Power of Praises, Sunday, August 22, 2010,
8:21 PM

Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Ex 15:11 (KJV)

Did you know that God has a dwelling place here on earth? Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits in the praise of His people. What an advantage for the believer because “if God be for us who can be against us”.(Rom 8:31).while you are praising God, His presence is all around you ,you in Him and Him in you(2 Chronicles 15:2).

Praise is a powerful weapon of warfare for the believer because it commands God’s presence ,unlike prayer which is attended to by Angels praise is attended to by God Himself. In Act 12:5 after prayers were made for Peter God sent the Angels to release him from jail. In Dan 9:3,21-22 Daniel’s prayer was attended to by an Angel, that’s how effective prayer(on its own) can be; Angelic intervention. This was confirmed by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of ANGELS”? Matt 26:53 (KJV).

But on the other hand praise provokes God’s divine presence which makes all the difference in our situations. While Paul and Silas were in jail they praised God and He came to their rescue.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. Acts 16:25-26 (KJV)

That was a visit from God because Psalm 99:1 tells us that

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble… let the earth be moved. Prayer may be delayed because of the vehicle (Angels) used in conveying the answers but praise answers suddenly more often than not. We see that in the story of Paul and Silas, sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly. In 2nd chro 20:22″And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten”.

It important we don’t get this whole thing wrong ,it doesn’t mean praise should take the place of prayer in our search for God rather both praise and prayer should be used collectively because they complement each other .Let’s consider careful the stories of Paul and Silas(Act 16:24-25) and Jehoshaphat(2nd chro 20)again ,you will observe that both Paul and Silas and Jehoshaphat ( Verse 6-12 of 2nd chro 20) PRAYED before they sang PRAISES. Thus payer and praises should be used collectively and the result would be

.sudden intervention

.transfer of battle

.divine vengeance

. Signs and wonders

.power

.divine presence

It is also important for us to know that there is an acceptable way for us to give God praise.

1 with thanksgiving

2 with a righteous heart

3 with gladness of heart

Praise makes the difference!

i am an amateur writer desiring to take my God given talent to the higher ground and to touch souls.open the blind eyes,set free the captives in the darkness of satan

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What is the first name you think of when you hear this statement ? ‘ They really heard from God but they walked away from their calling . ‘

Write the name down on this page .

-pause-

A Sunday school teacher and deacon was teaching one Sunday morning. As he spoke he began to talk about a church homecoming, how his mother had notes in the margin of her bible with the initials of a particular pastor beside the quotations. Then he made these comments, ‘ I really don’t understand how this happens but he (the pastor) walked away from the pulpit and drinks now. So when it became his turn to speak (among the previous pastors) we did not care about what he was saying. As these words were spoken this teacher seemed to have little concern for this fallen man of God. This truly breaks the heart of God.

There have been those that were not only called of God, but chosen by His own Hand that have walked away or fallen. They fell by church politics, by the selfish nature of so-called leaders who need prayer and God’s mercy, by attacks of darkness, BY FINDING THEIRSELF STANDING ALONE IN THIS BATTLEFIELD THEIR BANNER OF LOVE BROKEN, and yes, of a broken heart. This not only destroys the servant of the Lord, but his or her marriage, family and children. As servants of a LOVING King we can not, we MUST not leave them wounded, alone on the battlefield.

There was a man, a servant of Christ, who was broken, many thought broken beyond redemption. That man, an evangelist had utterly given-up, not only in God, but on life itself. But a man in a wheelchair who had learned of this victim PRAYED. The man in the wheelchair would call his brother, ‘ I miss you, you can come by if you want,’ and ‘You know there is always an open invitation here.’ The man in the wheelchair DID NOT GIVE-UP.

He touched the hem of the Savior’s garment. the months past by, he did not give-up. Then one Sunday night as the man in the wheelchair sat in church waiting for service to begin a man walked up, knelt beside the wheelchair, ‘ Thank you Rick for not giving up on me, I thought no one cared.’

So in the quiet pray for the fallen, reach out gently. take the hurt on your own heart, ask their forgiveness. For if judgment first begin at the House of God, so must His Love.

So in the quiet, gather your leadership and teach them to reach for the hem of His garment and pray for the fallen. In the quiet this next year do not give up. Speak softly that Christ has not given up. Add name by name from the list of the fallen to those who know they are loved. And from those who know they are loved to those who stand before Him day and night in His Holy Pressence.

robin quinn has been a prison and jail evangelist.

he is also a writer of poetry/lyrics, essays and children’s stories. he has a book for children on ECPA.org/ christian manuscript submission-

‘ On Savior’s Knee ‘ he can be reached by

robinquinn@ymail.com Matt:13:52

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We interrupt this program to bring you an exclusive interview. The man with us today is known as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Rose of Sharon, Lillie of the valley, Bright and Morning Star, Mary’s Baby, Savior of the World , Son of God, let’s welcome Jesus Christ! (applause , applause)

It’s an Honor to have you with us Lord.

I am delighted to be here.

What would you say is the one thing that disappoints you the most about our world?

What I am most disappointed about is the fact that many of my children, those who believe in me, have become complacent or satisfied with less than what I paid for. When I gave my life on Calvary, I paid the price for sin, sickness, disease, poverty, lack, everything that mankind inherited because of Adam’s sin. When my Father raised me from the dead, all power had been given unto me in heaven and in earth. Power to overcome sickness, disease, lack, poverty, insufficiency, even death. Now they have been reconnected to my Father and to his original purpose for their lives: to be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue, and dominate the earth. But they are not taking advantage of what is available to them. Many believe that because a certain disease runs in their family, they are destined to have to deal with it. They think that where they are now is all they’ll ever see in life regarding their finances. Some even think they don’t deserve anything because they keep letting me down. To them I say this. If you are in me and I in you, my Father no longer sees you through your human frailties. He looks and the scars on my back when I was beaten. He looks at the womb in my side, the nailprints in my hands and feet. He sees the scars from the crown of thorns slammed onto my head. And every time Satan brings forth a warrant for your arrest, my Father dismisses the case against you because of me. I’d tell them to read Isaiah 53:11, and there are many other references in the Bible that will help them. My Father wants me to tell them that He has a covenant with them and He always keep his promises. However, they will not be aware of what the covenant says if they don’t spend time going over the warranty (the Bible). I must go now, but always remember I know each one of you. Your names are engraved in the palms of my Father’s hands according to Isaiah 49:16.

James jumped as if he had been startled and opened up his eyes. He had fallen asleep on the couch where he had been reading his Bible. At first he was embarrassed having fallen asleep during his prayer time, but started to remember what he had been reading. He found his place which read:

“He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11

Copyright 2009 by Fredrick F. Nicholson all rights reserved

Fredrick F. Nicholson is a worship leader at New Life Interfaith Ministries which has two campuses, in Bessemer and Birmingham Alabama. You can read his blog @ http://fredrickfnicholson.wordpress.com

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“Five Basic Principles of Biblical Forgiveness”

Recently, I have engaged in a study about forgiveness. I was certain that I knew all the basics that I needed to know. Many times we hear so much about a topic that we, without knowing, turn our listening off and move on to the next issue. However, as I studied further, I found some very interesting and practical facts about forgiveness.

1. We must recognize our own condition as sinners: Without the clear revelation that we are sinners and that we need God’s mercy we will never be able to forgive anybody. Forgiveness is a test for our hearts and consequently gives us a clear indicator of where we are spiritually in our walk with the Lord. Psalms 130: 3 tells us, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” As long as we assume that we can stand while we blind ourselves from our own need for forgiveness we will be jammed spiritually.

2. We are all called to always forgive; no exceptions: Matthew 18:21-22 tells us, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.” There is never a reason to run out of reasons to forgive. Forgiveness is more than about the person that sinned against you, it is about the condition of your heart. Lack of forgiveness is lack of understanding of the reality of the Gospel.

3. Our Forgiveness for others is connected to God’s forgiveness for us: Matthew 6:14-15 establishes this very serious truth, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We try to ignore this reality, but un-forgiveness can have devastating consequences.
4. Forgiveness is a promise not to ever bring the sinned committed against you back up again: To continue to bring the offense up repetitively it is a clear indicator that we have not forgiven. Our example of how to forgive is God Himself and in His Word He tells us in Jeremiah 31:34, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

5. Forgiveness is not complete without purposely and actively going after reconciliation: In the book, “Forgive! As the Lord Forgave You” Mr. Patrick H. Morrison made an excellent point.

“Frequently, it is said, ‘I can forgive, but can never forget.’ Actually this clich? misses the point; the issue is not forgetting but forgiving. The notion of ‘forgive and forget’ implies abandoning rather than healing the relationship.”

2 Corinthians 5:18 clearly states that we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” Many times people struggle with the idea of what they’re called may be; one of many calls is the universal call to the beautiful ministry of reconciliation. The word reconciliation means, “A return to God’s favor.” Reconciliation also strongly implies a return to fellowship with God and with each other.

Do you have un-forgiveness in your heart? Give that pain to the Lord; He will give you a heart to forgive and set you free from the chains of un-forgiveness.

Contact Information:

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P.O. Box 3506 Jacksonville, Florida 32206

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“Oh, that mankind would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

Even though…

We rebelled against the words of God.

We were bound in affliction and sins.

We despised the counsel of the Most High.

We hated all manner of His sustenance.

We drew near to the gates of death.

We were at our wits end.

We were brought low through affliction, oppression and sorrow.

Despite all this…

His mercy endures for ever.

He redeemed us from the enemy.

He delivered us from hunger, thirst, and despair.

He leads us in the right path.

He satisfies the longing soul.

He fills the hungry soul with goodness.

He brings us out of darkness.

He brought us from the shadow of death.

He broke our chains asunder.

He sent his word and healed us.

He calms the angry seas and storms.

He keeps affliction away.

He watches over us like a shepherd.

Whoever is wise and will see these things, they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord!

Copyright Jeanne E. Webster

A published freelance writer, editor/publisher of monthly newsletter for years. jeanne_webster@faithwriters.net

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Liberated, being set free, out of bondage and into LIFE. What can anyone possibly find wrong with this picture?

Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, you make joy in my heart when I hear you speak my name! I love You. Help me to tune in and listen and hear Your whispered plans for today. I’ve read the book, chapter and verse. I already know Your plans for tomorrow. I want to be ready a warrior for Jesus!

My child, I am preparing my Bride, I love you so. Think not that my timing is slow. I shall pour out blessing upon you. My ways are perfect and you do delight therein. Wait but awhile and it shall become very clear to you what is in my heart. You shall and do hear. Fear not but rejoice. I love you and have a special place for you where I shall be also. More will become clear as you walk daily in my path of righteousness. Selah. You have been set free, child, no doubt, no guilt, no self recriminations but free in Jesus rest in that release, be free.

In John 3:29 the Bible speaks of the bride and the bridegroom saying: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”(NIV)
Revelation 19:7 encourages us to rejoice and be glad giving Him glory and states that the wedding of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.

Just think about that for a minute, Jesus is coming for His Bride. Yes, there is some work to be done first to get us without spot or wrinkle but He said it and it will be accomplished.

Farther along in Revelation 22:17 we hear the familiar passage the Spirit and the Bride say come, let him who hears say “come”. Whoever is thirsty, let him come; whoever wishes let him take the free gift of water of life.

These are dry times, dry for our nation in many senses. What a promise to get a hold of and sink our spiritual teeth into. Do you suppose this promise is “good”? Well, it is not the federal reserve backing it up with nothing but paper. It is the Lord Jesus Christ maker of heaven and earth. Looks like this promise might be really good and backed up!

Deuteronomy 32:4 reminds us that He is the rock, his works are perfect and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.

His promises even come with further guarantees. What more could a believer ask for?
Isaiah 29:19 shows an appropriate response on the part of the believer, to be humble and rejoice in the lord, the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

When we read these words how could we not rejoice!

John 14:3 speaks of Jesus going to prepare a place for us and then coming back to take us to be with Him.

Wouldn’t you love to have a “sneak peek” at that place? Don’t you just wonder how much longer when you look at the morning headlines. Draw close, listen to Him, read His Word, share Him with those in your life who do not know Him yet..

Topping this all off is Romans 6:22 speaking to us about how we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit we reap leads to holiness, the result is eternal life.

Body of Christ, Bride of Christ we have so very much happening right now! We have so very much to look forward to. Let us not become complacent, time is short.

Prayer: Dearest Jesus, our Bridegroom, please help us to maximize the time and share You with many. Give us ways in conversation to segue into things of You, to ask questions that start wheels turning in people’s heads. Help us to be even more sensitive to Your Holy spirit’s timing and directives. You promised you’d be with our mouths and teach us what we should say and we say “yes, Lord, yes!” We have been liberates for Your purpose, use us we pray! AMEN

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

About Self

Saved by His grace in 1974, from 9 years of professing atheism into His loving arms. RN for 23 years, missionary with YWAM then statistical analyst for Every Home for Christ over 9 years. Living with my husband in the middle of a mountain meadow. GRIN! Wanting to spread the good news

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I have been thinking from what I have learned. Who alone is worthy? If you are an unbeliever you will ask me worthy of what? I will say worthy of whatever he/she is or has. Please don’t assume stuff like working hard and coming up in life, for people like these have fallen and sunk to the depths as though they had a mill stone tied to them. If God made you, then the potential you have along with the willingness and determination is also what he instilled in you. You may say that you achieved something but in truth it was God who enabled you. We own nothing, not even ourselves; we are practically stewards of all that we are and all that we have. As the man Job said about God in the Bible

Job 1:20

The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!”

Biblically there has only been One person who has walked the face of the earth and termed as worthy. If your guess is the Person Jesus then you have hit the bull’s eye.

Revelation 5:2-9

2 And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below who could open the scroll and look inside it. 4 I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Don’t cry. Look! The Lion from Judah’s tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.”

6 Then I saw a Lamb standing in the centre of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent throughout the whole earth. 7 The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. 8 As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 They sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to break open its seals.

For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God

people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.

Note: Jesus is Biblically referred to that the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and also the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

Biblically no person has ever been referred to as worthy of God’s love. Men/Women of God were righteous before God only because they trusted Him & carried out His plan but they were never worthy of God’s promises. It was by grace and not merit that they received their heavenly inheritance.

Let’s consider an example from each category.

1. Angels

2. Patriarchs

3. Prophets

4. Women

5. Apostles
1. Angels:

If you check verse 3 of Revelation 5 mentioned above, you will notice that neither the angels of God in heaven nor the angels of Satan were ever worthy.

Job 15:15

Why, God does not trust even his angels; even they are not pure in his sight.

Even the angels were reconciled to God because of what the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.

Colossians 1:20

20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

2. Patriarchs:

Patriarchs are what you would refer to as a father figure. Let us take the example the greatest patriarch that was Abraham. In Genesis 20, when Abraham was living at Gerar, he referred to his wife Sarah as his sister because she was very beautiful and he feared that people would kill him to get to her. Abraham was however so convincing that King Abimelech had Sarah brought to him & God had to straighten things out by appearing to the king in his dream.

Also Genesis 11:31 says that Abram’s father, Terah took Abram, and his grandson Lot the son of Haran, from Ur in Chaldea to Haran. Ur and Haran were the two principal cities of the moon god, Sin. And by what should be a strange coincidence, Abram’s brother had the same name as the city of the moon god. Indicating that Abram and his family formerly worshiped the moon before coming to God.

Abraham was not a man who by himself was worthy of God’s blessing, what he got he got by grace not merit. Abraham was counted righteous because he put his trust in God.

Genesis 15:6

6 Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.

Galatians 3:18

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

3. Prophets:

For this we shall consider the biggest Old Testament prophets & and the biggest New Testament men of God. We shall take the example of Moses for the Old Testament and John the Baptist for the New Testament.

Deut 34:10

There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses; the Lord spoke with him face to face.

Matthew 11:11 (Jesus’ words)

11 I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. .

About Moses, he was not worthy, there is Biblical record in Exodus 4:14 that Moses made God angry and in Exodus 4:24-26, God had just about enough of Moses. About John the Baptist, he testifies in John 1:29-33 that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God and refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world but when he is put in prison, he begins to doubt whether Jesus is indeed the Savior and send his (John’s) disciples to ask Jesus the same & Jesus told John’s disciple that could they not see that He (Jesus) fulfilled all the prophesies of the Messiah, whom they were all finally waiting for (Matthew 11:1-6).

Hebrews 7:28

The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; but God’s promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect for ever.

Matthew 11:11

I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.

4. Women:

Women to have played an important role in furthering the interest of The Kingdom of God, There have been women who were prophets (Luke 2:26), women who saved God’s people (Josh 2), in fact the first of people to witness Jesus’ resurrection were women (John 20). Just as there were men who were righteous but never worthy, even women have been righteous but never worthy.

Romans 3:23-24

23 everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. 24 But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free.

I shall take the example of the most blessed woman and that was Mary (Luke 1:42), Mary too was not worthy to open the scroll in Revelation 5:2-9; it was by grace and not merit that she carried Jesus (God) in her womb? This happened to fulfill scripture about the Son of God being born through a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:20-24).

Luke 1:30-31

30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Mary submitted to the will of God & so she was counted among the righteous.

Luke 1:38

“I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

As Jesus said that, who is His family? Here referred to those who obeyed the Father.

Matthew 12:50 (Jesus’ words)

Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants him to do is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”

Would you like to know what were Jesus words on the cross to Mary and his beloved disciple.

John 19:25-27

25 Standing close to Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there; so he said to his mother, “He is your son.”

27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is your mother.”

Can you see that Jesus is referring to them as family? Jesus shows us that Mary was righteous because she yielded to God.

5. Disciples of Jesus (Apostles):

The Apostles were people who were chosen (Luke 6:13) they were the people the Father drew unto His Son (John 6:44) but they too were never worthy. You must know that the disciples whom Jesus chose, Jesus called them Apostles (meaning “one sent”) (Luke 6:13). Biblically the Apostles are in first place followed by the prophets (1Corinthians 12:28) because the mission of the Apostles was to declare to all the people of the world God’s saving plan for man through Jesus (God’s revelation), where as the prophets merely passed on what God desired of His people. Even the Apostles ran away & left Jesus when the hour of his death came, to be tortured and crucified on the cross (Matthew 26:56). Apostle Peter even denied Jesus at that same time (John 18).

The Apostles too were chosen by grace (Romans 11:5, Gal 1:15).
To conclude this, I would like to tell you that there is nothing in all creation that can be ever be termed as worthy, may be righteous but never worthy. The Bible say that Jesus was made perfect through suffering (Heb 2:10), this is something and is Biblically said only about Jesus. The Bible says that God the Father shares His glory with no one (Isaiah 48:11), yet Jesus is said to have shared this glory of the Father even before the foundation of the world (John 17:5; John 17:12), which not only implies that Jesus is eternal (2 Peter 1:11) and One with His Father (John 10:30) but it also implies that He is perfect and Alone worthy (Revelation 5:2-9) to share the Father’s Glory (Revelation 5:13, Revelation 22:3). As one preacher brilliantly put it, Jesus is like a flawless diamond, perfect from every angle from which you may look & does wonders with light.

One of the countless things that Jesus is worthy of, is your trust. Being King and Lord of all creation (1Timothy 6:15), Jesus was unique and a first in many things, He came born through a virgin (Luke 1:26-38), He turned water to wine (John 2:1-12), He healed the lepers (Mark 1:40-45), the blind (Matthew 9:27-31), the lame, the crippled, the dumb, many other sick people (Matthew 6:30) & He exorcised demons (Matthew 8:28-34), He rode a colt into Jerusalem that had never been ridden fulfilling with prophesy (Mark 1:1-11), He was burred in a tomb cut out from stone in which no one had yet been placed (Luke 23:53) etc. So you seen Jesus was indeed unique and a first in many things. May be you have never found anyone capable of your trust or may be you have found no one who wants you to trust in them. In either case, Jesus is worthy (fully qualified) & willing to be that first Person in whom you may come to trust in but unlike your other ventures in whom you may have invested your trust, Jesus will never fail you. Your trust in Him will do wonders starting with keeping a place for you in heaven and also taking you through everything else that is good.

Thank you for your time.

By Fergus Davar (Saved by HIS grace), just a pen in His Hand.

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Jesus Christ died for us all no matter whom or what we are. His death was motivated by God’s love for us that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. His death was the reconciliation we needed to God.

We are living in the days of sin. There is no sobriety in anything anymore. People sin and try to rationalize what they are doing. It is now a question of how well they can argue issues out. Pre-marital sex, divorce, homosexuality, corruption etc reign high on the list of social ills that society now embraces and sadly, some Christians too. The question however is for those who have remained true to Christianity , are we willing to die for our course in speech, action and convictions? In the book of Nehemiah we see how he was willing to do anything to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. For the love of his people and his nation, Nehemiah decided to do something about it.

As the king’s cupbearer he had the privilege of being next to the power centre but when a messenger arrived to see him, he left what he was doing to give him an ear. How many people have you listened to in your Christian walk? In the opportunities that surround you and responsibilities that you have been bequeathed, have you used these to benefit anyone else? How many people have you lifted out of their miseries? Great people are never remembered by the lives that they led but by the deposits that they left in others. Mother Teresa is one such person amongst many others but Christ takes the mantle because he went a step further and laid his life down for us all.

The early Christians in the book of Acts 2:42-47 gave us pointers of what they learnt from the master himself; that we may share what we have with those that do not have and that all may be taken care of and not be in lack. No matter how pious or holy we might want others to see us, if we do not take care of those in our midst who are deprived, then we fail miserably at Christianity. Love is not found in us.

Nehemiah sat down and wept, then he fasted and prayed to God for some days (Nehemiah 1:4). That was how much he loved his people, they meant something to him and the state of the walls of Jerusalem emaciated them in his eyes; their deprivation was his own. As Christians, we need to break up all strongholds that make it impossible for us to embrace and love our brethren. We need Christ at the core of our lives because only he can help us with the process of transformation; only he can bless us beyond ourselves that we may be able to share what we have with others. Let us be humbled into accepting that not everything that we are blessed with is meant for us; we are but custodians whom God has entrusted with wealth and should therefore bless others who are deprived.

Many people have been corrupted by power. We even have seen self-confessed Christians who change into chameleons the minute they walk down the corridors of power. Suddenly they acquire a taste of dancing to the tune of personal glory. They forget their God and Provider, Jehovah Jireh. Nehemiah did not let this happen to him despite his close proximity with the king. He was willing to step out of his job to help his people. We too should make decisions that seek to please God and not man.

Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem and decided to do something about it. As Christians we too need to be at the fore-front of action. We need not idle around and hope that things will happen on their own. If society is riddled with ills, it is our duty and calling to see how we can be involved in reversing this situation. When Christ found traders in the temple, he did not ask anyone else to deal with it; he picked up a whip and drove them out himself.

Jesus Christ is our focus because he lived by example. It is from him that we learn how to be like him so that we too can be called the sons of God and with him as our firstborn, inherit the kingdom of God with him.

(word count-740)

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You heard the Gospel and God’s call penetrated through to your heart. You believed. And immediately you were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light, but you’ve been standing around in the foyer of the Kingdom ever since.

The vast majority of Christians have been “loitering” in the foyer, not going further through the many doorways from there leading to the treasure chests God has lying in wait for them. Perhaps many mistakenly feel that the Kingdom Of God awaits them one day when they go on to Heaven.

There’s the story of Elisha who was determined to receive double the portion of Elijah’s spirit, upon whom the Power of God was manifested. This is what Elisha asked of his master, Elijah, when the latter was about to be taken to Heaven. Elijah agreed.

The day came when Elijah departed in a chariot of fire. Elisha, without any

hesitation, “took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan…and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither, and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.” (2Kings 2:12-15)

When Elisha tore up his own clothes he signified that he would no longer remain within the bondage of the weakness of darkness over his old life, but would put on the mantle of newness and enter fully into the Kingdom promised to him. He simply was not going to hang around after watching Elijah go up and ponder in the “foyer” and not take up the full Power imputed to him. He went straight through the doors leading from the foyer.

Elisha went on under the anointing resting upon him and was responsible for more works of miracles than Elijah.

Today, as Christians, we have far more than Elisha. Unlike Elisha, we do not have to

ask, “Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah?”

God is right inside of us in the Spirit of Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Our old lives were torn up by God and we became new creatures in Christ.

The Power of the Kingdom only rested upon Elisha, whereas the Kingdom of God is within us. We don’t have to hang around in the foyer anymore. The mantle of the Holy Spirit is in our hands and we can divide the waters of despair, weakness, sickness, strife, destruction, lack and the attacks of the enemy so that they part “hither and thither” before us. This is what it means to overcome. Overcomers can only overcome from within the Kingdom.

There is a difference between entering the Kingdom – and entering INTO the Kingdom, as expressed by Jesus. The former puts us in the foyer where the nearness of the shadows of the cares and attractions of this world of darkness still beckons us and even at times

pulls us right back into a backslidden state. Entering INTO the Kingdom only becomes a reality to us if we approach it with the zeal and determination of Elisha and in full expectation that the promises of God will be received exactly as per His Word.

Like Elisha after Elijah, we are supposed to do “greater works” than Jesus, Who gave us much more than a mantle, but we tend to be like the “sons of the prophets” standing afar off and waiting for others to take up the mantle.

We are the Temple of God and the foundation thereof is Jesus Christ. There is a reward for what we build thereon, provided it is not

the world’s gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay and stubble, which will be burned, leaving only the works that abide and that cannot be burned. (See 1 Cor. 3:10-16)

Indeed, faith without works is dead – it remains in the foyer.

Jack has a background in marketing and advertising and has been a student of the Bible for over 30 years. His ebook, “Plight of the Earthbound Spirits”, may be downloaded free at http://www.earthboundlife.com

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Right after Jesus’ resurrection, two of Jesus’ disciples – we’re not told who – were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a town about seven miles away. While they were walking, Jesus appeared to them, but something funny happened: “their eyes were kept from recognizing him,” according to Luke 24:16. He proceeded to explain to them all about his death and resurrection. Once they finally got to Emmaus, which means a walk of at least two and a half hours and probably more, Jesus “acted as if he was going further.” It wasn’t enough for him to mess with their heads so they couldn’t figure out who he was; once he was finished messing with their heads, he intentionally deceived them into thinking he was going to keep walking, until they begged him to stick around and talk with them.

To me, this is the essence of what it means for us to go through a trial. God, being God, obviously knows that everything we experience will work together for our good. He orchestrates our whole life so that nothing we encounter will be too much for us to bear, and so that everything will be valuable to him in helping us become more like Jesus. Come on, he even told us the happy ending to the entire universe in the last two chapters of the Bible. He could quite easily, if he wanted to, tell us exactly how our current trial is going to work out for our good and how we’ll even someday be glad it happened to us. Why doesn’t he?

In a way, he practices deception on us quite often. He pretends he’s not listening to us, or pretends he’s not going to help with our problem. He allows us to keep on thinking things are terrible and that surely there’s no happy ending to whatever we’re currently facing. Like the two folks in Jesus’ story, we stumble along through our trials, and although God is right next to us, we’re completely oblivious, because he’s hiding himself instead of, you know, doing his God-things the way we want him to. He sounds a bit like a jerk when I put it that way.

Why on earth would he be this way? I think the answer is not whether we get through our trials, but how. He tells us in Scripture what kind of people we’re supposed to be, in a passage called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Our lives are to be characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, and so on. What that means is, we’re to choose those things no matter what circumstances are going on in our lives. Someone who chooses love only when it’s easy or convenient is not a loving person at all, but merely a pragmatist.

The only problem is, how do we know whether or not we’re loving? How do we know whether we choose love only when it’s easy, or if we can do it when it’s hard too? Literally the one and only way to find this out is to experience a situation where it’s hard. This is commonly called a trial. Trials are, quite obviously, not for God’s benefit, as he knows well in advance what we’re going to do. They’re for our benefit, to find out what kind of people we really are, to discover where we need improving, to measure ourselves against God’s standard and see if we have what it takes.

This is what author Steven Covey calls “proactivity.” We choose what kind of people we’re going to be – Fruit of the Spirit kind of people – and carry out those things no matter what circumstances, emotions, or other people’s opinion tell us. Although God knows that every situation is under his control and will be good for us, he intentionally chooses to let us see them as dangerous and uncertain. This is the essence of faith: choosing to believe and trust, independent of all variables.

In the case of the two disciples on the road, the test was how they would respond when this fascinating man pretended he was going to roll on. How hungry were they to hear more about the Scriptures and the Messiah? Were they still willing to open their hearts to such a thing just three days after seeing their beloved Jesus crucified? The answer was yes, and by calling Jesus’ bluff and asking them to remain with them, they were treated to a vision of the truth, that Jesus was resurrected and in front of them. The impact on them was so strong that they hoofed it the whole seven miles right back to Jerusalem – again, bare-minimum of two and a half hours – to tell everyone else what they’d seen.

If you only have faith in God when things are easy, then you have no faith. Yet how do you know whether you have faith when things are hard and when God seems absent? Only by encountering such a time. This requires that God deceive you; although he is with you all the time, he has to pretend that he isn’t, so that you know, because the test is for your benefit, what your faith is really made of.

This is why we say the relationship with God is exactly that, a relationship or a walk, so much more than merely following a set of rules. It’s about being proactive, choosing priorities, being a certain kind of person no matter what life throws at you. It’s about walking with God when it looks like God is dead and buried. One day, the apostle Paul says, we will look forward to the time when faith will not be necessary, when our faith will be our eyes, but shouldn’t it discourage us a little bit that faith will be impossible in heaven? If we don’t have faith here on earth, if we never lean on God through the tough times here, it will be eternally too late because there will be no more tough times. Either you lean on God through this trial or you forever miss the chance. Whatever is going on in your life, however absent God appears right now, your eyes are merely deceived. Have faith and be strong, and discover – as God knows – how strong your faith already is.

Jim Barringer is a 27-year-old writer, musician, and teacher serving at The Church of Life (.com) in Orlando, FL. More of his work can be found at facebook.com/jmbarringer and ExtantMagazine.com. This work may be reprinted for any purpose so long as this bio and statement of copyright is included.

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Hello folks, today too I came across some interesting scripture. Let’s check it out.

Isaiah 59:15-21

The Lord has seen this, and he is displeased that there is no justice. 16 He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory. 17 He will wear justice like a coat of armour and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer. 18 He will punish his enemies according to what they have done, even those who live in distant lands. 19 From east to west everyone will fear him and his great power. He will come like a rushing river, like a strong wind.

20 The Lord says to his people, “I will come to Jerusalem to defend you and to save all of you that turn from your sins. 21 And I make a covenant with you: I have given you my power and my teachings to be yours for ever, and from now on you are to obey me and teach your children and your descendants to obey me for all time to come.”

To start with, what is striking is the word astonished in verse 16. You tend to ask your self, how could possibly God be astonished, when He knows everything of the present, past and future. What is intriguing is that there is a very similar instance when Jesus Himself was astonished. Check out Luke 7:1-10, just as the God of the Old Testament was astonished about there being no one to help the oppressed, in the same way the God of the New Testament (Jesus) is astonished that this Roman Officer, who has done so much for the Jewish people (oppressed under the then Roman rule), would have so much faith in Jesus. Doesn’t this give you a kind of inkling that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament?

Luke 7:1-10

1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. 2 A Roman officer there had a servant who was very dear to him; the man was sick and about to die. 3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. 4 They came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, “This man really deserves your help. 5 He loves our people and he himself built a synagogue for us.”

6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell him, “Sir, don’t trouble yourself. I do not deserve to have you come into my house, 7 neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 8 I, too, am a man placed under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

9 Jesus was surprised when he heard this; he turned round and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, I have never found faith like this, not even in Israel!”

10 The messengers went back to the officer’s house and found his servant well.

Note: verse 8, shows that the Holy Spirit led the Roman officer to know that Jesus mission of Salvation for men was in submission to the will of His Father. Hebrews 2:9 does say that for a while Jesus was made lower than even the angels, so that he could die for sins.

Coming back to Isaiah 59, verse 16 (So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory) talks about God Himself saving His people. Jesus shed His own flesh and blood. He being God had to die so that he could destroy death Himself, so that those who believe in Him could live in union with Him forever.

Isaiah 25:8 (Prophesized by the prophet Isaiah that the Lord Himself would destroy death)

The Sovereign Lord will destroy death for ever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord himself has spoken!

Hebrews 2:14 (fulfilled by Jesus-Sovereign Lord)

Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death,

God alone could destroy death; the wages of sin is death. The only way God could snatch His people from the power of death, is if He Himself took upon all sin and entered the realm of death & then destroyed it.

Romans 6:23

For sin pays its wage death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

A penalty is always dearer than the normal charge. The normal charge was that all mankind would endure hell forever. The penalty was that God the creator Himself would give up His heavenly existence, become man & endure suffering till death. The ransom for sin was the life of the creator for the lives of the created. The life of Jesus (through whom all that exist has been created [John 1:3, Rom 11:36, Col 1:16]) for the lives of God’s people (believers in Jesus).

Coming back to Isaiah 59, verses 17-19, refers to Jesus’ second coming. You must understand that since this (Book of Isaiah) is prophesy we are talking about, it need not necessarily mean that this prophesy go in order from beginning to end of time because in verse 20 of Isaiah 59 God (Jesus) goes back to talking about His first coming to Jerusalem and saving those who repent of their sin

Luke 5:31-32

31 Jesus answered them, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.”

Matthew 1:21

She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 2:36-38

36-37 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now 84 years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying. 38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

Let now check the amazing parallel between verse 21 of Isaiah 59 and a few scriptures from the New Testament

Luke 22:20 (Jesus Words to His disciples during the last supper)

In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.

Note: The covenant God makes with His people (Isaiah 59:21) is the one mentioned in Luke 22:20 that will save people from their sins as per Isaiah 59:20. Scripture says that a life of being is in its blood (Gen 9:4, Lev 17:11, Deut 12:23), so this New Covenant is sealed with the life of God the creator Himself. This is the most powerful of all covenants that God has made with man.

Matthew 28:18-20 (this is the commissioning God prophesied through Isaiah in Isaiah 59:21: Here is Jesus after His resurrection)

18 Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

By Fergus Davar (Saved by HIS grace), just a pen in His Hand.

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(1 John 2:15 KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

John uses a strong prohibition; “??? ?????????”Love Not the world! The world here doesn’t mean God’s creation but the sinful pleasures that are in the world due to sin. Christians are loving the things that are in the world and not the Creator of the world. We are in love with material things and conforming ourselves after the things of the world.

(Romans 12:2 KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

What does Paul mean when he tells us not to be conformed? The Greek word here is suschematizo; not to conform with this age, that is, do not fall in with external and fleeting fashions of this age nor be fashioned to them, but undergo a deep inner change by the qualitative renewing of your mind.

(1 John 2:16 KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The sinful desires of the flesh, eyes, and the pride of life are not out from (ek) God but they are out from (ek) the world. These sinful desires are not from our heavenly Father they come from a different origin, the world. There is a reason that John gives us such a strong prohibition against these lust.

(Mark 4:19 KJV) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

The anxieties and the troubles of this world, the deceitfulness, deception, or pleasure of riches; meaning wealth, abundance of external possessions. The KJV translates “and the lust of other things” but the Greek “???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???????????” Lit. and concerning the rest of the desires. It talks about these desires entering in, how do they enter in? They enter in through the mind and when they do they crowd out or choke utterly the divine seed of the word sown in the mind. Then the person becomes unfruitful or metaphorically, not yielding what it ought to yield.

James 4:1-10 [Warnings Against Loving The World]

(James 4:1 KJV) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Our love for the world brings wars and fighting among us; Let’s look closer at this Scripture the word “whence” means of place, from what place, of origin of source, or from what author or giver. So what source does these fightings come from? We know by God’s Word that He doesn’t bring strife or confusion among His children. This love for the world causes fights because of our desires for pleasure, lust, enjoyment, or desires for pleasure it is not from God. These lusts war in our members like a soldier would fight or strategize against his enemy.

(James 4:2 KJV) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James tells us the reason we don’t have answers to our prayers, “ye lust, and have not:” we are lusting after the wrong things we kill [Lit. to commit murder] and we desire or we are filled with jealousy are to burn with zeal; to be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, or anger. We can’t obtain by this kind of behavior because it is against the will of God, James puts it simply, “ye have not, because ye ask not.”

(James 4:3 KJV) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James tells us the reason we don’t receive he says, “ye ask amiss” this comes from the Greek word, “kakos”; badly, wrongly, wickedly, sick; to speak ill of, revile, one, or with bad intent. A lot of times because of our love for the world we tend to ask God for things of this world and our intentions are not for God’s glory or for the use of the ministry but for the fulfillment of our own desires. We ask for these things so that we may consume or waste “it” upon our own lusts.

(James 4:4 KJV) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Because of a love for the world James calls them adulterers he goes on to say don’t you know that if anyone becomes a friend to the world then they are an enmity with God. The last part of this verse is what I find to be interesting, “whosoever therefore will be a friend to the world is the enemy of God.” This comes from the Greek word, kathistemi, and here it is in the third person and it means that God will appoint, ordain, or make the person who is a friend of the world His enemy, Do you want to be God’s enemy? So what’s is the way to stay God’s friend and not His enemy?

(James 4:7 KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit, this word is an act of submission to be obedient to God and then we must do one more thing, resist the devil. We must set ourselves against, oppose, withstand, and resist the devil, this shows us that the source of our love for the world’s sinful desires is Satan, the god of this world. When we resist the devil he will flee from us, this word flee means he will escape, avoid, disappear, flee from fear or threatening danger. All we have to do is submit to God and resist the devil and he will run from us, or the Holy Spirit that is in us, as in terror because he knows who we belong to because our Father can beat him up!!

My name is Byron Register I am a preacher or the Gospel and love to teach the Bible.

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As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God. Psalms 42:1

In the bible are certain people like David and Job with whom God was greatly pleased; these are people who challenge our Christianity. What for instance does He say when He looks at us from heaven? David was not perfect, he struggled with leadership and as a family man had a philandering issue with Bathsheba as well as the orchestrating for her husband’s murder. However in Acts 13:22, God looked down at him and said of him “a man after my own heart, he will do everything I want him to do”.

David is the epitome of a soul that truly hungered for God and was blessed accordingly. He was made of the kind of material that God works with to make a dwelling for Himself. In Ephesians 2:22, we see how we are constantly being built together to become God’s dwelling place. God’s plan is not just for our salvation by being born again, this for Him is a first step as He continues making us worthy of His dwelling in us. God has provided everything possible to transform and change us; He has given us all of life’s goodness. Every challenge has provision and every difficulty divine power to deal with it as mentioned in 2Peter 1:3. Even the problems we are going through as believers already have power released to deal with them. We just need to know how to access this power.

We are a generation that has what it takes to worship our God and be showered with His blessings. We have fellowship groups, bible study groups and now even pastors who can help compartmentalize and deal with all our issues yet divorce rates remain high as people continue speaking of incompatibility or irreconcilable differences. All we need is people who are obedient to God and this is made possible only if we truly hunger for Him. God desires that we experience Him and grow on a daily basis through the small to the big miracles that He is willing to show us. It is His wish that we mature in our Christianity and that those that hunger for Him be filled. We do not need to be reminded to read our bibles or ceaselessly pray as these should come to us naturally if we desire to know Him in a deeper way. There are certain things that hungering for God does to us.

Firstly, it does not allow our pre-occupation with anything else. David had killed Goliath and was a King but His hunger for God was unstoppable. We have failed as Christians to change because we do not hunger enough for God. If we did, then we would yet be transformed in a mighty way.

Secondly, hunger does not allow us to be side tracked by any other business until it is satisfied. David was a busy man, handling national and international issues, many wives and children; yet this did not deter his worship and God was able to see his hunger. The devil keeps us busy so that we are too occupied to pray, to read the word or have devotion for God. We find ourselves busy studying, looking for money, raising our families or just worrying about life. We have relegated our God to the background. When we fail to read the bible we leave ourselves with no inner strength to deal with the very sins that we are trying to avoid. Let us upgrade our desire for God to a hunger for Him because the former cannot get us anywhere without the latter.

Thirdly, only hunger sends us doing unconventional things for God. David danced at one time for the Lord until his garments fell off. We should forget who is looking at us and worship God unconventionally because life has so boxed us that there is no longer any transformation in us. We no longer fast or pray as we used to or as we should. We even feel offended when the service is longer than usual!

Fourthly, hunger does not make us comfortable, it does not make us get used to anything; it keeps us desperate and crying for God. In Philippians 3, Paul, in old age, still hungers for Christ and is willing to partake of his suffering if only to gain Him.

Hunger is continuous and cannot be quenched. We will know we have it when we crave for God more and more because the more we draw closer to Him, the more we will yearn for Him.

Writing is my calling and I use it to honor God. More on:-

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http://expertscolumn.com/content/you-are-light-world-where-are-you

http://expertscolumn.com/content/replicating-nature-sin

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A really short devotional type piece written for you.

When your mind is going FIVE (or more) directions at once  take authority over your mind in Jesus name and command your mind to come into submission to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Take authority over the things in your life which are defeating you.

Prayer: Father I want to glorify You. I need your help. AMEN

Christ in us is the hope of glory. Fruit bearing glorifies Him.

Authority in Jesus comes in various ways:
1.    Fasting  deny your flesh and Christ comes forward
2.    ”Word of God” is a feast  stand on the Word  claim those promises  let His Word change you
3.    Prayer  don’t just ask, get a notebook and listen to Him  write it down
4.    Praise
5.    Thankfulness
6.    Service  being available to be obedient
7.    Giving

Romans 5:3-5 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NKJV)

Written by Marijo Phelps in January 2010 partially from notes taken in June 1980 speaker Edie Patterson.

About Self

Saved by His grace in 1974, from 9 years of professing atheism into His loving arms. RN for 23 years, missionary with YWAM then statistical analyst for Every Home for Christ over 9 years. Living with my husband in the middle of a mountain meadow. GRIN! Wanting to spread the good news

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How dare she defile the sanctity of marriage! According to the law of Moses she should be stoned, they said. What do you think, Jesus? Aha! The real motive appears. They really didn’t care about the woman one way or the other. Nobody cared what led her to this point in her life. Nobody cared that she wanted to out of the lifestyle she was in, but didn’t know how. They just wanted to trap Jesus into openly defying the Torah.

What do you think Jesus? The kind, gentle, unassuming man just stooped to the ground and started to write in the dirt with his finger, not even acknowledging their inquisition. Well Jesus, are you going to answer or not? Their voices rang with childlike impatience. Jesus looked up and said these simple but resounding words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Then he stooped back down and started to write on the ground again. I wonder what he wrote. Maybe it was some of their names who had been with her before but hadn’t gotten caught. At any rate, one by one they started to walk away. Neither of them could ever keep the rigid laws they themselves were bound to in addition to the Torah. Jesus looked at the woman and spoke the most precious words she had ever heard. No one had ever cared enough to stand up for her. He said “I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more.” Her face glistened with both delight and hope. She wanted a new life and now she believed she could obtain it.

What would happen if every believer showed the love and compassion that Jesus displayed? How many people do we pass each day that truly believe nobody cares? Some of you reading this may feel the same way at times. Sometimes we can be so judgemental towards others when they have fallen that we often forget the many times we’ve missed the mark. Thank God for his unconditional love toward us that He gave us His Son. A Son who cared enough to die so we could live. A Son who continuously intercedes for us with the Father, and who left us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. When nobody seems to care or they just don’t understand, always remember Jesus loves you.

Copyright 2009   by Fredrick F. Nicholson  all rights reserved

Fredrick F. Nicholson is a worship leader at New Life Interfaith Ministries which has two campuses, in Bessemer and Birmingham Alabama. You can read his blog @ http://fredrickfnicholson.wordpress.com

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