One extreme example of this is the movie “2012″ — based on the primes that the Mayan calendar and other sources predict the end of civilization as we know it in December 2012. But what does the Bible say about 2012? And what should you and your loved ones be doing to prepare? You need to know.

He was born two hundred and sixty-seven years before the Declaration of Independence, yet historians credit him as a virtual founder of America.

Suppose the whole world stopped believing that God had any sort of plan for us? That’s a question Charles Darwin is said to address in the new movie, Creation, a “loving and fictionalized” treatment of Darwin’s life.

Courtesy: Coral Ridge Ministries

An Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Abortion as a Moral Decision signed by 1,000 alleged religious leaders insist that abortion on demand is a divine imperative, and that God wants taxpayer funding for abortion in the federal health care plan.

Courtesy: Coral Ridge Ministries

The Grinch struck early this fall when government authorities banned religious messages from the ornaments displayed on the Christmas tree at the US Capitol building.

Courtesy: Coral Ridge Ministries

With just one month until the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” evolutionists plan to celebrate the anniversary with a major motion picture, TV specials, seminars, and conferences. Evangelist Ray Comfort is doing his part to mark the big day as well. WHAT? huh?

Courtesy: Coral Ridge Ministries