Revelation ch 1:4-6
....Grace and peace to you from his who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be kings and priests to serve His God and Father - to Him be glory and power forever and ever! AMEN
Psalm ch 110:4
...The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”..
The one thing that I noticed in the bible is that many of God's servants, both in the old and the new testament had names that described their destiny with God. You see, God made them, created them even before the founding of the world; He had a vision of who they were and what they would become, and He had a master plan that He used to accomplish His goals. This means that if you are a child of God, every circumstance of your life was preordained, so that the Lord may shape you into His image, so that your life would produce the fruit of the Spirit, for His purposes, and for His glory.
It is always a little disconcerting to know that the Creator of the universe had you on His mind even before your parents were born, and that He knows you so well that He devised a plan to encourage you to become a citizen of the kingdom of God. His loving care of me gives me the courage to live another day whenever I place my thoughts on Him and focus my mind to meditate on His word.
His purpose was to create a family for Himself who would love Him with all their hearts, and who would offer sacrifices of praise, to live in His presence forever and ever, and to rule with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. God is Holy, and so that means everything and everyone that comes into His presence must be Holy as well. He created us in His image and gave us free will, the ability to understand who we are in this world and in the universe, and to decide if we would follow Him or go our own way.
He knew that many of us would follow our own hearts, but He also knew that many more would choose to be with Him, and so He decided to show true grace and mercy by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to give us the greatest gift, redemption and salvation through the atoning death of His Son. By His sacrifice, we are saved and deemed righteous in the Lords' eyes, for now when He sees us, He does not see our fallen human nature, or our weaknesses; He sees the Blood of the Lamb, the blood of His Son, that was shed for us on Calvary, Because we choose to believe in Him, and to call on His Name, The Lord has judged us to be Holy and Righteous, and we may minister in His presence, with words of thanksgiving and praise, and with expressions of our love.
Jesus is always our example of what a born again believer should be. He came into the world to show us what God is really like, to fellowship with us, and to save us. He is the first born of God, and if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are counted as His first born in Him. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, you are a king or queen, destined to rule with Him and for Him. No one can take you from Him, and no one will be able to stop you from becoming what He has predestined you to become.
When Jesus lived with us, He showed who He was by His words, actions, and deeds. It is now up to us to decide if we believe in what He said and what he did. He will not force anyone to come to Him, but He will show His love for you, if you let him do so. You must have a willingness to hear His voice in your heart, and you must choose to see the world for what it really is, and not how you want it to be. God will not be mocked, you cannot force Him to show you anything, and there is already enough evidence in the world and in the heavens to show that life was created by an intelligent force, a loving creative force for good.
We have all been shaped by our experiences, by our families, and by our environment, but the most powerful influence that we can ever have on our lives is the love and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He cares for us with a loving passion that defies all explanation. When I think of what He has done for me, I cannot express my gratitude and my love for Him enough. I know who I am and the mistakes that I have made, and it amazes me that He would love me so much, and would die such a horrible and soul wrenching death on a cross for me.
He gave His life for me, so that I can live in His presence forever and ever, so that I can minister to Him, offering sacrifices of praise and love, so that I can serve Him and rule with Him in His beautiful and wondrous universe, and to know what it means to live with peace in my heart, in unity with God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to feel apart of something bigger and greater than myself, to feel accepted and not rejected, to know everlasting love and mercy. When I realized how much He loved me, and how He loves me just as I am, I accepted His gift wholeheartedly. It is the best deal you will ever find!
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
The Pattern Of Servanthood
by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries
Matthew 20:25-28
In the world’s thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He laid it aside to become a servant (Isaiah 42:1).
Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father’s plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—namely, each of us—were undeserving. God, who is holy and righteous, has “eyes ... too pure to approve evil, and [He] can not look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13). But all of humanity is stained by wrongdoing (Romans 3:23); everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Romans 6:16-18). When people claim to be living on their own terms, they are actually serving whatever their human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Romans 6:23).
Jesus’ ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). The word ransom describes the price paid to set a slave free—Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.
Jesus’ sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Jesus served the Father’s purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness—and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us to follow.
Intouch Ministries Devotions
Intouch Ministries
Matthew 20:25-28
In the world’s thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He laid it aside to become a servant (Isaiah 42:1).
Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father’s plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—namely, each of us—were undeserving. God, who is holy and righteous, has “eyes ... too pure to approve evil, and [He] can not look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13). But all of humanity is stained by wrongdoing (Romans 3:23); everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Romans 6:16-18). When people claim to be living on their own terms, they are actually serving whatever their human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Romans 6:23).
Jesus’ ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). The word ransom describes the price paid to set a slave free—Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.
Jesus’ sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Jesus served the Father’s purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness—and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us to follow.
Intouch Ministries Devotions
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Equipped To Do His Will
by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries
Exodus 3:1-14
I’ve met people who know the Lord has called them to do something, but they are so focused on their perceived lack of ability that they keep telling Him, “I just can’t.” Did you realize this is a form of rebellion? It amounts to telling God that He isn’t powerful enough to equip you—and that His will being done on this earth depends upon your natural skills.
On being called to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses complained that he was the wrong person for the job and offered an excuse of not being a good speaker (Ex. 4:10). God’s response underscores that not only was He more than able to equip His chosen leader, but He also planned to accomplish His purposes with or without Moses.
The Lord is the one who gives us the ability to live within His will. It’s a divine promise: If we believe Him and move forward in obedience, He’ll show us what we’re to do and then will energize us to get it done. Philippians 2:13 says that God Himself “is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” There’s nothing to fear: You never have to take on His work in your own strength, and He won’t ask you to do anything that He will not enable you to carry out. The Father is committed to equipping His children to do whatever He asks.
As a follower of Christ, you have a personal responsibility—first, to say yes when God calls, and second, to allow Him to achieve His purposes through your life. He won’t let you down. Watching Him work through you will strengthen your faith and further the process of conforming you to His Son’s image.
Intouch Ministries Devotions
Intouch Ministries
Exodus 3:1-14
I’ve met people who know the Lord has called them to do something, but they are so focused on their perceived lack of ability that they keep telling Him, “I just can’t.” Did you realize this is a form of rebellion? It amounts to telling God that He isn’t powerful enough to equip you—and that His will being done on this earth depends upon your natural skills.
On being called to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses complained that he was the wrong person for the job and offered an excuse of not being a good speaker (Ex. 4:10). God’s response underscores that not only was He more than able to equip His chosen leader, but He also planned to accomplish His purposes with or without Moses.
The Lord is the one who gives us the ability to live within His will. It’s a divine promise: If we believe Him and move forward in obedience, He’ll show us what we’re to do and then will energize us to get it done. Philippians 2:13 says that God Himself “is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” There’s nothing to fear: You never have to take on His work in your own strength, and He won’t ask you to do anything that He will not enable you to carry out. The Father is committed to equipping His children to do whatever He asks.
As a follower of Christ, you have a personal responsibility—first, to say yes when God calls, and second, to allow Him to achieve His purposes through your life. He won’t let you down. Watching Him work through you will strengthen your faith and further the process of conforming you to His Son’s image.
Intouch Ministries Devotions
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Is Faith Necessary? Part Two
Being a child of God and a woman of faith these days takes courage, boldness, and consistency. Many people these days are simply not interested in living a life that requires patience, selflessness, and humility. As a christian, it is my responsibility to have faith in God, to love Him, adore Him, obey Him, and trust that He knows better than I do what to do with my life.
When I wake up every day, I know that He is there waiting for me, so I say in my heart, "Good Morning, Lord", and He always answers back to me in my spirit, "Good morning, sweetie", or sweetheart, or even "Good morning, silly", as I often think about something funny or silly, and He enjoys listening to my random thoughts about the world, about myself, about Him. I would never have thought that the Creator of the universe would ever want to be this close and intimate with me, and having this loving presence in my heart strengthens me, gives me an identity and a purpose, and when you are this loved by someone, hope springs eternal. I am so glad that my faith in Him is not in vain.
Where there is faith, there is purpose. The definition of faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. When we know about a subject or an issue through and through, we have confidence in our ability to speak about this issue or problem and how to solve it with the knowledge that we have obtained. When we have faith in someone or something, we choose to believe in them even though we don't have all the facts, because we see value in that belief; having complete knowledge of the subject or the person is not necessary.
Over time, we hope to gain more understanding about the subject or the person, but this knowledge only enhances our belief. Faith is a gift that we give to ourselves and to each other. Having faith in God requires that we be willing to believe in someone far greater than ourselves; when we choose seek Him out, He will guide us into deeper understanding of who He is, and He will give us a measure of faith that will enhance our own.
The first step on the road to practicing faith, is to choose to believe, and then God helps us out with the rest. We use faith every day of our lives, when we use products, tools, vehicles, services that other people created, and we rely on their guarantees that their products or services will be useful, beneficial, and that they will do us no harm.
Without those guarantees, our civilization would not function at all. We pass laws that we believe in, but what happens if we don't believe in them anymore? Whenever you see a country or a region where the people have no respect for authority or their own laws, you will find a area filled with chaos, deception, and oppression. That is why a country is only as strong as the people's belief in themselves, in their culture, and in their laws. Rules are good and a necessary function of society, but they are useless if the people refuse to abide by them.
How does faith affect the sin nature? The definition of sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. The law was given to help people see the error, faults, and nature of the fallen human heart, and to give guidance on how to live righteously before a Holy God until the Messiah could come, Jesus Christ, who would sacrifice himself for us on the cross to give a final and permanent solution to the sin problem.
Now, the people of the past were unable to follow the rules because of their rebellious nature, that is why God's solution was necessary, an infilling of His Spirit and nature to change our hearts and minds. We must be willing to accept His gift of salvation and learn how to be righteous by the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to follow the Holy Spirit's lead.
Faith.Obedience.Trust.Love. - these are the characteristics of a true christian disciple - and the greatest of these principles is love, for when we truly love someone, and we give them our whole heart and soul, we are willing to believe in them, trust them, and follow their lead. When we love someone, we become intimate with them, and we share our hearts with them. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our spirit is renewed, born again. He fills our hearts with love, and transforms our heart and minds, so that we begin to see things from His perspective, and peace and joy becomes apart of our daily routine.
The world around us will be the same, but we will be different, and now we have a reason to rejoice knowing that He will be with us forever and that this world will not always be like it is today, but our hope is refreshed daily with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is coming back again very soon to give the world what it is desperately seeking right now, PEACE.
Every good thing that will happen in the future to us and to the world will be created by FAITH.
If you would like to step out in FAITH and believe, and have your own personal relationship with Him, repeat this prayer:
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN
When I wake up every day, I know that He is there waiting for me, so I say in my heart, "Good Morning, Lord", and He always answers back to me in my spirit, "Good morning, sweetie", or sweetheart, or even "Good morning, silly", as I often think about something funny or silly, and He enjoys listening to my random thoughts about the world, about myself, about Him. I would never have thought that the Creator of the universe would ever want to be this close and intimate with me, and having this loving presence in my heart strengthens me, gives me an identity and a purpose, and when you are this loved by someone, hope springs eternal. I am so glad that my faith in Him is not in vain.
Where there is faith, there is purpose. The definition of faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. When we know about a subject or an issue through and through, we have confidence in our ability to speak about this issue or problem and how to solve it with the knowledge that we have obtained. When we have faith in someone or something, we choose to believe in them even though we don't have all the facts, because we see value in that belief; having complete knowledge of the subject or the person is not necessary.
Over time, we hope to gain more understanding about the subject or the person, but this knowledge only enhances our belief. Faith is a gift that we give to ourselves and to each other. Having faith in God requires that we be willing to believe in someone far greater than ourselves; when we choose seek Him out, He will guide us into deeper understanding of who He is, and He will give us a measure of faith that will enhance our own.
The first step on the road to practicing faith, is to choose to believe, and then God helps us out with the rest. We use faith every day of our lives, when we use products, tools, vehicles, services that other people created, and we rely on their guarantees that their products or services will be useful, beneficial, and that they will do us no harm.
Without those guarantees, our civilization would not function at all. We pass laws that we believe in, but what happens if we don't believe in them anymore? Whenever you see a country or a region where the people have no respect for authority or their own laws, you will find a area filled with chaos, deception, and oppression. That is why a country is only as strong as the people's belief in themselves, in their culture, and in their laws. Rules are good and a necessary function of society, but they are useless if the people refuse to abide by them.
How does faith affect the sin nature? The definition of sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. The law was given to help people see the error, faults, and nature of the fallen human heart, and to give guidance on how to live righteously before a Holy God until the Messiah could come, Jesus Christ, who would sacrifice himself for us on the cross to give a final and permanent solution to the sin problem.
Now, the people of the past were unable to follow the rules because of their rebellious nature, that is why God's solution was necessary, an infilling of His Spirit and nature to change our hearts and minds. We must be willing to accept His gift of salvation and learn how to be righteous by the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to follow the Holy Spirit's lead.
Faith.Obedience.Trust.Love. - these are the characteristics of a true christian disciple - and the greatest of these principles is love, for when we truly love someone, and we give them our whole heart and soul, we are willing to believe in them, trust them, and follow their lead. When we love someone, we become intimate with them, and we share our hearts with them. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our spirit is renewed, born again. He fills our hearts with love, and transforms our heart and minds, so that we begin to see things from His perspective, and peace and joy becomes apart of our daily routine.
The world around us will be the same, but we will be different, and now we have a reason to rejoice knowing that He will be with us forever and that this world will not always be like it is today, but our hope is refreshed daily with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is coming back again very soon to give the world what it is desperately seeking right now, PEACE.
Every good thing that will happen in the future to us and to the world will be created by FAITH.
If you would like to step out in FAITH and believe, and have your own personal relationship with Him, repeat this prayer:
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Is Faith Necessary? Part One
In the world today,there are many people who express concerns about faith, and whether faith is necessary in the 21st century, after all, we have scored many scientific and technological advances, many of the mysteries of the past have been solved, so they ask, is faith and religion necessary anymore? We already understand a great deal more about how the world works, and how are bodies function, and we can do things today that could not be done even 10 years ago.
As we learn more about our world and the universe, we have become more sofisticated in our thinking, and more confident in our abiity to solve our problems. The issue is not whether we have problems to solve, the issue is do we have enough resolve to do what is necessary to solve them without destroying our world and ourselves.
Is faith necessary? Why does it seem that with every new advancement in technology, that will solve one problem, two more appear in its place? And why can't we seem to solve the old problems, such as war, poverty, hatred, slavery, selfishness, greed, and deception? The answer is definitely not in the stars, but within ourselves.
There is a misconception that faith should only be associated with religion; what some people don't realize is that faith has always been applied to our everyday lives. We have faith in our governments, in our employers, in our military and local authorities, and in our local city administrative officers. We send our children off to school, where we believe they will be taught, nurtured, and protected until we get them back at the end of the day.
We put our money in a bank, where we believe that it will be safe and secure until we need to use it in the future. We drive cars, ride buses, fly on airplanes, use all types of tools and devices everyday, and we don't think about the significance of using these things because we are used to living this way, but everything we use is based upon a dream, a conception born in someone's mind that was put down on paper, and then made for our consumption. Now, the people who conceived them had a belief that the things they dreamed up would work, and they had to convince someone else that it would work; if those investors had not believed in these concepts, we would not be using them today.
We believe in our way of life, and we pass laws to guarantee that way of life. We set limits on what individuals, groups and companies can do in our land and in our communities to prevent abuse, and everyone agrees with those restrictions, more or less. But what would happen if enough of the people living in our neighborhoods, our regions, our country stopped believing in those laws, in that way of life?
We have faith in the products and tools that we use, because we are told that these things will work. Many products are advertised on tv, in newspapers and magazines, on the internet and on billboards. We can't escape the media blitz, so we take a chance on a product, only knowing as much as we are told about it. Of course, there are ways to be reimbursed if a product is not what it was advertised to be, most times we can get our money back, but have you ever been in a situation where you believed in a product or service, and you were excited about using it, but when you finally got the chance to use it, it didn't work or the experience was not they way you thought it would be? Were you angry, frustrated, or disappointed? You might have even felt like you were abused.
That is why faith is a powerful force in the world, it inspires people to great and beautiful heights, and when it is abused, to dark and lowly depths. We are being told that faith is unnecessary in this world, that we have everything we need to make the world into the uptopia we have always dreamed of, but we cannot make anyplace into a utopia unless everyone believes in utopias.
Our laws are set into place, but they are not set in stone. There could come a time when people start to lose their faith in our laws, our culture, and our way of life. They may wish to change everything that was built up before, and start a new age where there will be no respect for what was believed in the past, and they may wish to abolish all restrictions on themselves, on other people, or on the businesses in their communities. Has that day arrived?
Faith is a gift that we give each other. What happens when a wife believes in her husband, does he suddenly feel He can do all the things that He sets out to do? What happens when a child feels love and approval from mom or dad? They suddenly feel good about themselves, and they try to do the best that they can in school. And what happens when a child of God starts praising His name and puts their faith into practice by trusting in His word, and living for Him instead of for themselves? They become a force of good in the world by sharing the gospel of grace, that helps to bring about a peaceful utopia by ushering in the kingdom of God, which will be led by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It seems that faith does have an important part in our daily lives, and where that faith is placed is even more important, because what you believe in shapes your life, your mind, and your destiny. If you don't have faith in anything, then you will lose hope. If you have no hope, then you will not care about yourself or the future. Where there is faith, there is fire, the courage to grow, to live, to change our circumstances, and to give of ourselves. We need faith, and faith is given to us if we choose to believe in something higher than ourselves, to believe in a love that is deeper, richer, and more fulfilling than anything else we can do or achieve.
That love is the sacrifice and atonement that Jesus Christ paid for on the cross, so that you and I could be redeemed and saved from sin and from our fallen human nature; that nature consumes and destroys without the transforming love and power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to abide in His presence for guidance, love, and understanding; we cannot have true faith in ourselves without receiving His faith in us. He believes in us so much that He was willing to die for us, so we are valuable, very valuable in His eyes.
We must never forget how much He loves us, or How much He was willing to sacrifice so that We could live in His presence, in peace, in fellowship, in happiness forever and ever. And yes, it does take faith to believe in this, so if you are lacking in the faith to believe in Jesus, ask Him for a measure of faith, He gives generously to those who seek Him and are willing to give Him a chance. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed if your request to know Him is sincere.
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN
As we learn more about our world and the universe, we have become more sofisticated in our thinking, and more confident in our abiity to solve our problems. The issue is not whether we have problems to solve, the issue is do we have enough resolve to do what is necessary to solve them without destroying our world and ourselves.
Is faith necessary? Why does it seem that with every new advancement in technology, that will solve one problem, two more appear in its place? And why can't we seem to solve the old problems, such as war, poverty, hatred, slavery, selfishness, greed, and deception? The answer is definitely not in the stars, but within ourselves.
There is a misconception that faith should only be associated with religion; what some people don't realize is that faith has always been applied to our everyday lives. We have faith in our governments, in our employers, in our military and local authorities, and in our local city administrative officers. We send our children off to school, where we believe they will be taught, nurtured, and protected until we get them back at the end of the day.
We put our money in a bank, where we believe that it will be safe and secure until we need to use it in the future. We drive cars, ride buses, fly on airplanes, use all types of tools and devices everyday, and we don't think about the significance of using these things because we are used to living this way, but everything we use is based upon a dream, a conception born in someone's mind that was put down on paper, and then made for our consumption. Now, the people who conceived them had a belief that the things they dreamed up would work, and they had to convince someone else that it would work; if those investors had not believed in these concepts, we would not be using them today.
We believe in our way of life, and we pass laws to guarantee that way of life. We set limits on what individuals, groups and companies can do in our land and in our communities to prevent abuse, and everyone agrees with those restrictions, more or less. But what would happen if enough of the people living in our neighborhoods, our regions, our country stopped believing in those laws, in that way of life?
We have faith in the products and tools that we use, because we are told that these things will work. Many products are advertised on tv, in newspapers and magazines, on the internet and on billboards. We can't escape the media blitz, so we take a chance on a product, only knowing as much as we are told about it. Of course, there are ways to be reimbursed if a product is not what it was advertised to be, most times we can get our money back, but have you ever been in a situation where you believed in a product or service, and you were excited about using it, but when you finally got the chance to use it, it didn't work or the experience was not they way you thought it would be? Were you angry, frustrated, or disappointed? You might have even felt like you were abused.
That is why faith is a powerful force in the world, it inspires people to great and beautiful heights, and when it is abused, to dark and lowly depths. We are being told that faith is unnecessary in this world, that we have everything we need to make the world into the uptopia we have always dreamed of, but we cannot make anyplace into a utopia unless everyone believes in utopias.
Our laws are set into place, but they are not set in stone. There could come a time when people start to lose their faith in our laws, our culture, and our way of life. They may wish to change everything that was built up before, and start a new age where there will be no respect for what was believed in the past, and they may wish to abolish all restrictions on themselves, on other people, or on the businesses in their communities. Has that day arrived?
Faith is a gift that we give each other. What happens when a wife believes in her husband, does he suddenly feel He can do all the things that He sets out to do? What happens when a child feels love and approval from mom or dad? They suddenly feel good about themselves, and they try to do the best that they can in school. And what happens when a child of God starts praising His name and puts their faith into practice by trusting in His word, and living for Him instead of for themselves? They become a force of good in the world by sharing the gospel of grace, that helps to bring about a peaceful utopia by ushering in the kingdom of God, which will be led by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It seems that faith does have an important part in our daily lives, and where that faith is placed is even more important, because what you believe in shapes your life, your mind, and your destiny. If you don't have faith in anything, then you will lose hope. If you have no hope, then you will not care about yourself or the future. Where there is faith, there is fire, the courage to grow, to live, to change our circumstances, and to give of ourselves. We need faith, and faith is given to us if we choose to believe in something higher than ourselves, to believe in a love that is deeper, richer, and more fulfilling than anything else we can do or achieve.
That love is the sacrifice and atonement that Jesus Christ paid for on the cross, so that you and I could be redeemed and saved from sin and from our fallen human nature; that nature consumes and destroys without the transforming love and power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to abide in His presence for guidance, love, and understanding; we cannot have true faith in ourselves without receiving His faith in us. He believes in us so much that He was willing to die for us, so we are valuable, very valuable in His eyes.
We must never forget how much He loves us, or How much He was willing to sacrifice so that We could live in His presence, in peace, in fellowship, in happiness forever and ever. And yes, it does take faith to believe in this, so if you are lacking in the faith to believe in Jesus, ask Him for a measure of faith, He gives generously to those who seek Him and are willing to give Him a chance. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed if your request to know Him is sincere.
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN
Monday, December 5, 2016
Comfort, Comfort My Children
by Jacky Julyan
Trust me my daughter in all things, do not fret about anything. I will bring back to you those who belong to me. I am humbling many at this time, pray and receive them.
Do not fret for I am standing with you and I am exposing people around you one at a time. You are my prophet and you are surrounded by wicked people but I will show you what I am about to do. There are many who claim to belong to me who do not.
I am sending you to many people but many are throwing my children into confusion and does not come from me. Everyone will be answerable to me for all they have said. So do not fret those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time.
Let patience have its perfect work within you. Each time I am showing you the devices of Satan and they are so deceiving. Comfort child, comfort my people. For I came to serve not to be served.
Speak boldly and declare My Name for I am He that liveth, let him who is deceived continue to be deceived, let him who is vile continue to be vile and him who walks uprightly continue to look to the One who is able to keep you until the end.
Comfort my children, comfort, I will strengthen you with My Strong Arm. Comfort, call upon me and I shall answer thee. For I am the LORD and there is no other. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, beware the spirit of the Pharisees for his rising, rising in all wickedness, wickedness to profane even My Word unto even more wickedness.
Fret not my children, for I am the LORD your Shepherd, I know those who are mine and they graze in restful pastures waiting on me. Those who belong to Me are in 'My Goshen' separated even unto the world. I am able to save to the utmost. I know those whom I have touched, upon their foreheads. I know those who are cursed for I speak 'Woe to you Pharisees, you charmers of snakes, they will bite you and you will suffer'.
My children look only to Me. Do not look to man and his teachings. Is My Arm too short? Am I not your Teacher and LORD? Yes, I am, and more.
I bring peace to your hearts, I protect you though you are buffeted by the waves. Call out to Me, My children, let My Name be continually upon your lips. For the Gates of Hell, indeed, will not prevail though for a short time you go through many trials.
Hold fast! Stand your ground! For I will come for My Bride whom I love.
Trust Me I say, trust me though you cannot see what is in front of you. Trust me, hold My hand as I guide you through a terrain of landmines.
I love you My children, do not be afraid to come to Me for everything.
Truly I say those who come as little children shall both see and enter into the Kingdom of God.
[To listen]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJvKJ1O7eyY
https://calledtowriteweb.wordpress.com/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXv_mnFHwuIZQImtApBHMnA
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
Trust me my daughter in all things, do not fret about anything. I will bring back to you those who belong to me. I am humbling many at this time, pray and receive them.
Do not fret for I am standing with you and I am exposing people around you one at a time. You are my prophet and you are surrounded by wicked people but I will show you what I am about to do. There are many who claim to belong to me who do not.
I am sending you to many people but many are throwing my children into confusion and does not come from me. Everyone will be answerable to me for all they have said. So do not fret those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time.
Let patience have its perfect work within you. Each time I am showing you the devices of Satan and they are so deceiving. Comfort child, comfort my people. For I came to serve not to be served.
Speak boldly and declare My Name for I am He that liveth, let him who is deceived continue to be deceived, let him who is vile continue to be vile and him who walks uprightly continue to look to the One who is able to keep you until the end.
Comfort my children, comfort, I will strengthen you with My Strong Arm. Comfort, call upon me and I shall answer thee. For I am the LORD and there is no other. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, beware the spirit of the Pharisees for his rising, rising in all wickedness, wickedness to profane even My Word unto even more wickedness.
Fret not my children, for I am the LORD your Shepherd, I know those who are mine and they graze in restful pastures waiting on me. Those who belong to Me are in 'My Goshen' separated even unto the world. I am able to save to the utmost. I know those whom I have touched, upon their foreheads. I know those who are cursed for I speak 'Woe to you Pharisees, you charmers of snakes, they will bite you and you will suffer'.
My children look only to Me. Do not look to man and his teachings. Is My Arm too short? Am I not your Teacher and LORD? Yes, I am, and more.
I bring peace to your hearts, I protect you though you are buffeted by the waves. Call out to Me, My children, let My Name be continually upon your lips. For the Gates of Hell, indeed, will not prevail though for a short time you go through many trials.
Hold fast! Stand your ground! For I will come for My Bride whom I love.
Trust Me I say, trust me though you cannot see what is in front of you. Trust me, hold My hand as I guide you through a terrain of landmines.
I love you My children, do not be afraid to come to Me for everything.
Truly I say those who come as little children shall both see and enter into the Kingdom of God.
[To listen]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJvKJ1O7eyY
https://calledtowriteweb.wordpress.com/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXv_mnFHwuIZQImtApBHMnA
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
Sunday, December 4, 2016
How To Stay Motivated Before God
One of the best ways I know to stay motivated in Jesus Christ is to be consistent with my praise, practicing the presence of God by having time with Him alone every day, reading the bible, meditating on scriptures, repeating them aloud so that my heart and mind knows them intimately, singing songs and worshiping in His presence. Every day I need to acknowledge that He is there, in my room, and with me when I go out and walk to the store, when I am feeling good, and when I am feeling down, just the thought that He is always with me gets me motivated to stay on course, to live as a citizen of the kingdom of God.
Now, if I am to be real, I must admit that I don't always feel motivated to do this all the time and everyday; sometimes I feel tired, or sometimes I am doing a activity that I don't want to stop doing, sometimes I just don't feel like doing anything. What keeps me going is that I have been doing this consistently for quite some time, and when you get into the habit of doing something everyday, you start to feel strange if you dont do it, even for one day. Also, I find that once I start reading the word, my heart starts to rejoice, and I begin to thank Him for His love and mercy, I tell Him that I love Him and I start to feel His presence, His Holy Spirit springing from my heart and into my room, then I am happy and I feel it is time well spent.
To get into the spirit of things, you must make a conscious effort to practice the presence of God; if He feels welcomed into your heart and into your home, He will come in and stay for a while, and forever, and He will heal you, comfort you, guide you, deliver you, protect you, and most importantly, love you. Trust is necessary to practicee His presence, because you will be asking Him to be there for you and to love you, and He will if you can give Him first place in your heart. Being a child of God means loving Him with all our heart, all your mind, and all your soul.
Have faith in His power to change you and your circumstances, and praise Him when you are happy and when you are sad, because you may be going through something major right now, but the Lord will never leave you or forsake you. He is right there with you, holding your heart in His hands, giving you the strength to get through this time in your life, giving you the patience to wait for His deliverance, so that you will give Him all the credit for what you just survived, and your victory will be great!
Lord, we thank you for your grace and mercy, and for your ability to love us just as we are, your willingness to live in us and guide us and motivate us when we don't feel like being the 'good Christian man/woman', when everyone else seems to be living just fine without you, and they seem not to have any problems, but my dear Lord, you know their hearts and their minds, and you know that they are just one step away from total destruction, while you will keep up safe from the coming storms of life.
I praise you Lord God for your wisdom, because you love your little ones, the ones who will not let anyone or anything come between themselves and You, while the rest of the world tries to live without You in their lives, without your true love, grace, and peace in their hearts. You are my sweet inspiration, and I will love you forever and ever - Glory To Your Name!
Now, if I am to be real, I must admit that I don't always feel motivated to do this all the time and everyday; sometimes I feel tired, or sometimes I am doing a activity that I don't want to stop doing, sometimes I just don't feel like doing anything. What keeps me going is that I have been doing this consistently for quite some time, and when you get into the habit of doing something everyday, you start to feel strange if you dont do it, even for one day. Also, I find that once I start reading the word, my heart starts to rejoice, and I begin to thank Him for His love and mercy, I tell Him that I love Him and I start to feel His presence, His Holy Spirit springing from my heart and into my room, then I am happy and I feel it is time well spent.
To get into the spirit of things, you must make a conscious effort to practice the presence of God; if He feels welcomed into your heart and into your home, He will come in and stay for a while, and forever, and He will heal you, comfort you, guide you, deliver you, protect you, and most importantly, love you. Trust is necessary to practicee His presence, because you will be asking Him to be there for you and to love you, and He will if you can give Him first place in your heart. Being a child of God means loving Him with all our heart, all your mind, and all your soul.
Have faith in His power to change you and your circumstances, and praise Him when you are happy and when you are sad, because you may be going through something major right now, but the Lord will never leave you or forsake you. He is right there with you, holding your heart in His hands, giving you the strength to get through this time in your life, giving you the patience to wait for His deliverance, so that you will give Him all the credit for what you just survived, and your victory will be great!
Lord, we thank you for your grace and mercy, and for your ability to love us just as we are, your willingness to live in us and guide us and motivate us when we don't feel like being the 'good Christian man/woman', when everyone else seems to be living just fine without you, and they seem not to have any problems, but my dear Lord, you know their hearts and their minds, and you know that they are just one step away from total destruction, while you will keep up safe from the coming storms of life.
I praise you Lord God for your wisdom, because you love your little ones, the ones who will not let anyone or anything come between themselves and You, while the rest of the world tries to live without You in their lives, without your true love, grace, and peace in their hearts. You are my sweet inspiration, and I will love you forever and ever - Glory To Your Name!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
What's So Unbelievable?
by Marshall V Pierce
This is for you my friend who doesn't believe. And you, the one who doubts. You know who you are. I have to ask you, "What's so unbelievable about this story of God?"
My purpose is not to convert you or to make you believe. I have no power to do that. I don't really have any expectations, either. My mission is simply to Share God's Story in my life in this one life that you might think upon your suppositions and assumptions, and seek full time, from here on out to know and understand and become aware of more and more and more and more. I have no doubt of what you will find, though I may never see you conclude. He, not I, will convince and convict you by your own life and circumstances.
Who is this God? To start, look around you. It is He who made everything with intent, not randomness. Consider the complexity of this creation, these laws of Nature. How perfectly it all comes together! This is no design of lottery!
And you, yourself. I know you've heard Shakespeare:
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals!
Hamlet
Why does your feeling change when you hear it in the Word of the Maker?
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Who is this God? Yes, He brought everything together. Then He became a part of it. He was born into this world as His Son mortal; one of us. He needed to understand existence from our point of view, from our perspective, to hold a common frame of reference with us. His mortal life is a message to us, an example for us. Proof that a human being can live a pure life. The Standard of the living. A body can live with great, Godly patience, and can teach, show, help, and tell others this same message with thankfulness, gratefulness, loving all others, no matter what!
Who is this God? He, who gave us free choice, because He knows "if you love something let it go, if it returns, it is yours." He, who saw that we would want to try going it on our own, alone, listening to whispers of doubt about Him. But, so that His absolute justice and love for us would be reconciled, He sent Himself to trial and a sentence of death for our crimes, in our place. He experienced the cruelest, most painful process of execution for all our sins.
What's so unbelievable? Every tale in our every history has that whisperer; Good vs evil, right vs wrong, light vs dark, pure vs polluted. This world this life is a war not of this world but very much for this world.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we use are not the weapons of this world. One the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Indeed, there is a real enemy, and his very first strategy is to hide and disguise himself. He's quite happy to have you disbelieve. It's his idea that you "Question everything," rather than "Testing everything against what you know to be true."
But test everything; hold fast what is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Indeed, the primary battleground in this war of the spirit is within the individual human heart and flesh. It is not me against you, us against them. It is a fight within you, and an ongoing struggle within me. Have you surrendered? From birth, we have the will to do what is good, but we fall so easily to the distraction of our senses, the hoarding of our physical pleasures, the dream that all is well and we can stay at ease in our comfort.
What's so unbelievable? We must fight! We must fight ourselves, for our very souls!
Be self-controlled and alert! Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Put on the full armor of God:
the Belt of Truth
the Breastplate of Righteousness
feet fitted with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace
the Shield of Faith
the Helmet of Salvation
the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
Ephesians 6:13-17
Do you know the deadly sins? Lust, gluttony, avarice/greed, sloth, anger/wrath, envy, pride/vanity. They are countered by the Fruit of the Spirit, grown in a daily relationship with the Creator and Savior: Peace, Joy, Love, Patience, Kindness, Goodness/Humility, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control, along with the Holy Virtues of Chastity, Abstinence, Temperance, and Diligence. It is only in ourselves that we can develop these solemn and guiding principles. I cannot force you to have them. There can be no law that requires them. I can only demonstrate them in my own life. I can only Share God's Story in my life:
Journal Entry, upon the Milestone of One Year in Recovery
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
It's amazing to me how much has changed in my life in one year all because I realized I was helpless and hopeless while spiritually alone.
Oh! How many times before this past year did I wish, plan, dream, hope, try to change, to be different, to make myself something else, someone else.
And what happened, every time, to every one of my figurative and literal 'New Year's Resolutions' can be summed up very neatly by a cliche: "Stick a fork in him/it (me)" (Except, of course in my case, it was a knife.)
It's almost as if instead of working on whatever change I really wanted to make, my full time occupation was blame. Blaming myself, blaming physical parts of me, blaming others. My 'job' was diverting myself away; distracting myself; defeating myself.
Did I accomplish anything all those years? (Anything good, that is cause I was really successful at purposely wasting time being frivolous and getting my jollies: playing games, drinking to excess, etc.) Did I accomplish anything good on purpose? By my own efforts? ([By] waiting for something to happen?)
Perhaps all that really happened one year ago was that I figuratively gave a mortal wounding to the old me the lone ranger, the solo single. And that person has been bleeding out over the past 365 days those fluids being replaced by a new spiritual fuel.
April 14 was the day I looked at myself in the mirror and for the first time really saw ME: naked and bleeding and alone and shocked! Shocked! And I really asked myself, 'Is this who I really want to be?'
The Bible tells us that we must die to ourselves before we can give ourselves over to Christ. Yes, I think that's what happened one year ago today. A wounding, beginning a slow death, and a coup de grace on July 25 [when I attempted suicide] a spear in the side, perhaps.
Up to that point, I had been trying to make me different. But what had to happen was that the ME who believed he was alone had to go, had to be replaced, had to die; and WE: myself and God and Jesus are who I see now in the mirror.
"I am changed. You change me".
God, my Father, is with me, and is helping me make things happen.
"Thank You, Father, for doing more in one year with me than I in more than [four] decades could do without You."
Direct Contact: MarshallVPierce@gmail.com
SharingGodsStory.net is the blog of Marshall V Pierce, and tells of God's healing power over addictions and failing health, His constant miraculous provision, and one man's Bible study and sharing of time, talents, and testimony for the glory of God. Marshall V Piece/Sharing God's Story, 2015-2016.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
This is for you my friend who doesn't believe. And you, the one who doubts. You know who you are. I have to ask you, "What's so unbelievable about this story of God?"
My purpose is not to convert you or to make you believe. I have no power to do that. I don't really have any expectations, either. My mission is simply to Share God's Story in my life in this one life that you might think upon your suppositions and assumptions, and seek full time, from here on out to know and understand and become aware of more and more and more and more. I have no doubt of what you will find, though I may never see you conclude. He, not I, will convince and convict you by your own life and circumstances.
Who is this God? To start, look around you. It is He who made everything with intent, not randomness. Consider the complexity of this creation, these laws of Nature. How perfectly it all comes together! This is no design of lottery!
And you, yourself. I know you've heard Shakespeare:
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals!
Hamlet
Why does your feeling change when you hear it in the Word of the Maker?
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Who is this God? Yes, He brought everything together. Then He became a part of it. He was born into this world as His Son mortal; one of us. He needed to understand existence from our point of view, from our perspective, to hold a common frame of reference with us. His mortal life is a message to us, an example for us. Proof that a human being can live a pure life. The Standard of the living. A body can live with great, Godly patience, and can teach, show, help, and tell others this same message with thankfulness, gratefulness, loving all others, no matter what!
Who is this God? He, who gave us free choice, because He knows "if you love something let it go, if it returns, it is yours." He, who saw that we would want to try going it on our own, alone, listening to whispers of doubt about Him. But, so that His absolute justice and love for us would be reconciled, He sent Himself to trial and a sentence of death for our crimes, in our place. He experienced the cruelest, most painful process of execution for all our sins.
What's so unbelievable? Every tale in our every history has that whisperer; Good vs evil, right vs wrong, light vs dark, pure vs polluted. This world this life is a war not of this world but very much for this world.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we use are not the weapons of this world. One the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Indeed, there is a real enemy, and his very first strategy is to hide and disguise himself. He's quite happy to have you disbelieve. It's his idea that you "Question everything," rather than "Testing everything against what you know to be true."
But test everything; hold fast what is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Indeed, the primary battleground in this war of the spirit is within the individual human heart and flesh. It is not me against you, us against them. It is a fight within you, and an ongoing struggle within me. Have you surrendered? From birth, we have the will to do what is good, but we fall so easily to the distraction of our senses, the hoarding of our physical pleasures, the dream that all is well and we can stay at ease in our comfort.
What's so unbelievable? We must fight! We must fight ourselves, for our very souls!
Be self-controlled and alert! Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Put on the full armor of God:
the Belt of Truth
the Breastplate of Righteousness
feet fitted with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace
the Shield of Faith
the Helmet of Salvation
the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
Ephesians 6:13-17
Do you know the deadly sins? Lust, gluttony, avarice/greed, sloth, anger/wrath, envy, pride/vanity. They are countered by the Fruit of the Spirit, grown in a daily relationship with the Creator and Savior: Peace, Joy, Love, Patience, Kindness, Goodness/Humility, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control, along with the Holy Virtues of Chastity, Abstinence, Temperance, and Diligence. It is only in ourselves that we can develop these solemn and guiding principles. I cannot force you to have them. There can be no law that requires them. I can only demonstrate them in my own life. I can only Share God's Story in my life:
Journal Entry, upon the Milestone of One Year in Recovery
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
It's amazing to me how much has changed in my life in one year all because I realized I was helpless and hopeless while spiritually alone.
Oh! How many times before this past year did I wish, plan, dream, hope, try to change, to be different, to make myself something else, someone else.
And what happened, every time, to every one of my figurative and literal 'New Year's Resolutions' can be summed up very neatly by a cliche: "Stick a fork in him/it (me)" (Except, of course in my case, it was a knife.)
It's almost as if instead of working on whatever change I really wanted to make, my full time occupation was blame. Blaming myself, blaming physical parts of me, blaming others. My 'job' was diverting myself away; distracting myself; defeating myself.
Did I accomplish anything all those years? (Anything good, that is cause I was really successful at purposely wasting time being frivolous and getting my jollies: playing games, drinking to excess, etc.) Did I accomplish anything good on purpose? By my own efforts? ([By] waiting for something to happen?)
Perhaps all that really happened one year ago was that I figuratively gave a mortal wounding to the old me the lone ranger, the solo single. And that person has been bleeding out over the past 365 days those fluids being replaced by a new spiritual fuel.
April 14 was the day I looked at myself in the mirror and for the first time really saw ME: naked and bleeding and alone and shocked! Shocked! And I really asked myself, 'Is this who I really want to be?'
The Bible tells us that we must die to ourselves before we can give ourselves over to Christ. Yes, I think that's what happened one year ago today. A wounding, beginning a slow death, and a coup de grace on July 25 [when I attempted suicide] a spear in the side, perhaps.
Up to that point, I had been trying to make me different. But what had to happen was that the ME who believed he was alone had to go, had to be replaced, had to die; and WE: myself and God and Jesus are who I see now in the mirror.
"I am changed. You change me".
God, my Father, is with me, and is helping me make things happen.
"Thank You, Father, for doing more in one year with me than I in more than [four] decades could do without You."
Direct Contact: MarshallVPierce@gmail.com
SharingGodsStory.net is the blog of Marshall V Pierce, and tells of God's healing power over addictions and failing health, His constant miraculous provision, and one man's Bible study and sharing of time, talents, and testimony for the glory of God. Marshall V Piece/Sharing God's Story, 2015-2016.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
Friday, December 2, 2016
Fighting The Good Fight
I have to admit that I like watching superhero shows, because I find that I can relate to the hero arc, the story about the ordinary person who has super powers or super abilities thrust upon them, and they choose to do something positive with them. It makes their lives crazy and complicated, but there is a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day, wnen they beat the villian, or save someone's life, or the bad situation is solved by what they can do. Now that's a job that I can sink my teeth into.
I am glad that most superhero stories are written well, in that heroes always seem to find themselves in sticky situations. When they do something right it seems like it always backfires on them in some way, but they can never use that as an excuse to stop doing what they know is right. We as christians often find ourselves in sticky situations, where the answer to the problem we are facing is not the one we want, because it would mean having to deal with the consequences. Everyone always dreams of being a hero and saving the day, but the everyday struggles of doing what is right all the time shows up our weaknesses, and often puts us in the spotlight, when we would rather just go home and let someone else save the day.
As christians living in a world where good is being judged as a bad thing, and bad things are being celebrated as good, the pressure to conform to what the world wants to do has become tremendous, and so I know that at times I wish I could solve a few problems with a little 'super power', and actually I am happy to say that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:13)
We must learn to fight the good fight with the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, who will keep us and protects us from the issues of life. His guidance and love transcends our weaknesses, and gives us the strength to live, to grow, and to love. We learn how to fight through Jesus Christ, by being selfless and humble, by allowing His love to be expressed in everything that we do. We often want to do things our own way, but our way is often not the best way, and we need to rely on the wisdom and the power of the word of God.
We are the ones who have the power of God on our side, but we must act with wisdom, kindness, and patience. We must allow the Lord to work through us and into our situation, so that the world can see how better it is to live in Him and love with Him. That also means that doing the right thing may put us in circumstances where other people will not understand what we are doing and why we are doing it, and we could get hurt by other peoples' words and deeds. The good news is that my sweet Jesus will be there with us, helping us, providing for us, and protecting us, and the Comforter, The Holy Spirit, will heal our wounds.
Give your whole heart to Him, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and feelings, and learn how to forgive other people when they fail to love you or accept you, because if they don't have the Lord in their lives, they can only relate to you like an ordinary human being; they don't have the Lord's 'super' influence and love to tap into, to make their ordinary lives into extra ordinary ones.
Seek peace for the people in your lives, in your neighborhoods, for the world, and let the light of God shine forth from your heats, for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to seek and to save as many as will accept his offer of grace, love and salvation. He is my personal favorite superhero, and I am awed by the depth of His passion and love for me and for you. He makes the ordinary extraordinary, and there is no power on earth or in the universe that can defeat Him.
Seek His guidance first in your lives, allow Him to fight your battles, and then when everything is said and done, you can praise Him for the victory, and go home satisfied that the villian, the devil, was defeated, that the Lord saved you, and that bad situation that you found yourself in was resolved.
Thank You Jesus, I've Got The Victory!
I am glad that most superhero stories are written well, in that heroes always seem to find themselves in sticky situations. When they do something right it seems like it always backfires on them in some way, but they can never use that as an excuse to stop doing what they know is right. We as christians often find ourselves in sticky situations, where the answer to the problem we are facing is not the one we want, because it would mean having to deal with the consequences. Everyone always dreams of being a hero and saving the day, but the everyday struggles of doing what is right all the time shows up our weaknesses, and often puts us in the spotlight, when we would rather just go home and let someone else save the day.
As christians living in a world where good is being judged as a bad thing, and bad things are being celebrated as good, the pressure to conform to what the world wants to do has become tremendous, and so I know that at times I wish I could solve a few problems with a little 'super power', and actually I am happy to say that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:13)
We must learn to fight the good fight with the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, who will keep us and protects us from the issues of life. His guidance and love transcends our weaknesses, and gives us the strength to live, to grow, and to love. We learn how to fight through Jesus Christ, by being selfless and humble, by allowing His love to be expressed in everything that we do. We often want to do things our own way, but our way is often not the best way, and we need to rely on the wisdom and the power of the word of God.
We are the ones who have the power of God on our side, but we must act with wisdom, kindness, and patience. We must allow the Lord to work through us and into our situation, so that the world can see how better it is to live in Him and love with Him. That also means that doing the right thing may put us in circumstances where other people will not understand what we are doing and why we are doing it, and we could get hurt by other peoples' words and deeds. The good news is that my sweet Jesus will be there with us, helping us, providing for us, and protecting us, and the Comforter, The Holy Spirit, will heal our wounds.
Give your whole heart to Him, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and feelings, and learn how to forgive other people when they fail to love you or accept you, because if they don't have the Lord in their lives, they can only relate to you like an ordinary human being; they don't have the Lord's 'super' influence and love to tap into, to make their ordinary lives into extra ordinary ones.
Seek peace for the people in your lives, in your neighborhoods, for the world, and let the light of God shine forth from your heats, for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to seek and to save as many as will accept his offer of grace, love and salvation. He is my personal favorite superhero, and I am awed by the depth of His passion and love for me and for you. He makes the ordinary extraordinary, and there is no power on earth or in the universe that can defeat Him.
Seek His guidance first in your lives, allow Him to fight your battles, and then when everything is said and done, you can praise Him for the victory, and go home satisfied that the villian, the devil, was defeated, that the Lord saved you, and that bad situation that you found yourself in was resolved.
Thank You Jesus, I've Got The Victory!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
God or His Ark
by Solanke BurningBushBoy
The story at hand is that of Prophet Eli and his family. You will easily recall that Eli was the High Priest in Israel, whose hands the young boy, Samuel, was raised. Reading through his story, I was exposed to many lessons, but on this platform, his death and indeed, the circumstances leading to it shall be our focus.
Eli was blessed with two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, first introduced to us in 1 Sam. 1:3 as Priests of the Lord, because, of course, they served in the Temple at Shiloh with their father. Shortly afterwards, the same Bible re-introduced them, maybe more properly now in I Sam. 2:12, as sons of Belial, affirming that THEY KNEW NOT THE LORD. That's ironical!
How do you have priests of the Lord not knowing the Lord they claim to be serving? By implication, while they both served God, so to say, God could not call them His own sons. They were priests by title, but by spiritual birth, they were sons of Belial/Demon - not sons of God.
The Bible has it that before God would take His portion of the daily sacrifices in the temple; Eli's sons would have forcefully taken theirs. In one word, they rated themselves far and above God. In fact, they played God and obviously, the true God of Israel didn't like this.
Since God won't hide His feelings, He took steps to register His displeasure with their father, Eli. In turn, Eli took a step to reprimand his children, but sadly they rejected their father's correction. Seeing that nothing changed, God made another attempt. This time around, He got a man to speak to Eli of his imminent destruction; but Eli could not just stop his children from defiling the altar of the living God.
As obstinate as these priests were, God did not give up as we saw the third and final attempt to rescue Eli and his family from destruction coming through Samuel. Though a little boy, Samuel relayed God's message so clearly to Eli; it was the same warning message. You could say Eli was frustrated as he responded (exploded) - "He is GOD. Let him do whatever He thinks best." I Sam. 3:18 TM.
At this point, it was apparent Eli had given up; no longer interested in chiding his children for whatever they did. With his reply, he was giving God the go-ahead to do whatever, as in WHATEVER He wishes. You know, I was so interested to find out how well Eli was prepared to handle whatever would come from God. I got fascinated seeing a man daringly bold to face the consequence of his actions or would you say inactions. Was Eli that prepared for The WHATEVER of God? Time will tell!
So what am I driving at?
What you have read so far cannot be different from what you see, hear or read about every day. Is it? Just as in the Bible days, we still have so-called priests of God feeding sumptuously on the people of God. I stand to be corrected, but do you not know of Servants of God who are more of God than servants?
Anyway, the day of reckoning, which God so much tried to avoid, eventually came upon Eli and his family. The Philistines battled against Israel and unexpectedly, Israel, God's prince, lost the battle. When they did, I expected Israel to run back to God to find out why they were defeated just as Joshua did in Jos. 7:6-9, but instead, the elders reasoned they needed to bring God's Ark with them to the battlefield.
You want to call this a wise decision? I won't!
What help will God's Ark in your camp possibly bring to you when God is personally the enemy standing to fight you? In the case of Joshua, the little town, Ai, defeated Israel and Joshua felt it shouldn't be. He could have opted to fetch the Ark of God as he prepared for a re-fight, but instead of doing that he first approached God. He wanted to know why Israel fell and right away, God told him it was because of the sin of Achan one of the few trusted soldiers on duty.
You don't go thinking the Ark of God will save you when you haven't reconciled your differences with the God of the Ark. The Bible under your pillow or in your car with a life of complete disobedience will lead you nowhere. Days of fasting and prayer on the mountain with a life packed with disobedience to the word of God will land you nowhere.
Honestly, I think we should stop wasting our time quoting God's word over a situation when our lives stand in total variance to the Word personified.
As expected, Israel lost the re-match with the Philistines. And guess what, the Ark of God they relied so much upon for victory was captured and sadly, Eli's two sons/the Lord's priests, also died in the battle. What a tragedy!
When such happens, people go querying God. "Why should God allow this terrible incident to happen to His servant? Olorun, eleyi o da o! (God, this is not good at all)." Well, to think that God tried everything to prevent this from happening until Eli gave Him the go-ahead to do His wish is undeniably tragic!
If I may ask, which of the two sad incidents do you consider the real tragedy? Is it the captured Ark of God or the death of Eli's children? While you're thinking of an answer to give, let me surprise you by informing you that Eli would rather lose his two sons than lose the Ark of God in his care to the filthy Philistines. Surprised? Some father!
When the news of the perished soldiers, including those of his two sons got to Eli, he amazingly kept his cool. "And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God is taken." (I Sam. 4:17)
We saw him boldly receiving the news of those who died, but when he heard of the captured Ark of God, he collapsed and died in the process.
"And it came to pass when he made mention of the Ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate and his neck brake and he died"I Sam. 4:18KJV
Did you get that? Will you please read the above passage again, particularly the underlined phrase?
The moment they made mention of the Ark of God, Eli fell down and broke his neck. He, therefore, died, not for his dead children, but for the captured Ark of God. Imagine! How come Eli loved the Ark of God more than the God of the Ark?
Honestly, I wish he had collapsed earlier in repentance before God, but instead, he stood tall and spoke bold. You hardly have this kind of attitude and survive it. Eli dared God when he should have cried and begged for mercy. Even when his children did not budge, he should have made it known to God that he was indeed sorry that His name and glory were being abused by his two sons. Fairly, if he had presented himself remorseful before God, he would have been helped.
If you will humble yourself before God and agree with Him that whatever He says is sinful is without a doubt sinful, He will surely help you out of it. Where is your love tilted? Eli loved and even died for the Ark of God without understanding that you can love the Ark of God without any regard for God, while you cannot love God without regarding His Ark.
How come we 'love the Bible' (not the words therein o) more than God? A man will almost fast and pray for forgiveness should the Bible falls off his hand to the floor, but this same man remains unperturbed living a fallen lifestyle; a life constantly disagreeing with the content of the same Bible. He will buy and keep buying expensive and different translations of the Bible without regarding Christ, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
A religious person is known to greatly disobey God, while he largely honours God's house. He will bow before entering God's physical building, which we call the Church, but because he lacks the understanding that his body is the temple of God, he will stand tall against this same God in other places not so demarcated as Church.
While it may not be wrong to honour our Men of God, all is wrong when we do not know and honour the God of these men. A man will not do certain things before his pastor, but foolishly, he does these same things before the ever present, but unseen God. His pastor, he adores; his God, he abhors. Where is your love tilted? Who do you really love? Who will you die for?
Again, I wish to say that the right time for Eli to have fallen off his chair was when he heard of his sons' lifestyle and eventually, about God's looming judgment. Sadly, instead of appeasing God, he pissed God off by proudly uttering: "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him." Ah! That was rude!
Excuse me, but the truth is that you cannot change God from being more interested in your lifestyle than in your services to Him. Apostle Paul admonished Timothy, "Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it" I Tim. 4:16
Eli's act of omission and his sons' act of commission, made many to despise the offerings of God. The people loathed going to the temple the same way many are still despising the things of God because of the unfortunate lives overseeing God's affairs in His Holy Temple.
The modern day Hophni and Phinehas are continually making God's fellowship with His children offering-centered; it's all about giving money. It is, therefore, not surprising that the people are now scared of attending Church meetings, because we have made Jesus less appealing to them. To those outside, Jesus is a gold digger; a money freak and a mere founder of a religion without any integrity. Baba, dariji wa! (Father, forgive us!)
Ask me and I will honestly say that I personally believe that Eli shouldn't have died. God tried so much to save him from death, but he was too weak to handle the situation. He should have lived, but he probably spoke harshly out of frustration and he paid for it. He should have lived, if only he had that understanding that while God may appear quiet seeing the abuse in the Church, no culprit will eventually miss His day of reckoning.
Brethren, please don't die for the Ark of God when you have not learnt how to first live for the God of the Ark. Your services to God will not save you when God has a query over your lifestyle. The Ark of God may fail you, but the God of the Ark cannot. Be wise!
Burning Bush Boy (Moses Ayodeji Solanke) is a Snr Editor with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and also a Christian Writer/Blogger - www.theburningbushboy.wordpress.com. He has great passion for enhancing the Christendom with media tools. He is married with three children. Email: deesolanke@gmail.co
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
The story at hand is that of Prophet Eli and his family. You will easily recall that Eli was the High Priest in Israel, whose hands the young boy, Samuel, was raised. Reading through his story, I was exposed to many lessons, but on this platform, his death and indeed, the circumstances leading to it shall be our focus.
Eli was blessed with two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, first introduced to us in 1 Sam. 1:3 as Priests of the Lord, because, of course, they served in the Temple at Shiloh with their father. Shortly afterwards, the same Bible re-introduced them, maybe more properly now in I Sam. 2:12, as sons of Belial, affirming that THEY KNEW NOT THE LORD. That's ironical!
How do you have priests of the Lord not knowing the Lord they claim to be serving? By implication, while they both served God, so to say, God could not call them His own sons. They were priests by title, but by spiritual birth, they were sons of Belial/Demon - not sons of God.
The Bible has it that before God would take His portion of the daily sacrifices in the temple; Eli's sons would have forcefully taken theirs. In one word, they rated themselves far and above God. In fact, they played God and obviously, the true God of Israel didn't like this.
Since God won't hide His feelings, He took steps to register His displeasure with their father, Eli. In turn, Eli took a step to reprimand his children, but sadly they rejected their father's correction. Seeing that nothing changed, God made another attempt. This time around, He got a man to speak to Eli of his imminent destruction; but Eli could not just stop his children from defiling the altar of the living God.
As obstinate as these priests were, God did not give up as we saw the third and final attempt to rescue Eli and his family from destruction coming through Samuel. Though a little boy, Samuel relayed God's message so clearly to Eli; it was the same warning message. You could say Eli was frustrated as he responded (exploded) - "He is GOD. Let him do whatever He thinks best." I Sam. 3:18 TM.
At this point, it was apparent Eli had given up; no longer interested in chiding his children for whatever they did. With his reply, he was giving God the go-ahead to do whatever, as in WHATEVER He wishes. You know, I was so interested to find out how well Eli was prepared to handle whatever would come from God. I got fascinated seeing a man daringly bold to face the consequence of his actions or would you say inactions. Was Eli that prepared for The WHATEVER of God? Time will tell!
So what am I driving at?
What you have read so far cannot be different from what you see, hear or read about every day. Is it? Just as in the Bible days, we still have so-called priests of God feeding sumptuously on the people of God. I stand to be corrected, but do you not know of Servants of God who are more of God than servants?
Anyway, the day of reckoning, which God so much tried to avoid, eventually came upon Eli and his family. The Philistines battled against Israel and unexpectedly, Israel, God's prince, lost the battle. When they did, I expected Israel to run back to God to find out why they were defeated just as Joshua did in Jos. 7:6-9, but instead, the elders reasoned they needed to bring God's Ark with them to the battlefield.
You want to call this a wise decision? I won't!
What help will God's Ark in your camp possibly bring to you when God is personally the enemy standing to fight you? In the case of Joshua, the little town, Ai, defeated Israel and Joshua felt it shouldn't be. He could have opted to fetch the Ark of God as he prepared for a re-fight, but instead of doing that he first approached God. He wanted to know why Israel fell and right away, God told him it was because of the sin of Achan one of the few trusted soldiers on duty.
You don't go thinking the Ark of God will save you when you haven't reconciled your differences with the God of the Ark. The Bible under your pillow or in your car with a life of complete disobedience will lead you nowhere. Days of fasting and prayer on the mountain with a life packed with disobedience to the word of God will land you nowhere.
Honestly, I think we should stop wasting our time quoting God's word over a situation when our lives stand in total variance to the Word personified.
As expected, Israel lost the re-match with the Philistines. And guess what, the Ark of God they relied so much upon for victory was captured and sadly, Eli's two sons/the Lord's priests, also died in the battle. What a tragedy!
When such happens, people go querying God. "Why should God allow this terrible incident to happen to His servant? Olorun, eleyi o da o! (God, this is not good at all)." Well, to think that God tried everything to prevent this from happening until Eli gave Him the go-ahead to do His wish is undeniably tragic!
If I may ask, which of the two sad incidents do you consider the real tragedy? Is it the captured Ark of God or the death of Eli's children? While you're thinking of an answer to give, let me surprise you by informing you that Eli would rather lose his two sons than lose the Ark of God in his care to the filthy Philistines. Surprised? Some father!
When the news of the perished soldiers, including those of his two sons got to Eli, he amazingly kept his cool. "And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God is taken." (I Sam. 4:17)
We saw him boldly receiving the news of those who died, but when he heard of the captured Ark of God, he collapsed and died in the process.
"And it came to pass when he made mention of the Ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate and his neck brake and he died"I Sam. 4:18KJV
Did you get that? Will you please read the above passage again, particularly the underlined phrase?
The moment they made mention of the Ark of God, Eli fell down and broke his neck. He, therefore, died, not for his dead children, but for the captured Ark of God. Imagine! How come Eli loved the Ark of God more than the God of the Ark?
Honestly, I wish he had collapsed earlier in repentance before God, but instead, he stood tall and spoke bold. You hardly have this kind of attitude and survive it. Eli dared God when he should have cried and begged for mercy. Even when his children did not budge, he should have made it known to God that he was indeed sorry that His name and glory were being abused by his two sons. Fairly, if he had presented himself remorseful before God, he would have been helped.
If you will humble yourself before God and agree with Him that whatever He says is sinful is without a doubt sinful, He will surely help you out of it. Where is your love tilted? Eli loved and even died for the Ark of God without understanding that you can love the Ark of God without any regard for God, while you cannot love God without regarding His Ark.
How come we 'love the Bible' (not the words therein o) more than God? A man will almost fast and pray for forgiveness should the Bible falls off his hand to the floor, but this same man remains unperturbed living a fallen lifestyle; a life constantly disagreeing with the content of the same Bible. He will buy and keep buying expensive and different translations of the Bible without regarding Christ, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
A religious person is known to greatly disobey God, while he largely honours God's house. He will bow before entering God's physical building, which we call the Church, but because he lacks the understanding that his body is the temple of God, he will stand tall against this same God in other places not so demarcated as Church.
While it may not be wrong to honour our Men of God, all is wrong when we do not know and honour the God of these men. A man will not do certain things before his pastor, but foolishly, he does these same things before the ever present, but unseen God. His pastor, he adores; his God, he abhors. Where is your love tilted? Who do you really love? Who will you die for?
Again, I wish to say that the right time for Eli to have fallen off his chair was when he heard of his sons' lifestyle and eventually, about God's looming judgment. Sadly, instead of appeasing God, he pissed God off by proudly uttering: "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him." Ah! That was rude!
Excuse me, but the truth is that you cannot change God from being more interested in your lifestyle than in your services to Him. Apostle Paul admonished Timothy, "Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it" I Tim. 4:16
Eli's act of omission and his sons' act of commission, made many to despise the offerings of God. The people loathed going to the temple the same way many are still despising the things of God because of the unfortunate lives overseeing God's affairs in His Holy Temple.
The modern day Hophni and Phinehas are continually making God's fellowship with His children offering-centered; it's all about giving money. It is, therefore, not surprising that the people are now scared of attending Church meetings, because we have made Jesus less appealing to them. To those outside, Jesus is a gold digger; a money freak and a mere founder of a religion without any integrity. Baba, dariji wa! (Father, forgive us!)
Ask me and I will honestly say that I personally believe that Eli shouldn't have died. God tried so much to save him from death, but he was too weak to handle the situation. He should have lived, but he probably spoke harshly out of frustration and he paid for it. He should have lived, if only he had that understanding that while God may appear quiet seeing the abuse in the Church, no culprit will eventually miss His day of reckoning.
Brethren, please don't die for the Ark of God when you have not learnt how to first live for the God of the Ark. Your services to God will not save you when God has a query over your lifestyle. The Ark of God may fail you, but the God of the Ark cannot. Be wise!
Burning Bush Boy (Moses Ayodeji Solanke) is a Snr Editor with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and also a Christian Writer/Blogger - www.theburningbushboy.wordpress.com. He has great passion for enhancing the Christendom with media tools. He is married with three children. Email: deesolanke@gmail.co
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
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