Seeing Christ

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If you're a true believer in Jesus Christ, and thus saved, you are born from above. It says "born again"
in many versions of the Bible, but the most accurate way of saying it is really born from above. You could say "born again from above," as a way of understanding and describing what has happened.

Once we are born of the Spirit of God, an immediate change begins to happen; not only of being forgiven of sins and a huge weight being lifted off of us, but of the Holy Spirit beginning to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ within us, as Paul mentions happening to him. "It pleased God ... to reveal his Son in me" (Gal 1:16).

The ultimate end of God for the Saints is that we are conformed to His image. But to be conformed, we must first have an inner revelation of Him; one that goes beyond mere intellectual understanding.

Jesus Christ is the great object of the focus of the Holy Spirit, as He takes the things of Christ and reveals them to us. This doesn't mean that there will be revelation of Christ outside of what the scriptures reveal, but it means there will be an understanding of what they actually mean in regard to Christ.

While it is good to receive insight and instruction from our brothers and sisters, there must be a place for each individual Christian to have this inner fellowship and revelation of Jesus Christ, otherwise all we deal with are external things, which have undermined Christianity since almost the beginning.

What is the first thing we will begin to understand once we start this walk with the Lord? It is that Jesus in His person is completely and totally different than we are. We won't and don't see this right away, but there is this almost immediate battle that begins as we start to see Christ, which is the Holy Spirit starting to show us how much we fall short of who He is.

Seeing Christ isn't primarily about getting a bunch of head knowledge about Him, it's seeing who He is in light of who we are, and understanding the Holy Spirit is revealing that in order to transform us to be more like He is.

This isn't making the old man better, it's working from the fact that we have died in Christ, and only the life of Christ living within us is to be manifested. This is done a little at a time and not as once, otherwise it would overwhelm us. That's the reason we must be quiet and patient, not getting in a hurry to be conformed to His image, otherwise we get a lot of artificial and outward results, which could deceive us, while losing out on the far more important inner changes, which will then be followed by the outward change.

We need to ask Christ to reveal Himself in us so we can little by little be made to be more like Him. This is what the Christian walk in its entirety is, only it grows to new levels as we see Him clearer and clearer within by the Holy Spirit.

Don't be discouraged when you see yourself in the light of Christ, as the purpose isn't to beat you down, but to call out to the Lord to continue to help and change you to be like Him.

Christians and Daily Interaction

One of the more vital elements of Christ and His people that we need a revelation of is what it means for Christians to interact with one another. I don't mean in some general, surfacy communication, but sharing life together on a daily basis.

This is what has been the underlying impetus behind those who are calling for a change in the practices of Christianity, while maintaining the sound doctrines associated with it.

Many have become heretical in their understanding and communication, as they don't have a revelation of changing the practices of Christianity while maintaining the truths about Christ.

Even so, that doesn't mean we should abandon the pursuit of body life outside the institutional church system, as there is still a driving force that comes from the Holy Spirit that pushes us toward being "one to another," as the Holy Scriptures mention many times.

The key thing is we must first see the value of sharing life together outside of the walls of a building. It's not like some people think, where it is assumed it removes any type of responsibility and accountability for and to one another. Rather it is more demanding in practical outworking, as our Christian faith is challenged to become a reality amongst believers.

Anyone can go to a building and hide or get lost among people they no little about or fellowship with seldom, if ever. But to share the life of Christ together consistently is much harder, but also provides the environment where God can do what He wants with His people - both individually and corporately.

If there is no interaction between believers, how do we watch over one another, how do we build up one another, how do we practically love one another, taking it past very limited and potentially deceptive sentimentality, and bringing it into a love that is giving of Christ to one another.

This is a major problem today with those that have seen a glimpse of what Christ is after, but get bogged down in feelings and emotions, rather than the type of love that can cost everything. That's why there is so much heresy among those that have left the institutional church. They build their lives and doctrine around a sentimental acceptance which has nothing to do with the love of Christ, but everything to do with creating God in their own image. Much of the so-called emergent church is built on that shifting foundation, which will eventually crumble, as it isn't a foundation at all, but a humanistic, liberal, progressive infiltration of what God desires.

That is of course the methodology of the god of this world, who always offers an alternative to what it is God is trying to do in order to stop it or confuse those wanting to enter into something deeper in Christ.

God isn't after new, hip doctrine in order to create a new "Christianity," He is after what He has always been after: a people that embrace and show forth who Jesus Christ is to many in the world that long to see and know Him. It is of course also to show invisible powers who Jesus Christ is as well.

The point is in order to participate in the people of God in the way the Scriptures reveal, there must be a sharing of Christ through consistent, daily interaction. It is there we must seek wisdom from God on the best and most efficient way to work that out.

Will Hollywood Corrupt "Biblical" Stories?

Hollywood is of course primarily interested in making money, so when it looks to Christian
audiences as a source of income, they tend to go to the Bible for source material.

That creates a potential problem, as the upcoming story of Noah reveals, as after a couple of screenings - one to Christians in Arizona, and another to Jews in New York - it was found it to be a use of Biblical material to portray the flood as the result of climate change. I'm not kidding you. That is the reported theme of the ark and flood story from test screenings.

Instead of sin and rebellion against God, it is the "disrespect" of the environment that caused God to flood the earth.  

The director of the film, Darren Aronofsky, even identified Noah as the "first environmentalist."

If Hollywood attempts to go the route of lying about what the Bible actually says, and layers its liberal lies onto the narrative, Christians must and will totally oppose the film, and not only stay away in droves, but blast the fictional Hollywood account of the story as an outrage against them.

It would be better for Hollywood to not make these films than to make them and be perceived as a slap in the face to believers in Jesus Christ.

Christians aren't beggars that are just thankful to get the notice of Hollywood. If it wants to make movies based upon the Bible, than it needs to remain true to the Scriptures, not recreate them in their own image.

This is the usual strategy of Satan, to use the scriptures in a perverted way to confuse the ignorant and unlearned. We need to be vigilant and respond accordingly if they attempt to use the Bible to distort God and confuse weaker believers.

If the early responses to the Noah film are accurate, Hollywood is already making a huge mistake; hopefully one it will pay for through huge losses.

It even makes me wonder if it is purposefully done in order to keep the demand for Christian films under wraps in order to keep good stories from being told. That would be done by making a film Hollywood knows would be negative to Christians, giving it the appearance they aren't a legitimate market to cater to.

Cracker Barrel Does the Right Thing

Hollywood, GLAAD, and businesses continue to underestimate the pent-up anger of Christians in America over the decades-old attack on Jesus Christ the Lord and our faith in Him.

That came to a head when family patriarch Phil Robertson of the Duck Dynasty clan was brutally attacked for correctly reiterating what the Bible teaches about homosexuality: that it is sin.

When the inevitable brutal attack began against Robertson, outrage from believers poured into those who had pushed them far enough. It appears this may be a turning point that could turn things around for American Christians.

To that end, Cracker Barrel, a restaurant chain in the United States, was bombarded with protests and threats that people would no longer go to there to eat their meals if products representing the franchise weren't put back on the shelves for sale. Cracker Barrel, thinking it has the public on its side, has quickly backtracked after the outcry against the company soared.

Businesses need to understand the tiny 2% of homosexuals in America don't represent the majority in any way, and even though media give the appearance they are powerful, it is more of an illusion than anything based in reality. This is the importance of what is happening, and why I say it could be the beginning of a turnaround in the acceptance of attacks on Christian believers in America.

It won't happen immediately and quickly, but I think we'll start to see more boldness from Christians in telling Hollywood and businesses they won't be telling us what we believe and how we can express it.

Here's what Cracker Barrel said in a statement:

"Dear Cracker Barrel Customer:

When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that's just what we've done.

You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren't shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings. You flat out told us we were wrong.

We listened.

Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores.

And, we apologize for offending you.

We respect all individuals right to express their beliefs. We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different.

We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family."

Now that Cracker Barrel repented from its actions, Christians should support the company, as they've done the right thing. Of course the long-term support should be determined by the restaurant continuing to do the right thing.

Let this be a terrific example of Christians sticking together and telling this culture what it is Jesus Christ expects, and not being afraid to express it.

What A&E, GLAAD Missed with Phil Robertson and Duck Dynasty

There has been something brewing underneath the surface of the culture in America for several decades, as opposition to anything related to Christ has ramped up, with some of it like abortion have dire consequences.

With the debacle at A&E concerning its Duck Dynasty show and Robertson family patriarch Phil, that pent-up frustration has flowed out onto the social media street, with an amazing amount of backbone that had been believed to be gone from believers in Jesus Christ in the United States.

What A&E and the vicious activist group GLAAD didn't know, was it wasn't gone at all, as Christians are called upon to suffer for His name's sake. Rather, what was happening underneath the surface was a dormant but powerful force waiting for the right time to be unleashed. That time has now come, and it is sweeping not only across the country, but across the world. I don't think things in America will ever be the same again.

Brutish GLAAD even acknowledged it's never had this type of negative response to its outrageous attacks on those calling homosexuality sin.

As bad as this overall was that A&E had videos of the Robertson's with the usual bleeps included to suggest the family members were cussing all the time. What the bleeps were in reality were references to Jesus Christ. Because of those actions alone, A&E deserves what it's getting.

Willie & Phil Robertson talk about fake bleeps and praying in Jesus' name

The Robertson's were a wealthy family before they appeared on Duck Dynasty, and so the network had no pull to make them line up how they wanted them to.

Finally, the channel attempted to stop Phil from praying in the name of Jesus, which the family fought back on, and won, as the show had become the most popular reality TV show in history.

What really happened here is the Robertson family had millions of Christians who identified with them as being one of them. When the attack from GLAAD and A&E commenced, it became personal like an attack on a family member would be personal. GLAAD and A&E never had a chance.

These people actually believed their bullying tactics, which were usually against vulnerable people who didn't know how to fight back, had effectively cowered the Christian population in America. They were as wrong as they could be, and they will pay for that misjudgement in the years ahead. It's about time they did.

I truly believe this is the beginning of something far beyond Duck Dynasty and Phil Robertson. Christians are seeing that when they ban together, it is their enemies that are put on the defensive. It took this event to cause them to see this. It's doubtful they'll ever take the evil attacks of GLAAD and Hollywood like they have in the past. They will start to weaken as the righteousness of Christ grows in His people.

Did Obama Just Override the Supreme Court on Individual Mandate?

Obamacare is in shambles, as is the presidency of Obama, as after a protracted battle over the individual mandate, which went to the Supreme Court of the United States, and was reaffirmed as legal and necessary to the success of the law by the Court, Obama with a brazen act, simply wiped out the mandate he fought for for millions of Americans.

It just keeps getting more bizarre as the attempt to force health care on all Americans continues to fail.

Obama has made so many changes to the suggestion law, that it's even more confusing than it was before, as he continues to gut it on his own. Democrats who will oppose Republicans in 2014 are scrambling behind the scenes as they start to understand they will be voted out of office over the Obamacare debacle, which has been lied about by the President himself over promising no one would have to drop their existing plan if they didn't want to.

So many groups and people have been given exemptions from the individual mandate, I don't even know who has to line up with it at this time. I don't think the White House does either.

What is happening is if Obamacare rendered your existing health plan illegal, you now will be able to fore go the individual mandate without the government making you pay a fine as a result of taking that action. As I said, it keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Want a good laugh? Here's how a rushed release of the new ruling was written by the HHS and supported by the Senate Democrats. It says that those who "experienced financial or domestic circumstances, including an unexpected natural or human-caused event, such that he or she had a significant, unexpected increase in essential expenses that prevented him or her from obtaining coverage under a qualified health plan," can get an exemption from the individual mandate.

What's so hilarious about this? The ruling essentially admits and asserts that Obamacare is just such a human-caused event! In other words, the other lie about health care expenses not rising because of Obamacare was brought to light. The very action of HHS confirms Obamacare in fact did raise rates to the point they struggle to find an affordable replacement. Many can't find it, which is where much of the outrage comes from. People couldn't afford to pay for the expensive premium required to receive Obamacare. Obamacare was the cause for losing and not being able to afford insurance.

The purpose of exemptions was to help the poor who were in dire need of help; not to force people off of affordable insurance plans into plans they couldn't afford.

Even with the exemptions health care costs will still be more expensive than former insurance plans, and this "catastrophic" coverage won't include some of the mandates originally included in the individual mandate. Under the original plan Democrats even fought making this concession. Being on the verge of being voted out of office, they suddenly got concession religion.

This is going to continue to get worse, as Americans start to realize some people are getting exemptions at the expense of others. Who's going to pay for all of this in light of this?

Before it was thought younger people would pay for it, but if they get significant exemptions, how will health care for the sicker, elderly be paid for?

If you don't see this as an act of desperation by the White House and Obama, you don't understand the severity of this action by HHS and the president. There is no doubt Obamacare could end up being shut down after all. This is the only explanation for why there is such as drastic change in direction; one which literally opposes what the White House fought for before the Supreme Court. A growing number of people are getting angry, and it's a bi-partisan anger that will punish the Democrats in the next election, as it should.

Republicans wisely voted against the disaster as a block. They'll rightly remind the public of that fact going forward.

The ongoing risk is Obamacare will be changed at a whim by Obama based upon political winds brought to his attention by his own party. There is no doubt we could see an extraordinary even in the elections of the near future, and it appears there is absolutely nothing that the Democrats can do about it.

Amazingly Obama is step-by-step doing to his own health care plan what the Republicans were trying to do by changing the law.

Unfortunately for most Americans, we'll have to pay the price for Obamacare until we demand it be totally abandoned. That won't happen until the majority start to feel the pain of much higher prices. From the way things are going, that shouldn't take too long. Prepare for some financial pain. It's coming.

GLAAD Attack Dogs on Defensive: Way Past Time

The abusive and anti-Christian self-appointed defenders of sinful lifestyles opposed by Jesus Christ - the GLAAD organization - is now under pressure as people from all over blast the intolerant group for attacking Phil Robertson because of His godly opposition to the homosexual lifestyle, rightly identifying it as sin.

There is a growing backlash against the verbally violent organization, as Christians, and many others, are tired of the brutish, outrageous attacks it employs as a means of suffocating and destroying the views and lives of those that oppose the wickedness they represent.

Even the organization itself admits it has never experienced the type of outrage from people tired of the destructive antics of the group.

It is finally realizing it is in a real culture war, but a culture that is based upon the person of Jesus Christ, who created the human race male and female, and only allows that to be the standard of sexuality; as long as it is within the confines of marriage. There in fact can't be such a thing as gay marriage, because the sin of homosexuality is forbidden by Jesus Christ in the first place.

To show the arrogance, presumption, and cluelessness of GLAAD and A&E, vice GLAAD president of communications Rich Ferraro said he talked with representatives of A&E in an alleged attempt to figure out why so many people despised the attacks on Robinson.

I'll let you know GLAAD. It's because we are one with him, and an attack on him is an attack on us. It's also the unfolding realization that there has never been a good-faith attempt by Christ-haters to truly respect people that believe in and obey Jesus Christ.

We are increasingly understanding that this is nothing less than a war to eradicate those who truly follow Jesus, and who won't back down to others in regard to His commands to us. This is what you're experience GLAAD, and it's only the beginning. It will get much worse for you, and you'll start tasting of the first fruits of defeat that all enemies of Christ will have to endure.

Fellow Christians, don't back down, don't waver, don't cave in, and don't believe them. This is a war that has been going on since Satan tried to become like the Most High God; the only God. It's a way that has been already one by Christ, but which we must engage in to mop up our defeated enemies.

Don't listen to the smooth attempts to assuage your righteous anger. It's past time to keep them on the defensive, to call for them to repent from their sinful ways and turn to Jesus Christ, who is more than willing to forgive them for their sins.
It's great that this is happening. For too long Christians and others have believed this is all about a counterfeit "tolerance" that all of us should engage in when communicating. Just look at the vicious attacks groups like GLAAD partake in to quickly get that lie out of your head. They have no interest in anything but forcing this lifestyle upon people, and to have all to agree that there is nothing wrong with it.

Think on it though. Homosexuals are the only people in existence that self-identify with the sin they are committing. After all, who says I was born a murderer and thus belongs to some type of interconnected murderers group? This is exactly what homosexuals have done and do.

They want us to believe they're victims of simply being born the way they are. That's of course a lie. Everyone has a choice, and those immersing themselves in the lifestyle, are attempting to force the rest of us into accepting it.

The fact that Phil Robertson wouldn't toe the homosexual line, and the wicked and evil attack on him was exposed in the public eye, confirms this is nothing but a bunch of people attempting to destroy anyone that gets in their way.

How they brutally and viciously attacked Phil Robertson, a lover of Jesus Christ, openly shows the real agenda and attitude of GLAAD and their ilk.

Christians and others watching this unfold understand that now, and GLAAD will no longer get a free ride, and neither will those homosexuals and other deviants not willing to repent of their sin.

If A&E doesn't turn away from its decision to remove Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty, we should totally abandon it as a TV channel, and continue to pressure advertisers until they refuse to advertise on it.

Also know, that The Walt Disney Company owns half of the A+E, the holding company of A&E. Let them all know what you think of this attack on the followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' Creative Destruction

There is what some would call the downside to the working of the cross of Christ in a person, but if you can understand the revelation and outworking of the cross in your life, it would be embraced enthusiastically, albeit at times painfully, by all true believers in Christ.

So you understand what I mean when talking of the cross, I refer to the principle of the cross being destructive to the natural man, the old man, or what some may refer to as the "flesh" in the Holy Scriptures.

The point of that being wrought in a believer is that the old man is weakened and broken, so the life of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, can be worked into a believer. What eventually should emerge over time is the conforming to the image of Christ in a believer.

Since there is so much lingering of the old man in our flesh, Jesus must employ the tool of creative destruction - the cross - so He can manifest Himself in and through us.

Look at the first scriptures in the Bible to see how this works. Jesus working with basically a blank slate, starts to create the heavens and the earth. Because He has that clean canvas, He is able to do all sorts of interesting things to outwardly reflect eternal and invisible values.

This is what the purpose of the in working of the Cross is, to provide a canvas for Christ to paint His person on. For those willing to endure the working of the Cross, ultimately it will result in Jesus Christ Himself revealing who He is in you.

We don't have to comprehend or understand the process as we're going through it, but like Job, should have the attitude of "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Believe me, many times you'll choke on those words if you really mean business with God; as He's more than willing to accept your invitation to creatively and practically work out the destruction associated with the purpose of the cross.

Understand that you won't know till much later, if at all, what it means, but in an unseen way, God will get what He wants in us. And in the end, that is the bottom line of the purpose for our existence.

This is what the new creation is all about: the death and destruction of the old in order to make room for the new. It happens in Christ, but is worked out practically in our lives. We must embrace the creative destruction of Christ in order to let Him perfect His work in us.

And the earth was without form, and void

In this second verse of the Holy Scriptures, there has been a lot of speculation that has led to odd conclusions about what it represented in the words, which I believe has resulted in a wrong understanding and emphasis.

I'm referring to the assumption that God couldn't create something that was without form and void, so something had to have happened to it as a result. From there a number of scenarios have been created out of thin air, such as Satan destroyed the original creation, or there being a preAdamic mankind before this creation.

In other words, there are those that assert this wasn't really a creation, but a restoration. That is an incorrect conclusion, based upon the fact the Scriptures teach us in 1 Corinthians 15:45 that "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." There is no way to get around the 'first man Adam' phrase. It can't be confused or misinterpreted. Either Adam was the first man or mankind, and Jesus Christ the last Adam, or they weren't (Adam refers primarily to mankind).

The Adam of Genesis was representative of all mankind because he was the first man. Jesus Christ as the last Adam or mankind, is representative and first-born of a new mankind that will have no other after it. There can be no improvement upon Christ as the representative of the last mankind, thus his designation as being the last Adam.

Why this is important is it can distort the ways of God and miss some of the benefit of what He's revealing to us. For example, the idea that the earth was without form and void doesn't have to be taken as a negative because God wasn't through yet.

Even when we become born again and are considered perfect in Christ in the eyes of God the Father, that doesn't mean we aren't practically without form and void as measured by the person of Christ. For the rest of our lives God will work on conforming us practically to the actual person of Christ; we will eventually be like Him in His perfect manhood (not deity).

So when we look at the work of God, it isn't hard it all to understand God wasn't finished with His creation work yet, and that applies practically in our own lives in knowing when we are starting something, in the beginning there will be the reality of it being without form and void.

Once the invisible, eternal things were made into physical things, time was introduced with them, and from that point on things were done in an orderly fashion as we understand sequence, and that's why we see one day after another where God adds something to His creation.

A specific example would be when a baby comes into this world. Anyone having children will know what am empty slate an infant is, and other than its physical body, has little inside that is 'formed' yet. It takes a lifetime to grow up and be filled with different qualities.

We could apply this to any area of life we engage in. What marriage isn't somewhat chaotic in the beginning? A man and woman are just starting off (even if they've known one another for some time), and begin this new creative venture together from the beginning. That's simply the way of life.

You could add starting a business, education, becoming a Christian, or any other number of things that have a beginning.

One of the major lessons to learn is that we have to take things one step at a time in this world. Each practical step leads to another, and without each step being incorporated into who we are, we will always have this weak leg that can collapse at any time, like a table with a leg that wears out and topples over to one side.

This is one of the things that we miss when making the mistake of assuming God didn't create the earth in a formless, void less state. He was simply taking one step of time in the process, and was ready to take the next step because He couldn't ever start something and leave that way.

On the other side, many people have pursued these theories about many parts of creation, based upon believing God's had an original creation that had been destroyed, but was now bringing back to the state He wanted it to be.

People with agendas have at times reinforced this because they don't want to face the fact or creation, and would rather promote evolution as the means the world and everything else came into being. Even people naming the Lord have fallen into this lie.

Some people do this out of hatred for Christ and His people, and others do it to make a name for themselves because they won't be accepted and considered serious in their academic circles.

Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson and Family Talk Beginnings, Faith and Struggles

Here's an interesting video of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, as he shares his testimony, along with family members Kay, Jep and Reed.

They go back to their early beginnings and how they battled and struggled to keep their family together by maintaining their faith in Jesus Christ.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

For many reasons and from many enemies and deceived people, the fact that Jesus Christ created the heaven and the earth has been brought into question in the minds of those who believe in Jesus Christ, or at least claim to.

If you're uncertain, you have to go nowhere other than to the first 10 words of the Bible (King James Version) to rid yourself of all doubt concerning the reality of God creating all things.

As the title of this post says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It's as clear as that. There is nothing that can be added or taken away from it. God created it.

Here's how Colossians 1:16, 17 says it:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Again, there is no ambiguity as to the fact that Jesus Christ created everything. The "all" in verse 16 confirms again there is nothing that was made that didn't come forth from the person of Jesus Christ.

In John 1 we have these words affirmed again. Here is how John declares and reveals it:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Here we have same revelation that "all" things were made by Him, and reiterates the fact that there was absolutely nothing made. 

The reason people attempt to distort Christ as creator is it is an attempt to convince themselves and others there is no final judgement. If there is no creator, there is no one that will hold any of us accountable for our sins.

Paul dealt with this in the first chapter or Romans, saying this:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

What the Holy Spirit reveals through Paul is that these people that assert these lie really know the world has been created by God, but the creation itself is a testimony against them.

It's the magnificence and awesomeness of creation that declares God, and those who say differently are considered to be without excuse because the invisible things of God are clearly revealed and seen in the creation.

Don't believe anyone that lies about evolution or the latest flavor of anti-creation assertions. The physical creation demands people acknowledge it came from the invisible and eternal God, and by extension to put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Everything that is (outside of evil and sin) were created by Jesus Christ. To deny that is to deny our creator. To deny our creator is to invite the wrath of God that comes on those who as an excuse live in ungodliness and unrighteous; not accepting the righteousness of Jesus Christ offered through His death and resurrection.

 

Christ Before Creation

source: wikipeida

Many Christians aren't aware that the Bible reveals some of what Christ and the Godhead were doing and thinking before the act of creation. I'm not going to get into the specifics of that because I want to focus primarily on the importance of thinking in terms of pre-creation and God, rather than what was actually going on in eternity.

Why it's imperative to think in terms of there being a period when there was nothing but God, is it points to something that was happening that brought out the physical creation; something was motivating it. Something stirred or was birthed in the Godhead which demanded that it be expressed in a physical manner. Even the previously non-existing physical creation is part of what was being envisioned by God.

What's important is the fact God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) were interacting in a way that produced what we see all around us. A world (albeit a tainted one now), that expressed through its physical presence the grandeur and character of God Himself.

This means intelligence, passion, motive, purpose and love were in existence in God before anything we recognize, and of course the human race, was created. In other words, there are invisible things that are eternal, that are expressed in physical form, although the eternal remains separate from the seen, as the seen or created can never be eternal, as it has a beginning. That which has a beginning is not eternal.

The implication is we exist because God had something in His heart and mind before creation, and what He had was based upon His very character and the meaning of His character, i.e.,  who He was.

Christ just didn't conjure up some unrelated theoretical world and than speak it into existence. No! What He did was knowingly take who He and the Godhead were and spoke creation into existence based upon that. For that reason we can see elements of God in the physical creation, as well as His very image in man. Again, keep in mind, other than the man Jesus Christ, all of this is under a curse and tainted; so outside of Christ we don't see a clear picture of the image of God, but one that expresses bits and pieces of Him imperfectly.

When extending this to the church of God, it brings out the purpose of her existence, which is to be a representation and revelation of who Jesus Christ is. This is the new creation; one that is birthed from God rather than spoken into existence outside of Him. Only that which is born of God is of God.

So when reading the creation account in Genesis and when creation is mentioned in other parts of the Bible, keep in mind that there is a tremendous purpose behind it all that was hidden in creation, but is now being revealed in Jesus Christ. This makes those who are truly born from above participants in this extraordinary purpose.



Why Church Practices Must Change

In this article I want to look at the church as it is today, contrasting it to a legacy system. When talking about a legacy system, I'm referring to what most people consider with computers or technology, where an old system is maintained and/or kept in service beyond its usefulness. That is what has happened in regard to the majority of the way we practice church and Christianity today.

Jesus mentioned this to the Jews He ministered to while He was on the earth, saying new wine required new wineskins. While this referred to the outward types and shadows associated with the Old Testament, it also refers to the same during the New Testament times, where we've largely gravitated towards an outward and ineffective practice of Christianity because we've focused on outward rituals and forms which have little, if any use today.

Before we get into that, let me say from the beginning that I'm not talking about the foundational truths of Christianity which many have abandoned.

Many adherents of the so-called "Emergent church" have done that to the degree that they embrace outright heretics and sin which are clearly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures.

So while there is always a move of Satan to counterfeit the real, we can't retreat to past practices even though there are those that abuse the insights Christ is giving us. There will always be the ignorant and unlearned among us who distort the scriptures. We don't stop reading and believing in the scriptures because of that. In other words, even though the wine never changes, meaning the life of Christ Himself, the wineskins are always changing and adapting as new life is revealed and
made to be understood in the Scriptures. We may see it within, but it will never conflict with what the Scriptures reveal concerning Christ and His people. Never!

Some of the reasons most believers retain the practices of modern Christianity, even though it can't be found in the scriptures, is it's all they have ever known, and it is assumed by most that this is simply the way it should be done. Very few know the history of current church and Christian practices, so simply go along as if this is how it was from the beginning. The majority are unaware that there are alternatives, and that many throughout church history have taken steps to explore them.

Another reason for not wanting or looking to change is the embeddedness of the existing church system in the fabric of society, which makes it very difficult to change it, as it can appear it is an attack upon Christianity, when in fact its an attempt to release the followers of Jesus Christ into a deeper walk; one that isn't hindered by outward forms, which can deceive people into believing they're following Christ just because they participate in some meetings at a building wrongly identified as a church.

The idea of relying upon outward systems is a substitute for Christ and an inward walk with Him. It also gets in the way of walking together in Christ daily with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament refers to Christ shaking all things so that which can't be shaken remains, it is a reference to those who continue to rely on things that are institutional and outward, rather than eternal and based upon Jesus Christ.

Even though it was an obvious nod towards the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem and the old wineskin of Judaism, the principle remains in place, which is Christ is done with types and shadows and institutionalism, and now is forming the reality of Himself in people through real, daily fellowship with Himself and one another.

Other than the fact many Christians are unaware of the various believers outside the institutional Church who are living in a daily walk together, the other major reason for remaining in the institutional church is the time and energy it'll take to make the shift out of it.

Let's make it clear. There is no reforming of the existing church system. The outward practices have become a weight on believers seeking Christ rather than helping them. It's a weight because it gets in the way of the God-given passion to share life in Christ together on a daily basis.

Since it is almost impossible to see the alternative while participating in the existing structures of Christianity, it is imperative that we share and communicate the realities of what Christ is desires and is doing outside the walls of the buildings and services featuring a main speaker and a few gifted musicians. After all, if this really worked, we wouldn't see Christianity in the state it is today, and even the call and prayer for revival is a worthless and meaningless one if all that is desired is for people to fill up these buildings and continue on as before.

That's not to say just because people leave church buildings and weekly services they are more spiritual if they meet in homes, because many times all that happens is people move from a building to a home and continue things on as they were before.

This is a radical, surgical cut that needs to excise the existing mentality of institutional Christianity into one that brings us into a daily walk with Christ and one another.

Only those willing to embrace the cross and die to themselves can successfully navigate these waters, as it is more demanding, but also more rewarding, than the type of Christianity practiced by most today.

We must allow God to do whatever He wants with us. We must continue to hold onto the foundations of the faith that have been handed down to us in the Holy Scriptures, while at the same time living them out daily, while also looking for more insight and light concerning who Christ really is.

Just because the practices of Christianity have been around for centuries doesn't mean that's how they started, or that it's how God wants things to continue.

All we can do is ask Him to open our hearts to see Him and what He wants, and seek for those who have a similar passion to see Christ and His people released from the confines of outward religion to a real and living fellowship together.

Christians at Comic-Con

Zondervan and The Christian Comic Arts Society are setting up a floor booth at Comic-Con International in San Diego, as well as have a panel and a fellowship mixer. The purpose is to bring the message of Christ to pop-culture fans.

There will be an opportunity to engage people one-on-one and stage events.

"We really look at the conference as an outreach," said CCAS board member Scott Shuford. "We know that most of the people that attend Comic-Con are not churchgoers. There's a big chunk of that population that has had a negative experience with the church. There's another part of the [Comic-Con] population that has had no experience with the church, and there's a smaller part of that population that attends church, but didn't know there were any Christian-related things in the comic world."

Also to be presented by CCAS and Zondervan will be a graphic novel of The Book of Revelation, which is No. 1 in Religious Arts and Photography on the Amazon Best Sellers list.

Another graphic novel will be presented named "Last Adam: Firstborn," which is the first in the series. It deals with the birth of Jesus and the saga surrounding the event.

Quotes from C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Quotes



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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

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God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

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Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

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We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.

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Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.

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To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

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A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest

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If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.

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Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

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We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.

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Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning...

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Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

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Crying is all right in its own way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.

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I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.

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I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”

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You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.

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Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.

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We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.

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I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!

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Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.

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Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.

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As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on thing and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.

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Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.

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Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.

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It was when I was happiest that I longed most...The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all the beauty came from.

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You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.

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In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that-and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison-you do not know God at all.

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Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.

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‘Evolution vs. God’ Stirs Up Atheist Weenies

Taking aim at the crumbling foundations of evolution, which are built on shifting sand, Ray Comfort's new film called ‘Evolution vs. God,' has been an immediate hit, as people stormed his website in order to download the new movie.

The film takes a unique approach to the debate in that it doesn't have any of the usual teaching or dismantling of evolution by believers, but rather performs a serious of interviews with professed believers in evolution.

According to Comfort, the film confirms none of the evolution experts could provide a shred of evidence that evolution is anything but a theory.

The pathetic and cowardly PZ Myers said that Comfort was a “liar” and “a dishonest fool.” About the movie he identified it as a "monstrosity."

Myers has been evading debat on creation versus evolution for years. Just one rather obscure man - Vox Day - has challenged Myers over and over again to a debate, and Myers continues to run from him. That's why I called him a coward ... and he is all of that and more.

What evolutionists do when they're willing to debate is choose a gentlemanly type, who believes by being nice and cordial he is helping to make his case. In truth what happens is the evolutionists rips him up one side and down the other. He doesn't do it with convincing arguments, but by attitude and attack which isn't countered in a meaningful way because the debater is trying to be so nice. Christians need to learn the stakes and do battle with nothing but an aggressive and total victory in mind. You're not debating with people who are civilized in any way.

The usual and silly American Atheists attempt to redefine evolution in order to discredit Comfort's film. They call for the definition of evolution to come from an "expert." What is an expert in evolution? Who knows. Since it's a false theory, presumably it's someone good at telling fairy tales.

Here's a few questions to ask a Darwinist friend or enemy:

There are an estimated 1,263,186 animal species and 326,175 plant species in the world. Assuming the age of the Earth is 4.54 billion years, what is the average rate of speciation?

How many mutations, on average, are required per speciation?

What scientifically significant predictive model relies primarily upon evolution by natural selection?
By the way, if an answer is given here, it's an outright fabrication, as there are no predictive models based primarily on evolution by natural selection. Furthermore, 150 years after Darwin's fictional work, TENS (if you know what it means) is as useless as ever, other than doing nothing but attempting to prove itself.

Which of the various human sub-species is the most evolved; i.e. modified by mutation and natural selection from the most recent common human ancestor? Which is the least evolved?

Here's a look at the trailer for Evolution vs. God

Thousands Commit to Sexual Purity in Venezuela

At a youth festival in Venezuela where 45,000 people attended, thousands committed to sexual purity until marriage. There was even a moment where the crowd shouted "yes to sexual purity," over and over again. We need this around the world.

"If each and everyone one of you gives your life to Christ, not only will you all revolutionize Venezuela, but Colombia and the entire world," said Evangelist Luis Palau. "Tonight, the Lord tells you, you have more than hope, you have the security that the power of God will be upon your life."

The amazing event was based upon a vision by festival organizer Gabriel Blanco, who wants to see a transformation among the youth of Venezuela to live out lives based upon the principles of the Holy Scriptures.

In response to the current economic crisis afflicting Venezuela, Palau added, "Search the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Christians Violently Attacked at "Gay Pride" Event

Screeching women supporters at a so-called gay pride event, as well as physically violent males, attacked street preachers in Seattle, as you can see in the video below.




Both women and men were spewing threats and profanities before the attack on the protesters, one of whom was holding a sign calling for repentance and saying "Jesus Saves from Sin."

This was too much for these wicked people, who became extremely agitated, apparently in light of being challenged and resisted concerning their evil lifestyles.

One of the Christian protesters was repeatedly hit and kicked after being taken to the ground. Some of the women also attempted to take the sign away, while another male pushed a man holding a Bible, warning him to leave.

It only confirms the violent nature of homosexuality and those supporting it. Jesus Christ completely forbids this sin, and calling attention to it as sin and exposing the lie that a person isn't born that way will always trigger these emotion-driven, brutish people.

If you're one of those, you are called to repentance by Jesus Christ. You can be delivered from your sin and made right with God by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross so you can be saved from eternal damnation. When you call on the Lord He'll also deliver you from your sin in this life as well, setting you free from bondage.

All this violence and response confirms these people know they are sinning and supporting that sin. It's the fact of it being brought into the light that generates such hate towards Jesus Christ and believers.

Jesus Christ the New Creation

Some believers get confused over the idea that Jesus Christ was a new creation
because of the fact He never had a beginning, and is eternal. Since Jesus wasn't a
created being and has always been, how can He be considered the new creation?

The answer is that God redefined what creation really was. The original creation was spoken and shaped and formed by God into existence. While it was a reflection of Jesus Christ, it wasn't exact.

The difference between the old and new creation is the new creation is birthed from heaven, as evidenced time and again by the words of Jesus when He said He wasn't of this world but came from above.

So when Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born from above if he wanted to see the
kingdom of God, it was a reference to a birth, not an improvement on the old creation or something added to it. It's also why Jesus told His disciples they were not of this world.

All of this is to say that a person truly born of God has the very life of Jesus Christ dwelling in them by the Holy Spirit. This life is the only way the kingdom of God can be seen and tasted.

As a matter of fact, that life begins to express itself in and through the person bearing that life, and it changes that person within and without.

Consequently, when Jesus Christ testified before Pontius Pilate that His kingdom wasn't of this world, it wasn't a reference of indifference to the visible world, but a reference to the source of the kingdom, which was God and heaven itself.

He didn't have his angels and followers fight because He had no interest in taking over a dead and condemned world, He could have done that at any time. What He was doing was introducing an entirely new creation, a totally new life form that was alien to everything in the world they knew.

That new creation was His very life, and while separate from mankind, does dwell within the spirits of those that believe Christ is the son of God. He who has the Son has this life within them.

What begins to happen with this new creation is it dwells in the innermost being of people, and transforms them into the very image of Jesus Christ. It happens through the work of the Cross and resurrection life being released as a result.

In the end, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as people commit their lives fully to Him and cooperate in His ultimate purpose, which is to have a people conformed to His very likeness.

This birthing and growing process of the new creation brings about the kingdom of God on earth in the same measure God's people obey and cooperate with Him.

The building of this kingdom is accomplished through the love of and obedience to God being shared among His people as they grow into a temple fit for the King.

Oswald Chambers Quotes

Oswald Chambers Quotes



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You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
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We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.
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The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.
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Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested.
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Certain things can only be dealt with by ignoring them; if you face them you increase their power. It is absurd to say, Pray about them; when once a thing is seen to be wrong, don't pray about it, it fixes the mind on it; never for a second brood on it, destroy it by neglect.
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If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.
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Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of 'good time' is seldom in sync with ours.
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The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance
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The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.
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Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.
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Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.
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At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear Him...Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet...When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.
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One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God.
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The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience.
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The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.
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We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life - those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength.
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No healthy Christian ever chooses suffering; he chooses God's will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.
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Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing...Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation.
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What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what He likes but I do not hear Him.
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Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to "go out" through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.
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Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
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Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God. This will mean that all the other boundaries of life, whether they are mental, moral, or spiritual limits, are completely free with the freedom God gives His child; that is, a worshiping child, not a wayward one. A worker who lacks this serious controlling emphasis of concentration on God is apt to become overly burdened by his work. He is a slave to his own limits, having no freedom of his body, mind, or spirit. Consequently, he becomes burned out and defeated. There is no freedom and no delight in life at all. His nerves, mind, and heart are so overwhelmed that God’s blessing cannot rest on him.
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God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience.
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God plants His saints in the most useless places. We say, 'God intends me to be here because I am so useful.' Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judge at all of where that is.
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Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.
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The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr, so gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it.
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We have to take the first step as though there were no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us, He will not: but immediately we arise we find He is there.
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When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted friendship - when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us.
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We have to keep letting go, and slowly and surely the great full life of God will invade us in every part, and men will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus.
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The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.
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Only one in a thousand sits down in the midst of it all and says—I will watch my Father mend this. God must not be treated as a hospital for our broken “toys,” but as our Father.
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A sentimentalist is one who delights to have high and devout emotions stirred whilst reading in an arm-chair, or in a prayer meeting, but he never translates his emotions into action. Consequently a sentimentalist is usually callous, self-centred and selfish, because the emotions he likes to have stirred do not cost him anything.
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When we lose sight of God we become hard and dogmatic. We hurl our own petitions at God’s throne and dictate to Him as to what we wish Him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to form the mind of Christ. If we are hard towards God, we will become hard towards other people.
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Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.
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Romantic Comedy "A Strange Brand of Happy" Starring Rebecca St. James Coming this Fall

It would be great to get the word out about the upcoming romantic comedy starting Rebecca St. James, as the wholesome and funny film offers a terrific story that includes a subtle Christian theme; albeit one that is not in your face.

Rebecca St. James is a singer, songwriter and actress who has championed causes such as pro-life and sexual purity.

As for the film, its set for a release date of September 13, 2013, at this time to be shown in 42 cities. The hope of the producers and St. James is for people to pre-order tickets so more theaters will show the film.

With that in mind, here is a preview of the movie below.



Here is a list of the cities the movie will be showing in as of this writing:

 Mobile, AL
 Huntington Beach, CA
 Los Angeles, CA
 Colorado Springs, CO
 Ft. Collins, CO
 Bradenton, FL
 Albany, GA
 Atlanta, GA
 Savannah, GA
 Naperville, IL
 Elkhart, IN
 Fort Wayne, IN
 Indianapolis, IN
 Kansas City, KS
 Ashland, KY
Florence, KY
 Lexington, KY
 Louisville, KY
 Minneapolis, MN
 Warrensburg, MO
 Omaha, NE
 Las Vegas, NV
 Canton, OH
 Cincinnati, OH
 Cleveland, OH
 Columbus, OH
 Dayton, OH
 Findlay, OH
 St. Clairesville, OH
 Tiffin, OH
 Shawnee, OK
 Pittsburgh, PA
 Charleston, SC
 Franklin, TN
 Johnson City, TN
 Knoxville, TN
 Murfreesboro, TN
 Dallas, TX
 Houston, TX
 Kennewick, WA
 Morgantown, WV

Quotes from Helen Keller

Helen Keller Quotes


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Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I am in, therin to be content.
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Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.
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Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
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No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
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One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.
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We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
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When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
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The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
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Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
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Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.
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Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.
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Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.
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Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.
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It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel towards our distant goal.
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Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.
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No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.
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I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.
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Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.
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The world is moved not only by the mighty shoves of the heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
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I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God.
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I believe that life is given us so that we may grow in love, and I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower.
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It gives me a deep, comforting sense that things seen are temporal and things unseen are eternal.
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What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
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Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.
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Once I knew only darkness and stillness. My life was without past or future. But a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living.
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The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse. 
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Amy Carmichael Quotes

Amy Carmichael Quotes


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It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desires which He creates.
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We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could. I don’t wonder apostolic miracles have died. Apostolic living certainly has.
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But God is the God of the waves and the billows, and they are still His when they come over us; and again and again we have proved that the overwhelming thing does not overwhelm. Once more by His interposition deliverance came. We were cast down, but not destroyed.
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I wish thy way.

And when in me myself should rise,

and long for something otherwise,

Then Lord, take sword and spear

And slay.
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Bare heights of loneliness…a wilderness whose burning winds sweep over glowing sands, what are they to HIM? Even there He can refresh us, even there He can renew us.
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Satan is so much more in earnest than we are–he buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost.
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If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying “Peace, peace,” where is no peace; if I forget the poignant word “Let love be without dissimulation” and blunt the edge of truth, speaking not right things but smooth things, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
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What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. 
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If you would live in victory.…you must refuse to be dominated by the seen and the felt.
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There may be love, understanding love, all around us, and yet we may be needing some word of life in our own soul, something that would do what only the Divine can do. “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
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It is a solemn thing to find oneself drawn out in prayer which knows no relief till the soul it is burdened with is born. It is no less solemn afterwards, until Christ is formed in them.
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The saddest thing one meets is a nominal Christian. I had not seen it in Japan where missions is younger. The church here is  a “field full of wheat and tares,
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Joy is not gush. Joy is not mere jolliness. Joy is perfect acquiescence ~ acceptance, rest ~ in God’s will, whatever comes.
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A centipede was happy till one day, a toad in fun said, ‘Pray, which leg goes after which?’ Which strained his mind to such a pitch he lay distracted in a ditch, considering how to run. I think there are a good many toads in the world, and sometimes, not in fun at all but very seriously, they manage “to strain our minds to such a pitch”, that instead of going on in simplicity we may easily find ourselves distracted in a ditch, not running, but only considering how to run.
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If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected," if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
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If I take offence easily; if I am content to continue in cold unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
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There is only one way of victory over the bitterness and rage that comes naturally to us--To will what God wills brings peace.
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Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.

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Do not fight the thing in detail: turn from it. Look ONLY at your Lord.
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And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.
I pray Thee hush the hurrying, eager longing,
I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire—
See in my quiet places, wishes thronging—
Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.
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If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider 'not spiritual work' I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
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There have been times of late when I have had to hold on to one text with all my might: "It is required in stewards that a man may be found faithful." Praise God, it does not say "successful.
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God Hold us to that which drew us first, when the Cross was the attraction, and we wanted nothing else.”
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The only expenditure, and all its outworkings, for which God can be held to be responsible is that which He directs.
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If I make much of anything appointed, magnify it secretly to myself or insidiously to others; if I let them think it “hard,” if I look back longingly upon what used to be, and linger among the byways of memory, so that my power to help is weakened, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
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Alan Chambers Loses His Way

It's unclear what has led to the departure of Alan Chambers from Biblical Christianity, but he has apparently collapsed under the pressure of hate groups and his own unwillingness to repent from his homosexual leanings.

Just because you have a ministry attempting to free homosexuals from their sin doesn't mean you've been freed from sin. This is one of the big problems with Christianity, as people pressure those wanting to help others into the public eye without having their own sin dealt with first.

Chambers has unfortunately just went the false and demonic post-modern way of thinking, where everything is determined by how an individual interprets just about anything. There is not truth here, and a having a conversation is simply another way of saying there will never be a meeting of minds because each person perceives their own reality, and that reality is as viable as anyone else's. That's a simplified look at post-modern thinking, but is definitely part of it.

In one of his first post-modern decisions, Chambers decided not to only apologize for what he did through Exodus International, which rightly worked to deliver homosexuals from their bondage to sin, but he also apologized for the church.

He said he wants to apologize to the gay community "for years of undue suffering and judgment at the hands of the organization and the church as a whole."

Only someone going post-modern would have the arrogance to apologize for something he has no authority whatsoever to do. The idea that Chambers thinks he represents the Church of Jesus Christ borders on being a megalomaniac.

Sickeningly he said he want "to see bridges built" between homosexuals and the church. He has no right to biblically do this because the first step towards any real conversation, as John the Baptist and Jesus both said, was to repent. Repentance is turning away from sin, so there is no way to build bridges between true believers in Jesus Christ and homosexuals until they confess and repent of their homosexual sin. At that point Jesus will step in and set them free.

To show his fallen mindset, he added this, "We've fought the culture war, and we've lost. It's time for peace." There has been no failure in the culture war from a Christian perspective, as the battle will continue until the day Jesus Christ returns. There are only those that cave in and go out to the outer court to be trampled.

The idea of making homosexuals comfortable in their sin while condemning them to an eternity in the lake of fire for refusing to repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the ultimate act of hatred. Those who do so in the name of the god of tolerance are the real haters, and will answer to God for not warning people of their sin.

Alan, it's not too late for you to repent for doing what is right. Don't cave into the hatred of those manipulating you into believing you're hateful.

Homosexuality is a sin that must be repented of, and it's one that isn't determined at birth. Anyone can be saved and delivered from any sin, and just because you've struggled with same-sex attraction doesn't mean you were born that way or Jesus Christ failed you. You have to let it go and die to your self-centered ways. The cross is enough for that, and all we have to do is call out to God for deliverance and He will be there.

That and surrounding yourself with believers who will support you while you fight the good fight, knowing that God is faithful to deliver you out of all your struggles.

Hudson Taylor Quotes

Hudson Taylor Quotes


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Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.
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God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies.
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I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust.
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The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.
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Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit's power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.
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Many Christians estimate difficulty in the light of their own resources, and thus they attempt very little and they always fail. All giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them.
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To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, Come to me and rest. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, Go, labor on, as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, Come to me and rest. Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, Come, come, come.
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Whatever is your best time in the day, give that to communion with God.
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As our Father makes many a flower to bloom unseen in the lonely desert, [let us] do all that we can do, as under God's eye, though no other eye ever take note of it.
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I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do His work through me.
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At the timberline where the storms strike with the most fury, the sturdiest trees are found.
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It is no small comfort to me to know that God has called me to my work, putting me where I am and as I am. I have not sought the position, and I dare not leave it. He knows why He places me here-whether to do, or learn, or suffer.
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All at once came the thought – If you are simply obeying the LORD, all the responsibility will rest on Him, not on you! What a relief!! Well, I cried to God – You shall be responsible for them, and for me too!
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Devotion to GOD is still a voluntary thing; hence the differences of attainment among Christians.
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I believe we are all in danger of accumulating – it may be from thoughtlessness, or from pressure of occupation – things which would be useful to others, while not needed by ourselves, and the retention of which entails loss of blessing.
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I besought Him to give me some work for Him, as an outlet for love and gratitude; some self-denying service, no matter what it might be, however trying or however trivial.
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If we are faithful to GOD in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life.
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Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into His hand, and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about, or to make trouble about.
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Our eyes must be upon the Lord, not upon His people. His means – not ours, not theirs, but His means are large; and to a faithful steward He will prove a faithful master.
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The more we rest on this fact, – that we do not know the way we are going, but that we have a GUIDE who does know; that we do not know how to accomplish our service, but that He never leaves us to devise our own service; – the more restful does our life become.
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The work . . . is steadily growing and spreading – especially in that most important department, native help. . . . The future hope of China doubtless lies in them. I look on all us foreign missionaries as platform work round a rising building; the sooner it can be dispensed with the better; or rather, the sooner it can be transferred to other places, to serve the same temporary purpose, the better for the work sufficiently forward to dispense with it, and the better for the places yet to be evangelized.
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Wave after wave of trial rolled over us; but at the end of the year some of us were constrained to confess, that we had learned more of the loving-kindness of the Lord than in any previous year of our lives.
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When the heart submits, then Jesus reigns When Jesus reigns, there is rest.
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You are not sent to preach death and sin and judgment, but life and holiness and salvation – not to be a witness against the people, but to be a witness for God – to preach the good news – Christ Himself.
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The vine . . . is not the root merely, but all - root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit: and Jesus is not only that: He is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more than we ever dreamed, wished for, or needed.
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Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. We know how the Lord Jesus became fruitful – not by bearing His Cross merely, but by dying on it. Do we know much of fellowship with Him in this?
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Argument almost always leaves behind a sore feeling in the heart of the one who has been worsted. By loving teaching, by Christ-like living, we are to win this people for our Lord. They do not understand what disinterested love and unselfishness mean: you are to go and live it among them.
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