Seepage

When sin has become unbearable-
- we have tried to dispose of it on the psychiatrist’s couch

​,​

- or tried to drown it in alcohol

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- or deaden it with drugs,
- and still the deadly seepage continues.

There is only one way that sin can be permanently disposed of-
- and that is through Jesus Christ.

The Scripture says He became sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21.
He took our sins on the cross.

Only in Christ can sin be destroyed and disposed of.
Only at the cross can we dispose of this hideous load safely and forever.

Not by chemicals-
- but by Christ.

Not by injecting or snorting drugs-
- but by bringing the mind and heart into harmony with God through submission to His will and accepting His forgiveness as offered from the cross.

In Christ alone there is-
- deliverance from mankind’s tortured thoughts,
- healing for our weakened minds and bodies,
- and freedom from the sordid habits that are destroying many people.

But more important-
- there is hope for the future.
The Bible teaches that there is a glorious new social order coming.

It is going to be brought by Jesus Christ Himself when He comes back.
Are you ready?

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gospelfromindia

Why not try it?

​

"...the righteous man shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11.

God’s Word says:
“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 5:8.

Doing justice is being concerned for those who are left out, looked over, abused, and oppressed.

Loving kindness is being considerate, thoughtful, and actively working for the good of others.

Walking humbly with God is seeing God and self from the right perspective, thankful for His grace.

Today, when it seems that religious faith is seen as negative and even bigoted-
I hope you will consider God’s Word.

Only one person in all of history has lived up to this standard, and that was Jesus Christ.
He alone was just and kind and walked with His Father, God.

He can help you live your life as a demonstration of what true faith is.

​​

​​

Why not try it?

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gospelfromindia

What About Me?

Posted By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Hebrews 2 states that unbelievers are, “through fear of death… all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Ver. 15). How often they must ask themselves: “What will become of me: finally become of me?” The best they can hope is that God will be merciful to them and accept them at last, but God cannot do this without a just basis, and since unbelievers have rejected His gracious payment for sin, they must remain under its condemnation. Many hope that physical death will be the end for them, but they fear that the Bible may be true and that death will not be the end.

This writer once talked with a profane barber who had boasted that he was his own “God,” and would be until they put him “six feet under.” To this we replied: “The Bible says that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this is the judgment.’ You may not believe this, or accept it as the Word of God, but you can’t prove it isn’t so, and I would urge you to look into it carefully, asking God to give you light.”

Here we ask the reader a very personal question: Are you saved? Have you accepted Christ and His payment for your sins, now standing before God “justified from all things,” and “accepted in the Beloved”? If not, we beg you: do not delay. These are serious times and who knows how soon God will take His own away and bring this dispensation of grace to a close. Then it will be too late, so we urge you, face up to your sinful condition now, and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who, in infinite love and grace, bore the burden of your guilt and condemnation at Calvary. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31).

Article printed from Berean Bible Society: https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org

Worry from Stream in the Desert

Do not begin to be anxious (Philippians 4:6, PBV).

Not a few Christians live in a state of unbroken anxiety, and others fret and fume terribly. To be perfectly at peace amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. What is the use of worrying? It never made anybody strong; never helped anybody to do God's will; never made a way of escape for anyone out of perplexity. Worry spoils lives which would otherwise be useful and beautiful. Restlessness, anxiety, and care are absolutely forbidden by our Lord, who said: "Take no thought," that is, no anxious thought, "saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?" He does not mean that we are not to take forethought and that our life is to be without plan or method; but that we are not to worry about these things.

People know you live in the realm of anxious care by the lines on your face, the tones of your voice, the minor key in your life, and the lack of joy in your spirit. Scale the heights of a life abandoned to God, then you will look down on the clouds beneath your feet.   --Rev. Darlow Sargeant

It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mistrusting. Can we gain anything by it? Do we not unfit ourselves for action, and unhinge our minds for wise decision? We are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith.

Oh, for grace to be quiet! Oh, to be still and know that Jehovah is God! The Holy One of Israel must defend and deliver His own. We may be sure that every word of His will stand, though the mountains should depart. He deserves to be confided in. Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus. --Selected

Peace thy inmost soul shall fill
Lying still!

Our Incomparable Companion

by Dr. Charles Stanley

John 14:16-18

Most of us don’t like being alone for extended periods of time. In fact, we are not designed to live in isolation. Even at the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). But sometimes situations in life leave us separated from others. Or perhaps we simply feel lonely, even though we live with our mate or family. But whatever your situation may be, if you are a believer, you’re never alone.

Knowing His followers could feel abandoned after His crucifixion and ascension, Jesus promised to send them a Helper who would never leave them--the Spirit of truth. The same One who came to them at Pentecost still abides within every believer. He has been sent to walk alongside us as our comforter, enabler, and guide.

The Holy Spirit, unlike human companions, is perfectly adequate to meet our every need. Since He knows us intimately, He can comfort us in pain and loss when no one else can. Anytime we find ourselves in a quandary, He knows exactly what we ought to do. Since the future is laid bare before His eyes, He’s aware of all the details that concern us. What’s more, He promises to guide us each step of the way, calming our fears and overcoming our inadequacies.

Because we were created for God, only through His Spirit are we made complete. He is the ultimate solution to man’s aloneness: He’s always available and will never forsake or forget you. When others let you down, the Comforter is present to lift you up with the reminder that you’re not alone.

Gideon's Staff

by Os Hillman

"With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread" (Judg 6:21).
Gideon was a farmer who threshed wheat for a living using a staff. This was commonly used in his day to beat out fitches and cummin (Isa 28:27), but now it was being used for wheat.

He was busy doing his work when an angel of God appeared to him. The angel told him that he was going to be used to deliver the people of Israel from the Midianites who had been ravaging their land and crops for seven years. God was calling Gideon to do a new type of threshing. Instead of threshing wheat, he was being called to thresh the Midianites.

God often calls men and women when they are in the middle of their workplace activities. Like Moses, Gideon received this word from God with reluctance and feelings of insecurity, citing that his family was of no stature to accomplish such a task. Nevertheless, God addressed Gideon as a "mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12).

God often sees us for what we will become, not what we think we are. Once Gideon determines through a series of fleeces that it truly is God speaking to him he does an interesting thing. He prepares an offering to the Lord of meat and bread. Once this offering is prepared, the angel uses the tip of his staff to consume the offering. Here God uses another symbol of his work to consummate a partnership to accomplish one of God's purposes in the nation of Israel. This time the staff is used to receive the offering presented to the Lord by touching the offering with the tip of his staff. God used the symbol of his work to ignite the fire that consumed the offering.

Be watchful for times when God orchestrates events during the commonplace activity of work. He may be orchestrating something through you for His purposes.

Divine Appointments

by Os Hillman

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16

"Os is now taking over this division. He will be managing all of these activities from now on. You should know that he has a different management philosophy than what you may have experienced before. He has a biblical management philosophy. Os, would you like to explain what they could expect from you in this regard?"

These were the words spoken to me by a non-Christian CEO recently when he decided to increase my responsibilities in the company. We had never spoken of spiritual issues before.

Each business day, you and I will have the opportunity to stand before presidents, marketing directors, secretaries or other coworkers to create a defining moment. When that happens, there is a good chance you will be thought of as someone to avoid. You might be considered "religious" or "fanatical." If so, consider this a great compliment because it says you are standing apart from the crowd.
"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:17-20).

You may never be flogged for your faith. However, you may very well be brought before others to give account for what you believe. It may be at a water cooler, or it could be during lunch with a coworker. In whatever situation you find yourself, the Holy Spirit awaits the opportunity to speak through your life to that person who needs to hear. Ask the Lord whom He wants to speak to today through your life.

Stephen: A Marketplace Minister

by Os Hillman


"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people (Acts 6:8-9).

In the beginnings of the early church, the disciples were seeing God move in mighty ways. The disciples found themselves preaching the word of God all over the region. However, there became practical needs that arose among the people that the disciples were tending to. However, due to their preaching, these needs were not being met adequately. One of these needs involved food distribution to widows. There became an issue as to whether the needs of all the widows were being cared for. This brought pressure upon the disciples who felt their primary focus must be to preach the gospel. They now realized they could not do both adequately. This led them to appoint seven men whose lives qualified for service as leaders to serve these needs.

The first man named to fill this responsibility was Stephen, described as a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost; with a strong faith in Christ. He was full of courage, gifts and graces. He was an extraordinary man, and excelled in every thing that was good; his name signified a crown.

This was a time when the church began mobilizing other marketplace believers for ministry in the community. Stephen was the first chosen and interestingly, became the first martyred believer. One of the most interesting things one can notice when the disciples took this action is described in these passages. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). It is as though the Lord took the cap off and everything started happening. Even a large number of priests came into the faith.

Take an inventory of your life today and determine if someone could describe your life as a person "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, and one who does great wonders and miraculous things." If not, begin asking God today to accomplish this in your life.

If the Lord Wills

by Patrice Tsague


"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord Wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" — James 4:15
What if you were about to invest in a business and you asked for the presentation of a business plan, and that presentation began with "if the Lord's Will, we will do such and such…"?

Unfortunately, many of us have reservations and doubts when the Will of God is mentioned in business. We will occasionally interpret the presenter as uncertain about the future and consequently see their use of God as a cop-out.  Yet, this is the very approach that James suggests we use in planning our business. 

In James 4:13-16, James contrasts between the world's approach to planning and the kingdom approach.  James suggests that the world's approach has the following characteristics:

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.'" James 4:13

Certainty of the future
Prideful
Self-centered

While the kingdom approach should have the following characteristics:
"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord Wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" James 4:15

Recognize our limitations
Humility
Centered on God's will

What does "if the Lord Wills" mean?  It means "should God permit or allow."  It is recognizing that no matter what my plans are, they are subject to God's ultimate purpose.  It suggests that we are seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and, as stated in the Lord's prayer, we are inviting God's Will into the situation (Matthew 6:10).

What are your plans for this year?  Have you considered God's Will for your life and your business?  God's Will protects you, provides for you and keeps you safe.  No matter your circumstances or the economy, the safest place to be is in the Will of God.  In the Will of God, there is provision, protection and safety.  In the Will of God, we find peace in the midst of turmoil. In the Will of God, we find safety in midst of uncertainty. In the Will of God, we find favor.  But, how do you find the Will of God?  Use the following guidelines in finding the Will of God:
Prayer and fasting
Study His Word and look for guidelines and patterns
Reflect on your past experience with God as a guide to where He is taking you
Seek the council of others you trust and those who are God-fearing
Make sure you have peace about the direction

God's Will is easy to find when we are willing to lay down our personal agendas. But unfortunately, it is hard to execute, because it requires personal sacrifice.  God's Will usually moves us toward the direction of the least comfortable situation and yet the most spiritual and natural impact in the lives of others.  God's Will is trading our agenda for His agenda.  If the Lord Wills, what will you do for the rest of the year?

My prayer for you this week is that you will seek God's Will for your life and business and have the courage to pursue it.

The End Of The World

• Received 05/09/13 at 12:14 AM

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

There has been a great deal of discussion lately about some Hindu astrologers who have predicted that this world will come to an end this February. The fact is that some sincere Christians fear that these prophets might be right, since our Lord did speak several times about the coming “end of the world.”

These Hindu astrologers, however, are wrong. This February will not see the end of the world, for according to the Bible the world, or earth, will never come to an end. The word “world,” which our Lord uses in this connection, does not refer to the earth, or even the people on it. It is the old Greek word aion, or age. Several ages in God’s program have already come to an end, and others will, but no matter what destructive weapons man may devise, the earth will never be destroyed. In Isaiah 45:18 we read:

“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens: God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it; He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else.”

But doesn’t Rev. 21:1 predict “a new heaven and a new earth”? Yes, but the context clearly indicates that this refers to the future renewing of the present heaven and earth, not the creating of different ones. Verse 5 says:

“He that sat upon the throne: said, Behold I make all things new.”

Note: He didn’t say “I make all new things,” but “I make all things new.” There is a difference.

We should not be concerned about the end of the world, but rather about the end of this present age in which we live under “the dispensation of the grace of God,” for God has never promised how long this will last. Every hour He delays the return of Christ to recall His ambassadors, is an hour of wonderful grace, in which men may be saved by grace, through faith in Christ who died for our sins. This is why Paul urges us:

“We then, as workers together with [Christ], beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain…. Behold, now is the accepted time; Behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:1,2).

SALVATION FROM START TO FINISH

By HAROLD STEINBRON

Scripture Reading: II Timothy 1:9-12

"Before the World began"; that's how long ago God scheduled my life, salvation, and place in His glorious presence. Sometimes I'd worry and fret about whether I was going to make it through to next weeks pay-day! As I look back now over many years, to that concern about lasting until pay-day, I wonder, did I really believe God had known me before He made the world! I think not! It was a theory with me, I knew the Bible stated it, but it had not been reckoned SO by me. Unbelief must be a very serious insult to the One who planned by existence long before my parents were born! My God was too small! 

The person who truly lays hold of the Eternal God and truly believes what these verses teach will truly thank God even when everything that could go wrong does; and at the worst possible time---and then the bottom falls out! The peace of God that only the God of peace can bestow will bring an inner calm and freedom from turmoil that will be apparent to those about us.

Verse 12 mentions suffering "these things". One would assume that God's choice servant who wrote half our New Testament would live a trouble-
free, leisurely life. Not So! "My Grace is sufficient for thee", was God's answer to Paul's request for relief from a grievous thorn in the flesh. God is apparently wanting to inform us that since He has planned our Life and eternity from start to finish, we must not shrink from hardship, bodily suffering, or rejection by our fellow man. The holy calling is not unto ease, but unto faithfulness unto Him who called us.

REPENTANCE AND GRACE

by C. R. Stam



When the sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit of the seriousness of sin and of judgment to come, and cries to the Lord to save him, he has, of course, repented, or changed his mind, as the Greek word signifies. Many of God’s servants, however, considering only the fact that sinners need such a change of mind, conclude that the way to produce the greatest results in their ministry is to stress repentance.

Such should take note of the response to the three great calls to repentance by which the dispensation of the Law was brought to a close: John the Baptist called Israel to repentance but was beheaded as a result (Matt.3:1-12; 14:3-10). The Lord Jesus took up the cry where John had left off (4:17), but was crucified for it. After the resurrection He sent His disciples to preach “repentance and remission of sin…in His name” (Luke 24:47) but Jerusalem refused to repent and it was not long before blood again flowed, as Stephen was stoned to death and a great persecution followed (Acts 8:3).

The guilt of Israel’s impenitence increased too, as the call to repentance was intensified, for while John’s murder was permitted by the people, Christ’s was demanded by them, and Stephen’s was actually committed by them. Thus the so-called “Great Commission” was bogged down at the very start, for if Jerusalem and the covenant people refused to repent, what hope was there that the “nations” (Luke 24:47) would do so?

“But where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom.5:20,21).

After calls to repentance had failed, the ascended Lord stooped down to save Saul, the chief of sinners, on the road to Damascus, in anything but a repentant mood. Not by threatening or dealing with him in judgment, but by speaking to him in the tenderest tones He showed him the glory of His grace. This “trophy of grace” was then sent forth to proclaim “the gospel of grace”, and the merits of his crucified, glorified Lord.

This is why repentance was emphasized, indeed was the theme of God’s message, from John until Paul, while grace, proclaimed through the cross and received by faith, gradually displaced it as the theme of God’s message for “this present evil age” (Acts 20:24).

Blind Man

John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

 

I am so glad that day Jesus passed my way. I really was blind and could not see spiritual things. I had observed the natural world and many things in it, but, I was still blind. I did not see why Jesus died for the sin of the world. I did not see Jesus rising from the dead in a physical body, and finally, I did not see how Jesus and GOD the Father and the Holy Ghost could be one GOD of all.

Since Jesus saved me more than forty two years ago I now can see, not very good, and not very clear, but this one thing I do know; Jesus loves me. Jesus saved and keeps me.

NOW, if you dispute that salvation by grace, Please tell me what happened to me!!!

Christian friends, don’t try to argue with nonbelievers. Just tell them about your own personal salvation experience and let them try to explain that. Always give Jesus the honor and glory for everything and HE lift you up.

If you are saved, tell it.

 

God Bless;

Walter D. Hill D. Min.

THE GROUND OF FAITH

By JOHN McKAY, Pastor
 
Scripture Reading: Romans 10:17

Some think faith is a "blind leap in the dark" or believing something that is irrational. While Christians must admit that there are many things in faith and in science that can't be proven, the foundation of our faith is firm. It is based upon the written revelation of the Almighty God Who cannot lie.

Please notice that far from being a leap in the dark, our faith originates as the work of God. "This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on Him Whom He hath sent" (John 6:29). Our faith is "the faith of the operation of God" (Colossians 2:12). Human faith that originates in humans and terminates in human ideas of God the Father and the Son, will prove itself to be "vain" faith. Read I Corinthians 15:1-4. Perhaps more enslaving---although with the same outcome---is the satanic and demonic faith that brings another Jesus, another gospel, false apostles, angels of light, and ministers of righteousness to modern religious movements (II Corinthians 11:1-15). Many of these people have faith in faith itself and promote the kind of unhealthy super naturalism from below that produces signs and miracles which are inferior imitations of those produced for Israel's benefit by the Lord's true representatives (Acts 4:13-16, I Corinthians 13:8-10 and 14:22).

Our faith is not in faith. Our faith comes from the Lord and rests solidly upon the foundation of the Holy Bible. " .. .faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).

The beginning of our faith and the finishing of our faith has the Word of God as its foundation and the Lord Jesus as its worthy and glorious Crown.

Halloween Come Early

by Dr. James Emery White

I confess I have a love for horror movies, particularly the classics, such as Dracula, the Wolfman or The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Much of the horror on display reveals the fantastical side of men of science playing with God’s creation of human beings. The most famous was Frankenstein, where the attempt to reanimate dead tissue into human life is front and center. Perhaps more blatant was H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau, where human-like hybrid beings were created from animals, courtesy of vivisection.

But while these on-screen thrillers might be considered plots of horror, it seems that when brought off the screen into everyday life, we no longer find similar notions quite so horrendous.

Just last month it was revealed that the National Institute of Health (NIH) plans to lift the ban on research funds for part-human, part-animal embryos.

No, you didn’t misread that.

The federal government plans to lift a moratorium on the funding of certain controversial experiments that use human stem cells to create animal embryos that are partly human.

As a National Public Radio report noted, the moratorium had been in place for “ethical” reasons. Namely, “that scientists might inadvertently create animals that have partly human brains, endowing them with some semblance of human consciousness or human thinking abilities. Another is that they could develop into animals with human sperm and eggs and breed, producing human embryos or fetuses inside animals or hybrid creatures.”

But all this was pushed aside for a reason so commonly produced that you would think it was the ultimate ethic: “The embryos provide invaluable tools for medical research.”

Then, just over a week ago, it was announced that a Swedish scientist is seeking to edit the DNA of healthy human embryos.

This, too, has long been considered taboo because of “ethical” concerns; namely, attempting to use genetically modified embryos to make babies, which could accidently introduce an error into the human gene pool. It could also open the door to so-called “designer babies” whose traits parents would be able to choose.

Think the movie Gattaca.

And again, it is being advocated in the name of treating various diseases.

I’m genuinely surprised this aspect of bioethics is being met with such a yawning silence by the Christian community. This is not about somatic cell therapy, which is when you do something to an individual body that stops with that person and that person alone. When used to apply medical healing to an individual, somatic cell therapy holds great promise.

This is germ-line therapy, which is radically different. Germ-line therapy is when you actually change the human stock. It plays with the very nature of our creation, impacting generations. It’s the changing of the human makeup, and it cannot be undone.

This kind of genetic work is not simply frightening, but totally at odds with the Bible.

It’s we-made vs. God-made.

It’s manufacturing vs. Creation.

It’s trying to make ourselves in our own image vs. being made in His image.

And it opens the door to nightmarish possibilities that are the stuff of horror films.

Like part-human, part-animal embryos.

Or the creation of a super race of people who can afford the best genetic enhancements over and against those who cannot.

Oh, sorry.

Those aren’t horror films.

Those are the latest news headlines.

James Emery White

"Our Father..."

by Ann Spangler

Over the years, I have engaged in various methods of prayer—Scripture meditation, silent contemplation, thanksgiving, intercessory prayer, and liturgical prayer—and while I’ve been enriched by each, my favorite way of praying continues to be praying the Lord’s Prayer. Far from becoming rote, praying the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples has become deeper with each repetition.
In his book Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey tells of meeting a young Latvian woman after the fall of the Soviet Union. Knowing she had grown up under communism, he asked how she had come to faith. Had Christians in her family, perhaps an elderly grandmother, or members of an underground church, influenced her? The answer was an unqualified no. Everyone in her family had been atheists. How then had she come to know Christ? Here’s what she told him:

“At funerals we were allowed to recite the Lord’s Prayer. As a young child I heard those strange words and had no idea who we were talking to, what the words meant, where they came from or why we were reciting them. When freedom came at last, I had the opportunity to search for their meaning. When you are in total darkness, the tiniest point of light is very bright. For me the Lord’s Prayer was that point of light. By the time I found its meaning I was a Christian.”1

Perhaps you have prayed this prayer for many years or only rarely. Whatever your experience, I would encourage you to. From this small act of prayer, a tiny point of light will shine and spread, and the Father, who knows all secrets, will bless you with the peace that comes from belonging completely to him.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

***

1. Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008), 91.

Life Can Be Tough

JOHN 16:33 ICB 33 "I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"
Jesus never promised us that everything would be perfect here on earth. He recognized that we would encounter trouble. But His instructions were to be of good cheer -- not to let it get us down.
As we encounter difficulties in life, it will help us to remember the big picture. First, God is our Father and has a wonderful eternal plan for us. We are His children and He loves us. Second, this time is but a training period for our future life with God. We are supposed to be learning to trust God and to obey Him.
So, every problem we ever face is an opportunity to walk in faith and please God. Every problem is an opportunity to overcome with God's help. How can we expect to receive the blessings promised to the overcomer if we never have anything to overcome?
What is the answer when we seem overwhelmed with trouble? Look to Jesus. He has already won the victory. He has overcome and defeated the world. In Him is victory.
You may ask how you can look to Jesus. It is mostly a matter of focus -- what you choose to think on. What God says in His Word will set you free and give you peace. What the circumstances say is not the final word.
So, go to God's Word. Cling to the promises. Speak them. Sing them. Shout them. Rejoice over them. And thank God for them.
Also, you need to develop a closer relationship with the Lord. That is His desire and it should be yours. All relationships are based on communication, so you must talk to the Lord to deepen your relationship with Him. Develop the habit of talking with Him about everything. You can speak freely to Him -- after all He knows what you are thinking anyway.
SAY THIS: No matter what I face, the Lord is with me, and I can overcome because Jesus already won the victory.

They Laughed Jesus To Scorn

MATTHEW 9:24 KJV 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Do others think you are crazy for being a follower of Jesus? Do they think you are too extreme for believing the Bible literally? Well, don't feel lonely. Jesus faced the same type of problems. As we see in Matthew 9:24, sometimes people derided Jesus. They did not just laugh at Him -- they laughed Him to scorn. They made a big deal out of it.
It is the same today. When we believe what Jesus said, there may be times when others think we are crazy. They may laugh at us. They may even mock us for believing God's Word. That is nothing new. But why should you let it affect you?
Often we are too concerned about what other people think. After all, they are not our Judge. Nor are they our Provider. But God is, and we should care what He thinks. That was the stance that Jesus took.
We must remember that we are not in a popularity contest. Yes, to some people the message we have to share will be received with gladness and thankfulness. I am sure the parents of the girl Jesus raised from the dead -- after He was laughed to scorn -- were glad. But to others we are often not understood.
That really is the root of the problem. People are in darkness. They do not understand what is really happening. They don't understand there is a spiritual side of life. They do not understand that the words we speak are important and carry authority. They do not understand that with faith in God, nothing is impossible. And people generally mistrust what they do not understand.
So we must walk in love and be patient with people, knowing that they are in darkness -- but someday they will see the light. If we continue to walk in the light ourselves, we can be the means of God's light beginning to shine into their lives and bring understanding.
SAY THIS: I choose to believe the Word of God regardless of what other people think. I am a believer, not a doubter.

God Has Already Forgiven You

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 AMPLIFIED 19 It was God (personally present) in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them]; and committing to us the message of reconciliation -- of the restoration to favor.
A popular idea is that God is really mad at people and can hardly wait to punish them for their sins.
The truth is that God has already forgiven people. Now you must accept His forgiveness to enjoy a restored relationship with Him.
What a shame it is that people are estranged from God and go without His help and blessing -- simply because they think God is against them and would have nothing to do with them.
1 JOHN 2:12 NKJ 12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
No matter what you have done -- God has already forgiven you! More than forgiven -- you are loved!
Forgiving you was God's idea -- you do not have to convince Him. You must believe God forgave you and thank Him.
Jesus Christ already paid the price for all your sins -- and God is no longer holding any sin against you! You have been forgiven.
SAY THIS: Thank You Father God for forgiving me! Thank You Jesus!

Are Christians Punished For Their Sins???

by Richard Spurlock

Too often I hear people say, "satan is trying to do this or satan did that"... I have even heard Christians say, "satan is trying to kill me!!", "satan made me sick"... PEOPLE, satan does not have that kind of power UNLESS GOD Allows It to Happen... satan's powers are limited to his lying to us, his tempting us, his misleading us, his distracting us and his turning others against us...

Look at the life of Job... Only when GOD gave satan to go ahead did bad things start to happen is Job's Life...

How often we give satan credit for things that go wrong and giving satan poweres that he does not have... In Matthew 5:45 JESUS said, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust". In other words, Good things happen to GOD's Children and LOST PEOPLE of the World and BAD Things both to Good and Bad People...

I have been Blessed on days that I am not proud of and Disaster has fallen on my most perfect days as a Christian...

I find it hard to believe that GOD would punish HIS Children every time they did something wrong, and more so when they refuse to repent of their sins... HE may however make you wait for a blessing or two... And yet, Christians will testify that GOD is punishing them for their wrong doings or Others will ask, "What did you do wrong?", "Why are you being punished?"...

WHY Do You Even Listen To satan??? satan can only do to you what YOU Allow him to do... Without YOUR Participation, satan is POWERLESS!!!

GOD Punishment for sin - like during to Old Testament Days... I would imagine that few of us could even handle it...

GOD Punishment will come soon enough for the unjust, the unsaved, when it is too late to do anything about it...

As for the Children of GOD, JESUS PAID THE PRICE... Nuff Said...

God Loves You

ROMANS 8:39 NLT 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below -- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You may find it difficult to believe -- but it's true -- God loves you. His love for you is not based on your appearance or your performance -- but on the fact that you are His creation -- His child.
Just as a good parent loves their children, so God loves His children -- and even more so. You will not be able to make God stop loving you, no matter what you do or don't do. You can displease Him, you can disappoint Him, you can anger Him -- but you can't make Him stop loving you.
What are the practical consequences of God loving you? First, it means you can trust Him. No one who truly loves you will mistreat you. Second, it means God is doing all He can to help you and bless you.
"Then why am I not more blessed, if God wants to bless me?" Because you must cooperate with God to receive His blessing. That is why we need continuing instruction from the Bible -- so we can know how to receive all that God has for us.
The promise of Jesus is that if we continue in His Word it will reveal the truth to us and make us free. That is the blessing which God has provided for you through Christ because He loves you: true freedom! Freedom from fear, freedom from confusion, freedom from lack, freedom from sickness, freedom from strife, freedom from sin.
SAY THIS: God loves me and desires the very best for me. That is why He gave me His Word, so I could know the truth and be free.

What Does God Want From Me?

HEBREWS 11:6 NKJ 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You may be working yourself to a frazzle trying to be perfect so you can please God.
You may have tried so hard and become so frustrated that you are about ready to give up. Well, maybe you should quit trying to be perfect on your own -- because none of us will ever be perfect through our own efforts, anyway.
God knows you are human. He does not expect perfection out of you. If you were perfect you would not even need a Saviour.
God loves you and accepts you because He made you. And He is able to make you into what He desires for you to be -- if you will trust Him and allow Him to work in you.
God wants you to trust Him. He wants your love and respect. He has certainly earned it and deserves it. Don't let the devil keep you from giving to God what He really desires: your love and faith.
What does God desire from you? Not perfect performance -- but total trust. God wants you to believe that He is good -- a rewarder!
SAY THIS: I trust You Lord God. Thank You for loving me. I will rest in your love, instead of worrying about my performance. Work your will in me.