₦airaland Forum

God is the almighty, he is the omnipresent. He sees all your actions and wishes and wishes to fulfill them. Just think yourself as a father or head of the family, who fulfills all the wishes of family members as the head of the family. He knows what demands are to be fulfilled and what should not? He knows which demands are extravagant and which are appropriate. So is the God of the world, the almighty God.

We, as a Christian should live a contended life. We should know what demands are selfless and genuine then we should demand from the almighty. He would surely listen to us. It is too difficult for a human to find out the purpose of life. Some people think that making demands and fulfilling them is the only purpose to live. Life is not demanding, life is giving and sharing the things with other human beings. We have got this human birth with very much difficulty. We should respect the birth we have got. We should be contended in the things we get. Otherwise we would have to live and waste our life in unrest. We would be getting nothing only void by demanding. So a real christian life is to make glorify the name of God.

We all are creation of God. He has sent us to make our life purposeful, with our good deeds. There are so many people, Cd, books and websites which guide us how to live glorified life in the name of holy God. We have to prove ourselves the best heir of God by living life according to christian church. We have to show that we won't adopt erroneous ways to live life. Christian life is to make our path straight towards him. He is the only destination, where we have to go.

One of a real Christian church's main purposes in his fruitful life is to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the God and of the Holy Spirit." You have to make more disciples in the world who are disciples of God not the Satan. First making your life disciplined is must then only we can make other's life disciplined. The glorified life which we had on heaven we must long for that for all in this world. So be true to Christian church and make your life purposeful.

"For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near." Heb. 10:1

As I think about the power of the blood of Jesus and how it provides perfect cleansing for us, I can't help but worship and praise Him with continual gratitude.

PERFECT CLEANSING

Make no mistake about it. Your own performance (no matter how good it might be) will never improve the fantastic status you already have in Christ.

"And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time." Heb. 10:10 NLT

His blood makes you holy, righteous, perfectly cleansed.

If you are struggling with guilt and condemnation even after you repented, you must hear the Gospel (the Good News) once again.

Yes! You have to repent from your sins. Yes, you have to live a holy life. But based on the work of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus.

Remember: You are a NEW COVENANT believer. You are not under the Old Covenant. It is highly important you inform your mind and emotions about this...

ARE YOU A SINNER OR A SAINT?

"So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood." Heb. 13:12 NLT

Are you a sinner or a saint? Are you a sinner that struggles to love God or a lover of God who struggles with sin? Huge difference! Religion teaches the first. The Gospel teaches the second.

The word holy comes from the Greek 'hagiazō' which means "to make holy, consecrate, sanctify". This is why Jesus died... to make you holy, acceptable, blameless and righteous.

If you have been born again, this is your reality today.

This powerful truth is not based on your performance but on Christ's. It's not that you will be holy one day in the future (when you finally grow up and stop disappointing God), no, you are holy now, even in your weakness, because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Please get this: We will never measure up to God's perfect standard. That's why we need JESUS.

THE KEY TO LIVING A GUILT-FREE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Your spirit inside is as holy as it will ever be, it's your mind that needs renewing. And what about your body? Well, your body always follows your mind.

You are a new creation now. You are holy, chosen and greatly beloved (Col. 3:12).

The essence of living a victorious life over sin depends on understanding the nature of the new man. What or Who is the New Man? The new man is who you really are -- God's master piece; His new creation.

Closing Thought: The key to the Christian life is found in the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:1-2). You have to look into the mirror of the word of God to discover who you really are (your true identity). Then, you have to believe it and start defining yourself according to what God says you are in Christ.

Much Blessings

1) Who are you?

Understanding who you are in Christ is a very important step to improve your Christian life. A Christian is a NEW CREATION. ''Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.'' This new life is not human. It is ZOE, the God kind of life. We are not talking here about a change in behavior or refurbished character. We are talking about a brand new man who has never existed before.

2) You Now Life In Zion

We now live in the Promised Land. We have arrived. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. He is the way to the Promised Land and we have passed through him to get there. ''But ye are come unto mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels.'' (Hebrews 12:22). Mount Zion is the city of our solemnities (Isaiah 33:20). It is the city of our appointed feasts, for there, all those that live in there shall never say they are sick. (Colossians 1:13). We are truly not of this world.

3) You Seat In The Place Of Power

We are seated with Christ at the right hand of God in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:20-21) it is a place of power and authority. ''And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.'' (Ephesians 2:6). When Jesus rose from the dead, he said ''All hail, all power in heaven and on earth has been given unto me. Go you into the world and teach all Nations......'' He said he is sending us even as the father sent him. He did not reduce the authority, He sent us with the same measure of authority. Ephesians 1:20-21; Ephesians 2:6; Mathew 28:19; Mark 16:16-18.

4) You Are Complete In Him

The fullness of Godhead bodily dwells in us. CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY: And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.'' (Colossians 2:9-10). Christ dwells in our heart fully. We have full deposit of God's anointing, we do not require a double portion of it because that is less than God's best. 1 John 3:2 lets us know that there is no difference between Jesus and us today. He said, ''As he is in Heaven so are we in this world; and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.''

5) Meditate On The Word

God has given you everything you need to succeed in life. But they are all wrapped up in the word as we see in Joshua 1:8 ''This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.'' So the only way to life a successful, victorious and prosperous life; is to get the word into your spirit.

Why would anyone believe the Bible is the word of God? Has it not been proven to be full of contradictions and errors? Absolutely not! There are very good reasons for believing in the Divine authorship of the Bible.

I believe the Bible (Old and New Testaments) to be the very Word of God. In saying that we assume the reader is neither an agnostic nor an atheist. We are assuming that the reader along with the writer believes in the existence of God.

The question before us is, "Has that God revealed Himself to mankind," and more specifically, "Has that God revealed Himself in what is known as the Holy Scriptures called the Bible?"
I affirm that He has.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God Because:

1. It proclaims itself to be the God breathed book. This alone would not be enough. There are many books that claim Divine origin. But accompanied by many other evidences this is one that cannot be over looked.

2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (KJV)

The Greek word for "inspiration" in verse 16 is a word that literally means to breath out. So Paul is actually claiming that all Scripture is God breathed.

The Apostle Peter adds his amen to this in 2 Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The Bible clearly claims to be the word of God." (KJV)

2. It evidences that it is the Word of God by its internal agreement.

Over a period of roughly 5000 years with 40 different authors from every walk of life and comprising 66 different books, the Bible is in amazing agreement in its assessment of who God is and what He has done. It is in agreement throughout on the nature of God, on the nature of humanity and particularly on the Person of God's Messiah, Jesus Christ. Every step of revelation supports the previous revelation even though it may be a progression of revelation. The Bible proves its authenticity through its own internal agreement.

3. The Bible evidences that it is the Word of God by its absolute honesty.

When one studies the Old Testament he finds that the men who wrote did not exalt their own racial background or glorify their own ancestry. It is true that Israelites wrote the Old Testament and in every other history the race of the writer is often painted as the almost perfect specimen of humankind. The Bible is much different. The wickedness and pure moral failures of Israel are punctuated as loudly as are her accomplishments.

The heroes of the Bible are painted with warts and all. For instance, one of the most popular kings of Israel (King David) failed miserably as a friend to Uriah (one of his mighty men). He failed miserably as the moral leader of Israel. He failed as the true representative of God. In most human stories the hero is guarded and if there is a failure it is downplayed and hardly mentioned. Not so in the Bible. Israel's hero king fails and the Bible records it in every detail. This same thing can be said of all the great heroes of Israel's past.

This is true in the New Testament as well. The Apostle Paul, who figures prominently in the New Testament writings admits his pre-conversion persecution of the Church without hesitation. When Peter fails miserably and denies his Lord the New Testament gives the story without any frills or excuses. Human authors do not display that tendency but rather tend to minimize or simply ignore the failures of its heroes.

The fact that the Bible is so honest attests to the veracity of the Author of the Bible, Israel's God.

4. The Bible evidences that it is the Word of God in the matter of given and fulfilled prophecy.
In Messianic Prophecy alone the outcome is astounding. Herbert Lockyer said: "The literal fulfillment of a prophecy is the seal of its (the Bible's) Divine origin. Prophecies of centuries concerning the final sufferings of Christ were fulfilled during the twenty four hours leading up to His crucifixion. According to the law of compound probabilities, the chance that they all happened together by accident is 1 in 537,000,000." ("All The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible" by Herbert Lockyer, Zondervan 1974.)

Many, many other fulfilled prophecies could be cited. The fact is there is no other book on earth that has so accurately prophesied of coming events that can also boast of those events literal fulfillment like the Bible.

5. The Bible evidences that it is the Word of God by the positive influence it has had on society.
The very fabric of our judicial system is based on the Ten Commandments recorded in the Bible. Every society that has taken the Bible as one of its foundational documents has flourished beyond all measure. This is not something I must prove. A glance at near or ancient history will affirm the fact that nations rise and fall in direct proportion to their attitude toward the Bible.

6. The Bible evidences that it is the Word of God by its indestructibility.

Never has a book been hated as the Bible been hated. From the pagan emperors of Rome to the opposition to the New Testament being translated into native tongues, no book has been sought out and burned more often than the Bible. If it were possible to eradicate the Bible, it would have been accomplished thousands of years ago. But The Book has proven to be indestructible. This in itself attests to its Divine origin.

7. The Bible has evidenced that it is the Word of God because of it's spiritual value.

In other books there might be a good moral here or there, but the Bible is full of wisdom for kings and paupers. It gives a perfect assessment of human nature and the source of pain and misery in the world in the fall of Adam. It gives the perfect and indisputable solution for that pain and misery in the triumph of Christ. In the Bible we see why mankind is in the condition he is in while at the same time we find that there is hope for him in Christ. Multitudes can and do testify of the saving influence of the Word of God on their lives. Whole nations have been salvaged by its sanctifying influences. Individual souls have been brought from the depths of depravity to the heights of glory by its message of redemption.

Many other reasons could be given for the my belief in the Divine authorship of the Bible. It is my hope that these will suffice for the believer and that skeptics will be induced to search further for the truth.

Let it be known without equivocation what our stand is.

There is no book in all the World like the Bible.

1 When the world around you is bombarded with complete chaos your world could easily come tumbling down, if you allow it to. While you cannot control circumstances or other people, you usually have the power to control yourself. It is up to you to make sound decisions that directly impact your life. Although it may sound like a cliché, life is all about choices. And that saying can never be overemphasized. We have way more control over our lives than we like to take responsibility for.

No human being escapes this lifetime without experiencing a hardship of some sort. Everyone will experience their own storms. Sometimes, it seems as though you have it harder than others. And that may be the case. But the way that you handle the situation is up to you. It serves you well to be compassionate with yourself during your time of trouble. But it doesn't serve you stay in victim mode. Make every effort to be solution focused, and not problem focused. Think about the things that are in your control. Have you ever heard the saying? "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well I think it's a wonderful motto to live by. However, in my journey as a life coach, I have found that many us need a recipe to conjure up that good old lemonade. So here are 5 ways to stay encouraged through this journey that we call life.

1) Spend Time with God First - Stop seeking everyone's opinion

Make your daily devotion to God the very first thing you do when you awake. God wants to be first. Spend time with him before you start doing everything else. Worship, prayer, and reading the Bible combined will impact your day immensely. The book of Nehemiah says that the joy of the Lord is your strength. When things go haywire, it's not uncommon for us to seek the opinions of others. Sometimes, people have great advice. But seek God's advice first because his is always knows what is best for you.

2) Serve Others

We are a body of believers. It's essential for us spend time together, lift each other up, and assist in time of need. And we all have something great and different to offer other people. Our gifts, talents, and abilities were given to us for service. And there is so much power in numbers. You were created for a purpose. When you are feeling discouraged, remember that people are counting you. And you are valuable to the Kingdom!

3) Journal

Nowadays, we make the choice to take on some many tasks that are minds can become cluttered. Taking time to reflect on our day can be very useful. It helps to organize some of the thoughts in your head, if you write them down. Also, it can be very encouraging to look back in your journal, and appreciate the good times. Also, you can reflect on how you made it through the storm before.

4) Coach yourself

There is a song that says, Sometimes you have to encourage yourself. And it's so sure. I teach my clients self-coaching methods for them to be successful when I am not around. I love my clients, and I love coaching but they cannot reach their full potential if they don't do their part. It's a team effort. Encourage yourself with positive words on a daily basis. Be mindful of what you say to yourself, read, and listen to. All of those things collectively have a major impact on your thinking. If you're constantly thinking of things in a negative way, then you will feel negative and vice versa.

5) Create a Vision for yourself

Spend time with yourself to reflect, and make deliberate decisions about your future. Create a vision board that has all of your long- term goals on it. And put it in a place where you can see it on a regular basis. This is encouraging because it helps give you direction. And there is something very powerful about visualization techniques. You may not be exactly where you want to be now, but you can get there. Some of the challenges that we are facing are only temporary.

Putting it all together

The truth is no one is strong all the time. However, you may notice that some people have much more difficult time staying encouraged than others. And it's because those individuals have found coping mechanisms that make tough times more manageable for them. Ultimately, there are so many different recipes for encouragement. I encourage you to try these. They have truly blessed my life

1 If the 2 billion plus people who are classified as Christians were true Christians we would have a totally different world. We would have lesser number of very poor people, much lesser number of crimes, and an increasing number of people who make other people happy.

Unfortunately and very sadly too, most of the 2 billion or more who say they are Christians are false Christians. They are not true as they do not show the signs of a real Christian.

We have fake money bills, fake documents, fake transcripts of records, fake certificates, fake signatures. But the worst and most dangerous counterfeit is not money or document but a fake Christian. The reason is because a fake Christian can create havoc not just in the banks or in employment but in all the sectors of society.

It was fake Christians who have been waging wars all through these centuries, including the two world wars, putting to death millions of human beings.

To recognize who these fake Christians are we need to know the signs of a true Christian. There are three main signs.

First, the true Christian is one who is no longer seeking for something in this world to save himself or make himself happy. If you have been to an Easter Party with an Easter egg, you would know what I mean.

In an Easter Party where the people search for the Easter egg you see children and adults walking around, searching for the coveted Easter egg, a colored egg hidden in furniture, in grass, in other places around the venue of the party. They keep on looking for this Easter egg until it is found. Most of the time there are many of such egg and people look for more and more of them, until the moderator of the game tells the partying people that the total number of Easter eggs have been found.

That is what most people do. They are looking for something that can make them happy. Some people think that this is found in money and more money, and so they acquire more of this. Others think that this is found in having three good meals a day, a sturdy roof over their head, and a set of comfortable clothes. So they work for these from day to day. Still others think that they can find happiness in honor. So they search for ways and means to become celebrities, whether at school, in the movie industry or in politics or in other areas.

The true Christian has found genuine happiness and knows where she has found this, in an encounter with God in Christ. This encounter happens when she has heard personally the word of God spoken to her and she has responded accordingly. Without this personal experience of God addressing oneself there is no real Christian.

In the case of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, he had this personal encounter when he heard God personally speaking to him through a preacher, "Look unto me..." from Isaiah 45:22.

In the case of Therese Martin, she heard the personal word of God when she read Proverbs 9:4, "Whoever is a little one, let him come to me."

This personal experience with the word of God is not something reserved to the saints or great Christians. This is the necessary experience of every true Christian. This makes the person discover where true happiness lies, in Christ and in him alone.

Because of this experience, the true Christian stops looking for something to truly satisfy her thirst for happiness. She has found it and it shows in her life. She does not come and go here and there searching for something to make her happy. She has found happiness and it shows in her demeanor.

The second main sign of a true Christian is that she is learning about the Christ. And this shows in her thoughts and in her words.

A simple but very correct definition of a Christian is that she is a learner of the Christ, because the basic meaning of "disciple" in Greek is "learner". If a Christian is a disciple of Christ, then she is a learner. She learns something of the Christ every day.

To do this she has a book or a string of beads to meditate on the life and works of the Christ. And she does this not because she has been told to do so by a teacher in religion or Bible study group. She does this because she loves Christ and she wants to know more about him. This is done on a daily basis, not once in a while.

This second sign of a true Christian disqualifies almost all those who even go to church daily or once a week to be called real Christians. This is because they are content with going to church daily or once a week and never advance in their personal knowledge of the Christ.

The third sign of a true Christian is something that Jesus himself said was the true sign of his followers. And this sign is something that cannot be faked. It is so simple and yet it cannot be produced by mere human effort. It is produced by God in us and through us. Unless this sign is clear in our lives we cannot say that we are real Christians.

This third sign is love.

But is it not just a wishy-washy kind of love. It is love that endures through death and even beyond death. It is not a fine feeling for the person next to you whom you happen to like.

Beyond love of God and love of neighbor, this is love of other true Christians. The true Christian senses a deep affinity with other true Christians, an affinity stronger than family ties. And she loves the other true Christians not with her human love but with the love of Christ himself.

Now, how is this love of Christ himself for the other true Christians shown so that other people can see it? It is shown by caring unto the uttermost, just as Jesus cared for that person to the uttermost.

These are the three main signs of a true Christian: 1) The true Christian no longer is looking for something to make her happy; she has found what makes her totally happy through a personal encounter with the word of God. 2) The true Christian learns about the Christ daily. She discovers something new about the Christ everyday. And she keeps on learning about the Christ. 3) The true Christian has a genuine love for the other true Christians, a love that comes from Jesus himself, shown by caring for the other Christians to the uttermost.

It is not baptism nor any other sacrament, nor doing good deeds to our fellow men, nor going to church and performing religious or church activities that tell others we are true Christians. It is sense of total happiness radiating around us, a continuous desire to learn more of the Christ, and genuine Christ's love for the other true Christian that tell others we are true Christians

Christian women working - Biblical or not?

It's interesting to note that Jesus usually referred to himself as the son of man. Demons, however, always referred to him as the son of God. So, which was he? Of course, the obvious answer would seem to be that he was both. But, I believe there is a deeper truth, and a reason Jesus referred to himself as the son of man.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave his only son to redeem us. We committed that verse to memory when we were small children and, I would venture a guess that most of us are so used to saying it by rote, that we don't really understand all that this gift entails.

God giving up His son was the reciprocal act for Abraham giving up his son, Isaac. God was looking for a man he could cut a covenant with. Someone who would be willing to sacrifice on the same level that God himself was willing to sacrifice; someone who would obey without question; someone who would believe in God so strongly, and so faithfully, that he would ignore appearances and stand firm in the belief that God was true to His word.

God had promised to make Abraham a father of many nations. 25 years after the promise, Isaac was born. Then, God asked Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice. A man of weaker faith would have hesitated; he would have hedged his bet and taken along a suitable sacrifice. Not Abraham, the father of faith. He took his son, the son of the promise, and journeyed to what was probably Golgotha, the same location that the other son of promise would be offered as a sacrificial lamb two thousand years later.

They journeyed for three days. Basically, for three days, Isaac was dead in the mind of Abraham, for all intents and purposes, just as the other son of promise would be dead for three days in the heart of the earth. Yet, Abraham knew that his God would provide. He believed that even if he killed his son and offered him up as a sacrifice, that God would raise him from the dead, because Isaac was the promised son, the one through whom nations would be born; the one through whom the savior would come.

How many of us would have been willing to "risk" the life of our own child and the only visible avenue of our future success as Abraham did? Yet, God's sacrifice of his son, Jesus, was just as astounding.

God didn't just send Jesus to die on the cross for us. He wasn't sent just to atone for our sins. When Jesus came into the earth, he entered the earth as a man, as the son of man. He came into the earth without godly powers. He had to. If he had come into the earth as God, his sacrifice would have meant nothing. Of course God could live a sinless life. No, he entered the world as a man. He was tempted in all the same ways that we are tempted. Yet, he remained sinless. But, what if...

You see, God risked more than His son's mortal life in sending him to the world to atone for our sins. He risked his eternal being. Jesus could have failed. Does that shock you? Of course, it has to be true. If failure was not a possibility, then again, the sacrifice would have been meaningless. Jesus was the last Adam. He lived the sinless life that the first Adam was created for, and meant to live. If Jesus had failed in his mission, then all of mankind would have been forever damned. If there hadn't been the possibility of failure, of sin, then there wouldn't have been any possibility of redemption

I am confusion,everywhere people are killing people,poverty in the land,diseases,earthquakes etc.

If God loves us then why does he cause natural calamities?

As Christians, what is our relationship to the other people in the world? How are we supposed to behave? Who should we and our children be around? As individual Christians, we have very clear Biblical instructions and examples for who we should seek out and who we should avoid. Based on their behavior, the Biblical instructions in this article may come as a big surprise to a majority of Christians, today.

How Christians Treat Others: Ever heard someone say we Christians should be separate from those outside of Christ? Many teach that Christians should avoid the World and anyone who does not profess Christianity. There is no question a lot in the Bible tells us not to be part of the worldly way of living. But, does that translate into separating ourselves as much as possible from the other people in the world? Based on the behavior of most Christians, today, you'd have to say, "Yes!" I remember leading an evangelistic ministry in my first post. My success met with the disdain and outright opposition of the church members in this "evangelical" church. They didn't want those "sinners" around their children. I saw one church member actually tell a visitor to move...that he was sitting in her seat. It's clear that many in the Church don't want anyone in until they've already accepted Christ and eradicated sin from their lives...it wouldn't hurt if they dressed up, too.

We go so far as to set up "Christian" stores, businesses and activities so we don't have to come in contact with "sinners" any more than necessary. Many churches and individual Christians purposely contract with "Christian" lending institutions, construction companies, insurance companies and other businesses, even at a higher cost. We go to Christian gyms, apparently because we don't want any sinner's sweat to get on us. There's Christian radio, TV, schools, theme parks, clubs, dating services, banks, parenting programs, aerobics, diets...the list goes on and on. There's even a Christian 12-step. I guess Christian addicts are a cut above all the rest. When we find it difficult to have something just for Christians, we go to court or sponsor a new law to try and force everyone else to act like us. Just serving God, you say? The Bible would differ with you on how Christians are supposed to behave toward the other people of the world.

How We Should Treat Others: Jesus said for us to be a light to the world, that our good works would cause all people to see God and praise Him. He said we are to love our neighbors...even our enemies...that our love would be a testimony of His love and show us to be His people. His final instructions to us...mission statement, if you will...was for us to go into the whole world and be witnesses of Him. John emphasized this even more by saying in this world we are like Him...that our love is proof we are Christians. We are called Christians, by the way, because it means "little Christs." Jesus set the example by spending His time reaching out with love to the sinners...not the saved. Paul wrote that our ministry as Christians is to be ambassadors to the world, to reconcile the world to God. The Bible never says for us to avoid non-Christians. If that's a surprise, wait until you see what it says about Christians.

How Christians Treat Christians: Christians always seem to give other Christians the benefit of the doubt. We give them preferential treatment in business and, sadly, accept below standard work and higher prices just because they are members of "the club." We tolerate so high a degree of sin in Christians that there is now almost no moral difference between Christians and non-Christians as a group. A pastor I knew was caught in affairs with several married women in his church. What was surprising was the number of Christians who proposed that he be forgiven and allowed to keep his job as the spiritual leader although he never admitted what he did was wrong. It's clear that many Christians believe we should lovingly embrace anyone professing Christianity despite overwhelming evidence of blatant disregard for the life a Christian is called to lead. That, also, is just the opposite of what the Bible says.

How We Should Treat Christians: Yes, our love for each other is a testimony of Christ in us, but that love is reflected in many ways. We are to speak the truth to each other. We are to help each other to avoid sin. We are to correct those who are in error. We are to forgive each other when we confess sin. We are to avoid Christians who are divisive. Paul said we are not to associate with anyone who calls himself Christian and is sexually immoral, greedy, dishonest, slanderer, etc. If we will not use the power of Christ to help keep each other from sin and our own witness for Christ pure, how dare we think ourselves different in any way from those who don't know Jesus.

In Israel during Jesus' time, the religious leaders were people who thought themselves holy...a chosen people...above the "heathen." They would not eat with the "heathen," do commerce with them, welcome them in their place of worship or their homes. When speaking of those religious leaders back then, many Christians would call them bigots, and rightly so. Jesus called them hypocrites and whitewashed graves. Instead of being what God called them to, a beacon to call the world to a loving God, they became a stop light to keep the world away from God. If we Christians aren't careful, we'll find ourselves, like them, working against the will of God, pushing others away instead of drawing them to Him in love.

Did you know that you are a minister?

That's right. Each and every one of you is a minister, because if you have faith in God, he wants you to use that faith to reach out to a lost and hurting world. We have a ministry, even if we don't work for a church. We must proclaim the truth of God's love in thought, word and deed, as if we are a dying man or woman of God ministering to dying people.

As Christians, we focus on Christ and his love, but this love is just a vague concept to most people unless that love is reborn in each and every one of us each and every day and we learn to love others as Christ loves us. After all, Christ said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love people.

As ministers, we are to show that love by shining a light on the Gospel. The Gospel has been hidden to those who are lost, in the dark and who follow Satan. The human heart is wicked and blind. For example, Paul's opponents didn't understand his ministry because they didn't know the meaning of the Gospel. Satan has been defeated, but he is still powerful. He is still a dominant force in our world. If he can trick people into thinking he is equal to God (as he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden), he can blind people to the truth of the Gospel. Truth that can be trusted is truth that changes and also testifies to others. We have been entrusted as ministers of the Gospel.

In the past century, the church has been divided among those whose focus was evangelism (the proclamation of Christ crucified) and those who were focused on social welfare or social justice. Which should we be doing? The answer is that we should be doing both. However, the proclamation of Christ crucified should be our central focus, and efforts to achieve social welfare or social justice should be an outgrowth of that focus--and not the other way around.

Jesus' name must be on the lips of those who believe in him. Their service in his name should confirm the integrity of their message, especially if the message comes from those who have been called to preach the Gospel. God does not shine his light on anyone's heart for his/her sake alone. Every believer's knowledge of Christ must shine on a world that desperately needs Christ's love. The light of the Holy Spirit shines on the world. It allows our lives to be touched and our faith to be kindled. Paul's preaching was open and sincere, but the Gospel is hidden from many people. The only way it can be revealed is by witnessing to others. This witnessing involves spiritual warfare because Satan is actively opposed to Christian witness. Nevertheless, we need to be lights in our dark, sin-filled world.

Paul was not motivated by money or the need for human approval. Consequently, he refused to water down or change God's word to suit what people wanted to hear. Paul is a good example for us to follow. We must not be motivated by earthly desires. We must be motivated by a deep and sincere desire to spread the Good News of the Gospel. We must not alter or change God's Word to conform to what people want to hear. We must not "tickle their ears." We must pierce their hearts, minds and souls. Honesty is beautiful and refreshingly simple, just like servants of God-no hidden meanings, no hypocrisy, no duplicity, and no political games.

When we do God's work, we must not tamper with the Gospel, no matter how much we are tempted. If we tamper with the Gospel, it loses power and our witness and ministry are negatively affected. The things of this world must not become more important than our devotion to Christ. He is the utmost authority we must obey. We must stay true to the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus. Everything we do must point people to Jesus. That is what evangelism is in its purest form.

Paul's ministry is an example of servanthood. Servanthood implies diligence, faithfulness, loyalty and humility. Servants don't compete, grandstand, polish their image or grab the limelight. They know their job, they admit their limitations, and they do what they do quietly and consistently.

We must not be discouraged when we face rejection or persecution. The evil in our world can easily discourage us, but we must remember that throughout history the evil nature of our world has rejected and persecuted those who preach the truth of what is written in the Bible. We must not lose heart, faith or hope. We have been given a specific ministry-something we can do and that God wants us to do. When we do what God tells us to do, we find encouragement about ourselves and about life.

We must constantly remind ourselves that God does the work in our ministry. We need to be faithful to what he has asked us to do and depend on him for everything. We have to count the cost and responsibilities for what we do, but God takes the responsibility to get us through. God said in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never, not ever, not ever, leave you or forsake you."

We must do everything we can to minister to the needs of those around us. These people can be in our family, our neighbourhood, our circle of friends, our church, or even in the staff and residents here at Queens Manor. We must be a daily witness and servant to everyone we meet.

How many people of faith have asked, or at least thought to themselves, is there really a Heaven?

I have asked that question a number of times, and frequently felt guilty for doing so. Because, you see, I do believe in a Heaven and in a God who is omniscient; a God who says in Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." So if I'm secure in that faith, if I am a 'true believer,' then why would I question the existence of Heaven, and even God? One can't believe in a Heaven without believing in a God.

Maybe it's natural to sometimes have questions and doubt. After all, we as humans have a limited capacity to grasp and accept unquestionably what we're unable to see; we need concrete proof. How is it possible, if we give the matter serious consideration, to imagine God knowing what is happening throughout an entire world, and knowing what's in the heart of billions of people at any given moment?

Is the best solution to simply trust that it's all real, appreciate it for what you want it to be, what you want it to mean to you? And more importantly, to have the hope that it is real, and to know that life would be meaningless without it?

I believe that perhaps faith shouldn't be measured: thinking that person has 100% faith, that one has only about 45%, or whatever. After all, Jesus did say, "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'move from here,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." That comes from Matthew 17:20-21. So that must mean that even a tiny bit of faith works just fine. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

When I see the beauty of the world, the complexity of the human species, the unknown number of species and subspecies of animals, birds, and insects, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the ocean, how can I, even for a moment, doubt that there is a much greater power than I who is in control?

And when thinking about it, I don't see that there is a conflict between "the big bang' theory of creation, and God's creation. I know in my heart that the wonders of this world didn't just happen, that it wasn't just a fluke. In my view, the big bang might simply have been the manner in which God chose to 'create' the world. "God, Who through the Word creates all things." John 1:3

Heaven is mentioned in the Old Testament and the New Testament, but I don't get a sense from those readings what Heaven really might be like. I think the Bible is a necessary guide, with helpful suggestions and advice, and that the writers were inspired by God. But I also believe that it is filled with symbolism, metaphor, and even hyperbole.

Even though Science probably plays no significant part in convincing anyone that there is a God or an afterlife, it might be debated by some 'believers' who can quote scripture that will refute such an assumption.

Although scientists, particularly atheist scientists, say that there is nothing known thus far to indicate that a 'soul,' exists, it is explained to some degree in "Positive Atheism Magazine" from 2001. According to the person writing the article, the Nervous system, particularly the Brain, working in conjunction with the nerves and sensory organs, indicates that there is nothing seen which could remotely point to the possibility that a supernatural 'soul' exists. Of course, religious people believe that a 'soul' somehow survives death of the body.

I think that everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, regardless of how it may differ from mine. But I will continue to pray to God, until my dying breath, to help me to believe, to believe with my whole heart and soul.

There are three main related factors that contributed to the growth and expansion of Christianity, and ultimately its success. These were a combination of political, social and economic factors. The rise of early Christianity has been the topic of much debate and historical analyses. I will be attempting to simply outline and comment on some of the main social factors that lead to the rise of Christianity.

Christianity seems to have come at the right time, in an age where life was uncertain and many circumstances could not be controlled such as the barbarians invading; fires burning down whole cities and plagues killing off quite a lot of the population, whether you were rich or poor it made no difference, life in the Greco-Roman world was very fragile and short. Life expectancy was not great and the average person lived until around the age of 30 or even considerably less. Life expectancy was very low and what may have appealed to pagans was that the Christian religion and doctrines offered hope and certainty in the afterlife and even some personal divine protection in this world. These new doctrines would have seemed attractive to pagans, when there was growing discontent with pagan practices and a general spiritual unrest. Like Christianity the Roman Religion was for the ordinary man but interest was waning and the mystery religions were far too complicated for the common Roman, thus the people's choice was likely to be Christianity.

Christianity also offered hope to a usually pessimistic society that believed that their destinies were fixed, either to be in the Gods' favour or to be out of it, with no hope of redemption. Christianity offered an alternative with the much desired possibility of salvation.

Christianity was primarily an urban movement, in these urban centre's Christianity grew at a steady pace, the urban areas of cities such as Antioch, were very condensed with people it is estimated that there were 117 people per acre. In comparison to modern cities of today this is rather overcrowded. The overcrowding was so extreme, entire families were living together in single room apartments; this left little personal space and allowed everyone to know each other's business. Given that urban centre's were dramatically overcrowded and that early Roman Greco cities had minimal sanitation or sewerage to the average apartments people would often just throw their bodily waste out the window of their apartments onto the streets. Starks describe the situation in these urbanized areas as:

Given limited water and means of sanitation and the incredible density of humans and animals, most people in the Greco-Roman world would have lived in filth beyond our imagining.

Apartment buildings were often Smokey, dark, damp and always dirty. The air was filled with the smell of sweat, urine and faces. Onto of these conditions the rodents and bugs were everywhere in these apartments. The city streets were not much better they had open sewers, animal manure and crowds in some places it was so bad there were dead human corpses abandoned in the streets. When cities were in a constant state of filth, insects and crowding, disease was rife in these conditions, especially when these Roman societies had no antibiotics or knowledge of germs. Often plagues would strike and physical illness was most likely a part of daily life. An example of this was the analysis of human faeces that were found in a cesspit in Jerusalem showed large amounts of tapeworm and whipworm eggs, which shows poor sanitary conditions where humans often came into contact with human faeces.

Christianity revitalized the way of life in Greco-Roman society offering social change, which dealt with some of the consequences of urban problems. Charity and hope was offered to homeless and the poor, often the cities were full of newcomers and strangers and Christianity offered an extended family and a base for attachments as well as effective nursing services in times of disaster, that were often brought on by plagues, earthquakes and fires.

Christianity's attitude towards society and its social impact greatly resulted in the expansion and success of the church. The church was particularly well-known for its acts of charity, it is likely that the charity itself was one of the most influencing factors to the growth of Christianity.

The church offered this charity to everyone, including pagans and Jews. By the third century the Church was looking after one thousand five hundred widows in need. The church itself was well off and according to Eusebius, by the year 251 the church in Rome supported the bishop, 46 presbyters, 7 deacons, 7 sub deacons, 42 acolytes and 52 exorcists, reader and doorkeepers, but also more than 1500 widows and needy persons. The churches obvious financial stability leads it to be popular and it successfully expanded because it helped those in need, it offered help and often people were converted to Christianity as a result of the kindness and attention they received. Even though the Roman Empire did have some charitable services such as the bread dole, Christian charity far outweighed the state's charity.

Throughout the first century to the fourth century there was government enforced persecution of early Christianity, though not constantly. Persecution and martyrdom became a sign of the strength of Christianity, which often shows if the movement was attracting attention from the Roman state. Such emperors that instigated severe persecution were Decius and Diocletian. There were sufficient amounts of Christians in North Africa for martyrdoms to be noticed, one of these martyrdoms were Perpetua and her slave girl, Felicity who were thrown to the lions after a trial.

Tertullian wrote that "the blood of Christians is seed" which is often misquoted as "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Tertullian may have been saying this because he believed that martyrdoms created new converts or may have strengthened the church.

The Roman Empire wanted to exterminate this new religion as quickly as possible and it seems it tried in the beginning to exterminate every Christian they could find but later under Decius they started new methods to try and exterminate Christianity one way was by removing the clergy and the bishops and also taking away lands and churches from the Christians, irrespective of rank while forcing them to sacrifice to the states pagan gods or be punished severely with torture, exile, slavery and sometimes execution, depending on numerous reasons and the time of persecution.

This would have had to give this new religion much publicity, especially if it was in the circus arenas being killed by wild beats would have been creating attention, it seems many would have seen these peculiar people willing to suffer excruciating torture and even die for their God and religion, this must have left the pagan with something further to think about and consider if they were willing to die for their pagan gods.

The Christians may even have won converts in some areas, because of their courage during the persecutions, the strength of their faith and the support they showed one another, Tertullian said that pagans had exclaimed in the arenas during martyrdoms "See how these Christians love one another" this indicated the social nature of the Christian faith. The persecutions also created apologists these were people who would be writing trying to convince the authorities they had done nothing wrong, whether or not the Emperors read these long letters of apology no one knows, it seems rather unlikely however one could suggest State officials having read these letters of apology.

Another aspect of Christian growth was that Christianity and its friendships formed from within the Church lead to its successful growth because those who had become a Christian felt that they were to fulfil the great commission as taught by Jesus and the apostles and they were to pass the message onto their friends and family, this quite often led to a close knit community and this was appealing in an era when it was expected of you to look after yourself. In this Greco-Roman era religious and social life was very much interlinked. It was taught in the church that if Christian travellers came from outside of the city or were strangers to a new city, Christians were to provide their needs and provide shelter to these Christians, this was not only taught in the teachings of Jesus but also by the apostle Paul. So it was an incentive to be a Christian as there was always help and social networks that could support you in a large empire. It was like an extended family where ever you went in the Roman Empire. Eusebius writes that the Christian missionaries were so inspired by the Holy Spirit that they saw mass conversions occur, this may also be a contributing factor.

Christianity also gained some favour in society because of its improvement in the treatment of women, and it elevation of their social status. Christianity taught that marital unfaithfulness in one partner as serious as in the other and that in according to the New Testament, husbands should treat their wives with such consideration and love as Christ manifested for his Church, though women were still considered homemakers and wives. It is believed that Christianity made its way into the aristocracy in Rome at the time through the influence of their wives.

The Greco-Roman world was quite different woman had far less rights than men. It was a very male orientated society where male babies were wanted and female babies rejected this resulted in infant side of female babies. Some excavations have found hundreds of babies bones in an underground sewer thought to be female babies. It was not uncommon that girls were offered in marriage before they had reached puberty to much older men and the cultural custom was that the women were the property of the man, either the father or the husband. Women played a big role in the early Christian church this may have been because they received more rights in the Christian community when compared to women in the Greco-Roman world. We see in some early writings in regards to the persecution of Christians that many more females clothing were stored or found than men's, more than double, this may suggest there were far more females than males in the early church.

If this is true that there were far more females than males in the early church then that allows for many secondary conversions. Secondary conversions are ones that are a result of someone else being converted because of the first conversion, for instance a woman is converted but then shortly after her husband is converted which most likely would not have occurred if the woman was not originally converted. Christian doctrines were against abortion and infanticide. This may have had some effect on the birth-rates of Christian woman compared to their pagan counterparts.

The spread of Christianity also involved Christian writings by the end of the first century the writings of Paul and the apostles of Jesus had been spread sporadically through the Roman Empire. Apart for the early apostolic writers, others set about advocating, defending and propagating Christianity. Justin Martyr who lived around Ad 100-160 was a Christian teacher and philosopher, he wrote the first and second apology. There were many subsequent Christian writers throghought the early years of the church, most often they were well-educated, such as Origen, Tertullian and many others. In the pagan mystery religions only the elite could read the sacred and secret texts, however in Christianity often the Gospels and Paul's epistles were read out aloud for all to hear in the church, this may have appealed to the pagans when considering a choice in further religious observance. The Christian writings also acted as a means of spreading the Gospel message from place to place, often reaching further than the Roman Empire itself.

Overall there are many factors that contributed to the success of the church. The caring for widows, the poor and the sick, the Christians attitudes to death, when faced with martyrdom, better equality among women and men and the treatment of slaves, all this made an impact on society were these things were rare. Christianity was less likely to succeed by any ordinary standard of expectation however it did through the Christian application of charity and its simple guide to salvation. We cannot say or point to one cause and say it was the sole reason why Christianity was a successful religion; the causes mentioned build a substantial cumulative case for the rise of Christianity.

Why More Young Christian Men Don't Go to Church?

ALMIGHTY GOD, Giver of Life and Creator of man, has revealed to us in His divinely inspired Word a concept of life-affirmation, a restoration of human dignity by God taking on human form - born into this word - through Jesus Christ, His Son, and an ultimate victory of life over death, springing up into life everlasting. Thus, the Apostle John testifies in John 1:4,5: In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

LET US NOW look in specific where the Word of God instructs us to regard and to respect life rather than killing it in the mother's womb and throwing it into the garbage.

First of all, let us start with the creation of mankind and progress further from there to discover the sacredness of the gift of life. On the sixth day of creation the Lord said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it... (Gen 1:26-28). Yes, we are created in God's image, unlike all other creatures. We are God's idea and His work. Therefore, each new life that has been conceived needs to be regarded as a gift of God, created in His image. If we kill the innocent unborn, we are killing the image of God. Environmentalists and animal rights group try to protect species of animal life and they go to extremes to protect certain endangered animals, but do we give the same respect and sense of protection to our preborn and newborn children? Knowing that they are created in the image of God, should we not rather focus on the rescue and the protection of those unborn babies who are right now scheduled for an abortion?

It is not in vain, that the Bible says in the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt not kill (Ex 20:13). This refers most certainly to the precious lives of innocent children. God hates hands that shed innocent blood (read Proverbs 6:16,17). Abortion is one instance where innocent blood is shed. The death penalty is instituted in many states of the US to punish brutal acts of murder. Many people use the 6th commandment to denounce the death penalty, involvement in wars, etc., but they are not willing to apply God's commandment to the massive slaughter of unborn children. This is a terrible double standard, esp. since God so clearly condemns the shedding of innocent blood, whereas the death penalty serves to punish those guilty of homicide (see Genesis 9:6) and war action in self-defense serves to protect and safeguard the homeland (see Romans 13:1-4).It is noteworthy that in the chapter following the giving of the Ten Commandments a special law is given to protect the unborn life in the mother's womb. There it says in Exodus 21:22-24 that, If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. A premature birth as a result of a violent altercation is being punished. But if the women miscarries, i. e. if the unborn child has died in the womb as a result of that altercation, severe retribution is inflicted on the man who inflicted violence on the woman. Even this Old Testament law for the people of Israel reflects God's caring love and supports the notion that human life begins at conception (not at birth or at some time during the pregnancy).

Here is what the prophet Jeremiah says:Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:4,5).While still in his mother's womb, God fashioned Jeremiah for his purpose as a prophet later in his life. What, if Jeremiah had been aborted? The Lord was already sanctifying and ordaining him and then the tools of an abortionist come to destroy this life and its purpose.

It is not a children's story or a tale, for the story of Jesus has been recorded by solid New Testament essayists as well as by significant students of history too. It is a story that can be energizing to you and may conceivably change your life. Jesus Christ was conceived in the year 4 B.C., in the city of David, Bethlehem. He was conceived of the Virgin Mary, fathered in her by the Holy Spirit of God. Heavenly attendants published to the world in delightful tune, eminence to God in the most noteworthy and on earth peace among men with whom He is overall satisfied. One heavenly attendant specifically advertised to them. Thus the shepherds were welcome to pay reverence to the new King. Astute men were called from a remote place by the sparkling of a heavenly star. Later old Simeon and old Anna saw their life's desire happened as they saw the new kid, the Savior, as God had made a guarantee to them they would before they passed on.
Jesus was brought up in the little rustic town of Nazareth, where His supportive father, Joseph, taught him to utilize the instruments of a woodworker. It was diligent work, work obliging much physical work, expertise, an eye for development and body that could endure to hours of sweating in the hot sun. It created hands made coarse from touching harsh wood. For a long time Jesus worked in the exchange of being a woodworker. On a Thursday night, Jesus met with his witnesses, in the city of Jerusalem, to bring the Passover feast with them. It was here on a serious event, that Jesus let them know He should soon bite the dust. His request to God was finished by the uproar of swords and the yells of irate men sent to capture Him. Around midnight Jesus was captured and sent to trial. On tramped up charges, the Jewish powers attempted the Lord in an unlawful, evening trial. They had Him beaten, spit upon, slapped, and embarrassed Him. Pilate had Him scourged, stripped, derided, trusting that would pacify the swarm, at long last sending Him to Herod, where again He was beaten, and disgraced. At some point that Friday morning, Jesus was set on a wooden cross and knees were sunk into Him arms, a chilly nail was set on his wrist and determined with energy through skin and muscle, sticking Him to the cross. He gave His life for you. He guaranteed to return once more. Jesus Christ can be your companion, a brilliant adoring companion, or he can be the more awful adversary you have in all time everlasting. He needs to help you.
The story of Jesus Christ is not a made up story rather it is a guiding light for all its lovers and followers.

This is a very simple question to answer. His wife was one of his sisters. We can see, by comparing the story of Cain to that of Seth in terms of time-frame, that this is Biblically plausible. Seth was 105 when Enos was born, and Enos was 90 when Cainan was born. The 4th verse of chapter five says that Adam lived 800 years after the birth of Seth and begat sons and daughters. Apparently Adam and Eve had quite a few children and at least some of them were daughters. It is interesting that the Bible rarely if ever records the birth of women.

It is very possible, then, seeing that Cain and Abel were grown when their conflict is recorded, that daughters had been born to Adam and Eve in the intervening years. One of them may have sided with Cain in his feud with Abel and with God and followed him into the land of Nod. Or perhaps Eve sent one of her daughters to Cain so that he would not be alone in the world. From the early verses of chapter five it is more likely, given as long as people lived in those days and as old as men were before they began to have children, that his wife was one of the daughters that was born after the birth of Seth; one who went looking for her brother for whatever reason.

Anthropologically speaking, it is altogether acceptable-indeed it is inevitable- that the first sons would have married sisters. There would have been no one else for them to marry. A race could not begin with an original pair and propagate if brothers and sisters did not mate. And let it be clear that one would not avoid this consideration if he adopted some other idea of origins. Somewhere the original pair of humans had to appear. In order for them to multiply there would have to be domestic cohabitation between brothers and sisters.

What fruit did Adam eat? Adam ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Christian tradition states that this fruit was an apple. Islam and Jewish tradition claims this fruit was a fig which was much more common in the Mideast than an apple. Apples were almost non-existent. By eating this fruit, Adam disobeyed God and was cast with his wife Eve from the Paradise called Eden.

Adam knew eating this fruit was wrong, so why did he do it? He had knowledge delivered to him by God stating that the consequences of eating of this fruit would be bad. Yet, Adam listened to his wife Eve, who had been beguiled by the serpent, and both Adam and Eve ate the fruit.

Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This action brought evil and sin into the world. If Adam "ate" of the fruit of knowledge, that means he acted upon this knowledge. The Garden of Evil was perfect, a paradise, where everything was good. There was no sin or evil in the Eden. Adam brought sin into the world.

Adam's action brought sin into the picture. Adam now knew the difference between right or wrong and Adam chose to do wrong. Evil may have already existed, but it did not have a permanent foothold in the world of paradise until Adam opened the door and allowed it in. Adam helped evil to manifest into this reality.

Instead of living in harmony with God in idyllic paradise, Adam chose evil and as a result distanced himself from God. Adam chose to take actions that could either be good or bad. Adam chose to be co-creator with God, creating events and objects that could be either right or wrong.

From the very beginning then, mankind has been choosing - we choose by doing - we choose by visualizing a goal or desire and then we take the action that we feel will move us closer to that goal. Both the goal and the process we use to get there can be either good or bad, right or wrong, holy or sinful. Therefore, as Jesus said, not only every thing we do, but every thought we think, moves us closer or farther from the Father.

Is there a reasonable basis for a Christian, or Jew, to have a justified fearful apprehension of the practice of Islamic theology, and of the aggressive Muslim agenda taught and represented by the Prophet Mohammed in the Koran? Does the Koran teach that Muslims should be honest, peaceful, and tolerant human beings in their associations with people Mohammed called infidels, or is it quite the opposite? These questions are answered quite differently around the world by Shiite and Sunni cross-sections of over-a-billion-strong world Muslim population. The majority of these devout practicing Muslims are the religion's fundamentalists who are citizens of the Middle-Eastern countries that were parts of the original Mohammedan Empire, which occupied and controlled most of the Holy Land, and a good deal of Europe, between 700-1100 A.D.

As is currently the case, the reading and interpreting of the Koran by a Muslim cleric in Islamabad, Pakistan and Kabul, Afghanistan, is considerably different than that done in a mosque in San Francisco, California. The fundamental commandments of love and peace given by Mohammed in the Koran, the ones he gave while he was, supposedly, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are quite different, and quite opposed, to the ones he later gave to his disciples in Medina, which he said basically abrogated, or changed, his former commandments. These new commandments of abrogation mandated all faithful Muslims to seek out and, either, convert, capture, or kill infidels in accordance with, and fulfillment of, the sixth pillar of Islam, jihad or warring conflict. These infidels, according to Mohammed, comprised all Jews and practicing Christians, or those who worshipped the Christian trinity or Godhead. Furthermore, Mohammed encouraged faithful Muslims to lie and deceive the infidels into postures of submission to the Islamic Supreme Being, Allah. Over 350 verses in the Koran teach nothing but hate for the infidel. In one of them, (Muslim C9B1N31), Mohammed said "I have been commanded to fight against people until they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me (that) I am the messenger and in all that I have brought." Hence, the meaning of the word Islam is rendered to mean submission to the will of Allah. Classical Islamic scholars have argued that anyone who has studied the Koran or Qur'an, without having mastered the doctrine of abrogation is basically deficient. Those faithful Muslims who do not accept abrogation actually fall outside the Islamic mainstream and, perhaps, even the religion itself. Yet, the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect, today concentrated in Pakistan, consistently rejects abrogation only because it makes it seem that the Koran is not free from errors.

Compared to the commandments of Jesus Christ, in the New Testament of the Holy Bible, which admonish all human beings to love and treat their neighbors as themselves, the commandments of Mohammed, in the Koran, are basically one-sided in terms of theological purpose, for they are written to only apply to how Muslims are to love and respect other Muslims, not how Muslims are to respect "all" of God's children. The austerity and strictness of fundamentalist Islamic theology, as taught and applied in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, do not derive from any other source than the Koran, as read and interpreted by classic Islamic clerics. This is why Sharia Law (or traditional Islamic law) has been advocated by Islamic leaders of burgeoning Muslim populations in Western nations, such as the United Kingdom, as the law that should be allowed to govern all Muslims. There are, for instance, so many fundamentalist Muslims in London that the British have allowed them to practice their own laws and traditions in place of British law. Among other Islamic traditions, Sharia Law permits, and enforces polygamy and, even, honor killings, wherein daughters and sons of fundamentalist Muslim families, who choose infidel mates over faithful practicing Muslims, are murdered for the honor of the families. And this type of law is, apparently, what Barack H. Obama has been quietly advocating over the years, first as a U.S. senator from Illinois and now as U.S. President, for practicing Muslims in the United States, which has clearly demonstrated his apparent higher regard for Islamic tradition and theology over what he claims are his Christian faith and values. This might explain why an 18 percent-and-growing segment of the American electorate believe that Obama is not really a Christian in basic belief.

I recall the words of a venerable Jewish scholar, Helmud Weiss, who had taught German literature at the University of Berlin during the time Adolf Hitler and the Nazis were coming to power. He laughing had said to his concerned friends, when sternly advised to flee his homeland for America, that, "even if the Nazis do come to power, there will be enough men of good will in Germany to put a stop to Hitler's anti-Semitism, for the words and ideas of the man are an abomination to all that is good." Nonetheless, history sadly records that Professor Weiss was sent, in 1939, to one of the gas chambers at Auswitz. Therefore, it would probably be a very good idea for all those people, who presently trust the practicing Muslims to have love and toleration for Christians, Jews, and all other non-Muslims, to read the Koran for themselves in order to derive a true and correct understanding of the religion established by Mohammed.

Just over 100 years ago, Europe was considered the center of the Christian world. With the bastions of the Anglican Church in Britain, the Vatican in Italy, and the original home of Calvinism, Baptism, and other major sects on the continent, Europe was clearly the most Christian place on earth. However, things have changed.

Today, the Western Hemisphere is home to more than a third of the world's Christians. The largest populations reside in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. Christians make up about a third of the world's population, which is about the same percentage that they were a century ago. A new Pew poll finds that the locations of this third have changed. In addition to being prevelent in the Americas, China has taken its place as being one of the top ten Christian countries with a population approaching 70 million. Sub Saharan Africa has also seen a huge growth in Christian numbers. Since 1910, the region has grown from 9 million of the faithful to about 516 million. Three of the top ten Christian countries in the world are in this area.

The report also says that 50% of Christians are Catholic, 37% are protestant, and 12% are Orthodox. The remaining percentage belong to other sects such as Mormonism. The Pew Forum investigated 232 countries and territories to discover their findings. The poll does not, however, measure the level or intensity of the faith, it merely counts those who identify as the faithful. We can expect that the number also ignores those who refuse to openly identify as Christians due to persecution and other tragedies.

In contrast to the 2.2 billion Christians around the world, there are also 1.6 billion people who identify as Muslim. This means that about a third of the world is Christian and a quarter is Muslim, which are incredibly staggering numbers considering the estimated world population of 6.9 billion people.

What do we mean by a true disciple of Jesus Christ? This is the question that needs to be answered before we can deliberate on how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. This is what we have been called to be. Jesus commanded His followers to go to all nations and teach people to observe all He had commanded them to do. He promised to be with them until the end of the age.

True disciple of Jesus Christ defined

A disciple is a follower or learner. So true disciple of the Lord is one who follows and a learns from Him. Such a person is committed to the ways of God. We have been called to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Anyone can become a true disciple of Jesus. It is a matter of taking a decision to make Jesus Lord over one's life. Now, let us look at the marks of such a disciple:

1. Jesus must be first in your life

In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells us that anyone who follow him must deny himself and take up his cross and follow him. Many things compete in our lives. They all need our attention and our time. Many things compete in our lives, they need our attention What is obvious is that we cannot do all the things we want to do, so we need to make choices. So if you want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, He must be first in your life.

2. Become a living sacrifice

You must become a living sacrifice if you want to be a true disciple of Jesus. Romans 12:1 encourages believers to present their bodies a living sacrifice that is acceptable to God. In other words one needs to offer himself to the Lord. God does not force anybody to serve Him and that is why the apostle Paul begged the Romans. Be available for God's use. The Lord wants to win more people into His Kingdom, so He needs you. Train yourself to obey Him.

3. Abide in the Word

In John 8:31, Jesus told the Jews who had believed Him that if they would abide in His word, they would be His true disciples. So a true disciple of Jesus keeps His word. He is not only a hearer but a doer of the word. God knows what is right for you. Therefore, obey Him. Make His word the standard of your life.

4. Watch and pray

Jesus would depart from His followers and go to solitary places to pray. He had an assignment to carry out on earth, So He needed God the Father. He gave you an assignment as well. So you need to also watch and pray to be His true disciple. Receive direction from the Lord as you watch and pray.

5. Fellowship with the church

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reminded believers not to forsake the habit of assembling together. A true disciple of Jesus Christ sees the value of contributing to and receiving from fellowship with other believers.

6. Witness for Jesus Christ

The Apostle Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it was the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord over your life, help others to become believers. Propagating the Gospel is a mandate of believers. So a true disciple of Jesus Christ will witness for the Lord.

The Lord commissioned us as believers. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus is our call. Be a follower and a learner of Jesus. Be true to Him. Let the marks that I have highlighted be evident in your life. Make Christ be the first in your life. Be a living sacrifice. Be a doer of the word and pray to God. Keep fellowshipping with other believers and also witness for the Lord. Having done all these things, you shall meet the Lord when He comes back.

Does God love sinners?

God is a God of purpose and does nothing without a reason. Jesus was sent to earth by God for a purpose, which He started and finished. An understanding of this purpose will help you to appreciate the coming of Christ and His mission on earth.

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 (NKJV)

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation -2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly - John 10:10 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ came to save, reconcile men back to God and give them life in abundance.

Salvation of souls

When the angel of the Lord visited Joseph to assure him that it was okay to take Mary as his wife, he gave him the name of the baby and his purpose on earth: to save His people from their sin.

God, from the time of the fall of man via Adam, made a plan to redeem man from his fall and restore him to his original position before the fall. When the Lord created man he was without sin before Him and only knew sin when they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-11). So, through Adam, sin entered the world and people became sinners (Romans 5:12, 19).

Jesus was God's wisdom and power (1 Corinthians 1:24) to save man from his sins and restore him to his original state before the fall. In Genesis 3:15, God declared this plan of victory over the devil - the Seed of the woman was to defeat the devil. The enemy expected it, tried to abort it many times but failed because he didn't know how God was going to execute His plan.

When the birth of Jesus was announced to King Herod by the wise men from the east, the enemy tried to kill Jesus through Herod but he failed, he only succeeded in killing innocent babies - Matthew 2:1-18. And when Jesus started His ministry fully, the devil tried many times too to kill Him through the people (Luke 4:28-30) but couldn't touch Him because it wasn't time for His death (Luke 22:53).

The wisdom of God was a great mystery to them because if they had known it, the devil would not have allowed the people to crucify Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:7-. He thought Christ's death would be his victory not knowing it was going to be his downfall (Colossians 2:13-15).

Christ, who knew no sin, became sin that we might be saved and become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). On the cross, Christ carried our sins in our place so that we can be pure before God, our sins were washed away and we stand totally new before God; old things are passed away and behold all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13). So, when Jesus was on the cross with the sins of humanity, God turned His back on Him and that was why Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" - Matthew 27:46 (NKJV). For the first time, Christ addressed God as God instead of Father as He had always done. But He achieved His purpose which was to save man. Now anyone who receives Him receives the gift that was fully paid for: sins washed away and salvation of soul.

Many religions might say confidently that through their spiritual program their followers can work their way to heaven. However, these religions never successfully address the most important spiritual issue, sin. For no amount of good works can cleanse people of sin and give them a righteous nature acceptable to God.

Everyone born on this earth, except Jesus Christ, has come short of God's glory because they have inherited the fallen sinful nature of Adam. Each person is born spiritually dead, a sinner. So, what is the answer to the sin problem?

Because God is just, there must be punishment for sin. God the Father laid the sins of all mankind upon Jesus Christ and allowed Him to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross, receiving unto Himself the punishment we deserved. His bloody death, burial and resurrection redeemed mankind from the power and bondage of sin, providing salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. So, you cannot work your way to heaven, but you can put your trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to take away your sins and receive a new righteous nature pleasing to God. Sin problem solved.

"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 KJV).

The main purpose of Christ's sacrifice was to reconcile man to God. God the Father longed for mankind to be redeemed and adopted into His family. He wanted to once again have intimacy with His children, showing them His great love by blessing and giving them a glorious inheritance, "which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27 KJV).

There are 40 prophets in the Koran which were first mentioned in the Bible. Some of these include Adam, Enoch, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah and Jesus.

The greatest of these for Christians is Jesus. The greatest prophet for Muslims is Muhammad. Muhammad lived approximately 500 years after Jesus. The Greek Scriptures, commonly referred to as the New Testament, were written approximately 14 to 95 years after Jesus died, and were completed around the year 98 AD.
While there are no original copies of the Greek Scriptures, what the Muslim refers to as the Injil, there are fragments of the Bible that date to within 10 to 25 years of the original writings.

The Koran acknowledges that Jesus was a prophet of God, a servant of God, a teacher about God, and also that Jesus performed miracles.

Jesus said, at Matthew 5:43-47, "43 "YOU heard that it was said, 'You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 However, I say to YOU: Continue to love YOUR enemies and to pray for those persecuting YOU; 45 that YOU may prove yourselves sons of YOUR Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. 46 For if YOU love those loving YOU, what reward do YOU have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? 47 And if YOU greet YOUR brothers only, what extraordinary thing are YOU doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? 48 YOU must accordingly be perfect, as YOUR heavenly Father is perfect."

Jesus not only taught this type of self-sacrificing love, but he also practiced it. While Jesus was being executed, on the torture stake, he prayed, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," according to the Bible. Additionally, the Bible states that Christians were to cultivate and practice the same type of love that Jesus had, being willing to die for their brothers, in the same way that Jesus was willing to die for his earthly brothers. 1 John 3:16. Jesus disciple and apostle John was loved by Jesus and he wrote a great deal about the love that Jesus taught in his various writings, even 65 years later.

Jesus did not teach that we should war against those warring against us, but rather that we should forgive, love and pray for our enemies.

Jesus did not have to be persuaded or forced to declare God's writings. The account of Muhammad said that the angel Gabriel had to finally choke Muhammad in order to persuade him to declare God's writings. Jesus, on the other hand, willingly did everything God asked him to do, to teach people and expose religious hypocrisy at the risk of his own life, willingly.

Additionally, the standards that Jesus taught for marriage were superior to that taught by the prophets preceding him, and superior to that taught by Muhammad, some 500 years later. While the Koran allows for divorce on many different grounds, and that a man can divorce twice before having to stay with his third wife, Jesus taught that divorce was not permissible, except in the case of adultery. Matthew 19.

In that same account found at Matthew 19, Jesus taught that polygamy was not permissible, but that God's original arrangement was for the man to "leave his father and his mother, and stick to his wife, and the two would become one flesh." The Bible says, in the Greek Scriptures (or New Testament), that an Christian minister must be "husband of one wife," not many wives.

One Muslim husband who had many wives and children from each of these wives stated that, he would "not recommend" having many wives, that it brings many problems into the family. So, while the Koran allows for many wives, Jesus taught that the husband should have only one wife, which is better family arrangement and contributes to the happiness of both the husband and the wife.

In the Bible, the husband was never to hit his wife, whereas the Koran allows a husband to his wife. Jesus never hit his disciples, and the Bible encourages husbands to love their wives as themselves, and be self-sacrificing to their wife, but never hit their wife for a misdemeanor, or for any reason. This would be a sin against God, rather than something allowed according to the Bible and to the teaching of Jesus.

Jesus stayed single so that he could devote his life to teaching others and serving God. He encouraged Christians who had that "gift" of remaining single to do so, so that they could serve God more fully. While all the Apostles of Jesus were married, Jesus did not forbid marriage, there were some prominent Christians such as Paul, who were not married for the purpose of being able to do more in the ministry of God, as Jesus did. On the other hand, Muhammad had many wives as did many Muslims, even today, after him.

Jesus was willing to die for his followers, a painful death of integrity to God. No matter what the Devil threatened, Jesus was courageous, and willing to give up his life for God and for others. Because of that spirit, God rewarded Jesus with the greatest reward, greater than any other prophet before him or afterwards, to sit at God's right hand in heaven. God resurrected Jesus, and Jesus is in a position at the right hand of God, according to the Bible.

Jesus taught,

We should honor only God not ourselves
We should love our enemies and not war against them
Husbands should not divorce their wives, except for adultery
A husband should have only one wife, not many
A husband should never hit his wife, no more than he would hit himself
Jesus performed thousands of miracles, including,

Curing the sick
Giving sight to the blind
Giving hearing to the deaf
Resurrecting the dead
Miraculously feeding thousands
Walking on water
Calming a violent storm
Therefore, Christians believe that Jesus is a superior prophet to any prophet before him, or after, which is why they do not follow the teachings of Muhammad. However noble Muhammad might have been, Christians believe that he did not match Jesus in his teachings or his deeds.

Jesus was unpopular in his day. He was not the superstar many of us consider him to be now. He associated with and ministered to the prostitutes, tax collectors, criminals, and the poor. The wealthier Jews found Jesus contemptible and his followers detestable. Jesus served people without regard to their status. He did not engage in favoritism. It is safe to say that Jesus was not tolerant of the excuses and justifications made by the sinners of his day for their wrongdoings. However, after the Christ's departure from this world, his name was venerated for his compassion and kindness to the sinners and to all living souls (Matthew 25:35-40).
This is a profound message. For if we are to do as Jesus instructs us, we must show compassion to all humans regardless of their beliefs, attitudes, behavior, etc. Jesus did not make his love conditional on people's willingness to conform to his expectations. If any person were to do today what Jesus did in his time, that person would be run out of town.

There are some church leaders and concerned citizens who minister to violent criminal offenders in prison. This is not a fashionable job. These selfless humanitarians are seldom acknowledged for their work in this area. Not everyone is meant to work with criminals. What I think we can all do is develop the understanding that even the most corrupt and immoral people are our brothers and sisters, including the criminals who have violated our most sacred rules. I would even risk saying that we should love those people who hate us for our beliefs and who tell we are wrong for thinking them. This is idea difficult to accept, but it is worthy of consideration.

Why the sabbath changed from saturday to sunday?

J. Oswald Sanders (1902-1992) wrote, in Spiritual Leadership (1967, 1980, 1994):
People without natural leadership skills do not become great leaders at the moment of conversion. Yet a review of the history of the church reveals that the Holy Spirit sometimes releases gifts and qualities that were dormant beforehand. When that happens, a leader is born.

A true Christian leader is less likely to be a charismatic 'natural' leader, and more likely to be 'selected' for leadership by the in-working of Holy Spirit. The gifts and qualities of the person anointed for a leadership role emerge as visible possibly only when the occasion arises. The best Christian leaders are reluctant, albeit diligent, leaders, who have a spirit for unity under God. Most of all, the Christian leader is dependable - they depend on God very steadfastly, which means they are likely to be extremely flexible, approachable, and pastorally-hearted.

It seems an unpopular phrase these days: servant leader. But the dependable Christian leader is servant of all. He or she can (and by example, often do) serve all without any second thought. But they are also discerning enough to know the will of God in their present situation. They rejoice with those rejoicing and they mourn with those mourning. Their pastoral flexibility adapts to the need of the time, without giving way to unnecessary sentiment, but such flexibility caters for and respects personal and interpersonal differences. Christian leadership celebrates diversity of many kinds.

And all this is likely to emerge in such a way as people might say, "I never saw leadership in him or her." God loves to change things up. We ought to remember the biblical principle: God humbles those who exalt themselves and he exalts those who humble themselves for his sake.

There are plenty of other qualities to emulate and practice as part of our commitment to God, but these four, faith, love, patience and forgiveness, are essential. As we focus on His wisdom and ways, He has promised to guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (Is. 26:3 AMP) If we do our part, He will see to it that His promises come to pass in our lives. All it takes is commitment.

Prosperity gospel is Bible definition of prosperity and God telling us what He believes prosperity for His people actually is and if we will study further we will find out that God really does want us to prosper and be in health.

In 2 Corinthians 9:8 the Bible tells us "and God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you will always have all sufficiency in all things and may abound to every good work".

This is God's definition of prosperity. Enough money to pay all of our bills and money left over to give to every good work. People need to have more than enough money if they are going to give money to the church, give money to the poor and to fund the evangelist who is out there reaching the lost.

Prosperity and financial increase are all through the Bible because this is absolutely, without a doubt what God wants for His people. 3 John 2 States," beloved, above all things it is my wish that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers".

According to this verse in the Bible we are going to prosper at the same rate our soul prospers so it would behoove you to make the effort to prosper your soul because your bank account will follow.

The way you prosper your soul is by feeding your soul on God's Word concerning prosperity.

Another thing I tell people to do is pray God's Word over and over until faith comes. Just pray, Lord your Word says in Psalms 112:3 that wealth and riches shall be in my house. Now fill my house with wealth and riches according to your Word.

Do you have the audacity to pray that to God? If you do, that is exactly what He is going to give you, wealth and riches in your house, just like His Word says. Why would He do anything different?

Some people say as long as I have enough money to pay my bills I am happy. Maybe they are, but if they just have enough money to pay their bills they are not going to be a financial blessing to anyone else.

I enjoy having extra money to give to other people and to help the poor.

The prosperity gospel fits in with the Bible definition of prosperity and means for us to have enough money for everything we need with enough left over to help other people.

In Mark 10:21 we have Jesus speaking to the rich young man saying, "One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."

But the church has gone much in the way of the world thinking that the way to prove they have faith and that they have favor with God is to accumulate toys and houses and cars and goods and cash and clothes, etc. God did not give us the ability to get wealth to accumulate for ourselves but to advance and expand his kingdom through the gospel of Christ. The rich young ruler had kept the commandments of God and God had blessed him abundantly. But the wealth had taken its hold upon the rich young ruler and he did not want to give up what he had accumulated.

Maybe you have used your faith to accumulate houses and cars and toys and clothes and food and cash and various other things. Answer this question honestly: can you take any of that to heaven with you? The answer is clearly "NO." But you can accumulate treasure for yourself in heaven by selling all you have and giving to the poor. You can sell your house so the homeless can have a place to reside. You can sell your car so that those who cannot get from here to there can now be transported. You can sell your clothes so those that are naked or destitute can be clothed. You can sell your food so that those who are hungry and thirsty can eat and drink. And instead of selling you could either sell as we have pointed out or you could simply donate the items. Either way you could sell what you have and give to the poor.

And then you could go and take up your cross because you have put your hand to the plow and you love not your life even unto the death and you could go and preach and minister the gospel of Christ. The question you have to brutally ask yourself is this: Am I in this world or is the world in me? We need to live in this world but the world need not live in us.

Also the Lord said to stop worrying about terrorists and what the government is doing. Stop trying to change this world through government or business or worldly institutions or wisdom or methods. None of these things amount to anything as far as the Lord is concerned and none of these efforts by the children of God will get them any reward in heaven. It is time to set aside this world and let God sanctify us spirit and soul and body. It is time to walk continually in righteousness and in holiness. It is time to start sowing the Word of God and the gospel of Christ by faith and with the love of God. It is time to sell what you have and give to the poor. Jesus is coming back sooner now than when the church started. Do you want him to find you shopping until your drop or sharing Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit without fear or trepidation? Do you want him to come back and find you committing those secret sins you commit and think no one knows about or do you want him to come back and find you living righteously and in holiness?

The children of Israel had to put away their idols several times and turn back to God. It is time for the church to put away this world and turn back to Jesus. I know that some of those in the body of Christ think that this is all foolishness. I am not your judge. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of everything we did in the body whether good or bad. It is time to sell all you have and be sold out for Jesus Christ. It is time to sell all you have and sow the gospel of Christ to everyone around you. It is time to sell all you have and minister to the downtrodden and those in need. It is time to sell all you have and visit the sick. It is time to sell all you have and visit those in prison. It is time to sell all you have and give to the poor. It is time to take up your cross and follow Jesus. It is time to stop playing church and be the church.