EXERCISING YOUR AUTHORITY.

By: Unknown on 05:13

Sometimes come in life, and some things happen to us or people we know, and we keep wondering why God allow such to happen. Have you ever wondered why the man (a good and dedicated christian) had to die in the car accident/died of cancer/any other diseases, and God didn`t stop such from happening? Why did this/that happen to me and God did not interfere?...

There was a man (minister of God), God appeared to him in a vision and talked to him about the devil, demons, and demon possession. At the end of the vision, an evil spirit that looked like a little monkey ran between Jesus and the man and spread something like a dark cloud. Then this demon began jumping up and down, crying in a shrill voice, "Yakety-yak, yakety-yak, yakety-yak." the man couldn't see Jesus or understand what He was saying.

He couldn't understand why Jesus allowed the demon to make such a racket. He wondered why Jesus didn't rebuke the demon so He could hear what He was saying. He waited a few moments, but Jesus didn't take any action against the demon. Jesus was still talking, but he couldn't understand a word He was saying—and he needed to. He thought to himself, ''Doesn't the Lord know I'm not hearing what He wanted me to? I need to hear that. I'm missing it!''

He almost panicked, became so desperate and cried out, "In the Name of Jesus, you foul spirit, I command you to stop!" The minute he said that, the little demon hit the floor like a sack of salt, and the black cloud disappeared. The demon lay there trembling, whimpering, and whining like a whipped pup. "Not only shut up, but get out of here in Jesus' Name!" He commanded and the demon ran off.

And the man thought, ''Why didn't He do something about that? Why did He permit it?'' Jesus looked at him and said, "If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." That came as a real shock to him—it astounded him. And he replied, "Lord, I know I didn't hear You right! You said You wouldn't, didn't You?" He replied, "No, if you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." The man went through this four times with Jesus and Jesus was emphatic about it, saying, "No, I didn't say I would not, I said I could not."

We Have Been Given Authority To Reign On Earth.

Jesus says in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." which means that we have been given authority (delegated power) to reign here on earth. While Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, He told His disciples that "All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth.", when Christ ascended, He transfered His authority to the church.

He is the Head of the Church, and believers make up the body. Christs authority has to be perpetuated through His body, which is on earth. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and we are seated with Him [(ephesians 1: 18-23 ), (ephesians 2:1-7)].

Originally, God made the earth and the fullness thereof, giving Adam dominion over all the works of His hands. In other words, Adam was the god of this world. Adam committed high treason and sold out to Satan, and Satan, through Adam, became the god of this world. Adam didn't have the moral right to commit treason, but he had the legal right to do so. Now Satan has a right to be here and be the god of this world until "Adam's lease" runs out.

Satan had the right to rule over us until we became new creatures and got into the Body of Christ, as we see in Colossians 1: "Giving thanks unto the Father... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son...." (vv. 12,13). That's why Satan has no right to rule us or dominate us. Yet the average Christian has more faith in Satan's authority and power than in God's!

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, "...ALL POWER is given unto ME in heaven and in earth." All the authority that can be exercised upon the earth has to be exercised through the Church, because Christ is not here in person—in His physical body. We are the Body of Christ.

Even though we have prayed, "Now, Lord, You do this and that," leaving everything up to Him, He has conferred His authority on the earth to His Body, the Church. Thus, many problems exist because we permit them to—we're not doing anything about them. We're the ones who are supposed to do something about them, but we're trying to get someone else, including God, to do something about them.

Demanding Your Rights.

I have found that the most effective way to pray can be when you demand your rights. Peter at the Gate Beautiful did not pray for the lame man; he demanded that he be healed (Acts 3:6). You're not demanding of God when you demand your rights; you're demanding of the devil.

Jesus made this statement in John 14: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do... If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (vv. 13,14). He's not talking about prayer. The Greek word here is "demand," not "ask." On the other hand, John 16:23,24 is talking about prayer: "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (The Father is mentioned here in connection with prayer, but He isn't mentioned in the passage from John 14.) The Greek actually reads, "Whatever you demand as your rights and privileges ... ." You've got to learn what your rights are.

Stand Your Ground Through Faith.

Faith is involved in exercising spiritual authority. As long as Satan can keep you in unbelief or hold you in the arena of reason, he will whip you in every battle. But if you'll hold him in the arena of faith and the Spirit, you'll whip him every time. He won't argue with you about the Name of Jesus—he's afraid of that Name.

Always base your faith on what the Word says. Some peoples faith is not based on the Bible, however, it is based on a manifestation, they operate outside faith in the sense realm. When circumstances don't change immediately, some people become discouraged and slip back into the natural. They start talking unbelief and they defeat themselves. They give the devil dominion over them. As Smith Wigglesworth often said, " I`m not moved by what I see. I'm not moved by what I feel. I'm moved only by what I believe." So stand your ground.

Exercise Your Authority.

You dont pray that Jesus will lay hands on the sick; you do it. Notice, that the hands are not in the Head; the hands are in the Body: " They ... shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." When you lay hands on the sick, you are exercising authority over the devil. That authority is yours whether you feel like you've got it or not. Authority has nothing to do with feelings. But you must exercise it.

When we were first saved, we were baby christains, and God permitted others to pray for us and carry us on our faith. But after a while, God expects that baby to grow, walk, and start doing things for himself. God puts the baby down and tells him to walk, but many won't.

Too many people still want to be babies and have someone else pray for them all the time. We need to teach people so they can grow and use their own authority, because the time will come when they will have to use their own authority if they want their prayers answered.

Conclusion.

Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." God's plan for us is that we rule and reign in life as kings; to rule and reign over circumstances, poverty, diseases, and everything else that would hinder us. We reign because we have authority. We reign by Jesus Christ. In the next life? No, in this life!

Sometimes, believers say they will try something because it has worked for someone else.. If they study God's Word and clothe themselves in its teaching on authority, it will work for them. But if they try to act on God's Word without really having that Word built up in their spirit, the devil will defeat them soundly. You'll only defeat the devil when you've got a foundation of God's Word and you act upon it. The Bible says (speaking of Satan), "Whom resist stedfast in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:9). Your level of faith is directly related to the degree of God's Word dwelling in your heart, that is, that Word which is reality to you and in which you are daily walking.

Conditions exist because we permit them to. Matthew 18:18 says, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." That was the King James Version. Another translation renders it, "Whatsoever things ye refuse to be permitted on earth will be refused to be permitted in heaven."

Exercise your authority.

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The Armour Of God.

By: Unknown on 00:10

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." (Ephesians 6: 10-18 ).

¤ Shield of Faith: (Eph 6:6, 1Peter 1:3-5, Heb 11:1).

The greek word for faith is 'Pistis' meaning 'conviction of the truth of anything; belief.' Faith in God is:

• Trusting in God's word as truth.

• Trusting that God will provide for our needs.

• Trusting that God will protect us from the evil one.

• Believing that God is with us and lives in us, though we may not see Him.

• Believing that Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins, reconciling us to God.

• Believing that through faith, we have Christ's authority over evil powers. (Hebrews 12:2)

You can ask Jesus to help you overcome doubt. Note that, believing the devil's lies is putting faith into them and opening the door for the devil to influence us. This is negative faith. Thus our faith must be based on the truth of the word of God.

How the shield quenches the fiery darts of the Devil:

The fiery darts i.e. temptations, seek to inflame our sinful desires (such as Lust of the flesh, Lust of the eyes, and the pride of Life) by stirring up our thoughts of fulfilling those desires. If our faith is effectively operating, the enemy's temptation will not be able to inflame sinful desires in us, because we don't believe the lies behind them.

Actions to put on the Effective shield (2 Cor 4: 13-14 ):

Our spoken words of faith set the shield into place.

• Reaffirm your faith in the Lord each day by saying words like ''Lord God, I believe that you are the Lord of Heaven and earth, and the creator of all things. I trust in You for my provision, protection, and life today. I take up the shield of faith today and believe that it quenches every fiery darts of the enemy.''

• Daily intake of God's word, and using to destroy the incoming lies (John 8: 31-32 ) behind every temptation you face.

• Ask for God's strength to perfect your faith in any area that it is weak. ''Heavenly Father, I believe that with You nothing is impossible. I believe, Lord, but please help me overcome any unbelief I have, especially in the areas of __, __, __.. I recieve your perfection of my faith right now in Jesus name. Thank you Father. Amen.''

¤ Helmet of Salvation:

The devil seeks to persuade us to sin because it will increase his own power and influence in the world through our minds. Jesus authors our faith, while our minds form it and put it into action. We should be aware that the power of faith can be used for sinful purposes and Satan seeks to harness that power. Thus the mind is important (Matthew 17:30).

Satan tactics against the mind which is designed to weaken our faith, ruin our discernment, and corrupt our thoughts (1 Timothy 2:26); decieve with false doctrine (2 Cor 11:3) like smooth talk and flattery to decieve the mind (Romans 16:18); deceitful scheming through the cunning and craftness (Ephesians 4:14); distracts with carnal interests (by combo of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (1 John 2: 15-17 ). An earthly mindset weakens our devotion to God and causes us to be unfaithful for God's Kingdom (Romans 8:5-7), for example sexual temptations (Proverbs 6: 23-29 ).

How the Helmet of Salvation Protects our Minds:

This helmet function by the peace of God, which is engaged when our minds are focusd on God, and trusting in Him (Philipains 4:6-7, Isaiah 26:3). The helmet, like the other pieces of amour is dependent on our faith in God, and His promises.

How to put on the Helmet:

• Put it on by faith, believing that you truely have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Hebrews 10:16) by saying words like ''I put on the helmet of salvation which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ.''

• Focus your thoughts on God instead of sinful things (Colossians 3:2) which basically involves the redirecting our thoughts towards God and/or Godly things whenever we are tempted (E.g, speaking Bible verses, singing, picturing Jesus on the cross and saying ''The blood of Jesus covers me.''). And don't delay in thought shifting.

• Direct your requests to God through prayer. By taking our requests to God, we enable God's perfect peace to protect our mind and heart (Philipians 4:6-7). (Our prayers should always include thanking God for who He is and what He has done in our lives).

¤ Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14):

Greek word for righteousness is 'Dikaiosune' meaning ''doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feelings, and acting,i.e. condition acceptable to God.'' We can only reach this condition through faith in Jesus Christ. In exchange for faith, God counts us as righteous (being acceptable in His sight (Philipians 3:8-9). Its a combo of the perfect righteousness God imparts on us and our obedience to His commands for living (which proves that our hearts are in agreement with God and that our faith is genuine).

How the Breastplate works:

By believing in Jesus, we recieve all the power and benefits of being righteous in God's sight. If we don't believe that we have God's righteousness, then our breastplate will be ineffective. Also, the blood of Jesus, spiritually washes us clean from our sins (Hebrews 9:14; 10:12, John 14:30).

How to put on the Breastplate:

It is done through faith by speaking it. Words like ''I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour. I am clothed with God's righteousness which protects my heart from the enemy. All footholds that the devil had in me have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed with filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3). The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy.''

How to maintain the Breastplate:

• Obey God's command for living (out of loving appreciation for what Jesus did for us (Romans 6:19). God gives us power to live obediently through the Holy spirit (Romans 8:11,13).

• Live in love. Love is the key activity by which we live for righteeousness (Galatians 5:14, Collosians 3: 12-14 ). By showing God's love to others, we will grow in righteousness towards holiness. When we combine our faith with living in love, our breastplate is strong, like an alloy of two metals.

¤ Belt of Truth (Eph 6:14, John 8: 31-32 ):

A christain survival in the world requires a firm grounding in the absolute truth of the Bible.

• Sanctification: sets us apart from people who don't follow God (John 17:17). To Sanctify means to set apart for a special purpose and to purify. The truth help us stay on mission for God and avoid falling back into sin's corruption.

• Guidance: Holy spirit uses the truth to guide us in whatever situation we are in (John 16:13).

• Intelligence and Discernment: God's truth helps us decisively recognise the devil's lies in spiritual conflicts (Hebrews 4:12).

• Battle readiness (1 Kings 18:46, 2 Kings 4:29, 2 Samuel 20:8): The belt helps for firm support of the garment and place for attachment of weapons (Prayer, Praise, Sword of the Spirit, etc.)

How to put on the Belt each day:

• Speak it: say words like ''I put on the belt of truth. I believe that God's word is truth and I fill my mind with God's word. I have the Holy spirit living in me, who will guide me in truth. The truth enables me to discern the devil's lies and avoid being take captive to his will.''

• Study the word (John 17:17, John 8: 32-32 ).

• Ask God to remind you of the truth (John 14:17, 26). By praying thus; ''Heavenly Father, please remind me of your word today and guide me in truth by the Holy Spirit. Please help me hear, know, and obey your voice in every situation. Please strengthen my abilities to retain and recall your word as it applies to the situations I face. Thank You Heavenly Father, In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.''

How to Maintain the Belt:

This can be done by keeping our hearts pliable and obedient to God by clinging to His word. Note that the truth can be corrupted by sin we commit and tolerate in our lives (1 Kings 2:5, 1 John 1:7).

¤ Battle Shoes, i.e. Readiness to Preach The Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15):

Battle shoes are for protection, support, traction, performance, and comfort. The spiritual footwear that comes from the gospel of few gives us the firm-footed stability, promptness, and readiness we'll need to face our agile adversaries. Gospel of peace refers to the peace we have with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2, Isaiah 53:5, Colosians 1:20, Ephesians 2: 13-22 ).

Putting On The Battle Shoes:

• Speak it by saying words like ''I shed my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I have peace with God through faith in Jesus and have access to God. I have His resources at my disposal for the battle I may face today. Father, please guide my footsteps and secure me on your path of righteousness today. Thank You Father.''

• Learn God's word.

• Don't be anxious about anything, but take all your needs and concerns to God in Prayer (Philipians 4:6-7).

¤ Sword Of The Spirit (Eph 6:17):

The sword is formed by speaking God's word. The greek words for the word of God are: ''Logos, meaning word of God--written form (John 1:1-5, 14)'' and ''Rhema, meaning the spoken word of God-sword of the spirit .

How to use the Sword:

• Standing in faith on the word God has given us for our particular situation and confessing it in the face of the enemy's attacks.

• Speaking or singing scriptures that applies to the situation we are facing (John 8: 31-32 , Psalm 119 : 160 , Proverb 18:21).

• Praying the word (Acts 4: 24-31 ).

• Preaching the word (Acts 13: 38-43 ).

• Answering questions using the word (Acts 13: 46-48 ).

• Daily training through daily quiet times, memorizing key verses..

¤ Prayer In The Spirit (Eph 6:18, Jude 20-21 ):

Our part is to pray ''always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit'' and ''to be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (2 Corinthians 10:5). Supplication means asking humbly or earnestly as by praying. When we pray, we should do so earnestly in humility, inviting the Holy Spirit to work in the situation as God wills. Then, the spirit intercedes for us and plead on our behalf according to God's will (Romans 8: 26-27 ). Praying in the spirit perfects our prayer, and takes our case directly before God, and it increases the effectiveness of prayer for others, as well as alligns our prayer with God's will.

Conclusion:

Satan does not concern himself with the world. He is not interested in them because they are already headed down the broad path of destruction. Those who do not believe in Christ do not need persuasion to sin. They are already held captive by the god of this world (II Cor 4:4). Spiritual attacks seem to most frequently occur at times of personal growth in a believer, when a Christian is overcoming a major sin or addiction, and when they are sharing their faith in Jesus Christ with others.

The full armor of God—truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer—are the tools God has given us, through which we can be spiritually victorious, overcoming Satan's attacks and temptations.

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Can We Really Trust God?

By: Unknown on 03:22

The Track Record:

The city doesn't open because you are anointed, the heart doesn't open because you are eloquent. The only access to the authority of the Spirit that you have is the track record . Everything that secular humanism teaches you does not prepare you for this. Most people will just wish something happen to them, but wishing does not change dackness to light, wishing does not take away hunger and bring bread. Authority is only available to those who are willing to pay the price, and the only price is to establish a track record.

Faith itself is a track record. Faith is not getting up today and believing God for bread, faith is a continious insistence or persistence decision to follow God and to just trust Him, and to believe Him. Sometimes faith will endure the trials of darkness, sometimes faith will endure the trails of lack, and faith will believe when there is nothing to believe. Faith is following Jesus whithersoever He goeth (Rev 14:4). Jesus can decide to enter into barreness faith will follow Him, He can choose to go in afflictions and persecutions faith will still follow Him. Faith will never look back even in the time of neccessities. It is the track record you need and you need to establish it.

God doesn't just stand up and give you a prophesy. You cannot prophesy to the church or nation when you have not prophesy about things in your pocket. God will start with you, He will teach you and expand your sphere of influence. He will you lead to understand what the morning, afternoon, and night is all about. He will tell you to get up and pray, and if you obey Him, the next thing He will tell you is to go and rest now. Sometimes He will tell you get up and study now.

If you alway obey Him, one-day, He will tell you don't enter that bus and the moment you leave the bus you hear it had an accident. Sometimes, He will tell you don't enter the station but wait over here, and many times you will wait in vain and nothing will happen, then He will tell you let go now. He is only trying to teach you and exercise you on the habit of obedience, because strong meat belongth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Your level of obedience to God will determine the level of your faith in Him and your spiritual maturity.

If you are always faithful to Him one day He will give you prophesy concerning nations. You don't desire the mountain top when you have not gone down to the valley because the journey to the top begins from the deep of the valley. The flow of the valley is the root of the mountain. You need to establish this track record my friend because that's what walking with Jesus is all about.

Examples Of People God Set On Track Record:

God set Joseph on track record. He was with his father, Jacob, enjoying, not knowing he was to save two nations- Egypt and Israel from famine. God took him away from his father by allowing persecution against him among his brethren. The persecution lead him to prison and from the prison to the throne. Track record is God leading you in the path of righteousness and sometimes path of righteousness invokes rejection and brings persecution but rejoice because God is taking you to your throne and He deliver you from every persecutions (2 Timothy 3: 11-12 ).

Another person in the Bible God set on track record is Abraham. Infact he is the perfect example. He was in his father's house when God called him(Gen 12:1) and God made a convenant with him to make him the father of many nations. Abraham developed a relationship with God, He walked with God and have faith in Him, and it was counted unto righteousness for him. Track record is all about walking with God and obeying Him, it is all about having faith in God. Abraham longsufferred for twenty-five (25) years before he could receive the promise from God. He walked with God throughout those years to learn God's holiness and perfection. In Genesis 17:1-2 God told him to be perfect to fulfill the convenant He made with him.

Another important example is Samuel. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord by his mother, Hannah (1Sam 1: 27-28 ). He stayed with Eli, the priest of the Lord and learned from him. Eli was the judge in those days and when his eyes were began to wax dim, the Lord called Samuel to be the next judge over Israel. As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and he obeyed all the words of the Lord. The Lord expanded his sphere of influence by making all Israel to know that Samuel was a prophet and the Lord revealed Himself to him by His Word (1Sam 3:1,2,4, 19-21 ). If you walk with God and obey His Word He will expand your sphere of influence and reveal Himself to you more and more by His Word.

The disciples of Jesus is another important example of people God set on track record. they learned the gospel of the kingdom from Him to became the preacher of the gospel. And like the disciples and other examples above, we also are being called by God to be set on track record.

Conclusion:

Trusting God entails handing over the course of our life to Him. ''Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.(Proverbs 16:3). This means that in all we do--our whole lives and our day-to-day work must be entrusted to God. 'Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.(Psalm 37:5).

Trusting God also means placing our faith in Jesus alone for salvation. Nothing we do can earn our salvation. ''For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, can we really trust God? Yes, because He said it in His word, and we can surely take Him at His word. Do you need more assurance that God can be trusted? Then you need to read these verses:

¤ Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:4 (An everlasting rock that never fails).

¤ In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for You answer me . Psalm 86:7.

¤ This God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. Psalm 18:30.

¤ Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act . Psalm 37:5.

¤ The Lord your God will fight for you, you need only be still . Exodus 14:14.

¤ The Lord is near, Do not be anxious in anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:5-6.

¤ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit . Psalm 34: 17-18 .

¤ For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

All the passages above would be incomplete without this one: Isaiah 40:31; "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." So, brethen, we can surely trust the Lord and not be put to shame. ''...it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.''

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Enjoying Life In Christ.

By: Unknown on 13:07

Many people are somewhat confused concerning the Christian Life. And there are so many believers in Christ Jesus who are struggling and frustrated because the understanding of what it means to live a successful, pleasurable, and victorious Christian life evades them. I believe that it is very possible to live for God and to enjoy the sweetness of His Presence, once we comprehend the principles which govern successful Christian living.
If God could not spare his only beloved son, surely he is able to give you all things. God cares so much about what you may be going through right now. How He cares for you He has given you his word with all the promises to stand on. Your problems will only go away the moment you discover who you are in him. Identifying yourself as his child is very important in this kingdom. Most Christians perish for lack of knowledge.
If your Christian life is dull and boring, then maybe the principles I will share concerning living victoriously in Christ Jesus might end up being what you precisely need to know. Read on. I would like to give you ten things to understand which will enable you to live closer to Christ and enjoy being a Christian. After all, Jesus said that He came that we may have and enjoy life. (John 10:10, Amplified Bible). These ten spiritual principles are true and based upon the Knowledge of God's Word. They are universal, meaning they apply to all of us as believers in Jesus Christ. And if you will be a doer of God's Word, and not just an inactive hearer, these gems of Truth will change your life. Here they are:
1. Make sure that you are saved , not just religious. This is the starting place of a successful Christian life. You must know that you are saved. To be saved is to be born again, born from above, made a Christian, redeemed, and made a child of Almighty God. All of these terms mean the same thing. Now, how can we be sure that we are saved?
In order to become a Christian, we must believe that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 King James Bible) We must believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God came to the earth in the flesh, through the womb of a virgin as a baby, grew up and went to the cross as the spotless Son of God, to die for our sins which we had committed before Almighty God. We must believe that He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisment of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 King James Bible). We must believe that God raised Jesus Christ, His Son from the dead, and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
If you have therefore received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, asking Him to come into your heart, then you are saved, born again, a Christian. The Scripture which confirms this is 1 John 5:13, that states, "These things have I written unto you which believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." So if you gave Christ your life, you are saved. If you have not yet given Jesus Christ your life, then ask Him in right now. Just say, ''Jesus Christ, Son of God. I believe You died for me and shed Your precious blood to wash away my sins. I believe God raised You from the dead and right now I receive You as my Lord and personal Savior. I give You my life. Now help me to live for You. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen''.
2. Understand that the new birth, or becoming a Christian is not a physical experience, nor a mental experience, but a spiritual experience. This is where many people can become confused. Some think that the new birth is a physical thing. So when they gave their life to Christ, they might be expecting to have some kind of 'feeling', this super-duper, out of the world feeling, by which they would know that they were really saved, but to their disappointment, they did not have that kind of felling. They at this point might not feel saved, probably confused.
All we to know is that the new birth is not a physical thing and it is not based upon physical feelings. Our feelings are like the wave of the sea, in and out, up and down. Never, ever judge your relationship with Christ based upon how you feel at any given moment. Your walk with God is to be lived by the BIBLE , the Written Word of God, which is stable, concrete and sure. The Word of God is dependable, not our feelings. So look to the Word. The BIBLE says, if you receive Jesus as Lord, you would be saved, and as you have received Him as Lord, then you are saved. It does not matter how you feel.
3. Understand the three-fold make-up of man. According to the BIBLE, we are not just flesh and blood. And we are not just body and soul. We are spirit, soul and body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." So we are spirit, soul and body.
Now, where the confusion for many Christians comes in is a lack of understanding as to which part of us got saved. When we gave our lives to Jesus, it was not our bodies which got saved. Our bodies have not been changed as yet. Thank God, one day, when Jesus comes again, we shall receive a new body, a beautiful, glorious, saved, immortal body, just like Jesus own, when He arose from the dead. But, that is to come. It was not our souls which got saved either. I know that this is a bold statement, but please hear me out. Jesus said being born again is a spiritual experience. He said, "That which is born of the spirit, is spirit." (John 3:1-6) So, when we give our lives to Christ, the part of us which gets saved is our spirits . We receive a new spirit. Our souls however are saved, as our minds are renewed to God's Word. This point will be discussed more in our next point.
4. Our Minds Must Be Renewed. When we give our lives to Christ, our spirits become a new creation in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We become a child of God in our spirits, our inward man. But nothing happens to our souls (minds) or bodies. Now that we are children of God, we must participate in the salvation of our minds, our soulish area, through a process called the renewing of our minds. You may read more about this in Romans12:2 and James 1:21.
In other words, we must now change our thinking from negative, ungodly and unwholesome thoughts to thinking based upon God's Holy Word, the BIBLE. Our souls include our minds, wills, emotions, and imaginations. We must daily, feed upon God's Word and bring our thinking, reasoning and imaginations in line with the BIBLE, rather than what we formerly thought, or what ungodly people try to tell us. The BIBLE is the standard by which we are called to live as Christians.
5. What About the Body? This aspect alone can fill this entire article. The body, also called the flesh in Scripture, is what gives us most of the problems we encounter in our walk with Christ. The enemy of man's souls came at man from the Garden of Eden through this avenue of the flesh and the mind, and he has not changed his mode of operation. Our bodies are not saved as yet, and if they have been exposed to or experienced in evil, much of the time, they will want to continue pursuing that way, even though we make the decision to live for Christ. Our flesh will want things which oppose the Will of God until it is subdued and made to obey God.
The Apostle Paul himself, who was a great apostle of the Lord Jesus, had seen Jesus on numerous occasions, has been caught up to the third Heaven and heard things which were unlawful to utter, said that he had to keep his body under, and bring it into subjection to God's Will. (1Corinthians 9:23) My friends, if St. Paul had to keep his body under subjection and make it obey God, so do you and I. And you will never develop spiritually in Christ Jesus if you do not learn how to submit the members of your body to God as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1)
6. Understand that the BIBLE is SPIRITUAL FOOD . The Psalmist David wrote: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed there to according to Thy Word. Oh let me not wander from Thy Commandments. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalms 119 : 9-11 ) God's Word is the spiritual food of the Christian. Just as our bodies need physical food to live and be strong, and as our minds need knowledge and information in order to develop mentally, our spirits need the BIBLE, God's Holy Written Word in order to grow and develop spiritually.
His Word is spirit and life. (John 6:63) Jesus said that, "Man shall not live by bread (physical food) alone, but by every Word which proceeds out of the Mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) If you think that you will become a strong Christian without daily feeding upon God's Word, then you are mistaken. You will only become spiritual by reading the Spiritual food of the Word of God, the BIBLE and doing what it says. The moment you start reading the bible, you will discover how much God loves you. A closed bible is a closed destiny.
7. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY . Learn to develop the habit of prayer. Just as the Word of God, the BIBLE, is God Almighty speaking to us and revealing His plan and purpose to us, even so, prayer is how we communicate with God. Through prayer we invite God into our affairs and seek His wisdom, guidance, protection, strength and help. Prayer is humbling ourselves before the Father God, realizing that we cannot live successfully without Him. Really, no one can be a true success without having God in their lives. If your success is only limited to this life alone, with no real hope in the next, then your success is not real success.
Here is one of my favorite Scriptures on Prayer; (Proverbs 3: 5-6) "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." Praying without giving up is the key. Don't give up when you see that nothing is happening. Most people give up when they are about to breakthrough. A mature Christian will always fight a good fight of faith. Giving up shouldn't be an option when you are in Christ Jesus because he didn't give up on you on the cross. Would like to add Praise to this point.
Give God praise in good times, in the middle of a bad situation; always give God praise. There's nothing the devil hates than praise. A joyful heart will always produce after its kind, therefore, be happy even when the situation is helpless. I want you to try this and see if it won't work for you. I know it won't be easy but you will find strength when you start. This is a secret that many believers know nothing about. If you know that God is true and he is able to answer, you will not panic. What about waking up in the middle of the night and just praise God for who he is? That is the quickest way to your miracle.
8. If you fail as a Christian, don't give up. All of us, at some point or another, fall short of the mark while we are on this Christian journey. I am the first to raise my hand and say that I am not perfect. I am growing into spiritual perfection, which will not be complete until Christ comes again. So, if you miss the mark and fall into sin, do not give up. Do not allow the enemy to tell you; "See, you have sinned. You cannot be saved. You might as well backslide." Note the lie of the adversary. Why backslide if you were never saved? You are saved. You just missed it. We all have at some point or another and most likely will again.
I am not condoning sin, or the practice thereof. What I am saying is that none of us are perfect. We have missed it and we will miss it, because we are still growing (also note that there are stages in growing). If you do miss it, ask God to forgive you, wash you and cleanse you from that sin and wrong doing, and then quit the sin with His help. He promises in His Word, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) So ask Him to forgive you. Wipe your tears, get up and move on in Christ with the bold determination that you are in this to stay.
9. Stay in Christian Fellowship. We all need each other. And to grow and develop spiritually we need to fellowship with the people of God and hear the Word of God taught and preached through His anointed servants and hand-maidens. You need a pastor. So find a good church, where the Word of God is proclaimed and join up. Stay in fellowship with the saints and learn all you can. By the way, make sure that the church proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and adheres to the principles of the BIBLE. Ephesians 4: 11-12 , Hebrews 10:25)
10. Do the Bible. Remember always that we must be doers of God's Word, and not just hearers, if we are going to grow, develop and progress in the things of God. So, when you read His Word and see how the BIBLE says we should conduct the affairs of our lives, make it your aim, with His help to do what you read. Doing the Word produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life. (James 1:22)
In the kingdom of God, nothing works without your permission. The enemy won't harass you if you don't allow him. Give God permission to run all the affairs of your life and watch how many things he will do through you.
Finally, Practice being consistent in your walk with God. Read His Word daily. Pray daily. Praise Him Always. Go to church regularly. Share your faith and hope constantly. And may our Lord, when He comes, find you right in the center of His Will. Wishing you a thrilling walk with Christ. Looking forward to your testimonies, challenges, and breakthrough stories. Stay blessed.
Has this touched your life in any way?, please share with your friends on social media, who knows, this might be just what they need. Thanks.

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Faith: What It Is, What Its Not.

By: Unknown on 03:24

Is faith real? Is it a way of acting like something is so when it not? Is it a way of making things that doesnt exist to exist? Is faith an act of acting blindly on an issue?

Faith is real, and it is well stated by St. Paul in Hebrews 11:1 that: ''Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen .'' Faith is the substance here illustrates that Faith is real (i.e it is the assurance), also note the statement: it is the evidence of things not seen , which means that they do exist, they are not just seen!.
For example: In this world, we have come to realise that some things exist, eventhough we cant see them, e.g the air we breathe in, waves transmitting radio and television signals, etc. Am going to use the television and its signal as an example: we cant see television signals, but they exist. If someone says 'No there aren't, it sure doesnt exist (talking of the television signal)', this wont change the fact that there is, it just mearnt that such person is not smart enough.
A television set can make this unseen signals visible (can someone see where we humans come in, in matters of faith? Yes/No?). When we see the images on the television set is not when they become real, they were already there, and if we switch off the television set, that still wont stop it from being there. The television set doesn't generate images, all it does is to receive signal, and convert it into sights and sound that we can see and hear. These signals remains unseen untill we tune them in through the television set.
If you have ever experienced a situation in which you were watching the television, when the picture suddenly went blank. In such a case like this, did you call the broadcast station to complain? Am sure what you did first was to check if it was an error in your connections (like the plug-ins, electrical connection, whether a tube has gone out or some circuit has melted, you probably also checked the receiver to see if nothing is wrong with it.. You trust that the station broadcast 24/7 , thus the problem surely cant be from them, you surely dont question that until you'v eliminated all the possible problems with your set.
Likewise, God is real and does exist. He just can't be seen. He is broadcasting all His powers and blessings 24/7 . It's never God's transmitter that is broken. It's always our receiver that is the problem. If we ask God for something and we don't see it manifest instantly, most people will question why God hasn't answered that prayer yet. They assume that because they haven't seen or heard anything, nothing has happened. That's all wrong. Dont you think we need to have more faith in God than we have in a television station?.
We need to understand that having faith does not really mean that the physical truth will disappear, but surely the spiritual truth would dominate over the physical, and the problem would surely be solved. True faith doesnt deny physical truth, it just refuses to let the physical dominate over the spiritual, all it does is subdue the physical to the reality of the spiritual.
A good illustration of faith is found in 2kings 6. Here Elisha was revealing the Syrian's battle plan to the king of Isreal, so the Isrealites would ambush the Syrian's ambush. This continued, and the King of Syria asked his servants to reveal the traitor, When one of the king of Syria's servants said that Elisha, the prophet of God, was revealing the words that the king of Syria said in his bed chamber to the king of Israel, the king of Syria sent his armies to capture Elisha (2king 6:15).
When Elisha's servant saw the troop, he panicked (he knew why they were there, thus they were in big trouble). But to Gehazi's surprise (Gehazi- Elisha servant), Elisha said ''Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2kings 6:16). Am sure that with this reply, Gehazi would look round in search for they that be with them (and he would surely be disappointed to find nothing (this is in the physical world). There were truely more with him than was with the Syrian army. It's just that Elisha's forces were in the unseen reality.
The key to understanding this is to recognize that there is another realm of reality beyond this physical world. (Those who are limited to only their five senses will always struggle with this). Then Elisha prayed that Gehazi's eyes be opened ( And when the eyes (spiritual) of Gehazi were opened, he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about them. (He (Gehazi) was able to see with his heart into the spiritual world).
Those who see faith as an attempt to make something real which isn't real will always struggle with those who see faith as simply making what is spiritually true a physical truth. When Gehazi's eyes were opened, the Syrian army did not disappear, the were still there, but then the spiritual subdued the physical, and Elisha was able to conquer the Syrians (Not by fighting them physically, but he used the spiritual to influence the physical. He raised his hands and smote the Syrians with blindness... (You can read the full story at 2kings 6 ( the whole chapter).).
Here, Elisha was not just speaking some wishful statement, hoping that it would become a reality. He knew what was real in the spiritual world, and he controlled his emotions and actions accordingly. There is no indication that Elisha saw the horses and chariots of fire around him. He didn't need to. He believed it. Those who operate in true faith don't need to see with their physical eyes. Their faith is evidence enough, this is walking by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).
Another good illustration of faith (in the bible) is that of Abraham, ( this ought to be the first illustration, as Abraham is known as 'the father of faith' ). It all started for Abraham when God called him when he was still in his father's house in Teran. He yielded to the call, went to Cannan, though he knew not where God was taking him at the initial stage.
When God first promised Abraham that He would give him a son in his old age, the Bible simply says ''he believed the Lord... (faith)'' (Genesis 15:6). Here we can see that Abraham was accepted by God not because of anything else, but because of his complete faith in God . It was simply human faith responding to God's faithfulness (just like a television set responding to the the television signal from the television broadcasting staion). Because Abraham trusted in God's faithfullness, he believed the impossible would happen (i.e God would be true to His word, give him a son, through which God's promise can only be fulfiled).
The son came, and was named Isaac. Then when Isaac was still a young boy, too young to marry and have any children of his own, the command came to Abraham to sacrifice him (Genesis 22:2). Here, there are many challenges for Abraham.
First, did he love God enough to be willing to give his son for him? Second, Abraham knew God was absolutely holy and trustworthy, so in this knowledge, he had to resolve how God could command him to do something that was apparently morally questionable. And lastly, he had to ask how God could fulfil His promise to give him a son and through him, descendants so many that they could not be numbered (Genesis 16:10) if his son was to be sacrificed before he could even bear a child of his own. Surely, the only way God's promise would be fulfilled in the life of Isaac, is if he was raised from the dead (and Abraham believed God to do and make the impossible happen).
The sun generates light, loads of it. It needs no other object in the sky to assist it to do so. At full moon, our satellite reflects the sun's light beautifully, but only marginally. Take away the sun and the moon cannot shine, but remove the moon and the sun will blaze with light undaunted. The moon simply reflects the sun's light as Abraham's faith was a reflection of God's faithfulness.
When Isaac said to Abraham ''Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?'' (Genesis 22:7), Abraham replied '' God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son'' (Genesis 22:8), the direct Hebrew translation of which means ''God will provide the lamb from His own very being'' i.e. ''my son, you are to be the sacrifice, but take heart, you are only a reflection of the lamb which God will provide from himself as the true sacrifice''.
This faitholic statement of Abraham was confirmed by Jesus in John 8:56; '' Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day, he saw it and was glad''. Later on, the ram came as a substitute for Isaac, just as Jesus came as a substitute for us in enduring the wrath of God against us for all our sins. All this came from nothing more than the nature of Abraham's faith - a response to God's own faithfulness. Seeing his own faith only as a reflection of this, as the moon can only reflects the sun's light, he foresaw the whole Christain Gospel. Praise the Lord!.
These are few of many people in the bible that had faith in God, and it surely does worked for them. Lets take a look at some principles at which we can generate faith and make faith effective.
1. Ever heard that fear is not the opposite of faith? Yea, its just an opposition to faith. Doubt is the opposite of faith. Those that had faith never doubted in their hearts, thats the reason for their success (either in the short or long run). Sometimes we have fear with faith, thus things didnt work out as planned/expected, then you need boldness with faith (Romans 5:1-5).
Ever wanted to get rid of the fear/doubt that is ever mixed with your faith? All you need is the Holy Spirit; the one who is to fill our heart with the Love of God, and there is no fear in love. In the atmosphere of hope, there is love, which in turn creates faith with boldness (and this is only done by filling ones heart with the love of God given by the Holy Ghost).
Even if your faith is little, all you need is the love of God to fill your heart (thus for faith to work, you need the love of God to become perfected in your heart). When our heart is fiiled with the love of God, our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence (as there would be no fear and the deceit of the devil overcomed). Faith is the believe that God can do it, while Confidence is the assurance that God is with us and for us.
Thus; Faith + Confidence = Desired result.
2. Every human being has the potential of having faith, and an effective one at that. Want to build up the potential of faith in you? Lets take a look at faithosynthesis i.e the generation of faith.
¤Whenever you fear/doubt, you break the hedge, Ecclesiastes 10:8b says; ''whoso breaketh an hedge, the serpent shall bite'' (the serpent here is fear/doubt ). Thus, you have to confess the word with your mouth and believe with your heart (Romans 10: 9-10 ). If the symptoms persist, then that is the point to stand on your faith, and you have to know that strongholds are just imaginations ( i.e image formation).
¤ Hope: which means ''a strong and confident expectation '', and it brings comfort to our heart. Psalm 119 : 49-50 says; ''Remember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction : for thy word has quickened me.''
¤ Believe in hope: God can provide another source of supply for thee (or another way out of something for thee). This can come to pass by believe, take the word of hope and believe totally till there is no doubt in you. In believing, you medidate more and more in the word of God, and build on the word to increase your believe and reduce your doubt to zero, (romans 4: 13-18 , mark 11: 23-24 ).
¤ Believe and thus speak on it. Confess the word with confidence (Holy spirit, the facilitator of faith can help with this, 2cor 4:13). When faith mix with the word of God, your need will surely be met, hebrews 4:2.
¤ Dont give up on anything, just have faith.
Lastly, you might not see what God is saying, just have believe. Believing takes energy, it needs looking beyond what one can see, feel, etc. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of God. What makes Gods power to meet your problem is through faith (Luke 1:34,45). God tries our faith, thus we need to have faith in Him, no matter how long, dont let anything shake ur faith.
Performance= hearing + believing. (hebrews 11: 6-11 ).
What ways has worked for you in the past, has having faith ever worked for you? Feel free to share your story with us. Thanks. comments

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THE REVELATION OF GODS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

By: Unknown on 01:11

GODS  UNCONDITIONAL  LOVE.
This is a short review on the book of Hosea which tells us more about/reveals the unconditional love of God. God surely loves us, and He revealed this the more in the book of Hosea. You can read the whole book of Hosea to get a detailed story of this revelation..
Demonstration of Gods Unconditional Love: Hosea 1:2-3; Here God told Hosea (a prophet ,righteous man)to take a wife of harlotry, ''for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord''. Hosea thus married Gomer (her name means ''cease ,come to an end,fail; completion, perfection'' .i.e she was perfected in harlotry because she was fully experienced in sinning and in rebellion; also completed in realm of failure. Being a daughter of Diblaim (this is the name of her mother) means''dried, rotten, corrupted figs'' i.e. not only was she a failure but also rotten. God also told him not only to marry her but also to love her. (Think of this for a moment, can you really love someone that despite all you did to show your love to the person, the person still continues to hurt you more and more (like cheat on you, dupe you, etc)?). This demonstrates Gods love towards us, He takes us, and then lavishes His Love on us despite us being failures, perfected in sinning, living under the dominion of the devil, and living out of the drives of the flesh. Eph 2:4-6 says that while we yet in this condition (as sinners), God loved us, He saved us, and raised us up together with Christ, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Gods Love is alluring: Hosea 2:13; Here, Gomer (symbolising Gods people) has totally forgotten the Lord, and went after her lovers, but instead of God to say that He will destroy her, He said; ''..Thus, I will allure her,will bring her into the wilderness (an environment that causes her(us) to feel her(our) need) and speak comfort to her (so as to win/save her soul)''.
Its a convenant love: Hosea 2: 19-20 ; Here despite the people's condition (this condition is such that they have neglected their Lord), the Lord says; ''I will betroth you to me forever'' .i.e. he definitely has plans for them(us); plans for a future marriage, and union with Him(And Jesus is coming back to take the prepared brides along with Hi,m back to Heaven where the marriage is going to take place. How prepared are you for this?).
Meaning of this Unconditional Love: Hosea 3:1; At a time, Ephraim was addicted to idols. An idol is anything that replaces God, and usurps God in our life, it does not have to be a statue of Budha, it can be automobile; watching televesion; can be anything that gives us pleasure in our flesh, may give us pleasure but it can actually be idolatry. Also covetousness which refers to an inordinate, sinful, pleasurable desires that are directed towards some objects. But God said; ''Let him alone'' (This alone period is the time of dopping Ephraim with the Love of God), then Ephraim came under the allurement, and attraction of the Love of God, that after observing, bearing, and enjoying His love shall Ephraim say, ''What have I to do anymore with idols?''.
Gods Love is Dependable: Hosea 6:1-3; v3 says that His going forth is as established as the morning (i,e, His love is absolutely dependable ,it is as established as the morning). Just as you can depend upon the fact that there will be another morning, so also is Gods Love. You can always count on the fact that Jesus Loves you, not because your condition merits His Love, but rather, its because Gods love issues out of Himself, unrelated to our condition (Out of His own good pleasure, He choses us, and selected us).
Gods Love is Gentle: Hosea 11:1-4; Here,though the isrealites purposely sacrificed to other gods, and were filled with idolatry, and addicted to it, the Lord drew His people with gentle cords (cords of a man, not that of a beast), He comes to us with gentle cords, with bands of Love, its a stooping love; comes down to where we are, if we are under a yoke, He removes it. The nature of His love does not require that you first come up to a certain level, but just as you are, God will come down to you, and stoop, and feed you.What a gentle love.
Gods Love Is Intrinsic: Hosea 11:7. This describes a kind of religious profession that has no heart in it. It is like a person going through the motions of religion but who in reality is bent on backsliding. Often we come to a point where we feel like ''God cant love me anymore, I've passed the point of no return. He might be able to love others, but not me''. This happens to us in our experience, especially when we have continual failures, when it happens again, and again, and we seem to be bent on backsliding. Instead of analysing ourselves that God can Love us no more, lets consider His reaction to those that are prone to wander. In Hosea 11:8; here though Ephraim deserves destruction, still God loves him, His(God) heart churns within Him .i.e the nature of His love is intrinsic; not a doctrine to Him, belongs to His nature, it is the way He reacts, and feels. That though with Isreal in a backsliding condition, His sympathy, compassion is stirred. He said ''I will not execute the fierceness of My anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim, For I Am God, Am not man(Hosea 11:8b-9a)''.
Gods Love is Uncompelled: Hosea 14:4-8. Here God says; ''I will love Him freely (uncompelled). No one has to compel God to Love him(v 4). It is His nature.
The Practical Love of God: Having seen the nature of Gods unconditional Love in the book of Hosea. How does it really relate to us? We are persons with the love of God ''poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us''. Our relationship with the Lord is based upon our resting in this Love (John 15:9). Just abide, rest, and stay in His Love. In the book of Hosea, God illustrates His love towards Isreal by telling Hosea to take a wife of harlotry, and then to love her though she continues in her adultery. We just need to allow the Lord to draw us with gentle cords, and bands of Love, that our hearts may be touched. This unconditional love of God was demonstrated to us through Christs death on the cross (Romans 5:6-8). God loved the church not because the church at that time was intrinsically beautiful. We were like the rotten figs that Hosea describes, we were failures, ungodly, sinful, rebellious, addicted to idolatry. ''But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even while we were dead in tresspasses, made us alive together with Christ (Eph 2:4-5)''. We should not presume that we really know Gods character, and love. We may have had a bad childhood, being handled abusively, and so now we project our parents' way of relating to us onto God; we think that is the way God is. But we have to realise God is God for He says''I am God, am not man''. Having the revelation of how He loves us unconditionally, we just need to come to Him. Just as we are, come to Him. Have you failed?; then you are a candidate for Him to take you to Himself. Are you rotten?, You feel corrupted, and spoiled?,Maybe your humanity has gotten spoiled?, You have sinned yourself out(you feel wasted)?, whatever it is. Do you realise that Gods love, and the revelation of that love to you is not based upon the beauty or potential in you? It is just His nature, intrinsically, to love the objects of His love. He cannot help Himself but to love us (Imagine this kind of Love(You going to let it bypass you?) (Note: Even though He loves us unconditionally and forever, the chance is limited, as their is no mercy after death). Just let Him bring you to the wilderness, attract you, speak to you. Let Him woo your Heart just to love Him. It is not a matter of someone coercing/forcing you to break away from the idols you are joined to, its is a matter of just enjoying the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord from which nothing can seperate us. This Love will cause you to say like Ephraim that; ''What have I to do anymore with idols?''. Let Him come down, and meet you where you are, let Him stoop, and feed you, He does not expect you to even lift up your head, He will take away the yoke, and He will come down just where you are. This love causes us to shout with Paul that; ''nothing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:39)''. Spend some time before the Lord, let His unconditional love gently allure you in whatever condition you find yourslef. Be certain that His love is as dependable as the morning. Let the efforts of this love reach into every area of your being, and into all your relationships. Just confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive, and help you, and start living a Christ-like life. Know that Christ came that you might be saved, sanctified, and made one in God (Just as the Father and Son are one).. ''Be warned whom you shall fear. Fear him, which after he has killed, has power to cast into hell''; ''And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not/did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes, but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes (but the most unfortunate thing is that this is for eternity!)''. If you have not been faithful in your commitment to God, please renew it, and if you havent at all, please do. He Loves you, and wants you to do His will, and follow His ways, so as to be like Him.. ''Shall they that fall, not arise? Shall he that turn away, not return?'' i.e He wants us to come back,to repent, and to be like Him.. ''And now, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God,to walk in all His ways, and to Love Him (with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength), and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His Statutes.. but for thy own good?''.

CHARGE: Thinking of this great unconditional love of God, are you still going to continue the normal way you always have? This revelation is mearnt to affect our relationship with God, the people around us, and to understand more of the plan, and purpose of God for our life. If you think you have not appreciated or even valued the unconditional love of God, perhaps, you've misused it, He is giving you another chance today. You can wholeheartedly say the following prayers:''Lord Jesus, I thank you for dieing for my sins, and for the gift of salvation. Am so sorry for my past wrong deeds. All my sins, I now detest them, please forgive me, and wash me clean with your blood, and help me in Living right henceforth. Thank you Lord. For I pray In Jesus Name''. Amen. (Also read Psalm 51 prayerfully. God loves you. Have any word for us?, drop your comments, and ideas below, Thanks.) comments

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Knowing God More Personally.

By: Unknown on 21:12

Knowing God Personally?.What does it take to begin a relationship with God?, Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds?, Become a better person so that God will accept you?. You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ...
Principle 1: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. God's Love; "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."(1) God's Plan [Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life,and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful].(2) Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?. This is because...
Principle 2: All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God. We Are Sinful "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(3). We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. We Are Separated: "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God](4).

.This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates us. The arrows illustrate that we are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion -- but we inevitably fail. The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
Principle 3: Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life. He Died in Our Place "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(5). He Rose From the Dead "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."(6). He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me''(7).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. It is not enough just to know these three principles...
Principle 4: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. We Must Receive Christ "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."(8). We Receive Christ Through Faith "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."(9). When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation [Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."(10). Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Which circle best describes your life? Which circle would you like to have represent your life? The following explains how you can receive Christ: You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer; Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised..
» (1) John 3:16 (NIV); (2) John 10:10; (3) Romans 3:23; (4) Romans 6:23; (5) Romans 5:8; (6) 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; (7) John 14:6; (8) John 1:12; (9) Ephesians 2:8,9; (10) Revelation 3:20.
'Adapted from ''Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws and Would You Like to Know God Personally'', by Dr. Bill Bright.
[Feel free to drop your comments and share your thoughts below. Thanks.]' comments

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The Three Tombs Of Jesus!

By: Unknown on 20:56

Three tombs was made for Jesus? Was it really three tombs that was made for Jesus? If so, was He once in any of these, or probably still lies buried in one of these three tombs? What really can we gain from this?. If these questions comes to your mind, then I think you should read on...
The first tomb that was being made, was the one that Jesus was buried in thousands of years ago. Just beyond the Dung gate at the northern entrance to the old city (Jerusalam), however, is a garden with a tomb hewn out of a rock consistent with the tomb of Jesus spoken of in the Gospel (luke 23:53), (The protestants will tell you that this is the true tomb of Jesus.), He was in this tomb for three days(approximately), He rose on the third day as a result of Him being victorious over death. Wow, who can beat this? He surely is powerful.

The second tomb is the one made by the catholic church, if you visit the catholic church of the holy sepulchre, you will be taken down to a tomb below the ground which is said to be His burial place, probably as a source of remembrance of the death and resurection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The third and the last tomb created for Jesus is the tomb in Medina made by the Muslims in hope that Jesus is coming back again. An empty place beside the tomb of Muhammad was reserved for Jesus. According to Quran commentator Baidawi, Jesus will return to the Holy Land to kill the Antichrist, and rule for 40 years, then help turn everyone toward Islam so Islam rules the world. Then Jesus is going to experience death, then be buried next to Muhammad.

Which one of these three is the true tomb of Jesus? Well, all of them is, in one way or the other, but the first tomb mentioned is the certified and generally known one(If you have the best answer to this, you can comment at the end of the post, and share with all. Thanks).
The good news is that of this three tombs made for Jesus, He fills none of them! He is alive, in heavenly glory, having risen from the dead never to die again.. Can you see a signal of victory and triumph for you and I? The resurection of Jesus fully complements His work on earth and death on the cross of calvary, it proves His power to save and forgive sin. The Bible asserts, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). By rising from the dead, Jesus proved His authority and power to break the bonds of sin, and to assure forgiveness, and eternal life to all who accept His gift of salvation. The Resurrection revealed Christ's power over death. The Bible records, "Christ rose from the dead and will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him" (Romans 6:9, TLB). The Resurrection secured our victory over death as well and "lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:6). The Resurrection defeated God's enemy. From the moment of his original rebellion until the day of the Cross, the devil fought viciously, and cunningly to overthrow the kingdom of God. Satan must have thought he had dealt the final, and decisive blow in this age-old war. But this was the devil's most serious mis-calculation. The Cross was heaven's triumph. And when Jesus Christ arose, the power of sin and death was forever shattered. Because of the Resurrection, Christians(and anyone that accepts the gift of Salvation of Jesus Christ) need never fear Satan or death again.
[Feel from to post your comments and share your thoughts below,Thanks.] comments

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