This is a great forum for us to encourage one another. God bless you for creating it.

In Romans 16 verse 10, Paul wrote: “Salute Apelles approved in Christ…” Also, in Job 1:8, the Lord God said to Satan, “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” In Matthew 3:17, a voice (the voice of the Almighty God) came from heaven saying about our Lord Jesus Christ, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Again Mathew 17:5 says, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him”.
These are just three examples of the several people reported in the Bible who were approved by God Himself because their lives were pleasing to Him. If you desire to live a life that is approved of God, a life that could make God speak very highly of you, Philippians chapter 2 verse 5 tells you how to achieve that desire. It says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” To be approved of God, you have to have the same mind that Jesus had when He was on earth. There are two things that Philippians 2:8 tells us about the mind of Jesus Christ: “…He humbled Himself, and became obedient…” He had a mind of humility and obedience, and we also need these two if we really want to be like Him.
You need to humble yourself in the sight of God and all men. Until you are ready to be a foot mat for God’s sake, you are not yet ready to walk with Him. We are all speaking very well of Jesus and the sacrifice He came to make here on earth, but how many of us are willing to take the kind of insults He took from people who were far beneath Him? He was slapped, spat upon, mocked at, etc, and yet He never retaliated because He was humble. Many christians get into fights and quarrels because they must show others that nobody can treat them just anyhow and get away with it. The one who will be approved by God will do what Paul admonishes in 1st Corinthians 6:7, “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” You should be ready and willing to overlook a lot of things if you want to walk with Jesus and be like Him. Again, Jesus ate with sinners, and mingled with the poor even though He was the owner of all things. How many wealthy christians can sit at table with their domestic servants or with the poor without feeling that they are bringing themselves too low? Jesus never looked down on anyone, and so if you must be approved by God as He was, you have to love and respect everyone no matter their status with regards to finances, health, marriage, academics, etc. You cannot show compassion to anyone if you are not humble, so if you must be compassionate, caring, and selfless like Jesus was, you need to humble yourself. There are christians whose spiritual level is so “high” that they don’t attend church if they know their pastor is not around. They feel there is nothing that the ministers who work under the pastor can preach that will be rich enough to be of any benefit to them because the ministers are not “as powerful as” the pastor. Some even see themselves as being capable of preaching better sermons than others. That is pride. If you are a humble person you can benefit from the ministration of even a new believer because you see that believer as a vessel of honor in the hand of God. Remember that God can speak through anyone He chooses to use.
There are so many other ways by which christians show that they lack humility. And we know that God resists the proud (James 4:6) and He knows them afar off (Psalm 138:6) so there is no way He can give a good testimony about them.
Jesus was approved by God because He was obedient to His will. He accepted to come, suffer, and die to redeem lost sinners from destruction. Even when His heart was heavily sorrowful in the Garden of Gethsemane because of what He was about to pass through, He said to the Father, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39). And in verse 42 of the same chapter He said, “O My Father if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.” An obedient person is someone who allows God to have His way and do with him whatever He chooses. Even when what God requires of him is something that will cause him some pain, he still goes ahead to do it. An obedient person has no will of his own but has handed over to God his right to make decisions. He will even do crazy things in obedience to the will of God as Ezekiel did in Ezekiel chapter 5 from verse 1 to 4. An obedient person realizes that there is a purpose for which God created him and he is ready to walk according to God’s commandment in order to fulfill that purpose. That is the person whose life is truly hidden in Christ with God because he does not allow the self or the flesh to have its way. The only one he wants to portray to the world is Jesus, and so however God leads him in pursuit of this that is the way he goes, whether it is palatable or not.
Jesus was humble and obedient, and therefore He was approved of God. Do you want God’s approval? You must humble yourself and become obedient to Him. This you can only achieve as you spend time with this Jesus whose lifestyle you want to emulate. He transforms your life as you fellowship with Him in prayer and the study of the Word.

who else out there is struggling with his salvation day in day out.
who else finds himself slipping into his old ways, catching himself just in time.
is there anyone out there who still rejoices at the little miracles that happen to him nowadays just because he dared to pray towards it.
who else wonders if God can really do anything with her-You see inspite of her new birth, she's not read the bible in 4 days.
is there someone out there who can only be himself and full of Joy in church.
and where are the new friends who are supposed to fill the void left by your non christian ones.
does she sometime rejoice that she's not fallen into that oh so shameful sin that used to dominate her quiet moments before.
who's the man who acknowledges change in his life but is not totally free of the effects of his former life yet.
why are certain books in the bible so hard to read.
why is it so hard to pray now and then.
who is the person whose worst fear is being without the holy spirit


You are the new christian. and the not so new. the not so sure.
you get nothing by giving up-You only make it harder to come back
celebrate your victories-Right after you've thanked him for helping you achieve them.
Ask for the holy spirit. question him, argue but Obey.
when its hard to pray, shorten the prayer. finish one, start another.
when past images torment you, do something for someone else. pick all the people around you. start praying for them one by one.it does not matter if they are strangers. infact its easier.
when voices come into your head,let them talk. if its the devil, you'll know in the 3rd-4th sentence. you see, he cant counsel good for anything. all his words tend towards unbelief, depravity, evil. repeat the name of Jesus. then do something for someone els's good.
cry when you have to. its no shame.
just remember, he forgets your sins & your foul ups for his own sake-IF HE'S NOT HOLDING YOUR SIN AGAINST YOU, WHY SHOULD ANYONE?

What Mean These Stones
May 25, 2009

"When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know." (Joshua 4:21-22)

The poet George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  In the life of every nation, there are "memories" that must be preserved if that nation is to retain an awareness of its unique role among the nations of the world--indeed, among the long list of nations throughout history.

Long ago, God Himself instituted "memorials" so that the key events of history might be remembered.  The rainbow was to remind God of His covenant to preserve life on the earth after the awful destruction of the Flood (Genesis 9:8-17).  Jacob set up a stone after he had seen the ladder and spoken with the angel of the Lord (Genesis 28:12-22).  Joseph insisted that the children of Israel take his bones with them into the land of promise (Genesis 50:25).

In our text, Joshua is told by the Lord to take 12 stones out of Jordan and make a monument to commemorate the beginning fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham centuries earlier.  That day, Israel was to enter the "promised land" and start its conquest of Canaan.

The Memorial Day that we celebrate in the United States began with the ending of the Civil War.  Since then, our country has added many memorials.  Each of them, whether a mere plaque, a lone statue to a notable person, or a vast and sweeping edifice, are all intended to "remember" some significant event and the people who made history during that time.  Typically, we honor the dead who paid the ultimate price that we might live on--and we should.  There are others, though, whose sacrifices in time and treasure were enormous. May our thanks this day "remember" all of them.  HMM III

http://www.icr.org/article/4445/

Strength Through Weakness
May 26, 2009

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Here is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life.  How could the apostle Paul actually find pleasure in being persecuted or reproached, in being placed in distressing situations, and having to endure bodily pain or weakness?  There could be no pleasure at all in such things were it not "for Christ's sake."

Paul was a great man of faith and prayer, and he prayed earnestly that God would remove what he called a "thorn in the flesh" (v. 7), evidently some painful infirmity that he felt was hindering his ministry.  God answered his prayer, however, by saying, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (v. 9).

Somehow, one of the most powerful testimonies to the truth of Christianity is given when Christians exhibit patience and joy and fruitfulness in the midst of suffering--whether that suffering be due to illness, or persecution, or loss, or any of a hundred situations that could be unbearable apart from Christ.  In Paul's case, he said that his "thorn" could not be removed "lest I should be exalted above measure" (v. 7), because of the great experiences God had given him as a Christian.

"Grace groweth best in the winter," and we can testify with the psalmist, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Psalm 119:71).  One thinks, for example, of Fanny Crosby, blind since early childhood, yet enabled to write 8,000 beautiful hymns in her 95 years.

The struggling church at Philadelphia was assured of an open door because it had "little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name" (Revelation 3:.  It is precisely when we recognize our own weakness in the flesh that we can become strong in Christ. HMM

Thanks Be Unto God
May 27, 2009

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)

There are innumerable things for which we could--and should--give thanks to God.  But there are three notable gifts mentioned by Paul in his letters to the Corinthians in which he was led to use this particular exclamation: "Thanks be to God."  We shall do well to look at these great blessings, and then--like Paul--pour out our own thanks to God for them!

The first is in our text above, giving thanks for God's gift of victory.  And what victory is that?  "Death is swallowed up in victory" (v. 54), and death has lost its terrible sting for the believer, for Christ conquered death forever when He died for our sins and rose again.

The second is similar, yet goes beyond even the first gift: "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place" (2 Corinthians 2:14).  Not only victory over death, but victory in life!

By the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ, we are enabled to triumph over circumstances and "shew forth the praises of Him who hath called |us| out of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  But the greatest gift of all is Christ Himself!  Therefore, we join with the apostle Paul as he exclaims, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).  "For 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).  The value of this gift is beyond language to describe, "unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:.  The Lord Jesus Christ is both our Creator and Saviour, giving us triumphant peace and joy in life, and eternal victory over death.  Thanks be unto God! HMM

Seek The Kindom Of God First

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My Teaching today is to encourage my brothers and sisters to
SEEK THE KINDOM OF GOD FIRST

(Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you) .

So many christian today are commited to giving offering and tithe with the aim of receiving back in hundred fold, this is Good but we must not forget that the Word of God does not work in isolation,believe me it does not work the way you think and that's why most tithe payers remain where the are, you must first seek the Kingdom of God first , you must love the Lord your God first with all you heart, your reason for comming to the Church must not be to gain physical and financial blessings alone, the bible said in (Hebrews 13:5 5 Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee) .

God need your total commitment, he said to Joshua (This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success Joshua 1:8
God did not say he must pay his tithe and bring his offerring everything time for him to proper, he said total commitment to the Word of God.

Once you love your God and (Trust him with all your heart Provers 3:5) and have the fear of God in your heart, then you are not only going to be sucessfull but you will be like Jospeh, remember Jospeh who refuse to have relationship with Potiphar's wife because he fears the Lord for he said in (Genisis 39:9 how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ), and the bible said the fear of God us to depart from evil, to do only things that gives God glory is the fear of God, (Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding) when you have the fear of God and meditate in the Word of God day and Night then you will be like a tree planted the Riverside Psalms 1:1-3 .
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:

2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper

Then you will be like Joseph , God will then consider your offering and tithe and bless you hundred fold like Jospeh and you will wax strong in all that you do, Genesis 26:

12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundredfold. And Jehovah blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

14 And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household. And the Philistines envied him.

Samuel ask saul do you think sacrifice is better than obidience, the answer is no, Obedience is better than Sacrafice ( 1 Samuel 15: 22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Now as you Seek the first the Kingdom of God your live will never be the same.

To all that read this acticle may the Almighty God give your spiritual empowerment.

Remain Blessed in Jesus Name

Bro John Okoronkwo
Dublin California USA
E-mail: jookco@gmail.com

Systematic, expository study of God’s Word          

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE LATTER-DAY FIERCE KING
Daniel 8:15-27

So far Daniel had two visions recorded in chapters seven and eight.  These two visions had a profound effect on him.  After the first vision he said, “As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart” (Daniel 7:28).  The understanding of the details of the reign of coming kingdoms and empires overwhelmed his spirit to such a degree that his vigour and appearance became weak and pale.  Yet, he treasured the secrets of the Lord in his heart.  The impact of the second vision was even more distressing.  “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business”.  The future calamities coming on Israel were so fearful in their character; the oppressive tyrant that would arise to rule the world "in the latter time” came vividly before him.  He became sick for a considerable period just by thinking on the vision.  If the vision could make the prophet sick, what impression or impact would the accomplishment have on those who would live through those days?  “There shall be, upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:25,26).  Daniel said, “And I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it” (Daniel 8:27).  The vision had no impact on others who heard it because they did not understand it.  If Daniel’s contemporaries in Babylon had understood that a mighty king of fierce countenance would rise; that he would be a tyrant, more wicked than any king who ever lived on earth; that he would oppress Israel more than any persecutor ever did; that he would violently oppose true worship, cause their daily sacrifice to cease and profane the temple; that he would continue for a definite period; that he would only be cut off by a divine stroke of sudden, supernatural judgment; the vision would have affected them like it overwhelmed Daniel.

1.     THE DIVINE PERCEPTION THROUGH AN ANGEL
Daniel 8:15-22; 7:15,16; 9:21-23; 10:10-14,21; 12:8-10; Proverbs 28:5; John 16:13; Acts 8:26-35; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.

When Daniel saw the vision he did not understand, neither could he discern its meaning.  Though God had given Daniel “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17), he did not understand this vision; so he “sought for the meaning” (Daniel 8:15).  He prayed to God that he might have the revelation of the mystery made known unto him.  God sent an angel, Gabriel by name, to reveal the true meaning of the vision to him.  Gabriel is the first angel to be mentioned by name in the Bible and his name appears in Daniel 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19,26. In Luke 1:19, he reveals his identity by saying, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God”.  This angel was to explain the infallible truth and meaning of the vision to Daniel.  When the angel came near, Daniel lost his strength and fell upon his face.  He was not worshipping the angel, he was afraid and his physical strength failed him at the appearance of the angel.  He was strengthened by the touch of the angel.  Then the angel made him to know the meaning and the certainty of the vision.

Do angels still come to reveal the meaning of prophetic revelations to us today?  Ours is a better dispensation and it is the Holy Spirit, Himself, who is greater and higher than all angels, who guides us into all truth, showing us things to come (John 16:13).  “The deep things of God” are now “revealed unto us by His Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10).  “The mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:2-5).  If the ministration of an angel gave Daniel understanding, the ministration of the Holy Spirit will give us much clearer and fuller understanding in all the revelation of the mystery of God.  The eyes of our understanding being enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we shall be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the revelation and knowledge which passes understanding.

2.    THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF ANTIOCHUS
Daniel 8:23,24; 10:14; Ezekiel 38:8,16-19; Daniel 7:8,23,25; Deuteronomy 28:50-52; Daniel 11:36-39; Zechariah 13:8,9;
Jeremiah 30:6,7,23,24; Revelation 17:12,13,17.

“Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.  In the latter time of their kingdom, a king of fierce countenance shall stand up” (Daniel 8:17,23).  The angel explained that the fulfilment of the vision would be “at the time of the end”, at “the latter time of their kingdom”, that is, of the four kingdoms which came up in Greece after Alexander the Great.  “For at the time appointed the end shall be” (Daniel 8:19).  The angel emphasized that the vision will certainly be fulfilled but the fulfilment must await the appointed time.

“When the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance shall stand up” (Daniel 8:23).  The suffering and captivity of the Jews in Babylon did not purge them from iniquity.  They would continue in abomination and wickedness and God would have to permit a tyrant to rise up and oppress them because of the prevalence of sin and iniquity among them.  That is the reason God allowed Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of fierce countenance, to arise to lay their temple, city, and country waste.  “And his power shall be mighty, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (Daniel 8:24).  The oppression of Antiochus against the Jews was terrible and dreadful.  He was fierce, furious and deadly, neither fearing God nor regarding man.  The mighty people in Israel and in other nations could not successfully resist him.  The initial fulfilment of the vision was realized in Antiochus, yet there is still a future fulfilment in the Antichrist (Matthew 24:15-29; Luke 21:20-36).

3.    THE DECEPTIVE POLICY OF THE ANTICHRIST
Daniel 8:25-27; 11:21-27,32; 1 John 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 13:11-14; Daniel 7:26,27; 11:36,37,45; Revelation 19:19-21.

In the interpretation of the angel, he said that the king of fierce countenance would prevail through the policy and practice of deceit, craft, cunning and subtilty.  He would owe his domination and suppression in a great measure to his crafty policy and intrigue.  History has recorded from different historians that Antiochus came to the kingdom by deceit and that a great part of his success was owing to crafty policy.  “And by peace shall destroy many”.  Rather than declaring war openly, he would seem to be working for peace and then suddenly invade and destroy people who would be living in a state of false security.

“And he shall magnify himself in his heart: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand” (Daniel 8:25).  His heart would be lifted up against God, against Christ, against God’s people and he would come to his end.  He shall be overcome by a divine, invisible power.  The divine prediction was fully accomplished in the death of Antiochus.

“He shall be broken without hand”.  The account of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes has been preserved for us, so that we can read, learn and take heed to ourselves.  ‘Antiochus, hearing that the Jews had cast the image of Jupiter Olympius out of the temple, where he had placed it, was so enraged at the Jews that he vowed he would make Jerusalem a common burial-place, and determined to march thither immediately; but no sooner had he spoken these proud words than he was struck with an incurable plague in his bowels; worms bred so fast in his body that whole flakes of flesh sometimes dropped from him; his torments were violent, and the stench of his disease such that none could endure to come near him.  He continued in this misery very long.  Finding his disease grow upon him, when he could no longer endure his own smell, he said, It is meet to submit to God, and for man who is mortal not to set himself in competition with God, and so died miserably in a strange land, on the mountains of Pacata near Babylon’.  Antiochus was the first fulfilment of Daniel’s vision.  The Antichrist will be the final fulfilment during the period of the Great Tribulation.

* * * * * * *

Congregational Song:

HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST?

[list]
[li]1. There’s a line that is drawn by rejecting our Lord,
Where the call of His Spirit is lost,
And you hurry along with the pleasure-mad throng -
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?[/li]
[/list]

Have you counted the cost, if your soul should be lost,
Tho’ you gain the whole world for your own?
Even now it may be that the line you have crossed,
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

[list]
[li]2. You may barter your hope of eternity’s morn,
For a moment of joy at the most,
For the glitter of sin and the things it will win-
Have you counted, have you counted[/li]
[/list] the cost?

[list]
[li]3. While the door of His mercy is open to you,
Ere the depth of His love you exhaust,
Won’t you come and be healed, won’t you whisper, I yield -
I have counted, I have counted, the cost.[/li]
[/list]

For the free downloading of the audio and video message click on the link below and go into the "current Bible Study" hyperlink.

http://www.dclm.org/Resources/ResourcesDirectory/tabid/130/Default.aspx
http://www.dclm.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

With Bro John Okoronkwo.

SEEK THE KINDOM OF GOD FIRST AND ALL THIS THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.

(Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you) .

So many Christian today are committed to giving offering and tithe with the aim of receiving back in hundred fold, this is Good but we must not forget that the Word of God does not work in isolation, believe me it does not work the way you think and that's why most tithe payers remain where they are, you must first seek the Kingdom of God first , you must love the Lord your God first with all you heart, your reason for coming to the Church must not be to gain physical and financial blessings alone, the bible said in (Hebrews 13:5 5 Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee) .

Love the lord your God first and all this things that people die for will be added unto you in due time and the blessing of God is the type that give you joys every day and without problem (Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it).

The Word of God is like a moving vehicle it can not work in Isolation , a vehicle need engine, tire, etc, the same thing when you come to God, you need Faith, Love Hope and righteousness to please God, the book of Galatians list what a Christian need to please God and the last word said if any of this is missing then you have not started yet (
Galatins 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law)

God need your total commitment, he said to Joshua (This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success Joshua 1: God did not say he must pay his tithe and bring his offering for him to proper, he said total commitment to the Word of God before sacrifice.

Its shameful that so many Pastor today don’t preach this but they just need offering no matter the faith of the giver, now the same Chapter of Malachi which say we must pay our tight say in (Malachi 3:3-4
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years, God want us want an offering in righteousness or it will not be pleasant unto him).

Having Christ in your live gives you confident in every area of your life, God promise to fight your battles, you don't need to confront an enemy let God handle that battle because he promise to do, he said to Joshua (Joshua 1;9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest)

But first of all you must trust with all your hearth that God is, because God can not do for you what you don't believe he can do, the book of hebrew made it clear ( Hebrew 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him).

We must also understand that it's a blessing to trust in the lord , because Prophet Jeremiah said in (Jeremiah 7:17 Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust God is)
So many fellows today trust in man instead of God, the want to please wealthy people believing their help may come from there, but God condemn such act, Jeremai again said in the same (Chapter vers 5 .
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD)

Once you love your God and (Trust him with all your heart Provers 3:5) and have the fear of God in your heart, then you are not only going to be successful but you will be like Joseph, remember Joseph who refuse to have relationship with Potiphar's wife because he fears the Lord for he said in (Genisis 39:9 how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ), and the bible said the fear of God is to depart from evil, to do only things that gives God glory is the fear of God, (Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding) when you have the fear of God and meditate in the Word of God day and Night then you will be like a tree planted in the Riverside, Most of us from Africa knows the different between a three in the riverside or streamside and those in the open field, David said it all in (Psalms 1:1-3 .
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper)

Then you will be like Joseph who rose to the rank of a Prime Minister in a foreign land of Egypt from the Prison , God will then consider your offering and tithe and bless you hundred fold like Jospeh and you will wax strong in all that you do, (Genesis 26:11-14
12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy;
14f or he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him)

Samuel ask saul do you think sacrifice is better than obidience, the answer is no, Obedience is better than Sacrafice ( 1 Samuel 15: 22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams).

Remember to depart from all sin is the fear of God and understanding (to depart from evil is understanding Job 28:28 ) for we can never deceive God , you can not claim to love God while you dwell in all short of Sin no the book of Galatians 6 said it all (Galatians 6:7-8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,8 For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life).

If you can flee from all short of sin today and become a God loving son or daughter then you are not only building your self for a greater tomorrow but your Generation will be blessed, King Uzziah was sixteen year when he become a king in Isreal because his father Amaziah was a rightouse man (2 Chronicles 26 3-4 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.
4 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father King Amaziah had done).

In all this you need to have patient, I defined patient as the Ability to Wait for God’s Time, Jesus has a timetable for you, ( Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry).

Though you can't do all this with your own power, what you need is to first receive Christ into your live and the Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome all short of sin including shame which is one of the greatest weapon Satan use to pull people down .
(John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name).

Confessing your sin is one the greatest weapon you can use against Satan and departing from sin you remember is the fear of God and understanding, now pray this way .

Father in the name of Jesus, father you said in the book of 1 John 1:8 that if we say we have not sin then we deceive our self’s, therefore I confess my sin to you today, I'm a sinner, I have sin through many ways , those I remember and those I can not remember but in all Jesus I ask that you forgive me according to your word according and according to your promises in 1 john 1:9
Thanks you Jesus Amen.

Now as you Seek the first the Kingdom of God First, your live will never be the same.
To all that read this article may the Almighty God give you spiritual empowerment to live a fulfilled life and bless the works of your hands.
Next Time I will be talking about the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is my first article; I will be sending my next article by email to any one who email me requesting to receive more good news.

Pass this massage to ten people and be blessed, while doing it be a doer of this word not a hearer alone , ( James 1:22, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only),
and remember it's part of the work of god to spread this Gospel of truth (Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Remain Blessed

Bro John Okoronkwo
Livermore California USA
Email: jookco@gmail.com

Sing and Give Thanks
May 28, 2009

"Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." (Psalm 30:4)

When we do remember God's holiness and then remember how the mighty seraphim in the heavenly temple are continually crying out "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3), and then further remember the prophet's prayer acknowledging to God that: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Habakkuk 1:13), and then still further remember that, as Paul said: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18), we can only marvel at the infinite mercy and grace of God. He has not only forgiven our sins, saved our souls, and promised us eternal life, but "daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:19). What can we do except to perpetually "sing unto the Lord, . . . and give thanks," as David exhorts us in our text for today.

But how can this be? A God who is too pure and holy even to "look on iniquity," yet promises unworthy creatures such as us that "goodness and mercy shall follow |us| all the days of |our lives|: and |we| will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" (Psalm 23:6). How can that be?

This could not be, of course, were it not for the incredible love of God in Christ, who "hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). "The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:.

Therefore: "Be ye thankful. . . . singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:15-17). HMM

Great idea, Keep it up!!!!

Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Thank God for the liberty we have in Christ Jesus. Liberty is not just freedom (independence, autonomy, emancipation, liberation, free will, etc.); it also means right (authority, authorization, permission, endorsement, agreement, consent, etc.).
Here we want to look at our liberty in Christ from the angle of some of our rights, how a believer can lose those rights and get into a form of bondage, and how to be delivered from that bondage (if one is already in it) or abstain from getting into it.

The relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ has given us some rights that we cherish and desire to retain until we see Him in glory. One of such is the right to “…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16). Another is the right to serve God in whatever area He gives us the honor to (Hebrews 5:4); we also have the right (liberty) to put the devil and his cohorts where they belong, which is under our feet, and exercise dominion over them. We have the right to pull others out of the path of destruction and show them how to be reconciled to God (Jude verse 23). We have the right to destroy the works of the devil (2nd Corinthians 10:4-5), and also to teach and remind other believers of what God expects of us all (1st Timothy 4:6). We have the right to condemn sin wherever it is found (without condemning the sinner) and to make people understand that it is possible to live above sin (Matthew 5:48).

Now the devil’s kingdom suffers great damage when believers know and stand in the liberty that Christ has given us to do the above and many more. Therefore he seeks ways to make people lose that liberty and to bring them into bondage. One way by which the devil and his agents succeed in doing this is by making believers fall into sin so that they can shut them up completely. For instance, if someone who is known in his place of employment as a child of God whose life is worthy of emulation suddenly gets caught committing a sin, he loses his respect in the eyes of his co-workers. Then the devil shuts him up – he cannot open his mouth to tell anyone about Jesus anymore because the devil will tell him that anybody he tries to talk to will tell him that he’s nothing but a hypocrite. That brother has lost his liberty to proclaim Jesus in his work place. This sort of thing can also happen in the neighborhood where one lives and is respected for being a child of God, or even in one’s family. Sin would rob a believer of the confidence to share the gospel with people around.

Another thing the devil and his agents do (particularly to pastors, teachers of the Word, and other people that are looked up to as leaders in the house of God) is to make them fall into things that they are preaching against so that they will not be able to confidently preach against such things anymore. Take for instance a servant of God who has preached against gossiping or backbiting now getting involved in such with a member of his congregation. If his conscience is alive the next time he is on the pulpit listing things that believers should stay away from, if his eyes happen to make contact with those of the person with whom he has been gossiping about others, he will not have the boldness to mention gossiping as something that believers should avoid. Not because he now believes that gossiping is not a sin, but because his heart tells him that that brother in the congregation will see him a hypocrite if he hears him admonishing others not to gossip when himself has been involved in gossiping. That pastor/church leader has allowed the sin of gossiping/backbiting to get him entangled with the yoke of bondage because now he has to be sure that Brother “A” or “B” with whom he has been discussing irrelevant things is not in church before he can freely condemn gossiping. Or it may be that the man of God has messed up in a deal involving church funds of other monies and has lost the ability to preach confidently about integrity because what he did got to be exposed to at least some members of the church. You see, the devil does not like any of us so he wants to ensure that people do not hear the truth that will se them free. He will therefore try to make handlers of the word do wrong so that they will not have the courage to preach the truth anymore because their conscience is condemning them. Please stay away from sin and retain your liberty in Christ.

The final thing we want to consider here is that the devil, after he has made a believer to fall into sin, will rob him of his liberty to approach unto the throne of grace to worship the Lord and make his requests known unto Him. This is because many begin to feel very guilty and they lose their trust in God as a loving Father who is ready and willing to forgive all our iniquities if we sincerely repent, confess and forsake them (1st John 1:9). This is particularly true of those who have walked with the Lord for a very long time and who feel like they have really been a disappointment to God and cannot see why He should forgive and give them another chance. People like that if they do not get help on time they end up backsliding and losing everything.

How do we ensure that we do not lose our liberty and get entangled again with the yoke of bondage? We need to stay away from sin. There are many agents of sin these days and they are everywhere including the church. Much as we are not to go around seeing everyone as an agent of destruction whom the devil has sent to push us down we also need to walk with our eyes wide open so that the devil will not succeed in using anyone to get us to sin and limit our boldness and courage to proclaim the Word of God. Wherever we find ourselves – our work place, home, church, etc, the Bible says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15). Please bear this in mind at all times and ensure that you are always on your guard. We should also guard our heart with all diligence so that the devil will not succeed in taking hold of it and giving us instructions. Spend time in personal Bible study (ensuring that you understand and apply the lessons learned to your life by the power of the Holy Ghost) and prayer.

Probably you have done one thing or the other that should not be done by a child of God and the devil has used that to shut you up from witnessing to unbelievers around you, teaching the undiluted Word of God to members of your congregation, or even asking God for forgiveness and relating with Him like you used to. If that is the case with you, please get up from the floor where the devil has asked you to sit, and take off whatever he has used to seal your lips. Our God is merciful. If you sincerely repent and ask Him to forgive and give you another chance, He will. He has done it for many others before you, including the Apostle Peter.

In Everything Give Thanks
May 29, 2009

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herds in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

It is easy to be happy and cheerful in times of prosperity, when one has all the comforts of an affluent lifestyle, and everything seems to be going well.  The testing times come, however, when these material comforts are somehow taken away, and one feels defeated and all alone.

Except for God! Whatever else may fail, God "will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).  Since we still have the Lord (assuming we have trusted Him for forgiveness and salvation, through Christ), we can always "rejoice in the Lord, . . . in the God of my salvation."

Job, for example, lost all his possessions, then his children, finally his health, and even his wife turned against him.  Yet he could say: "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

God has commanded the Christian: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  Not for everything, but in everything!

This has always been one of the greatest testimonies a Christian can give to an unbeliever--the testimony of a life rejoicing in God's salvation even in the midst of trouble.  This was the example of Christ Himself, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).  "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).  HMM

The Real and the Unreal World
May 30, 2009

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them." (1 Samuel 2:

The above text contains the first reference in the Bible to God's world. The "pillars" upon which it is set are, literally, "firm summits" (not "columns", speaking of its permanence, "established that it shall not be moved" through the eternal ages when "the LORD reigneth" (Psalm 96:10).

That is the real world, where all who have been "raised up" by the Lord through faith in His Word will "inherit the throne of glory" and reign with Him forever. But that real world has, for a time, become "this present evil world" (Galatians 1:4), often mistakenly represented by its worldly inhabitants as their "real" world. In reality, this present world is very ephemeral, for "the world passeth away" (1 John 2:17).

This present unreal world has become the domain of Satan, "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), for "the whole world lieth in wickedness |or 'the wicked one'|" (1 John 5:19). Consequently, it is essential for believers now living in the world to heed the Lord's warning: "I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19).

The "world" includes its inhabitants and the world system they have developed. This present world, because of sin, has become so unreal that it no longer even knows its Creator. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not" (John 1:10). Nevertheless, "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). We can defeat this present evil world and prepare for our eternal service in the real world to come. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). HMM

The Law for Today
May 31, 2009

"And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:

God has never dealt with any nation as closely and fully as He has with Israel, but He nevertheless is directly concerned with every nation as a national entity.  He has actually established each nation Himself (Deuteronomy 32:, even determining the geographical boundaries of each and the time when each would rise and fall (Acts 17:26).

Every nation has a purpose in history, but Israel had the highest calling of all.  God personally gave them (through Moses) the finest governmental and legal system any nation ever had (Deuteronomy 4:5-, and modern governments would therefore do well to emulate these, in so far as possible.  In fact, it is amazing that this Mosaic legal code has since served effectively as the basic legal code for all the greatest nations in modern history.  This, in itself, is clear testimony to its divine origin, and is therefore justification for retaining and implementing it wherever possible, even today.

Sadly, however, modern political and judicial practices are departing further and further from this divine standard. The philosophies of evolution and relativism dominate our schools of law today, and the concept of absolute principles of righteousness and justice, rooted in the nature of God as Creator and in His revelation, are largely being replaced by legislation based on evolving social policies and preferences.  Even the Ten Commandments are banned from our schools, despite the fact that they are engraved in the Supreme Court building itself.

It is sobering to consider that God did not even spare His beloved nation Israel when His people departed from His law.  Nor will He spare America , if our growing rebellion against His Word goes on much longer.  HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/4451/

The Sign of Science and Travel
June 1, 2009

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4)

The Book of Daniel contains the most detailed description of the end times of any book in the Bible, except the Book of Revelation.  In Daniel's last chapter, after all the prophecies had been recorded, the condition in our text was given as a sign of their imminent fulfillment, at "the time of the end."

A more striking summary of our own times could hardly be imagined.  The Hebrew word for "run to and fro" is used first in 2 Chronicles 16:9.  "The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth," and its sense is "race back and forth." What a description of our present society, with speeding automobiles all over the land and airplanes filling our skies!  In little more than one lifetime, the world has "progressed" from horse and buggy to spacecraft, and almost everyone is racing to and fro.

Furthermore, "knowledge" has been "increased" far beyond the wildest imaginations of people in the days of our founding fathers.  The Hebrew word could well be understood as what we mean today by "science."

It is significant that the foundations of our modern scientific age were laid mostly by great scientists who were creationists (Newton, Boyle, Pascal, Pasteur, Faraday, Maxwell, etc.).  In our present generation, however, science has been largely taken over by non-Christian evolutionists, and science has also generated deadly instruments of destruction and pollution which are threatening life's existence.  This rise in "science falsely so called" is also given as a sign of the last days (1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Peter 3:3-4; etc.).

In any case, the explosive increase in science (both true and false) and rapid travel in our day, is one of the many God-given signs that the return of Christ is near! HMM

The Saviour of the World
June 2, 2009

"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:14)

This unique title of the Lord Jesus Christ assures us that when the Father sent His Son away from the glories of heaven down to a world lost in sin, it was not just to be the Messiah of the Jews, or to assume David's throne as King of Israel, or to punish the wicked Gentile nations.

"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).

In fact, this special title is used only one other time in the Bible, and it was used by Samaritans rather than Jews when they came to know Jesus as He ministered among them for two days. These people were mostly of Gentile background with a mixture of Israeli blood who had become adherents of a quasi-Jewish religion that was also part pagan.

But they were actually looking for a Saviour, and their testimony after meeting Jesus was: "Now we believe . . . and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). They perceived that He had come to bring salvation to lost sinners in every nation, not just to Israel or Samaria. As He said later, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world" (John 12:47).

And so He commanded His disciples "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations" (Luke 24:47). He became to the Father "the propitiation . . . for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2), when He offered up His life as a sacrifice for sins, then died and rose again. We who have believed on Him as our personal Saviour are now to be His witnesses "in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:. HMM

Blessings We Have in Christ
June 3, 2009

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1)

The blessings we have in Christ are far too many to number, but it is a blessing even to note just a few of those indicated by the words we have or ye have.  First of all, in Christ "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7).  As a result, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

Thus, through such promises, His Word assures us of salvation.  "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).  Further assurance is given by the witness of the Spirit who indwells our bodies when we believe on Christ.  "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15).

There are many other blessings that are ours in Christ.  In Him, for example, "we have obtained an inheritance" (Ephesians 1:11), for we are joint-heirs with Him.  God has even confirmed His promises, the writer of Hebrews says, by taking an oath in His own name that "we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast" (Hebrews 6:18-19).  Indeed, "we have a great high priest" (Hebrews 4:14) ever living to intercede for us at the throne of God.

Finally, in the words of our text, when God calls us home, "we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," and then we are "to be present with the Lord" throughout the ages to come (2 Corinthians 5:.  These are a few of the blessings we have in Christ.  HMM

First Things First
June 4, 2009

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

There are innumerable things to do and things to buy and things to read.  How does one choose between them?  An important guideline is the use of the word "first" in the New Testament.  For example, consider the following priority items:

Priority in awareness: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers . . . saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for . . . all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter 3:3-4).  The primary intellectual heresy of these latter times is the anti-God philosophy of naturalistic evolutionism, as succinctly outlined in this passage.

Priority in behaviour: "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter, that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matthew 23:26).  The thoughts of our hearts will inevitably control the words on our lips and the works of our hands.

Priority in giving: "|They| first gave their own selves to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 8:5).  One’s possessions, talents, time, and all other resources belong to the Lord, but such gifts are acceptable to God only when offered by one whose heart first has been given fully to Him.

Priority in witness: "For I delivered unto you first of all . . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Priority in concern: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1).

Finally, as the Lord Jesus Himself has commanded, our first priority in every decision should be to do that which honours the kingdom of Christ and His righteousness. HMM

Please pray for me and send me words of encouragement, I have been struggling with homosexuality and I feel myself being drawn to it again. I am so ashamed. Help me. Your texts will be a constant reminder and will fortify me in my battle. 08023207844. Please help, Yemisi

Prayer for Peter and James
June 5, 2009

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword." (Acts 12:1-2)

Verse 2 of our text rather casually records what may have been one of the lowest points of apostolic time. James was killed with the sword--James, one of the only three disciples in Christ's inner circle. He was one of only three to witness the resurrection of the synagogue ruler's daughter (Luke 8:51-55); one of three to catch a glimpse of Christ's glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2); and one of only four to sit with Christ on the Mount of Olives and learn of the future (Mark 13:3-4). In Gethsemane, after their last supper together, Christ allowed him, along with Peter and John, to witness His agony in a special way (Mark 14:32-34).

He was highly trained by Christ Himself, and the fledging church could ill afford to lose his leadership. But suddenly he was arrested and slain! A tragedy it would seem to lose such a leader. Think what James might have accomplished had he lived longer, much as Peter and John did. Could it be, however, that his martyrdom was a blessing in disguise? Certainly God allowed this to happen, but for what purpose?

The answer may be found in the verses following our text. Peter had been taken prisoner and was to be executed the next morning (Acts 12:6). However, the church had learned a lesson. No prayer for James is recorded, but for Peter, "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5), and Peter was miraculously freed by an angel and joined the prayer meeting.

What would have happened had the believers prayed for James as they did for Peter? Of course, that question has no definite answer, but prayer such as was offered for Peter followed the apostles and early church leaders in their work from that time on. JDM

A relatively young believer, whom we will refer to here as Jane, excitedly told another Christian, whom we will call Jackie, how happy she was at the things the Lord was doing in her life. She was finding it easy to forgive people who offended her, unlike before when she would get angry and react in a way that Jesus would not. Also the Lord had been very good in providing for her. She just couldn’t get over the fact that God was doting so much on her, making her comfortable and helping her overcome temptations easily. As Jackie listened to this wonderful testimony the Holy Spirit gave her a scripture to share with Jane. She resisted for some time because it was a scripture that she believed could kill the other sister’s excitement, but then the Holy Spirit had to be obeyed. Ecclesiastes 11:7-8, “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity”. Now add this to Ecclesiastes 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him”.

From these and many other scriptures we understand that there are days of light and days of darkness, days of prosperity and days of adversity. All living humans (believers and unbelievers) experience both one and the other. For a child of God the days of light may be that period in your life when it seems as if doing you good is the only reason why God exists; as if no one and nothing matters to God apart from you and the issues of your life. He treats you the way we treat our newborn babies – He makes you very comfortable in every way, doesn’t want you to cry at all for anything. You can almost feel Him holding you in His arms and rocking you gently the way we rock our babies. During that period temptations come and you overcome them easily; God provides for all your needs including spiritual ones. The days of prosperity are also days of light. Remember that prosperity is not just in money, material things, good job, flourishing businesses, etc. It’s also about your health, academics, marriage and home, ministry, etc. The days of prosperity may be that period when as a pastor you have ministers and workers that are not only true children of God, but also committed to helping you accomplish the vision that God has given to you. They are dedicated and ready to make the necessary sacrifice to ensure that you do not fail. Those may the days when the heavens above you are wide open; you receive revelations from the Lord and as you pray you immediately begin to see the evidence of God’s answers to your prayers. Those are days when it seems as if Satan has forgotten about your existence and so you are quietly living your life and singing praises to God.

The days of darkness and adversity are those days when the first part of Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous…” seems to be having serious fulfillment in a believer’s life while the latter part “… but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” seems to be so far-fetched that he cannot see how it could ever happen.
Now the Lord says we should remember the days of darkness because they shall be many. How should this affect us? First of all, we need to be careful what to say to people when we witness to them about Jesus. Sometimes out of a zealous desire to see unbelievers turn to Jesus for salvation believers tell them that if they come to Christ they will never have problems again. But then there is nowhere in the Bible that we are told that we will not see problems because we are in Christ. If you asked Job he would tell you that even being righteous to a point where God, that cannot lie, calls you righteous does not exclude you from the problems of life. And by the way, the person that is promising an unbeliever a life free of problems knows that he has areas in his own life where he’s looking up to God for help. When people give their lives to Christ in the belief that they will never experience problems again (when the Bible says that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution), something is wrong with the foundation of their salvation. Such people are able to stand as long as there is light and prosperity. Once darkness and adversity visit them, they begin to shake and may eventually fall. Please do not cajole anyone into accepting Christ. Ours is to prayerfully preach the gospel with words given to us by the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit of God is the one that will convince the unbeliever that he needs Christ. And if you happen to be one of those that gave their lives to Christ because someone said that Christians never have times of darkness, please allow God to visit and reconstruct the foundation of your Christianity. Even if all you see around you right now is light, days of darkness will surely come and you need to be prepared for them so that you will not be overwhelmed and pushed down when they hit you.

One of the ways by which a believer can prepare for the days of darkness and adversity is by taking note of the good things the Lord is doing in his life. Consider David’s testimony in 1st Samuel 17:37, “… The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…” Also in 2nd Timothy 4:17-18 Paul said, “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me… and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work…” When in Psalm 103:2 the Psalmist commanded his soul not to forget all the benefits of the Lord, it was not only so that he would be able to give God praise but also so that he would be encouraged to know that God who had helped him in times past would be available and able to help him in the future as well. Please keep a good record of what the Lord is doing for you in the time when all things are bright and beautiful; it will strengthen your faith in Him in the days of darkness.

Do not build your love for/relationship with the Lord on the “sand” but rather on the “rock” so that when the “rain” descends, and the “floods” come, and the “winds” blow, and beat upon it, it shall not be destroyed (Matthew 7:25). The “sand” may be the financial breakthrough the Lord has given you by which you can afford just about anything that money can buy; it may be academic excellence, a beautiful marriage filled with boys and girls, a flourishing ministry, etc. Appreciate God for these things but do not let them be the ground upon which your relationship with Him is built or else you will have difficulty standing in the days of darkness.

Finally, work very hard on developing and increasing your Word level. Even when you are seeing and enjoying the sweetness of light and prosperity do not close your Bible. The more you fill your spirit man with the Word, which is quick and powerful, the stronger you become in Him (Daniel 11:32), and the more difficult it becomes for you to be shaken out of the way in the day of darkness.
Remember the days of darkness for they shall be many.

i found this site very interesting http://www.godrev.com/

June 5th. [size=18pt]GOD'S SAY-SO[/size]


"He hath said . . . so that we may boldly say . . ." Hebrews 13:5-6

My say-so is to be built on God's say-so. God says - "I will never leave thee," then I can with good courage say - "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear - " I will not be haunted by apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God's say-so. I will be full of courage, like a child "bucking himself up" to reach the standard his father wants. Faith in many a one falters when the apprehensions come, they forget the meaning of God's say-so, forget to take a deep breath spiritually. The only way to get the dread taken out of us is to listen to God's say-so.

What are you dreading? You are not a coward about it, you are going to face it, but there is a feeling of dread. When there is nothing and no one to help you, say - "But the Lord is my Helper, this second, in my present outlook." Are you learning to say things after listening to God, or are you saying things and trying to make God's word fit in? Get hold of the Father's say-so, and then say with good courage - "I will not fear." It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in the way, He has said - "I will never leave thee."

Frailty is another thing that gets in between God's say-so and ours. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God becomes a nonentity. Remember God's say-so - "I will in no wise fail you." Have we learned to sing after hearing God's key-note? Are we always possessed with the courage to say - "The Lord is my helper," or are we succumbing?

http://www.myutmost.org/06/0605.html

may God help us to hear and believe what God says to us.

[size=18pt]I Was a Failure at Prayer[/size]
And what i learned because of it
Patty Kirk

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Ever since I became a Christian, I've worried about praying. Should I pray to God the Father? To Jesus? To the Comforter God sent to advocate for us after Jesus left our world? Should I favor unmistakably sacred topics—gratitude, praise, others' salvation—over my daily worries and complaints? And how, precisely, does one go about conversing with someone not physically present?

Expert advice on prayer abounds. At the Christian university where I teach, chapel speakers promote everything from praying directly from Scripture to "just being quiet and listening." Orthodox speakers recommend the "Jesus Prayer": "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me, a sinner." Other speakers say prayer is simply a conversation with God, and I think, Simply?! Just a regular old conversation with someone I can't see, hear, or touch, and whose voice is so tricky to sort from others', especially from the voices of my own hopes and fears?

My measly prayers typically amount to internal gasps of Help! in a crisis or middle-of-the-night anxieties I call "pray-worrying." Occasionally I add a perfunctory—and usually long overdue—remembrance of someone else's problems. Or let out a "Wow!" in recognition of some dazzling evidence of God's creativity. Sometimes, though, I go whole days without conversing with God at all.

I'm especially ungifted in the area of public prayer. I covet others' ability not only to remember long lists of others' needs but to reformulate them into communiqués that don't sound, as mine do, wacky or false.

And whether I'm praying publicly or privately, I seem incapable of praying for very long. After a minute or two, I get distracted. In bed, I fall asleep. At church, I find myself gazing over the bowed heads around me, trying to remember if I turned off my daughters' hair straightener. Although I'd like to follow the apostle Paul's advice to pray continually, I can't do it.

Once, on a plane trip, I sat next to an elderly woman wearing a funny little diaphanous bonnet. When I asked about it, she called it her "prayer hat" and said she wore it because the Bible says to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NRSV) and that women should cover their heads while praying (1 Corinthians 11:5-6). She was a sweet, earnest woman, and I wondered if, somewhere beneath our conversation, she was praying for me even then. I hoped so. Later I discovered she was. We'd exchanged addresses, and she sent me occasional letters over the next years saying she was still praying for me.

I wish I could pray as she did: for a stranger, years after a chance meeting, continually, and with childlike confidence in even the oddest passages of Scripture.

I can't seem to maintain a regular "quiet time with God," as friends call their prayers. Some of them have devotions every morning, following a reading schedule—the Bible in a year's time or a devotional anthology—that keeps them on track. One friend has a devotional teatime, filling an extra cup to visualize God's presence. My husband reads a daily Bible chapter over breakfast. I try to follow his example but soon find myself mechanically grading those last three papers or reading one of the magazines accruing on the breakfast table. I am, in short, a failure at prayer.

please read the rest here  http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2009/mayjun/iwasafailureatprayer.html

The Brightness of His Rising
June 6, 2009

"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isaiah 60:3)

This beautiful Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah compares the coming of Christ to the rising of the sun.

The rest of this chapter in Isaiah seems to stress His coming in glory at the future end of the age (e.g., "the LORD shall be thine everlasting light," Isaiah 60:20) but our text verse had at least a precursive fulfillment when the Gentile wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to honour Jesus soon after His birth.

Other Messianic prophecies used a similar metaphor. For example, there is Malachi 4:2: "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings."

Christ Himself made the same comparison. "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). He would not serve as the light for only the Jews: He is the light of the whole world!

The theme of global light through Christ is often found in the Old Testament. "I the LORD . . . will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. . . . It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).

It will all be perfectly and eternally fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, "for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: . . . for there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:23-25). HMM

http://www.icr.org/article/4649/

Lo, I Come
June 7, 2009

"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." (Hebrews 10:7)

These marvelous words (in Hebrews 10:5-7) are an interpretive quotation from Psalm 40:6-8, which in turn was being cited prophetically as the testimony of the eternal Son of God as He prepared to leave heaven and "the bosom of the Father" (note John 1:18) to descend to earth to become also "the Son of man," with no "where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20).

He first took up residence on earth in the womb of Mary, then in a manger, then a house in Bethlehem, then somewhere in Egypt until the death of King Herod who had tried to kill Him, then in the home of his foster father in a despised village, eventually on a cross on which His enemies would impale Him, and finally for three days in a borrowed tomb.

And all this, amazingly, was to do the will of His Father in heaven, which He fully understood would include the terrible death of the cross. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again" (John 10:17).

We can never comprehend such love--only believe it and receive it.  "For 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).  Now we can testify with Paul "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God |His faith, not ours!|, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

But anyone who ignores that love should note this sobering truth: "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).  HMM

Everything Beautiful in His Time
June 8, 2009

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

In verses 2-8 of Ecclesiastes 3 appears a remarkable listing of 28 "times," arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., "a time to be born, and a time to die," v. 2). The entire section is introduced by God's definitive statement: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (v. 1). It is then climaxed by His remarkable assurance in the words of our text for the day. Everything that God has made is beautiful in its appropriate time--even death and war, killing and hating, and all the other "negatives" in the list, as well as the 14 "positives"--[/i]healing and loving, building and planting, and many others.

The pronoun (implied) could be either [i]"its" or "His," and since all our "times" are "in thy hand" (Psalm 31:15), it is fitting to recognize that the appropriate time for "every purpose under heaven" is His time--God's time.

Thus everything that God has made is, in fact, beautiful when accomplished in His own time, in His way, as set forth in His Word. We may not understand many things in our time, for "no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." Nevertheless, when God made us, He "set the world in |our hearts|," so that the very deepest roots of our nature assure us that God exists and cares. The Hebrew word for "world" means, literally, that "world without end" (compare Ephesians 3:21). Thus, all that happens to us, if accepted and applied according to God's Word, becomes beautiful, and "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). HMM

WHAT NEXT?


"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." John 13:17

If you do not cut the moorings, God will have to break them by a storm and send you out. Launch all on God, go out on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and you will get your eyes open. [size=15pt]If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters just inside the harbour bar, full of delight, but always moored; you have to get out through the harbour bar into the great deeps of God and begin to know for yourself, begin to have spiritual discernment.[/size]

When you know you should do a thing, and do it, immediately you know more. Revise where you have become stodgy spiritually, and you will find it goes back to a point where there was something you knew you should do, but you did not do it because there seemed no immediate call to, and now you have no perception, no discernment; at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-possessed. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to go on knowing.

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you work up occasions to sacrifice yourself; ardour is mistaken for discernment. It is easier to sacrifice yourself than to fulfil your spiritual destiny, which is stated in Romans 12:1-2. It is a great deal better to fulfil the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than to perform great acts of self-sacrifice. "To obey is better than sacrifice." Beware of harking back to what you were once when God wants you to be something you have never been. "If any man will do . . . he shall know." http://www.myutmost.org/06/0608.html

The Man Child
June 9, 2009

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." (Revelation 12:5)

This remarkable scene was part of a great vision given to the apostle John as the Lord was revealing to him "the things which shall be hereafter" (Revelation 1:19).  He had seen an amazing "sign" in heaven--a woman "clothed with the sun . . . travailing in birth," with "a great red dragon" awaiting the delivery and ready "to devour her child as soon as it was born" (Revelation 12:1-4).

Although the whole vision is richly symbolic, the figure of the man child clearly refers to Jesus Christ, because it is He alone who must eventually rule all nations "with a rod of iron" (Revelation 19:15).  Thus, the symbolic "woman" must suggest His human mother Mary but also Eve, the "mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20), for in His human birth, the Son of God became also "the Son of man" (Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13).  The vision, in fact, dramatizes the long warfare between the great dragon (i.e., Satan--Revelation 12:9) and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).

In the vision, the "man child" will have been "caught up" (i.e., "raptured" to heaven, and the dragon and his angels "cast out" to earth (Revelation 12:5-9).  But when Christ returns from heaven, all believers, living and dead, will also be "caught up" to meet Him in the air, and thus may well be included in the man child of the great "sign."

There has been continuous warfare between the seed of the Serpent and the spiritual seed of the woman.  The Dragon is forever "wroth with the woman" and with "the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17).  But Christ will finally prevail and cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). HMM

http://www.icr.org/article/4652/

The Man Born Blind
June 10, 2009

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:2-3)

Mankind has always found it easy to fall into the trap of thinking that suffering of any sort is due to sin. To be sure, much suffering is due to sin, and even after repentance and forgiveness, scars may remain. Furthermore, evil and its attendant grief surround us. Our civilization is plagued by sin and its evil fruits—some of which reach even the most godly Christian. Indeed, "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain" (Romans 8:22) as a result of the curse brought about by sin. If there had been no sin, there would have been no suffering.

But this does not imply that all personal suffering stems from personal sin. The blind man was the way he was to bring glory to God, we are told. Although many at the time failed to recognize "the works of God" when this man was healed, countless millions have glorified God throughout the centuries for this act of creation.

Now some may ask, how could God have been glorified in this grown man's life of blindness up until his healing? Actually, all life is a miracle, even the single-celled amoeba. Nothing living could possibly have arisen by accident, and as such testifies to the marvelous "works of God." In this case, the item of interest was a human being, complete with fully functioning organs and systems. Even though he could not see, he could smell, taste, hear, speak, touch, move, walk, eat, breathe, digest, think, etc. This could not be the result of time and chance acting on "primeval slime," as the evolutionist would claim. Any living system points to a loving Designer. Those who "willingly are ignorant" (2 Peter 3:5) of such facts are more blind than the Pharisees. JDM

praise God for this good news. same wild fire is sweeping through china too

Underground Church Growing in Muslim-Dominated Indonesia
Monday, 08 June 2009 13:05 Julian Lukins News - Featured News
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Pentecostals on the tsunami-ravaged coast of Indonesia are experiencing a wave of conversions and healings.

In the strongly Muslim Aceh province of northern Sumatra—where 167,000 people died in the 2004 tsunami—the underground church movement is growing, with Pentecostal congregations thriving.


Indonesia has an official policy of religious tolerance, but in Muslim-dominated areas Christians face open hostility and persecution. In Aceh province, churches must register with the authorities and are not permitted to evangelize. Many Christians choose to meet in unregistered—or underground—churches.


Sumatra is one of the least evangelized places on earth, according to Operation World. But since the tsunami—which wiped out 15 percent of the population of Aceh's provincial capital Banda Aceh—numerous underground churches have put down roots.


Pastor Nico (full name withheld for security reasons) started an underground Pentecostal church four years ago with only six members. Today 90 people from the neighborhood make up the Spirit-filled congregation. They endure persecution for their faith. One church family had rocks thrown through the windows of their home, and another family was forced to relocate because of threats.


"It's very difficult for the Muslims to accept us here," the 34-year-old pastor told Charisma. "If the authorities knew where we meet, they would close us down."
Despite the risks, the congregation is mission minded. "We'd like to go to the homes in this area, to the marketplace, to share about Jesus and start another church," Pastor Nico explained. "We love God, but we also have to love people—even those who don't love us."


One of the church members, Novi (full name withheld), grew up in a Buddhist home, burning offerings of money and incense at her family shrine. Two years ago, a traumatic experience set the 24-year-old Novi on a spiritual quest that led to healing and faith in Christ.


Whenever Novi was close to her husband, she felt a peculiar sensation, which she described as worms wriggling under her skin. "You could actually see something moving under the skin," recalled her husband Fumin.


Deeply distressed, the couple sought help from various sources, including witchdoctors, traditional healers and their Buddhist idols. But Novi's condition worsened, leaving her on the verge of a breakdown. "I thought: 'I'm going to go crazy and die,"' she recalled. "I couldn't sleep. , I felt an overwhelming sense of fear."


Novi became convinced the affliction was a spiritual attack. A relative suggested the couple cross the sea in order to "leave the evil behind." In desperation, they flew to another island, but the attacks intensified.


At her wit's end, Novi listened to her sister who had become a Christian. "My sister told me that I should go to the Highest Power for healing—that is, Jesus," Novi told Charisma. "I thought: If Jesus can heal me, I will follow Him forever."


As they prayed together in Jesus' name, Novi felt a "cleansing surge" through her body. A few days later, she felt another attack and cried out to Jesus. Since then, she has never suffered a recurrence. Now her husband is a leader in the church, and their testimony has drawn others to Christ, including his parents, brother and sister-in-law.


The new converts in Aceh's growing underground church include former Muslims like Ernawati (full name withheld). As a little girl growing up in a devoutly Muslim home, Ernawati visited the mosque with her parents and knelt to pray five times a day.

However, she often asked herself: Who is God? Does He really hear my prayers? Her curiosity grew when she saw the crucifixion scene on The Jesus Film, an evangelistic movie produced by Campus Crusade for Christ. "I wanted to know more about this Jesus," she said.


Shortly before Christmas 2004, 30-year-old Ernawati was at home when a man wearing a white robe appeared and said to her: "Do not be afraid."
"Naturally, I was very afraid," Ernawati recalled. "I didn't know who he was , and then he disappeared."


Just days later, the tsunami struck. Submerged by the wave, Ernawati cried out: "Jesus , save me!" Although she could not swim, she suddenly found herself above water and scrambled to safety.


Thousands drowned that day but she was one of the miraculous survivors. Ernawati gave her life to Jesus and joined the underground church. "Now I know the Truth, and the Truth has set me free," she testifies. -Julian Lukins in Sumatra, Indonesia

http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/22219-underground-church-growing-in-muslim-dominated-indonesia?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Charisma+News+Online+06-09-09