HE never changes, is the only Saviour, he created the universe and earth by Himself, he is the Word. HE is the first and the last, he forgives sins., He is our redeemer, he is one. He has a Son. He is the Holy One, Only He is worshipped. He is Messiah. HE is from everlasting. Only He is glorified.. God is ‘I am’, God heals all diseases. He is the Judge of the whole earth. HE has life in Himself. Even the devils tremble by him, HE raises the dead, He is sinless and perfect, He is omnipotent with him everything is possible, HE is powerful.

Who is (God) He ……He is no one but only Jesus Christ! Only Jesus Christ

I and My Father are one. John 10:30

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Matthew 4:7

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour .Isaiah 43:11

I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Isaiah 41:4

Jesus said, “Fear not; I am the first and the last:” Revelation 1:17

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made by him…He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us John 1:1, 3, 10, 14

Jesus saith…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure Luke 10:21

Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23:42

My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:17

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life John 8:12

When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be John 8:28

If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. John 8:42

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” John 9:37

You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13

Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. John 17:11

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:11

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah…out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

GOD…hath in these last days spoken unto us by his SON…who being the brightness of his glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON… Hebrews 1:1-3

WHO IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn of every creature: Colossians 1:15

They shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US Matthew 1:23

The voice of him [John the Baptist] that crieth in the wilderness, PREPARE ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway FOR OUR GOD.” Isaiah 40:3

I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another… Isaiah 42:8

“… feed the church of GOD, which he hath purchased with his OWN BLOOD. Acts 20:28

Hereby perceive we the love of GOD, because he LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for us. 1 John 3:16

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon GOD, and saying, LORD JESUS, receive my spirit Acts 7:59

For unto us A CHILD IS BORN, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6

CHRIST, who is the IMAGE OF GOD II Corinthians 4:4

Glory of GOD in the FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.” II Corinthians 4:6

Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me. Luke 8:46

Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”John 20:27-29

In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Colossians 2:9

But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:3

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst…” (Acts 2:22).

Jesus said: “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

Whoever receives this child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me;” (Luke 9:48).

And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;…’” (Acts 2:38).

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.” Number 8

And he (Jesus) answered and said unto them, ‘Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female.’” (Matthew 19:4).

And when they (wise men from east) were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and (they) fell down, and worshipped him.” Matthew 2:11

I AM THAT I AM.” (Exodus 3:14).

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah. 1:5.

And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Saviour; There is none except Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:21-22

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand Matthew 12:25

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Matthew 17:4

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible Matthew 19:26

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. Matthew 21:27

Shining Perspective

“Wow, Isaiah look at the sky!” “Oh. Umm…Mommy? What about the sky?” (Ok back up! It was spectacular! I’ve tried to capture it with words several times now and I just can’t seem to do it justice, so I will just say it was absolutely beautiful! It was stunning!) God’s glory shines in each new day; He gives us a freshly painted sky every morning. I had to stop, because it was clear that we were not looking at the same sky. As I looked at it, I looked at him and identified why we weren’t looking at the same sky. Sunglasses. I removed my glasses and when I did the sun was so bright that its light actually overwhelmed the picture. I gave Isaiah my glasses and he said, “Wow mommy, you’re right that is an awesome sky!” So often it is the same with my circumstances, if they are not viewed through the cover of God’s grace and mercy, if I am not wearing my faith glasses, my circumstances are too bright, they are overwhelming and they blind me.

What do they blind me from? Not what, but who? Jesus. I simply lose sight of Jesus. We live in a world that is overloaded with gizmos and gadgets, and over-available media cramming the next “big thing” down our throats. A world that is convincing us that we need far more than we do and teaching us to constantly live in a state of discontent, essentially we are distracted. I know I am. It’s no wonder to me that many of the most amazing works, testimonies and devotions I’ve read were written sometime prior to the early 1900’s. By now the obstacles that steal my attention shouldn’t surprise me and yet they still do. I find when sitting down with the intention to write, I can get distracted by the vast choices of where I can go with a click of a button. (Somehow that doesn’t happen when I sit down with a journal and a pen.) I have also learned that even while I am serving the Lord, I can get distracted from Jesus Himself.

I am coming out of a difficult season. It has been filled with nothing but surprise after surprise, some good and some bad.  God has answered some prayers in surprising ways and I have received what I can only describe (for now) as a mind-blowing miracle in the midst of it all. Through the tough moments and wonderful blessings one thing remains…I fall so short. I almost never land where I think I will when I jump. My own will often deceives me. I repeatedly find myself left with these challenging questions that surface when I’ve been tested. Can I be as diligent in thanksgiving, in seeking Him, in the simple beauty of tarrying with Him, as I am in persistently asking for what I think my needs (my desires) are? Can I just love Jesus with the same dedication as I give to acts of service? Can I surrender all parts of my life, at all times, not just in worship or at certain times of the day, but always?

In and of myself, no I cannot. (“In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” ~Job 12:10 NASB) I can’t make myself breathe. I can’t make my heart beat. I can’t grow the hair on my head.  I can’t do anything apart from Him. (“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”~Acts 17:28 NKJV. The NASB says it this way: “For in Him we live and move and exist…For we also are His children.” And the CEV says: “And he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”We are his children…”)

When I choose to look at my circumstances, when I choose to look at the world, when I choose to walk by sight even though I know I’m called to walk by faith; I lose my clear view of Jesus. Once I take my eyes off of Jesus, essentially I lose my joy. (“…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ~Nehemiah 8:10 NIV) I fail to see the details of my life, my circumstances through those indescribable faith glasses, where mercy and grace abound in Christ Jesus each and every new day.

What is the question that I should ask at the end of the day? The same one we all should be asking.

Did I walk with God today?

(“…walk humbly with your God.”~Micah 6:8 NIV “”…As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’.” ~2 Corinthians 6:16 NIV)

“Christ is not so much interested in pointing us to a place or path as he is in pointing us to a Person and a relationship.” -Ravi Zacharias

For OpEdNews: Dana Gabriel – Writer““In order to ever realize the creation of a one world government, it only makes sense that there would need to be a one world religion. It will be much easier to control us if we are all the same, therefore there is a push for the globalization of religion.”

“Those who have called for a new world order include the late Pope John Paul II and the current Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his papacy, John Paul II preached a message of peace, hope, and the bringing together of all religions.”

“In the year 2000, the United Nations held its first ever Millennium World Peace Summit. It brought together thousands of the world’s preeminent religious and spiritual leaders, thus marking a major step towards the creation of a global religious body. This was the first time such an event had taken place through the UN.”“

 Article: About one out of every eight adults is an “ex-Christian,” a new survey reveals.

For ChristianPost.com: By Audrey Barrick|Christian Post Reporter“These include those who left the Protestant or Catholic tradition that they were a part of as a child and who now report being atheist, agnostic or some other faith, according to the Barna Group.

According to the Christian research group, the most common reasons for leaving Christianity included life experiences, such as gaining new knowledge or education; feeling disillusioned with church and religion; feeling the church is hypocritical; having negative experiences in churches; being in disagreement with Christianity about specific issues such as homosexuality, abortion or birth control; feeling the church is too authoritarian; wanting to express their faith outside of church; and searching for a new faith or wanting to experience other religions.

The top motivations for becoming a Christian, meanwhile, were going through difficult life events; getting older and seeing life differently; wanting to connect with a church and grow spiritually; discovering Christ; or wanting to know what was in the Bible.

The median age at which respondents changed their faith was 22. Sixty-eight percent of respondents had a major faith change before the age of 30.“

So why are so many people turning away from their fatih?  Jesus tells us many times throughout the Gospels to beware of false messiahs, that many will turn from God and be led astray:

Matthew 7:15-16 “15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”

Matthew 24:11-14 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.“

Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Mark 13:22 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect“

This truth is becoming alarmingly clear as more and more people are leaving their faith and following self-help leaders, gurus, mystics, and even those who claim to be Christ.  Here is an article that lists the top 10 self-appointed messiahs, interestingly they are all from the past century.  Is this the beginning of the “many false prophets..” Jesus refers to?  I’m sure many still remember the Sedona sweat lodge incident that claimed 3 lives and injured 10 during a ritualistic ‘spiritual cleansing‘.  Led by self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray rented the facility as part of his Spiritual Warrior retreat that began on 3 October and promised to “absolutely change your life.”  It certainly did for these 13 people. Ray also collected around $9k a head for these ‘cleansings’.

There have been those who lead people from God since the day of Man.  This is nothing new. The Bible refers to magicians and sorcerers, fortune tellers, mystics, false prophets, false messiahs starting in the Old Testament and in to the New Testament. What Jesus is warning us about however is similar to what is happening in our current age.  There are so many half-baked religions and many who distort the Word of God and incorporate it into their own beliefs,  worse still there are those who claim to be the returned Christ.  We all need to be aware of what is Truth, and what is not, and the only way to ensure that is to put on the whole armor of God:

Ephesians 6:10-18 “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: while using your loins of defeating the devil 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and hi watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

Remember my friends. The only way to become immune to the lies and deception is to know the Truth in your heart.  If you do not have God’s Word in your heart, your eyes will be just as blind as one who does not know God at all.  Study the scriptures, be aware of what is happening.  We are not at war with flesh and blood, as Paul states above in verse 12: “We are at war against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Furthermore, it is our duty to spread the Gospel to every living creature (Mark 16:15). This is the Great Commission of Jesus.

Stand up and be counted.

I pray friends that your eyes are opened to see the lies of the enemy for what they are. I pray that God will take the scales from your eyes so that you can see the wonder and mystery that He is.  I pray that you will put on the full armor of God, that you will be battle ready for when He sounds the trumpets.  In the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

God Bless You.

Note: I wrote this article after finding a website that I came across that is for ex-christians to discuss why they left the faith, and why they do not believe in God anymore.  There are literally thousands of posts.  It is sad. We, as Christians should be helping those who are having trouble in their faith.  Help your brothers and sisters, this is after all, their eternal souls at stake.

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Praise God for answered prayers. Here is a testimony from the Lord (and a great lesson) – It’s all about Faith and Obedience = Blessings. I pray this edifies the Body -

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We were dancing

When the music stopped

I wondered where it had gone

I tried

to listen

to discern

What had happened to the beautiful music that had once played

The music that had

kept me

held me

Embraced me with so much love

I did not know where to turn

What would happen next

Would all the life be gone

Would I wake up and see that I was just another

Virgin without a lamp

Would I find out that I had

Chosen the wrong way

Taken a wrong turn

Taken my eyes off the One I love

Will I be the one

Who’s left

Never seeing

Never perceiving

Never knowing

Never Trusting

No I will NOT

Let this be said of me

I will be the one who

listens

hears

knows

I will be the one

giving

dancing

To the beautiful music

I will be the one embracing the One I love so…

Allow me this once more

To hear the music

Give me the freedom in You once more

To feel the rythm

To know the beat

To hear what others don’t

To walk that walk

Dance that dance

Love that love that I have known

~Bambi
March 30, 2010

During my journey with the Lord, I have witnessed believers guide me and other members of the Body to take a step of faith in situations where God’s will is unknown. In my humble opinion, this is an unwise step of faith. I would like to give my own guidance on this topic because I see a great error in the use of the statement “step of faith.” Please, I covet additional insight on this topic as well -

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One man, made from the dust of the Earth, bears the historical responsibility for tearing apart the very fabric of creation.

This one man and his wife – “flesh of my flesh” ADAM, made in the likeness of loving Father and Creator God, succumbed to temptation, and did what some have described as irreparable damage. Irreparable to man that is. Certainly NOT irreparable to God!

They were cast out of their Eden for their sin, forced to till the soil for food, to work for shelter and bear children in pain. Generation after generation – uncountable through the eons was loved mercifully by their creator God. Every one of them known intimately, every hair on their heads counted, and still they struggled for freedom. Freedom which separated them further from the time, created with them solely in mind.

Evil perpetuated, sanctity negated, ‘leave me alone I will choose my own fate’ their perpetual cry! A gift once given can never be rescinded – freedom to choose, to decide, to live or to die.

Loudly we hear them proclaim “We want a king”, a ruler like the other nations have…… They have an eternal King whom they deny!

And still they cry out “We choose to worship”, as the other nations worship – but not you Lord God – just idols and beasts… we know you not!

And through it all God pondered and watched. His hand always at the ready to assist if asked, his heart crying in longing for his rebellious children.

Chances and opportunities were given time after time. Prophets, wise men, holy seers sent with tidings and announcements –to be ignored and cast out. Promises fulfilled yet evil spread its ugly manifestations.

The King looked down from the heavenly throne, crying in pain at the loss of his beloved children. The chosen ones, here since time began, have no direction, no way; the veil was in place and masked the view. The way was closed.

To bring them back to the home prepared, required the divine act of redemption! Through the very gift of himself, through life and love, from the Alpha and Omega only, could this be accomplished.

The Triune Godhead has always known that mankind would waiver between flesh and spirit. So offering himself, in perfect love, to repair the fabric that Adam had destroyed “The Word made flesh” would come.

The ‘Word’ spoken at creation, never absent and always alive, had chosen to be birthed, to live and die – fully human and fully divine. He would open up the way.

Would they listen, would they follow and obey? There was always a chance they would deny him. Time and again they had refused, why would this be any different we ask.

They were his own, his chosen ones, and live amongst them for thirty plus years he did. He taught them, led them, prayed with them and cried with them. He turned water into wine for their wedding feast and danced with them, healed them, cast out their demons – and still they doubted!

They saw in him an earthy conquer, one who would defeat the occupying forces in their land, but that was not who He was, and to his death they led him, without ever knowing the real reason for his coming. The times were cruel, evil reigned; rulers feared him, and the crowds were swayed! But he had known since before time began, that this was to be his destiny, and he came willingly to the eternal sacrifice as our redeemer.

For by so doing – his sacrifice would repair the rift caused by his Adam, and the veil would be forever destroyed and the way made open to any who chose to traverse his path.

I want to be with Him, forever, and He has promised I may. For He Lives. He is the first to rise from the dead. I cannot fathom what it took for Him to assume a human form, to live and to die – crucified for my past present and future sins. Yet he took it all upon his shoulders, mine yes! And the sins of every other human being since time began and still to be born.

Willingly he accepted this most terrible death……… he stared death in the face and defeated it. He stared evil in the face and defeated it. He sat at the right hand of God the Father, stared Him in the face and said ‘I love them Father, forgive them please.’Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created.
John 17:24 (Contemporary English Version)

One Man (ADAM) tore apart the fabric of creation, and in its place we find the veil. There was no access to Our Heavenly Father and evil prevailed.

One Man –Jesus, through his death tore apart the veil. He took upon his shoulders our iniquities; He opened the way to brings us home.

Freedom is ours to choose, what will it be? Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life, our eternal light – or eternal darkness?

I beg you – Choose life and light!

Why is the sky blue? It’s among the most asked questions children have – almost a generic one to show the curiosity of young people and the joy of learning that comes when youngsters are encourged.

Some may not think of light scattering through the atmosphere as the primary answer, of course. Some may first think of jokes, like Lucy’s in one Peanuts comic where she said crabbily, “Because it isn’t green.”

Others may think poetically about the sky, as it reaches up to infinity. Oh, sure, the atmosphere only goes so far, but even it goes much farther than we can imagine, or see, thinning until it is merely a few molecules per square mile.

And yet, the same sky – blue, thanks to the light scattering from the sun – reaches all the way down to the ground.

Isn’t it amazing? We don’t think about it, because we’re used to thinking of the “sky” as way up there. But, if we put on that same childlike faith that kids have, we realize that just sitting up on an adult’s shoulders feels like we’re “way up there.” And, we’re actually walking around in a sky that begins way down at our feet. Good thing, too, or the atmosphere wouldn’t allow us to breathe, if it started only a few dozen feet up.

Why is it down that far? Why are we allowed to breathe in that sky that starts not somewhere many feet up, but right down at the ground? becuase of an unseen force called gravity.

It’s important to remember why the sky is blue, of course. And, it’s also important to remember other great things as school starts back up.

1. Learning should be fun.

Not every part of learning – or anything – will be fun. Even a great athlete like LeBron James has parts of the sport he doens’t like – same with pretty much every NFL player by the end of training camp.

People dream of being like them in some way, though, because they do something that their fans think would be lots of fun.

In the same way, we should get through the boring stuff like those NFL drills, with an eye toward the big picture. We will gain so much knowledge, and hopefully the wisdom to use it.

After all, think about how cool it is to muse about the sky like I just did – and to consider that you’re in the sky right now, in some ways. Not high up, but you are in the atmosphere.

2. The sky and space are like life

That unseen force holding us down, which he need to rely on, is the same one holding that atmosphere we need so much. That force is gravity.

It doesn’t end there, though. There is an invisible force lovingly guiding each of us, too – one who wants what’s best for us, and who knows even better than we do. But, He’s not just an unseen force.

Shien a flashlight on a far wall. Where is the light? Int he flashlight? Ont he wall? Actually, it’s everywhere on a straight line between the flashlight and the wall – we just need a special instrument to see it. Just like that instrument we need to see God – faith.

Like the sky, God’s love is unfathomable, reaching out beyond what we can perceive, except that His love is many times greater than that. It is infinite, just as space is. Space, with a few atoms of hydrogen per square light year at times – but still, atoms of some element, just like the sky has. That’s right; particles and waves exist out in space, so space is not completely empty. The atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, and then the particles and electromagnetic waves still keep going. And, other particles and waves come at us from the deepest reaches of space.

They are drawn by an invisible force called gravity. Gravity, which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. Just as we must rely on God to help us, and to save us.

Because you see, gravity does something else wonderful for us. It not only keeps that atmosphere on the ground, preventing it from fleeing away and stopping all breath. It keeps enough atmosphere down on the ground, so anyone can breathe in it.

In the same way, God, in His love, doesn’t expect us to reach out to His unfathomable heights. He reaches down to us. In fact, He came down to us, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise fromt he dead, so we could get to Heaven, and also so we could enjoy life more abudnantly here.

3. God wants you to breathe freely

God doesn’t force you to come to Him. Just like He doesn’t force people to breath ehte atmosphere. A person could live their whole lives breathing something in a spacesuit. The question is, why? It would take so much effort, and there wouldn’t be the joy of living and breathing freely. Plus, the body would die anyway, so all that work would be for nothing.

God has something better for you, though. He has verses like Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, the Commandments, and so on, that help us to make this world a better place. They’re not rules that we’re forced to follow; they’re rules He set up to lovingly guide us, and make the world better for us – and for others.

He lovingly reached down and tdid that, because we couldn’t reach up to Him. But, we have a problem. We dont’ always keep His commandments.

He made a way to reconcile Himself to us, though. He came to this world, int eh person of Jesus Christ. he lived a perfect life. He could do that becuase He was God in flesh. God the Father God the Son, and God the Spirit are all God – just as ice, water, and water vapor are all H2O. He was perfect, because He had to be to take our punishment – He didn’t have to be punished for His own sin. He died on the cross for you, me, everyone, and rose fromt he dead. He’d defeated death and sin.

Now, each person must simply receive Him by simple faith. Call on Him to forgive you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) He has allowed you, by grace alone, to not only get to Heaven and have eternal life, but to have it here on Earth, also.

4. God can change things with you putting your whole trust in Him

Things can be very tough at school. You may wonder if you’ll ever rise up above al lthe gossip, mean talk, and superficial lifestyles people have. Well, on our own, we can’t, but God promises in his Word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

So, trust Him to help you show His love through your actions, and your words, and you will make a difference. People will see something different in you, and will ask why – then, you can tell them how to have Jesus in their hearts (through the Holy Spirit) as well. But, you need Him as your Savior first, before you can help anyone else to do so.

He loves you, and wants you to live for Him, though. Not becuase you have to, but because He wants you to admit you’re a sinner and seek forgiveness for your sins, a change in your heart, so you can show others His great love.

Because, there’s a world of hurting people out there, many at school. People who are waiting to be told all about Christ’s love.

Boy, do I over complicate things. Keep It Simple Servant! Faith and obedience, it’s really that simple.

Obedience is an action – Moses, strike the Nile with your rod. Raise your rod Moses. Strike the rock with your rod Moses. March around Jericho 7 times and shout. Lepers, go show the priest you are healed. Pick up your mat and walk. Keep it simple servant – Have faith and choose God, hear His word, then take an action in obedience. Simple enough, right? It only gets complicated after my ideas start to get involved. I end up trying to figure things out myself (Proverbs 3:5-8). When I do this, I have walked right into the war zone, Spirit vs Flesh -

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Often I hear people say they are waiting for what God wants them to do, sometimes this is needed, but sometimes I feel this is an excuse inaction. What are you waiting for? If You’ve read the same bible as I you know we are called to act in faith, yes many times the Spirit or an angel tells the person what to do or what to say. Then there are times when people act according to what they know about God and what God wants, and incredible things happen, read 1 Samuel 14. Johnathan doesn’t wait for a sign or a message he knows he is acting on God’s behalf and God will have his back.

If someone was about to get hit by a car would you pull them out of the way or pray about it? That sounds extreme, but what we can apply to the big cases we can apply to the small cases. it would be impulsive for most of us to pull that person out of harms way. so maybe we can train ourselves to make our acts of love and kindness impulsive, our acts of serving and giving. no second thoughts, no need to pray about it, knowing we are acting on behalf of our God, just acting. Read James 4:17. Many times we need to pray for guidance on what is right or good to do. but many times we know the answer….we’re just stalling.

Shining Perspective

I had just finished my shower. I dried off and was getting ready to brush my teeth and then I hear, “Mommy?” The soft seeking voice of my son breaks the sound of the bathroom fan whirring. The door slowly opens. Then silence. “What are you doing honey?” I ask standing in front of the mirror. (Of course I wasn’t wearing anything because I just got out of the shower, and I had dried off and already hung up my towel to dry.) He creeps into the room and stands next to me. Then he slowly leans into my side. I wrap my arm around him and kiss his head. I ask, “Are you alright honey?” “Yea” he replies and I say, “What are you doing?” His sweet little voice replied, “I’m loving you.” In that moment I realized that God wants me to come to Him in the same way. God wants all of us to come to Him without any hesitation.

Isaiah just wanted to express his love for me. It didn’t matter to him that we had just spent several minutes together, snuggling and sharing a whole lot of hugs and kisses. It didn’t matter that I was completely naked, or that I was behind the closed door of the bathroom. It didn’t matter to him, because I am always approachable. He doesn’t let anything stand in his way of getting to me, there are no boundaries. He comes to me with a love that in uninhibited. God’s love knows no bounds and God longs for us to come to Him in the same way with anything and everything. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. I had just spent quite a bit of time with Isaiah before I got into the shower, BUT it wasn’t enough. God wants me to be like that. He doesn’t want me to have a specific time scheduled for Him, He wants me all the time and He wants me to come with hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy.

That afternoon I took Isaiah to the park. Once we reached the playground, I was five years old. I entered into his world and became a child. I ran, I jumped (I didn’t know I could still do that) I slid down the slides and climbed up all the different ways I could, including walking up the slides backwards. I didn’t care who was watching me, (I’m sure I looked pretty silly) I didn’t care what anyone thought. It didn’t matter; I loved my son, in his way, on his level with no bounds. We giggled while I was the monster and he was “the people.” We went on a journey to Cupcake Island on our jungle gym boat. We loved each other while we rested at the bottom of the slide and talked.  I think that’s just where God wants to meet us. No matter where we are, no matter what we do, He wants to meet you there, on your level, in the way that only He can.

My friend recently told me “God wants to be the one you love to giggle with and tell secrets to.”  I had never had it described quite that way before, but I think it’s exactly what God wants us to do. I think it’s exactly what a child would do. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.’” ~Matthew 11:25. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~Luke 18:17

Do you find yourself in a difficult spot? Maybe your circumstances have become “impossible.” Maybe the trial at your doorstep is just to remind you that your Father in heaven is longing to hear from you. I know I’ve been given some new circumstances that are bringing me to a new level of brokenness, and dependence on God and God alone. I praise the Lord that He has me in a place where my only option is to wait on Him with faith like that of a child’s. “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” ~Psalm 116:5-7

The incredible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to draw attention, as people struggle to find fixes . Warnings of a massive hurricane season, even if they prove to be wrong, make it seem even worse. Pollution now is bad enough that some fear that the whole planet – the oceans, air, land, and everything – is in dire trouble.

There is incredible anger over what this is doing to the environment. While the Earth has the capacity to bounce back in time – sometimes faster than we realize – things may well get worse; and one day will get much worse before they get better.

Thankfully, there is hope. Everyone can rest assured that one day, the world will be new. Here’s why.

The world was once perfect

Yes, this terrible world of man-made and natural disasters once was Paradise. Though mankind has done many horrible things, we see in places like Chernobyl that things are slowly rebounding – even if the rosiest outlooks are untrue.

The world, then, has the ability to recover – but short term results are catastrophic. This is analogous to the problem that changed this world from its perfect paradise into the sin-laden world we have today. As the beautiful Gulf of Mexico is, in many parts, a toxic mess exists – though for now, the Tampa/St. Pete area and some other parts of Florida are still unaffected and can hopefully help take some sting out of the economic calamity), In the same way, mankind’s sin brought all sorts of problems to the world – and brought with it consequences that went far beyond spiritual and eventual physical death that God warned about. All Creation groans because of sin.

Things will get worse before they get better

Sadly, not only the Gulf, but the whole world, will get worse before it gets better. The Bible warns us of that, and promises a way to escape.

That way is by putting your faith in the One who wrote it.

We all live by faith, every day. You live by faith sitting in a chair. You don’t hold tight to the arms, preparing to leap up quickly because you fear that chair will collapse. You rest in it, put your whole weight in it. Fiath is the same, whether we’re talking about chairs or God. And, we have a very sure word of faith – his Bible.

The Bible has over 2500 prophecies in it. All have either come true or will come true – 2000 have already come true. I’ve mentioned a few in other blogs – television and webcams (the world looking on something in Revelation), for instance, or the nations lining up now in the Middle East (Ez. 38), or how Jerusalem shall be a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone, to all who touch it. (Zech. 12:2-3)

There’s a big one about the oceans, too – a full third of them will become as blood, totally unlivable, toxic, etc.. A third of all marine life will die.

Think what that will do to the rest of the environment. Think of the horrible stench. Think of the damage of a huge sheet of oil is underwater, and a hurricane comes, or…a “star” (meteor) comes crashing into it, a ball of fire. God says such an event will happen in Revelation 8:8-11. With all that oil, it’s eventually possible. Or, it could be something supernatural, too.

The horrible end this present world will come to is spoken of in toher places, too. Isaiah 24 gives a number of illustrations, such as the earth going “to and fro as a drunkard” – much like the many recent big earthquakes.

Thankfully, the worst of the calamity will come after an event known as the Rapture. The Church is never shown on Earth in Revelation 4-18, when all the destructiveness happens, and the world criesout so that a world ruler known as AntiChrist comes on the scene. Instead, the Church is in Heaven, protected, celebrating its redemption. Faith in Israel are brought through the judgments as God’s chosen people, despite the war the AntiChrist tries to wage against them.

You can be one of those who escapes the worst of the problems, by simply accepting that Jesus Christ – God in flesh – died for your sins and rose from the dead, and receiving Him into your hart and life as Savior, turning from your sin and letting Him make you new on the inside. It’s not about what you do for Him. It’s all by simple faith.

Thankfully, one day, all that will be over, and a new Heaven and Earth will appear.

Eventually, God will remake the world

An earthquake of about 11 on the Richter scale willl come at the end of what’s known as the Great Tribulation, and the whole world will miraculously be made new. The lion will lay down with the lamb, and all God’s creatures – including people who receive Christ during the Tribulation – will live together in peace. There will still be sin, because of people’s choices, but the devil and his demonds will not be allowed to tempt people for a thousand years. That Millennium is mentioned numerous times in Revelation 20; it’s a literal thousand years. And, Christ will rule and reign over the whole world.

Then, the devil will be let out a “little season,” and the final battle will end. After that, the whole Heavens will be made new again. (Revelation 21) Everything will be perfect once more.

The first world was destroyed by flood, and next time – the one we are on, that is – it will be by fire. (2 Peter 3:7) But, thankfully, you don’t’ have to be part of that destruction. Things are bad now, but you can be redeemed from that.

Two verses later is one of the many verses that show God’s love toward us – He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) See, it’s never God’s will that people spend eternity separated from him. He is constantly calling on people to trust in Him. It is they who choose not to, when they reject His free gift.

That free gift is eternal life forever, in God’s perfect heaven, where nobody can imagine the awesome wonders that await us. If you’ve never received it, you can do so right now, just as I said above. If you have, tell everyone, through your words and actions, about Him. Because, He gave us the duty to tell others, as part of His longsuffering ways, about His great love and grace and mercy toward sinners such as ourselves. We’re not perfect – we can’t be, because of that human nature that started when man brought sin into the world. But, we can be forgiven, and made new creatures, with Christ living inside us, working in us till the day when we join Him.

All throughout the bible, from the beginning, of creation, and in creation itself, we are told of many great miracles.  Man made from the dust and clay and given life by the breath of God.  There were miracles in the burning bush, parting of the Red Sea, and Manna from heaven.  There were great miraculous healings of the blind, sick, lame, demon possessed.  Women of old age conceived and birthed healthy children.  These are just a few examples of the many miracles in the bible.

I also find wonder and awe in how God heard Joshua and caused the sun to stand still once in the sky. (Joshua 10:13)(NIV version) says: So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.  The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.  Joshua 10:12-14  How incredible! How wonderful are the miracles of God! But do these types of miracles still happen? Do miracles so great still occur in this day and age?

Many people claim that miracles like that just do not happen anymore.  People are beginning to lose hope for miracles.  Some people believe miracles are simply a thing of that past. So what do you believe?  Do you believe in modern day miracles? I think it is up to us to look closer, take a longer, deeper look around us.  If we do, we will find that miracles do still happen.  God still rescues His people.  God still supplies us with surprise and wonder.  God still moves in mysterious ways to bring us joy and show us that He is still there, and very much a part of us.  For example, the women that are medically unable to conceive or unable to carry a child that pray and cry out to God and our given the gift of a beautiful, precious, child.  The doctors can’t explain it any other way.  When the impossible happens-it is more than just a medical mystery it is a demonstration of God’s awesome power.  Gods hand is at work there.

Another example: I heard a story of a soldier that was at war and needed to get across the battlefield to the other side.  In reality, with all that gun fire and the bombs exploding, it would impossible to do that.  So this soldier closed his eyes and prayed that somehow and someway God would help get to safety on the other side of that hill.  When he opened his eyes he was no longer in the same spot where he had knelt and prayed. God had done exactly what he had prayed for.  God had somehow, someway, got him to safety on the other side of that hill.  That was a miracle, indeed!

I personally have seen and experienced many miracles in my family, church, and in my own life.  It is amazing to see the work of God unfold in the lives of people all around us.  Recently while watching the coverage of the earthquake in Chile, and the following tsunami, I witnessed one such miracle.  It was not only the power of God but also by the mercy and grace of God that the tsunami passed over Hawaii with no real damage and no lives taken by terrible waves.  In fact, the waves that were expected to be devastating were described as small.  To many people it was a question of science and reason, but to my surprise, while discussing the current conditions of Hawaii shores, one man from Hawaii described it as a miracle that no one was hurt and that the tsunami basically passed right by Hawaii without causing any real damages.  He then gave thanks to God right there on the air.  With all the coverage that I seen and heard this stood out in my memory and forever will.  Glory to God for His miraculous mercy and saving grace!

In my own life I have seen a great miracle that I want to give God glory for.  In April two years ago, while at work, the people in our office learned of a tornado that had touched down in a near by neighborhood.  The electricity went out and the only light was that of gloom coming in from the windows in the front of the building.  We all gathered up near the front of the office in a hallway where we could see what was going on outside.  Trees were bent over as the winds came through and the sky was nearly black.  It was frightening.  It all came up so fast.  Then a strange noise growled threateningly at us and a change in the atmospheric pressure occurred causing our ears to pop.  I began to pray aloud.  The doctor I worked for said, “its okay, we will be alright,” but still I prayed aloud, “LORD, please help us and keep us safe.”  Then just as quickly as it happened upon us, the winds died down, the pressure lifted, and our ears popped again.  The tornado had passed by our office.  I went with another doctor to the back door and we watched as the dark swirling mass of rubble and the evidence of its destructive nature went by low in the sky.  It had hit another office near ours and then proceeded on a path that hit another office further down on our street.  It continued on down on a path that went through an elementary school and then several neighborhoods, other medical buildings, a strip mall and the local hospital. It was later classified as an F-3 tornado.

Many of the other people that experienced this considered us merely lucky or fortunate, but there were others like me that knew, without a doubt, it was a miracle of God that not one person was killed or terribly injured from the tornado.  I knew that the tornado had passed by my work and my home and my sister’s home because God had heard my prayer and all the prayers of others, and he had done a great miracle in keeping us safe that day!

Do you need a miracle?  Are you face a terrible situation or circumstances and see no way out except by way of a miracle?  Maybe there are people reading this that are facing life threatening illness and disease and are need of healing?  There are many in need of financial miracles and the miracle of having a safe home to live in.  There are people here in the United States that fall asleep and wake up hungry every day.  Perhaps you think that the miracle you need is too great or too small.  The truth is there is nothing too great or too small for God.  The miracles of God are not reserved for only for a select few or for specific people, they are meant to be for everyone.  Anyone can experience a life changing and totally transforming miracle of God.

Would you like to learn how?  The foundation of all miracles is found in accepting and believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest miracle of all and He was sent by the Father for all people.  According to Hebrews 13:8 (New King James Version)  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  This means that all the miracles of the past are possible today and in the future to all those who accept and believe in Jesus Christ.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and Confessed that He is your personal savior?   The beginning of all miracles begins with this act of faith.   Asking Jesus to come into your heart and wash away your sins is that foundation of miracles I speak of.  When Jesus was on the cross He took all of our sins and the consequences of sin upon Himself, in our place.  When we have faith in Jesus and place our trust in Him, we discover freedom from sin and we are given the gift of everlasting life through Jesus. 

Isaiah 53:5 (New King James Version)  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

It is through our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God that the awe and wonder of all miracles is made possible.  Job 5:9 (New International Version)  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.  If you have not yet done so, on faith please accept Jesus today.  As you put your faith and trust in Him, believe that through Him all things are possible!

1 Corinthians 9:22 (New International Version)  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.  Matthew 19:26 (Amplified Bible)  But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.  Notice this scripture does not say that some things are possible.  It says that with God, all things are possible!   

Know that God loves you.  John 3:16 (New International Version)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  All you need to do is ask and believe and claim the promises of God, in Jesus’ wonderful name, and you too shall see the miracles and wonders of God in your own life.

May your life be blessed and a blessing in Christ Jesus.

Even God Himself acknowledges the existence of other gods (“Has any god ever tried to take one nation out of another nation…” Deutoronomy 4:34).  He warns us time and again in His Word to be careful not to place our trust and our worship in other gods.

God = the supreme being.

gods= an image of a deity; an idol.

The question is not the existence of God and/or gods but where our faith lies.  What we believe.

In Christianity we believe in One Supreme Being, The Lord is God, who has existed before all time.  Before the earth and stars and the Milky Way as we know it was formed, He was there.

We also believe that there other powers  which can take control over our lives, these would be the other gods.  It could be a thing such as money or power; a person such as a spouse, child or public figure; a being, such as mother nature.

In order to serve the One and the Only true God we must recognize that other gods do exist.  Why?  If we deny that other gods exist, how will we know when they are intruding with our faith, our trust in the Lord.

It is difficult for me to understand how someone could deny the existence of God, Our Father, but it is difficult for some people to understand why I and many others choose to believe in a loving, merciful God who created mankind and everything around us.

If not for God and His promises, then what is our purpose?  I choose to believe for many reasons.

First, if there was such a thing as a “Big Boom” do you really think that it would have been able to create a perfectly round planet(s) with such intricate elements?

Second, if we evolved from something else why have we not evolved again?  It would only stand to reason that if evolution is right that we would keep on evolving into some other form.

Third, there is what God has done for me in my life.  Before God I was a scared, unrational, depressed, angry person with no hope or faith.  God has created within me a new being, a new person.  He has placed hope where there was no hope.  He has given me peace where there was chaos.  He has given me love where there was hatred.  He has given me mercy where there was guilt.

Lastly, I choose to believe that there is something better for us all.  We are here to fulfill God’s purpose.  To strive for the reward of heaven on earth.  The road that will take us “home.”  If I am wrong, I would rather believe and be at peace than to be right, and not believe suffer the wrath of Him who created us.

Not sure of God’s existence?  You do not believe He does exist? Read Does God Exist? written by a former atheist.

Have a great day!  Godspeed to you!  And may His blessings overflow to you and your family.

In His Loving Name, Mary