Watchman Nee - Biograghy

Biography

Watchman Nee (1903–1972) is remembered for his leadership of an indigenous church movement in China, as well as for his books, which continue to enrich Christians throughout the world. Beginning in the 1930s, Nee helped establish local churches in China that were independent of foreign missionary organizations and were used to bring many into the Kingdom of God. From these roots sprang many of the house churches that continued to meet after Western missionaries were forced to leave the country during the Cultural Revolution. Arrested in 1952 and found guilty of a large number of false charges, Watchman Nee was imprisoned until his death in 1972.

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Monday, December 28, 2009

The Normal Christian Life - Watchman Nee :Biograghy

Biography

Watchman Nee (1903–1972) is remembered for his leadership of an indigenous church movement in China, as well as for his books, which continue to enrich Christians throughout the world. Beginning in the 1930s, Nee helped establish local churches in China that were independent of foreign missionary organizations and were used to bring many into the Kingdom of God. From these roots sprang many of the house churches that continued to meet after Western missionaries were forced to leave the country during the Cultural Revolution. Arrested in 1952 and found guilty of a large number of false… Read more Watchman Nee (1903–1972) is remembered for his leadership of an indigenous church movement in China, as well as for his books, which continue to enrich Christians throughout the world. Beginning in the 1930s, Nee helped establish local churches in China that were independent of foreign missionary organizations and were used to bring many into the Kingdom of God. From these roots sprang many of the house churches that continued to meet after Western missionaries were forced to leave the country during the Cultural Revolution. Arrested in 1952 and found guilty of a large number of false charges, Watchman Nee was imprisoned until his death in 1972.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Get The 7 Keys To Improving Your Life Every Day
by: Jinger Jarrett

To say that this book is about improving your life every day is an
understatement. This book will show you how to revolutionize your life
in such a way that it will change your life into the life of your
dreams.

You are going to discover how to live a life that works. A life of
peace, joy, happiness, and abundance in every area of your life.

I'll be the first to say that I am a huge fan of Joel Osteen. His
first book, "Your Best Life Now" is a book that I have been deeply
influenced by. However, as good as "Your Best Life Now" is,
(definitely 5 stars), "Become a Better You" is even better.

Because he seems like such a happy positive person, it's hard to
believe that Joel Osteen has ever had any problems. It's also hard to
believe that he would understand what it's like to come from the
bottom and overcome some of the worst problems a person could have but
he does.

Osteen offers seven keys to improving your life:

1. Keep pressing forward (This means to never quit)
2. Be positive toward yourself
3. Develop better relationships
4. Form better habits
5. Embrace the place where you are
6. Develop your inner life
7. Stay passionate about life

One of the things I liked best about this book is that at the end of
each section he offers a set of action points. These action points
cover the main points of the entire section. I found that studying
these every day helped me make a lot of progress much more quickly
than if I hadn't.

Another thing I liked about this book is that it has 31 chapters. This
makes it a good choice to also use as a daily reading to help you
further study the material. I've read the book several times this way,
and it made it much easier to apply the information. There's just so
much good stuff in this book that will help you. You can't read it
just one time. It's a book you will want to read over and over.

Two things I was absolutely sure of after I read this book is this:
First, God really loves me. He loves all of us, and He really wants to
bless us. This means that all of the hell fire and brimstone taught in
church is an injustice done to those of us who truly believe. God
wants to connect with us, not hurt us.

The second thing is that Joel Osteen truly understands people, and he
is committed to helping others achieve the life God has in store for
us. I didn't find his teaching to be shallow at all, and it's
definitely not the "I'm good, you're good, God is good" type of
teaching he has been accused of.

The teaching in this book is completely biblical, and even better, it
will change your life. If you want a life that's even better than you
can imagine, you definitely want this book.

About The Author

Like this review? Then visit my Christian blog for more tips,
strategies, and free resources to help you live a victorious Christian
life. Get your free ebook copy of the Science of Getting Rich at 101
Christian and learn how to live the abundant life.

The author invites you to visit: http://blog.101christian.com

Church Sermons- 3 Effortless Research Tips
by: Monique Edwards

Sermons have the ability to change lives. For those people that hear
your message at the right time and place, it can literally change the
course of their very decision making. So how do you construct a
sermon? It can be quite an overwhelming job, especially if you've
never written one before. Where do you begin? What are you going to
talk about? What passages of scripture do you use? How do you tie
everything up in a neat little bow? Can you even do that? After all, a
lot of scripture is open to interpretation. Well, if you're wracking
your brain trying to write that sermon, these 3 effortless sermon
research tips should help.

At the top of the list of things to do is to make sure that you have a
main passage of scripture that you want to preach off of. A lot of
times, this will lock you into a subject. For example, if you're
preaching on Daniel in the lion's den, you're not going to stray and
start talking about the transfiguration of Jesus. Having specific
bible scripture in mind will make the sermon itself go a lot smoother
and even, in some cases, write itself. You will be surprised how
quickly research will flow when you have a topic and start connecting
chapter and verse as you research.

Another thing you want to do is start the sermon off with a related
personal story. Try to make it a humorous one if you can. The reason
for this is because you don't want the congregation falling asleep on
you. If you dive right into the theological stuff right off the bat,
you're going to lose a lot of your congregation before you even reach
the second paragraph. Adding the human element will greatly help in
keeping the parishioners interested. If you want to see an example of
this, watch Joel Olsteen on Christian television. He starts off each
message with a joke and gets his congregation to laugh. I think this
also gives him a down to earth character and his people view him as
being at their level, and they in turn can relate to him and receive
the message he is giving.

Finally, you want to keep your sermon brief. A clever minister used to
say, if you can't get your point across in less than 10 minutes, then
it wasn't worth getting across in the first place. One way to keep
your sermon brief is to make a list of bullet points that you want to
cover in the sermon itself. Try to keep them to 3 or 4 points in
total. If you limit each one to about 3 minutes talking time, you
should have no problem keeping your sermon to around 10 minutes. Some
church denominations are accustomed to longer messages, and if you are
a pastor from those denominations, you already know who you are. It
should be prudent to note that the attention span for an adult is
between 20-25 minutes so after this point, even with longer messages,
your members have reached their maximum capacity to absorb your
message.

There are other things you can do to improve your sermon, but we'll
cover those in future articles. In the meantime, if you follow the
tips I've outlined above, getting a main passage of scripture,
starting off with a personal story, and keeping the sermon to about 10
minutes, you will find that your sermon will go over a lot better with
the congregation and they won't end up falling asleep on you or
leaving service early.

About The Author

It is my hope that this article will help you put your church sermon
together with ease and make the act of writing a sermon more
enjoyable.

How To Enhance Your Quiet Time
by: Sam Renauro

You can't serve a God you don't know! A Christian friend of mine once
said, "Unless you spend time in the Word of God and prayer, you are
defeated already."

Set aside a time each day to spend with the Lord.

Some of you may feel like you don't want to read the Bible and pray at
all. Maybe you feel like you can't. It's okay. Start where you are.
Ask Our Lord for His help. He knows where you are in your walk with
Him and cares about your struggles.

Just spend a few moments in the morning and a few moments in the
evening with Him. Begin with just 5 minutes with Him and build from
there. Set the amount of time that works for you and build up more
time from there.

It doesn't take long to read and ponder a few verses. Try to see what
the verse is saying. Then pray about your day. Just talk to God. Be
very earnest. Tell Him how you truly feel and what your desires and
needs are. Ask Him to reveal Himself.

Many dedicated, Spirit-filled Christians get up one to two hours prior
to starting their day and have a quiet time with Him. Two hours may be
too long for you and that's okay. Whatever time you decide on, try to
keep it daily.

Personally I find the morning works best for me. After my day begins,
there are too many distractions for me to concentrate. I find it
harder to think and ponder the things of the Lord later in the day.
What is the best time for you? If evening or mid-day is better for
you, make that your main time with the Lord.

 Study the Bible. Always see what He is saying to you in every verse.
Start a life journal and spiritual notebook; write down what the Lord
says to you and what you learn and feel. I encourage you to underline
verses that really are important to you and add notes in your Bible.

Pray and ask God to open your mind to the scriptures. Then he opened
their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45)

●If you don't know where to begin; start reading the book of John in
the New Testament.

●When you come across a verse that is speaking to you, write it down
on a 3x5 index card and meditate on it throughout your day. See the
section the One Minute Christian for more on this.

●After you have finished reading and studying, go back and ponder the
verses you have underlined or written down for that day.

●Listen for Him to speak to you. Be open to His voice. Keep your
journal ready to enter things that He tells you in the Spiritual Notes
section. As He speaks, write it down.

●As you have your time with the Lord, something may come to mind that
you have to do today or something you don't want to forget. Write it
down, so you remember and then get back to your time with Him.
Remember, there will be distractions, but God will reward your quiet
time you spend with Him.

 Reading the Bible will renew your mind: Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. (Rm. 12:1)

Spend a consistent time with Our Lord each day reading His Word.

You will see that the more you read, the clearer it becomes. All the
precious promises will be real; lessons will be learned.

Reading God's Word and listening to Him will be a very important part
of your time with Him.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight. (Phil. 1:9)

We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with
the knowledge of His will…growing in the knowledge of Him. (Col. 1:9)

Put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the
image of its Creator. (Col. 3:10)

The Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Ps. 119:105)

 Pray. God is near us whenever we pray to Him! (Deut. 4 7) Prayer is
just talking with God.

On the pages that follow on prayer and the Prayer Journal there is a
place to record prayer requests in many different categories.

Pray them every day.

Record the answers to prayers also. Then, every few weeks go over your
past requests and see how the Lord has worked and answered. It is a
great time to praise Him for all He has done in your life!

Communication gives you a chance to speak to God, and a chance for him
to speak to you. Remember, prayer is just talking to and with the
Lord. God spoke to Moses as a friend. The Lord would speak to Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to a friend. (Ex. 33:11) If you spend
time each day reading His Word and praying to the King of Kings, He
will speak to you and you will hear Him.

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I
know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27)

●Just be still, very still and just listen for God to speak to you…and
He will. "Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

●Try to have a time during the day when you just read the Word. Just
absorb by reading. See the section in this book on "Reading Your Bible
Through." Some days one or two verses will really "speak to your
heart." Other days, you may want to read a chapter or more. Do what
works for you.

●When you can, read a complete book of the Bible in one sitting. This
will help you understand the context and continuity of the writing.

●If your main quiet time is in the morning, just before bed, pick any
verse that has meaning to you and meditate on it. Ponder it. Go to
sleep with it on your mind.

●Carry a New Testament with you. Carry this book with you also, it has
the complete book of Ephesians toward the back. You never know when
you will free time and can read a few verses or study one of the
chapters in this book. When the Lord tells your something write it in
the journal at the end of this book.

●Mark your Bible, underline and write in the margins. Put the date and
your comments next to verses. A fine line ballpoint pen or a Bible
highlighter works well.

●Use a concordance, word-study books, commentaries, a Bible dictionary
and online Biblical helps. (Many are listed in this manual.)

…And most importantly, apply what you learn.

Eighty-six year old Dr. Billy Graham was asked, "If you had your life
to live all over again, would you do anything differently?"

He immediately responded with (and I quote): "Yes, I would study more
and read the Bible more and pray more.

From the book: Forty Days to Freedom
http://www.byhisside.com
by Sam Renauro
Copyright 2007 All rights reserved

About The Author

Sam Renauro is an author in Vineland, NJ Writer of Forty Days to
Freedom and Empowering Your Tomorrow, Today! Visit
http://www.byhisside.com for more information.

Is American mentioned in the Prophecy ?

On November 4, 2008, the world was glued to the U.S. election results.
"Today America elects 'The President of the World,'" read the daily
issue of Al Chourouk, a Tunisian Arabic paper. "We [are] witnessing an
election that might as well be all ours," wrote Koh Lay Chin of the
Malaysian New Straits Time.

And as the results rolled in guaranteeing the election to Barack
Obama, citizens of the world cheered. Africans, rejoiced in the
streets, Brazilians threw beach parties, and Australians celebrated in
posh ballrooms.

"He is the first truly global U.S. president the world has ever had,"
said Pracha Kanjananont, a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbuck's in
Bangkok. "I really think this [election] is going to change the
world," gushed Akihiko Mukohama, 34, the lead singer of a band that
traveled to Obama, Japan, to perform—wearing an "I Love Obama"
T-shirt—at a promotional event for the president-elect.1

"At a time when we must face huge challenges together, your election
has raised enormous hope in France, in Europe and beyond," said French
President, Nicolas Sarkozy in a congratulatory letter to Obama.

"Believers are praying that God will enlighten him and help him in his
great responsibility, which is enormous because of the global
importance of the United States..." wrote the Reverend, Federico
Lombardi, Pope Benedict's Spokesman.

The Mysterious Beast

The world understands that the politics, elections, trends, and
economy of the United States influences every other nation on the
planet. It is the world's sole superpower with no close rivals.
Despite America's status, many contemporary Bible commentators insist
that the United States is not mentioned in Bible prophecy. They see
the U.S. fading into oblivion under a supposedly future New World
Order dominated by the United Nations. In this article I want to give
you something different to think about. I want to suggest the
possibility that America is the exact power specifically mentioned in
the following mysterious verse:

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two
horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon." Revelation 13:11.

Allow me to build my case. First, what is a "beast"? Answer: A great
nation. The proof is in Daniel 7–a chapter that clearly parallels
Revelation 13. Both chapters talk about beasts, ten horns, a mouth
speaking great things, and war on the saints. See Daniel 7:3-8, 21 and
Revelation 13:1-7.

Daniel 7 describes four beasts: the lion, bear, leopard and
dragon-like beast. An angelic interpreter confirmed:

"The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth." Daniel 7:23.

So we can nail this down: According to Scripture, a beast isn't a
computer or super-evil person, but a kingdom. That's what the angel
said. Historically, ninety-eight percent of Christian scholars have
interpreted Daniel's four beasts to represent the ancient nations of
Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Back to Revelation 13:11: "I saw another beast coming out of the earth."

Thus John saw a great nation rising. From where? "Out of the earth."
Daniel's beasts all rose from the sea. See Daniel 7:3-7. Water in
prophecy represents multitudes of people. Another angel confirmed:

"The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples,
multitudes, nations and tongues." Revelation 17:15.

Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome all rose from the midst of a sea of
peoples in Europe and the Middle East. Not so with the beast in
Revelation 13:11–it comes from the earth. This points to a great
nation rising out of a sparsely inhabited area. "I saw another beast
coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb." Revelation
13:11. Thus we have a new nation, with Christian features, rising out
of a sparsely inhabited area, with a government without kingly power.

Each word is significant. The true Lamb is Jesus Christ. "Like a
lamb," indicates this nation would have lamb-like or Christian
features. A lamb is a young animal, a baby sheep. Thus this nation
would at one time be youthful and new. Significantly, its "two horns"
have no crowns like the first beast in Revelation 13:2. Crowns
represent kingly power. Thus we have a new nation, with Christian
features, rising out of a sparsely inhabited area, with a government
without kingly power. Are the pieces coming together yet?

Here's the shocker: Revelation 13 also reveals that this exact nation
will finally achieve superpower status during the last moments of
time, make a major mistake, and lead out in the global enforcement of
the mark of the beast. God's Word reports:

"And he [the lamb-like beast] causes [he resorts to force] all [his
power becomes global], both small and great, rich and poor, free and
bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead, that
no man might buy or sell [the world's economy is involved] except the
one who has the mark." Revelation 13:16,17.

These verses parallel the last part of Revelation 13:11 describing the
final, tragic act of the lamb-like beast–"he spoke like a dragon."
Let's put all the pieces together:

+Revelation 13:11 predicts the rising of a great beast.
+In prophecy, a beast represents a great nation.
+This nation comes out of the earth, or wilderness area.
+This nation starts out young, like a baby lamb.
+This nation is lamb-like, with Christian characteristics.
+This nation has horns with no crowns–it has no kings.
+This nation achieves superpower status near the end of time.
+This nation influences the world's economy.
+This nation finally speaks like a dragon.
+This nation finally enforces the mark of the first beast in Revelation 13:2.
Be honest: How many nations on Planet Earth fit each of these clear,
unquestionable, Heaven-inspired details? Only one.

The United States of America.

God has blessed America. Yet prophecy predicts major changes will
someday envelop our beloved country and our eyes should be wide open
to even now discern the proverbial writing on the wall. May the Lord
prepare us for future events. Above all, may we each have a strong
relationship with the true Lamb, Jesus Christ, and reject the dragon's
voice.

References
1. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=157935

Will December 2012 the Doomsday ?

Does the Bible say anything about the current wave of doomsday
predictions centering on December 2012?
Many people believe that the ancient Mayan calendar mysteriously ends
at the winter solstice in the year 2012. Is this a sign that the
Mayans knew that Dec. 21, 2012, is the end of human history? The
History Channel, Newsweek magazine, major movie studios, booksellers
and dozens of Web sites are fanning the 2012 craze.

Movie trailers for the science fiction disaster film 2012 have added
to the hype, showing entire cities devastated by enormous tsunamis and
earthquakes, meteors raining down fiery death from heaven and human
history coming to a violent end.

According to Wikipedia, "The studio also launched a viral marketing
website operated by the fictional Institute for Human Continuity,
where filmgoers could register for a lottery number to be part of a
small population that would be rescued from the global destruction."

Other 2012 scenarios picture a wonderful change in human consciousness
and the ushering in of a New Age. John Major Jenkins, author of Maya
Cosmogenesis, describes the coming New Age this way: "Around the year
we call 2012 a large chapter in human history will be coming to an
end. All the values and assumptions of the previous World Age will
expire, and a new phase of human growth will commence."

All the hype about 2012 is based on a mixture of speculation about
Mayan calendars, the book The Bible Code, some ancient Oriental
prophesies, supposed writings of Nostradamus and a little of the
biblical book of Revelation.

But does the Bible say anything about 2012 being the end of human history?

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus was asked about the sign of His coming and the
end of this age. He gave prophecies of many events to happen before
His return. He said there would be religious deception, wars and
rumors of wars, famines, disease epidemics and earthquakes, all
leading to a time of Great Tribulation when mankind would be on the
verge of destroying all life on the earth if the time wasn't cut short
(verses 21 and 22). Then Jesus prophesied there would be heavenly
signs, and He would return with power and great glory (verses 29-30).

These prophetic events are described in more detail in our booklets
Are We Living in the Time of the End? and You Can Understand Bible
Prophecy.

While Jesus gave His disciples signs to watch for that indicated His
return, He stated clearly that no one knows the exact date except His
Father. In Mark 13:32 we read, "But of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
Matthew's account puts it this way, "Watch therefore, for you know
neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming"
(Matthew 25:13).

The Bible does not tell us the date Jesus Christ will return to save
humanity from destroying ourselves. But it does promise that Christ
will return and set up a government that will bring peace and
prosperity to this earth. In the meantime God doesn't ask us to
explore the intricacies of ancient Mayan calendars. He warns of
rampant deception and tells us not to be fooled by those who claim
secret knowledge of His return (Matthew 24:4, 23-26).

What are we to do? The purpose of the biblical prophecies and warning
signs is to remind us of our need to always be growing closer to God
and to be spiritually ready. We need to be preparing spiritually for
Christ's return and the end of this world now, in 2012 and every year.

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

Is Technology Helping Us ?

"One small step for man: one giant leap for mankind." Remember those
incredible words? They were uttered by Neil Armstrong as stepped onto
the surface of the moon forty years ago. It was an exciting time! The
United States had won the "race to the moon!" Our generation had the
feeling that mankind could do anything! And many believed technology
would solve all our problems.

But deep into the biggest global financial crisis in modern history,
we now also face overpopulation, starvation, disease and war. Our
home, the earth, is deteriorating at an alarming rate and the most
frightening threat of our time is nuclear annihilation. Our technology
is killing us.

Is there a bright spot in this gloomy news? Yes. It was prophesied
that people would be facing the worst of times with the capability to
completely destroy ourselves from the face of the earth before Christ
would return. Those conditions have now been met.

Speaking about these times Christ said, "…for then shall be great
tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to
this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be
shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those
days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22 MKJV)

Do you know who the elect are? They are those who have been faithful
and obedient to God and will be the ones who help usher in a new era
for mankind. If you want to be part of the solution, don't put your
confidence in technology, put your confidence in God.

Our only hope rests in the hands of God and the return of Jesus Christ
to this earth to save us from ourselves!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

What is the ultimate purpose and meaning of your life?
by Gary Petty

There must be some meaning to humanity's mixture of awesome abilities
and awful atrocities. What is the ultimate purpose and meaning of your
life?

What would you ask the Supreme Being if you could get a direct and
immediate answer? A poll in USA Today reports that the No. 1 question
people would like to ask God is "What's my purpose here?"

With all our technology and sophistication we still haven't answered
the fundamental question of what is the purpose and value of human
life. It seems Henry David Thoreau's observation that most people live
lives of "quiet desperation" is all too true.

Where would you even start to discover the purpose for your life? Can
you find it in psychological tests or philosophy? Aptitude tests might
help you pinpoint your abilities. Personality evaluations could
conceivably help you focus on aspects of who you are. But the social
sciences can't explain why you live.

The place to begin

The complexity and interdependency of nature around us, the miracle of
life itself, reveal a Life Giver, a Creator. Would it make sense that
a brilliant Life Giver would create intelligent beings without
purpose? "What's my purpose here?" can ultimately be answered only by
the Creator of life.

Western society claims to have its roots in Christianity, yet the last
place many people search to find purpose in life is the Bible. The
Bible reveals a special creation with a special purpose. The first
book of
the Bible is Genesis, which simply means "beginning." Here is the
Bible's first sentence: "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth."

God then created a unique biological being called man. Genesis 2:7
states, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
being."

Does this mean that man is just another animal, different in form but
essentially the same as a chimpanzee or other mammal?

The theory of evolution would lead us to that conclusion, but
evolution doesn't explain the obvious differences between humanity and
animals. How do we explain the human ability to create music and art,
discover and use geometry, develop architecture or invent complex
forms of communication?

Instinct and intellect

A slug or a spider is driven entirely by instinctive behavior. The
more complex the life-form, the more it can learn. Yet the behaviors
of even the supposedly highest forms of animals are primarily
instinctive. This isn't true of humanity.

Mortimer J. Adler, in his book Ten Philosophical Mistakes, makes the
point that if we compare animals with man "a radical difference
appears. In the strict sense of the term instinct, the human species
has no instincts—no innate, performed patterns of behavior. We have a
small number of innate reflexes, only some of which are congenital. We
also have what might be called instinctual drives or impulses. But in
carrying these impulses out, members of the human species behave in a
wide variety of ways. They do not all manifest a single pattern of
behavior, such as we find in all members of a particular species of
bee, ant or termite" (1985, p. 31).

This ability to reason and make complex decisions and choose courses
of action makes humans infinitely different from any animal. The
differences between the quality or quantity of the human brain and the
brains of other mammals aren't sufficient to explain the vast
differences in function. When it comes to size, some mammals have
larger brains than humans' while others have a higher brain-to-body
ratio than that of humans.

The difference between other mammals and human beings—the ability to
reason, create, communicate emotions, experience love and empathy—are
all aspects of what we call the mind.

Adler concludes: "The relation of the sensory powers to the brain and
nervous system is such that the degree to which an animal species
possesses these powers depends on the size and complexity of its brain
and nervous system. This is not the case in regard to the intellectual
powers. That the human mind has such powers does not depend upon the
size or complexity of the human brain. The action of the brain is only
a necessary, but not the sufficient, condition for the functioning of
the human mind and for the operations of conceptual thought. We do not
think with our brains, even though we cannot think without them" (pp.
52-53).

What is the human mind?

Brain size and biology can't explain humanity's uniqueness. So what
creates the differences?

Once again we turn to the Bible. In the creation account we see that
God created each animal "according to its kind," but human beings are
in the "image" and "likeness" of God (Genesis 1:24-28).

Creativity, positive emotions, logic, love, abstract thought,
communication skills—these are aspects of the mind of the Creator.
These are ways in which He has created us in His likeness.

Notice what the Bible says in Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man,
and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding." One of the
biblical prophets, Zechariah, declares that God "forms the spirit of
man within him" (Zechariah 12:1).

Mankind and animals are both living "souls," or beings. Both are
subject to death, the cessation of life. The difference is that man
possesses a nonphysical component called a spirit that imparts
individuality, intellect, creativity and personality.

The Bible reveals the mystery science can't solve. We are physical,
chemical beings with a nonbiological component—a spirit—a mind that is
in a limited way like the mind of the Creator. But, if human beings
are like God in so many astonishing ways, why can't we solve our own
problems?

An incomplete creation

Why are human beings capable of writing inspiring music and also able
to commit terrible crimes against each other? We research into the
intricate human body and create medicines that heal, yet we produce
nerve gas that kills. We send a rocket to explore outer space but send
a missile hundreds or thousands of miles to destroy a city.

If mankind is made in the image of God—who reveals Himself as loving,
kind and merciful—why are we so filled with hatred, violence and
selfishness? The answers lie in understanding that we are an
incomplete creation.

Genesis reveals the root cause of humanity's evil. The first humans,
Adam and Eve, were given freedom to choose between their Creator's
instruction about life and a way simply called the "knowledge of good
and evil." They chose the latter, the knowledge of good and evil.

God told Adam and Eve that once they started on the course of
self-determination they would embark on a path that would ultimately
lead to death. Evil—what the Bible calls sin—brings about death.
History is a story of good and bad, of incredible potential and
incredible failure. It is also a story of death. It seems that
humanity's destiny is to struggle, suffer and eventually die.

Central to the Christian religion is the belief that Jesus of Nazareth
is the Son of God who took humanity's death penalty upon Himself.
Jesus also came to supply the missing ingredient to make eternal life
possible. On the night before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples
He would send them another "Helper" (John 14:15-18).

The apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth about the missing
ingredient that keeps humanity from solving its problems: "... We
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God
ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of
this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory.

"But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have
entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for
those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His
Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of
God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man
which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the
Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:7-11).

Here Paul writes that mankind knows the things of mankind-reason,
creativity, mathematics—because of the "spirit of man." This spirit is
what makes us have similarities to God and gives us the ability to
have a relationship with Him. Paul shows that to really understand the
spiritual nature of God we must also receive the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God is the missing ingredient in humanity. Without it
human beings become both good and evil, lacking the wisdom to always
see and choose the good. Death is the natural result. The death
process must be reversed and a new nature developed in us. Peter puts
it succinctly when he writes that we must become "partakers of the
divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).

God's purpose for you

Humanity's problems—from agriculture to economics to education to
government to family relationships to individual emotional health—are
ultimately spiritual in nature. Real solutions require not just a
change in environment but a change in people.

Our first parents chose to participate in both good and evil. Not just
Adam and Eve, but every human being who has ever lived—except Jesus
Christ—has made the same choice. The result is that every human
suffers and dies. Jesus came to pay the death penalty for evil. He
also came to make available to people the Spirit of God, the healing,
missing ingredient that will change corrupt human nature into divine
nature.

What is your ultimate destiny? What awaits those who are willing to be
changed by God's Spirit from corrupted human nature to become
partakers of the divine?

Paul explains in Romans 8:14-17: "For as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by
[which] we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit [itself] bears witness
with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then
heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer
with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

The purpose of humanity is to become the spiritual children of God!
The purpose for your life is more than making money, gaining social
status and wearing the right clothes. The coupling of the human spirit
with the Spirit of God makes possible the development of a new nature
and eventually a resurrection to a new life as immortal children of
God, joint heirs with Jesus of all things.

This is the ultimate potential of every human being.

But this isn't just a nebulous promise of something in the far-off
future. The Creator says you can enjoy a Father—child relationship
with Him now. There are real solutions to your problems. There is hope
for those willing to discover their true purpose. The first step on
that road of discovery is to turn to the Creator and His instruction
book.

The Miracles Of Jesus Christ

by: Amy Twain

One of the most essential parts of Christianity lies in recognizing
the fact that Jesus Christ was divine. And one of the ways in which
his divinity is proved by scholars in the Bible is to emphasize the
several miracles that Jesus in academic circles, are oftentimes
categorized according to the act that was carried out. Hence, miracles
which involves conquering physical barriers are considered miracles of
nature, those wherein Jesus cast out demons are known as exorcisms,
and those miracles which involved healing are cures. The Miracles of
Nature-- although Jesus' miracles at times did not involve people,
they usually served an illustrative purpose (the major one being to
prove and manifest divinity).

And these are known as miracles of nature. It actually included
walking on water, feeding large crowds with relatively little food and
causing His followers to catch numerous fish though they had been
failing all night. (He also at several times raised people from the
dead and He also walked through a crowd that wanted to throw Him off a
cliff.) But Jesus' first ever miracle of nature recorded in the
Biblical canon was when He turned water into wine at a wedding. His
mother Mary was one of the guests at that wedding and He and His
disciples also came.

When the wine ran out, Mary approached Him and told Him that His time
had not yet come. Still, He proceeded to turn the water that was to be
used for cleansing into wine, which the master of ceremonies declared
to be the best-tasting wine he ever had in his life, as opposed to
normal conventions which had the host bringing out the inferior wine
second. This miracle could be interpreted to demonstrate Him using all
things to His ends, making the unclean clean, and of being
straightforward in the introduction of His message. His Miracles of
Exorcism. Another category of miracle that He performed are involved
casting out demons on afflicted individuals.

He is recorded as having cast demons out singly and in large groups
after having them name themselves and recognize His authority. These
differ from His healing miracles in that they vividly portray a
struggle of good versus evil instead of conquest over the natural.
Jesus' Healing Miracles. The healing miracles of Jesus offered some
insights into His character and His mission as a whole. And these are
the best recorded in the Bible, because so many illnesses he healed
were regarded as a death sentence by the cultures of that time. Jesus
demonstrated His mission of loving the unloved, at the same time of
course demonstrating His divinity.

Jesus' words after curing many people are the same; "through your
faith, you are healed." (Matt 9:22). Jesus demonstrated through this
that people come through Him through their own faith rather than
through His compulsion. For instance, lepers were regarded as outcasts
of society. They had to carry bells and cry "unclean" whenever they
come nearer to other people. In order to cure these lepers, He would
often touch them, to the apprehension of His disciples. He then made
it clear through His healing that it was the faith of the people that
He healed that caused the cure.

About The Author

The author of this article Amy Twain is a Self Improvement Coach who
has been successfully coaching and guiding clients for many years. Amy
recently published a new home study course on how to boost your Self
Esteem overnight. More info about this "Quick-Action Plan for A More
Confident You" is available at http://www.FabulousSelfEsteem.com.

Does Woman shall not wear Pant ?

What does the biblical statute about a woman not wearing anything that
pertains to a man mean today?

Deuteronomy 22:5 says: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains
to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so
are an abomination to the Lord your God." Like many of the statutes,
this law had to do with pagan customs of the time, and as we will see,
does not refer to women wearing pants. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
Commentary explains:

"Disguises were assumed at certain times in pagan temples.
Maimonides...mentions that a man attired in a coloured female dress,
in honour of Venus, Ashtaroth, or Astarte, and a woman equipped in
armour, worshipped at the shrine of the statue of Mars...

"Asiatics, when they engaged in the worship of Ashtaroth, were
accustomed, according to Philocorus, quoted by Townley (in his edition
of Maimonides, note 33), to exchange the male and female dresses. In
fact, all idolators confounded the sexes of their deities—representing
them sometimes as male, at other times as female; and hence, their
worshippers, male and female, fell gradually into the custom, which
became extensively prevalent, of changing their attire in adaptation
to the sex of a particular divinity."

God's command to Israel forbade the people from incorporating pagan
religious rites into true worship. In spite of this instruction,
today's Christianity commonly mixes paganism in with the worship of
Christ. For more information on this amazing subject, we recommend
that you read Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We
Keep?

Does Deuteronomy 22:5 forbid women from wearing pants? No, it doesn't.
In fact, even men in the Middle East through the history of the Old
and New Testaments did not wear pants; they wore a robelike garment.
However, there is an underlying principle that applies today. Men
should dress in an appropriately masculine manner and women should
dress in an appropriately feminine manner. Clothing manufacturers make
pants designed for men and pants designed for women.

The modest use of makeup by women

How do biblical standards of modesty and personal grooming apply to
modern practices like the use of makeup?
The modest use of makeup by women is culturally acceptable in the
Western world at this time, and does not conflict with the teaching of
the Bible.

This subject comes under the general topic of personal grooming.
Perhaps the clearest statements in the Bible on a Christian woman's
personal grooming are in 1 Peter 3:3-4 and 1 Timothy 2:9-10. Both
references counsel women to concentrate upon the "grooming" of their
inner character in a way that is pleasing to God, in contrast to
placing undue emphasis on their outward appearance.

Personal grooming can and often does reflect one's attitude, as we see
amply demonstrated in everyday life. It's easy to spot people—men and
women alike—who want to "make a statement" of rebellion through
grooming that is against the accepted norm. Grooming that makes a
woman stand out as odd or different from culturally accepted norms of
good taste detracts from a godly emphasis on her inner character. Such
indiscretion—in stark contrast to the above scriptural
guidelines—characterized the rebellious "daughters of Zion" mentioned
in Isaiah 3:16.

Secrets of success

If you want to learn one of the secrets of success, go to the ant.
Could you learn anything about life from an insect?

Solomon, the wisest king of antiquity, wrote, "Go to the ant, consider
her ways and be wise." (Proverbs 6:6)

Why the lowly ant? Solomon writes, "…having no captain or ruler, [she]
provides her supplies for the summer, and gathers her food for the
harvest." In other words, the ant prepares for the future.

Unfortunately, many human beings expect future success to happen by
accident. Young people drop out of school because they see no purpose
in history or mathematics only to find themselves trapped in a dead
end job because of a lack of education.

All success is a result of preparation for success. Staying in school,
learning geography and science, is practice for success in adult life.
The harder you work in school, the more equipped you will be for
future success.

If you want to learn one of the secrets of success, go to the ant.

In God We Trust

In God We Trust

The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics filed a lawsuit
Tuesday seeking to block an architect from engraving "In God We Trust"
and the Pledge of Allegiance at the Capitol Visitor Center in
Washington.

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation's lawsuit, filed in
U.S. District Court in western Wisconsin, claims the taxpayer-funded
engravings would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

The House and Senate passed identical resolutions this month directing
the Architect of the Capitol to engrave "In God We Trust" and the
pledge in prominent places at the entrance for 3 million tourists who
visit the Capitol each year.

In the twinking of an eye

Paul wrote about a certain event taking place – "In a moment, in the
twinking of an eye..." (1 Cor. 15:52).

Many apply this to the sudden disappearance of Christians in the
Rapture. Supposedly, in less than the time it takes to blink, all true
believers will vanish from the earth before the Tribulation and the
rise of Antichrist. Is this really what Paul meant? Or could such an
idea be o­ne of the many "fables" (see 2 Tim. 4:4) taught as truth in
these last days? To find out the answer, all o­ne has to do is read
the context of the verse.

Paul wrote in language too plain to be misunderstood, "Behold, I show
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put o­n incorruption,
and this mortal must put o­n immortality." (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

Here are the facts:

This event takes place "at the last trump," not seven years before it.
When this happens, "the trumpet shall sound." It will be loud, not quiet.
It is not the return of Jesus Christ that takes place in the twinkling
of an eye.
Rather, it is the changing of the bodies of believers from mortality
to immortality.
Thus, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 does not teach the idea of vanishing
Christians at all. Rather, it reveals a loud return of Jesus Christ
during the final sounding of the last trumpet and the "instant"
transformation of believers into immortality at the end of the world.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

13 Church Video Ideas For YouTube
by: Kurt Steinbrueck

We've been looking at ways churches can use social media to market
their church online and reach others for Christ. In my last article I
talked about the benefits of online video sharing as an online church
marketing strategy. In this article I'll give several ideas for
videos.

Video Ideas:

Sometimes churches have some difficulty thinking of videos to share.
Here are 13 ideas for videos:

1. Post sermons: You pastor is giving the sermons every week anyway.
Why note record them and post them online? (Note: YouTube and other
sites have limits on the length and size of videos. So, you may need
to break the sermon up into parts. YouTube limits are 10 minutes and a
file size of 1 GB.)

2. Post funny videos: Funny videos have the added benefit of being
potentially viral. If the video catches on, it could be viewed by
millions of people.

3. Post commercials: If your church has commercials they are airing on
TV, put them online as well.

4. Personal testimonies and interviews: Remember, one of the thing
people love about video sharing is people being real. Personal
testimonies are the perfect example of videos of people being real and
are a great way for viewers to connect with your church on an
emotional level.

5. Conference speakers: Does your church present conferences or
special guest speakers. Just like the pastor's sermons, you can post
these messages online.

6. Highlights of upcoming events: Let people know what's coming up at
the church, like an online commercial.

7. Highlights of recent events: Similar to the commercial of upcoming
events, showing highlights of recent events can show people what your
church is like and show them what they missed (so they don't miss it
next time).

8. Artists (drama, visual, musical, literary): Does your church have
artists in the congregation? You can produce videos of these artists
whether it's drama, visual arts, literary readings, musical
performances, etc.

9. Spiritual and Christian life related messages: A lot of people are
looking for spiritual guidance and information. You can produce videos
about various topics such as "Christ in your marriage" or "The end
times".

10. Informational non-church videos: Don't limit yourself to just
church and Christian topics. The members of your congregation have a
lot of information they can offer about "secular" and everyday topics
such as "10 ways to save on your electric bill" (brought to you by
Christ the King church in Auburn or whichever church you attend). This
is a great way to reach out to people who would not normally look for
a church, exactly the people who we should be focused on with our
church marketing.

11. Video used in your church services: Does you church use videos
during the services. Why not post them online?

12. Commenting on current events: This can have the benefit of using
the pop culture and hot topics of the day to reach more people. But be
careful of divisive issues, such as the political topics. I'm not
saying you can make a political statement, but you risk turning people
off your church and the ultimate message of your church, Jesus Christ.
Remember, Christ died for Republicans and Democrats alike.

13. Video Contests: Have a contest for youth or some other group to
create videos about a particular subject or about the church and then
post the videos. This can be a great way to make several videos, get
the congregation involved, and have a great time.

These are just some ideas to get you started. Be creative. Most
churches have tons of creative and talented people in their
congregations. Creating videos can be a great way to get those people
more involved the church.

In the next article in our series about using social media as an
online church marketing strategy, I'll look at ways you can increase
the effects of your church's video sharing.

About The Author

Kurt Steinbrueck is the author of the Church Marketing Online blog. He
has been Director of Marketing Services with Ourchurch.Com for over 5
years providing Christian search engine optimization services
including services specific for church marketing solutions and private
school marketing. Kurt is also a Deacon at his church. You can find
the original version of this article at
http://churchmarketingonline.com/2008/11/is-your-church-social-part-3-youtube-video-ideas-for-church-marketing/
For more at http://churchmarketingonline.com

How To Overcome Fear God's Way
by: Philip Christopher Jones

Jesus Christ redeemed you from the curse of fear according Galatians
3:13. To overcome all the attacks of the spirit of fear you have been
given mighty divine weapons: prayer, thanksgiving to God for answered
prayer, the name of Jesus, your faith, God's Word and your own
faith-filled words.

Prayer: First of all, you need to give the problem of fear to God in
prayer. The Bible says, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7). When you pray to God the Father in Jesus'
name, believe according to 1 John 5:14,15 God heard your prayer and
granted your petition.

Thanksgiving: Whenever fear tries to attack you, begin to thank and
praise God you are free from fear based on your prayer of faith and
God's Holy Word. In fact, get in a habit of thanking God throughout
the day for your salvation. Your salvation includes being saved,
healed, protected, made whole, do well, delivered and preserved.
That's a lot to be thankful for because of what Jesus Christ did for
you on the Cross.

There is a spiritual reason for giving thanks to God. When you thank
God for answered prayer, you are releasing your faith for God's answer
to be made real in your life. This spiritual principle is found in
Hebrews 11:1 and I believe this is the greatest explanation of faith
in the Bible.

Begin thanking God you are free from fear. Remember according to
Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper."
That's something to meditate on and thank God for each day.

The Name of Jesus: Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." Then, in Mark 16:17,18 it says you now have been given the
authority to use this mighty name of Jesus against evil, including the
spirit of fear that would try to torment you: "And these signs shall
follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover."

Therefore, when the spirit of fear comes against you, command it to go
in the name of Jesus and it will have to flee because you have
released your faith in the power of the name of Jesus.

Your Faith: 1 John 5:4b says, "For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith." Trust in God that your faith is working
through your prayers to God, your thanksgiving to God, your faith in
the name of Jesus, your faith, God's Word and your words.

God's Word: God's Word spoken in faith out of your mouth is powerful
and will overcome all evil, including the spirit of fear. Boldly
declare the covenant promises of God to defeat fear in every instance
of your life. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Your Words: Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of
the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." And in
Mark 11:23 it states, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the
sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he
saith." God's Word concerning the tongue should encourage you to keep
a close watch over your mouth and only say what is in line with the
Word of God. Again I say, watch your words. Speak the answer, God's
Word and not the problem. You want your words to be constructive and
not destructive. Daily boldly declare what God has said in His
promises concerning you.

Don't know what God has said about you in His Holy Word concerning His
promises? Then you need to find out. How? Start daily reading,
studying and meditating the Word of God.

And of course, if you are not a Christian then you need to receive
God's free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ for this above
plan of action to successfully work against the spirit of fear. If you
have not done so, I encourage you to make this wise salvation decision
now and receive your redemption from fear and receive all the covenant
rights of a child of God by inviting Jesus Christ into your heart.

Peace to you and may you continually enjoy thanking God for your
freedom from fear.

About The Author

I trust this article has helped you. If you are interested in knowing
more about how to release your faith in life to fulfill the destiny
God has for you, please visit my site at
http://overcomingfaithworkshop.blogspot.com

If you are not a Christian and would like to receive salvation, please
visit my site at http://receivelife.blogspot.com - Philip

All Rights Reserved Worldwide

The Miracles Of Jesus Christ
by: Amy Twain


One of the most essential parts of Christianity lies in recognizing
the fact that Jesus Christ was divine. And one of the ways in which
his divinity is proved by scholars in the Bible is to emphasize the
several miracles that Jesus in academic circles, are oftentimes
categorized according to the act that was carried out. Hence, miracles
which involves conquering physical barriers are considered miracles of
nature, those wherein Jesus cast out demons are known as exorcisms,
and those miracles which involved healing are cures. The Miracles of
Nature-- although Jesus' miracles at times did not involve people,
they usually served an illustrative purpose (the major one being to
prove and manifest divinity).

And these are known as miracles of nature. It actually included
walking on water, feeding large crowds with relatively little food and
causing His followers to catch numerous fish though they had been
failing all night. (He also at several times raised people from the
dead and He also walked through a crowd that wanted to throw Him off a
cliff.) But Jesus' first ever miracle of nature recorded in the
Biblical canon was when He turned water into wine at a wedding. His
mother Mary was one of the guests at that wedding and He and His
disciples also came.

When the wine ran out, Mary approached Him and told Him that His time
had not yet come. Still, He proceeded to turn the water that was to be
used for cleansing into wine, which the master of ceremonies declared
to be the best-tasting wine he ever had in his life, as opposed to
normal conventions which had the host bringing out the inferior wine
second. This miracle could be interpreted to demonstrate Him using all
things to His ends, making the unclean clean, and of being
straightforward in the introduction of His message. His Miracles of
Exorcism. Another category of miracle that He performed are involved
casting out demons on afflicted individuals.

He is recorded as having cast demons out singly and in large groups
after having them name themselves and recognize His authority. These
differ from His healing miracles in that they vividly portray a
struggle of good versus evil instead of conquest over the natural.
Jesus' Healing Miracles. The healing miracles of Jesus offered some
insights into His character and His mission as a whole. And these are
the best recorded in the Bible, because so many illnesses he healed
were regarded as a death sentence by the cultures of that time. Jesus
demonstrated His mission of loving the unloved, at the same time of
course demonstrating His divinity.

Jesus' words after curing many people are the same; "through your
faith, you are healed." (Matt 9:22). Jesus demonstrated through this
that people come through Him through their own faith rather than
through His compulsion. For instance, lepers were regarded as outcasts
of society. They had to carry bells and cry "unclean" whenever they
come nearer to other people. In order to cure these lepers, He would
often touch them, to the apprehension of His disciples. He then made
it clear through His healing that it was the faith of the people that
He healed that caused the cure.

About The Author

The author of this article Amy Twain is a Self Improvement Coach who
has been successfully coaching and guiding clients for many years. Amy
recently published a new home study course on how to boost your Self
Esteem overnight. More info about this "Quick-Action Plan for A More
Confident You" is available at http://www.FabulousSelfEsteem.com.

Moving On - How To Get Over The Last Relationship

by: Susan Lancaster

Whether you finished it or they did, the best thing you can do is
accept that whatever you had is now over. The memories will fade with
time and you need to focus on healing yourself, so firstly think about
all the great times you had together. Then really think about how you
felt, were you that happy? Did you have to compromise anything? Was it
supposed to be about you but actually ended up being all about them?

In many relationships you think you are truly happy but then they end
and then analysing and looking over the events that happened and
enjoyed in a different light, will help you see what was really
happening because if the relationship is over, it is because it wasn't
perfect - so stop making it perfect in your own mind.

Now focus on some of the bad times, did they cheat? Did you cheat? If
so why? What did you or they see in someone else that you didn't have?
The answer will probably make you feel like it is your fault but no,
if for whatever reason you aren't exactly what that person needs to
maintain a successful relationship, that is no one's fault. You might
just simply be wrong for each other. You can still be madly in love
but wrong for each other, especially when you think about having a
successful relationship means two people living one life. How much did
you compromise and how much did they?

The important thing is to see your old relationship for how it
actually was, were the best times that good? Were the bad times trying
to tell you something! Now think about what you have learned about
yourself. What are you prepared to do to make a relationship work
going forward and would you really compromise yourself that much
again?

Then focus on you. You have good qualities and have things about you
that make you who you are, what are they? Write them down. Was there
anything you old partner used to tease you about? Your hair, face,
teeth or body and then think about what you know could be improved.
Would improving some of your not so great bits make you feel better?
Joining a gym or a new dating agency could help you establish yourself
in a new light. You are a person of value and worth and you deserve to
be respected and end up happy in a loving relationship and although
that last one failed, there could be someone who is your true love
just around the corner.

About The Author

Susan is a dating counsellor who helps couples and singles in the
singles world. Susan works for Lovestruck.com who let you search and
meet singles who live in your city. If you live in the UK then why not
try dating in london and meet professionals, for a date at lunchtime
or after work!

How Do We Know we love God?

The Bible states over and over again exactly how we are to demonstrate
our love to God. The simple answer may surprise you!
How do we know we genuinely love God? That probably seems like an odd
question to most of us. Of course, we love God, and we just know that
we love Him.

But is that good enough? Is it enough to just know and feel that we
love God? Is anything else involved?

Actually, the Bible-God's inspired Word-is clear about how we show
love to God. It is specific about what we are to do to demonstrate
that love.

God created people to have a loving relationship with Him. God reveals
Himself to us as our heavenly Father and calls us His sons and
daughters, His very children. God desires a family relationship with
us, with His showing love to us and our showing love to Him.

God is in the process of "bringing many sons to glory" so that He and
mankind can ultimately be "of the same family" (Hebrews 2:10, 11, New
International Version).

Mutually exclusive testaments?

Most people view this close, loving God-mankind relationship as an
exclusively New Testament concept and think of the Old Testament as
strictly a relationship of law and enforced obedience. But is this
view accurate? Are love and obedience really two mutually exclusive
concepts, as many seem to think?

To answer these questions we need to ask ourselves what kind of
relationship has God always wanted with mankind.

A lawyer asked Jesus Christ a vital question: "Teacher, what shall I
do to inherit eternal life?"

Christ said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

The lawyer quoted from the Ten Commandments: "'You shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"

Jesus replied to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will
live" (Luke 10:25-28).

As we just read, the man asked Jesus Christ, "What shall I do to
inherit eternal life?" Eternal life was the issue. The man quoted two
Old Testament scriptures, found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus
19:18. Christ's response may be surprising to some: He assured the man
that he had given the correct answer and added, "Do this and you will
live."

So, to gain eternal life, it is clear that we must love God. But what
does that mean? Is love just a warm, nice feeling toward God, or is
there more to it?

Love loves

Love can be a noun or a verb. I like to think of love as a verb,
because love as an action word implies that something is happening,
something is being done.

Love (the noun) requires that someone love (the verb). For example, if
we love someone, we demonstrate our love by spending time with our
loved one. We do things with and for that person. We visit him or her,
go places together, talk to each other. We may make or buy gifts to
demonstrate that we love and value that person. We show our love by
our actions.

Since love requires action, by what action does God want us to
demonstrate our love for Him? What does the Bible say about this? Some
believe that in the Old Testament God focused only on obedience and
law, but in the New Testament we are "under grace" and have only to
"love God" in some vague way, supposing that obedience and love are
mutually exclusive concepts. But can this be true?

In both Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:6, God prefaces the Ten
Commandments with a statement that demonstrates grace: "I am the LORD
your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage," He said.

God focuses us on His loving act of undeserved mercy, deliverance,
favor and pardon in His freeing the Israelites from slavery and
establishing them as a new nation. He extended grace to them, doing
something wonderful for them that they did not deserve.

In verses 9 and 10 of Deuteronomy 5, God says, "I, the LORD your God,
am a jealous God . . . showing mercy to thousands, to those who love
Me and keep My commandments" (emphasis added throughout). Here we see
another example of grace, with God promising "mercy to thousands." We
see that grace is built into the Ten Commandments.

Biblical theme of obedience

These passages begin a thread that is woven throughout the Bible. The
Scriptures show repeatedly that loving God and keeping His
commandments are inextricably connected; one describes the other. God
says that we show love for Him by obedience, by keeping His
commandments.

Let's notice some of the many examples that show the connection
between love and commandment-keeping. In Deuteronomy 6:5, 6, God says,
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you
today [referring to the Ten Commandments, given in the previous
chapter] shall be in your heart."

This is the verse the lawyer quoted to Christ that we referred to
earlier. It says we love God with all our heart, soul and might by
keeping "these words, which I command you." Those specific words were
God's Ten Commandments. These words from the Bible clearly define
loving God as obeying His commandments.

Deuteronomy 10:12, 13 summarizes the response God expects from Israel
and all mankind. ". . . What does the LORD your God require of you,
but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love
Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which
I command you today for your good?"

This tells us clearly that we love God and serve Him by keeping His
commandments, which He gave us for our benefit.

Deuteronomy 11:1 says, "Therefore you shall love the LORD your God,
and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments
always." We love God by keeping His charge, His statutes, His
judgments and His commandments.

The theme of loving God by keeping His commandments continues in
verses 13 and 22. God says we are to "earnestly obey My commandments
which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him
with all your heart and with all your soul." We love Him when we
"carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do-to
love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to
Him . . ."

Deuteronomy 13:1-4 warns us about false prophets. Even if they can
predict something that comes to pass, if they say we can disobey God
and ignore His law, then God's people are to pay no attention to them.
God says He proves and tests us "to know whether you love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (verse 3).

How do we prove to God that we love Him? Continuing in the very next
verse: "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep
His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold
fast to Him" (verse 4).

Love is expressed by doing what God says

Deuteronomy 30:6, 8 continues this theme of showing love by obedience
to the commandments: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart
[a prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit] and the heart of your
descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul . . . And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and
do all His commandments which I command you today."

Circumcising the heart (conversion of the mind as described in Romans
2:29), loving God and returning to God are evinced by keeping His
commandments.

God says He will "rejoice over you . . . if you obey the voice of the
LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are
written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul . . ." (Deuteronomy 30:9,
10). "Turn[ing] to the LORD" is shown by keeping His commandments.

". . . I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His
ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments,
that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you
in the land which you go to possess" (verse 16). God tells us we are
to love Him by keeping His commandments, and God promises blessings
for our obedience.

The theme continues in the book of Joshua, where God tells His people
to "take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses
the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to
walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him,
and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Joshua
22:5).

Love flows both ways

Any healthy relationship of love is a two-way street, with love
flowing both ways. In 1 John 4:19 we find why we should love God: "We
love Him because He first loved us." John had earlier explained what
he meant by God's earlier love for us: "In this the love of God was
manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought
to love one another" (1 John 4:9-11).

Romans 5:8 gives other examples of ways God has proved His deep love
for us: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ made the
ultimate sacrifice to prove God's love for us, long before we were
capable of returning that love in any way.

The familiar passage in John 3:16 tells us: "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life."

But belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God means much more than just
academic agreement. Belief (Greek pisteuo) means acting on knowledge:
living one's life by faith, unswerving devotion and total obedience in
the light of that knowledge.

Our God, His people

Jeremiah 31:3 talks of God's deep love for mankind: "The LORD has
appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an
everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'"
God has always had as His plan for human beings a loving relationship
within His family. He describes it in eternal terms as "an everlasting
love."

Verse 33 says that, in this loving family relationship, "I will put My
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be
their God, and they shall be my people." His law is permanently
planted in our hearts and minds to show us how to love Him as well as
how to love each other.

We see this same theme of loving God and keeping His words continuing
in the New Testament. John 14:21, 23 makes this clear: "He who has My
commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me . . . If anyone
loves Me, he will keep My word . . ."

The New Testament defines love for God the same way as does the Old:
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). God's law is not heavy,
oppressive and burdensome. As we read earlier, it was given for the
benefit of humankind.

God tells us repeatedly and clearly that we demonstrate our love for
Him by keeping His commandments, and that has been His intent from the
beginning. The commandments John discussed were not "new," but were
"the word which you heard from the beginning" (1 John 2:7). God's law
has been a law of love from the very beginning-from the creation (1
John 3:11).

Many other scriptures make it clear that keeping God's commandments is
not something we can do by ourselves. As we repent and yield to Jesus
Christ, God's Spirit enables us to allow Jesus Christ to live in us
(Galatians 2:20), giving us the desire and capacity to love God and
our neighbor.

In Luke 10:25-30, quoted earlier, a man asked Christ what he should do
to gain eternal life. Jesus told him the correct answer is "love the
LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind."

Love requires action, not just feelings. How do we know we love God?
The consistent, clear, biblical answer is that we love God by keeping
His commandments. GN

What is Spirituality

by: Vincent Laurie


What is spirituality? The definition for "Spirit" is; the part of
the human being associated with the mind, will and feelings. Think
about this word for a minute. We often use the word as encouragement
toward another for example, "lifting ones spirit". We want to relate
this word to a peace within. The word spirituality does not mean to be
religious or self-righteous. Spirituality is used as a tool for those
who accept its belief. Spirituality defines us as who we are in the
mind, what our will (choice) is and how we feel because of our
choices.

From the time I was thirteen until I reached twenty-one; I was living
a life of unmanageability. I was partying with my friends and doing
everything there was to do that was not beneficial to me such as
drinking, hanging out with the wrong crowd and using drugs
occasionally to take my mind off the hurt I was feeling inside. I was
damaged. Damaged so much that I could not see any other way but the
way I was living in order to cope with my inner self. Through this
spiritually sick period, I knew there was a God but didn't care to
understand him. I was very resentful, bitter and angry.

Deeply wounded, I turned away from the very thought of a spiritual
anything. My wounds were so deep that it consumed me and my life
became dark and meaningless. I had struggled with being sexually
abused as a child, verbally abused and neglected by my parents, my
parents hating each other, having a child of my own, being a single
parent, getting out of an abusive unhealthy and unstable relationship
, losing loved ones to tragedy, etc. Every day I escaped my pain by
blaming, escaping and not resolving. The reason for me doing the
things I did was always someone else's fault (so I thought at the
time). When I felt my lowest, I called God's name. As soon as I felt
better, I started my patterns all over again. This cycle repeated for
years and all the while my spirit was infected and I didn't recognize
it. I did not understand what spirituality was. It was difficult for
me to think of anything else but what I was going through and all the
while God was watching me. But, I needed to be defeated before I was
willing to accept it. The more I tried to cope the more defeated I
became and the more lost I ended up feeling.

Spirituality is powerful, preserving the capability to lean and rely
on something greater than ourselves to help us in times of trouble or
affliction. Each one of us has a spirit inside. Our minds induce our
will to make choices. If our minds are corrupted with self-
destruction, confusion, sadness, rejection, fear, isolation,
abandonment, insecurities, low self worth etc. our mind then
influences us to have the desire to make wrong choices. When we choose
to do wrong things then our feelings begin to thrust like a motor,
where we are then left feeling worse then we started off. Leaving us
feeling depressed, angry, bitter, resentful, oppressed, tired,
unmotivated with no ambition or drive to want better for ourselves.

In order to weigh our emotional level, the question we must ask
ourselves is, "how is our mind, will and feelings?" In order to begin
an emotional recovery we must be willing to admit that our spirit has
been broken. Since we now recognize that we have a spirit, we must now
realize that our spirit has been afflicted some way or somehow. In
times of distress or turmoil our spirit begins to grieve, leaving us
feeling sad, low, depressed even angry, bitter or resentful. Our mind
begins to flourish with negative thoughts, telling us how bad our
situation or circumstances are. Our mind is a vessel for corrupted
thinking. The mind plays tricks on us to the point where we begin to
believe that our situation is going to get worse and not better.
Before we know it, we begin a pattern of behavior that becomes
destructive to our spirit or our "inner peace". If this thinking
continues, eventually our emotions will affect the body physically
with illness, discomfort or heaviness. Destructive behavior will then
lead to affecting other's that are around us leaving them to feel
confused, angry, bitter or upset. This type of thinking is a lie and
this lie begins to weigh deep on our spiritual peace, damaging our
spirit to the point where we begin to lose hope and want to give up.

After years of going through the motions of trying to escape from my
own problems, I became so out of control where I didn't even know how
to think anymore. The only thing I knew was that I was tired of being
tired and wanted so badly for my "mess" to go away. In order for it to
go away, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was the one who
created it. No one would speak to me because they were afraid of my
responses. I became very isolated because I was unwilling to process
my pain. When I became isolated, I started to realize that everyone
around me is affected badly by my behavior and my actions. If this was
so, then I realized that something must be wrong with me. If everyone
responded to me the same then there must have been something really
wrong with me. The more I meditated on this thought the more depressed
I had become. I began to lose hope and wanted to give up. I wanted to
go to sleep and not wake up. Not only was I causing myself pain on top
of the pain I was feeling but the people around me were feeling it
too. Nothing to me was worse than feeling alone. I didn't think anyone
could understand me. No matter how hard I tried to blend in, I had
always felt different. I felt like my life was under a microscope and
in order to deal with it, I chose to be alone and further distanced
myself from my family and close friends. I was angry all the time and
most of all afraid of what my family thought about me. I thought that
their expectations of me were too high and instead of trying to meet
them, I defied everything they wanted for me and opposed to anything
that they suggested. I became cold and numb after a while, repressing
all of my inner turmoil so that I could function throughout the day.
When I was alone at night, my thoughts ravaged me to the point where I
needed to escape all over again. I went through bouts of crying and
screaming. Some days I would sleep for twelve hours or more and when
my eyes opened I struggled to get out of the bed. I had no energy or
motivation to do anything.

What most do not recognize is that when we get to the point where we
want to give up, we still have the choice to either allow our
circumstances to consume us or take action by not allowing our
circumstance to get the best of us? Choice is vital when we are
feeling spiritually broken because we can either regain our spiritual
sanity or obtain spiritual insanity. Either choice is our
responsibility and when it comes down to that choice no one is to
blame but us. Regardless of the situation or circumstance that may
have affected our spirit, we still have the choice to make it better
or make it worse for ourselves.

How do we deal with our circumstances so that our spirit maintains its
sanity and peace? Go to http://www.thebooksociety.net for the full
version of this amazing e-book titled "How You Can Change Society and
the World We Live IN." Thank you from members@thebooksociety.net This
ebook includes: How a women struggled and found help from
http://www.thebooksociety.net

Vincent Laurie

About The Author

Vincent Laurie is Christian that wants to spread the word of
spirituality to society to improve the lives of others. After many
years of struggle and confussion and lost faith. I have finally come
to the conclusion that without spirituality we are dead. Our lives
must maintain a spiritual awakening and we need help from each other
to accomplish this. The spirit needs to be feed just like our bodies
and we can't do it alone. That is why I created thebooksociety.net for
members to voice there opions and share with others valuable ebooks to
promote a healthy and happy life. We have done much research and
collect data to promote the best e-books. Our goal is to promote the
world!

--
visit my website for more information
1) Visit my blog at http://rtheng.blogspot.com
2) learn the world of MC
http://rtheng.blogspot.com

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Swine Flu, Pandemics, Bible Prophecy

Swine Flu, Pandemics

A commentary by Don Hooser

Good News magazine writer, Bellingham, Washington

Some health officials fear that the current outbreak of swine flu may already be pandemic.
A pandemic is a global epidemic, one that spreads from nation to nation.
Our world today is so interconnected that even the threat of a pandemic causes immediate community reactions.

Schools, day-care centers, restaurants and stores close.
Transportation and other basic services are curtailed.
Church services and social gatherings are canceled.
Businesses are hampered or shut down by manpower shortages.

Swine flu threat

Swine influenza virus is common in pigs but rare in humans.
Even when people with intense exposure to swine influenza catch it,
it usually is not passed from human to human.
But that has changed! A new strain of the influenza A subtype H1N1 virus,
derived in part from human influenza,
avian (bird) influenza and two separate strains of swine influenza,
is now passing from one human to another.

The first symptoms appeared March 9 when hundreds of people
in the Mexican town of La Gloria began having flu symptoms.
La Gloria is surrounded by huge pig farms.As of April 29,
that flu had spread to at least nine countries.

In the United States, there are more than
100 confirmed cases in 11 states and there has been one death.
World Health Organization concerns

The World Health Organization (WHO) rates
potential influenza pandemics according to phases.

On April 29, WHO raised the swine flu alert level to phase 5,
the next-to-highest level, which means that a possible pandemic could be imminent and the need for preparedness is urgent.

Phase 6 would mean a global pandemic is officially underway.
Three influenza pandemics occurred in the past century.

The Spanish flu in 1918-19 was terribly virulent and deadly,
affecting half the world's population.
The estimates of the number killed range from 20 to 100 million worldwide.

The Asian flu in 1957-58 caused 70,000 deaths,
and the Hong Kong flu in 1968-69 caused 33,000 deaths.

Response paralysis

Fear of a disease pandemic can paralyze
a nation more completely than a large natural disaster confined to one area.
With major earthquake or hurricane destruction,
injuries and deaths mostly occur suddenly.

Rescue and recovery efforts begin immediately.
Volunteers come pouring in from near and far.
Generous donations of resources like money,
equipment and supplies are made available.But with a major pandemic,
every region of a nation can be affected, possibly for months.

Just when more medical care is needed, many medical personnel would become sick.
Hospitals would be overwhelmed. If every city is affected, no city could expect to receive much help from other cities.

Because all parts of advanced societies are interconnected and interdependent,
there is the domino effect. A breakdown in one area hurts many other areas.

Future pandemics

There is reason to anticipate even more serious pandemics in the future.
God has promised blessings, including protection, for those who love and obey Him.

But Bible prophecy predicts eventual punishment
for nations that turn their backs on God and His Word
—a trend that is becoming all too common in our modern society.

Those divine punishments for not keeping

"all the words of this law that are written in this book"
will include

"extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses"

(Deuteronomy 28:58-59).

So what can you do?

Do your best to stay in good health and practice all the usual safety precautions for avoiding contagious diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide good advice at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.

But the most important thing you can do is to have faith in God and rely on Him to be your Protector and Savior.

Consider the reassuring words of Psalm 91 that describe how God is able to protect those who obey Him from the heart in all circumstances:

"Surely He shall deliver you...from the perilous pestilence… You shall not be afraid...of the pestilence... A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you… No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling"

(Psalm 91:3-10).

Monday, July 6, 2009

The Gift of Holy Spirit

New life in Christ Jesus rose from the dead almost 2,000 years ago.
The wonderful thing is that we, too, can have new life in Jesus!

Our sins are forgiven when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.
God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit — God Himself —
to live in our lives when we ask Him.

Jesus Christ can live His life through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do you have a difficult time overcoming temptation and sin?
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit — and
you can overcome temptation.
You can live a new life in Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit.

So just as Jesus rose from the dead with power over sin and death,
so Jesus Christ in you can give you newness of life and power
to live a victorious Christian life.

Just ask God in Jesus’ name to give you
the power of His Holy Spirit to overcome sin and temptation.

So this week, let us pray and
God will help us reach millions of people
with the good news of Jesus Christ

God will help you to experience new life in Jesus Christ

God will bless and protect our team who works here at Global Media Outreach

God loves you!

He wants you to have newness of life in Jesus Christ.
You can experience this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your prayers.

May God bless you,

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Good News Knowing Your Calling

Ephesians 4:11 ……..

It was he who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,
and some to be pastors and teachers
Every Christian has a call on their life,
we have been saved for a purpose.
It is essential that we know our calling in order to fulfil our destiny.

Far too many Christians mistakenly believe that the
only reason they have been saved is to go to heaven.
Sure, we will go to heaven when God calls us home but
before that happy day there is a job for us to do here on earth.

We have all been called to help prepare the body of Christ (the church)
for the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ;
all of us are called to make disciples in fulfilment
of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Some are called into leadership in one (or more) of the five recognised ‘offices’ in the church; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. By far, in this group, the most common is pastors.

However, this does not mean that many who do the work of pastor are,
in fact, called into that ministry. Many ‘pastors’
are burned-out and disillusioned because they are
doing a job that they have neither been called nor anointed to do!

Isaiah 10:27 (NKJV) says:
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed
because of the anointing oil. Many who are doing the work of
pastor are yoked to a sentence of hard labour.

It is essential that we know our calling and its accompanying anointing.
How can we know this?
Take time alone with the Lord in prayer with our bible,
a notepad and a pen.
Ask the Lord to speak to you and show you by His word and
His Spirit what He has called you into His kingdom to do.

What is the purpose of your salvation?

Let us fulfil our destiny by being what God has called us to be.
Let us do our part in preparing the church for Jesus coming back.

Lord Jesus,
thank you for saving me to be your power-filled witness.
Amen